logo Sign In

looking for LOTR (Bakshi) original version

Author
Date
Author
Time
Post link

Okay this requires a bit of explanation.

 

I have the R1 DVD of Ralph Bakshi's Lord of the Rings. It's a good DVD, but there is one thing I don't like:

 

They change the ending narration. The film originally ended with a narrator saying "so ends the first part of the War of the One Ring." The DVD ends with a new narration (that occurs slightly earlier) which says "the forces of darkness were driven back by the valiant effort of Frodo's friends [more I can't remember] thus ends the first great tale of The Lord of the Rings."

 

There's nothing wrong with the new ending, I just want the old one for nostalgia's sake.

 

Does anyone know if the various R2 releases use the original narration, or if any of the R1 rereleases do?

 

Thanks.

Author
Time
 (Edited)
Post link

Without having a copy of the vhs in my possession i cannot say for certain whether or not it has the original ending narration.

It is fairly obvious why the change was made since part 2 was never made and will never be made.

 

The only things produced on part 2 the script, storyboards and A and B rolls of film and some animation cells.

The A and B rolls apparently are no longer in existance and for years bakshi has been selling the production art so no preservation can now be made.

His site has the deleted scenes mostly unfinished from part 1.

 

I have always wanted to read the script by Peter s. Beagle and he tried to have it published but was blocked by Saul Zaentz inc. His script before it was revised and filmed was way more faithful l to the tolkien books than any Peter Jackson tinkering.

 

The score is way too much like star trek IV, or star trek IV score is too much like lord of the rings in actuallity since the composer Leonard Rosenman plagiarised his own work. Who can blame him as the lord of the rings film made no money and was a box office flop of the ages.

“Always loved Vader’s wordless self sacrifice. Another shitty, clueless, revision like Greedo and young Anakin’s ghost. What a fucking shame.” -Simon Pegg.

Author
Time
Post link

There is A VHS with the original narration.  I have it (I think the one I have was released before WB got the rights to the film).  I just want to have it on DVD with the same quality video transfer as WB's DVD.

I don't think the UK DVDs are by WB, and also I remember seeing a "Special Edition" one that came in a humongous box or something.  But I didn't want to take a financial chance on something that might not be what I want.

Author
Time
Post link

I guess if worse came to worse, all that would have to be done would be an audio capture from the VHS tape of the highest possible quality, then rip the DVD to a PC and cut out the old line and splice in the new one. If I am not mistaken, the audio on the DVD version isn't that incredibly great to begin with, so perhaps it could be done without a too bad of a drop in quality.

Though if some of the region 2 versions were in fact not tampered with, which seems likely, that would by far be the way to go.

So what we need now if for people from NTSC land (like myself) to stop replying to this thread so that someone from PAL land can speak up.

"Every time Warb sighs, an angel falls into a vat of mapel syrup." - Gaffer Tape

Author
Time
Post link

I've read the Flyingmoose.org list before.  I agree with a lot of points, but I still like the movie overall.

I composed a similar list for Peter Jackson's Fellowship of the Ring (posted on IMDb's board for said movie), but its nowhere near as good as O. Sharpe's list.

Author
Time
Post link

Just wanted to say I looked a bit into this.

Unfortunately the results are not promising:  The UK DVDs are also handled by Warner, so they probably also have the changed ending narration.

It seems like the only way to see this movie on DVD with the originl "so ends the first part..." ending is to takethe audio from a VHS tape and splice it.  I have both the R1 DVD and a VHS Tape that contains the original audio.  Unfortunately I don't have the hardware or technical knowhow to do the splicing.  I'd be willing to send both though to someone who would like to do it.

Author
Time
Post link

This should probably be moved to the preservation threads in that case.

F Scale score - 3.3333333333333335

You are disciplined but tolerant; a true American.

Pissing off Rob since August 2007.
Author
Time
Post link

Well yeah but I always got the idea that the Preservation forum was a place to announce our own preservation projects, not to ask someone else to do it for us.