Mithveaen writes: I’m sending you this from CNI Newsletter I get everyday. I’m sending a translation but since I’m at work I did it using Altavista (I cleaned it up the best I could -Xo), I hope it makes sense!!
Aragorn´ promotes epilogue of the Lord of the Rings
Interviewed in Mexico City airport, “Aragorn” was received by a multitude of fans who tried to obtain an autograph or a photo with him, causing a rukus.
When he was asked about his impressions about the special effects on the film “The Return of the King”, that will be released next December in US, the actor assured people that the relations between the characters is the most remarkable part of the film.
“Of course that (the special effects) they are best, but I believe what is going to last during many decades is the relationships that exist among the characters”, said the actor.
Mortensen joked that the only thing he knows from Mexico is that the soccer team of Toluca “plays very well”, after loosing badly by the USA team 6-0 last weekend.
Ringer Spy Alex writes that Starbucks Malaysia will be hosting two RoTK events in Kuala Lumpur in December.
The first is the RoTK Charity Premiere. This will be happening on 17th December 2003 from 7.45pm. It will be held at the TGV cinemas at KLCC and 1-Utama. Tickets are priced at RM$39 and will include a Starbucks beverage voucher and a Starbucks mug. The charity premiere tickets are available from Starbucks outlets from 10th November onwards.
The second event is the LoTR Trilogy movie marathon (Extended Edition). This will be happening on 19th December 2003 from 11pm to 10am the next day (yes! its an all-nighter!) and will be held at the TGV cinemas at KLCC and Sunway Pyramid. Tickets are available now at Starbucks outlets and are priced at RM$43. Each ticket includes two Starbucks beverage vouchers and a “Survival” certificate at the end of the screening.
Emma writes: I got a very few of my Tony Wolf photos up last night, from his demo last night. I haven’t had time to write anything up on the page yet.
Tony was fantastic–very articulate and with a lot of opinions about what stage combat has been, is, and could be. His method for teaching it is along the lines of “teaching them to fish” so they have the tools to figure out the details themselves, rather than “giving them a fish” which is only good for one specific instance. It was also interesting to hear that in NZ, there is much less of a division between those working in the theatre, in feature films, and in television, than there is here, so that he has done work in all those mediums.
He talked about his job on LOTR, which as fighting styles designer, saw him working in preproduction alongside those people designing the costumes, weapons, etc. He had to design, from scratch, the fighting styles for 8 different peoples (Rohirrim, Elves, Gondorians, Ors, Moria Orcs, etc.) which involved taking what was known about those peoples–their history, their physical aspects, their culture–and coming up with a style that would arise out of the combination of those things.
After his talk, he worked with two women from our *excellent* local female stage combat troupe, Babes With Blades, to demonstrate how he might choreograph a fight for two specific characters–and he chose the characters so he would know something about them, as he doesn’t choreograph generic “fights” but needs to make the fighting style specific to the characters and the situation. So the ladies were Buffy and Faith, which proved to be a lot of fun for both the ladies involved and the audience.
The Italian Tolkien Society is proud to announce that the great event dedicated to the fiftieth anniversary of the publication of the first two volumes of The Lord of The Rings will occur in the European Parliament of Bruxelles between the 22th and the 28th of March, 2004.
Tolkien Societies from every part of the world (Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, Denmark, Philippines, Germany, Japan, Israel, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Russia, Spain, United States, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Hungary, Turkey) already announced their adhesion to the event. For the Tolkien Societies which haven’t confirmed their adhesion and are interested, they can write at this e-mail address: tolkien.bruxelles@email.it (Oronzo Cilli Event organizer)
This week dedicated to the English writer will be full of events. First, there will be several panels with Tolkien experts from different countries. Between the people contacted (we hope everybody will answer positively at our invitation) there are Brian Sibley, Tom Shippey, Patrick Curry, Christopher Garbowski, Stefano Giuliano, Gianfranco De Turris, Adolfo Morganti, Paolo Paron and Chris Crawshaw.
During the week, a painting exhibition will show the works of artists as Ted Nasmith, Alan Lee, Greg and Tim Hildebrandt, Roger Garland, Luigi Enzo Mattei, Tom Cross, Donato Giancola, Luca Michelucci, Angelo Montanini, Anton Spazzapan, Pascal Yung, Stephen Walsh, Randy Asplund, David Wyatt, Roger Thomasson, Maria Distefano, Peter Gaber, Stefano Baldo, Timoleon Kouimtzoglou, Danny Staten, Ed Beard Jr. and Catherine Karina Chemiel. We hope also to have John Howe (who already participated at our events) as our guest.
On Tuesday, 23, a concert of celtic music and a stage performance called Gollum’s Ring will delight the audience.
Among the institutions required for a support, there are the European Parliament ˆ Italian Office, United Kingdom Government, New Zealand Government, Region de Bruxelles Capitale, Vice Presidenza Del Consiglio Dei Ministri, Istituto Italiano di Cultura ˆ Bruxelles, Ministero delle Comunicazioni, Ministero delle Politiche Agricole e Forestali, Regione Lazio.
The Tolkien event will be presented in Rome in mid january.
I, like a lot of fans, didn’t get a ticket to the Trilogy Tuesday screening for December 16th. Having just sat through 10 hours of TTT EX DVD bliss however, I’m glad! I’m not what one may call uber-athletic, and I’m not horribly out of shape either, but sitting in a theater/screening-room for 10 hours is near impossible. But, I took one for the team and managed to last until the very last documentary on the last disk. I gave up a few minutes into it! Sorry! I just had to get outta there.
While I didn’t get to see that last documentary, I did soak in the entire DVD set that is making its way to stores November 18th. This set, like the FOTR EX set is going to blow your mind. I’m one of the most antsy people in the world, and to stay in a chair for 10 hours meant my brain was thoroughly engrossed in what it was receiving.
Today I wanted to give you my brief synopsis of the actual The Two Towers Extended Edition film and my thoughts on its merits. In the coming week, I’ll discuss some of the highlights of the third and fourth discs as well.
First and foremost, The Two Towers Extended Edition is, like FOTR Ex, a far better piece of cinematic magic than the original theatrical release. It is unfortunate that we live in a time where the general movie going public, and the theater economic structure, does not allow this nearly 4 hour masterpiece to make it into all cities in every country. This is obviously the true vision of the filmmakers, and it shows.
When I first saw TTT in early December 2002, I loved it, but not as much as FOTR and, based on the extreme difference between FOTR Ex and FOTR, I came away with the knowledge “Yeah, there was a lot cut out” and I’ll see it in the Extended Edition. You could simply feel it when you watch the movie. Where did Brego come from? Why in one scene are 400 elves still alive and in the very next cut they are dead and we have 12 people in the Helm’s Keep. It was obvious to me that there was a lot missing, so I knew the Extended Edition would fill those holes, and it did.
What I did not expect was that there was a lot portions of the story to flesh out. I”m going to try and list the scenes that I saw, as briefly as possible, since I’m not a big fan of spoiling it for everyone.
Frodo, Sam, Gollum and Faramir
There is a lot more of Gollum, Sam and Frodo. One of the key scenes that come to mind is a conversation Gollum has with Smeagol right after Frodo releases him from the elvish rope. As Gollum flees the scene and the hobbits run to follow, Gollum has the first internal battle of the film, and it is just amazing. At one point, Sam is furious after it looks like ‘Gollum’ won over the internal debate and has convinced Smeagol to bolt. It makes for a very good addition to the narrative, establishing the dual personality of Smeagol early on.
Previous to TTT, I had heard rumors of a scene in which Faramir’s men beat the living snot out of Gollum after his capture at the pool. I did not expect to see the sequence in TTT EX, simply because the description relayed to me sounded excessively violent. Much to my surprise, we do get a brief glimpse of Gollum being beat to smithereens. In fact, in TTT EX Gollum is treated by men, especially Faramir, in a very violent manner. While this is another liberty taken by the filmmakers, it adds even more sympathy for the character. Whatever chance he had of keeping Gollum at bay and forgiving Frodo and Sam for allowing him to be captured, is long gone. At least from our perspective. There is even an apology sequence in the sewers of Osgiliath. Sam, trying to buddy up with Gollum, tells him how Frodo was only trying to help his situation and did not want to betray Gollum. Gollum puts on an act and seems to accept the apology. Little do poor Sam and Frodo know what is in store.
Denethor’s Disdain
Faramir gets the long awaited ‘explanatory’ scene added in, in which Denethor’s lack of affection for his son, and the lack of confidence in him, comes across loud and clear. The keywords ‘prove his quality’ are delivered by Denethor as a step-father would to an unwanted son. We are truly now prepped for Faramir’s character development in TTT.
Denethor comes off as power hungry and cold hearted. (SPOILERS AHEAD FOR ROTK – HIGHLIGHT TO READ) I can now understand how Faramir, seeing his father despise him so much, would voluntarily ride to what is almost certain death.(END SPOILERS).
It was also great to see Boromir back in all his glory. Being a huge Sean Bean fan, and feeling that he should have at the very least been nominated for his role in FOTR, it was great to see the favored son of Gondor on the screen. He defends his brother against Denethor’s onslaught and then argues with Denethor about travelling to Rivendell. Boromir feels it is his place to stay in Gondor instead of being an errand boy. This is when Faramir speaks up and asks to take Boromir’s place. Denethor just outright tells him he wouldn’t trust such an important mission to a failed son.
Merry, Pippin and Treebeard
Merry and Pippin also have a significant amount of added scenes in TTT EX. My favorite, as strange as it may sound, is when the party of Uruk-hai meet up with the Mordor Orcs. In the original release, we’re never told how these Uruks meet up with the scraggy likes of Grishnakh. TTT EX has the Uruks come to a halt (as in the theatrical release), but instead of smelling ‘man flesh’ right away, they smell other orcs. This is when Grishnakh and his crew come out of hiding. Additionally we see Pippin begging for their captors to give Merry some water. Merry is barely alive on the back of an Uruk. In response, and much to Pippin’s horror, the Uruks force Orc ale down Merry’s throat. Merry sputters and chokes on the obviously disgusting brew. Pippin is then warn to keep quiet or he’ll have the same treatment.
Who’s Taller Now?
In the added sequence near Treebeard’s home Merry and Pippin have a great comic scene in which they argue about who is taller. Pippin has been drinking from the ent draught supply and seems to ‘grow’ in front of Merry’s eyes, with a series of tree-like creaking sounds emitting from his body. The argument leads to Merry grabbing the water vessel, and attempting to drink some of the draught himself. During the scuffle, they fall into the roots of a large knarly tree, only to find themselves fighting for their lives. The tree is…Old Man Willow! Granted the reference is a little out of place in the film version, it is a nice aside to add more to the Merry and Pippin storyline. Treebeard returns and coops some of ole Tom Bombadil’s lines to free the Hobbits from the roots of the tree. Its a nice little ‘shout out’ to Tom and Old Man Willow.
And of course, Merry and Pippin, after the flooding of Isengard, provide even more comic relief as they discover the storage closet of Isengard. Complete with FOTResque ‘leaf’ inferences.
Aragorn, Gimli, Legolas
As with the other story lines, a lot has been added back in.
The now infamous ‘Aragorn Cliff Diving’ sequence gets a little more added context as we find out where the heck that horse comes from! In the original release, I just assumed it was the horse he was riding on the previous Warg Battle, and the Men of Rohan just left it wandering. (Rather unlikely considering their love for horses and I’m sure they needed every horse they had) The real story is fleshed out with an added scene inside the Rohan stables which sets up Eowyn’s growing infatuation with Aragorn and Brego’s eventual coming to Aragorn’s rescue. As Aragorn and the others prepare their horses, one horse in particular is causing quite a stir. I believe one of the mean of Rohan say it has gone mad. Aragorn slowly approaches the creature speaking in an elvish tongue and is able to calm Brego down. Eowyn overhears and inquires about the language, only to find out that Aragorn was raised for a time in Rivendell. He orders Brego to be freed to the wild, since he had already served his time in battle for Theoden’s son, Theodred.
Theodred’s Funeral
Speaking of Theodred, we do see Eomer’s discovery of his body on the banks of a stream, filled with slaughtered orcs and men. The subsequent funeral is added into TTT EX and proves to be an even more heart-wrenching scene, than just seeing Theoden outside the tomb. The entire city of Edoras comes out for the funeral. The Men of Rohan carry Theodred’s body to the burial ground, while the women wait by the tomb to mourn. Eowyn becomes the soloist of a very sorrow-filled song, sung in Old English without subtitles. I was slightly surprised when she started singing, but the performance was amazing, and quickly was engrossed into the emotion of the moment.
As the people of Rohan and our key characters travel to Helm’s Deep, Eowyn also finds out that Aragorn is 87. The news obviously blows her mind, but at the same time, we get the distinct impression that it is yet another piece that will add to her love for Aragorn. In fact, in one scene, in the streets of Helm’s Deep, she all but confesses her love for him.
The Battle of Helm’s deep, while amazing in the first film, manages to be even better in TTT EX. The differences from the theatrical release are not obvious, but some do stick out. One of my personal critiques in the theatrical release was the sudden disappearance of the entire Elf army. In the TTT EX version we get a few more sweeping shots of the battle, showcasing the slow but steady decline of the Elf army numbers.
The tension of Helm’s Deep was also heightened by a few more women and children shots inside the glittering caves. If I remember correctly, we see them reacting more to the uruks about to break in.
Gimli Wins!
My favorite addition to the battle is the ‘final kill’ count exchange between Legolas and Gimli. The scene has Legolas conversing with Gimli as he sites, perched ontop of a dead Uruk (see the images). Legolas claims victory with a final kill count of 42. Gimli, in his typical manner, agrees that 42 is a big number, but his 43 kills beats it! Legolas, in a probably not-so-tolkien moment, reacts by firing an arrow directly into the orc on which Gimli is situated. “43,” Legolas says. Gimli directs Legolas’s gaze to his axe in the Uruks head and explains he was already dead. It makes for a great comedic moment. Of course my description does not do it justice!
The most significant Helm’s Deep change is the addition of the correct ending: The orcs running from battle into a forest of Huorns. What is described in the book as a few lines, comes across on screen very effectively. Lets just say its really cool to see the Uruks run into the forest…and after a significant dramatic pause, the trees start tearing into them. Why this, literally less than 60 second addition, didn’t make it into the theatrical release, the world may never know. I have a feeling it had more to do with special effects not being done, than just simply being cut. Thats my guess anyway.
Eomer is Banished
Before I forget, another hole that always bothered me was Grima’s banishment of Eomer from Rohan early on in the film. In the theatrical release, the impression is that Grima somehow has the authority to make such a dramatic decision. In TTT EX we see that he does not, but managed to convince poor possessed Theoden to sign a document for the purpose. This is just another example of the little holes being filled throughout the storyline.
There are a slew of more scenes added in, that I can’t recall from memory. The additions are dotted all over the place. The end result however is a much better Two Towers film and something that we can all be proud to add to our DVD collection on November 18th. As kiss up as it might seem, we need to once again thank the filmmakers and New Line Home Entertainment for providing fans with this opportunity to see the masterpiece in its entirety. If there is one thing we can say about Tolkien fandom and our relationship with the filmmakers, we are treated very well. (Unlike those poor Star Wars fans, like myself. We just know Lucas will NEVER release the original uncorrupted Star Wars films on DVD.)
I also had the chance to see the last 2 discs of the Extended Edition Set. I’ll be posting my thoughts on the documentaries and other features in the coming days.
20 Bookstores nationwide to host Lord Of The Rings book and dvd events on November 5
To celebrate the publication of three of Houghton Mifflin’s THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING film tie-in books on November 5, twenty bookstores around the country will host special, one-time-only video events featuring exclusive content from “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers” Extended Edition DVD, to be released by New Line Home Entertainment on November 18. Stores will debut a documentary from the DVD entitled “J.R.R. Tolkien: Origins of Middle-earth.”
Houghton Mifflin’s three film books THE LORD OF THE RINGS: WEAPONS AND WARFARE, THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING VISUAL COMPANION, and THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING PHOTO GUIDE offer an exclusive sneak peek at the final film in the award-winning trilogy, “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King,” six weeks before its December 18 theatrical release.
The books and the special video preview of footage from “The Two Towers” DVD are sure to please LORD OF THE RINGS fans around the country.
Below is the complete list of bookstores debuting the featurette:
CALIFORNIA San Mateo — Barnes & Noble, 11 West Hillsdale Blvd., Hillsdale Shopping Ctr., 7:00 p.m.
COLORADO Colorado Springs — Media Play, 7720 North Academy Blvd., 7:00 p.m.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Barnes & Noble, 555 12th Street NW, 6:00 p.m.
FLORIDA Tampa — University of South Florida Bookstore, 4202 E. Fowler Avenue, 4:30 p.m.
ILLINOIS Oak Park — Barbara’s Bookstore, 1100 West Lake Street, 7:00 p.m.
INDIANA South Bend — Notre Dame Bookstore, Eck Center, 7:00 p.m.
KANSAS Lawrence — Hastings, 1900 W. 23rd Southwest Plaza, 7:00 p.m.
MASSACHUSETTS Boston — Barnes & Noble @ Boston University, 660 Beacon Street, 12:00 noon
MINNESOTA Bloomington — Suncoast Motion Picture Co., Mall of America, 126 E. Broadway, 5:30 p.m.
MISSOURI Brentwood — Borders, 1519 S. Brentwood Boulevard, 7:00 p.m. Columbia — Columbia Books, 22 South Ninth Street, 6:00 p.m. (Nov. 6)
