RotK Extended Version DVD

[Hilary]

Entertainment Weekly magazine featured the following item in their "Must List 2004":


The three-hour, 20-minute final installment of the Lord of the Rings trilogy earned 11 Oscars and more than $377 million - but that's not enough for director Peter Jackson. His four-disc cut hits stores in time for Christmas, complete with 49 minutes of extra footage and 300 new F/X shots ...New scenes include the Nazgûl king facing down Gandalf in battle, the Mouth of Sauron taunting the Fellowship at the gates of Mordor, and Aragorn tending to Éowyn in the Houses of Healing. The most anticipated addition is Gandalf's final confrontation with Saruman, a controversial last-minute cut from the film. The bonus materials will also bring the production narrative to a close, with extensive making-of featurettes..."As far as we know, Peter has nothing else up his sleeve," says New Line Home Entertainment VP Mike Mulvihill. "But he's a DVD fan, and you never know what he may have hidden away."

(my emphasis)

[MerlintheMad]

This is very good news. I have been awaiting confirmation on these included scenes. Particularly intriguing is the Mouth of Sauron scene. I noticed that in the theatrical release of TROTK there is blood on Aragorn's sword as he rides in front of the army of the West encouraging them. So where did the blood come from, except at the Black Gate?

Does anyone know about a release date for the EE DVD Trilogy? I am thinking that about this time next year, but earlier would certainly satisfy me!

[Greenleaf]

That's great news. I really missed scenes such as the Mouth of Sauron and the Houses of Healing in the treatrical version. Too bad they never shot the Scouring of the Shire but... well. At least they'll put Saruman somewhere at the end. And 49 minutes of exta footage, that's nearly one hour! ;D I hope it will come out around Christmas.

[Luthie Baggins]

I thought I might like to add that the following information from Singing Luthie Baggins has SPOILERS in it.......so be warned as you read on! --- Stormrider

and, for those who wish for more info, (like me!) here is some more about the EE version

Ain't It Cool News has an article on some of the scenes that their "spies" report will be on the Return of the King Extended Edition DVD.

- This one isn¡¯t going to come as a surprise, but for the record: we¡¯ll be seeing Gandalf and his Power Rangers confronting Saruman after the Helm¡¯s Deep battle, followed by the multi-coloured one falling to his death.
-Merry will pledge his allegiance to Theoden in a scene similar to the Pippin/Denethor bit.
- Following his acceptance of Anduril from Elrond, Aragorn uses the Palantir to reveal himself to Sauron. Sauron shows him a vision of Arwen¡¯s sickness. This stuff was used instead during the dream sequence just before Elrond arrives at Dunharrow in the theatrical cut.
- Remember the scene in which the Witch King is asked what he¡¯s going to do with Gandalf, and he says I will break him? This pays off big time in a battle between the Witch King and Gandalf as Gandalf and Pippin ride to save Faramir from the pyre. At the end of the battle, the Witch King breaks Gandalf¡¯s staff and then the Rohirrim turn up and the Witch King gets distracted.
- ¡®We see Gamling die on the Pelennor Fields theres a quick shot of Eomer bawling in the ROTK trailer.¡¯
- ¡®In the Houses of Healing, Aragorn heals Faramir, who then meets Eowyn and they fall in love. Aww.¡¯
- ¡®A disguised Frodo and Sam join a column of marching orcs on the way to Mt Doom. Their master is a ferocious orc captain with a whip. Remember the line heard over the sweeping shot of the orcs marching down through Mordor right after the Cirith Ungol sequence? That¡¯s him, yelling 'Come on you slugs!.'
- ¡®The Mouth of Sauron scene changes the emphasis of the entire final battle between men and orcs at the Black Gates. In the theatrical cut, Aragorn and Co. ride up to the gates, they open, and orcs come out to fight. In the extended version, they are greeted by the Mouth of Sauron (Bruce Spence), who has pointy teeth and a pointy helmet that covers his eyes (he doesn't need them, see? He's just a mouth). He rides out to show the heroes Frodos mithril vest, recently stolen by the orcs at Cirith Ungol, and to let them know that Frodo is dead and the ring is on its way to Sauron. Aragorn believes him, and the heroes despair. Going into battle at the Black Gates, the heroes have no hope at all it¡¯s their last stand for sure, and Aragorn¡¯s line for Frodo refers to his sacrifice, not to buying time.¡¯

[Stormrider]

I guess I know what we will all be doing tonight!

[MerlintheMad]

Not me. I have to wait for my copy to arrive from Amazon. I ordered the entire EE Trilogy, which comes out today as well as TROTK.

I was one of those who held out and didn't buy any videos or DVDs so that I could buy the boxed sets; I already have the theatrical release Trilogy, and in a few days I will have the EE Trilogy as well.

[Vanye]

I'll have to wait for Christmas to get my RoTK EE (if I'm lucky that is) I posted something about this in another place last nite but I doubt anybody caught it.
Anyway last nite while all of you were getting your LoTR
fixes I was watching 'Legend of Earthsea" on the Sci-Fi Channel, so far it's pretty good (the 2nd half will be on tonight). They filmed it on Vancouver Island. As usual they changed some stuff from the way it is in the book. But over all it's real close to the original-no big deviations & the scenery is great! Any way if you need a Middle-earth break tonight catch the 2nd half!
Vanye
'

[Desi Baggins]

For those waiting to recieve your copy of RotK EE don't forget you can make a visit to your local video rental place and rent a copy to watch. Stormrider and I will be renting it Friday and watching it then for the first time!

[Greenleaf]

Do they really rent the EE in the US? I'm sure they don't here (Greece). Anyway, I bought it and watched it 2 days ago. I was so thrilled, had been waiting too many months for it, lol. There were a couple of the new scenes I didn't like too much, or maybe I had been expecting something different, but I won't say anything now because I don't want to spoil it for those who haven't seen it yet. However, I'd love to hear other people's opinions. Don't get me wrong though, I loved the EE! No need to say I'm going to watch it again and again!

[Desi Baggins]

I just went to our local rental store and they didn't have it, but for the first two Blockbuster has it and that is a big chain video store...So tomorrow night I will go there and rent it. I will call first though!!!

[Magpie]

I have watched the movie once but I was drawing and it didn't have my full attention so I can't really comment on much. Then I put on the cast commentary because that's always good for a laugh and I could listen while drawing (school work... final's week). Then I starting watching the extras. These are mostly about the finality that this edition brings to the trilogy and I've cried through a great portion of it.

That might sound maudlin or geeky or just plain weird or stupid but this ride has been such a unique and significant one for me. The movies bookend some significant events in my life as well which adds to the emotionality of it. Life does exist aprés-movies.. but life with the movies was good, wasn't it? Dang good.

sigh...

[MerlintheMad]

I just watched the EE DVD, and pronounce it good. Not great but good. I think PJ is right; the EEs don't improve the story as movies, but are only to please the fans.

Especially, I appreciated the showdown with Saruman.

I really liked the added scenes developing Éowyn's and Faramir's relationship, but thought they put it in the wrong place.

The Mouth of Sauron scene was really cool, but I thought Aragorn's character (as per the book) was changed when he cut off the Mouth's head without a word; but it worked as a movie version.

The added stuff with the paths of the dead was unnecessary, imho; their showing up on the Pelennor was a deux ex machina of the worst sort anyway, and having the surprise factor (as per the theatrical version) ruined really dilutes the whole thing.

And of course, Gandalf's showdown with the Witch King was cool; but I thought having Gandalf's staff shattered was not the best way to show how evenly matched they would have been in a duel: it looked like Gandalf was going to get wiped out. Then Éowyn and Merry kill the Witch King as if he was nothing. Oh well, tamper with the story and you will end up with unanswered questions.

One thing I figured out this time around: it isn't Frodo's cut on his cheek which changes sides briefly on the slopes of Mount Doom; it is a whole section of the film which somehow or other got reversed: because Sam's facial marks change, and so does his sword scabbard: it moves from his left hip to his right and back to his left hip, at the same times as the cuts on his and Frodo's faces change sides. Somebody in the editing room needs a different job.

Altogether, I really enjoyed TROTK EE. I think the entire movie Trilogy is the richest production ever made (and I don't mean expensive, I mean rich in eye candy, sound, plot, characters, acting ability all around, etc, and etc.).

[Desi Baggins]

I will have to keep my eyes open and look for those changes...I never noticed the cuts changing sides or anything!!!

[Desi Baggins]

Blockbuster had it! And we watched it and it was good! But I know what Magpie means, I just can't believe that is the end...But what I do know is that I have to go back and re-read the books again because I have forgotten how many things actually went (like the Paths of the Dead scene). I am still disappointed that Gandalf knocks Denethor with his staff a couple times and that Denethor goes running off the cliff, and that Frodo tells Sam to leave and that Frodo's line when he claims the Ring isn't a direct quote from the book. I think FotR might be my favorite movie, but then TTT might be...I know RotK isn't my favorite cuz they cut out the Scouring of the Shire (though the movie would have been too horribly long with it in it).

My next thing to do is finish watching TTT with the cast commentary and then do the same with RotK and all that might take me while so LotR can live on screen a little longer for me!

[Magpie]

I still have not properly seen the Extended Edition, so this is a hasty assessment. But in talking with my son last night, hearing his complaints against it (...I love the books more than my son but my son is less forgiving of PJ's changes than I have been....) something coalesced for me.

I think many book fans have been pretty forgiving of many of the changes in the movies but we've always looked to the Extended Editions to give us those scenes that are book-fan-favorites but didn't really work for a theatrical release movie. We knew there was lots of stuff missing from ROTK and I think subconciously I was hoping to see some of that in the new scenes.

But instead we get.....


SPOILERS
SPOILERS
SPOILERS .... look for END OF SPOILERS if you're avoiding


Gimli burping and farting
Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli playing dodgeball with an insane number of skulls
Arwen singing in English (!!!-my soundtrack sensibilities are aroused) over Eowyn's wounding.... what's up with that?
Eowyn recounting Faramir's (and JRRT's) dream of a giant wave.... did that add something... did I miss it?

Meanwhile we don't have:
A proper goodbye among the members of the fellowship
The scouring of the Shire.... (Okay I understand but it still hurts)
The Field of Cormallen (ach... that passage makes my heart hurt everytime...)



END OF SPOILERS
I can understand that changes/deletions were needed. But I guess it just is a little disappointing (and perhaps rankling) that PJ found time for some of those things he did... but not others.

It is never popular to be too critical of the movies and some of you here may disagree. My disappointment is my own and I wouldn't argue those points. I'm just being honest with myself, as much as anything, about this slight disappointment.