I just bought it at Best Buy for $23! I'm about to watch it now in glorious surround-sound but I have already seen the behind the secenes disk- the Mouth Of Saorun is damn creepy.
I'll review it for you all later tonight. For now: Popcorn time! Posted by Topher (Member # 71) on :
I heard its a whole hour longer than the theatrical release...
Posted by deadcujo (Member # 13) on :
It's fucking awesome.
Posted by Aban Rune (Member # 226) on :
I preordered mine on Amazon and it arrived in the mail 2 days ago. I've been sitting on my hands resisting the urge to watch it until I can have friends over and do the whole trilogy of EEs at once. It'll be a glorious day full of beer and pizza culminating in the spanktastic viewing of RotK, which I've not seen since I saw it in the theater.
Posted by Nim' (Member # 205) on :
Bought it two weeks ago, won't be seeing it until January, a pact with my two friends, until our schedules finally catch up.
Posted by Hobbes (Member # 138) on :
All extended editions in one day? That'd take like 11 hours. Do you have 11 hours worth of beer... cause if you do I'll head right over. Break out the keg.
Posted by Mark Nguyen (Member # 469) on :
My gang watched the EEs of the first two movies before heading to the theatre for the third... We barely survived, and we swore NEVER to do that again.
They're awesome movies, but as Jackson said, the EEs are not meant for one-sitting viewings as the theatrical version was. You're supposed to take your time with them, take breaks, digest all the coolness. We're gonna watch the ROTK:EE soon ourselves, but we're prescribing a break for the disc change.
Mark
Posted by Aban Rune (Member # 226) on :
We'll take a break between disks sure. Get up, stretch, pee, put another pizza in the oven.
Posted by Balaam Xumucane (Member # 419) on :
Mmmm. Pizza.
There were those theatrical showings where they'd run the EE of the first two films before showing the third. In theater seats? Sheesh. At least in my living room there's a pause button and no sweaty-palmed dweebs with iffy facial hair whooping it up at all the wrong moments. Well, I mean other than myself.
Posted by Jason Abbadon (Member # 882) on :
So....I did not get around to watching it at all: I got called to shoot some pool and just could not handle four hours of movie at 2am.
Monday night probably: if only to see the Mouth of Sauron part. As I only saw the movie one time (in the theatres), I'll be pressed to find all the extras.
In the books, cant Shelob speak? She sure does in The Hobbit. In the theactrical version, she's just a biiiig spider (with some modifications to the "face" to imply intelligence).
Posted by Nim' (Member # 205) on :
She isn't in "The Hobbit", those are small (!) 5-foot spiders that are most certainly offspring of hers. Shelob had been staying in the mountain passes between Cirith Ungol and the Black Gate for several thousands of years, as she was already there when Sauron settled in Mordor and started building his fortress.
Those smaller spiders do have a mouth on them, and Shelob's ancestor Ungoliant in the "Silmarillion" also communicated, but it seems Shelob was too feral and down to business for that. The book described a lot of her thoughts and reactions, but no spoken words.
Maybe she'd learned that chatting with your prey and listening to flattery and explaining your well-laid plans had gotten creatures like her killed on more than one occasion.
See? Development in criminal psychology! That book works on so many levels.
Posted by Jason Abbadon (Member # 882) on :
Thanks for clearing that up! I've never read the ROTK books so I'm at a loss as to what is subtly altered and what is given over to poetic liscence.
In thte ROTK extras, there is a nice bit on how they made Shelob and how Peter Jackson has a fear of spiders....some real thought went into designing her face to be not mindless but not too human either.
Posted by MarianLH (Member # 1102) on :
Originally posted by Aban Rune:
quote:I preordered mine on Amazon and it arrived in the mail 2 days ago. I've been sitting on my hands resisting the urge to watch it until I can have friends over and do the whole trilogy of EEs at once. It'll be a glorious day full of beer and pizza culminating in the spanktastic viewing of RotK, which I've not seen since I saw it in the theater.
You have more self-control than I do. Our marathon is a week from today, but I've already popped the disks in. Haven't watched all of it, just a few choice moments.
I have to say, though, that I was really disappointed with the Mouth of Sauron. And not a little grossed out. I never thought I'd say Rankin and Bass did it better, but here they did.
Marian
Posted by Jason Abbadon (Member # 882) on :
I watched the SE last night: VERY worthwhile!
Most of the added scenes seem to be on disk one, including the deaths of Sauroman and Lon Suder.
$$$$$SPOILERS$$$$$
There's a great scene where Aragorn, Legolias and Gimli are almost buried in an avalanche of skulls (in the realm of the dead). Some of the skulls look waaay to large though. (if you notice such things).
The "Mouth of Sauron" looks so much like the mascot from Megadeth that I had to laugh. From the syntax he uses, he's more of a messenger than an incarnation of Sauron.
I had heard there was additional footage of what happened to the main charcaters, but there is nothing past Sam returning home to his family.
Watching the movie again, I wonder if Sam's wounds to Shelob were not fatal. Looked like Sammy kicked her ass handily.
Posted by Nim' (Member # 205) on :
Jaze:
quote:I've never read the ROTK books so I'm at a loss as to what is subtly altered and what is given over to poetic liscence.
You paved your way through four of the books and then forgot to read the climax? HAVE YOU THE BRAINWORMS???
quote:From the syntax he uses, he's more of a messenger than an incarnation of Sauron.
Yes, messenger and planned deputy ruler of the West for Sauron, with his seat in Orthanc.
About Shelob, the wound was the worst she'd ever received in her life (in the book Sting gets plunged to the hilt in her bloated hindbody underside, imagine that if you will) but of her final fate this story doesn't tell, nor any other.
I'm thinking of watching the ROTK:EE alone, as the books and the other EEs have been a most personal journey for me.
I feel reluctant to watch it, I must say. As long as I haven't watched it, I still have something left of the story to explore. It's like a death row inmate, not wanting to take that last bite of his last meal, hoping vainly that they won't kill him yet if he waits (now this is laying it on thick).
I think I will do it on Monday. Stock up on popcorn, christmas-must and hankies.
If only so I can tell my friends "This is a new shot", like a total knowitall slut, in our future viewings. *sniph*
Posted by Jason Abbadon (Member # 882) on :
In only ever read the Hobbitt (and that was years ago). Sam does indeed "plunge sting to the hilt in her bloated hindbody underside". Sound kinky if you think of the singer "Sting".
Posted by AndrewR (Member # 44) on :
quote:Originally posted by Nim': She isn't in "The Hobbit", those are small (!) 5-foot spiders that are most certainly offspring of hers. Shelob had been staying in the mountain passes between Cirith Ungol and the Black Gate for several thousands of years, as she was already there when Sauron settled in Mordor and started building his fortress.
Those smaller spiders do have a mouth on them, and Shelob's ancestor Ungoliant in the "Silmarillion" also communicated, but it seems Shelob was too feral and down to business for that. The book described a lot of her thoughts and reactions, but no spoken words.
I'm sure she can some-how communicate - as Gollum made a deal with her didn't he?
Posted by AndrewR (Member # 44) on :
I have all three extended editions. I have yet to watch them (I got each one when it came out). I'm waiting for the right time and place to sit, watch and absorb their awesomeness! Posted by Balaam Xumucane (Member # 419) on :
So, I finally watched the EE. There were some really terrific additions and, as in previous EEs, I felt the whole filmed flowed much more smoothly. The Mouth Of Sauron was quite memorable. (Did we all know that was the gyrocopter pilot from the Mad Max movies with some digital manipulation to expand those gums?) Plumbing the depths of Denethor's madness, making the Witch King even more menacing--all great stuff. However... I really didn't like the ghost army taking the mercenaries' ships. That tension of "wherethefuck are those guys?" Worked SO well in the theatrical version. For my ducats it would have been fine to cut right after you see Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas's reactions to seeing the boats sailing up-river. But then I'm a lonely graphic designer living in a leaking and chilly, windowless warehouse in San Jose and not at all an international suparstar director with a dozen Oscars tucked into my belt.
Posted by Jason Abbadon (Member # 882) on :
Really, I thought the sole thing in the entire trilogy that was handled poorly was the "ghost army". For time's sake, they zip around and look like nothing more than a green roller-coaster, cleanly dispatching all Sauron's forces in the background.
It could have been far more dramatic (and less silly) to show them mowing through Sauron's army (and the recation of his army to this unstoppable threat).
I'm almost certainly in the minority though. (I usually am)
Posted by AndrewR (Member # 44) on :
Actually - I thought they overdid the Army of the Dead - but I see why they used it as they did - they needed to hurry up the story line. I certainly would have loved to have seen Aragorn and the Grey Company gathering forces in the southern regions of Gondor and meeting Prince Imrahil with the Army a silent shadow behind them. Then taking out the black ships (where they are then let go) then this great force of Gondorians from the souther regions of the Kingdom that should have been gathered by Denethor would have marched apon the enemy at the fields of Pelennor. Alas it wasn't to happen like that. I at least would have liked to have seen Prince Imrahil who had both Elven and N�menorean blood.
Posted by Balaam Xumucane (Member # 419) on :
I've totally blanked Imrahil. I REALLY need to re-read those books. Perhaps that could be one of my New Years Resolutions.
As an aside, I've just learned that many of the Mercenaries in the corsair fleet were the filmmakers in cameo (totally didn't recognize them). Maybe it bothers me less now, knowing that.
Posted by Nim' (Member # 205) on :
AndreR: They did think of Imrahil, they had his banner visible in the coronation at the end. It's the white swan on blue background.
Posted by AndrewR (Member # 44) on :
They did - cool. Would have been nice to see them all meet up in the middle of the battlefield.
Posted by MarianLH (Member # 1102) on :
I didn't like the Army of the Dead either. If I had been in Peter Jackson's shoes--okay, hairy feet--I would have left them out entirely in favour of the southern men and Aragorn's ranger friends from the north. Because the Dead were unstoppable, they made victory assured no matter what else happened, and that cheapened the heroism and sacrifice of the Men who fought. Heck, the Rohorrim might as well have stayed home.
Marian
Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :
Well, that's really more of a grievance you'd have to take up with Tolkien...
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