Newsweek Article

***Valandil*** · 11-25-2003, 11:31 AM

Nice article on "Return of the King" in the current Newsweek magazine. They have the 'map' all wrong though... Minas Tirith on the wrong side of the River Anduin, 'Rohan' in the wrong place, etc.

Still - neat to see the article. They DO show Aragorn leading an "Army of the Dead" - which some on this site have wondered about...

Dúnedain · 11-25-2003, 03:30 PM

TheOneRing.net has info on it

http://www.theonering.net/perl/newsview/1/1069626596

jerseydevil · 11-25-2003, 06:06 PM

Yeah - and in the FIRST paragraph Newsweek gets facts wrong concerning the story.

Quote:

Peter Jackson’s “The Return of the King” begins with a flashback to what seems like the beginning of time—young Deagol is fishing with his creepy brother Smeagol when suddenly a fish on his line pulls him out of the boat and underwater, where he spots a gold ring half-submerged in the riverbed—so let’s begin with a flashback of our own.

They were FRIENDS not brothers. These are the reviewers we are supposed to trust? Give me a break.

Rosie Gamgee · 11-25-2003, 06:15 PM

Are they really?? I always thought they were brothers.

I have not read the article. I'll hafta find it and see.

jerseydevil · 11-25-2003, 06:30 PM

By the way - they have a "Ask Jeff Giles questions" on the Newsweek website - Secrets of ‘The King’...

This is what I sent...

Quote:

I was wondering when the REAL Lord of the Rings was going to be brought to the screen - not this hack piece action flick that Jackson did? After seeing the crap Jackson delivered on screen (Flight to the Ford, Theoden's Excorism, Osgiliath, Xena-Elf) - I quickly got over Jackson's propaganda that the film was "for the fans" or that he is even a fan of the books.

I hope out there there is someone in the future who can bring Lord of the Rigns truly to film and not give a dumbed down hollywood cliched action piece. Lord of the Rings the movies are no different than Terminator 3.

Jackson may have fooled a bunch of people into believing these are great movies that bring Lord of the Rings to screen - but he hasn't fooled everyone. Some of us have brains out here and can see through the marketing lies.

By the way Newsweek - it would be good if you got at least the fact in your first paragraph correct - Deagol was Smeagol's FRIEND not brother. READ THE BOOKS!!!!

I don't expect you to publicly ackowledge this "question" since it goes against the "Lord of the Rings is the greatest movie ever and let's grovel at the feet of the hack Jackson".

--JerseyDevil on http://www.entmoot.com

I love how Aragorn has become the LEAD character by the way - over Frodo - as is demonstrated by the title of this article.

jerseydevil · 11-25-2003, 06:36 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Rosie Gamgee
Are they really?? I always thought they were brothers.

I have not read the article. I'll hafta find it and see.

From "Shadows in the Past" chapter...

Quote:

"'He (Gollum) had a friend Déagol, of similar sort, sharper-eyed but not so quick and strong.'..

'"Give us that, Déagol, my love," said Sméagol, over his friend's shoulder.

jerseydevil · 11-25-2003, 07:01 PM

By the way - for those wanting the Scouring of the Shire in. This is the supposedly the reason it was cut...

Quote:

The Scouring of the Shire: One of the final sequences of the book, where the hobbits come home, find their hometownÃ•s gone to pot, kick some butts and restore order. Jackson never liked this section of the book, and never even shot it, so don't look for it on the DVD.

The scouring of the shire was a key scene in my mind - it showeed the Hobbits coming full circle and rising up. Not the innocent little party goers that they once were. Makes me think even less of Jackson. (if that was at all possible)

Also - in case anyone has any question concerning Jackson's overblown love for action....

Quote:

“The Return of the King” also delivers spectacular battle sequences—which probably goes without saying, given Jackson’s lifelong fascination with warfare. (Tell him you’ve seen an early screening of “Master and Commander,” and he’ll nod excitedly and ask, “How are the battles?” Tell him you’ve seen “The Last Samurai,” and he’ll nod excitedly and ask, “How are the battles?”)

***Sister Golden Hair*** · 11-25-2003, 07:30 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jerseydevil
From "Shadows in the Past" chapter...

IIRC, they were also cousins.

jerseydevil · 11-26-2003, 12:03 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Sister Golden Hair
IIRC, they were also cousins.

Where does it say that? I have never read they were cousins. Either way - they were NOT brothers.

zinnite · 11-26-2003, 01:05 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Valandil
They DO show Aragorn leading an "Army of the Dead" - which some on this site have wondered about...

And it looks pretty sweet, too--I was fearing PJ would do something that made the Army of the Dead look like something from 'The Mummy Returns.'

Black Breathalizer · 11-26-2003, 09:53 AM

The best thing about the article was the comment from the writer that LOTR is the first film franchise that, at the end, won't disappoint its fans ala Star Wars, The Matrix, Harry Potter, etc., etc., etc.

zinnite · 11-26-2003, 02:23 PM

Let's hope not, anyway. ROTK is already going to have a very hard time living up to the hype as it is, and there's no telling what sort of a fevered-pitch it's all going to reach by December 17. The main problem with all those series was not so much they were/are bad, but that there was no possible way they could live up to and be the spectacle promised by the media. They were made out to be something they weren't.

I had low expectations going into Felowship and was pleased. I expected much more from TTT and was somewhat disappointed. I'm excited about ROTK, but I'm not about to be suckered into thinking it's going to be the best thing ever seen by humankind. Keep in mind, Newsweek is just trying to sell magazines and advertising; they're going to print whatever it takes to get people to buy.

The Gaffer · 11-26-2003, 02:50 PM

Snap, zinnite. TTT disappointed after raised expectations from FOTR after low expectations after Bakshi.

Have set my expectations low for ROTK hoping to be pleasantly surprised. Thanks for the link.

Black Breathalizer · 11-26-2003, 03:05 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by zinnite
Keep in mind, Newsweek is just trying to sell magazines and advertising; they're going to print whatever it takes to get people to buy.

Yep, putting LOTR on the cover is guaranteed to sell them a huge number of magazines. Thanks to Jackson, everyone has become LOTR crazy!

zinnite · 11-26-2003, 03:51 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Black Breathalizer
Yep, putting LOTR on the cover is guaranteed to sell them a huge number of magazines. Thanks to Jackson, everyone has become LOTR crazy!

Practically speaking, why else would they put it on the cover? There's a reason they don't have cover photos of kittens and flowers and every week--the cover is what grabs non-subscribers' attention and hopefully gets them to buy the magazine. Seems pretty common sense to me. They probably couldn't care less about ROTK.

As far as the Jackson comment, isn't what you're basically trying to tell us in every single post?

jerseydevil · 11-26-2003, 04:00 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by zinnite
They probably couldn't care less about ROTK.

As is demonstrated in the number of errors in the articles concerning facts of Lord of the Rings.

Black Breathalizer · 11-26-2003, 04:57 PM

Let me try to spell it out for you: A national new magazine doesn't put LOTR on the cover if they didn't feel there would be considerable public interest in their exclusive movie review.

The issue isn't whether they know anything about LOTR or not. It's simply that Jackson's LOTR films SELL magazines.

jerseydevil · 11-26-2003, 06:43 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Black Breathalizer
Let me try to spell it out for you: A national new magazine doesn't put LOTR on the cover if they didn't feel there would be considerable public interest in their exclusive movie review.

The issue isn't whether they know anything about LOTR or not. It's simply that Jackson's LOTR films SELL magazines.

I understanding that perfectly well. Hence the fact that it gets many facts incorrect in the article. It is SOLELY to sell magazines - therefore what it says should be taken with a grain of salt.

zinnite · 11-26-2003, 06:50 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Black Breathalizer
Let me try to spell it out for you: A national new magazine doesn't put LOTR on the cover if they didn't feel there would be considerable public interest in their exclusive movie review.

The issue isn't whether they know anything about LOTR or not. It's simply that Jackson's LOTR films SELL magazines.

I would hope they know something about LOTR or else their review would be pretty meaningless. I took your previous post as sarcasm at my expense, but it looks as if you were serious. My apologies, if that was indeed the case.

Anyway, back on topic for me... I think the pictures in the article look really good, and it leaves me thinking the film might not be a disaster. The article seems to be the standard pre-release hype, and I didn't read much of it. Maybe later.

Tuor of Gondolin · 11-26-2003, 07:50 PM

Originally posted by Sister Golden Hair
IIRC, they were also cousins.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by JerseyDevil

Where does it say that? I have never read they were cousins.
_________________________________________

As a rather obstruse point, Deagol and Smeagol being cousins seems to have become a sort of "urban legend", at least as far as I've been able to find, among just about everybody, including an entry by Robert Foster in the complete guide to middle-earth. The only sort of a source reference to a possible relationship I've been able to find is in
Letters #214 (from a letter written in late 1958-early 1959): "Deagol, evidently a relative (as no doubt all the members of the small community were)"
So, presumably, JRRT didn't have any firm concept of a definite family relationship of the two when writing LOTR?

Curious, since I was previously virtually certain that I had read (in LOTR?) that Deagol and Smeagol were cousins.

11-25-2003, 11:31 AM	#1
*Valandil* High King at Annuminas Administrator Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Wyoming - USA Posts: 10,752	Newsweek Article Nice article on "Return of the King" in the current Newsweek magazine. They have the 'map' all wrong though... Minas Tirith on the wrong side of the River Anduin, 'Rohan' in the wrong place, etc. Still - neat to see the article. They DO show Aragorn leading an "Army of the Dead" - which some on this site have wondered about...

11-25-2003, 06:15 PM	#4
Rosie Gamgee The Lovely Hobbit-Lass Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Bounded in a nut-shell Posts: 1,593	Are they really?? I always thought they were brothers. I have not read the article. I'll hafta find it and see. __________________ It's New Years Day, just like the day before; Same old skies of grey, same empty bottles on the floor. Another year's gone by, and I was thinking once again, How can I take this losing hand and somehow win? Just give me One Good Year To get my feet back on the ground. I've been chasing grace; Grace ain't so easily found One bad hand can devil a man, chase him and carry him down. I've got to get out of here, just give me One Good Year!

11-26-2003, 02:23 PM	#12
zinnite Elven Warrior Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Lawrence, Kansas, USA Posts: 195	Let's hope not, anyway. ROTK is already going to have a very hard time living up to the hype as it is, and there's no telling what sort of a fevered-pitch it's all going to reach by December 17. The main problem with all those series was not so much they were/are bad, but that there was no possible way they could live up to and be the spectacle promised by the media. They were made out to be something they weren't. I had low expectations going into Felowship and was pleased. I expected much more from TTT and was somewhat disappointed. I'm excited about ROTK, but I'm not about to be suckered into thinking it's going to be the best thing ever seen by humankind. Keep in mind, Newsweek is just trying to sell magazines and advertising; they're going to print whatever it takes to get people to buy. __________________ A citizen runs to the fire department yelling that he's spotted a roaring blaze from his car. "WHERE IS IT?" the fire department asks, pen ready. "It rises like some brooding , glaring trail of cosmic fury from- " "WHERE? WHERE?" "Oh. Well, it blazes up from a crimson-sheathed visage brooding darkly above the haunted towers of impotent indignity which, like melons hovering unhappily over lifetimes of empty meaning which-" "THE ADDRESS!" "Oh. Oh, I didn't notice. But look for a brooding, glaring trail of cosmic fury rising from a crimson-sheathed visage-" They lead him back to his car, and send him on. -- Philip K. Dick "Man will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest." -- Diderot

11-26-2003, 07:50 PM	#20
Tuor of Gondolin Elf Lord Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Southeastern Pennsylvania Posts: 1,215	Originally posted by Sister Golden Hair IIRC, they were also cousins. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Originally posted by JerseyDevil Where does it say that? I have never read they were cousins. _________________________________________ As a rather obstruse point, Deagol and Smeagol being cousins seems to have become a sort of "urban legend", at least as far as I've been able to find, among just about everybody, including an entry by Robert Foster in the complete guide to middle-earth. The only sort of a source reference to a possible relationship I've been able to find is in Letters #214 (from a letter written in late 1958-early 1959): "Deagol, evidently a relative (as no doubt all the members of the small community were)" So, presumably, JRRT didn't have any firm concept of a definite family relationship of the two when writing LOTR? Curious, since I was previously virtually certain that I had read (in LOTR?) that Deagol and Smeagol were cousins. __________________ Democrat for Kerry-Edwards! Take Back America Aure entuluva! Last edited by Tuor of Gondolin : 11-26-2003 at 08:09 PM.

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11-25-2003, 03:30 PM	#2
Dúnedain High King of Númenórë Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Númenórë <--United States of America Posts: 1,947	TheOneRing.net has info on it http://www.theonering.net/perl/newsview/1/1069626596 __________________ 'Et Eärello Endorenna utúlien. Sinome maruvan ar Hildinyar tenn' Ambar-metta!' - And those were the words that Elendil spoke when he came up out of the Sea on the wings of the wind: 'Out of the Great Sea to Middle-earth I am come. In this place will I abide, and my heirs, unto the ending of the world.' 'Then Tuor arrayed himself in the hauberk, and set the helm upon his head, and he girt himself with the sword; black were sheath and belt with clasps of silver. Thus armed he went forth from Turgon's hall, and stood upon the high terraces of Taras in the red light of the sun. None were there to see him, as he gazed westward, gleaming in silver and gold, and he knew not that in that hour he appeared as one of the Mighty of the West, and fit to be father of the kings of the Kings of Men beyond the Sea, as it was indeed his doom to be; but in the taking of those arms a change came upon Tuor son of Huor, and his heart grew great within him. And as he stepped down from the doors the swans did him reverence, and plucking each a great feather from their wings they proffered them to him, laying their long necks upon the stone before his feet; and he took the seven feathers and set them in the crest of his helm, and straightway the swans arose and flew north in the sunset, and Tuor saw them no more.' -Of Tuor and his Coming to Gondolin "Oh. Forgive me, fairest of all males of Entmoot...Back down, all ye other wannabe fairest males! Dunedain is the fairest!" --Linaewen

11-26-2003, 09:53 AM	#11
Black Breathalizer Elf Lord Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 828	The best thing about the article was the comment from the writer that LOTR is the first film franchise that, at the end, won't disappoint its fans ala Star Wars, The Matrix, Harry Potter, etc., etc., etc.

11-26-2003, 02:50 PM	#13
The Gaffer Elf Lord Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: In me taters Posts: 3,288	Snap, zinnite. TTT disappointed after raised expectations from FOTR after low expectations after Bakshi. Have set my expectations low for ROTK hoping to be pleasantly surprised. Thanks for the link.

11-26-2003, 04:57 PM	#17
Black Breathalizer Elf Lord Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 828	Let me try to spell it out for you: A national new magazine doesn't put LOTR on the cover if they didn't feel there would be considerable public interest in their exclusive movie review. The issue isn't whether they know anything about LOTR or not. It's simply that Jackson's LOTR films SELL magazines.