Just a few days ago, it was announced that a Lord of the Rings TV series is in early development, to be produced by Amazon Studios. With Game of Thrones ending next year, this could be just the thing to fill the fantasy-void sure to be left in many viewers hearts. Now, given the sprawling lore […]
The Genesis of the Excessively Long Action Scene
Tom Jolliffe on the genesis of the excessively long action scene… It has become almost the norm now. The majority of large-scale action blockbusters will have a hugely elaborate, and extremely long set piece in them. In fact some may have several. It used to be that maybe 5-10 minutes at the end of a […]
Andy Serkis: Underappreciated Genius
Helen Murdoch on the underappreciated genius of Andy Serkis… When the actor Andy Serkis’ name is mentioned in a conversation you’re tend to either hear “who’s that?” or “is that the motion cap guy?”. The fact that Serkis isn’t a household name is in my mind a travesty. With the final part of the new […]
A huge Lord of the Rings lawsuit has been settled
A substantial lawsuit between Warner Bros. and the Tolkien estate has been settled over The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. The dispute between the two parties started back in 2012 when the Tolkien estate alleged that the studio did not have the rights to licence the books’ characters for online slot machines and […]
The Most Disappointing: Peter Jackson’s King Kong
As we gear up for a return to Skull Island, Anghus Houvouras revisits Peter Jackson’s King Kong… I can still remember seeing Return of the King for the first time, and the annual Butt Numb-A-Thon hosted by Harry Knowles from Ain’t It Cool News. It was a room full of ridiculously excited film geeks seeing […]
Uma Thurman: Turning down Lord of the Rings role was “one of the worst decisions ever made”
Kill Bill star Uma Thurman recently appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert to promote her role in the television series Imposters, but was also asked about the specifics regarding turning down the role of Eowyn in The Lord of the Rings. “Yes. It was a very long time ago, and I do consider it […]
Quality Isn’t Subjective. A Film Is Good Or It Is Not
Samuel Brace argues that quality isn’t subjective… Many things in life are up for debate. Many things can be interpreted and argued over. Everyone is different; everyone is a product of their own environment, dictated to by their personal tastes. Things like our favourite foods, favourite actors, favourite sports, books, music and yes, films, are […]
Hollywood: If You Can’t Build It, Don’t Bother
Samuel Brace on practical effects and CGI… Fantasy is better when fantasy looks real. For the most part, cinema is our escape, a door of which to travel through, a portal to somewhere that isn’t here. To suspend our disbelief is part and parcel of going to the movies, and the best of these movies […]
Celebrating The Lord of the Rings Trilogy on its 15th Anniversary
Ricky Church celebrates the 15th anniversary of The Lord of the Rings Trilogy… 15 years ago today, audiences worldwide were introduced to Peter Jackson’s adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic fantasy The Lord of the Rings. I had just started high school when The Fellowship of the Ring was getting ready to hit theaters and my […]
Book to film adaptations by British authors
Now more than ever film studios are continually turning to books for inspiration. More audiences are likely to flock to cinemas to see their favourites novels hit the big screen. Over the years, book adaptations from a number of British authors have proven to be hugely successful. On the 22nd July, Roald Dahl’s BFG will […]
