Lord of the Rings Trilogy (Theatrical Versions) - April 6, 2010

[davcole]

Originally Posted by deado

TrueHD 5.1... fail Warner, fail...

What happened to the DTS Master 7.1 as was reported a few months back?

TrueHD 5.1 almost guarantees that it will be 16-bit as well, as all Warner TrueHD tracks are always 16-bit...

Oh what could have been..

I wonder if this isn't an error? I don't know why they previously announced this with DTSMA, then switch to TRUEHD?

As stated before, Warners hasn't to my knowledge used 24bit TRUEHD, whereas DTSMA titles such as WATCHMEN and TERMINATOR SALVATION have.

[Todd Smith]

Originally Posted by 42041

If the movie was mixed in 5.1, why would the blu-ray be 7.1?

This is not a reason NOT to mix it in 7.1 for the BR.........how many original 5.1 mixes have been given the 7.1 treatment for BR?

[space-monkey]

Originally Posted by mredman

Anyone else VERY disappointed that the brilliant theatrical trailers for these movies is not included in this set. They are not even on this set only the supertrailer. WTH man!
They should have been on in glorious HD

Bad move warner!

What are you talking about?

http://thedigitalbits.com/#121409

Look at the details. They're all there, in HD.

[KubrickFan]

Originally Posted by saprano

Nothing is bad about THD.....when used right.

Yes i've seen the wizard of oz and its absolutely gorgeous, but thats not a good a example. the movie was remasterd with an 8k resolution. warner would have to be really dumb to mess that one up.

Its their new releases that are average. the dark night for example, the 35mm shots can look way better than what WB did. i dont understand how they can treat a movie that made them a billion dollars like that. and theres to many other movies to name.

Okay, the Dark Knight doesn't look as good as it could've looked. But what about Watchmen? The Harry Potter series? Zodiac? It's easy to say they're no Disney, because they release a lot more titles than that studio.
And I love it that my example isn't a good one, why? Because it proves my point? Who do you think decided to do the 8K scan (it wasn't remastered in 8K) for TWoO in the first place? Warner.

[saprano]

Originally Posted by KubrickFan

Okay, the Dark Knight doesn't look as good as it could've looked. But what about Watchmen? The Harry Potter series? Zodiac? It's easy to say they're no Disney, because they release a lot more titles than that studio.
And I love it that my example isn't a good one, why? Because it proves my point? Who do you think decided to do the 8K scan (it wasn't remastered in 8K) for TWoO in the first place? Warner.

Paramount did zodiac in the U.S. the others you named are good tranfers yes, but as i said, warner has been getting better but aren't perfect. those few movies dont make up for the rest.

Yes TWOO was scanned at 8k, my mistake.

The reason i say TWOO is a bad example is because that movie got a special treatment. i mean its not everyday a movie gets remasterd (I wish that were the case). im saying warners regularreleases are average.

To put it in perspective, if they were to handle the transfer for pirates of the caribbean i highly doubt it would come out looking like it does now from disney. im sure many will agree with me.

[Grand Bob]

Originally Posted by Ricshoe

I try to read The Hobbit and LotR at least every 12-18 months. You seriously read The Silmarillion annually? That has got to be the most painfull book I have ever read! Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed all of the back-stories, but trying to keep all of the characters and interactions straight made my brain hurt. I may have to look into the Atlas of Middle Earth to help better understand things.

Well, I will say this - it is definitely a tough read the first couple of times, and requires the same focus and concentration that you might apply to a college text. After a while the names and terminology start becoming familiar and you start seeing the motives in Tolkien's mind as he wrote it. This story is Tolkien's true life obsession, and it took him almost 70 years to put it all together. The consequence is that the density of concepts per sentence has to be the greatest of any work of fiction, and therefore requires slow, considered reading. The reward for the effort is that you end up realizing that "Silmarillion", and "Lord of the Rings" for that matter, are stories at face value only; they are actually treatises on philosophy disguised as stories.

[billypoe]

Originally Posted by Grand Bob

Well, I will say this - it is definitely a tough read the first couple of times, and requires the same focus and concentration that you might apply to a college text. After a while the names and terminology start becoming familiar and you start seeing the motives in Tolkien's mind as he wrote it. This story is Tolkien's true life obsession, and it took him almost 70 years to put it all together. The consequence is that the density of concepts per sentence has to be the greatest of any work of fiction, and therefore requires slow, considered reading. The reward for the effort is that you end up realizing that "Silmarillion", and "Lord of the Rings" for that matter, are stories at face value only; they are actually treatises on philosophy disguised as stories.

Just out of curiosity, Grand Bob, did you ever take a Tolkien class?

[Grand Bob]

Originally Posted by saprano

Its their new releases that are average. the dark night for example, the 35mm shots can look way better than what WB did. i dont understand how they can treat a movie that made them a billion dollars like that. and theres to many other movies to name.

I was relieved to see the treatment they gave to 2001 - whoever was responsible for the transfer to BD obviously gave that movie loving care. Superb!

[radagast]

Originally Posted by Ricshoe

I try to read The Hobbit and LotR at least every 12-18 months. You seriously read The Silmarillion annually? That has got to be the most painfull book I have ever read! Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed all of the back-stories, but trying to keep all of the characters and interactions straight made my brain hurt. I may have to look into the Atlas of Middle Earth to help better understand things.

Do any of you folks read the appendices? After reading "I'm home" I'm not ready to stop reading about Middle Earth. There's some great stuff in the appendices, including events that happen after LOTR. I also like to read other material like "Unfinished Tales". I think that's the book where the "chance" meeting between Gandalf and Thorin is recounted.

[Grand Bob]

Originally Posted by billypoe

Just out of curiosity, Grand Bob, did you ever take a Tolkien class?

No, I became interested in LOTR when I read it my senior year in high school. At the time I was living in a "ghetto" tenement in Akron, Ohio and it was a nice escape from reality. The memories I had of entering that convincing world were so pleasant, that I eventually picked the books up again about 25 years ago and made it into an annual ritual that I always look forward to. That is MY time - I sit on my back deck with the books, the Atlas of Middle Earth, and a glass of iced tea (or whatever), and enjoy the experience. Since then, of course I've read all of the stuff, Tolkien's letters, critiques, etc., but the books remain the main attraction. You can imagine the anticipation I had when the movies were announced - and they are certainly good, but still not as remotely satisfying as Tolkien's direct printed concepts. I'm sure other people have there own wacky ways of relaxing, but that's mine!

[My_Two_Cents]

Originally Posted by radagast

Do any of you folks read the appendices? After reading "I'm home" I'm not ready to stop reading about Middle Earth. There's some great stuff in the appendices, including events that happen after LOTR. I also like to read other material like "Unfinished Tales". I think that's the book where the "chance" meeting between Gandalf and Thorin is recounted.

Definitely. The appendices are just as good as the main stories, and need to be read in order to better understand things.

[Grand Bob]

Originally Posted by radagast

Do any of you folks read the appendices? After reading "I'm home" I'm not ready to stop reading about Middle Earth. There's some great stuff in the appendices, including events that happen after LOTR. I also like to read other material like "Unfinished Tales". I think that's the book where the "chance" meeting between Gandalf and Thorin is recounted.

Appendices A and B are mandatory background info, the rest add a nice "flavor". It is unfortunate that sections 3 and 4 of "Unfinished Tales" were not included in the Appendices, because they provide information mandatory for understanding the total picture. For example, "The Hunt for the Ring" in the third section fills in a lot of holes not explained in "Fellowship". Other chapters, such as "The Istari" provide insight into interesting peripheral subjects, such as the blue wizards and - Radagast!

[billypoe]

Originally Posted by radagast

Do any of you folks read the appendices? After reading "I'm home" I'm not ready to stop reading about Middle Earth. There's some great stuff in the appendices, including events that happen after LOTR. I also like to read other material like "Unfinished Tales". I think that's the book where the "chance" meeting between Gandalf and Thorin is recounted.

I don't have the books in front of me, but isn't it "I'm back" instead of "I'm home"?

[Grand Bob]

Originally Posted by billypoe

I don't have the books in front of me, but isn't it "I'm back" instead of "I'm home"?

Ha! Yes, it's "Well, I'm back", and for a little trivia, Tolkien actually wrote an epilogue that he intended to be the ending of LOTR that did not (of course) get published, where Sam is explaining his adventures to his children. For those interested, it has been published in "Sauron Defeated: The History of The Lord of the Rings, Part Four (The History of Middle-Earth, Vol. 9)".

[laz305]

wow this is taking forever, I just hope it'll be worth the wait considering they are probably going to bend us over on the price.

[Chordata]

Originally Posted by Grand Bob

Appendices A and B are mandatory background info, the rest add a nice "flavor". It is unfortunate that sections 3 and 4 of "Unfinished Tales" were not included in the Appendices, because they provide information mandatory for understanding the total picture. For example, "The Hunt for the Ring" in the third section fills in a lot of holes not explained in "Fellowship". Other chapters, such as "The Istari" provide insight into interesting peripheral subjects, such as the blue wizards and - Radagast!

Mandatory??

[radagast]

Originally Posted by billypoe

I don't have the books in front of me, but isn't it "I'm back" instead of "I'm home"?

I didn't have the books in front of me either. My memory failed me. You are correct.

[blindcat87]

You folks doing the side discussion of the books are going to cost me a lot of money. I haven't read the books since I could last read plain text over a decade ago. I never bought audio versions because I won't touch abridged audio books and the unabridged ones were way too expensive. Now Audible has them in a much more affordable unabridged format, or at least they did last time I checked, and this discussion has them calling to me. They still aren't cheap, but I think I could pull off getting them all one at a time before I have this BD release in hand. I hope the reader is someone good, they have a version of The Chronicles of Narnia with readers like Patrick Stewart and Michael York, and I think Middle Earth deserves similar treatment. Would love a dramatized audio production with a good list of character readers and a top narrative reader.

Chris

Originally Posted by billypoe

I don't have the books in front of me, but isn't it "I'm back" instead of "I'm home"?

[masoud90]

So I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE these movies...so so much. Had a blast watching them. However, since it is looking like the films will be released on EE in 2012 (unless we hear otherwise), I really think I'm gonna give in and get the theatrical editions. I mean, yes, they are at least 30 minutes shorter than the extended editions - but I can deal with that. What I can't deal with is not having the movies though lol.

I hope the prices come down to like $59.99 or even $49.99 - I doubt the latter, but yeah $59.99 would be schweet.

[masoud90]

I think I just seriously melted. Watched the 1080p trailer for the trilogy disk set on Yahoo! Movies and it is really incredible. OMFG!!!