The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy (Extended Edition) (2001-2003)

[threefiftyrocket]

Originally Posted by Grand Bob

To resolve the issue, I recommend a simple test you can do that doesn't take too much time. Watch the EE Blu-ray of "Fellowship" near the beginning where Gandalf arrives to where Bilbo leaves Bag End - then watch the same sequence on the theatrical edition. If the tint or darkness of the EE doesn't bother you (or if you don't notice it at all, which I would find incredible), then you are good to go for the rest of the movie.

Or the atrociously bad "snow scene." That's the one that I CRINGE at... but the black crush during the ENTIRE Moria sequence is unbearable!

[radagast]

Originally Posted by threefiftyrocket

Sorry, I don't mean to be a bastard and nitpick, but wasn't Maiar singular and Maia plural? Don't hurt me...

Edit: You are correct, I was wrong, I guess I always had that backwards

Sorry, don't hurt me... :P

I had to look it up first because I couldn't remember which was which.

[slimdude]

Originally Posted by threefiftyrocket

Or the atrociously bad "snow scene." That's the one that I CRINGE at... but the black crush during the ENTIRE Moria sequence is unbearable!

Are these defects on the theatrical blu-ray versions as well, or are they only the EE? I have the theatrical versions of The Lord of the Ring Trilogy, but I don't recall seeing any video defects.

[Donat96]

Originally Posted by slimdude

Are these defects on the theatrical blu-ray versions as well, or are they only the EE? I have the theatrical versions of The Lord of the Ring Trilogy, but I don't recall seeing any video defects.

It's a color issue that stemmed from the remaster of Fellowship of the Ring, so it is not present on the Theatrical Edition.

[radagast]

Originally Posted by happydood

Well, I can appreciate your pain. I'm one of those purist-types that has read everything he can get his hands on, including the Christopher Tolkien commentaries, but I have to say: it makes dramatic sense that this one particular Wraith is completely badass and a threat or else, Maiar or no, Gandalf becomes a God, and then the argument becomes if he's so strong, why doesn't HE take them all out permanently or even why doesn't HE just take the ring? It establishes some weakness for dramatic purposes in a narrative that necessarily plays quicker than a book.

For this reason, I didn't get too upset that Frodo and the other Hobbits were younger than they should have been or that they set out immediately with the ring from the Shire to make it seem like a real threat as opposed to hanging around and waiting as in the book. Or that the elves show up at Helm's Deep. I'm sure these have already been mentioned, but the list of discrepancies could go on and on...

Dramatic sense isn't the end-all for me. Story, plot and consistency rank higher in my view. Doing it as the book had it would have preserved the dramatic tension between the two figures even though in ended anti-climactically.

But consider another absurdity in regards to this scene. Gandalf is knocked off his horse and his staff broken (Gandalf is able to get another one at Staffs-R-Us at some point) THEN the Witch-King goes to battle with Rohan and is killed by a hobbit and a female human. Dramatic sense there makes no sense at all. And of course there is no explanation about where the knife came form that Merry used to stab the WK.

But I bring it up, because of all the descrepencies, that one was the biggest WTF moment for me.

[threefiftyrocket]

Originally Posted by slimdude

Are these defects on the theatrical blu-ray versions as well, or are they only the EE? I have the theatrical versions of The Lord of the Ring Trilogy, but I don't recall seeing any video defects.

And it sure isn't correct to call them "defects" for the moment. All the information that we have been given suggests this is director approved, so it is supposedly the way PJ wants it... YUCK...

[slimdude]

Originally Posted by threefiftyrocket

And it sure isn't correct to call them "defects" for the moment. All the information that we have been given suggests this is director approved, so it is supposedly the way PJ wants it... YUCK...

If this is the case, then why Peter Jackson filmed the EE different than the theatrical version? Both version should be equivalent, if this is what Peter Jackson intended, which indicates, the video of the theatrical version is flawed.

[threefiftyrocket]

Originally Posted by slimdude

If this is the case, then why Peter Jackson filmed the EE different than the theatrical version? Both version should be equivalent, if this is what Peter Jackson intended, which indicates, the video of the theatrical version is flawed.

The reason given by the DP on the issue is that the EE is now what was intended, but digital manipulation and mastering was much much younger at the time. The remastering is more intended to what PJ wanted so yes, if you have to say that "something" is "flawed" by this logic it is the Theatrical Edition is "flawed"

[Grand Bob]

Originally Posted by threefiftyrocket

Or the atrociously bad "snow scene." That's the one that I CRINGE at... but the black crush during the ENTIRE Moria sequence is unbearable!

For myself, the most bothersome aspect of the Jackson-helmed Lord of the Rings releases is the "could-have-been" factor. I am grateful for the time/passion/effort that his team put into making these remarkable films, probably unsurpassed in the history of motion pictures. We can be thankful that he took the fans of the book into consideration by removing scenes such as Arwen fighting at Helm's Deep, etc., but the (few) remaining major deviations from the story prevented a great screenplay from becoming perhaps one of the greatest of all time. Likewise, the release of the extended version of the movies in Blu-ray format promised to be the defining statement of the movies - and then for some reason (which apparently is still a mystery to everyone but the perpetrator), somebody screws around with the color and brightness of "Fellowship", which unfortunately also happens to be my favorite of the three. Almost fifty years after publication of the greatest book of the century, the definitive version of the movie is finally in production - and we were so close...almost there...and then...oh well.

[supersix4]

Originally Posted by Grand Bob

For myself, the most bothersome aspect of the Jackson-helmed Lord of the Rings releases is the "could-have-been" factor. I am grateful for the time/passion/effort that his team put into making these remarkable films, probably unsurpassed in the history of motion pictures. We can be thankful that he took the fans of the book into consideration by removing scenes such as Arwen fighting at Helm's Deep, etc., but the (few) remaining major deviations from the story prevented a great screenplay from becoming perhaps one of the greatest of all time. Likewise, the release of the extended version of the movies in Blu-ray format promised to be the defining statement of the movies - and then for some reason (which apparently is still a mystery to everyone but the perpetrator), somebody screws around with the color and brightness of "Fellowship", which unfortunately also happens to be my favorite of the three. Almost fifty years after publication of the greatest book of the century, the definitive version of the movie is finally in production - and we were so close...almost there...and then...oh well.

You really think you won't see an undertaking in the next 10-20 years on these movies? I mean I know it sucks to wait, but these movies will be redone.

[threefiftyrocket]

Originally Posted by Grand Bob

[Show spoiler]For myself, the most bothersome aspect of the Jackson-helmed Lord of the Rings releases is the "could-have-been" factor. I am grateful for the time/passion/effort that his team put into making these remarkable films, probably unsurpassed in the history of motion pictures. We can be thankful that he took the fans of the book into consideration by removing scenes such as Arwen fighting at Helm's Deep, etc., but the (few) remaining major deviations from the story prevented a great screenplay from becoming perhaps one of the greatest of all time. Likewise, the release of the extended version of the movies in Blu-ray format promised to be the defining statement of the movies - and then for some reason (which apparently is still a mystery to everyone but the perpetrator), somebody screws around with the color and brightness of "Fellowship", which unfortunately also happens to be my favorite of the three. Almost fifty years after publication of the greatest book of the century, the definitive version of the movie is finally in production - and we were so close...almost there...and then...oh well.

I still absolutely love the movie, and the increase in resolution with the absence of the apparent DNR is AMAZING, but you replace that with a god awful tint in some spots and blacks that kill any resemblance of picture you have in some scenes its just disheartening.

[ZoetMB]

Originally Posted by supersix4

You really think you won't see an undertaking in the next 10-20 years on these movies? I mean I know it sucks to wait, but these movies will be redone.

No they won't.. at least not in the next 20 years. They're too expensive to make.

We have ever-shortening theatrical windows and better technology at home combined with ever-decreasing prices for media. While new Blu-rays of major films are expensive when first released (especially special editions), the fact that there are already a fair number of BDs selling for $8 is actually kind of shocking. I was in J&R last Sunday and they had an entire wall of $4 DVDs, which were being replaced this week by an entire wall of $5 DVDs.

I think over the next 10 years, we're going to see a severe decline in the number of theatrical venues. Overall industry revenue will decrease. This will lead to lower and lower theatrical budgets (except for the occassional mass-market blockbuster). So IMO, aside from the fact that The Hobbit is being filmed, we're going to see fewer and fewer of these types of movies in the future. And in spite of their flaws, these films were so well done that I don't see another director being willing to take them on even if there was interest by a studio in doing so.

[radagast]

Originally Posted by ZoetMB

No they won't.. at least not in the next 20 years. They're too expensive to make.

We have ever-shortening theatrical windows and better technology at home combined with ever-decreasing prices for media. While new Blu-rays of major films are expensive when first released (especially special editions), the fact that there are already a fair number of BDs selling for $8 is actually kind of shocking. I was in J&R last Sunday and they had an entire wall of $4 DVDs, which were being replaced this week by an entire wall of $5 DVDs.

I think over the next 10 years, we're going to see a severe decline in the number of theatrical venues. Overall industry revenue will decrease. This will lead to lower and lower theatrical budgets (except for the occassional mass-market blockbuster). So IMO, aside from the fact that The Hobbit is being filmed, we're going to see fewer and fewer of these types of movies in the future. And in spite of their flaws, these films were so well done that I don't see another director being willing to take them on even if there was interest by a studio in doing so.

I think that when the recession (or depression) is REALLY over, there will be more reasons to have big budget movies. I could see something like the technology used in Beowulf to redo them, like Jackson redid King Kong even though there was a fairly recent version of that movie.

Ironically Beowulf was something that Tolkien helped translate.

[kdo]

I recently got around to watching and comparing the EE's to the theatrical versions. I initially had no interest or intention of ever owning the theatrical cuts, but decided to pick them up for comparison reasons only (mainly for "FOTR").

Like so many others on this forum, I find the color-timing of the TC of "Fellowship" much more along the lines of the cinematic experience I recall when I saw the film the week it opened in theaters. However, I must also admit, that I have no problem whatsoever with the color-timing of the recent Blu-ray EE version, and feel that some of the arguing I've seen, might be taking it a bit far. I think almost everyone realizes that because of the source limitations, "FOTR" is never going to look as good as "TT" and "ROTK," but I do feel the new transfer is superior to the TC, and I'm quite happy with it. As with just about any release, there are always things to nitpick about, but I personally find very little bothersome regarding the EE transfer of "Fellowship." Could certain shots look better? Yes... Is it worth it to redo the entire transfer because of them? No... Chalk up one satisfied customer who has purchased the LOTR trilogy for the last time, and will not be doing so again. I find the entire presentation of the LOTR EE package outstanding, and one of the best available on the format.

[Rambaldi47]

Originally Posted by jala12

I had been worrying about the green tint issue for a while which is why I waited so long in getting the set. When I finally watched it though, it's really not that much of a bother unless you're thinking about it all the time. Had I never found out about it, I would never have noticed.

Me too. And then I finally watched Fellowship and didn't notice a thing. Maybe my tv is calibrated differently, or maybe my vision doesn't see the color green as clearly. I thought the film looked amazing.

[benbess]

avoided this because of the cost and the controversy. But finally at $50 I bit.

My family has started watching Fellowship, and we're at the point where Strider shows up.

First, there is some green there. Too much in some places for our tastes, but...

The PQ is a *big* upgrade. That makes it well worth it. Really give you a "you are there feeling." We like the EEs a little better too....

So, even with the green on the first one, my family gives it a recommend...

[Knightreaver]

Does anyone know how long these LotR's EE Blu-Rays will be on sale? Does it have an end date? Thanks

[pam]

for one day only frys has the extended ed at 39.99 plus tax.
I just ordered mine for pick up tomorrow. ie its good through tomorrow at 9pm ish. LOTR extended blu ray editon

[Eny-]

Originally Posted by pam

for one day only frys has the extended ed at 39.99 plus tax.
I just ordered mine for pick up tomorrow. ie its good through tomorrow at 9pm ish. LOTR extended blu ray editon

I'm asking Amazon to match it. I have a $5 promotional credit so $34.99! My sweet spot.

[threefiftyrocket]

Originally Posted by Eny-

I'm asking Amazon to match it. I have a $5 promotional credit so $34.99! My sweet spot.

Good luck, in the past Amazon hasn't matched Fry's prices...