Celebrity Fans?

What celebrities that you've heard of are Tolkien fans? The only one I know is James Franco.

-Paul

The most obvious one which springs to mind is Christopher Lee- huge Tolkien fan, even met Tolkien. Which probably explains his grumpiness on the subject of PJ and the LotR's films as it must have broken his heart knowing full well how reduced a version of Saruman he was being asked to play.

Based on my memories of the documentary features, Christopher Lee was actually pretty accepting of most of the changes. I think his main issue was with Saruman's death being cut from the theatrical release of The Return of the King, which led him to skip the premiere, saying there was no point in him going.

I saw an interview with Lee at the time of TT release in which he could barely hide his annoyance at that. He was also politley (as he always is) but pointedly critical of PJ's directing technique, which appears to be not to give any instruction but to get actors to do ten different versions of a line and worry about it later in the edtiting room (there's a great example of this in action on the EE extras, where he has Viggo saying, "open war is open you whether you wish it or no" several times to his clear growing annoyance without any hint of what PJ wants differently. Also his comment about PJ giving him instructions on how to act like he has been stabbed ended with Mr Lee reminding PJ he served in the early version of the SAS and he knew what a stabbed man sounds like- I reckon Christopher Lee telling you that would be quite scary! But it was also a quite obvious 'shut up I know what I'm doing' to PJ. Most of the post release interviews I have seen with Lee on the subject have the same undercurent of annoyance about them.

Yes, I've gotten the same sense, I just don't think it has to do with the changes.

I forgot about Christopher Lee! And he's been a favorite of mine since the his work with Hammer Films.

Any other celebrities? Like Oprah or Warren Buffet?

The Wobbit A Parody wrote:Any other celebrities? Like Oprah or Warren Buffet?

Led Zeppelin, of course. And, on that note, the Beatles, since they wanted to make a LOTR film (CNN).

Speaking of the mighty Zepp, I can't resist posting a few videos now that have LOTR references.


(Listen for the lines about Gollum and Mordor. )

"I just don't think it has to do with the changes"- Eldo

I agree broadly- he seems to just not have gone on with PJ, or not rated him very highly as a director perhaps. But as someone who seems keenly intelligent and is a big LotR fan I struggle to imagine he was happy with the changes to Saruman. As an actor after all would he rather have played the scene with Ian Mckellan as written in the book with dialogue thats a gift for an actor, or would he rather have spent days in a harness and hanging about for a few close ups in a bad fight scene? I rather think the answer is obvious.

I had forgotten abou the Beatles- I can't begin to imagine waht their version would have been like but I bet the songs would have been good.

Good old Zepplin!

I'm going to have to move over to the YouTube thread to continue posting Zeppelin videos so I don't completely derail this one.

Ah yes. I remember how disappointed I was when I realized that the Led Zeppelin song wasn't about Gollum and Mordor at all! It was just another song about "ramblin'."

I had unrealistic expectations as a teen. Like when I expected the Ralph Bakshi LOTR to be good.

-Paul

Am I the only person who thinks Bakshi did a better script than PJ and the Coven?

Pettytyrant101 wrote:Am I the only person who thinks Bakshi did a better script than PJ and the Coven?

I honestly have a hard time remembering Bakshi's script because every single other thing about that movie seared a burning hole of awfulness straight through my brain. At least Rankin/Bass had "Where There's A Whip There's A Way". And, y'know, finished animation.

Admittedly it being unfinished is a problem, as is a lot of the animation, but the script is still tighter to the book than PJ's in many ways. And there's quite a few nice bit of directing in there too, the ones PJ stole mainly.....

What exactly did PJ steal in terms of directing? I remember that he copied a few visual shots (Mr. Proudfoot and the Hobbits huddling under the tree roots come to mind) but I don't recall what else PJ is said to have borrowed.

Eldorion wrote:At least Rankin/Bass had "Where There's A Whip There's A Way". And, y'know, finished animation.

I'm still amazed that they edited out Tolkien songs to make room for the songs they added in. Like the Glen Yarborough one at the end. Erg!

Yeah, the songs are pretty awful. I think my ears started to bleed when they began yowling "The beeeeearer of the ring, the weeeeeeeearer of the ring". That said, the sheer audial and visual absurdity of "Where There's A Whip There's A Way", coupled with the neat guitar track, makes it a guilty pleasure.

There's a few shots are oddly similar. I can't remember them all offhand, I'd need to watch it again, but last time I watched the animation I noticed four or five blatant steals. Theres some shots from the Gate of Moria, the fight with the Watchers, the run through the Hall to the Bridge of Khazad-dum and in fact the panning overhead shot of them running across it, and of course the shot you mentioned with the Black Rider. And that's just off the top of my head.

I can't believe PJ left out all the songs bar a couple of incredibly dull sung bits of song by Treebeard.

Do you realise this thread has wandered....?

Well go and round it back up then Odo!

odo banks wrote:Do you realise this thread has wandered....?

This is pretty much par for the course on Forumshire.

Yes, wandering. So are there any other celebrity fans?

Ones to whom a person might email a parody of The Hobbit? Just to see what would happen? If one was (as always) indulging in shameless self-promotion? Because I can't figure out a way to get my book to Christopher Lee. Although I supposed most celebrities try to insulate themselves from cyber-stalkers like me.

The footballer Fernando Torres, well I think he is. He has some tattoo in some Tolkien Elvish language! He's the only one I know of who hasn't been mentioned.
Would of loved a Beatles LOTR though. It would have been interesting what genre they would opt for- comedy presumably as all their films were. But hopefully Petty's crabbit meter, if it has indeed been made, would accept the fact that it is The Beatles and forget all the insults to the brilliant name of Tolkien!

"Ones to whom a person might email a parody of The Hobbit?"-The Wobbit

And there I was thinking you had made a thread merely to spark interest and comment- but no shameless self promotion! Oh dear oh dear. (((This is probably how rich people get rich but I don't have to like it!)))

Well, there's these Books called "The Door Within" and supposedly the writer is a HUGE Tolkien fan. Don't know his name though.