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CosmicRunaway's Avatar
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07-18-20
I've finished the theatrical cut of Return of the King, and given that it's not too late yet, I might have just enough time to get the extended content in tonight as well.

@gbgoodies Since we have the same copies of the extended edition, did you want me to get exact time stamps for when the giant spider is on screen?



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07-18-20

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

Just a couple days ago, for the first time I watched Schindler's List (1993). It's the type of film that rocks to your core, makes you sad but also oddly hopeful. It's depressing, but there are moments of light.

It is a testament to the filmmaking ability of Spielberg that he is able to rock you to your core in an entirely different way, with each new film he does. I've seen seven films from him, and liked each one. Is he the most creative director working today? An auteur? No. Is he often cheesy and sentimental? Yes. But he also has so much raw filmmaking talent from what I've seen, and E.T. is so good at proving that.

From the very first scene we are introduced to this alien life, a very different type of life that invaded audiences in Alien from three years prior. While I've not seen Close Encounters, Spielberg's earlier venture into the extra-terrestrial genre, this is an absolutely heartwarming film that will stick with me.

And indeed, for 1982, the fact that we have not only a believable, but lovable, alien, is truly a testament to the care put in to the film here. I love how passionate Spielberg is for making movies that everyone can enjoy. At times this really reminds me of the delightful films like My Neighbor Totoro or Ponyo as our characters interact with things they are not accustomed to, but immediately love anyways.

Trust and love are at core here. Both child and alien trust each other, and both help each other throughout the journey. What must it have been like in 1982 to sit down at the big screen and see something like this happen before your eyes? It's hard to imagine a story like E.T. being all that original, but it truly is, for that time period.

It doesn't have the thematic depth of, say, Jaws or Schindler's List, but it does have the emotional depth. And for that, it deserves every praise I can give it.

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07-18-20
And... I'm finished with this HoF!!! List being organized and sent right this moment!



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07-18-20


The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
Directed By: Peter Jackson
Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Elijah Wood, Sean Astin

Return of the King is an epic conclusion to an incredibly ambitious trilogy that left a major impact on the entire film industry. At the time, this was the longest film I had ever seen in theatres, and returning to watch it again seemed like a daunting task, but the hours flew by just as quickly as they originally did a month before hand. Similarly, the four and a half hour runtime of the extended edition looked exhausting on paper the first time I sat down to watch it, but I've seen plenty of shorter films that have felt much longer than this one.

My favourite scene in the entire trilogy can be found in Return of the King, and it never fails to give me chills when I watch it. It's hauntingly beautiful and tragic. From the emotion in the song that Pippin sings Denethor, to the imagery of the doomed ride into Osgiliath contrasting Denethor's self-interest and gluttony, it's a short scene that leaves a major impact. The pacing throughout the film is fantastic, that is until the need to provide closure to every character makes the last half hour drag. There's a reason why many joke that the film ends five different times before the credits actually roll.

As much as I love this final instalment to the series, it's the only one I have major grievances with. I don't actually like one particular version of Return of the King over the other, because they both have their own strengths and weaknesses. In my opinion, the original edit should've cut much of the ending after the final moments in Gondor in order to retain the entire Isengard scene. The film actually feels incomplete to me without it. However, I vastly prefer the shorter version of the meeting with the Dead Men of Dunharrow, as well as the theatrical cut's omission of the confrontation with the Corsairs shortly afterward. Removing that scene dramatically increases the tension of the ongoing battle for Minas Tirith, which is somewhat ruined in the extended version. I wish there was a third cut that combined the best features from the two available, because that would be one I could wholeheartedly recommend.

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07-19-20
Originally Posted by CosmicRunaway
We see one of the aliens anxiously waiting on the ramp for him though. Their heart begins to glow, then E.T.'s does, so I assume the other alien was calling out to him. The aliens had to have known they left him behind. I assumed they thought he had been captured by the humans.

I always thought of that scene as sitting in a window seat as you're leaving somewhere, and being sad that you're leaving, but it could be that they were calling out to him. But if they knew that they left him behind, then why did he have to make a "phone" to call them and tell them to come back for him?
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07-19-20
Originally Posted by CosmicRunaway


The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
Directed By: Peter Jackson
Starring: Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Andy Serkis

Where The Fellowship of the Ring spends time early on providing a calm, light-hearted start in the Shire, The Two Towers maintains a significantly more sombre tone from beginning to end. There is the occasional comedic relief provided by Gimli or Smeagol, but overall the atmosphere is quite serious. Also unlike Fellowship, which really felt like an epic journey, the second film isn't as grand in its scope, instead focusing on the build up to a major battle between Rohan and Isengard. The pacing feels less rushed because of that.

Attention is shifted away from the hobbits somewhat, in favour of Aragorn and the Rohirrim. Since Aragorn is by far my favourite character in the series, this change is one of the reasons why I prefer The Two Towers over Fellowship. The tragic nature of Théoden's story, and his people's impending destruction at the hands of Sarumon is more compelling to me than how close to Mordor Frodo is able to carry the ring. After having only a minor appearance in the first film, the proper introduction to Gollum and Smeagol, played perfectly by Andy Serkis, is one of the best moments in the entire series.

When I claim that The Two Towers is my favourite of the trilogy, that assertion is based on the extended edition of the film. This was my first time watching the original edit since its theatrical run, and I did honestly find it a little lacking, especially when viewed immediately after Fellowship, rather than a year later. While I wouldn't call it essential material to viewers who are primarily interested in Frodo's journey, the additional content does much to enhance the story in Rohan. The flashbacks featuring Boromir explain his brother's behaviour, and shed light on his own actions in the first film as well. For those interested in character development, the extended edition is the better choice.


I think that's what I liked most about the second movie, that I learned more about the characters than I did in the first movie.



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You can't make a rainbow without a little rain.
07-19-20
Originally Posted by Citizen Rules
Usually I don't go into plot holes and character flaws in my movie reviews. But I did this time as I thought you'd find it interesting as I've read your past HoF reviews and you seem to talk about plot holes and character flaws at times.
I always like reading your reviews, even if I don't always agree with your opinion. I sometimes get annoyed by plot holes when they're big enough to bother me as I watch the movie, but I usually forget the plot holes that are small before I even finish the movie.


Originally Posted by Citizen Rules
I have my own script change idea, that IMO would've fixed a lot of the issues with E.T.

In the opening scene: we see the aliens outside of their ship in the forest, gathering plant samples. As the aliens are collecting, they find a patch of night blooming flowers that fascinate them. They all gather together to have a closer look at the exotic flowers. With their backs to the ship...a half grown alien, a child alien (E.T.), wonders out of the ship unseen and follows a cute bunny into the woods, away from where the adult aliens are.

Then the rest of the movie plays the same, humans arrive the aliens flee, not knowing that one of their offspring has wandered away. That then makes E.T. a child alien and explains why he behaves child like and has wondered down the hillside to where the humans live. It also makes the bond between the human and alien children stronger in the audiences eye as they are both children of different species. During the movie there would be two short scenes of the aliens re landing in the woods trying to find their lost child. This would add more tension and emotion: will the alien child be reunited with his parents or captured by the humans? To me that fixes a lot of the problems with the movie, without really changing the overall story.
I love the idea of E.T. being a child who wandered off, (and of course I think every movie should have a cute bunny, as long as it doesn't get hurt. )



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You can't make a rainbow without a little rain.
07-19-20
Originally Posted by CosmicRunaway
I've finished the theatrical cut of Return of the King, and given that it's not too late yet, I might have just enough time to get the extended content in tonight as well.

@gbgoodies Since we have the same copies of the extended edition, did you want me to get exact time stamps for when the giant spider is on screen?

I would definitely appreciate it if you could give me the exact time to know when the giant spider shows up. At least I would know when to turn away from the screen for a few minutes, and it might save me from some upcoming nightmares.

Thanks.



gbgoodies's Avatar
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You can't make a rainbow without a little rain.
07-19-20
Originally Posted by ahwell

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

Just a couple days ago, for the first time I watched Schindler's List (1993). It's the type of film that rocks to your core, makes you sad but also oddly hopeful. It's depressing, but there are moments of light.

It is a testament to the filmmaking ability of Spielberg that he is able to rock you to your core in an entirely different way, with each new film he does. I've seen seven films from him, and liked each one. Is he the most creative director working today? An auteur? No. Is he often cheesy and sentimental? Yes. But he also has so much raw filmmaking talent from what I've seen, and E.T. is so good at proving that.

From the very first scene we are introduced to this alien life, a very different type of life that invaded audiences in Alien from three years prior. While I've not seen Close Encounters, Spielberg's earlier venture into the extra-terrestrial genre, this is an absolutely heartwarming film that will stick with me.

And indeed, for 1982, the fact that we have not only a believable, but lovable, alien, is truly a testament to the care put in to the film here. I love how passionate Spielberg is for making movies that everyone can enjoy. At times this really reminds me of the delightful films like My Neighbor Totoro or Ponyo as our characters interact with things they are not accustomed to, but immediately love anyways.

Trust and love are at core here. Both child and alien trust each other, and both help each other throughout the journey. What must it have been like in 1982 to sit down at the big screen and see something like this happen before your eyes? It's hard to imagine a story like E.T. being all that original, but it truly is, for that time period.

It doesn't have the thematic depth of, say, Jaws or Schindler's List, but it does have the emotional depth. And for that, it deserves every praise I can give it.

-

It's always nice to see another Spielberg fan. I read an article many years ago about how Spielberg's movie are personal to him, and they come from things in his own life. He talked about how E.T. was his dream, and Poltergeist was his nightmare. You should see Close Encounters. It's another one of my favorite movies.



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You can't make a rainbow without a little rain.
07-19-20
I think I only have 3 movies left for this HoF, so I'm taking the weekend off from fantasy movies, and catching up on some of the TV shows that I have recorded on my DVR. (I've been neglecting it recently, so it's over 30% full, and I think that's making Hubby a bit crazy. )

I'll pick this up again on Monday with Kwaidan, and then LotR: The Return of the King, and then I should be done with my own nom by the end of the week.



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07-19-20
Originally Posted by gbgoodies
I would definitely appreciate it if you could give me the exact time to know when the giant spider shows up. At least I would know when to turn away from the screen for a few minutes, and it might save me from some upcoming nightmares.

Thanks.
No problem!

I only wrote down the timestamps of when Shelob shows up, but I'll watch the scenes again and figure out audio cues for when it's safe to look back as well (as there are some spider-less moments in the middle). Also, some visual warnings of when to look away in case you get drawn in and forget to check the exact time code. Her initial appearance is pretty well telegraphed though.

I have some chores and errands to run this morning, but I'll get that list to you this afternoon.



CosmicRunaway's Avatar
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07-19-20
Originally Posted by rauldc14
Good grief I still haven't started....
Originally Posted by Wyldesyde19
Neither have I 😩
Originally Posted by rauldc14
At least we aren't alone on the journey.
Don't worry, ahwell and I just scouted ahead to make ensure the path was clear for the rest of you. There's still plenty of time to make the journey at your own pace.

...as long as your pace is isn't too slow.



CosmicRunaway's Avatar
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07-19-20
My room mate just caught me taking my Lord of the Rings box set off the shelf again (to make the more detailed guide for gbg), and asked if I was "bored of the rings" yet.

As if that was even a possibility.



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