'Inside Tolkien's The Two Towers' Documentary

2003 documentary looking at the work behind the writing of the second part of J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings.

[@Fardawg]

Surprised no one has commented on the fact that the host, Graham McTavish, ended up playing Dwalin in the Hobbit films about a decade later!

[@user-sn7vr4di3z]

Just realised after your comment!!!

[@derekweinerttv4163]

Well you did... You meant to say "anyone else*" sorry but I'm assuming as a Tolkien fan, you'll appreciate the correction.

[@cpmf2112]

He also played the orc that fought with Aragorn before the warg carried Aragorn over the cliff.

[@MomsterGirl]

You again with the same copy-pasted comment?

[@gib59er56]

LOL. It is not necessary cuz you have pointed it out in the comments of every chapter of this series of documentaries! I could not get past five minutes of The Hobbit movies. They were absurd, pure garbage. His LotR`s movies were made with good intentions and as films go, they were pretty cool. Did McTavish ever learn how to pronounce Tolkien`s names correctly? It is pretty wacky here to say the least!

[@MasterRoshi8974]

This youtube channel deserves way more subscribers.. This is quality stuff

[@JakobNoone]

I'm very happy to see these. Wasn't aware they existed before you posted them. Thanks!

[@PaoloLery]

Love the artwork! Thanks.

[@derekweinerttv4163]

Any idea what the song at 9:00 is and if it's copy written? Thanks. Love the channel gonna watch it all within a week lol

[@susanmercurio1060]

14:00 I wish that Treebeard wouldn't have been depicted as a comedy figure.

[@kevinmcgrane4279]

It’s interesting to me that the documentary mentions that women hardly are seen in LOTR, totally ignoring Galadriel and Eowyn, two strong female characters who drive the narrative for their parts. Eowyn is an interesting study of a woman whose nature is suppressed by the expectations of convention and rebels against it. Curious omission!

[@freakazoid4691]

Considering these are books about war written in a time when female soldiers were pretty much nonexistent it’s not that odd that most of the characters are male.

[@tom.m]

Galadriel wasn't in The Two Towers. They do talk about her in the Fellowship part of the documentary. Eowyn is barely in TT and doesn't really rebel until Return of the King. They do talk about her in that video. So there are two significant female characters, neither of them particularly significant in this book. I don't think that contradicts the argument that female characters are rare, especially in this book.

[@hjhjkhfkfkd]

@@freakazoid4691 They are still hardly any women in combat trades, most are signal or logistics. It's like 98% or more male in active combat.

[@susanmercurio1060]

I didn't think that the glittering caves of Aglarond were delved by mortals. They were natural formations.

[@gokuartemismurphy7446]

If somebody asks you what is the tree there for you just tell them then what are you here then

[@gokuartemismurphy7446]

It's kind of funny how I take Lord of the Rings so seriously because like right now I'm trying to teach myself how to speak black speech all the different elvins different dwarf ends and all the humans

[@gdbssa]

Bombadil is just Patrick Rothfuss putting off Doors of Stone, I can't unsee it 🤣

[@arranlawrence6227]

Out of interest will u be continuing the Frodo’s journey series?

[@r0bst3rV]

I really hope so, I was really enjoying that series while I was reading the book

[@bballjulien]

patience... patience my love

[@deborahcox7784]

Hi, guys !😎

[@nabludatelkakoytotam]

Can someone explain please what did Humphrey Carpenter say at 1:54 - 2:01?

[@TalkingTolkien]

"I remember... for some reason mentioning the Marx Brothers and being astonished that he was prepared to talk at some length about [them]. And I don't think that he actually had seen their films, but he obviously thought he had."

[@nabludatelkakoytotam]

​@@TalkingTolkien But about whom does he thinks "that he actually hadn't seen their films?" Was it about Tolkien or about whom? And who "obviously thought he had" seen their films? Who is this said about?

[@TalkingTolkien]

@nabludatelkakoytotam the Marx Brothers. They made a lot of popular comedy films in the 1930s. He probably thought Tolkien was too straight-laced to enjoy the Marx Brothers’ films.

[@nabludatelkakoytotam]

@@TalkingTolkien Thank you for the clarification and for this documentary!

[@legionarybooks13]

I'm curious when most of these interviews were filmed. They look very grainy, plus some of those interviewed have been dead for decades (Tim Hildebrandt died in 2006 and John Tolkien in 2003). No mention is made of the Peter Jackson films, only the 1978 and 1980 cartoons, which the one fellow said were so atrocious it's a good thing Tolkien never lived to see them (I actually liked both when I was a kid)!

[@gib59er56]

Tolkien would never have given Jackson permission to make the movies. Never, no how, no way. He would say something like, If you want to enjoy the LotR`s then by all means read it, and laybe you will enjoy it, and maybe you won`t. I don`t like some of it myself! Movies would appaul him. "What are they doing to the story?!?!" And he probably think it was a lazy act. I would agree with him on all counts, if my gut tells the truth. And I am not being arrogant, It just feels like a truth.

[@hjhjkhfkfkd]

@@gib59er56 You actually are being arrogant.

[@gib59er56]

@@hjhjkhfkfkd i might be. And I don`t care. That is how I feel.

[@robertcowan7610]

​@gib59er56 arrogant or not, it's spot on. It's very much what Tolkien would say and do and how he would feel. Even down to the self depricating joke.

[@benhuether5474]

There should be documentaries that analyze The Wheel of Time and maybe even A Song of Ice and Fire when it gets finished (I have faith in Martin).

[@zacspearman]

serious question: what did Tolkien think of all the trees that were chopped down to make the paper millions of copies of his works were then printed on?

[@derekweinerttv4163]

It would be Interesting to hear his justification if he would desire to make one. Was wondering the same thing

[@bballjulien]

How else could you share a story or communicate with someone long term at that time besides books and letters? I think it would be like someone today who talks about fighting climate change and takes a plane when they travel, it's an unfortunate reality that you have to accept if you want to make a greater contribution.

[@sebassotelo3938]

Thankfully there are new alternatives towards the printing of a book; at least less trees are chopped.

[@aelbereth6690]

The trees used in making paper are mainly from plantations, not "wild" deciduous trees, and they are replaced by new plantings. So I don't think that would have been a major problem for him.

[@gib59er56]

@@aelbereth6690 Yes I believe you are right Gilthoniel/Varda.

[@johnalucard7860]

The music is so wrong for this.

[@tom.m]

It's quite appropriate. There's a strong connection between LotR and 70s rock. A large percentage of the fanbase was getting stoned and listening to stuff like Led Zeppelin and Jethro Tull. You have to remember the Howard Shore score didn't exist when this was made.

[@tattoofthesun]

If only all of these historians and professors could have made this after the movies came out- but then again, I LOVE the illustrations

[@gib59er56]

Why do you even mention the movies? Tolkien did not write the movies. Maybe you enjoyed the movies and it was (I suspect) your introduction to JRR Tolkien, and the movies were done pretty well as far as trying to follow the thread of the LotR`s. As movies go, they were great, yet Jackson did a bunch of stupid and wrong moves. If you never read LotR`s I don`t know how you could even understand them. Tolkien himself would have been pretty annoyed by those movies without a doubt. Good films..yes. True and acc urate to the real LotR`s...no, not really. But no film could ever be made that followed the book accurately. Too many Holywood money grabbers and restrictions and each movie would be 12 hrs long. Sorry, I typo`d a couple times. And Jackson would not even be allowed to make those movies today because of all of the insane gender and racial bullshit going on now. Just look at the biggest insult of all -"The Rings of Power". Black Elves, Black fat Dwarves, a she-men Galadriel and a gay Elrond with a haircut from Mars.

[@freakazoid4691]

Jackson’s movies were good, but not close to the books. I bet they will be remade within a decade or so.

[@jaymesjmathias9390]

"a godless world" Lol, really got me - this worlds masses are of Soo many gods! Just because they say it not aloud their whole being, their daily actions & reactions on many subjects speaks volumes the gods they serve. Truth be told all serve "God" or gods, there is no fence separating Right & wrong.

[@paulwhite6626]

Hurons?

[@user-fb8yb8so8n]

Huorns?

[@somni2246]

@@user-fb8yb8so8n Hooruns?

[@Sagittarius-81]

^Lunatic.

[@Sagittarius-81]

I sent pimplehead an email.

[@themoviejunky3918]

The choice of music is bloody aweful

[@esshor.]

While the content of these is fascinating, the soundtrack is horrible

[@rickythe2nd63]

I am greatly enjoying these documentaries, but THE PRONUNCIATION...HIDEOUS!!!!! Who is soar-on?? What's minus-tirith???! Makes me wanna pull me hair out! 😄😄🤣🤣 to each his own, I reckon.

[@gdbssa]

Man like Bob likes the sound of his voice a bit too much

[@gib59er56]

I just said the same thing before, in the 1st vid on Fellowship. Seerith Ungoal? Yup, we are both now bald guys!!

[@gib59er56]

These video`s are so poorly done, they are hard to watch. Mostly because of mispronunciations all over the place, and cheesy fake medieval flute and strings.

[@freakazoid4691]

They should pronounce the names like in the movies, right?

[@hjhjkhfkfkd]

You are wrong, these are good videos.

[@gib59er56]

@@hjhjkhfkfkd Your standards are different than mine.

[@gib59er56]

@@hjhjkhfkfkd What gets me acting stupid is that Mc Tavish is narrating and he can`t even pronounce names and mostly places correctly plus the horrible artwork. Aragorn looks like Errol Flynn as Robin Hood or some shit, and alot more. So, yes I do get arrogant I guess, but it actually annoyance that makes me spit fire.

[@hjhjkhfkfkd]

@@gib59er56 Mine are better. I'm teasing, but really I like how cheesy everything is here, while still having some solid comments by the interviewees. I know why you'd find it annoying, but I'm just in the mood to find it silly and fun right now.