Hey all, I just watched Linday Ellis’s excellent video series on The Hobbit which sparked an interest in checking out the best fanedits for these films. I watched Kerr’s Arkenstone edition of An Unexpected Journey years ago and quite liked it, but never checked out his other cuts. I also have a copy of the Maple Films 3-in-1 edit but haven’t watched it in full. What are considered the best edits these days? I’m not a book purist so that aspect isn’t important to me, I just thought the films as released were too bloated and unfocused.
As for Lord of the Rings, I’m someone who has a hard time deciding between the Theatrical and Extended editions. I feel the pacing is better in the Theatrical versions but the Extended Editions include some bits that I think are essential. Are there any edits that hybridize the two?