[thechat] LOTR

[Quackamoe]

--- Lauri Vain <lauri_lists at tharapita.com> wrote:
> Hi Terry, 
> 

> You were totally on target about the beauty and
> uniqueness of NZ nature. 

It gets better every time I see it. I'm to the point
now of looking for good campsites!! I've seen it 5 
times now. Have to go 3 times to beat my current 
in-theater record -- the original Star Wars. I saw it
6 times in 1977, in Phoenix, Arizona. Then I saw it 
one time when it was released. 7 total, so I have to
see LotR 8 times in the theater. Hope you had good 
sound. The theater I saw it in the first 2 times had
killer sound. You could *feel* the Balrog roaring.
It was great!

> About the movie -- I'm a
> big fan of the book (have read it in several
> languages, several times) so I wasn't too happy with
> the cuts and the places that didn't match very
> closely with the book (there were especially many
> such places before Rivendell -- details all wrong).

Same here, and I think that's why I liked it better
the second time around. No disappointments; no
surprises. I think Rivendell as depicted is gorgeous,
but along with Lothlorien, doesn't match my view of it
at all. Too dark. No sprightly, joking, singning
elves,
these. 

> After the departure of the fellowship, the movie got
> a whole lot more interesting and better. 
> 
> The overall movie experience was way above my
> expectations (I thought there were more cuts) and I
> liked it a lot. Basically I knew that there would be
> some cuts and several were justified (like Tom) to
> make the movie short and smashing. Anyway, we went
> to see it with seven good friends of whom two had
> read the book and one is reading it right now and
> everybody liked the movie!! 

I'm surprised and gratified at how well it's doing and
how many non-Tolkien fans are enoying it. It's about
time!
> 
> Like you, I also fell in love with the landscapes --
> the mountains in the second half of the movie
> (journey of the fellowship) were my favourite part.
> All the mountains I've seen so far in Europe grew
> pale next to them. 
> 
There's a relative youthful, new, untamed quality to
the NZ mountains. Hike to the top of a mountain in
Switzerland and there's a restaurant at the top. I 
suspect it's not like that in NZ. (Mind you, I 
appreciate having a restaurant up there, and I have
hopes to go to some Berg Hotels my next time in der
Schweiz.)

> Whew, can't wait until I get to see the mountains of
> NZ with my very own eyes. 

Right ON! Gotta start saving those nickels and dimes,
er, I mean, senti. (heh heh, quick google search 
yielded http://www.ttu.ee/users/rasmus/history3.htm.)

As for the DVD, I'm hoping it's gonna have tons of 
stuff not in the theatrical release. I know I've seen
photos of scenes that didn't make it, so I know they
shot them. The LotR DVD fest may take more than one 
day if each DVD contains lots of extra footage, eh?

Wow, just got the mail and the three-part graphic
novel
of the Hobbit that Kevin Stevens sent me already 
arrived! Awesome!! I guess the word is out, I like 
Tolkien! And many subsequent works in the genre he 
created.

Well, go see LotR again and see if it flows better
with already knowing what they changed. Gotta go write
Kevin straightaway!

Terry



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