Posted on 12/26/2011 5:31:35 PM PST by dagogo redux
Every year now for a number of years my wife and I watch the entire six disc extended version of the Lord of the Rings during the gloomy Northwest winter around the Thanksgiving-to New-Years time. It helps us through the winter gloom, but since Obama's election it also helps us maintain hope and courage.
I grew up on Tolkien before he was well known, and it probably shaped me in ways I can scarcely appreciate. My wife on the other hand, from the Third World, had no inkling of Tolkien until this movie cycle came out. We are both very deeply devoted to our faiths, but we both also find a special sort of inspiration from these movies that speak to us powerfully in these times. So that they won't grow stale, we limit them to a once a year viewing. We're not sure how they will fit in with events next year.
Just posting to stimulate discussion from others for whom these tales and movies might have left an influence in these dark times.
I'm thinking that after Wodehouse, I'll do Tolkien via audiobook. I first read the print books back in the late 60s, and then again about ten years ago. This time I may audio-read the LOTR books . . . then watch the LOTR movies, the extended version . . . then read the Hobbit book . . . and then be ready for the Hobbit movie when it comes out.
The extended versions are SO MUCH better than the theatrical releases. The extended and added scenes make all the difference in the world, and they make The Two Towers so so much better than it was in the theater.
Truly, if you are a fan of these films, treat yourself to the extended editions.
The unabridged cd audio production of the LotRs from Recorded Books, Inc. narrated by Rob Inglis is really great, as is their unabridged The Hobbit, with the same narrator. The books are read without becoming too melodramatic, so the story and not the production is what you notice. I am just now listening to The Return of the King on my second time through the set. Personally, I believe Tolkien meant these stories to be read aloud over many evenings by the fireside, not chopped up and served in movies. Movies kill the imagination of an audience. Listen to Tolkien sometime - he built those sentences to be read aloud.
While different venues for these great stories each have much to offer, I think you are right.
For me, it is similar with Fagle’s translation of the Iliad - it truly needs to be read aloud to get the full impact. It’s true with much that is written well.
My wife hates to read, but loves to hear me read - I think I will read these books aloud to her. Thanks for sparking that idea!
That's exactly the kind of suggestion I'm looking for. I want to know what are excellent, unabridged, audiobook readings of LOTR and the Hobbit.
I've been impressed by how much an excellent narrator can do, just using his voice, to enhance the enjoyment of a book. I listened to Patrick Tull do all the Aubrey/Maturin books, and now I'm listening to Jonathan Cecil do as much P. G. Wodehouse as I can find, and these guys do a great job!
The third movie was good, but the shaky cams in the battle scenes bothered my eyes and then there were the multitude of endings while I was fighting my own internal struggle with a 64 oz Diet Coke.
I’m doing my fifth or sixth rereading of the Harry Potter series and have the last two movies from Netflix. I know there are anti-HP people on Freepers so flame away but it has led me back to Jane Austin, Dickens, and Shakespeare.
Just received the blue-ray version for Christmas... 15 discs! My older extended versions were 2 discs each (total 6 discs), but each movie is on one disc, front and back. In the blue-ray version each movie is in 2 parts on two discs. I’ve seen each of the movies a dozen times, but there is so much content on the blue-ray discs (storyline production, behind the scenes, etc.) that it will keep me occupied the entire winter!
Became a Tolkien fan after seeing Fellowship when it was first released. Devoured all of the books and consider Tolkien one of the best writers of all times. His descriptions of scenery are pure magic, not to mention that he was able to create entire worlds including new languages!
I’ve been following Peter Jackson on FB and he has been giving updates from New Zealand on the progress of the Hobbit which will be out in about 330 or so days :) I can’t wait!
My son was given the assignment in his Speech class to re-enact a great speech. He chose to do that one. His teacher said that he did an excellent job :)
“We’re actually watching it right now, I got the blu-ray version today”
I watch the blu-ray extended version every year; along with the blu-ray versions of Band of Brothers, The Pacific, Firefly and Serenity.
Thanks Dagogo redux!
Pinging a friend..
PING!
;0)
hahahahahahaha! Absolutely!
By the way, there are full cast audio play versions of LOTR:
LOTR (abridged, BBC): http://www.amazon.com/Lord-Rings-BBC-Dramatization/dp/0553456539
LOTR - FOTR (NPR, abridged or not, I can’t tell, but I listened to an excellent American production that was abridged and I think this might be it): http://www.amazon.com/Lord-Rings-Part-Fellowship-Ring/dp/1565116674/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1324957398&sr=1-2
http://www.amazon.com/Two-Towers-Lord-Rings/dp/B005GNKJN4/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_b
http://www.amazon.com/Lord-Rings-Return-Playhouse-Dramatization/dp/1565116690/ref=pd_sim_b_5
The whole NPR set: http://www.amazon.com/Lord-Rings-Wood-Box-wood/dp/1565115503/ref=pd_sim_b_9
BBC Consumer version: http://www.amazon.com/Lord-Rings-BBC-Dramatization-Consumer/dp/160283492X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1324957710&sr=1-1
Hobbit (abridged, BBC): http://www.amazon.com/Hobbit-BBC-Dramatization-J-Tolkien/dp/1602834547/ref=pd_sim_b_1
BBC version of Hobbit, LOTR, and other works in one set: http://www.amazon.com/J-Tolkien-Collection-BBC-Dramatization/dp/1602836612/ref=pd_sim_b_24 I assume abridged!
NPR Hobbit: http://www.amazon.com/Hobbit-Wood-Box-J-R-R-Tolkien/dp/156511552X/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_b
I don’t want abridged, and I don’t want a full-cast drmatization. Those may be good, but they’re not what I’m looking for. I want unabridged, and with one narrator reading the whole thing. (He can change his voice for different characters, as Tull and Cecil do for the books I mentioned above.)
One reader to do them all.
Watching the Lord of the Nazgul break Gandalf’s staff and knock him on his a*s just before the horn of Rohan sounds.
Then you’ll definitely love Ingles (is that unabridged though?).
Bfl
When I was a wee one, back in the mid to late 70’s, my aunt took her daughter, my brother and myself into her basement and read us “The Hobbit” .
We loved it and on my 10th birthday, my neighbor bought me the set and I read them. Dont remember too much about them, being 30 years ago but hubby has read the series once a year, for the past 20 some years.
I have the vhs tapes , the “normal” dvds, the extended dvd’s set with the appendices.
Now that last set......I’ve just about worn it out. Plus my now 5 year old is responsible for some of the scratches and one lost disc ( sigh ).
In fact, I wanted this set replaced for one of my Christmas gifts and since I didnt get it yesterday, I guess I’ll have to buy it for myself LOL
One of my all time favorites. And yes, it’s about time to watch them again.
Ohhhhhhhhh I cannot WAIT til The Hobbit is released.
Thanks for this thread ~
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