Ringer Spy LC sends along these scans for the LOTR DVD. Take a look!
Category: Old Spy Reports
scroll down below for the non-spoiler review
For your own good, do not read any more blow by blow stuff. Yeah I know about the spoilers issue – who doesn’t – but save something for yourself. Don’t squeeze the juice from this lemon before it comes out unless you get a chance to see it, the footage, with your own eyes and ON THE BIG SCREEN, because your cinematic experience – no matter how bad your addictions to any scrap of info are – is far too precious to blow on impatience. Please, please trust me on this… don’t pop your own or anyone else’s TLOTR cherries before the right night – and if you can try to abide by this, I’ll have just done you one of the biggest favours of your entire life. I don’t say this as a non-fan of either TLOTR or spoilers as you well know. But suddenly I’ve realised that no matter how insatiable our desire and anticipation feels for this film, the pay off will by magnified by 10 if we pull back now. See the footage if you can (and swear you’ll wait for the big screen) but halt there.
That also goes with the freaky hype. Why? That’s a tough one.
Words can’t describe what we’ve seen for these films so far. They really can’t – but it ain’t perfect either and by refusing to grab the reins now we could make it something it isn’t – and how much will that sting if we realise that instead of letting PJ tell the stories in film better than anyone else can today and enjoying them for that that we push ourselves into some increasingly precious corner where it can only be one thing or we’ll be disappointed. That kind of pressure is impossible to handle and certainly self-defeatist.
I’ve read alleged Roadshow/New Line reps and other fans getting lines and their context wrong, such as the infamous “I might not be able to carry it Master Frodo, but I can carry you!” (from Sam and Frodo’s final ascent of Mount Doom, the one I just wrote is more or less correct), missing little details like Sam’s “I’m getting the hang of this Mister Frodo!” line at the start of the Balin’s Tomb melee and that the first sign of trouble there is just after sting starts to glow (poorly actually, much like Bilbo’s invisibility turn) and – with only a few mentions so far – Boromir sticks his head around the door to see what’s happening and finds his head nearly pierced by a number of Orc arrows, in a piece of pure Peter Jackson. There’s the fact that Gandalf seems really quite tetchy, grumpy and REAL than I expected, and actually brought immense humanity to the role when the Balrog came along, because darn it, he didn’t look impervious to damage… he looked like he was steeling himself for something he REALLY didn’t want to have to do and seemed to be hiding a certain amount brick-shitting. It was a great touch (and believe me, he wasn’t the only one in that theatre with his heart in his mouth… the fucking thing is HUGE).
That’s why I found QuiGonJinn’s Lincoln Centre report the most honest and on-the-money so far. That and the fact that PJ’s ‘necessary’ (? we’ll have to wait to see the full trilogy to work out whether quizzical choices such as leaving Aragorn’s broken Narsil out, were indeed justified or folly – I’m a big believer in PJ, so I’m trusting him) artistic license has already started to be spilt. Now the big danger here is not mere spoiling, it’s the fact that when I saw it, it showed me that no matter how many hundreds of times I might have read the books, PJ’s sneakily ensured that we feel tension and suspense (putting us in the moment and taking us away from that perilous thrill-killer critical look) during each moment. It’s in everything from Pippin knocking down a helmet, corpse, chain and bucket in a very comic chain-of-catastrophic-accidental-events inside of a mere stone, to the broken bridge leap, to the Cave Troll itself, to they very way Frodo is skewered, to Gandalf’s appearance at Bag End. Get me? It happened often enough to throw this viewer. It happens in the Shire, in Moria, in Rivendell… please, please save these moments for the complete film. I care too much about you Tolkien fans NOT to say this.
Back to QuiGonJinn – good job my son. Thanks for having the guts to tell the truth, because it’s much better than the over-enthusiastic hyping. It’s not like I don’t understand that, because I was there, over the moon with them. But it’s on the come down that I realise the real gold from here will come in surprises. I’ll just try to tweak what I’ve read toward more accurate representation without destroying the magic.
I heard from the actual cinematographer that what we we’ve been seeing hasn’t been colour treated or enhanced and that has was fairly disappointed with showing people dulled images instead of the glorious finished stuff. Ahem… I was impressed regardless, but I could see what he meant.
Well, QuiGonJinn’s blown it… the Balrog isn’t merely bullish. It IS Howe’s Balrog (but not the most famous one, it’s more like The Silmarrilion verson). And since he brought it up the inside of Moria as we first see it is straight out of the Alan Lee pic. The Shire from the outside is Alan Lee’s from The Hobbit and inside is almost exactly Howe’s version. Here I really couldn’t believe that I was actually seeing Bag End, not some silly representation, but the real deal, just as it’s described. Wait until you see Ian Holm – he’s the first Hobbit you meet and I’m telling you, you will think you’re truly seeing Bilbo. He’s amazing. In fact, he was so good that until we actually got to the Moria sequence I was still in a daze of disbelief – not that the film wasn’t up for it, but just disbeleif that someone COULD do it. And just quickly, the re-sizing is almost perfect… I think I was only aware of any effect during one backshot when the Hobbit was obviously a child, instead of the re-sized actor. So that’s one instance I remember from the 25 whole minutes.
The bit with Cave Troll and Legolas running along the chain to jump on its back were – as Ant said – obviously CGI-d. That was a disappointment during the otherwise complete suspension of disbelief. Hopefully they will work on that a little more. It is, however, functional. Moria did look a touch Escher-ish (nice), I’m hoping they did cut out the Watcher’s closing of the doors and Gollum‘s appearance coz they were nowhere to be seen. The dwarf corpses of Balin’s tomb did look and move less life-likely than I’d hoped (they seemed more like stiff models than actual skeletons – you get over it very quickly and I’m not surprised no one’s mentioned it). I say this to ground the hype. If we say it’s the greatest film trilogy of all time before people have had a chance to put it into perspective or context for themselves they WILL be disappointed. If we don’t, they’ll say it, unprompted, for themselves.
You’re going to love the drums of the deep – and every Orc looked different and unique (there were _thousands_). The Ridley Scott action Anthony talks about is quite a fair comparison – but it goes further than that. The intent in the room seems to have been to place you into the heart of the peril, so it’s like Gladiator only sped up and much more breath-taking. Everything comes at you so fast you DO feel ovrerwhelmed… and I think you, Xo, will know exactly what I mean when I say that’s the intended effect. The fighting was really dynamic and kinda Raging Bull-ish. He used long shots, close-ups, blurrily fast sequences, slow-mo, POV from the head of one of Legolas’ arrows, you name it. All seamlessly.
This seems to be indcative of his entire approach… I sensed Shakespearean-styled drama (ironic when you remember Tolkien HATED Shakespeare and crafted the Ents march to fix what he thought was a wasted opportunity in MacBeth), romantic elements, fantasy, comedy, action, – all coming in the general mix, and constantly. Why? This is the definition of EPIC film making. Middle Earth itself is a character, and you will be in awe of every landscape, every colour and set. You really feel the impossible push of destiny resting on the shoulders of these few characters in this entire WORLD. Majestic, panoramic, magical, vast, genuinely EPIC… these are all words which touch on what I’m talking about.
You were also right ages ago when you ran the review of the two film proposal script when you said you felt Gimli might be the comic relief. It’ll be he, Sam and Pippin (from which short bit I saw) but nowhere near as obvious as the examples we saw. Example? Just after the “no one tosses a dwarf” laugh-line, Gimli doesn’t quite make it and lands on the balls on his feet, so as he falls backwards, Legolas grabs him by the beard and pulls him up. You laugh, out of relief in the middle of this super-tense situation, then before you know you’re in the middle of serious peril again. Of course, PJ’s modus operandi here is simple but very effective. He’s put dynamic into the tension so you can really allow yourself to feel it, blow off the strain (everyone in the room jumped at certain moments that will remain a secret – but I will tell you that bit where the Black Rider snuffles around for the four hidden Hobbits was MUCH scarier than I’d expected. Harrowing is the word) and put drama and uncertainty into events you may have already guessed the outcome to.
I suppose a few reports have talked about performances but, even with only a few lines of dialogue to go off, I’ve really got to say this, the accents were excellent. And the performances? Sheesh! Viggo was tremendous (there’s no doubting it, he’s a real star), Elijah played his Frodo as a wide-eyed, cipher who’ll embody most of the audiences concerns and fears (and when they pan a room, his eyes stand out from the rest of the assembly like dog’s bollocks), Sean Astin was fantastic as Sam (and I had grave doubts there), John Rhys Davies was better as Giml than I expected (you only see JRD’s eyes, the rest is make up and was the most dodgy and unlife-like, but still not as plasticised as your average bad facelift), Orlando Bloom was remarkable, Sean Bean and David Wenham look just like real brothers, Liv Tyler was decidely not very Liv Tyler-ish as Arwen (thank the Lord – she really does seem not of this earth). Christopher Lee’s very brief appearance as Saruman was right-on-the-money (evil and twisted prick that Saruman is. Lee has THE voice for this, and if you know about Saruman’s most infamous power, you’ll know how pivotal this attribute will prove) and I’ve already mentioned McKellen and Holm. I didn’t see enough of the other Hobbits to comment more than I have.
I doubt anyone won’t be blown away. I still find myself closing my eyes and trying to replay the lot – for no one but myself. I LOVED it. Thanks for your time dude… just looking out for you all.
Ciggie
PS: Most people have been right about the music, it was hard to remember it amid the action and after glow, but I did concentrate ad found it quite rousing – but I felt the nagging suspicion that it was scratch music. It was ornate, non-intrusive and a great complement but not a star in its own right like, say, the scenery.
PPS: Have you heard Enya is releasing a soundtrack for
TLOTR on Warner by the end of the year?
PPPS: By the way, I am still on the look out for any gems to send your way.
Below I’ve attached a non-spoiler report as run in Rip It Up, just in case any of your readers want to know what happened without having the surprises ruined. If they do indeed exist, they’re a lot wiser than you or I my friend.
Here ’tis:
Well we promised you a deeper insight into what we witnessed at the 25 minute preview as seen at CANNES FILM FESTIVAL earlier this year, drawing more reviews than any other film there, with not one negative word among them – from director PETER JACKSON’s THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy fantasy-film extravaganza (adapted of course from JRR TOLKIEN’s world-famous books) screened for a few select Australian journalists in VILLAGE ROADSHOW’s Sydney theaterette last week, so here it is.
What follows will hopefully be for the most part – free of information that might spoil the experience for those who like to know as little as possible before they actually see a film. Those people might be better served by skipping this week’s Ears Are Burning column altogether. I’m not interested in giving you things to spoil – just tantalise. My main aim is to relate how well PETER JACKSON seems to have captured the spirit of TOLKIEN’s book.
To begin with, what we saw was NOT finished footage, rather 85% completed footage, using a temporary soundtrack (score and vocal overdubs), mostly finished CGI effects and using a film print that had yet to be colour enhanced and cleaned up to entirely pristine quality. Because of that, some visuals seemed muted and darker than expected… but the end result was the same: victorious!
The scene was set with a humorous explanatory introduction from the director, before that much-anticipated footage started to roll. Essentially split into three parts (a fast-moving, seven minute introduction to the story and key characters; a ‘completed’ scene from the MINES OF MORIA; and lastly, a five minute glimpse at some scenes from the remaining two movies).
You could hear the assembled audience take a collective breath as we first sighted the SHIRE. This is what TOLKIEN’s most enduring creations, the three foot high HOBBITS (including BILBO and FRODO) call home and it’s almost exactly as I imagined it; lush, rural and very ‘ye olde England’. As with the other scenes we saw, the epic status of the films are established with excellence: sweeping panoramas, hills and vales, and all looking like scenes painted by fan-fave TOLKIEN artists, ALAN LEE and JOHN HOWE, come to life.
One of the first things to beg belief was the virtually seamless blending of re-sized actors and un-FX-ed actors. If our first glimpse of BILBO BAGGINS (SIR IAN HOLM) meeting his old wizard friend GANDALF (SIR IAN MCKELLEN) at BAG END was anything to judge by, we’re in for a real treat. Even though I know which techniques the filmmakers have used, I still couldn’t pick them. And as for faithfulness (and this is coming from someone who still reads the book annually), I was in shock. For the first time, I actually felt as though I was seeing the characters as they would have lived and breathed. Amazing! This strange feeling continued as we were introduced to each of the remaining main characters, with each seeming so close to TOLKIEN’s descriptions and intent that I had to pinch myself at what I was seeing. Remembering that what I saw was just an extended snippet, I can tell you they’ve stayed true to the accents and characters as immortalised by TOLKIEN himself with remarkable attention to detail. Indeed JACKSON seems to have leaned more in the direction of the Shakespeare epic than, say, he matinee movie serials Star Wars so readily recalls, without losing any appeal or vibrant accessibility. The vast majority of audiences will be thrilled by this, from the novice to the TOLKIEN veteran.
It’s hard to single any one actor out since all were astonishing, but perhaps the most remarkable were BILBO (a spirited, note-for-note performance by HOLM), GANDALF (grumpy, complex, dry-humoured and stoic take a bow Sir!), ARAGORN (it looks like an Academy Award performance from VIGGO MORTENSEN and the girls will love him to bits), the evil wizard SARUMAN (veteran actor CHRISTOPHER LEE utilising that tremendous voice for well-aimed shot at embodying another classic screen villain) and the HOBBITS (each well essayed… SEAN ASTIN’s SAM GAMGEE being the most pleasant surprise). The ELVES (I was sceptical but unknown ORLANDO BLOOM IS LEGOLAS) and DWARVES (JOHN RHYS DAVIES’ feisty GIMLI was the only character whose make-up seemed a touch ‘plasticised’. It still looked much more realistic than Burt Reynolds’ latest facelift) are gorgeously depicted and the world of MIDDLE EARTH itself seems to have been treated as a central character (from ornate RIVENDELL to a harrowing MOUNT DOOM, from astonishing LOTH LORIEN to the fields of ROHAN). Oh did I forget to mention how blood-curdling the evil RINGWRAITH NAZGUL seemed?
The MORIA sequence revealed much about how JACKSON is dealing with the story (they told us this was pretty much the final cut but I beg to differ. MORIA is the place the FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING realise the twisted RING-addict, GOLLUM, is on their trail and there was neither hide nor hair of his luminescent eyes peering through the darkness OR that tell-tale ‘gollum’ gulp we’ve learned to love so much… very sly). The whole thing is MASSIVE, beyond what we could have hoped. TOLKIEN’s story moves briskly without seeming rushed and has been imbued with much danger and life-or-death sincerity. His fight sequences were trademark JACKSON, visually thrilling, ambitious and almost overwhelming in their bid to make you feel as though you’re being set upon yourself, and take what we saw in Gladiator to the next step and beyond. The fearsome ORCS in both design, depiction and sheer numbers (we’re talking thousands of the blood-thirsty little buggers) – will blow many a mind… but they’re just the pawns. Wait until you see the CAVE TROLL (the entire room jumped at one moment) or even worse, the huge part-dragon BALROG (no I won’t spoil it… let’s just say you might want to take in a spare pair of undies).
Without wanting to alarm TOLKIEN purists (I ain’t so far away from one of them myself), JACKSON seems to have taken a few liberties in telling the story to ensure everyone is surprised. While the motive and outcome remain the same, he’s tweaked a little bit here and there so you feel you’re getting the story for the first time. No ‘tweak’ rankled, and that in itself was a major feat. There was humour, romance, drama, adventure, horror and even intrigue on show in abundance. The actors play everything not as fantasy but as life… and I’ll be buggered if I know how they managed it, but after the initial shock of actually seeing TOLKIEN’s world come to life and his characters become flesh, I stopped observing and became totally absorbed. All of this within 25 minutes…
I wasn’t the only one left gob-smacked either. As the footage came to an end, there was an explosion of applause followed by an unnerving silence (presumably as the collected press picked up their respective jaws from the floor) as we filtered out, stunned. Once outside, all we could do was grasp clumsily for something to describe this much-anticipated moment; yet it was apparent to all that we’d seen cinema history in the making. We’ll all be able to see whether I’m right or not when THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING, the first film of the trilogy opens in cinemas worldwide on Dec 26, 2001 (Boxing Day); with other two arriving on the following Boxing Days 2002-3 respectively.
My advice from here? Don’t hype these film. It doesn’t need it and this kind of over-enthusiasm could hurt the experience more than help it (and I should know, being a fairly enthusiastic sort). Also, don’t expect what can never be achieved. For long term TOLKIEN fans, no film will ever replace their own vision but this will the closest anyone could have hoped to get. Trust PETER JACKSON. Let him tell you the story his way (you’ll always have your own version). For newcomers, prepare for something the likes of which your imagination is rarely treated to. Some people make films. PETER JACKSON has aimed much higher. This is champagne cinema.
I’m a bit late writing in but I didn’t get home to Jersey until 1:30 am this morning from the LOTR show and had to work all damn day! I’m going to try not to rehash anything because everything seems to have already been touched upon. However, I felt the need to write, being a big LOTR fan, to tell everyone what grand goodness we are in for this Christmas and what a pleasure it was to attend such a great show that was hosted for the fans.
Before I left my house to grab a train i stared at my LOTR teaser poster for awhile debating wether or not I should even bother bringing it with me. What were the chances of any of the stars of the film being there? Not to good I thought. I grabbed it anyway figuring it was worth the chance but most likely it would just end up being a burden to carry around all night.
That all changed as I entered the theatre. Right I away i spotted the Ring Bearer himself, Elijah Wood. Next to him stood Orlando Bloom, which i didn’t know at the time because he was unrecognizable. I didn’t expect for him to look like an elf but he didn’t look anything like the blonde haired elf we have seen in the trailers. Next to Legolas stood the man who will be tempted to steal the ring, Boromir. The fine actor who goes by the name Sean Bean.
Right then and there my knees started trembling. I don’t go goo goo ga ga over actors usually because they are just normal (just richer) people like us. These weren’t any ordinary actors though. These were three of the Fellowship of Nine. These were the people that were stepping into the roles of characters that I loved since I was a young child. I remember sitting in the theatre as a child with my father staring in awe at the animation that Bakshi brought to the screen. At this time in my life I still watch the animated LOTR in awe.
It wasn’t until about 6 years after the animated movie came out that i was old enough to sit down and read the genious that was Tolkien. It was at this point in my life that i first realized that movies are nothing like the books. The novels were more in depth and more fascinating than i could possibly imagine.
Flash forward to the late 90’s and I read on AICN and TORN that Peter Jackson will be helming not one , but all three LOTR movies. Then pictures are posted of the construction that was being done to make Hobbiton. I could not believe that this was happening. My favorite characters were finally being brought to the big screen in live action. A dream come true.
I sat in Lincoln center last night in disbelief of what lengths the crew went to to bring his movie accurately to the big screen. From the sets, to the costumes to the millions of chain links from pvc pipe they had to make for the armor.
After awhile the lights went out and we were treated to a great scene! Balin’s Tomb! I got the goose bumps when the fellowship was trapped inside the tomb and Gimli said something to the effect of, “I’ll let them know there’s still one dwarf inside Moria that can still draw blood”. Woohooo! Arrows were flying and Legolas was walking on the back of the rampaging cave troll. Great stuff! Folks, we are in for a treat this Christmas.
Also, the part when Pippin knocks a suite of armor down the hole in Balin’s tomb was quite amusing. Gandalf just stared at him for a few while Pippin makes some amusing faces and then Gandalf belts out, “Fool of a Took”.
As the show ended I saw Wood, Bean and Bloom heading for the door. I politely asked for them to sign my poster and all three obliged. They made it personally out to me and Bloom even added “Legolas” to his signature.. I felt like the happiest man in the world with the best god damn poster in the world. Not because I met “stars’ but because I met actors who were playing beloved characters from beloved books that generations have enjoyed.
Hanny
More reports are flowing in regarding the Lincoln Ceter event this past Sunday, here is something interesting regarding Gollum!
I just wanted to add to the scores of Lincoln Center reports that when someone asked when we would finally see Gollum, they answered that they really want to feature Gollum in the second movie since he is a main character in that one. So I took them to be saying that we wouldn’t see him in this movie (except in shadow) and we’ll have to wait until The Two Towers next year. Disappointing, but at least it keeps the imagination working and the anticipation is sweet.
I haven’t seen that on any of the reports so I just thought I’d throw that in. I could give my own in-depth perspective but I don’t know, are there enough reports or do you still want more? 🙂
You guys want more? 🙂
From: Anthony
Lincoln Center Walter Reade Theatre
Sunday September 9th 930pm
An event of grand proportions, Middle Earth in the public eye for a small fee of $9. This was quite a show, upon waiting to enter the theatre my wife and I spot Elijah Wood entering the theatre, a shy fellow, all smiles and laughs as fans ask for his autograph on many types of LOTR related material, I have him sign a flyer from Heren Istarion, chat for a few and then to my surprise who walks but Sean Bean, who I expected to be taller than he is, but nonetheless he is has a very commanding presence about him, quiet, reserved but friendly, he signs my flyer as well.
We enter the theatre, where my wife and I sit in the very first row, about 5-6 feet from Barry Osbourne and Christian Rivers, the producer and story boarder. The show opens with Barry and Christian speaking of how LOTR became a film and the points of selling it to the industry, they also spoke of Peter Jackson’s vision for the films and how he wanted to approach them. Now don’t get me wrong I am interested in how LOTR came to be as a film, but I wanted to see footage or shots or something we as fans have yet to see.
My anxiety was quelled when first they showed the trailer, then went into the film of Peter Jackson “selling” LOTR to the studios by presenting the work he has done thus far for its creation. The film was the fuller version of what is shown in the first internet trailer, PJ speaking of the armour, arms, models and landscapes of Middle Earth. Now this was stuff I wanted to see, the amount of work put in to these films is enormous, and I now see the grander scale of the film making process, we saw construction on Hobbiton, models of orcs and elves, and digital work that they have done.
What was up next was how they created the armies present in the films, they created a computer program called Massive I believe, which created these computer personas or brains as they said which look any which way they wish and move according to the computer terrain it is on, if the digital person falls it fall as a real person, it can fight and react to certain situations as they are programmed to do. Now all of the orcs in the trailer we see, the massive armies of the Shadow marching, is mostly digital with the exception of a few hundred extras in the forefront. We were also told and shown the digital doubles each actor/actress has, which when needed replaces the live actor/actress in certain situations, which also gradually gets “dirtier” as they progress thru certain terrains. Dirt actually appears upon the regalia of the digital double and accumulates as the character moves as I said thru different terrain.
The creation for the Cave Troll was again a great treat, early drawings and sketches were shown, then the final version which we see in the film was a combination of aspects of the earlier versions of the Troll that PJ liked. A model was built then digitally scanned for use in the film. Now we get to the best part of the show, the cave troll scene:
It opens with the Fellowship entering Balin’s Tomb where Gandalf hands his cap and staff to Pippin, who wanders off to look in a well. Gandalf picks up the book and begins to read of the last events of Moria, all the while Gimli who listens on as he is on bended knee crying for his king in front of the tomb. The set of Moria was so alive and vibrant in the aspect of colors and architecture but in the film it is quiet, bodies lie strewn about, and dark, the only light is from the opening above Balin’s Tomb.
The inscription upon the tomb and in the book that Gandlaf reads from, all in runes, was pure Tolkien, to me they looked exactly as they are printed in the books, very similar if not exact to how Tolkien himself wrote them.
As Gandalf reads, Pippin knocks over a skeleton that is sitting on the edge of the well, the skeleton falls in backwards which drags a chain and bucket in after it. All the while Pippin with his back to the well hears each bang in the well he causes, the other Hobbits look at each other then at the rest of the Fellowship, a very comical scene that right now words are beyond me for, Gandalf after hearing the last of the chains and skeleton fall exclaims” Fool of a Took!””, I got the willies when I heard this a line I had read a million times and it still felt like the first time I had read/heard it.
The Tomb gets silent as drums are heard, other parts of Moria are shown with the sound of beating drums. The door is barred by Aragorn and Boromir, Legolas stands at the ready with bow drawn, orcs slam in to the barred door, Gimli exclaims that there is one dwarf left in Moria as he stands upon the resting place of Balin axe at the ready, then as Legolas and Aragorn shoot thru the holes in the door, the orcs smash open the door and rush the Fellowship, who all draw weapons, Gandalf draws Glamdring, Frodo draws Sting which glows a purplish blue, Merry and Pippin draw and Sam grabs a pan from his pack and starts swinging.
With the orcs keeping the Fellowship busy, they soon realize that the orcs are not the only enemy present as a large thumping is heard, the Cave troll, who enters the chamber, all who see him in action move out of the way, for he carries a large hammer and chain which he swings at Sam who ducks under his legs before the troll’s foot comes down in an attempt to step on Sam, then the action turns to Legolas who stands upon a part of the chamber where he effortlessly walks up the stuck chain of the Troll, up his back and onto his neck where he shoots an arrow into the base of its neck, this pisses it off, and breaking the chain. In the middle of all of this Frodo had been hiding behind a large stone block where he attempts to avoid being seen by the Troll who seems to be “sniffing” him out, perhaps due to the effectsof the Ring or the the presence of the Ring catches the senses of the Troll. The footage ends with this, Frodo turning and the Troll appearing suddenly with a fright to all.
Now after a question and answer period the vent ends, but during the Q&A Orlando Bloom had been present and answered Barry’s question of their experience traveling to remote parts of NZ.
Well after being blessed with footage and making of stuff, I approach Barry Osbourne and Christian Rivers who willingly sign my flyer, as well as Orlando Bloom who wrote” Best Wishes Hope you enjoy it, Legolas aka Orlando Bloom
I asked Barry of the Balrog if the same technology was used to create it as the cave troll, he said not really they used some different because of the look of the Balrog, who is a John Howe balrog, veins of fire darkness and fire all about it.
SO my friends this event brought happiness to my heart for the treatment that all involved with these films have given to Tolkien’s work, each and every person knows the ‘magic’ of Tolkien’s world, the essence and beauty of it, for on the screen it is all apparent, the care and work that went into bringing to life our beloved Middle Earth.
And this one from QuiGonJinn
Hello everyone. Last night near the end of the 9:30 presentation of “Welcome to Middle Earth” at Lincoln Center I heard the magic words: We have for you some completed footage. My heart skipped a beat and I prepared to view the footage, after the projectionist got his act together,the footage began, and five minutes later it ended. My heart dropped as the footage ended, because I thought that I might have to express some dissapointment with what I had just seen. But the fact is that today that footage is still playing in my head, the images, the actors are all fresh in my mind, and I can’t get it out!! I was IN Middle Earth for a few moments, and then I was pulled out way too soon.
Let me give an explanation of why I felt somewhat dissapointed and then I will go into a more in depth look at the scene we saw ( I haven’t seen that many in depth views of the cave troll sequence, its what you guys want right? Who cares about the BTS stuff, although it was fantastic). Anyway, here is why my immediate reaction was dissapointment:
I really was hoping that we were going to see the CANNES footage, but it just wasnt in the cards. So I set myself up. So for two hours I waited to see some real footage and probably didnt pay as much attention to the BTS stuff as I would have liked.
Then the footage began and there were some things that just seemed wrong to me, I think we all have the image that this movie is going to be perfect no matter what. And while it very well might be – we have to stop hyping it. We dont want another Episode I situation on our hands. When I saw the cave troll during the BTS stuff he looked amazing, when I saw him in the film – some shots looked very cartoony to me. And trust me I am not a stickler for this sort of stuff, Im not one of those comic book guys from the simpsons who will say something sucked because their is a blip in the CG work. Yet many of the Cave Troll shots to me did look cartoonish, especially when Legolas climbs along the chain around his back. It looked extremely cartoonish, and it took away from the scene for me. Osbourne hinted that this was the final product with minor touchups left, I hope they try to make it look more realistic.
Another thing that bothered me at first was the onslaught that ensued with the orcs. The actually fighting was VERY Ridley Scott. Which surprised me. It moved quickly and I could never really focus on anything. I saw Gandalf fighting in the background but I never got a good look at anyone fighting. The cuts were extremely quick.
I guess those two gripes with the addition of having hoped to see the CANNES reel made me think I was dissapointed with the footage. But I was wrong. Looking back today I realized how much it has engraved in my mind. The following account of what I saw is a tribute to the movie not my memory. Everything is still so clear in my mind hours later. Let me go into detail what I saw.
It started it with the camera following the fellowship into Balin’s Tomb. Then it cuts and follows Gimli as he slowly realizes the worst is true. He kneels before the tomb and begins to lose it. And he doesn’t cry, he is at a lost for words and can only sob. At first it seemed weird and a bit overacted to me, but I then found myself moved. John Rhys Davies expressions were so wonderful. Gandalf then walks over and finds the book in the hands of a dwarf skeleton. I must reiterate that GANDALF walked over and picked up the book. Because as Moriarty said this IS Gandalf. Ian McKellan is just being used as a stage name for the film debut of Gandalf the Grey himself. My god, when Gandalf begins to read from the book the tension begins to mount. Legolas stares at him and then the sobbing of Gimli and turns to Aragorn, “We dont have time for this, we have to move on.” I found it funny that Legolas the elf would be the one who wants to hurry Gimli the dwarf away from a very emotional!
place.
Then Pippin who Gandalf has given his hat to begins to get a little frightened. He breaks away from the group of hobbits and looks around him, his fear growing. Pippin then reaches back and knocks a skeleton down the well just as Gandalf finished reading of the terror at Moria. The skeleton and armor crash down the well and make every loud bang possible. I believe in the book it was just a stone that fell down, but this is much more effective. The reaction shots are priceless, especially those of Pippin. Billy Boyd embodies the character. Each successive crash makes Pippin redder and redder. He just stares ahead, and at this point I awaited Gandalf’s “Fool of a Took” line. But it didnt come, I always imagined Gandalf immediately condeming the hobbit. Not here, in this scene Gandalf stares his peircing eyes at Pippin, and allows Pip to relish in every single crash of the skeleton. Giving him an “I will kill you!” look. When the noise subsides he delivers the line and follows!
it with “Next time do us a favo
r and throw yourself in!” Priceless. It is at this moment that Pippin realizes that this is no holiday. And he looks hurt by the wizards words and extremely embarrased. Yet relieved that nothing has come out of his mishap. Or so he thought.
Then in the distance we hear it. Boom! The drums begin to sound. Remember that shot in JP 3 right after Grant hears the dinosaur roar for the first time? When the camera zooms straight into his face? Well PJ uses the same shot much more effectively hear. After the first drumroll we zoom over to Gandalf’s face. Then PJ rolls the camera around each member of the fellowship showing us there fear and readiness. Boromir than looks out of the door and bam! Two arrows fly by his face (this is the shot in trailer 2 and the tv spot). Dolly shot up to Frodo and Sam. Frodo unsheaths Sting just a bit and it glows Blue! Sam and Frodo gasp, “Orcs!” Frodo yells. Aragorn and Legolas run and bar the doors with dwarf axes. And soon the orcs arrive and they hack away at the door. Gandalf moves over to his hobbits and moves them out of the way of danger. Very fatherly, very touching to me. Gimli valiantly jumps up onto Balin’s Tomb and cries out for the orcs to try and mess with him. “THERE IS ST!
ILL ONE DWARF IN MORIA WHO DRAWS
BREATH!” Excellent. Poetic dialogue, NOT dumbed down. Then the first hole in the door breaks and Legolas immediately fires an arrow through! Then he fires more, and soon the orcs run through.
This is wear I was a bit dissapointed. The action was too fast paced. Too Ridley Scott, but still breathtaking. I love how the Orcs are so different, and not just like stormtroopers in different colors. You get a feeling that each orc is its own creation. Swords fly fast, and there was one decapitation that I saw. And then the cave troll breaks through the wall. Legolas shoots an arrow right into his arm, and the Troll winces and moves on. Not phased at all. Sam is right in his path, and the Cave troll spies him and slams down his hammer, and Sam screams and jumps through his legs. Hes not in the Shire anymore. Then the Troll brings out his chain and wips out around and gets it caught. Legolas jumps on the chain and fires an arrow down his back. Very CGIish but still a wonderful idea from PJ. Hopefully they can make it more believable.
Then the troll takes sight of Frodo and his glowing blue dagger. Frodo runs as the action continues. He is obviously shaken by the violence. Meanwhile Sam begins to show us his fightin side. As he rips out one of his pans and slams it down on an orc “I’m startin to get the hang of this!”. I was surprised that PJ decided to focus a lot on Sam. In the short running time, we followed Sam about as much as we did Frodo. I think PJ buys into the ‘this is Sam’s story’ theory. And he should! Back to Frodo, as he plays cat and mouse with the troll. He is behind one of the stone columns and Pippin behind the column right next to him. The Troll dips his hands back and forth trying to get the little appetizer, and then there is a pause. Frodo exhales, then wam! The trolls head screams as he eyes the brave hobbit. ( I must admit, great animation for that shot!) I also admit that I jumped one the troll’s head appears, perfect timing. Then the screen goes black. And I realize that I have t!
o wait 3 months to see the entir
e scene play out.
The gripes I had with it were minor. Some people like the fast paced action, but I like to see what is going in with longer wider shots. But I’m sure PJ was just mixing up the battle scenes. Cant film all of them in exactly the same way. And this wasn’t a battle that was set up, this was an ambush. It was frantic. So I understand the choice. The CG done in the trilogy is still an incredible achievement for WETA and New Zealand, but I never want to have to feel that say ILM could have done better. The Cave Troll was dissapointing only because all the BTS footage we saw was amazing. The CG armor was absoultely indecipherable from the real armor. Absolutely and completely. So it was dissapointing to see that the Cave Troll looked so cartoonish at points, because the talent and technology is there. I know that Barrie O said that they were still going to do some ‘color grafting’ or something, so maybe with the change of the color scheme in the slightest the Troll wont stand out as !
much.
Still I must restate that the story IS there. This is exactly as Tolkien thought it up. Pippin’s scene was beautifully perfect. I didnt feel like I was watching a movie, I was watching my imagination, and it was a great experience. Thank you Barry, Christian, and the extremely gracious Elijah, Orlando and Sean. What a night! I can tell that these people are in love with what they have done, I know we will be too. Lets let the hype die down among us online film geeks (we dont want a repeat of TPM’s overhype), the long wait is over. Lets sit back and enjoy the ride! Thanks guys !
P.S. The music fit the images well. It was majestic, but I couldn’t concentrate on it. I didnt hear any major themes in the short time. So this may be a score like X-Men that fits the images but doesnt enhance the movie. But it still could be a Star Wars like score, I dont know! All I know is that the music FIT. It fit Middle Earth. Hopefully the Shore Score enhances Middle Earth, as music is very important to it.
Hello, and first off a HUGE thank you to you folks for posting the link about the second show being added. I was lucky enough to catch it right away and get tickets online.
I won’t go into what has been already covered in previous posts. GB covered most details thoroughly and completely, although I must have missed any shot of the BALROG(?!) in the PJ promotion snippet. The main creature I saw featured was the cave troll as it went from skeleton (seen in the Internet trailer) to finished model (also seen in close-up in the Internet trailer being laser-scanned for CG modeling).
Then of course the five minute clip from Moria. I want to make a point which I hope won’t be seen as quibbling, but I feel is an important one: The main impact that struck home with me was that this is first and foremost, a movie. Not a religious experience, not a mind/life-altering event. But from what little I have seen, a sharp, well-crafted movie. Spy reports such as those from A.I.C.N. (which admittedly was shown much more footage than we saw last night) can, I feel, almost be a disservice to the project that Peter Jackson has undertaken. It is possible for expectations to be built to such a level that you can’t help but be disappointed.
The clip shown presented a range from laugh-out-loud humor (Pippin’s mistake, expanded from the book to good effect), a false sense of relief, immediately shifting to anxiety (hearing the distant sounds of orc cries), then finally erupting in full out gut churning action which had us all jumping in our seats. All in the space of five minutes. What more can you ask of a movie? Not much I think (though I could wish Gimli’s makeup wasn’t quite so heavy; I forgot that as I was quickly swept into the drama of the scene). The troll itself was state-of-the-art animation (much more menacing than you can see in the recent TV spot) but the camerawork is what will set this apart in people’s mind as breakthrough work: constantly in motion, visceral, jolting and gripping.
My own sense of excitement at having seen this brief preview, not to mention sitting about ten feet away from three of its stars make it admittedly hard to talk about all this without starting to over hype it. Will this film be worth the wait? Again, judging from what we were shown last night, I have almost no doubt in my mind. Clearly people (myself included) came away from the material shown with excitement and enthusiasm. Will it forever become the be-all and end-all of filmaking as we know it. Who can say at this point? It’s unfair to expect that it would. I do think the herculean efforts of Peter Jackson and the entire company will be evident in every scene. And I think its safe to say that if you enter this movie with a realistic set of expectations, you are sure to be entertained and delighted.
Thanks for reading and once again for your great coverage.
Best,
Laird Ogden