Geeky obsessiveness

September 30, 2002 6:32 PM

Geeky obsessiveness on a level that I can definitely get behind. A shot by shot analysis of the full trailer for "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers". The trailer is up in Quicktime here, for all us fanboys.
posted by GriffX (19 comments total)

Spoilers ahead! Warning!
posted by crunchburger at 6:38 PM on September 30, 2002

waiting for the apple.com/trailers version. this one is tiiiiiiiny!
posted by donkeyschlong at 7:04 PM on September 30, 2002

I like the trailers that leave you guessing.
posted by stbalbach at 7:48 PM on September 30, 2002

Is this the sequel to Willow? I've never heard of this "Lord of the Rings" stuff.
posted by fatbobsmith at 7:59 PM on September 30, 2002

My crack about fanboys aside, I would enjoy some debate here. Is this really what Wargs look like? Is this an Oliphaunt? That's not exactly what I had in my minds eye when I read the books, but I still very much dig the interpretation, especially as these movies are the interpretation of a much more visually imaginative Tolkien fan than I am. I look forward to seeing the film.
posted by GriffX at 8:07 PM on September 30, 2002

waiting for the apple.com/trailers version. this one is tiiiiiiiny!

Open quicktime seperately, then select File - Open URL. You'll be able to resize the screen to something approximating a real picture.
posted by insomnia_lj at 8:14 PM on September 30, 2002

Anyone notice that the background music at the end was taken directly from 'Requiem for a Dream'? Or is that particular string piece something larger than Clint Mansell's score?
posted by Be'lal at 9:57 PM on September 30, 2002

Ugh. The CGI looks just as crappy in this as it did in attack of the clones, harry potter, and every other movie we see these days., (matrix, and to a lesser extent, spiderman excepted). Ah well, the rest of it looks pretty great...
posted by Windopaene at 10:13 PM on September 30, 2002

Be'lal: yep, I noticed that too. The melody is slightly different, but its pretty much the summer overture from Requiem for a Dream.
posted by bshort at 10:37 PM on September 30, 2002

stbalbach,
How are we supposed to keep guessing with a fifty year old trilogy? ;)

bshort,
ok, so I'm not crazy...it's got to be some sort of public domain then, i'd assume. unless Clint Mansell's replacing, whatshisname...Howard Shore (?)
posted by Be'lal at 11:14 PM on September 30, 2002

I love Kronos quartet, but using Requiem's score for the LotR trailer seems an odd choice, unless Peter Jackson's planning to modernize the story in some unexpected ways (i.e., having Frodo and Sam strung out on pipeweed).

I know unrelated movie scores are used in trailers all the time, it just struck me as funny.
posted by Phatty Lumpkin at 11:16 PM on September 30, 2002

Is this really what Wargs look like?

For me, the best aspect of the first movie was that the characters/creatures really did look as I imagined them when I read the book.
posted by nomis at 12:38 AM on October 1, 2002

Actually guys, they DO use other scores (usually ones owned by the studio) until they get their OWN score written... Though IMDB lists Howard Shore as the composer.

One of my all time favorite examples was the trailer for Speed which used something from Laibach!

(And btw, I was always under the impression that Wargs were just big, old nasty wolves. Too much D&D I spose)
posted by FilmMaker at 1:45 AM on October 1, 2002

I dug the trailer for _Being John Malkovich_ using the theme from _Brazil_, which is of course the best. movie. EVAR!!!!111!1!!!
posted by cps at 6:38 AM on October 1, 2002

Is this really what Wargs look like?

I can't tell, the picture is too blurry. To me, Wargs should look like big ol' nasty, scruffy wolves.

Is this an Oliphaunt?

I can't tell, the picture is too blurry. To me, an oliphaunt would look like an oversized African elephant.

Like many, my minds eye theater had a different set and costume designer than the current crop of movies.

I saw orcs as less green and icky and more swarthy.

I saw the cave troll as scaled.

I saw Moria as grander.

And so on.

Even with different vision however, Peter Jackson, Alan Lee, et al didn't ruin the movie that I have wanted to watch since I was ten years old, so I'm not complaining. It's a fools dream to think that a movie is going to look like the book you love, unless you are making the movie yourself. I'm just thankful that it's not a Jerry Bruckheimer production.

Now, if only someone would do Ursula K LeGuin's Wizard of Earthsea with as much love. ...
posted by moonbiter at 7:43 AM on October 1, 2002

CGI creatures seem to lack hairy parts and have lots of leathery parts.
posted by stbalbach at 10:00 AM on October 1, 2002

Bigger Version
posted by blue_beetle at 10:03 AM on October 1, 2002

I thought the clip was engaging, though I must admit, I wasn't a Dungeons & Dragons fan as a kid, so I'm definitely not an authority.
posted by bucko at 11:34 AM on October 1, 2002

just to point out, there are plenty of LOTR fan*girls* out there too. and not just because of Orlando "Legolas" Bloom either. as for the fx, so far so good, though i am worried about Shelob and the Ents, b/c the Balrog in FOTR was deeply lame, it looked like the cover art from Tenacious D.
posted by serafinapekkala at 11:56 AM on October 2, 2002