Author Topic: Lord of the Rings - Film Discussion  (Read 3183 times)

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Offline Indiscipline

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Re: Lord of the Rings - Film Discussion
« Reply #35 on: August 22, 2018, 07:34:52 PM »
(if it were Dragonlance however, you'll meet your match with me - ha ha ha).

Wait. I thought I was the only one left on earth.

Pardon the hijacking but - since we're talking fantasy done right - is it me or Dragons of Autumn Twilight has been the most shameful wasted opportunity in filming history?

Offline lordxizor

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Re: Lord of the Rings - Film Discussion
« Reply #36 on: August 23, 2018, 07:34:32 AM »
Regarding the LOTR/Hobbit film discussion above:  One of the things that truly elevated the films for me, and this is evident when you watch/listen to the bonus features, is that Peter/Fran/Philippa took great pains to balance the competing interests of (1) staying true to the books and (2) making sure their presentation worked to present an effective screenplay.  They made sure that whenever they deviated from the source material, it was in furtherance of the most important core themes they wanted to emphasize, and that it was still very true to the themes and feel of the books, even if they had to alter certain specifics.  To me, it never felt like anything other than authentic LOTR, even when they were changing things. 
To me, the only addition I ever minded was Aragorn "dying" in TTT. It felt completely unnecessary and added only to provide some unneeded tension. My only other minor nitpick is how they turned Gimli into comic relief at times. It usually doesn't bother me too much, but every now and then it does. Otherwise I agree they did a very good job only adding to further serve the story. I thought they did a very good job with their subtractions as well.

Man, I need to watch these movies again. I just rarely have the time to spare. I could watch them all 45 minutes at a time over several weeks. That's probably my best bet honestly.

Offline bosk1

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Re: Lord of the Rings - Film Discussion
« Reply #37 on: August 23, 2018, 08:24:12 AM »
No, I had no idea.
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Offline Cool Chris

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Re: Lord of the Rings - Film Discussion
« Reply #38 on: August 23, 2018, 10:41:45 AM »
I never had a problem with Gimli or his being "comic relief" ( I hate that term). I don't recall how he was portrayed in the book but I liked his film characterization. I found him humorous without being annoying or silly (see: Bill Paxton in Aliens). I could totally see how a troll on an life and death adventure with elves and men might have a more lighthearted, quirky view about things.
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Offline The Walrus

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Re: Lord of the Rings - Film Discussion
« Reply #39 on: August 23, 2018, 10:43:29 AM »
Yeah, I kinda like the way they portrayed Gimli, and I liked the kill count rivalry with Legolas, which was pretty funny at times. I'm usually even okay with Legolas's Hollywood theatrics (shieldsurfing and firing arrows down the steps, or traversing the oliphaunts like a video game, as they were done pretty well).
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Offline jammindude

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Re: Lord of the Rings - Film Discussion
« Reply #40 on: August 23, 2018, 10:46:54 AM »
Agreed.  Even though it was so over the top as to be COMPLETELY unrealistic, I still thought it was cool when he does his reverse-one handed, backwards, on the run, uber-impossible horse mount. 
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Offline bosk1

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Re: Lord of the Rings - Film Discussion
« Reply #41 on: August 23, 2018, 10:48:13 AM »
That was perhaps the ONLY moment in the entire trilogy where the CGI truly bothered me. 
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Offline Cool Chris

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Re: Lord of the Rings - Film Discussion
« Reply #42 on: August 23, 2018, 10:48:13 AM »
I didn't care for Legolas, (more for the portrayed than the bad CGI-acrobatics) and I didn't like Will Turner either. Not sure if that was the writing or Orlando Bloom managed to fail in two hugely successful and acclaimed franchises.
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Offline The Walrus

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Re: Lord of the Rings - Film Discussion
« Reply #43 on: August 23, 2018, 10:49:30 AM »
That part is so ridiculous it almost deserves applause  :lol
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Offline bosk1

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Re: Lord of the Rings - Film Discussion
« Reply #44 on: August 23, 2018, 10:49:44 AM »
I really liked the Legolas character and Bloom's portrayal of him in LOTR.  It went off the rails with The Hobbit, but I actually quite liked what they did with him in LOTR.
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Offline Logain Ablar

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Re: Lord of the Rings - Film Discussion
« Reply #45 on: August 24, 2018, 02:02:27 AM »
I didn't mind the portrayal of Gimli, even though it did stray into borderline slapstick territory at times (e.g. "Toss me"). The kill count rivalry with Legolas was very cool, and true to the books, as was the overall arc (hate that word!) between them, going from animosity and distrust to genuine friendship. I'm still not convinced they needed to have him as comic relief at all.

Speaking of CGI, there was some really cool stuff that I hadn't seen before in a movie. As well as the obvious ones like Gollum, and the huge battle scenes, I'm thinking of the de-ageing of King Theoden, when Gandalf breaks Saruman's spell. That was something I'd never seen before and I remember thinking "how did they do that??"

Offline The Walrus

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Re: Lord of the Rings - Film Discussion
« Reply #46 on: August 24, 2018, 07:19:37 AM »
I agree, the de-aging of Theoden is a very cool moment.

Also I realized a couple days ago that I think of Grima Wormtongue every time I see Jonas from Katatonia  :lol
From a Mega Man Legends island jamming power metal to a Walrus listening to black metal, I like your story arc.
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Offline Samsara

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Re: Lord of the Rings - Film Discussion
« Reply #47 on: August 24, 2018, 10:01:43 AM »
if it were Dragonlance however, you'll meet your match with me - ha ha ha

You don't by any chance have an extra copy of Chronicles, do you?  A few years ago, I was trying to find a copy of the white anthology that has the original three for Matthew, but it was rare and EXTREMELY expensive, so I never did.  I have been sporadically looking for used copies, but haven't found one.

/offtopic

https://www.amazon.com/Dragonlance-Chronicles-Dragons-Twilight-dragons/dp/0140115404/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1535126320&sr=8-1&keywords=dragonlance+chronicles+omnibus

>>>20 bucks used and fulfilled by Amazon (which are usually in good shape).

(if it were Dragonlance however, you'll meet your match with me - ha ha ha).

Wait. I thought I was the only one left on earth.

Pardon the hijacking but - since we're talking fantasy done right - is it me or Dragons of Autumn Twilight has been the most shameful wasted opportunity in filming history?

Completely. I think LOTR and Game of Thrones took the wind out of the sails of any potential film for Dragonlance. Different stories, but the immense popularity of LOTR makes anything else remotely concerning elves, dwarves, and dragons a copy cat.

Sucks, because Dragonlance would be amazing on the big screen.
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Offline Samsara

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Re: Lord of the Rings - Film Discussion
« Reply #48 on: August 24, 2018, 10:03:25 AM »
Can anyone assist on my question regarding upgrading?

Quote
Question for those who have invested in the latest versions of these films. I have the original special edition LOTR DVD box sets (you know the ones with the maps that came in book-like packaging).

I recently bought a 4k player and higher end TV, and I've been slowly purchasing the stuff I like in 4k (or the highest available).

First, is it worth it to upgrade and sell my existing sets?

Two, I am not sure how many future iterations of LOTR exist on Blu-Ray, or if they are on 4k (haven't looked yet). Can you point me to the most advanced version, and offer some insight whether or not the upgrade is worth it?

Thanks. I am a big fan of the books and enjoyed the films (and their differences), but probably not as versed as some, so I wouldn't be able to contribute to the discussion (if it were Dragonlance however, you'll meet your match with me - ha ha ha).

B
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Offline bosk1

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Re: Lord of the Rings - Film Discussion
« Reply #49 on: August 24, 2018, 10:31:37 AM »
I can't speak to the picture quality.  But if you have the extended versions already, you have all the content.  For what it's worth, I have the extended version DVD's--not even BR--and I've never felt the need to upgrade.  Yeah, you can tell a difference.  But to me, after a few minutes into the films, I'm not even thinking about it anymore at all.  These films already look SO good that I would think the difference would be fairly negligible that it wouldn't justify the cost.  But that's just me.
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Offline Elite

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Re: Lord of the Rings - Film Discussion
« Reply #50 on: August 24, 2018, 11:35:19 AM »
Also I realized a couple days ago that I think of Grima Wormtongue every time I see Jonas from Katatonia  :lol

Wow, I'm glad I'm not the only one. I've thought that for years as well :lol
Hey dude slow the fuck down so we can finish together at the same time.  :biggrin:
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Offline krands85

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Re: Lord of the Rings - Film Discussion
« Reply #51 on: August 24, 2018, 11:54:42 AM »
They haven't released 4K versions yet, but I would surprised if they never did. I've seen people speculate that they may do it for the 20th anniversary of the first movie in 2021.

As for the jump in picture quality between SD and HD, I think only you can answer if it would be worth it. Some people don't seem to notice or just don't care. Others want the absolute highest quality they can get. I'm firmly in the latter camp - I would never want to watch anything in SD these days if there is better quality available.

Have you checked how DVDs of the movies look on your new TV? You might find they don't look as good as you remember being on a larger, much higher resolution screen. I just had a look on eBay and you can get a second hand copy of the first movie for £1.69 (about $2.20), you could try something like that as well to see the improvement for yourself.
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Offline The Walrus

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Re: Lord of the Rings - Film Discussion
« Reply #52 on: August 24, 2018, 12:54:21 PM »
I would buy a massive 4k TV just for 4k Blu-rays of the extended trilogy. Talk about eye candy...
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Offline Samsara

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Re: Lord of the Rings - Film Discussion
« Reply #53 on: August 24, 2018, 01:07:23 PM »
They haven't released 4K versions yet, but I would surprised if they never did. I've seen people speculate that they may do it for the 20th anniversary of the first movie in 2021.

As for the jump in picture quality between SD and HD, I think only you can answer if it would be worth it. Some people don't seem to notice or just don't care. Others want the absolute highest quality they can get. I'm firmly in the latter camp - I would never want to watch anything in SD these days if there is better quality available.

Have you checked how DVDs of the movies look on your new TV? You might find they don't look as good as you remember being on a larger, much higher resolution screen. I just had a look on eBay and you can get a second hand copy of the first movie for £1.69 (about $2.20), you could try something like that as well to see the improvement for yourself.

Thanks for this. I have, and was unimpressed how less inspiring it looks on my new TV, which got me thinking about the upgrade. So the current Blu-rays that are out there are my best option for a bit. That's good to know. 4k Blu-rays are just absolutely amazing. My first purchase (which if you know me, you know is a no-brainer) was the Dark Knight Trilogy on 4K. My God.  :metal
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Offline bosk1

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Re: Lord of the Rings - Film Discussion
« Reply #54 on: August 24, 2018, 01:09:15 PM »
The Hong Kong scene in TDK must have been AMAZING.
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Offline Samsara

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Re: Lord of the Rings - Film Discussion
« Reply #55 on: August 24, 2018, 02:30:24 PM »
The Hong Kong scene in TDK must have been AMAZING.

It was incredible. I mean...crazy good.

4k is still eerie to me. I went from an old DLP 55" TV to a 4K 68" TV (I think its 68), and the clarity is downright weird now...almost inhuman like clarity. It has taken some getting used to.
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Offline Ben_Jamin

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Re: Lord of the Rings - Film Discussion
« Reply #56 on: August 24, 2018, 07:25:33 PM »
I agree, the de-aging of Theoden is a very cool moment.

Also I realized a couple days ago that I think of Grima Wormtongue every time I see Jonas from Katatonia  :lol

Hahaha...When I first saw Jonas, I said "he looks familiar." Now I remember who it was...
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Offline Cool Chris

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Re: Lord of the Rings - Film Discussion
« Reply #57 on: August 24, 2018, 08:58:44 PM »
Brad Dourif's brilliant career has progressed to the point where I cannot envision him as a "normal" person. Clinton Pell is the closest I can come, and I prefer to think in real life he is as polar opposite from that asshole as possible.
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Offline Accelerando

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Re: Lord of the Rings - Film Discussion
« Reply #58 on: September 02, 2018, 09:44:20 PM »
Watching Fellowship on Starz right now, and I just realized the Gondor fanfare is playing while Boromir is talking to Aragorn about it in the Lothlorean scene. Never realized it until now