The Lord of the Rings: Prologue

[Digital Gonzo 2012]

A lengthy discussion about Tolkein's books as a precursor to our movie discussions. 

In 2001 Peter Jackson, along with Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Richard Taylor, Tania Rodger, everybody at Weta Workshop and an astonishingly dedicated and talented cast and crew brought us the first of three (later to be six) movies covering the events in Middle Earth as told in the books of J.R.R Tolkien. These films had a profound effect on my life. They inspired me, transported me and made me sad that I couldn't be part of that production team. Everything I have done since then has been part of an ongoing effort to create something even one iota as special. Now the second trilogy is mere weeks away from starting and it's time to celebrate with some truly epic podcasts.

So we come to it at last, the Gonzo journey into these incredibly significant collaborative projects, masquerading as mere movies. In this episode we look at how this story has been told through other media. This is a specialised show and might be a bit heavy-going for some. So I've time-coded the different sections in case anyone wants to skip to the bit they want to hear covered.

00.00: Introduction/Timeline/Tolkien
00.13: Differences between Tolkien's books and the films.
01.26: The 1977 Hobbit Movie
01.44: The 1978 Lord of the Rings Movie
02.07: The 1980 Return of the King Movie
02.18: The 1981 Radio Play
02.38: The Video Games

It's an extremely long and detailed podcast and rabid fans of the book who were disappointed with the Peter Jackson films should probably steer clear. We don't pull our punches and there are some frankly hilarious moments. You will also definitely find out new and interesting things and hear music both cringe-worthy and powerful. Joining me for the long haul are Chris Eason of GameBurst and Sharon Shaw of DorkCast.