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Middle Earth Ultimate Collector's Box Set releasing in October

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An excellent write-up on the whole bullshit $800 price tag on that LCE:

So... here’s Problem #1: The people who are going to most want this set for that packaging are the diehard fans of Jackson’s films. And you can bet that they probably already own most – if not all – of those discs. So the people who most want that set are people who already have all the content – and they’re being asked to pay $800 for new packaging and swag alone.

Here’s Problem #2: Those same fans have been promised for years by the filmmakers that when the 6-film saga was finally complete, there would be a truly ultimate release of all the films with new documentary content, deleted scenes, outtakes, and all the as-yet-untold stories. In other words, new bonus content.

Here’s Problem #3: Peter Jackson and company wanted to make that content, proposed doing so, and the studio passed. (Yes, I’m confident that’s true and we have it from multiple sources now.) It sure ain’t here in this set.

Here’s Problem #4: The content you do get in the set isn’t even truly “ultimate,” because again you don’t get the Theatrical versions of these films on disc, and you don’t get the Blu-ray 3D versions of the Hobbit films.

Now, I don’t know who at Warner Bros. Home Entertainment made these decisions, but I’d be willing to bet that precious few of them have even seen all of the Extended Editions of these films, much less watched all of these extras. They are not truly fans of these films. And that’s a problem. Because this decision is seriously out of touch with what those fans would like to see and be willing to pay for. No one who is actually a fan of these films would ever make so wrong-headed a decision about a release like this.

It’s really deeply insulting to diehard fans. As in kick in the balls, poke in the eye, having salt tossed in your face, and then getting crapped on for good measure insulting.
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More at the link, but yeah. As someone who has been waiting years for this "ultimate" collection, largely because of the supposed new content, this is just one big kick in the balls. I'm basically the target for that LCE, but come the fuck on - it's $800 for a shelf.

Sigh.
 
Loxley said:
An excellent write-up on the whole bullshit $800 price tag on that LCE:



More at the link, but yeah. As someone who has been waiting years for this "ultimate" collection, largely because of the supposed new content, this is just one big kick in the balls. I'm basically the target for that LCE, but come the fuck on - it's $800 for a shelf.

Sigh.
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This is wishful thinking, but I hope whenever (if ever) they release the Ultimate Edition (and if discs are still around and are big enough) they create singular edits of the movies. Could you imagine the epicness of a Lord of the Rings mega movie or Hobbit mega movie (or even crazier a 20+ hour Hobbit/Lord of the Rings Middle-Earth epic)?
 
It's already on sale for $719.99!
That's 80 dollars off!
What a steal!
Preorder while it's still available!




said no one to no one.
 
Dominic Monaghan (Merry) unboxes the Collector's Edition

Also, from /Film:

Friend of the site Eric Vespe, better known as Quint over at AinÂ’t It Cool News, is pretty chummy with Peter Jackson. Not only has he visited the sets of all JacksonÂ’s Middle-earth movies, but you can spot him as a passenger in a train car that gets smashed by King Kong in the directorÂ’s update of the classic film. Vespe also appears as a Hobbit in an extended cut of one of The Hobbit movies. He posted on Twitter that Peter Jackson has (or had) plans for an ultimate edition that included tons more bonus content than whatÂ’s been released so far, including stuff that you wonÂ’t find on this new set:

SnEALfY.png
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Damn it WB ><
 
Why give people new content at a reasonable price when you can give them the same old discs for $800 but with a SHELF?
 
I've decided that I'll pick this set up at 90% off, and not a penny more.

The Sackville-Warner Bros won't get my hard earned money that easily.
 
Is there any way to watch the High Frame Rate version of the Hobbit at home? Or are you simply SOL if you missed it in theatres?
 
border said:
Is there any way to watch the High Frame Rate version of the Hobbit at home? Or are you simply SOL if you missed it in theatres?
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48fps is not supported in the Blu Ray spec.

The Ultra HD Blu-ray spec goes "up to 60fps", so... maybe in the ultimate box set re-release?
 
Loxley said:
Dominic Monaghan (Merry) unboxes the Collector's Edition
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The presentation is REALLY pretty. I'm unreasonably annoyed that the BD EE collection doesn't look anywhere near as nice, with its fucking cheapo ugly-ass Amray cases and shit.

Stupid price though, and I have zero interest in owning any of The Hobbit movies.

border said:
Is there any way to watch the High Frame Rate version of the Hobbit at home? Or are you simply SOL if you missed it in theatres?
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You're screwed.

It was well-worth watching at least once.
 
I was waiting for the full 6 movie set before I bought any of the lesser Hobbit trilogy movies but you can fuck off at that price or even 1/8th of that price.
 
MattKeil said:
I just can't see where you're coming from, really. Two Towers EE is the most questionable of the three, but that movie is the weakest to begin with, and structurally the weaknesses the EE has are the same ones the theatrical had. Your comments on RotK I really can't understand; at the very least the EE is objectively superior because it actually includes the resolution of the Saruman storyline, the primary antagonist of the first two movies. The omission of that in the theatrical cut, by the way, kind of sucks the wind out of your claim of careful planning and editing over months and months. I mean obviously it did take that long and was a lot of work, but that doesn't mean the right decisions were made in the process. Some of the things that are not in the theatrical cuts are baffling omissions, the Saruman scene most of all.

All I can say is that while LotR as a whole is easily one of my top films of all time, I will probably never watch the theatrical cuts again. The EEs are those movies, as far as I'm concerned.
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An abrupt end to Saruman in a way that goes against the entire theme of Saruman's story within the actual books. It actively damages the themes, meanings, and poetry of the story as opposed to simply leaving the tale open-ended which would have at least encouraged the viewer be able to read the books and get the real end of Saruman.

In the books, Gandalf leaves Saruman bitter, alone, and alive in his tower. Gandalf is given an important moment of his own in the book. Ever had he spoken of pity and mercy. Saruman&#8217;s ambitions had brought death and misery to so many, yet Gandalf still gave him a chance for atonement. Gandalf and Saruman being foils of each other comes through stronger here than ever. Saruman who has been ever jealous of Gandalf and constantly the enemy of any opposition to his ambition is given mercy by the one he has wronged perhaps the most - it's a beautiful display of the wisdom and mercy of Gandalf but also a further reminder that even Saruman can still be redeemed. But the quick and sudden death - and it does feel sudden and misplaced to me - in the Extended Edition cheapens this moment. Not to mention that Legolas instantly kills Grima. What is the moral of this? Doesn't this go directly against Gandalf's words on delivering justice in Fellowship? To me, I would rather have not had a film conclusion at all rather than this scene as much as traditional cinematography would claim that any unresolved plot is unacceptable.

The scene between Faramir and Pippin - where Faramir notes that Pippin's uniform was his own when he was a child - is silly and not particularly well-written. The flood of skulls while in the Paths of the Dead is a fairly strange piece of magic in Tolkien's world, not to mention baffling since the King of the Dead wants to move on and be free of this world so why would he kill Aragorn after having proof of his kingship?

Following this are two scenes that are simply poorly done - the meeting of Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli with the corsairs has cheesy dialogue and some completely awful lighting for whatever reason. The battle between the Witch-King and Gandalf - the reason I was most excited for the EE - begins with the Witch-King destroying Gandalf's staff. How does that one work out? He just looks at it and breaks it? It goes against the LotR lore and again cheapens another important moment in the film - the breaking of the staff of Saruman, which was already near meaningless after Saruman dies right afterwards. It also makes the scene of Eowyn and Merry killing him somewhat baffling - he breaks Gandalf's staff with a look. How do you even win? Not to mention Gandalf apparently puts it back together at some point before the end of the film. Gorilla glue? Tape? Moving on from the staff, the whole scene is strangely the opposite of the books where the Witch-King and army break into Gondor and encounter Gandalf resolutely defending the city. Gandalf being instantly defeated is just disappointing and lackluster.

I don't think the RotK scenes add much to the film, and they actively damage it as an adaptation. I don't think the majority of them are well-acted or edited, either.

Edit: Also, surprised this thread is still around.
 
Funkyhamster said:
I actually think I prefer the LOTR theatrical cut. Better pacing IMO, and I don't think the extra scenes add that much.
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Same here, I was actually a little disappointed when I waited extra long for the Extended Edition Blurays only to find out I wasn't as big of a fan of them as I was for the theatrical cuts.

At least they include a ton if features and commentary, and the theatrical cuts sell for pretty cheap if I do want those cuts.
 
samwyse said:
what about that part where Aragorn murders the Mouth of Sauron
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I actually forgot about that scene. The part I remember the most about that is where Merry says, "No." And he just... says it. No convincing emotion. No build-up in any meaningful way. The camera cuts to him and he goes, "No." :l

But Aragorn murdering the Mouth after he insults him makes him seem like he's actually insulted rather than upset about Frodo - which is the only believable event that would actually make him murder an emissary even from Sauron. That's not even really that believable given what we know of his character. It's unkingly and, again, just plain silly.
 
Dead said:
I know a lot of people were waiting for this



All 6 Extended Middle Earth Films in a 30 disc box set



Z0CFf9C.jpg


No confirmed price, but Amazon earlier had it listed for $800. The price could be much cheaper when released, but I expect itll still be priced at a premium. Also, no official PR, so there could be more, who knows.

Amazon Link

Also coming out is a cheap basic Theatrical Cut box set
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So no new features, extras etc. Basically you are paying for a book and a shelf if you have already picked up the other discs. Yeah no thanks
 
Add me to the list of people who (greatly) prefer the theatricals. One day I'll write an essay on how misconceived most of the EE scenes are.

Rodney McKay said:
Same here, I was actually a little disappointed when I waited extra long for the Extended Edition Blurays only to find out I wasn't as big of a fan of them as I was for the theatrical cuts.

At least they include a ton if features and commentary, and the theatrical cuts sell for pretty cheap if I do want those cuts.
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But the transfers aren't as good as the EEs (colour timing notwithstanding) which is so fucking annoying because no one seems to give a shit. "Oh these transfers are awful" "Pfft just get the EEs instead. They're the better versions of the films anyway...." as opposed to Star Wars where there's a large demand for faithful and quality restorations of the theatrical editions.

veloxStrix said:
I actually forgot about that scene. The part I remember the most about that is where Merry says, "No." And he just... says it. No convincing emotion. No build-up in any meaningful way. The camera cuts to him and he goes, "No." :l

But Aragorn murdering the Mouth after he insults him makes him seem like he's actually insulted rather than upset about Frodo - which is the only believable event that would actually make him murder an emissary even from Sauron. That's not even really that believable given what we know of his character. It's unkingly and, again, just plain silly.
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Yeah this scene is pretty awful, not to mention it adds literally nothing to the film. Prior to the scene, Aragorn is hopeful that Frodo is alive, but is weary that he may be long dead. After the mouth of Sauron prods Aragorn into thinking Frodo has already been killed, Aragorn mercilessly murders him, and then says "I don't believe it," so he hasn't gained any new information anyway! He's still hopeful that Frodo is alive, but weary that he may be dead.

What a wonder that everything works seamlessly in the Theatrical without this nonsense.
 
Count of Monte Sawed-Off said:
This is why I still don't have the Lord of the Rings on blu-ray.
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You're missing out on a great BR experience. Not that the DVDs were in any way shabby, but the trilogy looks fantastic in HD. I've never found the green tint in FOTR to be at all noticeable when watching the movie as opposed to looking at side-by-side comparisons of still images, nor has anyone I've watched the films with.
 
ahoyhoy said:
Will hold out for the 20th edition set which will hopefully

- Remaster in 4K with proper color timings.
- Include any and all special features and perhaps an updated retrospective from the cast
- Update the LOTR trilogy CGI (and ONLY the existing CGI. No added shit). No reason the best trilogy of all time should be hindered for all time by the shitty Moria Troll fight amongst other things.
- Has the "Ultimate Cut" of the Hobbit films that cuts the whole trilogy down to one 3 hour film.
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I want this.
 
Dommo said:
Add me to the list of people who (greatly) prefer the theatricals. One day I'll write an essay on how misconceived most of the EE scenes are.



But the transfers aren't as good as the EEs (colour timing notwithstanding) which is so fucking annoying because no one seems to give a shit. "Oh these transfers are awful" "Pfft just get the EEs instead. They're the better versions of the films anyway...." as opposed to Star Wars where there's a large demand for faithful and quality restorations of the theatrical editions.



Yeah this scene is pretty awful, not to mention it adds literally nothing to the film. Prior to the scene, Aragorn is hopeful that Frodo is alive, but is weary that he may be long dead. After the mouth of Sauron prods Aragorn into thinking Frodo has already been killed, Aragorn mercilessly murders him, and then says "I don't believe it," so he hasn't gained any new information anyway! He's still hopeful that Frodo is alive, but weary that he may be dead.

What a wonder that everything works seamlessly in the Theatrical without this nonsense.
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Probably mentioned before but in the books Aragorn's company came first chronologically in terms of reading, so for all the first time reader knew Frodo was legit dead.

I didn't see any problem with the scene though. I like how Gandalf is telling them to shut up so they keep emotionally strong. I don't really see any issue with Mouth of Sauron being killed. He wasn't really a neutral emissary because he was standing there mocking the company.
 
peanutbutterlatte said:
Probably mentioned before but in the books Aragorn's company came first chronologically in terms of reading, so for all the first time reader knew Frodo was legit dead.

I didn't see any problem with the scene though. I like how Gandalf is telling them to shut up so they keep emotionally strong. I don't really see any issue with Mouth of Sauron being killed. He wasn't really a neutral emissary because he was standing there mocking the company.
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So Aragorn, the brave and honorable Ranger-turn-King that we've followed just as much as Frodo and Sam, at this point in the film seems like the kind of character who would just chop off an emissaries head for saying mean things. Does it seem like an intelligent thing to do given that they are essentially stalling for time with no real hope of winning? Does it add/enhance any single detail of the characters - exploring new backstory, personality, or conflicts - in a meaningful way? For me, at least, the answer is a unarguable "no." (Feel free to argue anyways. :P)

The scene is unnecessary. The acting is sub-par. The CGI has aged worse than most of the other scenes. The weird EE scene over-lighting is present which is particularly obnoxious due to both the literal and tonal darkness of the battle scenes that follow. I don't think it can be seen as good in almost any way, other than adding ~5 minutes to the films.
 
$800 is worth having each of the LotR movies on one disc instead of two.

I'm joking, but that is the case, right? That's the only thing I don't like about that beautiful gold extended trilogy set. I also hate the "3D" on the Hobbit case. Yuck.
 
Looking at the video it is a really really nice set. I would have bought it if it was $200 or $300 but not at that price.
 
brawly said:
$800 is worth having each of the LotR movies on one disc instead of two.

I'm joking, but that is the case, right? That's the only thing I don't like about that beautiful gold extended trilogy set. I also hate the "3D" on the Hobbit case. Yuck.
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The unboxing video featuring Dominic Monaghan includes a couple shots of the discs themselves and one of them is clearly labeled "Return of the King: Movie Disc 2" (seen at the 23 second mark here), so it appears that the LOTR films will again be split over two discs each.
 
Watching TheOneRing.net's live-stream about the UCE, they said they reached out to Jackson himself regarding this set and actually got a response (they're pretty chummy with him). Jackson confirmed he indeed wanted to do a high-quality restoration from the original film-negative for this set as well as include all of the much-talked about new bonus features, but WB just wasn't interested in putting in the time and effort it would take to do that. As a result he backed off from the whole thing and straight-up stated that he had nothing to do with this box-set. He's hoping that for the 20th or 25th anniversary of The Lord of the Rings he'll finally be able to put together the box set he wants to.

Also, Daniel Falconer, lead artist at Weta Workshop said they had nothing to do with this box set either (some folks were wondering if the shelf or included book were at least designed by Weta or something) and that they all found out about it on Twitter as well.
 
No 4K, and they're not even including the 3D discs or theatrical cuts... for $500? Yeah, I'll get right on that.
 
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