#lotr films negative

[lesbiansforboromir]

the demonic force that lives on the landing outside my bedroom made me relive Galadriel's opening monologue to the fotr film in the millisecond it took to pass through the doorway and now I am struck still and petrified, compressing my guts into diamonds with how much malice I am generating "and nine were given to the race of men who above all else desire power" I- hrrgrh hcrscchhh hrrgggrrr

Galadriel. Is literally. She- THE ENTIRE REASON. SHE IS EVEN IN MIDDLE EARTH IN THE FIRST PLACE... IS BECAUSE SHE WANTED POWER. THAT'S IT. IT'S THE UNIFYING MOTIVE ACROSS ALL TWELVE BILLION OF HER DRAFTED BACKSTORIES FOR WHY SHE LEFT VALINOR AT ALL. IT'S HER PURPOSE FOR EVEN REMAINING THERE, IT'S HER SUCCEEDED GOAL, SHE HAS HER RING OF POWER THAT SHE USES TO LITERALLY EMBALM A SILVAN SETTLEMENT IN TIME WHICH SHE THEN RULES OVER FOR 3000 YEARS I- I can't even breathe just the- like it's certainly in character for her but the HYPOCRISY and played totally straight in the films like I'm wheezing I'm choking on my lust for violence right now and GOd especially given the rest of that monologue which might as well have been;

three were given to the elves who are the ontologically superior race seven to the dwarves who make things I suppose and nine were given to the race of men who invented bigotry and hate god

Like no ffffucking wonder the whole lotr fandom is so at home with dabbling in racial superiority and morality hierarchies when it's so brazenly displayed in the opening scene of this film like it's entirely correct, how did Peter just get away with this how did everyone just believe him, local elf queen recounts history of how her race is perfect and the world was pure until those fucking humans came along and ruined everything, groundbreaking!! Reliable source!! Citation not needed, we! will! trust you bro!!

[lordoftheringsmusical]

Aotearoa is not Middle-earth

As you've probably noticed, the marketing of the Aotearoa stop of The Lord of the Rings: A Musical Tale focuses prominently on the idea that Aotearoa is Middle-earth because Peter Jackson's massively popular film trilogies were filmed there.

This is immediately obvious upon checking out the production's Instagram, which features countless film-inspired posts (screenshots and clips from the movies, photos of scenic filming locations); the slogans used to promote the musical ("Coming Home to Middle-earth" x); and the cast's extensively covered visit to the Hobbiton film set (x).

If you're following me elsewhere (my main blog and Instagram in particular), you've probably read my criticism of that marketing strategy. Until today, I've focused mostly on how this affects the LotR Musical negatively by setting false expectations and devaluing the show as an independent adaptation in a different medium.

Today, I'd like to draw attention to a far more important matter: namely, how a close association of Aotearoa with Middle-earth and the ensuing Tolkien tourism, enabled by the film trilogies, affects Aotearoa and the Māori in particular negatively. The following article is eye-opening; well-written and important, and I highly recommend it:

[spookieloverslittlemind]

Their favourite movie…

includes: Michael Myers, Pinhead, Brahms Heelshire, Art the Clown, Sun and Moon (fnaf), Marta (Outlast 2)

spoilers: mentions of Saw and LOTR endings but tried to keep it vague just in case

Michael

I wouldn’t say he’s “happy” to watch anything, because Michael doesn’t really express “happiness” in any context, but he is content to sit completely still for hours on end, watching whatever you choose. He doesn’t form opinions on films so doesn’t have a favourite, but when you watch a gory horror film together, the SECOND the end credits are rolling he is up and grabbing his knife, heading for the door; Mike loves some inspo x

Pinhead

Fascinated by human media, having long forgotten that aspect of humanity. Pinhead enjoys films that he finds mentally stimulating, thrillers and mysteries mostly (gory films have him scoffing because he could easily make a far more gory scene in the blink of an eye). That said, Pinhead doesn’t like rewatching films because if they have a mystery and he’s solved it, he has no interest in seeing it again because “It is done; an experience that cannot be repeated”. His favourite film is Saw because he was completely blindsided by the plot twist at the end - obviously, a body on the floor of the entire film is nothing more than furniture to Pinhead, so when bro GOT UP?? Pinhead was losing it. Had to pause the film to pace for a few minutes. Couldn’t comprehend how he didn’t see it coming.

Brahms

Every Barbie movie from the early 2000’s, classic animated Disney princess films, and Peter Pan; Brahms thinks the princesses are very pretty (often comparing them to you regardless of your gender because he romanticises every fibre of your being) and believes himself to be the boy who never quite grew up, ironically. Doesn’t mind gory films, but doesn’t like complicated ones because he gets very frustrated; prefers to cuddle up with you and watch something wholesome. Will get pouty and is not above begging to start a movie over the second it’s finished.

Art

He’s pretty casual about the films he likes, he prefers classics that have decent remakes and his favourite is Carrie - a revenge plot with magical powers that cause a gory rampage? Count Art in. What he is passionate about, though, is the film he hates more than any other that fits the same criteria of a classic with a decent remake: It. And it’s literally because Art thinks he himself is the best scary clown. Sometimes you put it on (either the classic or new, the reaction is the same) just to piss him off and Art will come storming in, signing angry gibberish with flailing hands until he’s sulking on the couch beside you because he will insist on watching the entire thing again so that he can complain throughout.

Sun and Moon

Sun likes exciting films with happy endings, a very big fan of action movies. Contrary to this, his favourite movie isn’t just one, but the full Lord Of The Rings trilogy - Sun loved reading the books in between watching the films to digest every scrap of lore, but after watching the end of Return Of The King? Couldn’t bring himself to read the last book, because it was too sad. Sun is adamant he will never rewatch the trilogy because it upset him but objectively, that’s his favourite. He’s overjoyed to watch anything with you, because he loves spending time with you, but you have to tell him in advance it has a happy ending or he wont watch it, and if you lie? Moon pending.

Moon prefers quieter, calmer and darker films, with a particular love for gothic horrors based on the supernatural rather than slashers/gorefests. His favourite is An American Werewolf In London, the negative aspects of the transformation being very relatable to Moon.

Marta

Say hello to the biggest film critic of all time. Marta will insist that watching movies is a waste of good time that could be spent praising God or eradicating heretics, so will turn her nose up at almost every suggestion you make, but when you show her John Wick? Oh, Marta’s sense of justice is PREENING. She’s all about that. By the end, her internal monologue is begging God not to let her joy show on her face. As long as you tell her a film is like John Wick, she’ll give it a chance, but John Wick remains her favourite.

[dylanndr]

The Character of Sauron

Just finished watching S2 of Rings of Power. As a fan of the Jackson LOTR trilogy, and lukewarm-to-negative on the Jackson Hobbit, I wasn't sure to what extent RoP was necessary [the TV series is intended to mesh visually with the Jackson LOTR trilogy but Jackson is not involved with RoP]. Do we really need the world-building backstory fleshed out in detail? But I've been watching, and enjoying, and I think it's doing one thing exceptionally well that does indeed add richness to the overall LOTR story: it's showing us why Sauron is scary as fuck, how he came to be the nearly-unstoppable force that he is.

[Caveat: I read the Appendices once, literal decades ago. They are not fresh in my mind, so I don't know how much liberty RoP is taking with them. Probably a lot, because they're building narrative out of what is functionally academic material. But the LOTR films took a lot of liberties with the books as well, it's just a thing that's going to happen in adaptations, and the real question is whether or not the liberties lend themselves to a good and cohesive story. Anyway.]

Big ol' Rings of Power spoilers to follow.

So, Sauron. In LOTR he is presented as this immensely powerful, mystical being who corrupts and consumes. But it's kinda abstract. He's a burning eye; he uses the palantir and the Ring to get into people's heads somehow or other; his One Ring is bad for you, don't use it.

What RoP is doing is showing how Sauron gets into people's heads and manipulates them. He figures out what your ambition is, what your desires are, and uses them against you to further his own goals. For Galadriel, it's revenge. For Celebrimbor, it's acclaim as a legendary craftsman. And at first, Sauron has to interact with someone personally to suss out what it is they want, and how he can use that for his own advantage.

But then he figures out that he can put his own essence into these exquisite rings that Celebrimbor is crafting, and then use the rings as conduits to manipulate people from afar: he's able to warp King Durin's mind remotely, pushing him into physically attacking his fellow dwarves. The more of Sauron's essence that goes into the rings, the more easily he can use them as vessels, and he escalates accordingly with the rings for men. The rings that will ultimately turn those men into his nazgul servants, their own will utterly subsumed into his.

I also appreciate how the writers have shown that Sauron can *appear* sympathetic, but are not actually portraying him as a Poor Misunderstood Villain in the narrative. In S1 we, like Galadriel, are fully led to believe Halbrand is basically a good guy, a bit of a rake with a mysterious past. Until we find out the truth about who Halbrand really is and, whoops! We were *deceived.*

The way Sauron shifts back and forth between kind and cruel indicates there's no underlying attempt to rehabilitate him as a character, but rather to show just how cunning manipulators can be at their craft. Even after the other characters *know* who he is, they still have a hard time resisting him. This persists for Galadriel for 3000 years, culminating in her immense relief when Frodo offers her the One Ring and she's able to turn him down, albeit with some effort. If the Hobbits have special resistance to his wiles, perhaps it's because their ambitions and desires tend to be "eat a food, drink an ale, smoke a blunt."

The actor playing Sauron (Charlie Vickers) is IMO doing a *fantastic* job of shifting from "I'm just a mostly-wholesome person who's here to help you do the thing you need to do" to "I'm absolutely using your desires to manipulate you into doing the thing *I* want to do," his expression gliding from warm to cold as Sauron shifts modes. The way a very slight twitch of a facial muscle conveys Sauron's anger without devolving into chewing scenery or over-the-top bombast. Sauron does commit acts of violence, but by far his preferred go-to is getting others to do his dirty work for him, and he almost always gets people to go along with him willingly, even against their own best interests. Far more scary than a guy who just yells a lot and stabs people.

[the-bogginses-are-gay]

Hello, lovely!! This is for the nosy ask game: 6, 16, 17, 21, 27, 41, and 43!!!

Ahhh, thank you so much for asking ily bby!!!!

6 - Age I get mistaken for: I often get told wildly varying things about my appearance, but most commonly people think I'm 16 or 17, as I still have a childlike face.

16 - I'll love you if: Hmmm, this is a tricky one! I will love and appreciate anyone who takes time out of their day to ask me how I'm doing, or pays special attention enough that they realise I'm having a bad day. I also love people who put up with my incessant fandom ramblings too lol

17 - Someone I miss - I had a friend a year or two ago who started acting really bitchy to me and our group before moving away to another country. She reached out to me a few weeks ago apologising for the way she treated me. I don't know if I want to rekindle the friendship, but I miss the friendship we had.

21 - What I love most about myself - This is really difficult, I tend to be negative about myself so I'll try my best ... I really like my intelligence (that feels Iike a weird thing to say), it gives me a confidence boost around other people. I can't really think of things about myself that I really like atm sorry!!

27 - A description of the girl/boy I like - Okay, I like this question!! The boy that I like is decently tall, with skinny, pale but really strong arms. He is overall a very skinny person (my friends call him a stick figure) with long legs, big cloudy blue eyes and short light brown hair. His ears are slightly sticking out, but in a cute way. He is really smart, but clowns around sometimes and is really funny.

41 - Where I want to be right now - Honestly, I just want to be in New Zealand. I've been there before, as the place where lotr was filmed, and it felt like my true home. If I could live or just exist anywhere, I would be in New Zealand, at home in Middle Earth.

43 - Sexiest person that comes to mind immediately - Oh god, this is embarrassing, but probably the guy I like, even though he isn't that sexy, he's more of a pretty boy.

[grogusmum]

I’m listening to the audiobook of The Hobbit right now (as narrated by the wonderful Andy Serkis) after not reading it since like… 2010 I want to say? And it’s wonderful and amazing and fantastic.

But.

It is making me annoyed at the film trilogy (but what else is new) for completely messing it up and making shit up on the fly to make an extra buck. The details of the book were hazy when I saw the movies but having the refresher now, I’m like

at the movie trilogy all over again.

You know how a certain subset of Star Wars fans view the prequel trilogy? (ie negatively?) That’s me with The Hobbit movies?

Anyhow, if you’re into audiobooks I would highly recommend the Andy Serkis versions of Tolkien’s works.

Ugh! I am with you! During the shutdown, Andy Serkis did a one off fundraisers reading of it.

It was brilliant, of course, but I was so annoyed all over again.

I need to get his LotR!

[jedinightsister]

1. How did you find out about Rings of Power? What was the one thing that drew you to the show?

[click here for the trop ask game list; see below/click read more for my response]

Found out about it through social media. Not necessarily the loud, negative voices (thankfully), plus, as a frequent listener to Star Wars podcasts (special shout out to Ken Napzok of Force Center and Jacob Boushh of the Cosmic Force), I observed quite a handful of them watch and thoroughly enjoy the show. I did have a phase for the LOTR and Hobbit films a few years ago, so I knew to some extent I was gonna enjoy it, but I wasn't prepared for how much I'd actually adore the show. Even more than any of the movies, if I may say so.

Aside from the fanfare from podcasters whose taste in fiction is similar to mine, I just know the concepts being delved into are the type I enjoy. Yes, it's a fantastical realm, but the themes are very grounded and can be seen through a realistic lens. Escapist fiction in some ways, but a reflective medium as well.

Lastly, and I'd be remiss not to mention this, cuz it is pretty much the very thing that truly made me finally start the show after delaying myself from it, is a fan art by Bryan Ward

I've been reading the High Republic novels and love them. I also enjoy people's fancasting, and this fancast/fanart was so good, I just needed that visual of Morfydd as Jedi Master Avar Kriss. Pilot episode did not fail me, Galadriel was pretty darn badass there and had so much emotional depth that really carried a througline of the story. ��

Here I am now, months later, still very much deep in my love for the show (even if my posting has died down a little). It's still a fandom that I can reliably count on, and I'm especially grateful to the small but wonderful Mirendil homies I've met 💖

[thisworldisablackhole]

The Lord of the Rings The War of the Rohirrim

🌕🌕🌑🌑🌑

The War of the Rohirrim sounded like such a good concept — pick some random tidbit of lore from the LotR universe and make an animated film about it. What could go wrong? I've always had fond memories of the original animated LotR films from the 70s, so this idea immediately hit me with a wave of nostalgia. Unfortunately, this film was a pretty big disappointment. I already had low expectations due to the already negative Rotten Tomatoes score, but I was expecting my deep rooted love for LotR would take the brunt of any shortcomings, and to a degree it did.

I definitely think this is worth a watch, I just would avoid seeing it in theaters. Pirate it or wait 'til it lands on streaming services. The story was surprisingly dry, which I almost appreciated. They could have gone full on Marvel with this, but they showed some restraint, despite it still having a few tired LotR clichés shoehorned into it (oh no another dramatic slow-mo death scene in the heat of battle, but don't worry cause the guys on horses come down from the hill and save the day again!) There were a few scenes in here that seemed to exist only to fill time so that they could sell this as a feature film. Now that I think of it, it probably could have made a killer 30 minute short. Unfortunately the characters had almost zero depth and I failed to connect with any of them, so the stakes just felt really low the whole time. It sucks because this was the first piece of LotR cinema featuring a woman as the main protagonist, and they failed to give her a fleshed out personality, along with everyone else.

The mix of art styles also screamed of laziness to me, like they purposely cut costs and resources to pump this thing out as fast as possible. The characters were all decently drawn, but all the environments and backgrounds were muddy, grainy CGI "sets" that didn't match the foreground at all. There were also some laughably bad effects, like when one of those gigantic elephants crashed through a gate and the animation for the wood breaking to pieces looked like it was thrown together by an intern who just figured out a new trick in Blender. This whole thing just reeks of a low effort cash grab, but at the same time, it's hard to hate it. It's more Lord of the Rings material. If you're obsessed with the lore and just want a fun animated movie set in a familiar world, then you'll get something out of this. I just wish they tried harder to make it good.

[misplacedmidlanders]

Saturday, May 11th 2024. Wellington.

Today was our final day in Wellington before we leave early tomorrow morning for the south island, and it was a refreshingly relaxed coach-free affair (childhood me could never have imagined travelling this much all week and not vomming every five minutes, I guess my years of increasing the profits for Megabus has paid off).

We met and had a talk from Daniel Reeve, a lovely chap who was responsible for nearly all the calligraphy and many of the maps and illustrations in the LOTR and Hobbit films. We weren't allowed to photograph any of his illustrations as he technically doesn't own the rights, but if you've literally seen the title for the films or bought yourself even a mug with Frodo's name on it then you'll have seen his work. Here's a link to some of his stuff:

https://www.danielreeve.co.nz/

Jake and I decided that the thrashing our wallets received yesterday was insufficient, so we decided to pick up a couple of posters between us that Daniel kindly signed. Jake got a poster of the Shire, and I got a poster of Gollum because he reminds me of my would-definitely-betray-you-the-moment-you-stopped-feeding-him-chicken cat (Wilson if you're reading this I haven't forgotten about you, two more weeks to go bb xo). 

Afterwards, Jake and I decided to temporarily part ways for our the rest of our afternoons in Welly (not in a negative way or anything like that, we're just completely sick of each other). I finally did my laundry and ironing (the most satisfying part of this trip so far) and then I had a wander around the harbour before popping into Te Papa Museum. Having already been to Auckland's museum I didn't spend too long in here, although in contrast to the hobbits we've encounteted they had these gargantuan figures of soldiers of The Gallipoli Campaign (about 4x the size of an actual person, and coincidentally made and supplied by Weta).

For dinner, we went to Mama Brown - New Zealand's finest American diner with McKenzie and Joseph (the Alabamians, which is a nickname I'm sure they'd really appreciate). Tomorrow, we're off to NZ: 2 The South Island via ferry and then a coach down to Nelson. Apparently, there's a notable temperature drop in the south, so it might be time to finally hang up my beloved shorts for good (RIP, you were the real Frodo and Sam of this journey).

[mushiver]

I haven't been a movie nerd even ONCE on this account. Here's my top 10 movies in 2023

1. The Lord of the Rings (trilogy)

IT STILL COUNTS AS ONE

Can't go wrong here. There's fantasy, action scenes, friendship, romance, badass dialogue, comedy. There's refreshing masculinity where men are close friends, fight for each other, die for each other, kiss each other on the forehead, sing, etc. The Aragorn Arwen romance is sweet and isn't overblown, and the main theme is to fight for good. If you're tired of anti-heroes and want a clean good vs. evil, this is it. The downside is not having poc representation and only 3 important women, but they are extremely awesome and play pivotal roles. If you've heard about LOTR for forever but never actually seen it, here's your sign.

2. The Lego Movie

This movie sells itself, but I have seen it maybe. 40 times. And I could quote it from start to end as a kid. It's funny, has crossover characters along with the main ones (like Batman, Superman, Gandalf, Abraham Lincoln, Han Solo), lots of references, and the main message is that you're special in your own way. It's very autism coded, I think

3. Jaws

Classic man vs. monster, and it's great if you don't watch thrillers and need something "dip your toes in." While the majority of the town goes all rambo trying to kill the shark, the main characters are the opposite. The chief of police is ultimately empathetic and wants to stop more people from being hurt, Matt Hooper is a shark expert "city boy" coming along, and Quint has a boat that needs to be bigger

4. My Cousin Vinny

Vinny is a lawyer taking a case to prove his cousin didn't murder a clerk, but he's the worst lawyer in existence. He forgot everything he learned in law school, can't stop wearing a leather jacket to court, and his fiancée saves him most times. It has some of the most quotable lines and 10/10 I recommend to Alabamans for the southern jokes

5. Knives Out

A modern "whodunit" mystery that shines the most because it's a comedy. The main character Marta is the only one who thinks she knows what happened, but she pukes every time she tells a lie. Benoit Blanc is also the most iconic detective to me and one of my favorite characters ever

6. Tommy Boy

This has a very similar tone to My Cousin Vinny, but it's a road trip movie. After Tommy's dad dies, he and Richard (a jerk coworker) try to sell autoparts to save his company. They're the worst salesmen in existence, but ultimately are creative and pull some shenanigans (Tommy and Richard go from rivals to buddies). It's from the 90s and not very chill with the r-slur and some fat jokes, but it's ultimately a feel-good movie if that isn't a dealbreaker for you

7. Jurassic Park

Like Jaws, another classic pop culture movie. The score is so good, and they make a world full of dinosaurs have the same magic feel as the wizarding world. It's an adventure movie with great action scenes and characters. (This is a trope I love personally but) Alan Grant is a grump who doesn't like kids, but later he looks after them. Ellie Sattler is one of my favorite characters ever, and Jeff Goldblum lays on a table. Survival movies are fun 10/10

8. Joker (2019)

DROOLING OVER THE CINEMATOGRAPHY. It's such a well-made movie, and you never know entirely what's real with unreliable narrating. It makes you feel for Arthur and understand his actions while knowing he made the wrong decisions in the end. Some think it's negative for mental health representation, but it can be used as a cautionary tale for the ways mentally ill people are mistreated and how the events that led to the start of the film weren't his fault. Ultimately, I think it inspires more empathy, and it's a piece of art

9. Signs

I'm a sucker for the "everything makes sense in the end" trope. A lot of people didn't like the combo of two supernaturals (the existence of God and aliens), but I don't think it ruins the movie. It centers around a family struggling with the death of their mother (or sister or wife, depending on the character), and the ex-priest dad had lost connection with his faith. He happens to find it again because of an alien invasion. Normal Tuesday

10. Arsenic and Old Lace

From 1944, it's a weird movie and the acting is iconic. Mortimer is trying to get to his honeymoon, but when he visits his aunts, he finds a dead body in the house. It's a comedy involving shenanigans, avoiding the police, and an uncle who thinks he's Teddy Roosevelt. (It's a bit outdated as far as mental illness goes, but Mortimer's goal is to put his family in the care of a mental institution rather than shipping them off or telling the police.) As a drama queen, I also appreciate Cary Grant being a drama queen

10 honorable mentions: Lego Batman, Napoleon Dynamite, The Goofy Movie, Clue, Psycho, Marriage Story, Into the Spiderverse, Avengers Endgame, Dead Poets Society, Muder on the Orient Express. Swag thanks for reading

[broodparasitism]

👀 lotr

I struggle with this one because…my experience with the tolkien fandom around 2014-16 was such a negative one it made me not want to engage with the source material either. I’ve never been able to shake the feeling of being a “fake” fan and I suppose these days I am in that my memory of them is quite hazy 😔

I suppose it’s rare/unpopular to be a 90s kid and to have read the books before seeing any of the films, and to advocate doing it that way around? But that’s a rule I have for almost every book that’s been adapted to TV/film, so I don’t know if it counts.

[yourstormthlaylirahh]

I really try to avoid negative reviews on mdl, I really do, because they tend to be mind numbingly stupid takes, but there is one I see so consistently and asserted with such confidence I'm gonna briefly rant about it.

People are allowed to not like shows such as Kiseki and My Dear Gangster Oppa, of course, but they are all the time getting compared unfavourably to shows like Kinnporsche because they 'aren't realistic' and are like 'kids imaginings of the mafia.' This is partially a fair point, they aren't realistic, but what gets me is the implication that Kinnporsche is realistic and is ergo better.

Kinnporsche is not realistic, because organized crime is not glamorous. It's not flashy, it's not glorious, it's not stylized choreography for emotionally fraught fight scenes. Frankly, a lot more tedium assorted with business, such as money laundering/running illegal businesses/infiltrating unions/etc is involved than would initially pop into your head when you hear the word mafia. I'm not saying it isn't violent. It is, and there are gruesome killings, and people tend to die in awful ways far before their natural lifespan. But it is often a more boring, day to day type of violence than what we find in a plotted story.

The thing is, those don't tend to make accessible television or movies (I'm sure there are realistic media treatments I am not aware of, but here I'm referring to stuff intended to have widespread appeal rather than indie or art film). It's glamorized, you are agreeing to suspend some disbelief when you watch the story. It's fine if it feels more realistic to you to watch KP because the sex is more graphic and there are some (frankly incredibly fanciful) torture scenes, but to pretend it is inherently more realistic comes across pretty naive. Some examples are the hospital they have access to and apparently never use, and the plot armour the main characters have to survive fights and situations that would have realistically killed them.

It reminds me of when people claim GOT is sooooo much more realistic than a story like LotR. Setting aside things like dragons, it may be bleaker and more violent, but where are the scores of people dying from sepsis due to stab wounds hmm?

It's fine to like different types of stories, I myself did enjoy at least the first half of KP so this is not just me trying to shit on the show. I just find it really frustrating when people try to use their flawed view of 'realistic' as this gold standard in media analysis.

[will80sbyers]

Hmm I’m about to watch Oppenheimer too, but as a gentle correction, the Bechdel test alone isn’t supposed to be a hard metric of a movie’s own artistic or moral quality. In fact, the entire LOTR trilogy fails the Bechdel test and Showgirls passes it. This movie is also based on a biography on Oppenheimer; I understand how something like Hidden Figures would pass it because the book was based on women, but Oppenheimer feels more of a muddy area to me, especially because American Prometheus is a biography that would focus more on his interactions.

The sterile quality you mentioned’s interesting though. I’m going into this expecting a movie that’s supposed to be unsettling overall, with who and what’s being shown *and* who and what’s not being shown; so I think along with the sterile feel and the omission of the victims and people of color affected by the testing sites that I’ve seen people have mentioned (and I’m speaking as an Asian woman curious enough to want to watch it), I’ve already been getting the impression there’s a underlying theme of white detachment surrounding such an already terrifying project. Which is honestly what I genuinely and perfectly expect from a film focusing on the thoughts and tunnel vision of this one white man.

But I never said it was? I have watched a lot of movies that don't pass the test and I still like them, I just think it's one of the negatives of the movie along with Nolan putting some women in the story but not giving them space to really make me connect with them in a human way, I personally don't think Nolan knows how to write and communicate human emotion well on screen and I think this movie was a game of theoric intellectualism with no soul

He tries to not make it that, and that's why I'm saying he fails, because if he didn't try and it was really meant to be sterile and detached intentionally then I would have given a different judgement on the story

I don't think he was trying to make Oppenheimer look like a white man that is detached from the consequences of his actions at all, he was trying to show the human man behind that act and also all the other people that participated in that but he didn't do it enough for me to care about all of them as people and he didn't even give justice to what actually were the consequences, he sprinkles some lines of dialogue and some scenes in the finale but it's not enough to make you feel them on your skin while you're watching the movie

I just don't like this movie and those were my reasons why I don't like it, I think cinema should be primarily about making you feel emotion and this movie didn't

[theharpermovieblog]

#HARPERSMOVIECOLLECTION

2023

I re-watched The Hobbit (1977)

This film had a huge impact on me as a kid. Some people have a connection to the LOTR books and some to the Hobbit novel, and others feel closest to the Peter Jackson Middle Earth films, but my connection to Tolkien's world is this animated film.

Arthur Rankin, Jr. And Jules Bass are the men behind many of the stop motion and animated Christmas movies we all grew up with. Needless to say, they know how to make something that stays in the memory of those who see it.

Ralph Bakshi made an animated/rotoscoped adaptation of The Lord Of The Rings in the 1970's, but while it's worth a watch, it lacked the emotion that this version of the Hobbit offers.

Rankin and Bass also made a version of Return Of The King, which I've never seen, but plan to watch.

The one thing I think has stayed with me the most is the music. All but the introduction song by Glenn Yarborough have lyrics from the book. The lyrics themselves are written by J.R.R. Tolkien himself. Which is a wonderful touch to have included.

The music has this wonderful way of fleshing out the feeling of middle earth. As does the voice work. There is something very relaxing and transfixing about the sound of this movie. For sure John Huston as Gandalf was a great choice, and the rest of the cast lends wonderful talent as well.

The animation is very simple and very much of it's time. But, this isn't exactly a bad thing. The simple animation is used to nice effect, even if it doesn't wow the eye at any point.

The story moves along quickly. It often feels more like we're hitting the main bullet points of the book. Which I have few complaints about, honestly. It's not something that'd work in a live action film, or even in an animated film made today, but it works here. You go along with it because it's never boring. Things are happening constantly and with the music backing the visuals, every bullet points is a real treat to watch. It almost plays like it knows you already know the story. You don't need to be let in on what's going on or who these characters are. You already know them and this adventure, so sit back and watch it happen.

I know it sounds crazy, but I much prefer this to Peter Jackson's Hobbit trilogy. I think Jackson accomplished something amazing with the LOTR trilogy, but with The Hobbit he failed to make something that felt like it was worth my time. It was a messy mix of CGI and over bloated story telling.

This version feels much more in tune with the tone of the overall world of Middle Earth and it's characters. It's dark and drab and without pretention. It tells the story of Bilbo Baggins as if it was a tale spread by word of mouth, village to village. It's greatness is in its simplicity.

This animated t.v. movie is more than worth a watch if you have an interest in Tolkien's work, the history of animation or what it was like before Peter Jackson directed The Fellowship Of The Ring. Yes, a lot of things I like about this movie can be seen as negatives, but I deeply appreciate the feel of this film and the attempt to tell one of the great stories of all time through animation.

[ladyofthelake]

So I made some gifs for one of my sideblogs and it was Frodo and Sam in return of the King and I always appreciate anyone that reblogs things I make but in the tags they were saying about the films and the extended scenes and kind of bashing them (albeit lightly I have seen much worse negative stuff in tags) but like

really? do you have to do that under my gifs? (again at least its in the tags and not added as a paragraph underneath them)

but also also who the fuck doesn't like the extended LOTR scenes??! I never ever watch the theatrical cut anymore its always the extended they add so much depth and sometimes are just a fun scene but the additional stuff is always welcome and little moments that add extra emotion or weight like cmon man

also its not illegal to love the movies more than the books

there I said it

(for what its worth I am in awe of what Tolkien created and do own all his books and have read a lot of them and you can enjoy both media, both exist and can't be ruined by the other but trashing the movies doesn't make you look good nor vice versa. You're allowed to consume lotr the way you enjoy most it is not disprespectful and no one is a bigger or better fan of lotr no matter how you came to know and love middle earth.)

[wot-tidbits]

10 Years Anniversary

PART 4

Labels

This part I dedicate to all the labels I have been put through in these 10 years. But as I have limited space I would want to talk about 3 specific labels that I find severely disconnected with my experience.

Number 1.

What is my experience with adaptations?

I am that old that I remember when LOTR movies came out and I have read the books at the same time. So I could form my opinion and talk with people in real time. Everyone around me thought the movies are amazing adaptation. Including me who had no idea what adaptation should look like but immediately knew a good one when I saw it.

Then came the Harry Potter movies. Again I have read the books in real time. The films were awesome adaptations. Some better, some less but still nothing short of respectful to the source material.

I will not go through every single fantasy adaptation in the last 24 years as I watched many fantasy adaptations. 24 years are long enough period to know when it works and when it does not. Or that was the common sense which I thought every human being would have.

I want to talk about 3 examples of adaptations.

The first is probably my most favorite one to this date BBC's Hogfather by Terry Pratchett. Easily the best one for me. Yes, it got criticized for the poor portrayal of the sporadic appearance of the Guards but everything else - Death, Susan, Albert, Teatime, and the Wizards - was pure perfection. No one can say that it is 1 to 1 adaptation and I can say I had the best experience with my most beloved book from the Discworld. You won't see me crying for any decision or whining for any casting or tell a bad critique about it. 10/10.

Second and third one are connected. The Watch (2021) by BBC and Cowboy Bebop (2021) on Netflix. As you can notice both productions share the same year with the first season of WoT. I do not choose them only for this detail.

I choose them because the consensus is that these two productions are bad adaptations that do not honor the source material. I agree on that part. And yet more importantly I enjoyed and liked the experience to watch both of them. For me they have decent storytelling and I have no problem watching them again. I can understand how adaptation works, I can acknowledge why adaptation fails, and I still can enjoy the final product.

These are three different scenarios.

When I discuss these two TV series on the Internet I do not expect people to stop "whining", I acknowledge why they think that way. I do not share their opinion but at least I understand why that is. I do not try to lie, manipulate, mock or berate people for their own experience. The TV series can be bad as adaptations and still enjoyable on its own merit. I form my own opinion and no one can influence me how to watch.

The funny thing is that I immediately binged the whole season of Cowboy Bebop after the first three episodes of WOT. It would be expected that after such bad taste I would be even more disappointed with another bad adaptation. But nope, Cowboy Bebop felt like a fresh air and it showed me why WoT on Prime is incompetent product, it showed me why I can enjoy bad adaptation - the writers' capability for storytelling. At least the writers knew what they were doing. People did not like their choices but still there is bloody big difference why Cowboy Bebop failed as adaptation but not as a story on its own. IMO.

The Pattern blessed me to watch Cowboy Bebop at the exact same time with the exact same issues so I can see through the manipulations in the WOT fandom.

At the end I have not one but at least two examples of TV fantasy adaptations which I can appreciate and enjoy despite the prevailing negative public opinion.

But as long as Brandon Sanderson doesn't know how adaptations work who am I to know better.

Number 2.

Homophobia

I do not have to tell any examples. My blog sits upon pile of dozens of posts, art and memes dedicated to the Noble Fish (me, an intellectual who knows the correct term). I have created content on the topic myself long before the TV series. My support is well documented on this blog.

But all of that long history disappears at the second when I state my opinion that Noble Fish in the TV series is not good decision for change. Because there cannot be any other reason for not wanting LGBTQ representation except my deep bigoted hatred. Nuh-uh. Nada. Lit the match and burn that pile before someone start asking uncomfortable questions.

Number 3.

Racism

Here also I won't make any example. Not because I do not have plenty of it. Sharing examples is irrelevant as you do not care anyways. As long as I say Two Rivers are not POC in canon - no excuses are acknowledged. This is how you want to work.

Then I have one uncomfortable question that confuses me. And this time I will ask it.

Why I wasn't called racist?

Yeah, you read it right, why I wasn't called racist in the period between 2014 - 14th August 2019?

To understand the question we have to make through fast historical lesson on the WoT fandom. Many of you who are members of Tumblr are not aware that the first time when Two Rivers POC headcanon started to get traction was here on Tumblr back in 2013-2014 - long months and years before it got the mainstream attention on Twitter or Facebook, Reddit, etc.

At that time one of the first, if not the first, who publicly questioned the headcanon, was my humble personae. I won't be surprised if chronologically I am the Original Racist. For the next several years when someone tried to push it through as the only acceptable option I, as the Asshole that I am, voiced the lack of evidence from the books as every other common fan having skill of reading with comprehension. So it is safe to assume that as the Original Racist I immediately got on the racist train... Uhmm.... Nope. The first time I was called racist on Tumblr was after the casting announcement in 2019. For 5 years no one around here thought to use that card about me. 5 years. Not 1, not 2, not 3. 5 years. This is a lot of bloody time. Probably people feared to call me out in public? Yeah, I was so scary back then. Uhmmm, do you remember how I told you in the previous part how there was hidden Skype group chat who dedicated time to slander me with various labels. Can you guess which one label was conveniently missing while feeling comfortable in their safe space? Yeah, the people who painted me as the most horrible person around somehow forgot to paint me as racist. Shocking, I know. It is not like they were not aware of my vocal opinion and some of them were the most vocal supporters of the headcanon. And yet, despite our well documented positions, they did not think that my opinion is equal to racism. This did not happen in 1924, 1964 or 1994. It happened merely 10 years ago and literally nothing has changed since then as judgement for social behavior. If I am called racist now then I should have been called racist then. But I was not. How this sounds plausible?

My arguments have not changed since 2014. The content of the books has not changed with new information since 2014. Then what changed?

You may brush the past away and ignore it as irrelevant. You do not care about what happened in the close past. What is important is that I am racist now, today. Nobody cares what 10 to 5 years ago was. How very convenient. Good for you. It is not enough for me though. So this is why I ask this stupid question. It will be never irrelevant to expose hypocrisy.

Oh, and one last thing to remind you that the Original Racist also supports the Two Rivers POC headcanon. But of course you do not treat the Native Americans as equal minority so why the bother.

Labels. Precious labels. Never forget who you are. The rest of the world will not. Wear it like armor and it can never be used against you.

Let the Light keep you safe.

LightOne