From: thssapk@iitmax.iit.edu (([<{\_/}>]))
Subject: Re: Should LOTR Movie be Made?
Organization: Illinois Institute of Technology
Distribution: na
Date: Wed, 16 Dec 92 03:43:44 GMT

In article <BzA9wB.5zD@unix.amherst.edu> jdliss@unix.amherst.edu (Jeff Liss) writes:
>All the talk of casting is very interesting, but some people have expressed
>that no such movie should ever be made because it would ruin Tolkein's
>vision, or that it would ruin one's ability to envision the characters
>for oneself.  Well, I disagree.  The cartoon movies certainly don't affect
>my imagination very much though I saw them before I read the books.  Those
>images may stick in your head a little bit (Dune) but if you really love
>the books, a reinterpretation won't faze you too much.  After all, some
>people talk like making a movie would be some sort of attempt to replace
>the books, which of course is impossible.
>
>However, a movie ought to honor the books and stay true to their spirit;
>otherwise, it's simply not worth doing it.  So, if you ask me, the movies
>should never be made, unless it was going to be done right -- and in the
>case of Lord of the Rings, "doing it right" is an extremely tall order.
>
IMO, the toughest task of a LOTR movie would be to get a director
who will 'stay true to the spirit of the books' and not turn it into
his own personal statement, while yet being telnted enough to do 
justice to the books.  Anyone have any suggestions?  I don't think
Coppola could do it (not after DRACULA), nor Kubrick (see THE SHINING);
perhaps Bertolucci or Scott?

>As a proverbial filmmaker, I would have to have a deal with a studio
>guaranteeing that all three movies would be made.  I do think that the
>stories could be simplified into three longish movies without screwing
>it up.  This kind of thing has to be absolutely sure-fire for a studio
>to make that sort of commitment.  Back to the Future II and III were made
>back to back without seeing the ticket sales of II.  The new Star Wars
>trilogy will probably go this route.  In addition, the budget would
>have to be tremendous.  I mean, call the Japanese companies.  Call 
>Michael Jackson.  The sources of money would have to be various and
>at least somewhat guaranteed.  On top of it all, the movies would have to
>be tremendous successes, without fail.  Despite the loyalty of alot of
>fans, I don't know that you can say that as many people would go to see
>a good, arty version of Fellowship as would Terminator 2 or Home Alone.
>
Perhaps not as many people would see it at first, but fans who do see it
will probably see it a LOT more times than the average Joe pays to watch
T2.  I agree with you that the money, shooting time, and people working
on it must all be guaranteed in advance; thus only guaranteeing it will
never get made 8).

However, I diagree about the cost.  Ridley Scott's _1492_ was made for
"only" $35 million, yet it is more visually stunning than the $100 million
T2.  LOTR des not have to be chock-full of special effects (certainly no
morphing! 8), nor does it need extremely graphic Sfx to get desired effect
(example:  no scale models of Shelob, show silhouettes for the Riders, etc.)

>So, forget it; unless something truly unusual develops it's way out of reach.
>Even the mostly-cartoon Lord of the Rings, which was really pretty good,
>couldn't get through half of it; and whatever bunch of folk singers did
>The Hobbit ended up getting a hold of Return of the King -- blah.
>
>Jeff

No arguement here; although it is interesting to wonder how such a film
COULD get made, and it poses so many questions (how would they show hobbits,
for instance?).

Later!!!

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