Sometimes you don't have the whole free weekend.
this post was submitted on 13 Nov 2025
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Lord of the memes
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All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.
I'm over here with the 1,400-page book... shoutout to Tolkien making me emotional in the appendices:
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We have heard tell that Legolas took Gimli Glóin's son with him because of their great friendship, greater than any that has been between Elf and Dwarf. If this is true, then it is strange indeed: that a Dwarf should be willing to leave Middle-earth for any love, or that the Eldar should receive him, or that the Lords of the West should permit it. But it is said that Gimli went also out of desire to see again the beauty of Galadriel; and it may be that she, being mighty among the Eldar, obtained this grace for him. More cannot be said of this matter.
And
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(1541) In this year 1 on March 1st came at last the Passing of King Elessar. It is said that the beds of Meriadoc and Peregrin were set beside the bed of the great king. Then Legolas built a grey ship in Ithilien, and sailed down Anduin and so over Sea; and with him, it is said, went Gimli the Dwarf. And when that ship passed an end was come in Middle-earth of the Fellowship of the Ring.
Man that second one got me 😭
Luckily the extended editions didn't try to feature all the songs in the books. I want an epic fantasy, not a damned musical.
great now you made me want a lord of the rings musical
Get out!
Honestly I don't remember watching the theatrical cut in the past 20 years, so don't know what's the difference. It's just that the extended editions are the ones I know, and I deeply love
Three extra hours of New Zealand panorama shots
It's only about 9 hours longer
Yeah, we all know that, my bladder was killing me after all that on the first time
You didn't pause it?
Nah, i was so invested than i don't think in pause anytime.
Dedication. My life is interrupted so much that there is always an opportunity to use the bathroom.
Are they still friends after they have so clearly fallen to darkness?
Let’s say you had to pay the TV $1/minute to watch LOTR. Is the extended cut worth $30-$50 more per movie than the theatrical cut?
I wouldn’t pay the extra but I’m not the biggest fan. It’s been years so I don’t recall all the things the extended cut adds. Just curious what fans would say in this economy.
If I'm already spending ~$555 to watch the trilogy, I'd like the most bang for my buck, if I can afford it. But apparently I can't even afford to watch the theatrical cut anymore. It figures. I knew it was coming eventually.
Fair point. If you’re already spending $555 to watch a movie, what’s another $150 for all of it?
I guess my thought was that if my time is worth money, would it be worth my extra time/money to watch the extra bits over say, attending to other aspects of my life? Does the extra footage really enhance the overall viewing pleasure? If I recall one of the scenes was a tree getting high with Gandalf? I don’t remember, it’s why I’m asking.
I never wanted those movies to end, so I was always happy with more. I always think of the scene with the creepy gatekeeper guy with the winning smile. All but removed from the theatrical cut.
Edit: The Mouth of Sauron is what I was thinking of: https://youtu.be/To_RJ_mPNqM
I don't understand the question. As far as I am concerned there is no theatrical edition, only extended.
May I ask what you think the movie would have been “extended” from?
lotR has no theatrical edition. LotR needs no theatrical edition.
Yes
Do you attribute monetary value to anything you do and is this the one worthwhile measure you use to decide what to do?
No. I don’t usually live by absolutes.
I'll bite. What's better about it? I rarely find longer cuts to be worthwhile. Editing is usually a form of enhancement. One of the hardest yet most significant improvements you can make as a writer is better editing. With all the work that goes into just a few minutes of film, there is a resistance to cutting anything. The best editors usually have no involvement in the creation and can condense and richen the intensity and flow of a film.
The Theatrical Edition is arguably better paced, but the Extended Edition contains extra depth and plot points (eg. Sarumon's death).
The choice is subjective. IMO: If you were reading a fantastic novel, and it had a bonus chapter, would you read it? For me it's definitely a yes.
If I ate an amazing dish and the chef offered me seconds I'd also say yes. A good chef is careful with the portions though. The best dishes leave you lingering for more and never allow you to mix your appreciation for the dish with any feelings of full satiety or being over full. I think literature and film work the same way. I'm a minority on this as evidence by the current saturation with series that go on and on.
Nah, I don't think youre in an extreme minority as far as people go. It's just that the corporations who churn these things out know they can maximize profit by milking it even if it means stepping all over the artistry.
I thought this until I read the longer version of The Stand where he’d put a load of padding back in and updated all the cultural references to the late 80s for no good reason.
King has almost always written his stories in the immediate present. There are a few exceptions, but they are intentional and critical to the plot. In all the others, it is fully in keeping with his style to update cultural references to set the story in the recent past, the now, or the very near future. He is a contemporary writer of contemporary stories, that is fundamentally the reason. King also seems to feel no loyalty to preserving his past works. He is alive. His stories are more about the lives of the characters than fashion or pop culture. I'm not always a fan of his revisions either (The Gunslinger being a good example), but it's part of the total package of his writing philosophy.
I prefer the extended versions every time, but there are a few scenes here & there that do slow down the pacing a bit. However, the "Concerning Hobbits" intro to hobbits and The Shire at the beginning of Fellowship should have absolutely been included in the theatrical version. It sets the stage so much better and really drives home just how much of an idyllic life the hobbits are forced to leave behind.
That scene with Legolas singing is not good.
"Friend"