January 13, 2004

I Feel Sorry for Some People.
inthelandofmordor

First things first, in response to the comment that PJ left certain scenes out of the theatrical versions simply to sell the ExtDVDs, I just don't believe that's true. As evidenced on the Editing the Movie feature on the TTTExtDVD, a lot of time and energy goes into editing the movies just right and I think the real reason these omissions are made is purely for pacing reasons. The positive side for PJ(and the fans) is that hopefully any omissions will wind up on the ExtDVD.
I have heard the argument many times of the movies being "nearly a complete failure" and I feel sorry for the fans who cannot enjoy the movies for what they are. Yes, there are scenes, characters, etc. that I was hoping to see in the films or altered from how they were presented, but in the end they are just...movies. Most of the arguments against the films are variations of "that was not in the original text", but you know what? Who cares. Does the omission of Tom Bambadil or the Scouring of the Shire really make it a bad movie. Of course not. Does it make it a bad translation. That's up for debate. Those two ways of critiquing the movies are not the same. I've also found that people who are constantly thinking about the books while watching the movies are not really paying attention to what's happening on the big screen. I should know, I used to be one of those people. My advice is to enjoy reading the books and enjoy watching the movies. There is a reason why so many critics(but not all) are heaping bucketfulls of praise on the trilogy.
From a fan of both the books and the movies.
PS "Tolkien in heaven vomiting"--please, Tolkien may not like any movie version of his story that's not 100% faithful to the book(an impossible feat) but most writers don't like movie versions of their books.