[OT] Upon watching PJ butcher another's work.

[jdavis]

Short Peter jackson interview on stuff that was cut:
http://www.moviehole.net/news.php?newsid=804

The awards the movie is up for so far are best picture and best director (Golden Globes)

 

[Assenpfeffer]

Well, looking at box office earnings through the end of the year, The Two Towers is right on track to bust the doors off as one of the top 3 or 5 movies of 2002. It's made $200 million dollars so far - and it has so far made more money than the next four movies under it COMBINED.

It's already number 4 for the year, having only been out for a little over two weeks, and will certainly outscore Harry Potter 2 (which I've heard is pretty good.) If it beats out Spider-Man and Attack of the Clowns, it'll be #1.

New Line is projecting (publically) that they expect the film to make over a billion worldwide. I'm not sure how feasible that is, but if it does happen, it would make TTT the #2 movie of all time.

 

[Assenpfeffer]

I was actually scared to post to the thread, some of the attacks were just vicious.

Better stay off of Usenet, then. Or, heck, even RPGNet.

All that aside I do have one bone to pick with changes that were made (most of the changes didn't bother me as changes, they just bothered me in general). Since when did Elrond become king of the elves? I have heard that said at the theater and have read it in other places (I'm trying to remember where, I'll post a link when/if I find it). The silly elf telepathy scene!? between Galadriel and Elrond is worded to sound like she is asking what to do from her superior, and the elves showing up at Helm's Deep and saying Elrond sent them reinforces that. Maybe I am worng and it is just a confusing scene, I let a friend have it for refering to Elrond as the Elf King guy, he hadn't read the books, he got that from the movie. It's not a big thing but it annoyed me.

Eh? No idea where you're coming from at all on this.

 

[Henry]

Jdavis, and Celebrim: you have not reason to NOT post your views. I myself encourage it thoroughly. The only thing that CAN'T be really said about the movies is that they were box office failures; but whatever one feels about the movie itself is their perogative.

I disagree that Peter Jackson's work is a "cheap knock-off", or that just putting book to film would have guaranteed a billion-dollar franchise, because I and many others like me just couldn't get through Tolkien's book. Had it not been for posters on this site, and the movies themselves, I would have never know HOW the plot of this trilogy went. It was the awesome posters of this board that caused me to re-visit the trilogy last year, and I STILL couldn't get through it, because it turned me off with egregious exposition and a very slow and incomprehensible plot. But if not for the posters here who love Tolkien (such as our inestimable Col. Hardisson), I wouldn't have even tried in the last place.

So don't underestimate your opinion here - but don't be afraid to go against the opinions of the majority on here who liked the films as they were.

 

[Mallus]

Henry...

...you and the other mods. might want to add "Tolkien adaptations" to list your list of verboten topics . For some, its as hot a topic as religion, sex, or politics...

Its pretty amusing to see people bristle against what they perceive to be "blasphemous" assaults against the "orthodox" text. People like dogma, and they can be dogmatic about anything; fictional universes, Cajun hot sauces, defense packages against the run on 3rd and short...

I don't mean to sound mocking. I think its great that Tolkien's work has such a powerful effect on people. The fact that three little books can do that is an amazing testimony to the power of literature.

 

[jdavis]

Better stay off of Usenet, then. Or, heck, even RPGNet.

I post nowhere but here. The whole reason I like posting here is that people are generally openminded here. Rarely do topics turn into chest thumping insult matches and when they do somebody comes around and puts their foot down. For some reason Tolkien is a really touchy topic. I did point out that both sides were getting a little to pushy and touchy.

I'm not a book purist, I don't care if he mixes it up for the movies, and I only had one problem with book to movie changes, and it is a questionable one. I would love to discuss the movies, I just don't want to get alot of silly flack, it looked like a gang fight when I read through the thread, and if I had read the thread before I went to see the movie I'd of been on the other side of the arguement, I loved the first movie and I loved Peter Jackson's vision of Middle Earth, the second movie just didn't seem finished to me. I'm not trying to pick a side just pointing out that it was getting a little thick in here.

As far as the Elrond bit goes, it was something pointed out to me by people who have not read the books, they thought Elrond was telling Galadriel to send troops to help at Helms Deep, the troops that showed up said that Elrond sent them, thus Elrond must be the Leader of all the Elves.

 

[jdavis]

Jdavis, and Celebrim: you have not reason to NOT post your views. I myself encourage it thoroughly. The only thing that CAN'T be really said about the movies is that they were box office failures; but whatever one feels about the movie itself is their perogative.

I disagree that Peter Jackson's work is a "cheap knock-off", or that just putting book to film would have guaranteed a billion-dollar franchise, because I and many others like me just couldn't get through Tolkien's book. Had it not been for posters on this site, and the movies themselves, I would have never know HOW the plot of this trilogy went. It was the awesome posters of this board that caused me to re-visit the trilogy last year, and I STILL couldn't get through it, because it turned me off with egregious exposition and a very slow and incomprehensible plot. But if not for the posters here who love Tolkien (such as our inestimable Col. Hardisson), I wouldn't have even tried in the last place.

So don't underestimate your opinion here - but don't be afraid to go against the opinions of the majority on here who liked the films as they were.

Nothing about these movies was cheap, and Jackson put years of work into them, he is still working on them, He has been nominated for a Golden Globe for the movie. I wouldn't of went to see a direct movie adaptation of the books, it would be like Oklahoma the musical, only in Elvish. And it would of been 20 hours long. I love the books, I have read them dozens of times, but if Tom Bombadil would of shown up in the first movie I would of ran out screaming. I don't fault 90% of the changes Peter Jackson has made and I am sure each change was a hard decision for him.

Tolkien is a hot topic, his books are the template for the whole fantasy genre. Not everybody likes his books but where would D&D of been without the LOTR books. I'm sure that Peter Jackson knew that he would be under the microscope doing these movies.

Edit: two golden Globe awards.