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...

[ItsOurTimeNow]

As awesome as that sounds...$70 is a bit too rich for my blood right now. I'll probably end up settling for the Wal-Mart version. LOL

[RosieCotton]

Why am I not surprised that Rosie is responsible for this?

Actually, it wasn't me. I only WISH I could take credit. Weren't you the one that wrote that, Paul?

[ItsOurTimeNow]

Tell me more of this Entmoot you speak of....

But yes, it was a great idea, and made for a much more enjoyable experience.

[Corin Stormhands]

Hey Hair, should we make this our new Hole?

Eeewwww, not with all the troll boogers laying around...

[ItsOurTimeNow]

LOL...Amen!

[Paul Atreides]

Yeah, I wrote it.

[Paul Atreides]

Those are boogers? I thought they were troll brains. So small, so dried up. A bunch of Old Crusties lying around. ;-)

[RosieCotton]

I suppose all of the uplifting movies of the WWII 40s were just bunk, as well.

Now, now...I like a lot of those films...don't get him started on those! So far he hasn't condemned 'em, and I can still watch 'em guilt-free!

[ksen]

Hobbit Hole HERE.

Entmoot: we are planning on trying to get as many of us together in Dec '03 or Jan '04 to meet, eat, watch FoTR, TTT and then head off to the theatre to watch RoTK together.

I'm pretty sure we've settled on Florida. If you want more info, or just want to chat, come on over to the Hobbit Hole. Don't start on post #1, just jump in where we are...

[Corin Stormhands]

A bunch of Old Crusties lying around.

Hillary has been here?!?!?!?!?

[ksen]

A bunch of Old Crusties lying around. ;-)

No wonder g'nad stopped with the skivvies....

[rightwingreligiousfanatic]

No problem! We'll have it cleaned up in a jiffy!

[Corin Stormhands]

If you want more info, or just want to chat, come on over to the Hobbit Hole.

Hadn't we better go tidy up? Somebody left their plaid skivvies laying around this morning...

[Corin Stormhands]

When you're done with that here, head over to the Hole. We might be getting company...

Make sure you put in a new bag...

[Paul Atreides]

I know! I don't know what I would do if such an upstanding Christian gave us his dispensation, from his lofty perch, that we could not watch such classics.

[Bear_in_RoseBear]

$70 is a bit too rich for my blood right now

Believe me, I understand that! :) My Rose has let me know that the bookends look really, really cool, though... luckily, I have a month to save up! ;)

[ksen]

I wonder what he thinks of From Here to Eternity?

[RosieCotton]

Maybe we should ask him for the Destructo Approved List, so we can be certain of keeping on the straight and narrow?

[HairOfTheDog]

Thank you for answering and giving our friend a map to the Hobbit Hole! Reality called and I was delayed.

We would love to have new visitors! Stop by for a pint and some cheer, anytime you like!

[ItsOurTimeNow]

See you there!

Thanks, I've been a Tolkein fan for years, but have never had a place to associate with other fans. My wife simply doesn't "get it", and my daughter is too young to fully understand...LOL

Cheers!