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Hi All,
Does anyone have information on how to get DVD copies of the latest Purist editions? For the record, I own all of the original EE DVDs.
Thanks!
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Phil Dragash, Kerr and myself are collaborating for a revamping of the three-film fan edit of LOTR. This will, by the way, coincide with an HD version of Kerr's book cuts. (Kerr is doing most of the actual editing this time, for which I am thankful.)
From the beginning, I had wanted to make two sets of LOTR fan edits. The first was to be akin to the TTT Purist Cut that had circulated the internet since 2002. The other was to be akin to Phil Dragash’s abandoned book cuts (later taken up and greatly exceeded by Kerr’s own book cuts).
The 3-film formatted edits, hitherto known as Sharkey’s Purist Edits, did not concern themselves with the narrative structure but sought to make the films ‘historically accurate’ in that the content itself was to be made to fit into a puristy mindset. The POV still shuffles across many narrative strands at once, and even some things not portrayed in the main body of LOTR (such as the romance of Aragorn and Arwen) were included (although that particular example still needed much work to make it puristy enough to be kept). To me, the 3-film fan edit must be something suitable for theatrical exhibition and for a hypothetical first time viewer. It must not feel like anything other than a polished film in and of itself. For these reasons, the nature of the 3-film fan edit prevents it from being as puristy as a 6-part one.
The 6-part ‘book cut’ fan edit can be free to go hog wild. Much more can be done with this one in the way of puristy alterations that would not work as well in a 3-film structure. Most notably, the narrative structure of the films is forced into the template laid out by the book, and is given an episodic or serial feel. An example is the literal “eye” of Sauron floating atop Barad-dûr. In a six part narrative that follows a specific strand is able to afford the lack of a clear, central antagonistic presence. However, an earlier attempt at including the removal of the eye left the film trilogy lacking, so I reluctantly re-included it and I think the edits are better off for it.
We are in the planning stages, gathering ideas and throwing mockups together. Any new ideas will be considered.
Release date is unknown, and will probably be a ways off. Kerr is still waiting for his new computer, necessary for editing in HD. The final format will most likely be AVCHD discs, possibly two per film if it makes sense.
While there are many new edits we are planning to make, the single largest is the removal of the literal floating eye of Sauron. I have wavered on this point in the past, but intend on maintaining this purist point.
Here is a brief list of some of the changes we are considering:
If it is fluid and does not cause issues, it would be nice to trim some of the prologue’s racism toward men: “… who above all else desire power” and “but the hearts of men are easily corrupted.”
Cut Sauron stepping on Narsil, implying that Isildur swung a full sword and Sauron.
Merry and Pippin fooling around with Gandalf’s fireworks has to go. Hopefully, with a little sound effect replacement, we can keep the actual dragon firework. But Merry and Pippin’s horrible introduction has to be cut even if it means losing the dragon firework altogether, I think.
Have the Black Rider that rides by Maggot say only “Baggins” and not “Shire.” This makes the Black Riders seem less incompetent, and less like zombies moaning, “braaaains.”
Cut Sam holding Frodo’s hand back. Frodo resists the call of the ring on his own.
Include Kerr's edits that make Bree less scary.
If it can be done without issue, remove Aragorn’s line “blinded by their greed” from his description of the Nazgul. Less racism toward men, which fuels Aragorn’s excised doubt subplot.
I would like to find a better way to transition from Frodo passing out to him waking up in Rivendell that doesn’t include the weird images we get in the film. If nothing else, at least make sure Arwen’s prayer is gone.
I am always perplexed at the scene where Frodo reunites with Merry and Pippin. I can understand why M and P are so excited and happy (because Frodo is okay) but why is Frodo so over-the-top with silly happiness? I don’t suppose anything can be done about it.
The main bit of Elrond’s racism that remains thus far in these edits is his scornful description of Isildur to Gandalf and generalization of men being too weak. The only way I can imagine keeping this backstory of Isildur while discarding the baggage would be to bake the Isildur backstory into the Council of Elrond. I doubt it can be done fluidly, but I can live with a little bit of racism from Elrond if I have to.
I think we should just throw out the scene at Aragorn’s mother’s grave, rather than salvage bits of it as I had done.
Cut the scene from the EE as the Fellowship approaches Moria, because it adds to the strong suspicion of Boromir that we are trying to tone down.
Cut Merry and Pippin throwing rocks into the water and Aragorn chastising them for it. In the book, Boromir was the one throwing rocks, so it’s not an innately foolish thing, and it only serves to further characterize Merry and Pippin as idiots.
I was skeptical of cutting the 'dead dwarves' at the entrance of Moria, but Kerr did it so well that I support it now.
I don’t suppose we could, but it’d be cool to make Glamdring glow blue as well.
Several strange lines in Lorien will be cut, such as "The Enemy knows you have entered here," and "We shall not meet again."
If it can be done without seeming like an obvious edit, I’d like to remove the scene where Aragorn lets Frodo go and the subsequent distraction by Merry and Pippin. But only if it is fluid and works well. (I tried a few mockups, but they all fell flat. The Uruks appear to come out of nowhere, and that’s not good.)
Cut Grima and Eowyn’s scene with the line “Oh, he must have died sometime in the night.” It is fabricated and appropriates Aragorn’s loving words as Grima’s cruelty.
Removing the Aragorn and Arwen dream scene; I don't know why I left it in the first place.
As in Kerr's edits, remove Frodo's lies about Gollum to Faramir.
Throughout the battle, trim extraneous shots of women and children when easily done.
Use the theatrical version of the Gollum interrogation, as it is less harsh on Faramir.
Cut Legolas taking a cheap shot at a dead orc to even his score with Gimli. (I’d be willing to lose this scene altogether if it’d make for a more effective transition to Faramir’s contemplation scene that uses the boat dream scene.)
The parley with Saruman will be different. The 'information' sub-plot will be crippled, Saruman won't express knowledge of Frodo's mission, nor of Aragorn's identity.
Cut the scene with Aragorn and Legolas on the balcony, as it serves to remind the audience of things as the third movie begins, whereas it now is at the end of the second film and is not needed.
As a rule, we'll be removing as much of Gothmog as we possibly can.
As the soldiers march out of the citadel to ride to Osgiliath, cut the shot of some producer’s kids who were hobbits earlier.
Cut Gimli interrupting Aragorn staring down the mountainside at the king of the dead.
General note. I wonder if it’d be doable to darken Minas Tirith and the surrounding geography as Sauron sends the clouds forth. Phil did something like this in his unfinished edit of Book V, though neither of us still have it. (I lost a few CD spindles full of this sort of precious junk when I moved.)
If easily done, cut any cries of, “Fire!”
If it can be done well, possibly darken Shelob's lair. It would make Galadriel's gift relevant, rather than drawing Shelob near right away.
Possibly featuring Phil Dragash as the voice of the Witch-King of Angmar.
Cut the shot of the Dead sweeping across the citidel. Lessens the damage of the deus ex machina.
Cut Aragorn murdering the Mouth of Sauron.
As long as it will work in the context of a 3-film edit that cuts across the various narratives, I’d like to have the ring apparently be destroyed right as it hits the lava. (This might not be doable, given the need to cut back and forth.)
This may be an outrageous and unfeasible idea, but brainstorming never hurts. What if we could stretch Merry and Pippin to be just a little taller during the few shots where all four hobbits stand together?
Cut away from the coronation scene just before Frodo’s dry lips cleave. It only requires shaving half a second of footage, and the audio could be smoothed over anywhere in the next thirty seconds as it need not sync to anything else on screen for a little while.
