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Inziladun · 06-10-2001, 06:36 PM

Nice,TLW. It's hard thinking of anything new to add to all that. I find it increasingly difficult,in fact,to contribute to the entire Pro-movie/Anti-movie debate because the salient points seem to already have been made. I don't think it likely that anyone in either camp will "win over" someone of the opposite view. And that shouldn't be the aim anyway. I'm simply going to take the choice suggested (which I'd already decided anyway) and not see the movies. And it really isn't because my vision of it will be distorted or altered by Peter Jackson. It would be somewhat affected probably,and maybe even in a positive way as stated above. But I just don't believe what I get out of the books could be duplicated onscreen. For me,the books are always better than the movies. Expecting the movies to remain totally true to the books is a senseless concern,because they can't. That's why I think making the movies is pointless. If something can't be improved on,why try? As for action figures,I too had the Star Wars toys and played with them till they were all lost of destroyed (wish I'd had some foresight there!). But there's a difference. The Star Wars novel was written from the movie screenplay only a little while before the movie's release. Star Wars was always intended to be a movie. And movies,being commercial products in themselves,are licensing and toy friendly. But books are different. LoTR is a deep story with many seperate levels. There is so much there that is high and dark, layered with subtext and elegant dialogue. This does not translate well to action figures. A Gandalf figure,with "light up" staff,complete with Glamdring and removable hat,is difficult to reconcile with the serious yet intensely human Messenger sent to contest the power of Sauron in Middle Earth. By the same token,Gollum, with posable arms,fish,and glow in the dark eyes, is hard to see as the tortured hobbit who nearly turns his back on evil and regains his own identity in spite of his lust for the Ring. The subtleties of the multi-dimensional story are sacrificed for the one-dimensional needs of the product. When everything fun and magical is turned into something for sale,the book's world is diminished. Judging from comments I've seen,I suspect this is an extreme view. For those who disagree,you are welcome to see the movies,buy the action figures,the lunch boxes,and anything else,with no disparaging comment from me. We'll just have to agree to disagree. Those who will defend authority against rebellion must not themselves rebel. Edited by: <A HREF=http://www.barrowdowns.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_profile&u=00000125>Inziladu n</A> at: 6/11/01 12:54:13 am

06-10-2001, 06:36 PM	#21
Inziladun Gruesome Spectre Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Heaven's doorstep Posts: 8,038	<BR><br><br> Nice,TLW. It's hard thinking of anything new to add to all that.<br> I find it increasingly difficult,in fact,to contribute to the entire Pro-movie/Anti-movie debate because the salient points seem to already have been made. I don't think it likely that anyone in either camp will "win over" someone of the opposite view. And that shouldn't be the aim anyway. I'm simply going to take the choice suggested (which I'd already decided anyway) and not see the movies. And it really isn't because <br> my vision of it will be distorted or altered by Peter Jackson.<br> It would be somewhat affected probably,and maybe even in a positive way as stated above. But I just don't believe what I get out of the books could be duplicated onscreen. For me,the books are <i> always</i> better than the movies.<br> Expecting the movies to remain totally true to the books is a senseless concern,because they <i> can't</i>. <br> That's why I think making the movies is pointless. If something can't be improved on,why try? <br> As for action figures,I too had the Star Wars toys and played with them till they were all lost of destroyed (wish I'd had some foresight there!). But there's a difference. The Star Wars novel was written from the movie screenplay only a little while before the movie's release. <i> Star Wars</i> was always intended to be a movie. And movies,being commercial products in themselves,are licensing and toy friendly. But books are <i> different</i>. LoTR is a deep story with many seperate levels. There is so much there that is high and dark, layered with subtext and elegant dialogue. This does not translate well to action figures. A Gandalf figure,with "light up" staff,complete with Glamdring and removable hat,is difficult to reconcile with the serious yet intensely <i> human</i> <br> Messenger sent to contest the power of Sauron in Middle Earth. By the same token,Gollum, with posable arms,fish,and glow in the dark eyes, is hard to see as the tortured hobbit who nearly turns his back on evil and regains his own identity in spite of his lust for the Ring. The subtleties of the multi-dimensional story are sacrificed for the one-dimensional needs of the product. When everything fun and magical is turned into something for sale,the book's world is diminished. <br> Judging from comments I've seen,I suspect this is an extreme view. For those who disagree,you are welcome to see the movies,buy the action figures,the lunch boxes,and anything else,with no disparaging comment from me. We'll just have to agree to disagree.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <p>Those who will defend authority against rebellion must not themselves rebel. </p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://www.barrowdowns.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_profile&u=00000125>Inziladu n</A> at: 6/11/01 12:54:13 am<br></i> __________________ Music alone proves the existence of God.