The most insaine & exciting week of my DVD buying life (ET, Spidey, Clones & Rings) (1 Viewer)

[Sam Davatchi]

It's especially interesting to listen to their approach in altering many of the book's elements, and it's interesting to hear that New Line were a little more pushy in some areas than some would believe (though to their credit, the seemed to relent most of the time).

Could you please elaborate more for our enjoyment? Since I can’t listen to the commentary any time soon!

 

[Gregory E]

I forgot to mention an especially notable point of interest PJ makes in the commentary. Gollum clearly looks different in The Two Towers, and to reflect upon this PJ does state that there will come a time where they will go back and revise Gollum's look in fellowship. We've not seen the last of FOTR on DVD.

This sort of bothers me. I thought next week I would be getting the "definitive" Fellowship of the Ring DVD. I don't want to have to buy it again (for the 3rd time) to get the final version. :frowning: And the fact that Gollum looks different in the Two Towers makes the trilogy not so "seamless".

 

[Dan Brecher]

The director/writers commentary is PJ, Walsh and Boyens together. Notably interesting, and really its hard to pin point the best of the most notable momenets given there are so many, is discussion regarding original drafts of the film. The commentary, like the doumentary, discusses Lord of the Rings being at the hands of Miramax as two films, and the commentary goes into a fair level of depth reagrding earlier drafts of the script.
Discussion of the prologue was especially interesting in that it never existed for the longest time, and actually came at the request of new line and they had versions where Gandalf would narrate it, and even Frodo would narrate it. The proglogue was cut together whilst the film was in the stages of having it's music score recorded in London.
They set up an avid in the UK and cut the sequence there (it's extended in this version to show a more graphic and dramatic death of Isildur) and the entire sequence was written by Boyens. It's said in the commentary that Galadriel well narrate the closing of Return of the King.
It's clear that whilst PJ makes no preference for either cut of the movie, he clearly hopes as many people will see this version as possible given Two Towers and Return of the King carry so many references to scenes here in the extended cut of FOTR, the gifts at Lorien most obvious of these. The Elven bread moment here in this version (a glorious little scene) sheds further light on references to the food in Two Towers in a moment between Sam and Frodo. It's actually a tragedy they cut this sequence, because it's the big wow moment of the entire experience of seeing this film again, er, for the first time.
Gregory,
I am not sure how definitive this edition is to be honest. There is still a lot of footage cut not put back, and (although I've not yet got to disc 4 yet) I do not believe any of that footage is there to be seen in the supplements. I think a further revision is inevitable, but how vast a revision it would be I have no idea.
I think this extended cut is glorious, the finest extended cut of a film I have ever seen in my entire life, but I am drawn to thinking that what is given to us now carries most weight now. I want to say it carries more weight in this incarnation now, near to the release of The Two Towers, than it may do some 5 years or more down the road when we have HD DVD and PJ has had further time to reflect upon various cuts of the film. Who knows what he may do when he can let people view all three together...
Dan

 

[Gregory E]

I see what you're saying Dan. And I am still very excited about this Extended version. To be honest, I love this movie so much I'd probably buy any new version they put out...those bastards!

 

[Dan Brecher]

Let's face it, Gregory, one day we'd all love each film to run 4hrs each, be spread across six discs with a full 40 minute credit sequence at the tail end of ROTK covering the three films. 6 DVDs, or maybe 3 HD DVDs with proper intermission sequences bridging FOTR and TT, and TT and ROTK. Now THATS something to dream for!
Dan

 

[Dan Brecher]

I have finally created an Official Fellowship of the Ring: Extended Edition Review & Discussion thread over in the movies forum. My "reivew" of this extended edition of the film itself is there.
That thread is NOT for any discussion regarding the DVD release and its supplements. We have enough threads here for that. I will continue to update my thoughts on the supplements here in this thread.
Dan

 

[Dan Brecher]

Well, I have finished all the documentaries spanning discs 3 and 4 which all form to actually make one big six hour thing which is really just remarakble. There's heavy focus on every element that went into the production right through form conception of bringing the book to screen to it's premiere last December. I still have the stills and interactive galleries to view on both supplement discs.

Having gone through roughly 90% of the set now there are only two regrets, the first is that there really should have been a full intermission sequence to cover the transition from disc 1 to 2 as it all ends rather abruptly. The second is that there's another hour of footage they cut, none of which is presented in the suppelemtns. Two negatives, though the positives of the set HIGHLY outweigh those.

I suppose actually my only other regret is that all 4 commentaries are stupidly 192kbps stereo surround. These should have been mono. Had that been the case, we probably could have got a stereo isolated score and a tiny bit more disc space for the image.

I definately don't see this as a definitive release, but I stand by my words before however, that this is probably the most extensive behind the scenes look into the making of a film you will see right now, and will probably not be bettered on the DVD format as we know the format today. If it is bettered, it will be bettered by Two Towers and Return of the King.

Really is an exceptional release, and I really do, 100% favour Fellowship's image transfer over AOTCs.

Dan

 

[Aaryn Chan]

They could've put soo much more.

Isolated Score. Isolated Soundtrack. Isolated Speech Only.

They could add the "Business" and "Effect on Society" side of LOTR. Like the marketing, the promotions, how it affected life of many people.

 

[Greg_C_T]

Had that been the case, we probably could have got a stereo isolated score

Wait--I thought there was supposed to be an isolated score on this release...is this not the case??

 

[Thomas Rassinger]

Wait--I thought there was supposed to be an isolated score on this release...is this not the case??

According to some preliminary specs New Line wanted to include both a 5.1 isolated score and a 5.1 effects track but - for the sake of image quality I suppose - both tracks were dropped. You can still find the old specs here:
http://www.thedigitalbits.com/mytwocentsa62.html
Just scroll down to the packshot of the FOTR 4-disc-set.
Thomas

 

[Dan Brecher]

Indeed, the iso score never made it. Above all you want the best posisble image, I think the transfer on the extended edition is a significant improvement over that theatrical edition DVD release, but still the bitrates of the commentaries baffle me.

Dan

PS: Forgot to mention before, a couple of interesting things I never knew that the first commentary reveal. Fran Walsh lent herself to the screech of the Ringwraiths, and Andy Serkis provided their speaking voice.