I was watching RotK last night on TBS, and was struck all over again at how well they incorporated the CGI into the miniatures, particularly in that first scene of Minas Tirith when Gandalf and Pippin are riding to see Denethor. For all the advances in computer tech in the seven years since, it still doesn't look dated or stilted.
And it is fun to read over those old posts, Beverly! I do it every so often, and remember how absolutely jazzed I was to be so swept up in the fannishness.
One thing that struck me while watching last night was how skillfully most of those actors have parlayed their new fame into career growth: John Noble on Fringe, Dom Monaghan in Lost, Viggo got an Oscar nod, Karl Urban in, well, everything, Orlando (although he's currently in a dry spell--who knows how he's going to go on from here), Sean Astin boosted up from his journeyman acting career pre-LotR to more high-profile acting gigs and voiceover work, and Elijah Wood made the transition from adolescent roles to adult roles without any serious awkwardness that many of his cohorts had to go through.
I saw burlesque today. It was fun. Not life changing, but I'll probably buy the soundtrack.
Even Craig Parker (Haldir) parlayed into Legend of the Seeker!
Beverly, as usual, I'm in awe of your eloquence and insight.
As much as I love having the complete LOTR world available (in the extended versions, natch) I do so miss dwelling in that world, learning about the extraordinary project that brought that world to us and dreaming of being part of something so grand.
The openness with which the production team brought us in, made me completely enamored with absolutely everyone involved. The only other filmmaker I've found to be that earnest and warts-n-all self-exposing is Terry Gilliam.
I would so love to have lived in that world.
Man, I loved the Hobbit actors. Especially Billy and Dom! And how they would take the piss out of long-winded, earnest Sean Astin in the commentaries!
Tonight's DVD - The Kids Are All Right. I think this could have been a great movie if only it hadn't been trying SO HARD to hit all the "normal marriage" notes. I do understand the impetus - it would be unrealistic to take for granted that a mainstream audience would see this family as "normal" if it weren't hammered home in every scene. But for me, it was just overwritten enough that I wished I could have just been told the story without being also loudly informed of what a NORMAL EVERYDAY STORY it was.
Also, I don't see the appeal of Mark Ruffalo. Is this the same kind of attractiveness I don't get about Nathan Fillion?
I like Mark Ruffalo sometimes, but sometimes he comes off sort of slimy/creepy to me, and I'm not sure why.
I liked him a lot in
Shutter Island,
though.
I love Fillion, but don't get Ruffalo.
True Grit last night. So good! Such a late screening after a very large meal (T-Bones and many sides...it was an event T-Bones and True Grit) = VERY tired now.
I always thought Ryan Reynolds was the cute one on Two Guys etc. But since Firefly I find Fillion exceedingly hot. Mark Ruffalo comes off as more creepy to me.
I don't remember the night scenes in True Grit being too dark. I hope your theatre didn't have a bulb that needed to be changed, Jessica.
