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LOTR: The Rings Of Power Series

I'm sorry to do this, but you need to see Amazon's fake fan response video (it's scripted) to understand what they're hoping to foist on the audience.

The video is unlisted, which means it doesn't turn up in search results—it looks as if there was some doubt as to whether to use it.

It's... unspeakably bad.


I haven't yet found them, but apparently the various Amazon regions have similarly scripted promos with different actors.

Astroturf.

"I think think, like, if Sauron is hot, people will be like - yeah, I can change him!"

Hot Sauron: it's what we have all been waiting for.

I want to see Morgoth, Tom Bombadil and The Balrog have a three-way.
 
I'm sorry to do this, but you need to see Amazon's fake fan response video (it's scripted) to understand what they're hoping to foist on the audience.

The video is unlisted, which means it doesn't turn up in search results—it looks as if there was some doubt as to whether to use it.

It's... unspeakably bad.


I haven't yet found them, but apparently the various Amazon regions have similarly scripted promos with different actors.

Astroturf.

So the best thing one of the gushing "influencers" (gadzooks! How I hate that term) could say was that they've spun Tolkien's epic take on Anglo-Saxon/Norse mythology into something more "inclusive". I suppose he was referring to the rather literal take on "Dark Elves".
Well I suppose they did it in The Witcher too, which was supposed to be based on Slavic mythology.
Looks like Tolkienism is being superseded by tokenism.

When the TV fantasy series and film Mahabharata came out a few years ago, based on the ancient Indian Sanskrit legends, they quite rightly featured an all-Asian cast. Should "influencers" have complained about the absence of Africans and Europeans to depict Vishnu and co?
 
Morfydd Clark has been a lifelong fan of the Lord of the Rings, with her love of the films and books expanding into Tolkien TikTok as well as this very earnest sentiment: “Tolkien's world is massively about vibes.” What the 32-year-old Welsh actress means is that Tolkien’s work is much less black and white than some might argue, especially when it comes to the Rings of Power’s increased gender parity.

“Tolkien's world is very of its own and never felt macho to me,” she says. “It feels really natural that if you're going to explore the weaving roads that he wrote for us, that there would be women and that they would be highly regarded as Galadriel. That's what's so special about Tolkien, is that he wrote outside the binary.”

To properly portray Galadriel, Clark also had to go on a journey of her own. “Galadriel was seen by Sauron as his biggest adversary,” Clarks says. “We know that Tolkien thought she was awesome.”


Continues for far, far too long:
https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/lord-of-the-rings-rings-of-power-amazon-cast-interview

Tolkien wrote 'outside the binary'.
His work? 'Massively about vibes'.
Galadriel: he thought she was 'awesome'.


ezgif-1-64bbddaa7322.gif
 
Morfydd Clark has been a lifelong fan of the Lord of the Rings, with her love of the films and books expanding into Tolkien TikTok as well as this very earnest sentiment: “Tolkien's world is massively about vibes.” What the 32-year-old Welsh actress means is that Tolkien’s work is much less black and white than some might argue, especially when it comes to the Rings of Power’s increased gender parity.

“Tolkien's world is very of its own and never felt macho to me,” she says. “It feels really natural that if you're going to explore the weaving roads that he wrote for us, that there would be women and that they would be highly regarded as Galadriel. That's what's so special about Tolkien, is that he wrote outside the binary.”

To properly portray Galadriel, Clark also had to go on a journey of her own. “Galadriel was seen by Sauron as his biggest adversary,” Clarks says. “We know that Tolkien thought she was awesome.”


Continues for far, far too long:
https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/lord-of-the-rings-rings-of-power-amazon-cast-interview

Tolkien wrote 'outside the binary'.
His work? 'Massively about vibes'.
Galadriel: he thought she was 'awesome'.


View attachment 58474

I would say that Galadriel is certainly up there with Eowyn, and Arwen (and just possibly Rosie Cotton) as one of the few, but powerful female characters in the books.
 
That distant rumbling isn't the Midguard Serpent it's Tolkien revolving in his grave.

Galadriel IIRC convened the White council to counter Sauron and was the most powerful being, excepting Bombadil and Sauron in Middle Earth, Eowyn was the typical Nordic warrior woman Arwen was Aragorn's love interest in the book but given a sword swinging role in the film.

Let's not forget Shelob & Ungoliant they were female!
 
I enjoy the idea that being a 'massive fan' qualifies someone to promote the new production.
Especially when 'massive fans' have been critical and yet they are the 'wrong sort of fan' and toxic to ... er ... Amazon's product.
I'm a fan of some things, and hold my opinions on stuff. But I wouldn't expect my opinion to be held above anyone else. It's just part of the melting pot.
But when the melting pot consists of a lot of negative 'vibes' then it's only a few of the more acceptable reviewers who are taken as experts? Really?
 
The surprising ancient roots of The Lord of the Rings

As the series gets underway, there's sure to be plenty of debate over how faithful it is to Tolkien's vision, but just how original that vision was in the first place is a subject that's long enthralled scholars. One thing is certain: even as it harnesses all the cinematic razzle-dazzle that its mega-budget can buy, the series will also be tapping into lore and legend from literature too ancient to be accurately dated, whose narratives are full of heroism and tragedy, dwarves and elves – and of course magical rings.
 
There are a number of powerful women in the Silmarillion. Luthien was the only Elf capable of subduing Morgoth, albeit only temporarily. Her mother Melian was the only Maia in Middle Earth at this time, and was capable of resisting all outside enemies (until her realm was destroyed from within). And of course Elwing, the only elven character capable of flight.
 
The surprising ancient roots of The Lord of the Rings

As the series gets underway, there's sure to be plenty of debate over how faithful it is to Tolkien's vision, but just how original that vision was in the first place is a subject that's long enthralled scholars. One thing is certain: even as it harnesses all the cinematic razzle-dazzle that its mega-budget can buy, the series will also be tapping into lore and legend from literature too ancient to be accurately dated, whose narratives are full of heroism and tragedy, dwarves and elves – and of course magical rings.

Not really that surprising.
I thought it was common knowledge that Tolkien's vision was built on the legacy of Beowulf, the Viking sagas, Bede, and perhaps a hint of Chaucer.
 
iirc there's more than a whiff of Celtic mythology in there as well. He didn't completely make it up out of thin air.

Absolutely right. I should have listed the Celtic influence too - notably on Elfen language and artwork.

BTW I watched the first episode of The Rings of Power last night.
Certainly looks spectacular but, having been brought up on Tiswas, I did struggle to take Lenny Henry seriously as a Hobbit elder.
 
BTW I watched the first episode of The Rings of Power last night.
Certainly looks spectacular but, having been brought up on Tiswas, I did struggle to take Lenny Henry seriously as a Hobbit elder.
I thought he did a good job. I enjoyed the whole thing.
 
Do the Hobbits really have stage Irish accents?
I can't remember what their accents were, but then I'm terrible with accents. I didn't mind any of the things that I'm sure people online will be picking to pieces. I found it just an engrossing fantasy adventure set in a world that approximates Tolkien's Middle Earth well enough for me, and it is a lot better than Wheel of Time which I struggled through and wished I hadn't bothered.
 
Watched it tonight with no great expectations but thought it was surprisingly good and certainly (for me) as a long time Tolkien fan/obsessive none of it jarred with my understanding of the books. I actually thought that the slightly comedic aspects of the hobbits (sorry harfoots!) including their accents had more in common with Tolkien's writing than their presentation in Jacksons films.
 
Must admit that the two travellers with the giant Elk antlers strapped to their backs puzzled me a bit and made me wonder what purpose they served.
And there's been speculation online:

elk.PNG


https://www.looper.com/767655/who-a...lord-of-the-rings-the-rings-of-power-trailer/

If those were real palmate antlers, they would be uncomfortably heavy and destabilising for the two hikers - especially if the wind got up, so probably just as well they were just Styrofoam props.
 
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Amazon Prime suspends customer reviews of The Rings of Power and rejects any less than positive reviews as "trolling".

On Rotten Tomatoes, professional critics gave the new series a positive 84% rating, but common-or-garden layperson reviews rated it as a mediocre 36%.

From what I've seen, I would place it as somewhat closer to the higher rating, but Prime's heavy-handed suppression of criticism goes against everything I believe in and will not make me better disposed towards the show.

https://www.thewrap.com/lord-of-the-rings-of-power-user-review-72-hour-delay-amazon-prime-video/
 
Amazon Prime suspends customer reviews of The Rings of Power and rejects any less than positive reviews as "trolling".

On Rotten Tomatoes, professional critics gave the new series a positive 84% rating, but common-or-garden layperson reviews rated it as a mediocre 36%.

From what I've seen, I would place it as somewhat closer to the higher rating, but Prime's heavy-handed suppression of criticism goes against everything I believe in and will not make me better disposed towards the show.

https://www.thewrap.com/lord-of-the-rings-of-power-user-review-72-hour-delay-amazon-prime-video/

The critics go for the ethnic food choices.
 
Deer antlers are HEAVY

Why would you carry them on your backs?
 
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