"Two Towers" Extended Edition DVD News!

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

[montag813]

The battle at Helm's Deep may get an "R" rating after the new footage is included;

Jackson has already confirmed that the DCD version will be rated "R" due to the uncut Jesse Helms Deep battle.

[HairOfTheDog]

For it to go in the Hobbit Hole, it has to be on the General Interest Side... Can we move this there AM? Please? :~D

Long Cut, thanks for posting! - Good hints! I will be buying both versions I expect. Much to hasty to wait until November to have it at home!

[Long Cut]

I'm all for it. I've got a VHS of "Dead Alive", Jackson's WAAAYYY over-the-top zombie gore film. Suffice to say, he does the red sauce pretty damn good.

Anyway, I'm not a big fan of the ratings system. The extra footage might be quite tame compared to what would get an "R" twenty years ago.

Oh, yes, 20 years ago films were MUCH more violent, even with a PG-13 or a PG.

[Long Cut]

Go for it. I didn't see a way to put it there when I posted it. The Hobbit Hole side was where I originally intended this to go.

[HairOfTheDog]

I'm not against more Helm's Deep footage...I just think there are places that need the extra time more.

I would agree with that OT!

I hope the minutes are spent in walking and talking time too... I bet the will be. We had a report like this for SE FoTR... I remember the thread... The hype said the battle scenes would be gorier. but the [shudder] knife licking scene where that was true was only a small part of the additional footage.

I would like more Faramir time.

[Long Cut]

Cinematic Happenings Under Development (CHUD) is one of the best sites out there for spoilers and upcoming movie/DVD info. They also update DAILY, no matter what holiday is upon us. Not even Harry Knowles does that.

They've got quite an extensive site, with affiliates like Creature Corner, which deals exclusively with Horror movies. You can spend hours at CHUD, and I often do.

[ATOMIC_PUNK]

Me thinks long cutssss try trickseeee shmeegle shmeeegle know how masters try tricksee him sssssssssss

[Saundra Duffy]

When the movie ended, people started clapping (including me). Now THAT's entertainment! For victory & freedom!!!

[Long Cut]

"the [shudder] knife licking scene "

If that made you shudder, don't ever see "Dead Alive" or "Bad Taste", two early Jackson films.

"Dead Alive", according to its own literature, used 400 gallons of stage blood during its last 15 minutes. even though it was done for laughs, as sort of a black comedy, it STILL induces cringing in even the hardiest horror/zombie fans, who of course consider it a classic.

Just imagine Jackson's talent, used to direct a movie about flesheating zombies, and you get the point.

[ATOMIC_PUNK]

JUST FOR FUN

Gollum's Song in the Dead Marshes

The cold hard lands
they bites our hands,
they gnaws our feet.
The rocks and stones
are like old bones
all bare of meat.
But stream and pool
is wet and cool:
so nice for feet!
And now we wish -

Alive without breath;
as cold as death;
never thirsting, ever drinking
clad in mail, never clinking.
Drowns on dry land,
thinks an island
is a mountain;
thinks a fountain
is a puff of air.
So sleek, so fair!
What a joy to meet!
We only wish
to catch a fish,
so juicy-sweet!

[garjog]

Question for Ring fans -- we saw the film yesterday and loved it. But, why is it called Two Towers?

[Lancey Howard]

Actually, the director, Peter Jackson, has said that he dislikes that term.

He may have said that, but I would be interested to know who has "final cut" authority if it is not Jackson. He may have said he doesn't like that term because it is a term that could be considered insulting to whoever handles "final cut".

On the other hand, Jackson got one heck of a lot of respect and leeway by virtue of the fact that he was able to put together three(!) 3-hour movies at an estimated $300 million before anybody even knew for sure that they would be successful. An unheard-of risk was taken, and the money folks who put the financing together (and the financiers themselves) deserve every penny they will make off this project for the next fifty years.

So I can't blame Jackson for wanting to be "delicate" - - and probably for these movies he is sincere, given their length to begin with. I suppose "extended" is a more appropriate term after all. In any event, I am delighted - - I wish Jackson would find a few more hours of footage to add.

[BradyLS]

What I CAN tell you is that it seems like about 90%+ of the folks disagree with you, based upon the reviews at rottentomatos.com. Also, the film has grossed over $400 million so far.

Well, I can't argue with the facts, but I don't think that The Two Towers will age nearly as well as The Fellowship over the next 10 years. Folks replaying the DVDs in the future may well wonder why Jackson made TT such a gorefest.

[HairOfTheDog]

HA! - Thanks, then, I will pass!

The knife licking is about two clicks more than I can take!

Funny thing is, I went through a phase in high school where I was really into horror flicks, all the Fri-the 13ths for example. Repetive, predictable, slash flicks.

Now I like greener, quieter pleasures. I mean really. Lurtz was already detestable. I already cheered when he lost his head in the theatrical version. I didn't need any more reason to want him dead! [shudder!]

[icwhatudo]

You posted: "For what it's worth more gore at Helm's Deep would not be true to the books, which as I'm sure you all know didn't detail such things."

You mean like the heads that were catapulted into Gondor?

Or the severed arm creeping in the barrowdowns?

Or the missing babies from their cribs (yum yum Gollums been hungry)?

Or the stench of Shelob and the blood oozing out when stabbed?

Yep, no gore at all :)

[MarkL]

. There were some warriors that had veils across their faces, with big elephants in the scene too. Did they participate in the seige on the castle, or not?

No, the army that attacked Rohan at Helms Deep were all from Eisengard. The army with the elephants were attacking Gondor, and they came from Mordor. Remember, the title, The Two Towers, refers to the alliance between the two towers of Eisengard and Mordor.

Mark

[HairOfTheDog]

gorefest? - It was a battle, but I haven't seen any war film with less actual blood in it!

[Anitius Severinus Boethius]

Well, Tolkien titled it The Two Towers after being told by his publisher that they would be publishing his work in three parts and needed names for the three volumes. The two towers of the title refer to Orthanc, Saruman's Tower in Isengard, and Minas Morgul, the fortress on the border of Mordor that Sam and Frodo end up at near the end of the book.

Because Peter Jackson moved the Minas Morgul scenes to the third movie, he changed Minas Morgul to Barad-dur and said the title referred to the alliance between Saruman and Sauron.

[ATOMIC_PUNK]

Folks replaying the DVDs in the future may well wonder why Jackson made TT such a gorefest.

Do ya think fighting evil is pretty?.... Personally i love to watch the bad guys get hacked to bits or shot in the forehead with an arrow but to each his own i guess if people dont want to see it they can buy the VCR version of it.

It will be cut to peices before their done with it

[Gordian Blade]

That worked great, many thanks! Anybody who wants to capture images from the DVD should try this.