Lord of the Rings TV Show ...

[Darth Knox]

You are really a bad guy and you deserve a DS point 

As LotR fans you must take the rough with the smooth (I'm a Star Trek fan so know what I'm talking about).

[Master Seblaise]

As LotR fans you must take the rough with the smooth (I'm a Star Trek fan so know what I'm talking about).

I am the Smooth personalized LOL

[DarthProdigal]

Glad there are some LotR enthusiasts about. I was bumbling around youtube and stumbled over pure gold. If you haven't seen this, it's worth a look...

A very well done what if:

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_gFEN-GhiQ" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_gFEN-GhiQ</a>

[Cyclops942]

Okay, that was pretty cool!  Thanks for sharing.

[DarthProdigal]

Okay, that was pretty cool!  Thanks for sharing.

No problem, it was a fun hidden gem to find. I'd always wondered as much in the back of my mind, figuring it'd be near that level of horrible... but still interesting to see someone play out the "absolute power corrupting absolutely" with such a iconic/lovable paragon of justice. It was all rather Shadow of Mordor in it's own way.

[DarthProdigal]

Okay, that was pretty cool!  Thanks for sharing.

My inner LOTR fan couldn't help but pass this along too... She's got some great covers and collaborative covers. But I always loved this song, and it's a great version.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlufNe_z2Cw" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlufNe_z2Cw</a>

[Taegin Roan]

My inner LOTR fan couldn't help but pass this along too... She's got some great covers and collaborative covers. But I always loved this song, and it's a great version.

I'll throw this onto my watch later list.
Here's my favorite vocalist. He's done covers of most (if not all) the songs from LOTR/the Hobbit, and some that aren't from the movies, but are about the stories. I See Fire is one of his best, as is Into the West and Misty Mountains (featuring Tim Faust from Home Free).

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yymS1Pb7JfM" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yymS1Pb7JfM</a>

[DarthProdigal]

Thanks Taegin, LOTR has some really great music for sure, and great singers really bring out the emotion or undercurrents that flow beneath these songs. Serious despair, longing, or marching off into doom sometimes. Great, "oh well doubt anyone will live through this battle so we should write a song and send the singer in the opposite direction while we can" music that underscores the bitter and uphill struggles these poor souls often face. Really highlights the nobility or even futility of their struggles.

More reason I'd at least give a show a chance... I mean Master Seblaise said it best in referencing American Gods as a triumph (in my opinion too). It's like Netflix Original series and movies, some are epic successes and others abysmal failures... while quite a few happen that I wish got MORE air time in the end. Too many for me to recall anymore. But real gems happen, just viewership is hit or miss. There isn't really that "ideal time slot" crowd to focus on anymore, I think anyway.

[Darth Tepes]

For me, and many of you know this, its going to be how faithful it is.  But it isn't looking good on that front.  For many of us Tolkien fans his work should not be screwed around with.  There is no place for "artistic" license in adapting his work.  Of course some changes must be made when adapting one medium to another but to often the changes are unnecessary *cough*Tauriel*cough* and done only out of hubris.

[DarthProdigal]

For me, and many of you know this, its going to be how faithful it is.  But it isn't looking good on that front.  For many of us Tolkien fans his work should not be screwed around with.  There is no place for "artistic" license in adapting his work.  Of course some changes must be made when adapting one medium to another but to often the changes are unnecessary *cough*Tauriel*cough* and done only out of hubris.

Good call, I tend to be a stickler about that with any adaptation from a book I love to a movie/show or anime into movie. They sacrifice the heart of the source material to often for terrible or asinine reasons and render it virtually unwatchable to prior fans in the process, all to often... Can't capitalize on the fame of something or the fan base, while simultaneously disrespecting the fans and material in question until it becomes unrecognizable. Greed, "diversifying audience", and trying to downsize a story to "make it fit" within a timeframe are the worst offenders. That's why I'd loved the LOTR movies, I was more than willing to sit down and watch something longer... Take several hours to do it right, don't chop things down to unrecognizable to achieve some "bearable length" for people with no attention span.

[Darth Tepes]

Good call, I tend to be a stickler about that with any adaptation from a book I love to a movie/show or anime into movie. They sacrifice the heart of the source material to often for terrible or asinine reasons and render it virtually unwatchable to prior fans in the process, all to often... Can't capitalize on the fame of something or the fan base, while simultaneously disrespecting the fans and material in question until it becomes unrecognizable. Greed, "diversifying audience", and trying to downsize a story to "make it fit" within a timeframe are the worst offenders. That's why I'd loved the LOTR movies, I was more than willing to sit down and watch something longer... Take several hours to do it right, don't chop things down to unrecognizable to achieve some "bearable length" for people with no attention span.

I have the opposite feelings about the LOTR films.  From a cinematic standpoint they are masterpieces but I see them as failures as adaptations. 

[DarthProdigal]

Yeah in regards to book to film I get exactly what you mean. I just got lucky I watched the films first! I could never bring myself to read the Hobbit when younger, even when "made to" for school I couldn't finish it... Then watching those movies made me have a renewed desire to try reading the book again. With a better motivation and grasp of linguistics/literary devices I was able to love it. BUT I was like what is this?!?! This is sooo different than the movies, and admittedly better IMO in the book but wildly different in many parts. So I understand. For me it's mostly about perspective. The one I viewed first and hold as reference. If it was the book, it usually makes the film version unviewable without many complaints because it's no where near stacking up. But if lucky enough to see the movie which leads to reading the book, then it only gives great interest in basically checking out a more detailed and well done version (generally). Perfect example is the Hunger Games: watched 1st movie, maybe second, somewhere in between the filming gap I wanted to read the books to see how it ended... then I was like OMG the films are a hollow interpretation of the events that transpire. Mostly IMO due to constraints of rating and wanting more broad appeal. So yes, I get what you mean with LoTR for sure in that way.

[DarthProdigal]

Just saw this and wanted to share it for anyone who hadn't seen it:

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckScH-rNtwo" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckScH-rNtwo</a>

I think I'd watched it before, but it was better noticing Gandalf's staff crystal producing a lightsaber blade! I doubt I'll be able to watch that scene again and not think Rancor attack!