In Soviet Russia, Ring destroys you!

[Dioltach]

An article on the BBC about a Soviet version of The Lord of the Rings, produced in 1991. (I haven't watched it yet, hopefully tonight after work.)

 

[TwiceBorn2]

Interesting story.

 

[Dioltach]

I just tried watching it. Life's too short.

But hey, at least they didn't cut Tom Bombadil out of this version.

 

[ART!]

Soothe that bad Soviet LOTR movie vibe with some absolutely charming Soviet-era Hobbit illustrations by Mikhail Belomlinsky!

 

[Zardnaar]

Soviets may have made the most expensive movie ever. Assuming it was filmed in the west obviously it would of cost less.

Accounts vary but thousands (10-100k) of extras in Napoleonic dress reenacting 1812.

Looks like this one was raid the local theatre for costumes.

 

[Benjamin Olson]

I'd just like to note that not only did the Beatles attempt to secure the rights to make their own Lord of the Rings movie, but Lennon (allegedly) wanted Stanley Kubrick to direct. So however strange this Russian thing is it's still not the strangest LotR adaptation someone has attempted to make.

 

[dragoner]

I remember reading (in Russian) a book written from the Orcs point of view, where they were trying to building an industrialized economy, and the men and elves were their enemy, trying to keep them down. It was interesting, except I think for IP reasons, it could never be published in the west.

 

[Zardnaar]

I remember reading (in Russian) a book written from the Orcs point of view, where they were trying to building an industrialized economy, and the men and elves were their enemy, trying to keep them down. It was interesting, except I think for IP reasons, it could never be published in the west.

Thinly veiled propaganda lol.

 

[dragoner]

Thinly veiled propaganda lol.

I think we were always the Haradwaith or something.

 

[J.Quondam]

I remember reading (in Russian) a book written from the Orcs point of view, where they were trying to building an industrialized economy, and the men and elves were their enemy, trying to keep them down. It was interesting, except I think for IP reasons, it could never be published in the west.

You're probably thinking of "The Last Ring-bearer." Here's a blog from the from the translator:

The Last Ring-bearer

UPDATE: Second edition! More than 15 years ago Russian scientist Kirill Yeskov tried to settle certain geographical problems in Tolkien's fantasy world. One thing led to another, and he tackled a bigger project - what if we assumed that it's no less real than our world? His conclusion was that in…

ymarkov.livejournal.com