I suppose a red 'x' could be a pig kiss in a way. ;-)
I thought the battering ram was kind of scary, and almost cried during the strawberries-and-cream speech. Honestly.
:-) So did Jackson when they were filming it. You are in fine company.
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 00:48 (twenty-two years ago)
The whole Denethor's Pyre thing was woefully anvil-handed. Even aside from that, THAT LANDING STRIP THING ON TOP OF MINAS TIRITH WAS FAR TOO LONG FOR A BURNING LUNATIC TO RUN ALONG AND JUMP OFF. It cut to a battle scene straight afterwards and I sort of expected him to hi-lariously squash an orc in the background ala the 'K' from the Kwik-E-Mart in the Simpsons.
I think Viggo Mortenson and a lot of the NZ actors forgot what their accents were supposed to sound like over the course of the three films. Mortenson was increasingly plummy-English having sounded Irish in Bree. Legolas again hardly got any lines that weren't summarising things that were already very obvious ('a DIVERSION!') - is this because Orlando Bloom can't actually act or some shit? Shame, he looked good in his big sleeved fop-gown at the end and the oliphaunt mauling was great.
The Gollum prologue was a bit dumb to start with but it was good when he got all haggard and mental. Not sure the gradual link between the SerkisHobbit and the CGI Gollum was entirely convincing though. But still, the man has gusto. And he was Martin Hannett.
Cutting out the Nazgul-Gandalf talkoff in Minas Tirith seemed a bit stupid especially when they'd already had the Witch King say he was going to fuck him up. This added to the overall impression of the Nine being total fucking pussies. They also set up that pink, porcine orc with the squashed face to be the guy everyone REALLY WANTED TO SEE GET KILLED and then didn't show him die. This is perhaps a really obtuse ploy to boost sales of the extended edition.
(Is the Mouth Of Sauron thing definitely in the extended one? In the vidyer game Aragorn just cuts him up instead of out-talking him.)
― Ferrrrrrg (Ferg), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 02:44 (twenty-two years ago)
― Ferrrrrrg (Ferg), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 02:45 (twenty-two years ago)
― gygax! (gygax!), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 03:04 (twenty-two years ago)
The latter.
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 03:25 (twenty-two years ago)
Actually, I found in my reviewings a nice subtle touch -- the final flashback scene has protoGollum closing his eyes and then they *very* slightly CGI them so that way when reopened they are now larger and much more like Gollum's in the final state.
But still, the man has gusto. And he was Martin Hannett.
Damn straight. My sister, who saw and liked 24 Hour Party People, was very surprised when I pointed out it was the same actor!
Cutting out the Nazgul-Gandalf talkoff in Minas Tirith seemed a bit stupid especially when they'd already had the Witch King say he was going to fuck him up. This added to the overall impression of the Nine being total fucking pussies.
In the sequence as filmed, the Witchking actually defeats Gandalf by shattering his staff (this is why Gandalf is shown without his staff later on). Presumably that scene will be restored, it's too iconic not to be reincluded.
They also set up that pink, porcine orc with the squashed face to be the guy everyone REALLY WANTED TO SEE GET KILLED and then didn't show him die. This is perhaps a really obtuse ploy to boost sales of the extended edition.
I'm not so cynical...but you're correct that Gothmog (ze character's name) is obviously the 'goddamn SOMEBODY kill him bloodily!' character. I'm guessing Eomer is who offs him in the EE if that is shown.
Is the Mouth Of Sauron thing definitely in the extended one?
I'm almost positive. One of the tie-in books showed the character's helmet -- no eyeholes, only shows his mouth, which is appropriate. It's hinted in said book that Aragorn also slices him up as per the video game result.
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 03:31 (twenty-two years ago)
― Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 11:58 (twenty-two years ago)
― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 14:55 (twenty-two years ago)
― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 16:56 (twenty-two years ago)
There was a scene in the extended edition of the second one that was really effective, I thought, where Eowyn is giving him some soup and he lets slip that he's actually like 80s years old (I vaguely remember this being right out of the book?). It was funny too, they should have kept it.
― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 17:00 (twenty-two years ago)
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 17:41 (twenty-two years ago)
this is kind of silly. the article writer is outraged that jackson's left an hour out, but really, the movie would be 4 1/2 hours long otherwise! it's obvious why he had to cut stuff out!
― s1utsky (slutsky), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 17:50 (twenty-two years ago)
― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 17:51 (twenty-two years ago)
I'm not arguing with you there! The only way they could have put something out like that would be to include an intermission, and these days that would not fly (doesn't maximize profit, see).
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 18:04 (twenty-two years ago)
but also, i think a 4 1/2 hour cut would perhaps be best for home viewing, my ass was pretty numb by the end!
― s1utsky (slutsky), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 18:11 (twenty-two years ago)
― Chuck Tatum (Chuck Tatum), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 18:18 (twenty-two years ago)
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 18:42 (twenty-two years ago)
― s1utsky (slutsky), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 18:43 (twenty-two years ago)
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 18:44 (twenty-two years ago)
― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 18:45 (twenty-two years ago)
― s1utsky (slutsky), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 18:45 (twenty-two years ago)
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 18:46 (twenty-two years ago)
― s1utsky (slutsky), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 18:46 (twenty-two years ago)
― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 18:50 (twenty-two years ago)
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 18:52 (twenty-two years ago)
― gygax! (gygax!), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 18:55 (twenty-two years ago)
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 18:56 (twenty-two years ago)
― robster (robster), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 00:57 (twenty-two years ago)
― Lord Custos Omicron (Lord Custos Omicron), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 14:28 (twenty-two years ago)
― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 15:09 (twenty-two years ago)
― sgs (sgs), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 16:59 (twenty-two years ago)
― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 17:00 (twenty-two years ago)
http://www.rjh.weber.k12.ut.us/new%20razor1.JPG
vs.
http://warofthering.net/images/newsimages/grond.jpg
if that doesn't work then:http://warofthering.net/images/newsimages/grond.jpg
― gygax! (gygax!), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 17:07 (twenty-two years ago)
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 17:09 (twenty-two years ago)
http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:bMXaiPDUHnAC:warofthering.net/images/newsimages/grond.jpg
or
― gygax! (gygax!), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 17:09 (twenty-two years ago)
― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 19:25 (twenty-two years ago)
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 20:54 (twenty-two years ago)
I was so scared when Frodo and Sam were cowering on the rock surrounded by lava and the screen went white and it seemed like it was the end. I like how they handled the mood of the final ending.
― Maria (Maria), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 22:01 (twenty-two years ago)
― Maria (Maria), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 22:03 (twenty-two years ago)
― kephm, Wednesday, 31 December 2003 22:07 (twenty-two years ago)
― kephm, Wednesday, 31 December 2003 22:14 (twenty-two years ago)
― Maria (Maria), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 22:26 (twenty-two years ago)
― kephm, Wednesday, 31 December 2003 22:35 (twenty-two years ago)
― Maria (Maria), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 22:45 (twenty-two years ago)
― Markelby (Mark C), Thursday, 1 January 2004 02:01 (twenty-two years ago)
― Lord Custos Omicron (Lord Custos Omicron), Thursday, 1 January 2004 21:51 (twenty-two years ago)
― stevem (blueski), Thursday, 1 January 2004 22:44 (twenty-two years ago)
― David A. (Davant), Friday, 2 January 2004 03:11 (twenty-two years ago)
― David A. (Davant), Friday, 2 January 2004 03:14 (twenty-two years ago)