Sooo! You thought you would try watching Peter Jackson's movie version of The Lord of the Rings, but don't know whether to buy the seven-DVD basic version, the thirteen-DVD enhanced version or the twenty-seven-DVD director's exclusive cutting-room outtakes version? Or maybe you have all the movies already, but don't have the seven-to-nineteen hours needed to trudge through them all? Maybe you've watched the notorious and unfinished Bakshi version so often you could deliver all the miswritten dialogue yourself? Your videotape of Rankin-Bass' "The Return of the King" has been viewed so many times that holes are being worn through the mylar? Have you been finding yourself wishing that Zimmerman's version of the movie had been filmed, however badly, just so you could have a single film to watch?
Well, fear no more! After long and extensive digging through private film archives, the staff of the Tolkien Sarcasm Page has been able to uncover the complete movie version of The Lord of the Rings! And through the miracle of the Internet and the latest advancements in compression technology, this movie epic is now available for immediate, completely free* download!
If downloading, you'll need Apple's QuickTime Movie Player, version 4 or later, to view the movie. QuickTime is freely available for both Apple and Windows platforms, though if I may say so they're lagging somewhat behind on Linux support.
The movie file is 18.5 MB in size, and takes approximately 45 to 70 minutes to download from a good 56K modem connection. This is not bad, considering that Mr. Jackson required 27.5 MB to release just the trailer for his version. If you're on broadband, though, download will be significantly quicker.
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YouTube 320x200. Running time: 9 minutes, 4 seconds. YouTube has made it possible to post annoying videos of kitties and sticky children to the whole world. I suppose they can put up with some truly legendary cinema art as well. Or download the movie from Flying Moose of Nargothrond 19,405,754 bytes. 320x200. Running time: 8 minutes, 51 seconds. Sometimes it's just more fun to have your own copy on the computer at home. Especially if you're on dialup. Trust me. I've been there. Or download it from William H. Hsu's Server 19,405,754 bytes. 320x200. Running time: 8 minutes, 51 seconds. Professor Hsu, a noted film historian amongst his many talents, has graciously offered to host the movie from his site. |
A page of casting and production credits is available online for those who obsess over learning every last detail of production. You probably should avoid reading it, however, until you've actually watched the movie.
How true is the movie to the original novel? You decide!