Sardonicast 60: The Lord of the Rings Trilogy

[@prp3190]

Im glad that the trilogy was made at the specific time it was. I could see it being made with really dated effects if it were made any earlier, and fucked up by studio intervention if it were made any later

[@aliveslice]

Don't even want to imagine what it'd be like now... (well there's the Hobbit trilogy except the original Hobbit is one book that didn't need to be a trilogy in the first place)

[@welldoboy]

We don't have to imagine. We have the hobbit trilogy for that.

[@bartholen]

Definitely. Nothing like it will likely be made ever again. LOTR was lightning in a bottle, definitely effects wise. It was the perfect blend of old and new.

[@Alberich_Prince_of_Dwarves]

So like a wizard, it arrived precisely when it was meant to?

[@tonywords6713]

same for Titanic! Harry Potter. Spiderman. That era was the peak

[@mad_the_monk]

Fun fact: they didn’t have to use any perspective shots or trickery for Ralph as a Hobbit in these films

[@markparkinson6947]

Mad the Monk Goes to show how awesome Peter Jackson is at filmmaking!

[@overlookers]

s m o l b o i

[@yggdrasil3]

He is owning it at this point. Consider how he brought up the small people in both this and the Wizard of Oz episode.

[@dropoffstergaming]

Very good comment, do we know that Ralph is indeed a short king? Just curious as one myself

[@mad_the_monk]

Dropoffster Gaming I think in a prior episode he stated he was 5ft 8 which isn’t actually that short but the jokes are synonymous with him at this point so he might as well be - either way he’s a legend

[@podrickpayne2537]

This trilogy is like the most perfect movie trilogy for Alex: books made by a British person, adapted to movies by a Kiwi.

[@P-diddykong]

Not better than Madagascar though

[@itsforthefuture6488]

DonDonConCon NOTHING can compare to Madagascar

[@imperfect_dan7519]

@@P-diddykong I wonder where that meme came from

[@ss2gora0]

@@itsforthefuture6488 Madagascar: Rise of the Silver Surfer?

[@Ivor8]

​@@ss2gora0 Underrated comment

[@Alberich_Prince_of_Dwarves]

The coolest Tolkien/Lotr related fact I know is - The queen of Denmark illustrated a version of the Lord of the rings books when she was still the crown princess of denmark, back in the 70s. Ingahild Grathmer is the pseudonym she used for the illustrations.

[@animetay]

adam: I am adum from your movie sucks Ralph: I'm ralph from *Mumbles really fast* Alex: I'm alex from I eat cheese

[@Saberspark]

Y'll just made my morning with this topic

[@MonsieurMaskedMan]

Hey its saberspark

[@RickRaptor105]

Ralph Bakshi LotR video when?

[@TheSaltyOnion]

Heya saber!

[@jonathansefcik473]

Saberspark AND RickRaptor commenting on a Sardonicast video?! My day has just been made!

[@idkjordash]

oh saberspark, you really like these guy’s videos don’t you?

[@FoxtrodYT]

0:00 - Intro 0:51 - AMC Theatres vs Trolls 2 10:56 - The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (spoilers) 13:08 - The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) 46:38 - The Two Towers (2002) 1:13:37 - The Return of the King (2003) 1:39:16 - Q&A 1:39:34 -- How often do you guys visit the Sardonicast subreddit? 1:40:46 -- What are your favourite sex scenes in cinema? 1:45:35 -- What is your opinion of the theory about Signs, The Happening and After Earth being a trilogy set in the same universe? 1:50:00 -- Regarding the leaked material of The Last of Us: Part II, do you think the game will still be any good? Will Naughty Dog recover? 1:56:12 - Movie Recommendation: F for Fake (1973) by Orson Welles.

[@markparkinson6947]

Foxtrod Thank you!

[@gutterbaby8382]

Damn I've been meaning to watch F for Fake. Noice.

[@definitelynotruss9141]

I think Lord Of The Rings is the best book->movie translation ever made. I think the stars aligned for these films. Every single thing is perfect. It's so beautiful that I am put on the verge of tears from just talking about the films, let alone watching them.

[@3babylon3]

I think fight club is a great candidate as well

[@jknox8792]

I was going to say fight club as well

[@freem8son86]

The Grey Havens scene from ROTK is definitely one of the most emotional scenes I've ever watched

[@iciajay6891]

I cry every time.

[@ephin3242]

I don’t even know what scene you’re talking about but I agree.

[@tangyjenna]

@@ephin3242 when Frodo leaves at the end

[@ephin3242]

march_to _the_sea Ok yes I agree

[@freem8son86]

@Yul Strokheet Al-Wauch im sorry you feel that way

[@just2good]

To respond to the Last of Us 2, Alex is right, it is not Fair Use to cover an unreleased product. I learned the hard way covering leaked LEGO sets way back. Discussing with lawyers and such, apparently you cannot apply the Fair Use stuff to a product that has not been released. Apparently this was an issue with Apple many years back when one of their iPhones leaked.

[@roydekock656]

what's up Justin?

[@jeltje50]

It's so funny how people were posting hundreds of post on the last of us 2 subreddit. It's so insane how people acted as if they knew the product months before it even came out.

[@JDLaney-zk4wb]

I know a lot of people dislike Frodo from these movies, but his arc is truly heartbreaking and brilliant. A lot of fantasy heroes basically remain unchanged by the end, but Frodo is broken by his journey and what the ring put him through. By choosing to go to the undying lands, he’s basically giving up the life he had because he can’t find joy in it anymore. That’s so much deeper than anything from Harry Potter, or Star Wars, or the MCU.

[@conneroneill8506]

It just wasn’t great casting, bilbo is like 50 in the book, Elijah wood was 19 and the character was way more serious and mature not some kid. Despite the fact that hobbits live longer.

[@MoviesAreWesomeYeah]

Watch/read harry potter again

[@conneroneill8506]

bruh u seen my phone --no, anime girl profile pic person.

[@ALocalClown]

​@@conneroneill8506 The casting was great, not everything needs to be close to the book, changes can and should be made in an adaptation. By having Elijah in the role you get the shire incarnate, a protagonist who by his look alone conveys that they're sheltered, innocent, and untouched by the evils of the outside world. This gives them room to (again, visually) deteriorate as the series goes on. The point wasn't that Frodo was in his 30's, the point was that he was innocent enough to not be corrupted, and you can get that through visuals alone by casting a young, wide eye actor.

[@MoviesAreWesomeYeah]

Conner O'Neill funny and original.....

[@SapientGalaxy]

One thing I really enjoyed about this trilogy is the Gimli and Legolas relationship. It seems so realistic the way they go from hating each other for what they are and then slowly becoming friends as they go through all those hardships. Also just the dialogue in general had heartwarming moments without being overly corny.

[@ThatOneDoesntCount]

The "No parent should have to bury their child" scene is in the theatrical cut. I too didn't think it was until I watched the theatricals for this episode and there it was

[@rafaelnahafahik7781]

It’s the actual burial scene that’s added in the extended edition

[@rafaelnahafahik7781]

Where she sings the song in Old English

[@mattjindrak]

Whoamg Mandela Effect

[@MarkyMatey]

These movies mean so much to me.

[@spikeyjacketgod]

Yes, “King Whatever” truly my favorite character, Ralph.

[@moondusk8385]

I always look forward for when i get a Sardonicast pop up just love the banter, laughter and little naughty talk that goes between the guys. Helps me switch from the crap that goes on in my my shitty mind. Just listening to all their voices helps me chill. Thank you for all these uploads and its a big 60. Keep up all the awesome work.

[@mad_the_monk]

Frodo is actually Bilbo’s cousin once removed but because of the age gap it’s more of a grandfather/uncle relationship

[@cringeproof100]

@Dutch Van Der Linde Tolkien was often oddly specific lol

[@randomstranger9306]

He's also Bilbo's second cousin once removed.

[@isaacjones6323]

In the Lord of the Rings books, the ghosts dont even come to the battle of Pelennor Fields. The ghosts join them on the way to Umbar, where Sauron's mercenary corsairs are on the way to put the final nail in the coffin of the battle. The ghosts wipe out the Corsair army and free the slaves and the captured city and lead a force of freed men and Aragorn's ranger brothers into the battle

[@videogamenostalgia]

Tbh the ghosts arriving with Aragorn and insta-winning the battle works better cinematically. It cements Aragorn's importance, is a more exciting sequence and quickly ends an already very long battle in the movie.

[@theactualTVB]

yes...but it's not as good of a trilogy as the Madagascar trilogy.

[@bebo2629]

Duh

[@expresionless953]

And the sky is blue, what else is new?

[@andrewheaney4874]

I love the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, and I'm so glad they recommended it for this episode. All three are a 10/10 from me. Also, here are my thoughts on the extended vs. theatrical debacle: The Fellowship of the Ring benefits immensely from the extended cut, fleshing out the fellowship's origins, their time in Lorien, and many other important character moments. It hews a bit closer to the book while keeping the excellent spirit and general structure of the theatrical cut intact. The Two Towers almost entirely fails in its extended cut for one important reason: pacing. The theatrical edition works perfectly, setting up its epic, large-scale climax with constant tension that hits its apex at just the right moment. It gives Helm's Deep the weight and gravitas it deserves. In the extended edition, too many extra scenes (seriously, how long do we need to spend hearing Treebeard drone on to Merry and Pippin?) muddle the structure of the film. The result is a plodding, aimless story that may be closer to the book, but lacks any of the excitement and drive of the theatrical edition. The other big issue with the extended edition of The Two Towers is tone. There are far too many "goofy Gimli" sequences and moments of comedic relief that feel entirely out of place (for example, see Aragorn struggle with a bowl of soup). Humor is often used quite adeptly in the LOTR trilogy, but the extended edition of TT tend to verge into overkill territory. Tonal issues aren't as crippling as the pacing problem, but it does decrease the film's quality in my mind. The Return of the King is the most ambiguous of the trilogy when it comes to EE vs TE. I personally prefer the extended edition, especially given the scenes with Saruman which should have been kept in, but I admit some of the additions do not improve the film. Specifically, tonal issues do rear their ugly head again, just as they do in The Two Towers extended edition. On the flip side, not only do you learn what happened to one of the main villains of the trilogy, but the repeated fade outs and false endings in the theatrical edition of TRoTK are replaced with the ample elaboration and content that made the book so compelling (see the House of Healing scene, etc.). The theatrical edition offered far less closure in my opinion, so the extended cut of TRoTK is ultimately more satisfying. TL;DR: Fellowship's Extended Edition is better, Two Towers' Theatrical Cut is better, and Return of the King is a toss-up. EDIT: It should be mentioned that I own both the Extended and Theatrical versions on Blu-Ray

[@1997residente]

I found Gimli's humor pretty Marvel-ish. I'm surprised Adam wasn't annoyed by it

[@BreiiisBreiiis]

The soundtrack really does cover up all the imperfections, no matter how aged the computer graphics may be in some parts, the music always keeps me mesmerized.

[@trouty606]

The music swelling during Aragorn and Theoden's speech before they ride out at dawn to face the orcs in the last stand of Helms Deep has never failed to give me goosebumps. It's one of the most perfect moments of any movie I've seen.

[@JRyrie-ul6yw]

Adam mentioned the rarity that a trilogy was planned as so and wasn’t just a ‘we have enough money for a sequel’ situation, I am pretty sure this is the situation with Denis Villeneuve upcoming Dune films.

[@conneroneill8506]

And avatar two-five and IT.

[@varadraigaonkar107]

@@conneroneill8506 avatar is garbage

[@TheMrWillje]

This is a really great episode, and just a great podcast overall. All of the talking points that I thought would be interesting for you guys to touch upon were. Just nice to have a movies podcast with intelligent, eloquent people.

[@MegaRay220]

Whoever made Nostalgia Critic Gollum in the opening deserves a round of applause

[@chitownfaithful6301]

Just finished the trilogy last night, so I searched on here to see if you guys had talked about these movies yet and I find this being uploaded only an hour ago. Am I under surveillance?

[@GilCAnjos]

Yes, you are. Nice underwear, by the way

[@Actiomedey]

The US government has successfully harnessed the power of coincidence to make you fear them.

[@Trowa71]

The choir in the score using the Sindarin language is great. I love that Jackson's focus on landscape come's through, as Tolkien wrote beautiful landscapes. I only wish the parts of the books where the characters just stop and eat some simple food and sing some songs were shown more, as those are my favourite parts and contrast so starkly with the desolation of Mordor. Also, after recently delving into WW1 history (after seeing 1917) and seeing the Tolkien Biopic, the imagery and allusions of war, destroyed land, and industry hits that much harder.

[@zeratulcraft]

Re: The Eagles The Eagles are sentient creatures, led by Gwaihir Windlord. To take the Ring to them, is to tempt them with the Ring, exactly the same as Faramir, Galadriel and even Gandalf. Do you want to be in the air when Gwaihir chooses to take the Ring?

[@VictorRochaFerreira6]

Also, the mission relied on stealth. The eagles would have drawn so many attention that Sauron would have fucked them up with the nazgul

[@angrykidwithinternetaccess9862]

Ok so we are just completely going to ignore how CATs won the 420 awards?

[@MatauReviews]

Well deserved

[@FortoFight]

Spoilers...just kidding, but I am waiting until Adum does a commentary on it, cba watching that garbage on its own.

[@S1nwar]

those awards still exist? doesnt that guy run out of money eventually with his horrible businessdicisions?

[@jonahamosbuzzard-roberts5963]

@@S1nwar He doesn't use money, he just kind of does whatever the fuck he wants without thinking about any consequences or drawbacks. It's a miracle, but everything just kind of works out for him.

[@angrykidwithinternetaccess9862]

S1nwar i mean this years event was pretty cheap, he hiered one guy if craigslist to do everything

[@peacefuldawn6823]

43:20 Uh, Frodo carries it on a chain because wearing it would alert Sauron to their whereabouts. The whole point is no one is supposed to wear it, period, not because it might slip off.

[@darienwest4748]

And in the book the ring was said to shrink and grow in size, so carrying it on a chain makes it easier to carry without it falling off your finger. This was how Frodo and Bilbo held onto the ring before they even knew about Sauron.

[@Not_an_alligator]

Came here looking for this comment, and thank you so much. I thought this would've been pointed out by at least one of them

[@conneroneill8506]

Lots of errors in their convo

[@bartholen]

I don't think that invalidates or excludes their interpretation. I'd actually never thought of it, that wearing it on a chain would restrict its ability to be found and lost.

[@Zaob36]

I think they werent talking about wearing it around your neck instead of a pocket. The ring has a mind of its own and a chain is able to trap it.

[@BulkNoise]

Every time I hear Ralph saying, "mhm", it sounds like my phone is vibrating.

[@aliveslice]

New ringtone

[@SaltySparrow]

Every time I watch these films, I completely forget they're from the early 2000s. Besides maybe one or two effects, it is all very well done.

[@dazedfilm3842]

The point of the mouth of sauron scene in the film is that it changes the meaning of Aragorn saying "For Frodo," as instead of being a distraction, the final charge is sparked by vengeance rather than desperation.

[@videogamenostalgia]

But Aragorn says "I do not believe it" after killing the Mouth, so he doesn't think Frodo is dead. It's just a strangely-judged sequence. There's never been any signs of diplomacy prior to that scene; both sides are already in open war and don't want anything except to totally destroy the other side, so there's nothing for them to negotiate over (and why would the Mouth be negotiating if he's trying to give off the impression that Frodo is dead and Sauron already has the ring?). Aragorn angrily executing a non-hostile diplomat is a bad look for him as a king, and the scene overall adds nothing to the story. It's a really cool character design but the scene is better left out of the movie.

[@Farfaramir]

I was scared all week that you were going to talk about this movies in a cynical way and it makes me very happy you talk with such regards about this films. I know some things are dated, but I remember an interview with one of the producers saying they know that would happen, but they made sure the core of the adaptation would hold the pass of time, and I think they really do.

[@tequilawhiskey]

Really the only things that stand out as dated are the low frame slow mo, and the glow being a bit too heavy in Lothlorien.

[@alexgomez6723]

These days “cynical” seems to mean “I don’t like their opinion on this movie I like”.

[@BTobiasJ]

I would have gone with "They're taking the hobbits to Sardonicast!" for the intro

[@aliveslice]

That's a good one. Tbh it's the first thing I remember when I think of lotr. One does not simply forget this song...

[@BTobiasJ]

Lol finally listened the whole podcast and right at the very end Adam explains why he didn't use it

[@euph0ria_fitteds]

The LoTR Trilogy is actually only 1 big book that got separated in to 3, which is why it seems so consistent

[@dazedfilm3842]

There are three volumes, but it is actually six books. As the storyline splits in two towers the narratives of frodo and sam are contained to their own books.

[@euph0ria_fitteds]

Film Dazed As it turns out, we’re both correct :) “The book is not of course a ‘trilogy’. That and the titles of the volumes was a fudge thought necessary for publication, owing to length and cost. There is no real division into 3, nor is any one part intelligible alone. The story was conceived and written as a whole and the only natural divisions are the ‘books’ I-VI.” - J.R.R. Tolkien. Apparently, the books were only separated into 3 separate books due to wartime paper shortages.

[@Daniel-gp6sd]

Its 6 books, 3 volumes, 1 story.

[@GentEntRyan]

My favorite movie trio talking about my favorite movie trilogy, what a time to be alive

[@MrJoker3571]

35:19 They explain that they wanted it for two films, and Harvey Weinstein wanted it all done for one film. It wasn’t until they got a chance to make a deal with New Line Cinema that got them to do three films altogether.

[@QuincySeagull]

The first movie I’ve seen Adam give a 10.... woah.

[@natalie_the_ratalie]

I think he gave Parasite a 10. still, it’s rare to see Adum give a movie a perfect score

[@SebastianLopez-os9py]

He gave Barry Lyndon a 10 in one of the first episodes

[@reneepeck8094]

He gave the Lighthouse a 10 I believe.

[@ashenone6166]

Look at his IMDb

[@ashenone6166]

@@natalie_the_ratalie Parasite got a 9, but he said it was very close to a 10.

[@thefilmseeker]

I like how Adum is so accustomed to calling him "Shmeagol!" that now he just does it unironically.

[@EpicB787Animations]

It's important to note AMC made that choice after Universal said that they'd be releasing films digitally and in theaters at the same time

[@danielwisehart5460]

1:11:55 that was my Letterboxd review haha; it blew up on Twitter and reddit for a bit. The theater only screened the movie two days that year and one of them was 9/11.

[@jonathansefcik473]

I find it interesting how they call some moments cheesy, when I don’t really consider anything in these movies cheesy. Some light hearted and comic moments, but never cheesy.

[@tonywords6713]

yeah I see it as like the weirdly light hearted scenes in Miyazaki where people just pause to crack up

[@setlerking]

They should talk about “Starship Troopers” trilogy or just the first. I’d love to hear their take on them.

[@charlesliu5320]

1:05:49 - 1:06:05 You actually see (in both versions) one of the kids in battle hurling rocks down at the orcs (in the frame, so it's not in the background, but it can be a blink-and-you-miss-it if you look away for like 3 seconds)

[@mrsandlerthegreat8003]

First time I 100% agree with Ralph. Great episode guys!

[@WiloPolis03]

Thanks Adam Sandler, btw when you getting back to your quality romcoms

[@GilCAnjos]

If Signs, The Happening and After Earth were in the same universe, Shyamalan would've already confirmed it and made it obnoxiously obvious

[@MagicalSamurai2]

The problem with taking Trolls: World Tour as a representation of "the future" of film releases is that it was propped up by being one of the only new things available at the time. The lack of newly released competition, Trolls' additional promotion as being one of the first during covid to release that way, and the pent up spending will not be the norm when stuff returns to normal. I think AMC recognizes that the full digital releases are not sustainable at that profit level and is trying to make the threat for when things do return to a normal model so that they don't get cut out now.

[@littleratchild6744]

I listened to those BBC radio plays as well. I think it and the movies share the same actor for Bilbo. Correction: Ian Holm plays Frodo in the radio plays and Bilbo in the movies

[@matthewnodar7298]

Anyone else just watch the bars of the audio track and wait for them to align perfectly with Ralph's chin?

[@jasonfenton8250]

I always liked the low-framerate slow mo and wish more movies did it.

[@johnwayne8494]

Ralph thinking LOTR made Christopher Lee a big actor is hilarious

[@funky35791]

"Gollum is the key to all of this"

[@lenab.7491]

Ngl, Fellowship imo is the perfect adaptation. It changes a lot of stuff (especially the ending, a lot of Boromir's character, they added a bunch of action scenes, and of course there's the whole Arwen/Glorfindel thing), but while I still prefer the book, I think all of these changes make for a better and especially more conventional movie that can be enjoyed by pretty much anyone. The books are extremely slow in comparison, which not everyone's gonna like

[@bartholen]

The movies also add a lot more character and personality. When I re-read Fellowship years after reading it the first time, I was struck by how almost non-human the characters felt. They're really simple, almost archetypes with nothing to them beyond the most basic character traits. I found it much easier to imagine it as a made-up myth in the vein of Nordic or Greek mythology, and not as a fantasy story in the modern sense.

[@nurichbinreel4782]

What i like most about these films is just the pure concistency mixed with the atmosphere. The atmosphere is perfect at pulling you into this mystical world, and the concistency just makes sure you stay in it. Even if there are flaws with the story or acting or whatever, it still doesnt stick out and just feels like a character trait or weird coincidence. Legolas surfing a shield down the stairs seems possible with him being a super nimble elf and whatnot. Meanwhile in the hobbit movies you have an entire scene where they race down the river in barrels, which i wouldnt mind in a comedy movie but just destroys any tension this movie had.

[@trouty606]

To add to the Legolas shield surf, it took me many viewings of Fellowship before I noticed that when they're trekking through the snowy mountain, Legolas stands on top of the snow. Everyone else is slogging through it like knee deep, but Legoland doesn't sink into the snow at all and just strides on top of it. They don't even call attention to it, it's just this subtle detail that's SO OBVIOUS once you notice it but that they don't call it out makes it feel that much more real. Elves can just do that sort of thing, and the other races know it.

[@bottlemanic]

I grew up listening to the BBC Radio series that Alex mentions too. Interestingly enough the voice of Frodo in that is the same actor who plays Bilbo in the movies. As well as Bill Nye playing Sam Gamgee

[@LucaW.]

FUCK YEAH IVE BEEN WANTING YOU TO HAVE MATT AS A GUEST SO FUCKING LONG!!! Adam, you were the one who introduced me to his work and I'm so grateful! His work has changed my life forever for the better!

[@glenellisquinn]

this has to be the single greatest Monday-morning-log-into-work-surprise of all time

[@ZombieManiac4217]

Please watch and discuss the retrospective of Neil Breen's 5 films. Thank you.

[@tonywords6713]

mad respect to Peter Jackson for all the balls he had to juggle

[@Dvdfco]

Really happy you guys are still doing this podcast. I didn’t think it would last very long when it was first introduced

[@mylesolson9876]

Alex: "You have a character that keeps being brought back by, like, the ethereal gods -" Ralph: "Yeah, by the writers..."

[@tanprints34]

I’m sad nobody caught that lmao

[@JustNick432]

*INSERT JOKE ABOUT RALPH BEING THE SIZE OF A HOBBIT*

[@markparkinson6947]

INSERT JOKE ABOUT RALPH LOOKING LIKE A JEWISH MICHAEL CERA HERE! I actually did see someone say in the comments of one of Ralph’s videos that he looks like a Jewish version of Michael Cera. I think it was mentioned in one of his Amazing Spider-Man videos.

[@aliveslice]

You look like non-jewish Ralph

[@markparkinson6947]

mental Thank you, man!

[@sticktheman4873]

Bruh Ralph makes the hobbits look tall

[@blakechildress944]

I think Ralph is taller than me so I feel just as attacked.

[@HAL_NOVEMILA]

42:00 While it's true that the hobbits are less corruptible than men, they aren't by any means the race that best handles the rings influence.The dwarves, though it accentuated their greed, were basically able to completely resist the the rings corruption...

[@tedpabst5997]

I think the extended version of tt is worth it specifically because it has my favorite scenes with Bernard Hill as Theoden. The scene where he talks to Gandalf after burying his son and the scene where he has a monologue while we see them arming children right before helms deep

[@WildFungus]

as a fan of the books who read them once and then read them again a couple years later with the necessary reading comprehension to truly get sucked into it. saw all three in theatres, and I didnt like them,I really wanted a war story and thats not really what it was, none of my favourite bits made it, and I wasnt impressed with big birds eye views of cgi armies at all, the second one had the best stuff especially at the end, and the third one was just okay, and at the theatre the group of people I was with were joking about how it was a very long time spent making sure we understood Sam wasnt gay u guise he's not gay. Finally saw the director's cut later on, and it was amazing how much I loved it, it had everything I wanted and cut some of the stuff I didnt like, the bits from the book I wanted to see character development for the other hobbits, more in close fighting, even the bits peter jackson wrote himself were really good. As a fan of the book I rated theatrical cut, 6 out of ten, and the extended probably is a 10/10 you're not going to do it better than that adaptation. Nice discussion boys. Keep loving mooovies.

[@Exnem]

LOTR is so good that the behind the scenes making of it has better emotional arcs than a lot of films.

[@ScoothofWrathchild]

The ghost army is a common complaint of the third movie and it’s a valid complaint. It’s one of those thing where in the books it was more about Aragorn accepting his lineage than about the army. They prolly coulda just cut that part from the movie

[@iciajay6891]

I'd love to see Adum doing a voice over of TLOTR. His summary was hilarious.

[@MN-vw2lo]

I'm surprised no one mentioned the opening scene in antichrist when talking about sex scenes.

[@madamwinnifer4666]

Regarding Gandalf coming back: He's the physical form of the Maiar (basically angels) Olorin. After defeating the Balrog he did die, he came back once Eru (God) basically said: "You're the White Wizard now, stop partying and get to work!" The reason the army of the dead feels out of nowhere is bcause they are, in the books they are used to scare away the blockades to get the Gondorian reinforcements there in time. Regarding the eagles they are fragile physical creatures that wouldn't approach Lake Town out of fear of arrows, they're not going to go to the doom fortress with thousands of orcs and monsters, also the ring can't be willingly destroyed that's why the quest was always a fool's hope. And of course it was supposed to be secret, sending giant eagles is the worst thing they could do.

[@samuelsharp1389]

Adam should have said “they’re taking the sards to Isengard”

[@charlesliu5320]

1:04:11 The funeral is only in the extended edition, but Theoden's speech afterwards (about parents burying their children) is in both versions

[@JH-fb3mp]

They're taking the hobbits to Isensard

[@tylerschmitt8039]

The fan art this week >>>>

[@YTWanderer]

I guess Cool Cat is LOTR canon then

[@awesomebacon1075]

Do you know how easy it’s going to be to pirate movies if they are released digitally? Instant movies for free for everyone!!!!

[@1997residente]

I think part of LOTR success was the success of Braveheart and Gladiator. Also,Harry Potter books and Zelda Ocarina of time/Majora Mask were popular at the time so reinvigorated the fantasy genre.

[@bartholen]

Harry Potter and Gladiator I can see, Zelda and Braveheart... eeeehh. Braveheart was released before LOTR had even entered pre-production (at least formally), and gaming wasn't nearly as influential in ´01 as it is now. In retrospect it is kind of astonishing how Harry Potter and LOTR came out the same year, and ended up kind of bolstering each other (I think).

[@katesometimeslate158]

Just for clarity with Last of Us 2 going gold. It has nothing to do with sales, it means it's essentially done and being sent to be put onto disk form (meaning there will be no delay or anything.) And another thing, the game was completed and scheduled for release before the new release date, it was only pushed because they wanted to wait for Physical stores to reopen so that their sales won't be bad.

[@OneAndOnlyYesMan]

1:55:43 “Going Gold” means the game is 100% finished and is off to be printed onto discs. It has nothing to do with the number of preorders.

[@ColombianThunder]

Yeah TLOU situation is weird. I for sure get a marriage story feeling from the whole thing. Some people seem to be hating it for the story direction, and others it's because of woke police or some shit.

[@kilgoreplumbus1360]

LOTR is by far the best adaptation of books to film.

[@jacksonellis5865]

This would've been a great epsiode to get Lindsay Ellis as a guest

[@Enel97]

Who?

[@gaiusjuliuscaesar8450]

@@Enel97 Bad movie reviewer, youtube essayist, made like 6+ videos on the Lord Of The Rings franchise and absolutely loves it

[@mattjindrak]

@@gaiusjuliuscaesar8450 yeah totally criteria to be on

[@gaiusjuliuscaesar8450]

@@mattjindrak I'm going to assume you're not being sarcastic

[@vjara94]

I was just about to coment about that the BR 2049 sex scene was very reminiscent of the scene in Her, and Adam just named it, I would bet that Villenueve find in BR a perfect excuse to' remake' some of the ideas explored in Her. I love both movies, but 2049 has become a personal favorite of mine. Pdt, I'm watching forward for his dune movie

[@squees7215]

Regarding Alex's comments about will people go straight back to the cinema, I cannot wait to get back. My home set up is garbage and I miss enjoying a film properly i.e great sound etc

[@kunkashi8208]

I dreamt of this ep all my life.

[@cluke7278]

How’s kindergarten?

[@ReconMalfunction]

Take a shot every episode that Ralph mentions movies being sound mixed for movie theatres when talking about sound volumeZ

[@KyrosTheWolf]

1:39:13 "I have a trilogy to recommend but I won't say" They missed a great opportunity to quote the Fellowship. "Alright then, keep your secrets"

[@missyandere1647]

Finally, something to watch

[@yggdrasil3]

From my understanding Amazon is doing The Silmarillon. EDIT: As pointed out to me, this is not the case.

[@forentertainment3259]

I think the Amazon show is set in the second age, while The Silmarillion is set in the first age.

[@aryavirsangwan6837]

What a bunch of sweaty nerds

[@yggdrasil3]

@@forentertainment3259 You're right, I just casually assumed that and didn't bother doublechecking.

[@yggdrasil3]

@@aryavirsangwan6837 You're kind of outnumbered here.

[@forentertainment3259]

Aryavir Sangwan Bruh, I literally watched the movies for the first time last week and thought I’d check out some of the lore

[@matthewdeckers]

I've been craving this episode

[@RickLilShore]

I think the point of Eowyn-Aragorn-Arwen triangle is love vs. duty. And to teach us more about Aragorn's character. And to show that race doesn't matter when love is involved. Aragorn keeps waiting for Arwen even though he knows she might leave him behind. Aragorn chooses love over an easier and more "approriate" marriage between two human royalty and Arwen chooses love over eternal life.

[@IHE]

That’s actually a really good read, thanks!

[@zampano6363]

I agree about the soundtrack. Into the West will be played at my funeral.

[@quietvalerie1]

Nice! I grew up listening to that BBC audio play too!

[@thebeingdestroyerofworlds8690]

Lord of the Rings is the best trilogy ever made. The godfather, the dark knight, return to the future, star wars, they are all good, and individualy some of the films are better than lord of the rings, but as a whole, lotr is the best trilogy

[@a.f9234]

I hadn't watched Return to the Future yet but I have watched it's cheap rip off movie Back to the Future

[@thebeingdestroyerofworlds8690]

@@a.f9234 sorry, I was thinling abput return of the king

[@a.f9234]

@@thebeingdestroyerofworlds8690 no problem don't worry abput it Ok I'm just joking, I misspell too especially when I want to type in a hurry

[@IamPinhead]

"The one where he's in the mansion" That's Pass Thru, Ralph. You hack fraud.

[@duskplains1235]

My favourite is fellowship. I don’t know why it feels more grounded with well balanced humour and structure.

[@esyphillis101]

It’s the least ambitious in terms of scope and feels more psychological.

[@jasonfenton8250]

All the bad things in The Hobbit movies can be seen the further you go into the Lord of the Rings. The action gets more ridiculous, the CGI more obvious, more bad humor, Legolas gets more and more over the top, Gimli gets more flanderized until he is nothing but comic relief. However, slow escalation and initial restraint stops it from seriously hurting the trilogy. Plus, the good moments get really good (Ride of the Rohirrim) so it balances out. Fellowship is at the bottom of this curve so it's the most consistent. Personally, the lack of the Rohirrim prevents Fellowship from being my favorite. I love Theoden and Eowyn as characters, and Rohan's music has enchanted me since I was a kid.

[@esyphillis101]

Jason Fenton Agreed. The problems with LOTR were much more spread out and came sparingly but in the case of the Hobbit trilogy the OP legolas was introduced all in the 2nd movie with no buildup and required the audience having already seen the original trilogy to buy into it.

[@defaultx238]

My favorite one. It has such an ethereal feeling, especially when they get to lothlorien

[@ikoandreas5085]

Marcus Chang plus in lotr he wasnt ignoring the rules of gravity

[@konstantinbelenko4290]

You guys should get Cosmonaut on the show

[@SoraTheKeyToEverything]

Ep 71

[@Lifesizemortal]

what a nice birthday present :}

[@duskplains1235]

Have a great day

[@itaydanziger3261]

happy birthday!

[@akhilbhas]

Happy birthday

[@Lifesizemortal]

Thanks everyone 🎊

[@PhilbinVideos]

Would love to hear you discuss Mulholland Drive as well

[@sommelierofstench]

i’m here to formally catcall adum with the shadowfax whistle.

[@benjamindykstra1985]

The lotr movies are better than the books. Tolkien was mainly concerned with establishing a history of middle earth. His books read like history textbooks, they are long and exhaustive and inaccessible. The fact that Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh were able to make these movies so compelling is incredible given the source material.

[@Daniel-gp6sd]

Tolkein only wrote LOTR because he wanted to show off middle earth. That's why he spent pages describing the landscape and buildings

[@dickthebirthdayboy2132]

As somebody who's read the books, I completely agree. Tolkien's a great world builder buy a sub par storyteller.

[@cringeproof100]

Inaccessible? I read them all when I was 9...