posted
Ok, So I was watching "Fellowship Of the Ring" again tonight, and something struck me, which it seems should have struck me before. It had been a while since I had read the books, and it's been a while since I've watched B5, so maybe this is coming late to the table. but doesn't Khazad-d�m (Kazadoom) (Where Gandalf dies) sound an awful lot like Z'ha'dum (Zahadoom) where the Shadows live and where Sheridan dies. Doesn't Gandalf know that if he goes to Khazad-d�m he's gonna fall into shadow? Isn't that an awful lot like Kosh's warning to Sheridan that if he goes to Z'ha'doom he'll die? Doesn't that kind of make you mad?
-------------------- "Nah. The 9th chevron is for changing the ringtone from "grindy-grindy chonk-chonk" to the theme tune to dallas." -Reverend42
Registered: Sep 2000
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posted
Very many cool-sounding alien/exotic names are taken from and inspired by LOTR. Practically all of the Diablo-games (the sacred brotherhood Horadrim and LOTR:s Rohirrim) have names from there, and most other fantasy/medieval movies/games take inspiration from it, like all 70's martial arts-movies were inspired by Bruce Lee. One can but look at it like the truest form of flattery, albeit less creative.
-------------------- "I'm nigh-invulnerable when I'm blasting!" Mel Gibson, X-Men
Registered: Aug 1999
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posted
He MAY have taken the name. I think he actually addressed it in one of his usenet posts, though. The actual plot, however, was taken from old greek mythology. You know, go to hell and back again?
-------------------- "This is why you people think I'm so unknowable. You don't listen!" - God, "God, the Devil and Bob"
Registered: Mar 1999
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posted
I think most B5 fans know that JMS was very inspired by LotR. I haven't read or seen the movie yet to point out the similarities though.
One though....
Lord of the Rings B5:Lengend of the Rangers
-------------------- I'm slightly annoyed at Hobbes' rather rude decision to be much more attractive than me though. That's just rude. - PsyLiam, Oct 27, 2005.
Registered: May 1999
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posted
. . . which is used by the show's detractors to condemn the show, every time. It gets tedious, especially when it has very little in terms of plot or settings, and only occasional similarity in names (and character traits), in common.
posted
So? The whole "Ring of Power" was taken from an old philosopher story. The word "Hobbits" probably came from "Hobbes". Lots of philosophical influence.
-------------------- "God's in his heaven. All's right with the world."
Registered: Apr 2001
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posted
Old philosopher story? The ring of Gyges...I think, was a Greek myth reused for moral effect in the Republic, but I'd hardly call it an old philosopher story. The one about Hobbes going to the chemist, that's an old philosopher story.
Because he was quite old, you see.
Thus an old story.
About someone who is old.
Registered: Mar 1999
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posted
It would have been funny if I had actually gotten it. But things tend to be less funny when they have to be explained.
Registered: Mar 1999
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posted
Hey, don't get me wrong. I'm not trying to condemn the show or anything. I just remember thinking how cool that whole thing with the foreshadowing of Sheridan's death and his plummet into fate was. I remember that it resonated pretty strongly when I watched it. I guess understanding why exactly it did seem so familiar makes it kind of disappointing. I had assumed this was all stuff JMS had come up with on his own, and that he was therefore my hero. I mean sure there's only so many plots, but, well, the whole Khazad-d�m / Z'ha'dum thing just cheapened it. Made it seem less like an homage and more like plagiarism. B5 is still a great yarn. So epic, and vivid. I love it dearly, but perhaps today I love it a little less. Kind of like when you find out that Noah wasn't the only guy building an Ark to survive a flood.
-------------------- "Nah. The 9th chevron is for changing the ringtone from "grindy-grindy chonk-chonk" to the theme tune to dallas." -Reverend42
Registered: Sep 2000
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posted
Well, in TFotR, the Balrog somewhat unexpectedly shows up and attacks, so Gandalf knocks the bridge out from under it, and then it pulls Gandalf in after it. In "Z'ha'dum", Sheridan goes to the planet knowing he's going to die, he intentionally crashes the Whitestar into the planet on top of himself, and he fully expects to die until Kosh tells him to jump. Aside from the fact that the place-names sound the same, and both involve someone falling into a pit, being presumed dead, then showing up alive, I don't see so much resemblance.
Registered: Mar 1999
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posted
It's not a case of plagiarism. Think of Harry Potter. That also bears some striking resemblances to LOTR.
The whole Sauron / Voldemort analogy for example. They are even both called "The Dark Lord". And there are many other similarities.
But does anyone accuse J.K.Rowling of plagiarism? Of course they don't. Because then you could call many films, series, etc. plagiarisms as most of them draw from classic stories, myth, history, etc.
-------------------- Lister: Don't give me the "Star Trek" crap! It's too early in the morning. - Red Dwarf "The Last Day"
Registered: Nov 1999
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