The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring - Special Extended DVD Edition

The Digital Bits ^ | October 2, 2002 | Bill Hunt

[Paul Atreides]

To kick things off today, we've got a more comprehensive spec list for New Line's 4-disc The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring - Special Extended DVD Edition (11/12 - SRP $39.99). Here goes...

Discs One and Two - The Extended Version of the Film

208 minutes (split over both discs), anamorphic widescreen (2.35:1) and Dolby Digital 5.1 EX and DTS 6.1 ES, isolated 5.1 sound effects mix, isolated 5.1 music track, Commentary Track One with the director and writers (Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens), Commentary Track Two with members of the design team (Grant Major, Ngila Dickson, Richard Taylor, Alan Lee, John Howe, Dan Hennah, Chris Hennah and Tania Rodger), Commentary Track Three with members of the production and post-production team (Barrie Osborne, Mark Ordesky, Andrew Lesnie, John Gilbert, Rick Porras, Howard Shore, Jim Rygiel, Ethan Van der Ryn, Mike Hopkins, Randy Cook, Christian Rivers, Brian Van't Hull, Alex Funke), Commentary Track Four with members of the cast (Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Sean Astin, John Rhys-Davies, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Orlando Bloom, Christopher Lee and Sean Bean).

Note: Discs Two and Three can be viewed in "explore" mode with traditional menus or "tour" mode via a Play All feature.

Disc Three - The Appendices Part I: From Book to Vision

2 and 1/2 hours of documentary content, including J.R.R. Tolkien-Creator of Middle-earth featurette, From Book to Script featurette, Visualizing the Story section featuring Storyboards and Pre-viz featurette, Designing and Building Middle-earth section featuring Designing Middle-earth featurette, Costume Design featurette and Weta Workshop featurette, design galleries including The Enemy, The Last Alliance, Isengard, The Fellowship, Rivendell and Lothlorien, interactive Middle-earth Atlas with timeline, New Zealand as Middle-earth intertactive map with video, disc introduction with director Peter Jackson.

Disc Four - The Appendices Part II: From Vision to Reality

3 and 1/2 hours of documentary content, including Filming section featuring a production photo gallery and the The Fellowship of the Cast featurette, A Day in the Life of a Hobbit featurette, Cameras in Middle-earth featuette, Visual Effects section and featuette, Post-Production section featuring Editorial featuette and a multi-angle presentation, Digital Grading featuette, Sound and Music featuette and Sound Design Demo, The Soundscapes of Middle-earth featurette, Music for Middle-earth featurette, The Road Goes Ever On featuette, disc introduction with director Peter Jackson.

All told, the 4-disc set is expected to include over 30 hours of unique content created just for this release (including the film and the commentaries). The discs will also feature additional DVD-ROM content and over 2,000 photos and conceptual sketches. And let me tell you... we've seen a few of those featuettes. These aren't 5-minute EPK pieces. They're much more substantial - 20 to 30+ minutes in many cases. Good stuff.

Now then... in a feature in today's print issue of Video Store magazine, Warner reveals that they're gearing up to release an 18-title Charlie Chaplin Collection on DVD, starting in June 2003. Each title will be digitally remastered and cleaned, and will be released as a 2-disc set with numerous extras, including documentaries, outtakes, photo galleries, alternate versions re-edited by Chaplin himself and other material. They'll be available in 2-disc digipack (SRP $26.99) and collector's box ($34.99 - also containing a booklet and film frame) versions. All this is being done in association with MK2 and the Chaplin family. The first three films tentatively due next June are The Great Dictator, City Lights and The Circus. More information will be available at CharlieChaplin.com in the weeks ahead.

Stay tuned...

[Destructor]

"Hi, Destructor"

"Yes, it's just a book, but there's probably more relevance to the current world situation in LOTR than many realize. Written by a combat vereran of WWI, during WWII, the book clearly and eloquently describes the struggle of civilization against horror and darkness, of good versus evil. There's plenty of stupid fantasy movies and books around, but LOTR isn't one of them. LOTR is really literature, an example of the beauty that our Western civilization can produce."

Howdy Sam,

Sorry man, but REALITY is still more relevant to the current world situation than LOTR! Some of these folks seem to have a little trouble with that concept. So, it's up to Destructor to slap 'em around a little bit, and bring 'em back to reality! Thanks for the trivia. That's interesting.

[Destructor]

"It must be a sad existence for you, having an obviously low level of intelligence, and no imagination. There is an old saying that applies to you, perfectly: "It is better to keep your mouth shut, and be thought a fool, rather than to open it, and remove all doubt."

You could profit from the advice that you so freely offer, Hobbit boy!

[A. Pole]

I like Wagner. Don't let the Elders of Zion find out or they'll take away my black helicopter.

LOL. Do not worry, I won't tell. Just promise me to give the helicopter ride.

[Alouette]

But who could play younger Bilbo?

Warwick Davis.

[Destructor]

I can tell from YOUR profile that you're one of those suburban yuppie types that never outgrew "Dungeons and Dragons." I'll bet you're such and extreme geek that you probably get together with your geek buddies (in costume) and play "D&D" every Saturday night! It's obvious from your profile that reality doesn't have much of a place in your little world.

[HairOfTheDog]

I also told you in that post to go pee on someone else's rug. That represents my opinion of both the quality and welcomeness of your input to me. Please don't post to me again.

[Tired of Taxes]

As for the meaning of Tolkien's tale Tolkien was mainly writing to Christians to tell them how they must by faith fight evil in this world and defeat it. So it goes beyond any single evil force like Iraq and really goes to the entire struggle against evil and the kingdom of Satan.

Each reader probably interprets the tale differently. Way back, I was a Tolkien fan to the point where I even referred to the Silmarillion (still here on my shelf. I guess that makes me a complete and total geek). To me, both the Hobbit and LOTR were stories about the adventure of life from birth to old age. Both Bilbo and Frodo begin in the safety of their hobbit holes (representing the innocence of childhood), and then each must move on, accepting new challenges and taking risks (adolescence and adulthood). The ring represents all that we desire but reveals how we are prone to greed and selfishness and how we often fight with our inner selves. In the end, they are wiser and reminiscent (old age). Actually, it has been so long that I forget the exact ending to LOTR; that's why these movies are a big treat for me.

[Destructor]

You can dish it out, but you can't take it! There's a big surprise.

[Corin Stormhands]

You can dish it out, but you can't take it! There's a big surprise.

Hair can take a hell of a lot more than you know. It's just that clymers like you are annoying to all of us.

[RosieCotton]

You can dish it out, but you can't take it! There's a big surprise.

You know, I have to wonder...what exactly do you get out of this?

[HairOfTheDog]

Can't take it? - Or choose not to pollute my world with it? Turns out, in addition to politics, a number of us share an interest in a book. And we get a lot of enjoyment out of talking about it.

And I am no pro at dishing anything out. Because I don't come here to pick fights with people, I come to FreeRepublic to hang around people I agree with. I get no joy from just throwing stink bombs at people (because I am a stable and happy person), but if I did want to run around throwing stink bombs, I wouldn't do it at a conservative site. Your behavior seems awfully counter-productive if you are actually on the conservative side.

And I am a grownup, who gets to choose who she talks to. Now that I have made myself clearer, perhaps you will realize that I am just bored and repulsed by you, but you are not close enough for me to have been hurt by your pointless trolling.

And I will not respond to you again.

[HairOfTheDog]

All this talk of dishing out is making me hungry!

[Corin Stormhands]

It's my opinion that the ideals represented in LOTR (good vs. evil, loyalty, self-sacrifice) are universal and that there is nothing about the story or the characters that are uniquely Christian.

Well, to Christians, the story of good vs. evil is uniquely Christian.

I don't mean to preach, and I'm not trying to be offensive. I can and do respect other belief systems, while believing that they are wrong. As a Christian, I am compelled by Christ's words to believe that there is only one way to the Father.

Like I said, Tolkien was influenced by a lot of works. He was a brilliant and very well read individual. But, also like I said, Tolkien himself did not intend LOTR to be allegorical but said that being a Christian his faith would certainly influence his world view.

[Corin Stormhands]

All this talk of dishing out is making me hungry!

Same here. Let's go see if RMD has second breakfast ready...

[RosieCotton]

Good response on that other thread!

I doubt he'll respond, though. I don't think he/she is looking for reasonable arguments. You're no fun! ;-)

[RosieCotton]

Oops...meant to post this in the Hole...got lost. I'll wander back now!

[HairOfTheDog]

Hobbits are not typically good with maps... or direction.

[RosieCotton]

Hobbits are not typically good with maps... or direction.

Is that my problem?

Oh, wait...must live in reality...reality...reality...

[HairOfTheDog]

LOL!

[HairOfTheDog]

A Christian wrote it, and wrote it with his faith being a big part of who he was... but the message is so fundamental that no one has to preach anything for all of us to see true good, and feel what true evil is.

I disagree with pushing the story that hard as a soley Christian work Corin.... I am instead glad that the story offers so much to so many, and helps us all to strengthen in our character and our faith, in whatever way brings us peace.