I am reading the posts above and saying to myself, "Dandelion really should set a few hours aside and watch The Two Towers "before" she sees the Return of the King in the coming weeks! And then...on this our third really blizzardy day in a row,
the NPR announcer comes on:

"Now some music from the Fellowship of the Ring movie score." So, right on topic, ironically, Dandelion, you need to see part II so you can compare the battle scenes. I have yet to see (III) Return, but from what I too have read - the battle scenes FAR outreach those of II. Hard to believe. Plus, Two Towers was darker and deeper than pt.I. You won't be disappointed.

Note: The DVD version has extra great scenes that did not make it to the vhs version. Also, Gollum needs to be a part of your viewing experience going into III! Enjoy!



[This message has been edited by fjpalumbo (edited 12-18-2003).]

Yes. Definitely see the second before the third. This is no mere sequel of new adventures. It is an essential part of a continuing story. Would you read the first chapters of a book, skip to the end, and be satisfied? I think not.

fjpalumbo

Per Battle Scenes....hard to believe it? Believe it !!

There are at least 3 specific scenes, long scenes, that are absolutely beyond what you would expect.

Okay, Dandelion, I agree. See the second one first.

In Chicago, a couple theaters actually ran the extended version of 'Two Towers' during the last week....

Nard: OK! Now you really got me psyched. Viggo Mortensen actually is from my original hometown, and then he went to college about 6 blocks from where I am now typing.

I taught a SF class last year and several of my students went to a lecture and poetry reading he gave on campus for his alma mater (his original poems and photography were the focus of the night). The kids said the theater was beyond SRO. They got autographs and photos. Pretty exciting stuff for jr. and sr. teenagers! We had read LofR selections Hobbit and books I & II, viewed the first film in class and then took a field trip to see II as a group. Very impressive productions from start to finish. (Newsweek Dec. 1, 2003 did a good front cover piece for III: "Hail to the Rings")

So I guess there is still hope for good mature entertainment, profanity-free, based on classic literature that is centered around universal and timeless themes!

NK, thanks for the "warning!" I'll be sure to hold on tightly to the arm rests of my seat.

My 15-year old daughter, my brother and niece and a friend of my daughter, all went to the midnight opening and then went the following evening to see it again. We both enjoyed the second viewing better than the first -- altough we really enjoyed the first. In our theater, they showed the extended versions of the first two parts the preceding Friday nights.

I think it would be a mistake to go see the third installment without seeing the preceding movies -- even if you are generally aware of the story-line. You'll miss a lot of the meaning in dialoges (for example as Legolas and Gimli exchange barbs during the battle scenes) that you really should understand. You'll also miss the relationships and histories between the races (dwarf, elf, wizard, orc, and man) that I think are absolutely necessary to pick up all the moral implications of the story.

If you haven't seen the first two, get the extended version DVDs and watch them FIRST.

Well, I did what any Tolkien fanatic would naturally do - I watched the extended version of both "The Fellowship of the Ring" and "The Two Towers" back to back at home on DVD and then went to see "The Return of the King" in the theatre. I bought the first extended version DVD when it first came out and then the second one this year in November. I waited to see them together as a continuous epic. It took over seven hours to view both, without any of the extra stuff that came with the sets. I thought the third movie the best of the three, and faithful to the book.
By the way:
Frodo Lives!
(I wonder if this will start to show up on buildings and poles around town as it did in the sixties when we all first read the books. I sure hope Peter Jackson gets to make "The Hobbit")

Great idea! Think of all those dwarfs descending upon Bilbo's humble home, the journey through the Misty Mountains, the vast treasures being guarded by the dragon Smaug, riddles with Gollum, the calamity at Laketown, and the Battle of the Five Armies!

Any word if they have considered this (after -of course- recharging their batteries following the 5yr. epic production and promotion of L of R?

[This message has been edited by fjpalumbo (edited 12-19-2003).]

Yes. I have heard that Peter Jackson is first going to do a remake of "King Kong" and then proceed to make "The Hobbit".

I recently saw an interview of Jackson, and he was asked about making The Hobbit. He said it is only in the talking stages right now, but that he would definitely like to do it.

We saw "The Return of the King" on Monday. Brother-in-law, MAJOR Tolkien fan, sister, genius nephew who's read the trilogy twice despite being only 13, and his sister who hasn't read all the books and was only just old enough for this movie. I wouldn't take any child under 10--and the only bad thing was SOME IDIOT had a toddler in there and was snotty to a man who begged her to "have mercy on the rest of us."

My brother-in-law was so excited we got to the theater an hour early! I thought they might use part of the time to fill me in on Part 2, but they almost disowned me when they found out I hadn't read all the books. I got about as far as my niece did ("The Hobbit" and halfway through the first LOTR volume) and I was a LOT older than she when I tried it! (I have a standing promise to a friend who gave her children Tolkien names to read the whole darn thing, so gotta get busy.)

What's more, I hadn't even seen the second MOVIE! (I'm seeing the DVD tomorrow, IF I get all my Christmas stuff done, and IF I can get my computer's player to work. Otherwise I will have to see it on Christmas.)

Of course, I remembered some characters from "The Hobbit" and the first movie, and certain ones were at least referred to by name, but I don't think ANYONE called the elf-guy by name once during the whole movie! I had to ask his name several times, and finally remembered "Legolas" by thinking "leg-'o'-lamb." My nephew had to fill me in on a number of things, and I think they expected the audience to be really hardcore. At the end the titles didn't show the character names at all! Just the pictures and the actor names!

It wouldn't matter anyway. The only way I am getting through those books is if there's a picture story book, or maybe trading cards with the different characters. (There should be, with anything this popular.) I can't tell all the players without a scorecard, but with picture aids of some sort I should be able to get through the story all right. In a lot of cases, seeing the movie first helps. It's also the only way I got through "Gettysburg," and, after about 100 descriptions of the battle, that version of the story was the only one which made any impression! Too bad the technology employed in "The Return of the King" wasn't available for "Gettysburg" so they could have made the battle scenes that AWESOME! (Except for those flying critters, of course--but, you can't have everything.)

What got me into these movies, actually, was...ELIJAH WOOD! Not only an awesome looking, terrifically talented actor, but he has that otherwordly look I would associate with a character such as Frodo. (Another reason I'd had a bit of difficulty picturing the story--not too many people have the right sort of looks--but the casting, as with everything else here, was perfect.) It was very long but I barely took my eyes off the screen the whole time. I would rate this very highly and might see it again. My brother-in-law says he can't wait to see it at I-Max.

well, there also was a movie that usurped "something wicked this way comes" about 20 years ago and a tupac shakur work, which did the same about a decade ago.

It has become pretty cliche to reference to the macbeth line.

In a lame attempt to get back to the original topic...

I think that Shakespeare was the inspiration for the "Something Wicked..." line in HP3. Yes, Ray Bradbury has international accclaim and readership, but I just don't think the population at large is all that well-read.

I am currently working on a Literature degree, and always believed that I had a strong literary background. I am shocked every day by the expressions not just from Shakespeare, but from Chaucer, Milton, and Donne that are still vital parts of colloquial English.

I think the producers of HP3 just latched onto a great-sounding line and used it, with no concern whatsoever about its origins.

Yes, I would have to agree. I'm sure they just liked the phrase. Probably werent paying homage to either Bradbury or Shakespeare necessarily, just making use of a well-known line. It still seems strange to me however that they even use the line. I don't quite see how it fits in with the story, but I suppose it could with a stretch

quote:

Originally posted by fjpalumbo:
Dandelion: Best Line from the out-takes in Toy Story 2 (according to my 2 scruffs: ages 5-7), Mrs. Potato Head's response to Mr. P., when she emphatically states, "For the Monkey's, of course!"

Ingenious use of our technology. Amazing advancements since those stop action frame by frames of the big ape on the Empire State Building and those wonderful R.H. dinosaurs!

By R.H. you mean Ray Harryhausen, ofcourse, whom I've read was Ray Bradbury's best friend.

Wednesday
Los Angeles

Quick report from The Planetary Society" activity, where Ray attended, for the Mars landing event a few days ago...

Great, Great Fun!

Even met Patrick, the 'planetary watchman' of Mr. Bradbury...who guided Ray thru the myriad of people with fine ability. I found Patrick, in a brief meeting, a very likeable fellow.

Ray spoke with great passion, even tho the hour was getting late. I didn't record his talk, about the reason for going to Mars, but it was very moving...There were enough camera people there that someone's gotta have it on tape....

I'd say about 2000 plus people showed up, and there wasn't a seat left. After Ray spoke, I'd say most of the people stood up and applauded

More later...