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Lord of the Rings - The Darth Rush Definitives (Released)

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ALL OF THESE CAN BE FOUND ON MYSPLEEN!


THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING

Purpose and Philosophy Behind this Edit:

No one would think that Peter Jackson would have been able to bring to life such an amazing adaption of the Lord of the Rings, but Fellowship of the Ring put all worries aside. It revolutionzed the fantasy genre and it has never been the same since. It’s groundbreaking special effects and scale of wonder was beyond what anyone could have expected. The theatrical version holds up very well in this way. While the extended edition does add scenes that are fun to watch, they ultimately slow down the story too much and the quality of the film suffers. So the overall purpose of this fanedit is to maintain the superior pacing and streamlined storyline of the theatrical version, while including a few of the more essential scenes from the extended edition. I found that these were the two extended scenes I wanted to include:

  1. The first is the extended opening in the Shire with Bilbo writing his “Concerning Hobbits” introduction. It better sets up the peace and prosperity of the Shire than the theatrical and I think gives a more proper beginning to the story. Since the beauty of the Shire plays an essential part of the series, I thought this scene to be a necessity.

  2. The second would be the fellowship departing Rivendell. This gives the film some much needed breathing room and helps to just smooth out the pacing in general. It also is quite charming and prepares you for the rest of the adventure to come now that Frodo has taken on the responsiblity of the ring.

Cut List:

-Inserted Extended/Deleted scene of “Concerning Hobbits” in the beginning of the film.
-Inserted Extended/Deleted scene of the Fellowship departing Rivendell.

Specs:

-1080p Video
-5.1 Surround Sound

And for everyone’s information…

The Fellowship of the Ring video quality is not quite as sharp as The Two Towers and Return of the King simply because of how the commercial blu ray transfers were. If you look at the blu-ray.com review of the theatrical trilogy on blu ray, they also point out that Fellowship’s video quality isn’t quite as good as the other two. It’s still far better quality than the DVD though, with accurate and pleasing colors (no green tint like the extended blu ray).

I just wanted to clear this up so that you understand that I couldn’t really do all that much to increase the video quality of the blu ray for Fellowship. But rest assured, it’s still Full HD and looks absolutely beautiful on my tv.


THE TWO TOWERS

Purpose and Philosophy Behind this Edit:

I consider The Two Towers to be a fantastic action adventure film that left a monumental mark on fantasy cinema. It moves at a breakneck pace which leads up perfectly to the climax of the film at Helms Deep. After watching the extended edition, I found that the pacing was ruined and what we’re left with is a story which feels so dragged on and aimless with all the un-necessary scenes added in. The main goal of this edit is to maintain the superior pacing of the theatrical version while including any scenes that are essential from the extended edition.

I found the flashback scene that Faramir has with Boromir and Denethor in Gondor was absolutely essential. It changes how we view the actions of characters through the rest of the trilogy and deeply enhances the plot.

Cut List:

-Inserted the deleted/extended scene of Faramir’s flashback with Boromir and Denethor in Gondor.

Specs:

-1080p Video
-5.1 Surround Sound


RETURN OF THE KING

Purpose and Philosophy Behind the Edit:

Return of the King ended the epic Lord of the Rings trilogy in spectacular fashion, winning 11 Oscars at the Academy Awards. The film wrapped up all plot lines and character arcs expertly, for maximum emotional impact. By and far, I believe that Return of the King is the best extended edition. It adds many valuable scenes to the overall narrative so I feel as if it is possible to add more extended scenes to this film than I did to the other two, while still maintaining the superior pacing of the theatrical. My explanations for all inclusions of each extended scene are listed below:

  1. I first chose to add, the scene of Gandalf explaining the decline of Gondor to Pippin after they meet Denethor. In the theatrical cut, it does not explore the history of Gondor well enough. With this scene left intact, it allows the redemption of Gondor and the return of its king that much more meaningful.


  1. There is also another charming scene I put back in that involves Frodo and Sam seeing the head of the statue of the King of Gondor.)


  1. The second scene follows in line with what Faramir’s flashback in The Two Towers did, which is enhancing the characters of Denethor, Boromir, and Faramir. In this deleted scene of Denethor yelling at Faramir for not bringing the ring back, it shows Faramir’s change of character, illustrates Faramir’s faith in his brother, and further shows the obsession that Denethor has with the ring.


  1. The deleted scene I added of Pippin and Faramir talking to eachother, also makes Faramir a more relatable character, as more of his childhood is revealed.


  1. Faramirs line of “I would gladly sacrifice my life for this city” (something like that) better establishes the sadness and despair in the scene.

  1. The Deleted scene of Eowyn and Merry talking while the Rohirrrim are resting is very nice. It shows developing maturity in Pippin. He knows his limits, but will never stop at helping his friends (as he tells Eowyn in the scene).


  1. The extra footage of Denethor/Servants carrying Faramir out to be burned is nice cause it shows a closeup of a flower beginning to blossom on the tree of Gondor when all hope seems lost.


  1. I inserted some of the extended footage of Eowyn and Merry kicking ass at the battle of the Pelennor Fields. It also has Eowyn fighting the orc general, with Aragorn finsihing him off.


  1. Lastly, I inserted the “Houses of Healing” scene. This lets Aragorn give one last gift of service to Eowyn before he leaves for Mordor AND it shows Faramir smiling at her as they both begin to recover. This sets up why they are together in the end.



Cut List:
-Inserted Extended/Deleted Scene of Gandalf explaining to Pippin the decline of Gondor.
-Inserted Extended/Deleted Scene of Denethor yelling at Faramir for not bringing back the ring.
-Inserted Extended/Deleted Scene of Pippin and Faramir’s conversation about when Faramir was a young boy.
-Add Faramir’s line of “I would gladly sacrifice myself for this city” (something along those lines).

Specs:

-1080p Video
-5.1 Surround Sound

THE ENTIRE TRILOGY OF MY EDITS SHOULD ALL FIT ON ONE BD50 DISC.

Return of the Jedi: Remastered

Lord of the Rings: The Darth Rush Definitives

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Quick Question also on sources:

For extended scenes I will use the official extended Blu-Rays of Two Towers and Return of the King. I will also use the fellowship of the ring Blu-Ray but make sure it is color corrected to remove the green tint.

The theatricals are tough though because I have heard that the official theatrical Blu-Rays are not all that good. If there is any other superior source for the theatricals such as an HDTV broadcast, that would be awesome to know.

Thanks again!

Return of the Jedi: Remastered

Lord of the Rings: The Darth Rush Definitives

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My cutlist for FOTR is light, and removes extraneous Aragorn scenes, as it really should be Frodo’s story. In particular:
-Remove the Midgewater Marshes scene and Aragorn’s song, since it doesn’t move the story along and is one of the rare places where the exposition seems forced.
-Remove Gilraen’s Memorial, since it focuses unnecessarily on Aragorn. Also, a nitpick: his hair makes him look like Medieval Jesus.
-Return the Pass of Caradhras to the Theatrical version, since the added shots are unnecessary and look out of place.
-Remove The Great River, with Boromir and Aragorn arguing. The story should be rushing towards a conclusion, not stopping for a nap.

Other than that, perhaps there are a few scenes with only an added shot or two that would benefit from a cut.

You probably don’t recognize me because of the red arm.
Episode 9 Rewrite, The Starlight Project (Released!) and ANH Technicolor Project (Released!)

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NeverarGreat said:

My cutlist for FOTR is light, and removes extraneous Aragorn scenes, as it really should be Frodo’s story. In particular:
-Remove the Midgewater Marshes scene and Aragorn’s song, since it doesn’t move the story along and is one of the rare places where the exposition seems forced.
-Remove Gilraen’s Memorial, since it focuses unnecessarily on Aragorn. Also, a nitpick: his hair makes him look like Medieval Jesus.
-Return the Pass of Caradhras to the Theatrical version, since the added shots are unnecessary and look out of place.
-Remove The Great River, with Boromir and Aragorn arguing. The story should be rushing towards a conclusion, not stopping for a nap.

Other than that, perhaps there are a few scenes with only an added shot or two that would benefit from a cut.

I agree about Midgewater Marshes being cut. I was planning on not using it. And I also am planning on cutting the memorial scene. The pass of Caradhras will be theatrical as far as I know and I was also planning on not including the night rest. Does not add much and slows down story like you said.

How do you feel about Two Towers? I am keeping a good half of FOTR extended scenes but as for Two towers, I am thinking of not using too much of the extended at all. And I will soon have to sit down and give the extended ROTK a watch and grasp my feelings. I have a feeling I will like most of the extended ROTK footage.

Return of the Jedi: Remastered

Lord of the Rings: The Darth Rush Definitives

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I think I only saw the theatrical version of TTT a few times after the theater, which is why I didn’t voice my thoughts. I only own the Extended version, since I consider the Boromir scene essential. Let’s see, I’d cut the Massacre at the Fords of Isen, The Song of the Entwives (sadly), The Heir of Numenor, and Ent Draft. From part 2, cut One of the Dunedain, The march of the trees and Fangorn Comes to Helm’s Deep, Flotsam and Jetsam, and perhaps even The Final Tally.

As for TROTK, I quite prefer the theatrical version, with a few exceptions. The Decline of Gondor, The Fall of Osgiliath, Faramir’s extended comments on horseback, The Houses of Healing, Aragorn Masters the Palantir, The Captain and the White Lady, and The Land of Shadow could all remain in. None are essential, but they are welcome.

You probably don’t recognize me because of the red arm.
Episode 9 Rewrite, The Starlight Project (Released!) and ANH Technicolor Project (Released!)

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NeverarGreat said:

I think I only saw the theatrical version of TTT a few times after the theater, which is why I didn’t voice my thoughts. I only own the Extended version, since I consider the Boromir scene essential. Let’s see, I’d cut the Massacre at the Fords of Isen, The Song of the Entwives (sadly), The Heir of Numenor, and Ent Draft. From part 2, cut One of the Dunedain, The march of the trees and Fangorn Comes to Helm’s Deep, Flotsam and Jetsam, and perhaps even The Final Tally.

As for TROTK, I quite prefer the theatrical version, with a few exceptions. The Decline of Gondor, The Fall of Osgiliath, Faramir’s extended comments on horseback, The Houses of Healing, Aragorn Masters the Palantir, The Captain and the White Lady, and The Land of Shadow could all remain in. None are essential, but they are welcome.

For TTT, I was thinking of cutting all the added tree beard boring material. And the Boromir scene is absolutely essential. I will also want to splice in as much of the extended blu Ray source during theatrical scenes for improved video quality and improved special effects.

Return of the Jedi: Remastered

Lord of the Rings: The Darth Rush Definitives

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Quick Update:

I have ripped all the blu Rays and have finished the color correction for the FOTR Extended edition. I also have compeletly edited Two Towers. To me, the theatrical version is a near perfect adventure film but I feel it is the worst of the extended editions, so hopefully that helps explain to you all why I only chose to add one, but very essential scene.

The one added scene from the extended edition obviously is the beloved flashback with Boromir, Denethor and Faramir in Gondor. It accomplishes many goals at once by further exploring three major characters and overall, it is an essential scene that shouldn’t have been cut.

I will soon begin Return of the King and then Fellowship. I will be keeping quite a bit more extended footage in these two films.

Return of the Jedi: Remastered

Lord of the Rings: The Darth Rush Definitives

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I have a dilemma with Fellowship of the Ring which is that I simply cannot get these colors right for the extended. Kk650’s regrade is improved but still is far from the theatrical grading. And after applying the avisynth script of You_Too’s correction, it brings it closer to the theatrical but still doesn’t get the colors right.

With this in mind I chose to keep two scenes in Fellowhsip:

-The Extended “Concerning Hobbits” scene. From the get go, this was ALWAYS going to be included. I consider it essential.
-The Extended scene of the Fellowship Departing Rivendell. It really helps to give the film some breathing room before it gets back into action.

Return of the Jedi: Remastered

Lord of the Rings: The Darth Rush Definitives

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Here is the scenes I’m thinking of adding from the extended edition for Return of the King:

-Decline of Gondor scene of Gandalf telling Pippin about the decline Gondor has gone through. This takes place after they first meet denethor.
-Add the extended scene of denethors convo with Faramir where he sees a hallunication of Boromir behind Farmair and yells at Faramir about not bringing him the ring.
-add the extended scene of Pippin and Faramir talking together about how Pippins uniform used to be Faramirs.
-add Faramir saying “I would gladly sacrifice my life for this city”.
-add the extra footage of Denethor and his servants carrying out Faramir to be burned.
-add the few extra action bits of Merry and Eowyn kicking ass.
-add houses of healing scene

Return of the Jedi: Remastered

Lord of the Rings: The Darth Rush Definitives

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For FOTR, could I suggest that you also add the extended conversation between Gandalf and Frodo when they talk about Gollum, since it explains how Frodo knew Gollum’s original name was Smeagol in the Two Towers. And the extended Gifts scene because it does have some nice character moments and explains how Frodo and Sam were able to hide from the two guards in the Two Towers.

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Palindromic Gas said:

For FOTR, could I suggest that you also add the extended conversation between Gandalf and Frodo when they talk about Gollum, since it explains how Frodo knew Gollum’s original name was Smeagol in the Two Towers. And the extended Gifts scene because it does have some nice character moments and explains how Frodo and Sam were able to hide from the two guards in the Two Towers.

That is a good suggestion. I was halfway through rendering FOTR but I think I do agree with your first suggestion. And when it came to the gift scene, it took awhile for me to decide. But all in all, it was just way too long and the theatrical version still gives you the most important part of that scene. I’ll make sure to go back and edit in Gandalf telling Frodo gollums true name.

Thank you for the suggestions!

Return of the Jedi: Remastered

Lord of the Rings: The Darth Rush Definitives

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darthrush said:

That is a good suggestion. I was halfway through rendering FOTR but I think I do agree with your first suggestion. And when it came to the gift scene, it took awhile for me to decide. But all in all, it was just way too long and the theatrical version still gives you the most important part of that scene. I’ll make sure to go back and edit in Gandalf telling Frodo gollums true name.

Thank you for the suggestions!

Glad that I could help!

darthrush said:

Here is the scenes I’m thinking of adding from the extended edition for Return of the King:

-Decline of Gondor scene of Gandalf telling Pippin about the decline Gondor has gone through. This takes place after they first meet denethor.
-Add the extended scene of denethors convo with Faramir where he sees a hallunication of Boromir behind Farmair and yells at Faramir about not bringing him the ring.
-add the extended scene of Pippin and Faramir talking together about how Pippins uniform used to be Faramirs.
-add Faramir saying “I would gladly sacrifice my life for this city”.
-add the extra footage of Denethor and his servants carrying out Faramir to be burned.
-add the few extra action bits of Merry and Eowyn kicking ass.
-add houses of healing scene

Does this mean that you’re not going to include the death of saruman? I can understand why you wouldn’t add it because it goes on for too long but it does provide proper closure to sarman instead of the theatrical saying that his power has faded.

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The Saruman death scene was hard to decide upon. It gives somewhat proper closure but it’s done with such cheese and outlandishness. And it goes on for a full 5 minutes. It throws off the pacing immensely. And how the theatricals do it is actually pretty cool I think. At the end of two Towers, Saruman sees everything fail before him, his mistakes of cutting down the forest haunting him. He hides away in embarrassment, shame and utter defeat. Gandalf, with elegant mercy, leaves Saruman as he is, a broken, lost and defeated wizard who has lost all his power.

So yah, I’m pretty set on cutting the death of Saruman scene.

Return of the Jedi: Remastered

Lord of the Rings: The Darth Rush Definitives

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darthrush said:

LordZerome1080 said:

How get?

Myspleen. Go to the thread to ask for an invite and you can find them there.

I know we use this joke a lot but that seemed a little cruel lol you basically just told him he can’t get it.

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Possessed said:

darthrush said:

LordZerome1080 said:

How get?

Myspleen. Go to the thread to ask for an invite and you can find them there.

I know we use this joke a lot but that seemed a little cruel lol you basically just told him he can’t get it.

What do you mean? I was being entirely serious. That is the one place I uploaded them and he can ask for an invite in the designated thread. This is true of course unless something has changed about the thread that I’m not aware of.

EDIT: Checked the invite thread to see what this is all about. My apologies.

Return of the Jedi: Remastered

Lord of the Rings: The Darth Rush Definitives