"Two Towers" Extended Edition DVD News!

cinematic Happenings Under Development (CHUD) ^ | December 29,2002 | Mike Arsenault

[ecurbh]

Anybody read the Narnia books?

Yes, several times. In fact, I even wrote a large term paper analyzing the allegorical meanings of each book in the series back in high school. Haven't read them since then, though, but I plan to buy them for my nieces and nephews when they are old enough.

[Long Cut]

You might get your wish. Although I've heard another director's name attached to this project, now called "The Chronicles Of Narnia" since this report was last updated.

It would be James Cameron. You know, of Titanic, Aliens, and Terminator fame?

[Edward Watson]

We started clapping too when I saw it on Dec 18. Oddly, when I saw it the second time yesterday, no one clapped at the end.

Clapped out?

I've never watched the same movie twice in theatres before and am actually planning on watching it a third time with two of my sons (I was going to bring them yesterday but they were going out with grandma).

[KneelBeforeZod]

so who's going to get the Turkish Delight tie-in? Mars or Hershey?

[sweetliberty]

You did that very well!

[sweetliberty]

"But the films have helped me both picture the battles, which I could never do well before, and also FEEL them more"

That was my experience too, and Peter Jackson does a superb job of making the bad guys virtually ooze with evil. For my part, I am much more swept away by the adventure itself or by the magic of Rivendale or Lothlorien so the movies really have put the battles into perspective.

[sweetliberty]

"Anybody read the Narnia books?"

Yes. Several times. Loved them.

[sweetliberty]

"Tolkein is what Harry Potter fans can graduate to"

Assuming, of course, that they mature intellectually and/or spiritually to that point. Seems less do these days.

[BradyLS]

There is a much bigger battle to come, and you know that. No, I do not think "Why was TTT was a gore fest?" will that be the subject ten years from now.

That's part of what worries me. An even bigger battle lies ahead. I don't want to judge the films by the number of Orcs that get hacked or the clock time for swinging swords, but Pete's headed in that direction.

To linger on Helm's Deep, Jackson shorted the characters of Treebeard and Faramir and toyed needlessly with Aragorn's character. 90% of the viewing adiences are satisfied with that, I'm part of the 10% that is not.

[vikingchick]

Anybody read the Narnia books? -- Oh yes! If they could make great movies out of those books, like LOTR, I'd be so happy.

[BradyLS]

Anybody read the Narnia books?

The Narnia books are great. Much better than the Potter books, IMO.

[BradyLS]

Dear God, I hope they aren't bowdlerized!

[HairOfTheDog]

I know you are not satisfied Brady. You now see this film through the eyes of someone looking for more to fault. I am not interested in joining your side. My side is more fun!

[weegee]

Will it include a free movie ticket for the "next" film like this year's deluxe disc set did?

[HairOfTheDog]

Probably! :~D

[weegee]

The battle scenes in this film will cause just as much problem with the British censors as the last one did. It seems there is a prohibition on head butting in movies screened in England (I'm not joking!).

[HairOfTheDog]

I thought it was interesting that for the PG-13 rating, you can behead somebody, but blood can't spurt out. Blood spurting out after the beheading worries the raters more than the actual losing of the head..

[Deport Billary]

Bad Taste is one of my favorites! Especially the part where our hero goes into the house full of aliens (turns out it's a spaceship) sneaks up on one of them and when he rips off its head....discovers that the spinal column is still in tact and squiggling around like a hot wire. So what does he do, steps on the end of it and the head snaps off. Luckily there is an open window nearby so he punts the head into the woods! Great stuff.

[mtngrl@vrwc]

The departures from the book make the movie an improvement over the book and more true to the story.

I don't get it. How can a departure from the book be more true to the story? The book is the story. What am I missing here?

(Don't get me wrong, I love the move, enough to have paid to see it six times so far.)

[weegee]

I appreciate the release of the extended versions as theaters are often unwilling to screen 3+ hour movies and movie prints are expensive. An extra 30minutes of film stock multiplied by the number of existing prints puts a higher financial barrier on such screenings (unless you want to see ticket prices go higher).

I wish that there would be a built in intermission like the older epics had. When is the audience supposed to use the bathroom? Can any scene of the film be missed with "big loss"? If the audience has just sat through 2 hours of film (plus another 20 minutes of trailers) and they know that they still have an hour to go, they may be more likely to get in line for a snack (as well as use the restroom and make some phone calls).

Also, they should try to hold off on any supplemental details (other than commentary) on DISC 1 of the extended set if it means implementing a poor transitionary break between DISC 1 and DISC 2 (Fellowship of the Ring included an Easter Egg on DISC 1 rather than playing out the scene).