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Category: Old Special Reports
Well, its that time of the year! Time to pre-order your theatrical release of The Two Towers! This special 2 disc set contains special features that will not be available on the November ‘extended edition’ release, so its pretty much worth getting your hands on. Here’s a brief description of what you can find on it:
• 10 minute behind-the-scenes preview of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
• Sean Astin?s short film, ‘The Long And Short Of It’ and making-of documentary
• ‘Gollum’s Song’ music video by Emiliana Torrini
• Preview of Electronic Arts? video game ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King’
• First look at the special extended DVD edition of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
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New Line Official Site†
(Check their cart for special offers when you purchase the DVD in combination with other products)
All Versions
Amazon.com†
DVD – Widescreen Full Screen
VHS – Full Screen Latin Subtitles
Amazon.co.uk†
All Versions
BestBuy.com†
All formats
DVD Empire†
DVD – Widescreen Full Screen
BlackStar.co.uk
DVD – Region 2
PAL VIDEO
DVDOrchard (Austrailian Site)
All Formats
Interview with Liv Tyler in Russia’s COOL magazine
COOL: In the movie you with Viggo are in love. Have you really kissed him during the shoot? How does Aragorn kiss?
Liv: Really, I haven’t kissed him! He always was with his beard, and it was really prickly. All the time Aragorn looked hmm.. how to say, neglected. I couldn’t make myself do it.
COOL: When you played Arwen you wore long dresses. How did you feel wearing them?
Liv:Actually, it was really hot. And those clothes were so long you couldn’t wear them in real life. I needed to think what my next step will be every 2 seconds! If you only for a minute forget about the dress got ya: you will fall or a sleeve is on the earth. That’s because sometimes on the shooting ground you could hear happy shouting of the elves: Go to hell with this dress! It was that you could hear something worse.
COOL: And what were you doing if you needed to go to the toilet during shooting?
Liv: That’s simple: under the dress elves don’t wear anything! I for example wore only socks and trainers and nothing else
COOL: Have you been wondering to save one of your elfish ear?
Liv: Actually no. Ears were made from gelatin . Even if the temperature wasn’t high they were melting. When we were shooting we wore hundreds of these!
COOL: Have you been wondering for long : to take or not to take the role of the elf?
Liv: Oh, it wasn’t easy. To play a perfect kind of man is always difficult
COOL: How do you think elves eat?
Difficult to say. It isn’t in the book. (Personally I don’t know why, I read that Legolas was eating lembas in TTT). Elves don’t sleep that’s right. And about eating If you think about this, you may think that they are some kind of Barbie and Ken, that they don’t got nothing in their underpants!
COOL: How do you feel wearing jeans after wearing elfish clothes for so long time?
Liv: Honestly, after 3 years of shooting LOTR I felt kind of strange. I felt naked without long dresses.
Eledhwen writes:
I must confess to choosing to see “Dance of Death” because of Ian McKellen and Frances de la Tour, rather than because of the play. I have barely heard of Strindberg – despite him being, according to the programme notes, Sweden’s best known playwright.
However we were in for a treat. The theatre was half-empty – the balcony and upper circle, where we had tickets, had been closed and we were upgraded to the dress circle. That and the stalls were in fact full. As we sat down, the set (an amazing circular room, complete with a staircase, windows, doors, and a wood-burning stove), was lit and Ian McKellen already on stage, seated with his back to the audience. After a few minutes, Frances de la Tour wandered on, and wandered around, so that when the action started it was seamless.
McKellen and de la Tour play Edgar and Alice, a couple celebrating their silver wedding anniversary. Though “celebrating” is perhaps not the right word – they hate each other, and their lives are a constant sniping and mocking. Edgar is a domineering military man, but not a very good one. He has never been promoted beyond captain, and hates to be reminded of the fact. He drinks too, and smokes a cigar. Alice, meanwhile, is bitter and angry, feeling that her husband robbed her of a career in the theatre.
Their lives together take on a new dimension with the visit of Kurt, Alice’s cousin. Kurt, played by Owen Teale, does his best to be sympathetic to them both – when Edgar falls ill with a heart condition he runs for a doctor, and then stays up all night with the sick man. But the oppressive atmosphere of the house preys on him, and by the second act Kurt too is as full of hate as his hosts.
Indeed towards the end of the play it is difficult to know which character is evil, and which good; which in control and which falling out of control. The alliances of Alice and Kurt, and Alice and Edgar, switch and turn. Edgar, an inveterate and gleeful liar, manipulates the other two with his imminent death. Alice plays with Kurt’s emotions, but seems to be losing her grasp on sanity. Kurt does not know who to trust, what to do.
The play is full of black humour and has some very funny lines as well as some very poignant moments. The adaptation keeps the original setting of a century ago, but the situation rings true to a modern audience. And it is superbly acted – the principal trio magnificent. Were it not for the voice, it would be difficult to say that McKellen’s Edgar is performed by the same man who brought the world Gandalf, Magneto, Richard III, James Whale, and so many other remarkable men. In movement and mannerism he is simply wonderful.
McKellen is matched by de la Tour, who makes you feel for Alice while at the same time questioning whether she is any better than Edgar. Teale compliments his colleagues admirably.
“Dance of Death” is an excellent play in every sense, and it seems a real shame that the theatre was not busier. It’s still on, for nearly a month until McKellen returns to Middle-earth – and I would advise anyone who can to go and see it.
The Man
After the show I and my three companions, all of us keen TORNadoes, headed round the side of the theatre to the stage door. There were three people already waiting and a few more turned up, but it was a small queue. We waited, and we waited, and we checked our watches and tried to remember when the last tube home was; we waited some more and reflected that it was a shame we weren’t going to get to meet Sir Ian after all.
And then, just as we were preparing to go, he emerged! I whipped out my camera, and after Sir Ian had signed autographs for those ahead of us, it was our turn. Being obsessed we’d sent him a card ahead of time, and it turned out he had not only got it, but remembered and realised who we were! Then he happily posed for a picture (l-r, River Woman, Sir Ian, Frogmella, Trinity the Purple), and signed our programmes. I might never use that pen again … We all came over rather giggly, despite having resolved to be mature and grown-up, but he was extremely nice. He asked us where we were from, and when we told him said, “Oh, that crazy bunch!”
Then we thanked him and hurried away to catch the tube, squeaking like mad things and generally completely over-excited. Such a nice, friendly, ordinary man. Amazing.
Three more reports from Collectormania found their way to my inbox. So for your reading pleasure: more kind words about Billy Boyd, John Rhys-Davies, Andy Serkis, Sala Baker and Bruce Hopkins.
Next up is one from Yahweh70 with an interesting rumor on who might attend the September Collectormania.
I only managed a late arrival on the Sunday, but got 1 of 6 returned tickets to the TT screening. Highlight of the Q&A was the re-enactment of the Gollum/Smeagol (muuuuuuurderrerrrr!) scene by Andy Serkis. Standing ovation even from the other cast. Bruce Hopkins saying how the film was good for those who were advancing their careers, starting thair careers (then JRD chipping in with ‘and some ending it’). Bruce and Andy also thanked the fans for helping make the film the success it’s become. Sala saying that the original Sauron was going to be smaller than Sala, so they had to remould the Sauron suit. Bruce telling the story of how he got the job as Gamling, showed up and was expected to be able to ride a horse. He goes off to learn, then finds his horse ‘doesn’t do reining’, whereby Bruce controls the horse one handed purely by positioning his rein hand to turn the horse. Bruce also took the opportunity to applaud Billy, Andy and JRD, for their professionalism in dealing with the queues. Sala and Bruce both joked they had ‘queue envy’. Sala said he had 2 months of reshoots to do, most had finished their bits.
Sunday. Got there about midday. V.busy. Big queues for JRD, Andy and Billy. No queues for Bruce. No sign of Sala, might be at lunch. Eventually get to see Andy then Billy. Both very friendly, Billy being photographed by everyone. By the time I got through Andy, there seemed to be no ticket system for Billy. There had been BIG queues for them eartlier. A bunch of mall security had lined up for Andy.
Off to join the JRD queue. Spot Armin Shimerman (Buffy, DS9 etc) has no line, so took the opp to get his sig. rejoin JRD line, not moved, no new recruits. JRD does come down the line occasionally to say hello and he’ll see us soon. Anyone with kids gets loads of time (no complaints here) with JRD. I had spotted a baby on his knee earlier, despite their being a looooong line. Very good of him, although I doubt it went down well with those new to the autograph hunting fraternity.
Unlike his appearance at Memorabilia, he had a wider range of shots available. B&W and colour, with a set of Indiana Jones images. I asked him if he’d recovered from the Croatian incident. His back is still playing up, but apart from that… OK.
Passing the Boyd/Serkis booth I noticed hardly any queues, but a fair few onlookers just chatting with both.
I think I heard Dominic (Merry) might be doing the September show. Could be interesting!
You heard it here first…
Three more reports from Collectormania found their way to my inbox. So for your reading pleasure: more kind words about Billy Boyd, John Rhys-Davies, Andy Serkis, Sala Baker and Bruce Hopkins.
First report is from Hannah
Another report and photos from Collectormania!
I don’t know if you want to hear yet another report, so I’ll try and keep this as short as possible…
Milton Keynes is my home town, so there was no travel issues as the centre is less than 10 minutes from my house! I got there about 10am, which turned out to be a good choice since the queue was already at an hour’s wait! Whilst we were in the queue waiting to get my ‘virtual ticket’ I saw Andy Serkis and Billy Boyd walk past to go to their signing places – it was such a nice surprise to see them already (and so early on a Sunday morning)!
Once I had my tickets for Andy and Billy I went to meet some of the other guests to pass the hour (Alan Ruck and Corin Nemec were really nice and friendly). Then came my time to wait for Billy… there were lots of people milling about to get a view, but being in the queue I could get a good view already! Finally my time came to meet Billy, who was all smiles (I’m sure his face must have ached at the end of the day!). I got to ask him if he’s got to go back for reshoots, and he said ‘yes in June’ (if my memory serves me). He said he will be sad when the experience is all over. I asked him if it’s a long day for him, and he said ‘it’s not so bad, it’s all good fun’. I then had my photo taken with him – one thing I noticed was he always came to stand next to the person who wanted a photo, rather than lean over the table which was very nice of him! 🙂
Next it was the queue for Andy! There was a family in front of me with two young boys, one of whom had a replica One Ring around his neck. Apparently this boy could do an impersonation of Gollum, which Andy wanted to hear. Andy then repeated “My Precioussss!” to him, whilst reaching for the Ring around his neck- a classic moment!
I then got to meet Andy, who again was incredibly friendly. I asked him if he still had work to do for ROTK, which he replied yes. He explained each of the procedures he has to go through for Gollum, and said he may still have to work on each element (motion capture, ADR etc). I asked if he had to do any extra work for the extended edition of the TTT DVD, to which he replied he didn’t need to since everything necessary had already been completed. He said it will be a fantastic DVD though!
I then had a two hour wait for John Rhys Davies – which gave me time to look round all the great stalls at the event. Then came my time to queue for John… to call him a fantastic character would be an understatement! He was so welcoming to each individual in their own way, and gave everyone their due time (he also signed each person’s autograph in a individual way). I asked him if Gimli was one of his favourite characters to play, and he said yes. It was one of his hardest roles to play, but one of his favourites. He said really people aren’t there to see him (he’s wrong!) but they are here to see Gimli or Sallah, the characters they love. I told him I really loved his performance of Gimli, especially as he gets people to laugh. At which point he turned into his Gimli voice, and flumoxed “What? Grr… what? People laugh at me?! Laugh at a Dwarf?! What….?” It was truly hilarious!
John also had a special way of getting people to smile in their photos with him… he tickled everyone! When he put his arm around me to pose, he surely did start tickling me so the photo is priceless!
On to the TTT screening…
I think most of what was said on the evening has been mentioned before. Apparently Collectormania recorded the whole talk which I’m hoping will appear on their website.
One nice part of the evening was when John forgot his time at the bar with the rest of the cast to come and speak to us fans! He spent a good half an hour just talking to us all and answering our questions. He got to tell the story about his accident in great detail, and he really honoured those involved who helped save his life.
When he first entered he made sure to state, “Before we begin, no I don’t have Orlando Bloom’s phone number. Yes, Orlando Bloom is wonderful…”
He was also asked if he would consider playing Gloin if The Hobbit was ever remade, to which he was very hesitant. He said he didn’t know if he would want to go through the makeup process again, especially considering his skin reaction to the makeup.
Other highlights of the night included the cast enjoying the fan’s chocolates, and the general way in which there was no ‘starry’ attitude – in some respects it was like having a chat with friends it was that informal!
The very highlight of the night was Andy Serkis’s rendition of Gollum’s inner debate. It was a real treat to watch Andy become Gollum in front of us… believe me he got a roaring response and standing ovation!
Other great moments included the cast honouring Peter Jackson, and stating that it didn’t really matter if he didn’t win an Oscar as we all know how special the films are and how they’ve been received. Also Bruce Hopkins giving thanks to PJ for including him in the film and boosting his role, and for showing the world that films can be made in New Zealand, and showing New Zealand actors that they can be part of the ‘bigger picture’.
One fan asked Billy if he could say if Pippin will look into the Palantir in ROTK, but he said he couldn’t say anything or he might get in trouble! They were all asked which were their hardest parts to film – Andy answered his hardest part was yet to come so couldn’t say what it was… Billy said his hardest part was when Pippin becomes a Gondorian Knight (sorry if that’s not quite correct… I was trying to avoid spoilers!), and told an anecdote where he’d recently met the actor who played Pippin in the BBC Radio version who also said that was his hardest scene to perform! Bruce Hopkins said his biggest challenge was learning to ride horses, especially since he had to do a lot of it including special stunts.
There were many other anecdotes, which unfortunately only come back to me in little pieces on random occasions… but it really was a fantastic and special day all in all!