Extended LOTR Preview -- SEEN IT (1 Viewer)

[Adam_WM]

Ok, get this. My friend's girlfriend works at a rental store. VIdeo stores, I guess, get some disc previews occasionally. Well, she got this Preview disc of the 4-disc Extended LOTR. It runs 74 minutes long and has the following features:

Animated Main Menu Demonstration (From Disc 3)
Introduction by Peter Jackson (from Disc 3)
From Book to Script (from Disc 3)
Storyboards and Pre-viz: Making Words Into Images (from Disc 3)
New Zealand as Middle-Earth (from Disc 3)
A Day in the Life of a Hobbitt (from Disc 4)
Music for Middle-Earth (from Disc 4)
Special Extended DVD Edition Preview (same as the one on the 2-disc LOTR)


I watched it all and it was very entertaining and informative. I can't wait until Nov. If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask.

 

[Chad A Wright]

I also recieved this in the mail yesterday. I can't wait for the full set. This preview shows the care that not only went into making the films, but also the care that went into making this DVD. This did just what New Line wanted it to: it got me pumped for this release.
I review DVDs and films for the newspaper I work for, which is why they sent me one. My heart leaps everytime I get a package from New Line on my desk.
Counting the days till November

 

[Ted_Polzin]

Is it really 74 minutes longer? Wouldn't that put it over 4 hours rather than the 3:30 we were hearing?

Thanks

Ted

 

[Chad A Wright]

The preview was 74 mintues long, not the material added to the actual film.

The preview just gave a sample of a few of the extra material sections.

 

[Ted_Polzin]

Oh ok ... Gotca ... too much coffee today :b

 

[Ray H]

Sounds cool!

 

[Simon Young]

I have some questions, you lucky sod!
1. What are the menus like? Are they specially filmed movie clips, or CG, or a combination of both? Do they have music, and if so is it original music? Do they have sound effects? How long are the transitions? Can you give us some pictures?
2. Are the extra features you watched in anamorphic widescreen, or full-frame?
3. What's the overall video quality of the extra features like?
4. How well put together are the extras? Are they shot on DV, or HD video? Or film? How well are those that you watched edited? Do they seem in-depth, or fluffy?
OK, so I'm a little bored, but I'm also genuinely interested in these things because I want this to be the best DVD set EVER!!!

 

[Adam_WM]

1. Well, they only show a movie of one of the menus. It is a book (like the pictures we have already seen). In the back playing on this one was the music from Lothlorien. It just showed the book and then the menu with the selections of featurettes. I don't have any place to post screen captures.

2. They were in widescreen, but I don't have a 16:9 television so I can't tell you if they were anamorphic (my guess is yes.)

3. Video quality was great. No problems at all.

4. VERY VERY WELL PUT TOGETHER. Problem done on film, albeit some were done with portable camcorders. They were edited very well. NO FLUFF. IN-DEPTH TO THE MAX!!! CAn't wait to see the whole two discs.

However, Peter Jackson did mention that Disc 3 will be the PRE-production stuff (about 2 1/2 hours worth) and Disc 4 will be from the casting onward to release (about 3 1/2 hours of material). VERY COOL STUFF>

 

[Chad A Wright]

1. The menus where in book form. There was a shot of the camera moving across a desk to the book and it opening. Contained inside is the menus.

2. I believe it was 1.85:1 widescreen. I'm also not sure if it was anamorphic or not.

3. I agree, the video quality was outstanding on every part of the feature.

4. I thought the extras shown were excellent. There was some of the hollywood ass kissing we've come to expect, but it was kept to a minimum. It wasn't the entire point of the extra unlike most DVD's. It went very in-depth into every aspect of the production.

One feature Peter Jackson mentioned that I absolutely loved was the ability to insert a disk and just click play all. This way you don't have to navigate the menus between features, it just plays them all non stop.

As Adam mentioned, there is over six hours worth of stuff on the two discs of bonus materials, so I think it will keep us all busy for a very long time. None of the features even came close to being boring. Truly great stuff.

 

[Lee_eel]

Is the book-like packaging carboard or not anyone?

 

[Chad A Wright]

Can't tell from the preview disc, it just came in a single digipack case (like Panic Room). From pictures though, I would assume it will be cardboard packaging.