J.R.R. Tolkien - Master of the Rings

Starring:Tolkien Jrr-Master of the Rings
Studio: Eagle Vision USA
Product Type: DVD

Description

The Definitive Guide to the World of the Rings! Discover why J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" has become an icon of 20th Century culture. This exciting film features stunning new 3D computerized animations of Middle Earth, a host of illustrations by the Brothers Hildebrandt, rare archive footage of the author himself, and in-depth analysis by leading Tolkien scholars from around the world.

Master of the Rings - The Unauthorized Story Behind J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings"

Average customer rating:

Stay away from this DVD...
don't bother with this one!
Moderately amusing but only slightly informative
Painful at best
Greatly covers Tolkiens acheivement

Master of the Rings - The Unauthorized Story Behind J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings"
Starring: J.R.R. Tolkien , Roger Garland , Ian Collier , Bob Catley , and Anke Buttner
Director: Stephen Grant (IV)
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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J.R.R. Tolkien and the Birth of The Lord of the Rings
National Geographic Beyond the Movie - The Lord of the Rings - The Fellowship of the Ring
Ringers - Lord of the Fans

ASIN: B00005RIIK
Release Date: 2001-12-04

Amazon.com

Viewers with more than a passing familiarity with fantasist J.R.R. Tolkien will find this hourlong documentary a trifle at best. With only a handful of photos and locations at their disposal, the filmmakers rely on a host of talking heads to discuss Tolkien's life as well as the influence of his Lord of the Rings trilogy on popular culture. Biographers Humphrey Carter and Graham Rogers provide informative but sporadic commentary; their input is overwhelmed by more substantial interviews with such fringe elements as ex-Magnum vocalist Bob Catley, who sings Tolkien-inspired folk rock, and members of Dagorhir, who enact real-life versions of medieval battles. Their largely vapid contributions only serve to further enhance the often-negative popular opinion of fantasy literature. The shot-on-video production is competently filmed, with many images capturing the simple beauty of the English countryside, but the lightweight content renders Master only marginally useful as an introduction to Tolkien's worlds. --Paul Gaita

Description

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien never set out to become a pop icon. But almost 30 years after his death, he has ascended to heights previously reserved for pop stars. For hundreds of thousands, his vivid description of the enchanted land of Middle Earth--and the band of Hobbits, heroes and wizards who set out to save it--have evolved into more than just a fairy tale. Travel to Tolkien's hometown in England. Experience Dagorhir, where participants enact Dark Age battles. Watch Bob Catley perform music from his album "Middle Earth." Get a rare glimpse into the unique work of Roger Garland as he creates images reflecting the world of fantasy. 60 minutes.

Customer Reviews:

Stay away from this DVD..........2003-01-15

...or you'll regret you spent the money. Instead, buy Carpenter's excellent biography. Or buy Artist and Illustrator. I'm a huge Tolkien fan and this movie was embarassing to watch. I agree with the recent review that the interview with Carpenter was the best (so read his book). It was also a nice to see some of the Oxford environs (especially for those of us who aren't English), but the tour guides were total hacks.

don't bother with this one!.......2002-11-30

as a teacher, when i mark a pupils work i am required to comment on the pupils strengths, weaknesses and how their work could be developed.
this dvd has very few strengths. the short interviews with tolkien's biographer and members of the tolkien society are informative. the brief section showing roger garland at work in his studio in launceston, cornwell is okay(if on holiday over here in the uk visit it). but that's about it!
the weaknesses in the dvd are too numerous to mention but some that stand out include:
dagorhir - a bunch of yanky civil servants running about chaotically screaming there heads off attempting live role play.
in the uk lrp usually consists of planned reinactments with players in full armour or detailed outfits using full-on weapons and swords. dagorhir run about with hankercheifs on their heads, carrying pillows as shields and hitting each other with foam swords - it was embarrasing to watch.
'rock idol' - bob catley's performnaces were also enough to make me cringe. when he sang with magnum, throughout the 80's their work was littered with tolkien influenced lyrics and artwork. however at the time they would never admit to it ripping off tolkien. now bob catley is clutching at straws singing in plastic trendy pubs in an attempt to continue his career and cash in on the success of peter jackson's film. bob a word of advice - you're 20 years too late! magnum should of tried this sort of thing in the 80's (remember rick wakeman or marillion ?)
the part of the dvd that really shows the production team were on a cheap budget and knew nothing about tolkien were the interviews with grahamn rogers on tolkien in oxford. the man either cannot remember a script or the production team just let him waffle on regardless. every other word is 'um'. (if you have the misfortune of watching this dvd count them it gets really annoying after a while). it's as if the production team did it all in one take and could not afford to do another run. this includes shots of the soundman and other camera men getting into view (i'm sure this was not intentional like some of these new quirky documentaries with odd camrea angles).
the final nail in the coffin for this guy was when he misquoted tolkien's start of the hobbit. "in the ground there lived a hobbit" BLASPHEMY! even my 6 year old son knows that the hobbit starts with the immortal line " in a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit ". the quote is as famous as the book itself. it is as famous as "romeo, romeo where for art thou romeo".
the dvd was a disappointment to say the least. i can see now why tolkien's estate would not authorise it's release.
to the production team: plenty of room for development. try watching the other dvd available with a similar title 'master of the rings - a definitive guide to the world of the rings' it is excellent and well worth the money.

Moderately amusing but only slightly informative.......2002-10-12

This film seems to have gotten higher ratings from most reviewers than the similarly named "J.R.R. Tolkien: Master of the Rings," but yet I actually found it to be more enjoyable to watch than the other one myself. Maybe it's because I didn't spend my own hard-earned cash on this one (I borrowed a library copy), or maybe it's because my expectations were much lower in this case. Whatever the reason, that was my reaction.

Neither of these films does a stellar job of presenting the world of Middle-Earth, in my opinion, but somehow this one seemed to have more real emotion and enthusiasm behind it. The long sequence on fans renacting battles might be annoying to some, but I found it to be rather entertaining. I didn't learn anything about Middle-Earth from it, but it entertained me. I also enjoyed the scenes of Oxford and the views of houses where Tolkien lived. Those bits were quite interesting and even informative. Definitely my favorite parts.

My LEAST favorite parts, on the other hand, were the unnecessarily lengthy sequences on artists and musicians inspired by Tolkien's works. That sort of thing is worthy of noting in a film like this, but I don't find it to be interesting enough to warrant lavishing the amount of time on it that it was given here. If that portion had been about a third as long as it was, I might have given the film 3 stars instead of two.

My overall comment: this DVD is not a COMPLETE waste of time, and you might be entertained and/or amused by some parts of it. But it does not really do justice to its subject. It only scratches the surface and it spends too much time on peripheral matters. I am still waiting for someone to produce a really high quality documentary on JRRT and Middle-Earth.

Painful at best.......2002-03-12

I kept looking at the clock to see if it was over yet and forced myself to watch the whole thing. To review all the bad parts would involve me having to watch it again and honestly, I can't think of a good thing to say about it. This is one purhcase I deeply regret.

Greatly covers Tolkiens acheivement.......2002-03-11

I believe to create an autobiography about a man such as Tolkien video creates a great picture and understanding of the concepts that that particular person or persons is trying to get across to its audience. This documentary revealed the aspects of Tolkien's life that were key to writing the amazing novels that were produced. I recommend this to anyone that is a fan or just curious. AMAZING!

J.R.R. Tolkien - Master of the Rings - The Definitive Guide to the World of the Rings

Average customer rating:

Like Watching Paint Dry
Talking heads are the most interesting part of this
Nothing I didn't already know. Don't waste your money!
Not Really Worth Anything
Great material, but you have to know what you are getting!

J.R.R. Tolkien - Master of the Rings - The Definitive Guide to the World of the Rings
Starring: J. R. R. Tolkien
Manufacturer: Eagle Vision USA
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

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( J ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Secrets of Middle-Earth - Inside Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" (4-Pack)
J.R.R. Tolkien and the Birth of The Lord of the Rings
National Geographic Beyond the Movie - The Lord of the Rings - The Return of the King
Ringers - Lord of the Fans
The Lord of the Rings

ASIN: B00005UPFL
Release Date: 2004-03-30

Amazon.com

This comprehensive survey of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings is billed as "the definitive guide to the world of the Rings," and it delivers what it promises. Hosted by Tolkien scholar Robert Di Napoli, the 80-minute documentary is academic without being dry or pretentious, covering such aspects of the Tolkien epic as its literary influences (including Beowulf), character and plot analysis, inspirations on other arts (such as the progressive rock of the 1970s), and enduring popularity. While Tolkien's fiction is spectacularly visualized in the artwork of the Hildebrandt brothers and Roger Dean, an impressive variety of Tolkien experts--from literary scholar Helen Kidd to former Yes keyboardist Rick Wakeman--offer eloquent insight into the value of Tolkien's writing. A Hildebrandt gallery is included on the DVD, along with supplemental interview clips to expand on previous discussions and further examine Tolkien's lasting influence. Altogether, this is an eminently respectable study that any Rings fan will readily appreciate. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Like Watching Paint Dry.......2005-12-31

There's a reason this DVD can easily be found for $5 used. As big of a fan as I am of all things LOTR-related, I couldn't make it through a single viewing of this documentary. Based on previous reviews I've read at Amazon and elsewhere, I hoped that it would be fun in a painful sorta way, like the Ralph Bakshi LOTR movie...rather, it's dull, pompous and actually makes Tolkien's life and works seem LESS interesting than they did before. That ain't right.

About half of the disc is taken up by a retelling/synopsis of the story, punctuated by wavery backyard footage of miscast actors done up as Aragorn, Gandalf, and Frodo (portrayed by a middle-aged dwarf, as are the other "Hobbits") and the Hildebrandt Brothers' garish, cartoony paintings that harken back to the 1970s in all the wrong ways. The other half of the docu is talking-head interviews with dullsville "experts" who fidget nervously on camera. Not a fun time for this viewer.

I'm sure this was well-intentioned and probably a hoot to make, but it's a real endurance test to watch. For a far better documentary on the subject, check out the movie Ringers: Lord of the Fans instead.

Talking heads are the most interesting part of this.......2004-08-27

The host is great and some of the experts interviewed are fine, but the rest of the material is sub-standard. Witness the recreations of scenes from the books: The hobbits are played by midgets wearing tacky feathered hats - the guy playing Frodo is probably 70 years old. The guy playing Aragorn, on the other hand, is maybe 28 and probably moonlights as an underwear model. Very little included about Tolkien's interesting life and how it shaped his Middle-earth stories. While I love the Brothers Hildebrandt illustrations, these are used so often you get tired of them.

Think of this as a very poor Cliff Notes for the video age. If it were my first exposure to Tolkien, I'd never look further.

Nothing I didn't already know. Don't waste your money!.......2004-04-28

If you are interested in learning about Tolkien read Humphrey Carpenter's excellent biography rather than wasting money on this DVD. The only thing of interest on this disc is the footage of Tolkien himself, but there's not enough to make the price you pay worthwhile. The majority is taken up by a badly performed synopsis of the story. Also includes a disc of totally boring music supposedly inspired by LOTR. Buy Howard Shore's soundtrack to the Peter Jackson films if you want great music that really sounds like it fits the story.

Not Really Worth Anything.......2004-03-03

For those who have given this five stars have most likely not read the books, or else read the books when they were children and remember almost nothing of the facts. The only two interesting things about this DVD is the footage of Tolkien (which isn't really that much) and the 3D map, but even that is wrong, as any real Tolkien enthusiast can tell you. The artwork is interesting, but I've seen a lot better (check out artist Alan Lee, who actually also worked on the film and is world renown). It also has some reenactments of the book, but these are a little lame (they could've done a lot better). But the biggest thing that gets to me about this DVD is that though it tells the story in a condensed version, it presents a lot of misinformation, such as saying that it was Merry who destroyed the Witch-king (everyone knows it was Eowyn). It also states that the ethnic difficulties present in Middle-earth that were set aside for the Fellowship is comparable to the same that happened during World War II with the Allies and the Axis powers. This goes against the very things Tolkien (and his son Christopher) have said, that the Lord of the Rings is in no way allegorical.
So, in all, this may be of some interest to those who love the movies, but have never/not yet read the books, but for fans of the books, I recommend that you stay away from this and save your money! (Luckily I only spent $6 on this!)

Great material, but you have to know what you are getting!.......2003-12-30

This DVD provides a wealth of serious, academic oriented, introductory analysis of the Lord of the Rings and Tolkien. It is for the lover of the books interested in gaining some context and perspective. It will please primarily the Tolkien's fans and not the Peter Jackson's great rendition of Tolkien's fan. So be prepared for 80 minutes of a magisterial class on Tolkien, his times, and the Lord of the Rings as literature. The extras are nice. The picture gallery is a nice collection of one the most renowned Tolkien's illustrators, the Hildebrandt brothers, but you can find it in other places too. The others abound in a little extra depth in some of the material already covered in the main feature. The CD is a good collection for Rick Wakeman's fans and it will please new comers. Why 3 stars? I think the use of the menu is not as easy as it could have been and the video quality is not always top notch, but those are minor details. The main one would be that the presentation might have been a little more dynamic and the serious viewer might benefit from knowing the credentials of the speakers so their judgment can be rightly appreciated. I'm very pleased with this set, however I'm not quite sure of many times can you replay this one.

J.R.R. Tolkien - Master of the Rings Gift Set

Average customer rating:

Like Watching Paint Dry
Talking heads are the most interesting part of this
Nothing I didn't already know. Don't waste your money!
Not Really Worth Anything
Great material, but you have to know what you are getting!

J.R.R. Tolkien - Master of the Rings Gift Set
Starring: Robert Di Napoli , and Rick Wakeman
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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( J ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

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Special Interests | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Secrets of Middle-Earth - Inside Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" (4-Pack)
J.R.R. Tolkien and the Birth of The Lord of the Rings
National Geographic Beyond the Movie - The Lord of the Rings - The Return of the King
Ringers - Lord of the Fans
The Lord of the Rings

ASIN: B000069HSO
Release Date: 2002-07-16

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

Like Watching Paint Dry.......2005-12-31

Talking heads are the most interesting part of this.......2004-08-27

Nothing I didn't already know. Don't waste your money!.......2004-04-28

Not Really Worth Anything.......2004-03-03

Great material, but you have to know what you are getting!.......2003-12-30

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