Sea Prince & Fire Child (Shiriusu no densetsu / Legend of Sirius) Review

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(More customer reviews)My mother, sister, and I all fell in love with this in the original japanese as the "Legend of Sirius" even though we couldn't understand it. We were shocked to find it in English in a local video rental store, but thrilled that we could finally hear the whole story.
It is just beautiful to watch, the music is lovely, and the characters are cute. I love the mythological take on Romeo and Juliet, and the ending is much easier to live with :-)
We still have our VHS copies in both English and Japanese, but this is one we really want on DVD.
I have read online that it had a limited release on DVD in Japan, but that it is nearly impossible to find. Please re-release it on DVD!

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Darkest Knight (2002) Review

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(More customer reviews)Sub-par even by the standards of throw-down direct-to-video B-movies, _Darkest Knight_ will disappoint all but the most ardent fan of truly unwatchable badfilm. A cavalcade of cliched heroes and villains apparently drawn at random from 3000 years of history and myth throw trade-school CG effects at one another, while displaying costumes (and acting) that would get them run out of any drunken SCA weekend outing at spearpoint.
Awful by any standard, _Darkest Knight_ fails to make good on even the modest promises made by the cover graphic and trailer. (I'll admit I was drawn in by the images on the box of flying dragons spouting flame. They appear nowhere in the actual movie. Think I have a case to sue for my four bucks back?)
Sound in plain stereo and a 4:3 aspect ratio make, in this age of DTS and 16:9, for a presentation nearly as lacking as the content. Possibly amusing - albeit unchallenging - fare for MST3K-style mockery, but unrewarding else. Oh, and naturally they're planning a sequel. Imagine my delight.

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Alice (2009 Miniseries) (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)There's a girl in a blue dress, a Queen of Hearts, and a a magical looking glass that whisks the heroine into a surreal Wonderland.
But beyond that, don't expect this SyFy miniseries to have much in common with Lewis Carroll's classic novel, "Alice in Wonderland." Instead, "Alice" is a whole different animal -- a deliciously gritty sci-fi adventure filled with action, romance, monsters psychedelic horrors, and a revolution against a drug-peddling queen. It's a little silly, but still immensely entertaining.
Alice's (Caterina Scorsone) dinner date with her boyfriend Jack (Philip Winchester) falls apart when he offers her an heirloom ring. When she chases after him, she sees him being dragged off by some suit-wearing thugs -- and promptly trips THROUGH a looking glass. Of course she ends up in Wonderland, a world of grimy urban ruins and art deco casinos. And it's ruled by the Queen of Hearts (Kathy Bates), a ruthless tyrant who keeps her populace drugged with emotions from kidnapped "oysters" (ordinary humans).
Alice ends up following the eccentric Hatter (Andrew-Lee Potts), who offers to take her to the Resistance -- but when they get there, they discover that Jack's ring is actually the Stone of Wonderland (which powers the transdimensional Looking Glass). Since everybody in Wonderland wants the Stone, Hatter and Alice end up on the run from both the Resistance and the Queen's assassin Mad March. Alice is still determined to rescue Jack and return home, but she soon finds that her boyfriend isn't quite what she thought -- and that one of her loved ones is the Queen's brainwashed slave.
The whole idea behind "Alice" is that Carroll's story was real, and that Wonderland has become a very different place in the last 150 years -- crumbling smoky cities, insectile airships, bunny-headed cyborg assassins, and a pair of sadistic interrogators called Dr. Dum and Dr. Dee. It's a far darker, more complex affair than Carroll's books, and that's what makes it so brilliant.
There's plenty of sci-fi action and chaotic battle scenes, including aerial chases, bombing runs and the occasional attack from the grotesque Jabberwock; and the writers keep the complex plot flowing along nicely. But they also keep the story grounded with a love triangle between Alice, Jack and Hatter, as well as Alice's quest to free the oysters and a long-lost family member. And there's just enough humor to keep it from being excessively grim ("We don't have to use a user manual, do we? I HATE user manuals").
Problems? A few of the homages (the grinning cat, the "drink me" bottle) are pretty superfluous, and the siege of skeletal soldiers is kind of silly (especially the "Hit them with everything we've got").
Scorsone makes an excellent modern Alice -- intelligent, capable and capable of butt-kicking her way out, but still vulnerable and young ("You don't remember me!"). Potts makes a deliciously quirky, sexily disheveled Hatter, and Frewer rounds out the main trio as a mildly insane White Knight. Winchester and Colm Meaney are also excellent, Tim Curry is brilliant but underused, and Kathy Bates absolutely rules as the casually cruel, petulant Queen. And yes, she does say "off with his head!"
I don't know what beloved children's story will get reworked next, but "Alice" does a great job with Lewis Carroll's classic novel -- lots of action, a touch of romance, and just enough surreality.

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Abandoned by her father as a child, the independent twenty-one-year-old Alice is accustomed to men being unpredictable, but Jack Chase is something else. Just moments after surprising her with a rare family ring, he's suddenly kidnapped by two thugs and driven into darkness. It is then that Alice is confronted by a sharply dressed stranger who calls himself White Rabbit, and who promises to know more about Jack than she. Where Alice follows him is through the liquid glass of an ornate mirror. Where she lands is Wonderland, an outlandish underground city of twisted towers and parapets, staircases conceived in a Dali dream, and an otherworldly purple horizon. Soon, the word's out that Wonderland has its most prized captive. It seems Alice has the ring that controls the looking glass—the key to the power of the Queen of Hearts. It was mad folly for her son Jack to give it to a girl he barely knew. But Jack had his reasons. Discovering them is up to Alice.

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Hercules The Legendary Journeys - Season 1 (1994) Review

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(More customer reviews)Hercules Season One, an 8-disc DVD Collection, collects all 5 TV pilot movies and the 13-episode first season (1994-1995) of the syndicated action series based on the popular Greek mythological figure.
THE STORY
The critically-acclaimed 'Hercules the Legendary Journeys' aired in syndication for 6 seasons from 1994 till 1999. Based on the popular hero from Greek mythology, the story followed the adventures of Hercules and his friend Iolaus as they traveled the earth defending mortals against the tyrannical gods who plagued them, namely his step-mother Hera, Queen of the Gods and his half-brother Ares, the God of War. The series' brilliant combination of action and adventure, special effects and adaptation of Greek mythology was a critical as well as commercial success, drawing strong ratings and a cult-following.
THE DVDS:
Disc 1:
Movie 1: 'Hercules and the Amazon Women' ' Hercules and Iolaus embark on one last great adventure before Iolaus' wedding. Answering the call to save a village from mysterious monsters they instead find a tribe of Hera-worshipping warrior women who have shunned men from their lives.
Movie 2: 'Hercules and the Lost Kingdom' ' Hercules aids a young woman find the lost city of Troy which was banished by Hera.
Disc 2:
Movie 3: 'Hercules and the Circle of Fire' ' Hera has stolen fire from mankind and only Hercules, along with the lovely Deianera, can get it back.
Movie 4: 'Hercules in the Underworld' ' Hercules is called to help save a village where the people are being sucked underground. In the midst of it all he saves his wife Deianera from the traitorous Centaur Nessus and winds up in the Underworld battling the guard of Hades -- the three-headed dog Cerberus.
Disc 3:
Movie 5: 'Hercules in the Maze of the Minotaur' ' Settled down with his wife and kids, Hercules and Iolaus reminisce about their adventures together until they are summoned to a village to help slay a mysterious monster that not even Zeus himself can kill!!
Disc 4:
Episode 1: 'The Wrong Path' ' After Hera kills his family, Hercules sets out to avenge them. With Hercules on his personal quest, Iolaus answers to call to help a village being plagued by Hera's She-Demon who can turn men into stone.
Episode 2: 'Eye of the Beholder' ' Hercules helps a town overcome a Cyclops who's diverting their river's flow away to Hera's vineyards. Intro: Salmoneus the Traveling Salesman
Episode 3: 'The Road to Calydon' ' Hercules aids a cursed people move to the protected and enchanted city of Calydon.
Disc 5:
Episode 4: 'The Festival of Dionysus' ' Hercules helps to thwart a devious plot concocted by an ambitious prince and Ares the God of War to overthrow the peaceful King of Meliad.
Episode 5: 'Ares' ' Hercules stops Ares and his servant from recruiting an army of teenage boys.
Episode 6: 'As Darkness Falls' ' Hercules must battle Nemis the Centaur, brother of Nessus and servant of Hera, who has kidnapped the bride Penelope. He has one problem though, he is slowly going blind as part of Nemis' plot to kill him and only Salmoneus, the timid traveling salesman, can help him.
Disc 6:
Episode 7: 'Pride Goes Before a Brawl' ' Iolaus saves a maiden and battles a group of bandits in the forest. Little does he know that Hera has sentenced him to death and only Hercules can save him.
Episode 8: 'The March to Freedom' ' Hercules helps free a group of Easterners from a vicious slave trader.
Episode 9: 'The Warrior Princess' ' THE DEBUT OF XENA. To Iolaus she is the love of his life for whom he would kill and die for. To the rest of the world she is a merciless Warlord who is bent on world conquest. What happens when Hercules sets out to stop her once and for all?
Disc 7:
Episode 10 ' 'The Gladiator' ' Hercules and Iolaus free the prisoners of Menas Maxius, ruler of Apropus, who forces them into mortal combat for his own sick pleasure.
Episode 11 ' 'The Vanishing Dead' ' Hercules and Iolaus try to stop a senseless civil war between the people of Tantalus concocted as a devious scheme by Ares who wants more dead bodies to feed his dog Graegus.
Episode 12 ' 'The Gauntlet' ' Xena is usurped by her ruthless lieutenant Darphus. Hercules and Xena join forces to defeat Darphus' army and stop their reign of terror once and for all.
Episode 13 ' 'Unchained Heart' ' Ares resurrects Darphus and sends him on a mission to destroy the world and provide enough dead bodies to satiate Graegus' hunger. It will take the combined might of Hercules, Iolaus, Xena and Salmoneus to stop him.
THE DVD EXTRAS
Anchor Bay's put out another solid Season DVD set with an awesome extras package. Among the goodies this DVD set comes with are:
SELECTED EPISODE COMMENTARY
Select episodes feature audio or video commentary by series' stars Kevin Sorbo and Michael Hurst. Audio commentary is featured on episodes 2, 5, 7, 9 and 10. Video commentary is featured on episodes 5, 7, 10.
COLLECTIBLES AND CONTESTS
Each season DVD set includes a collector's edition Hercules coin. You can mail away for a coin holder to house your coins. Also included are entry forms for the Hercules sweepstakes contest for a trip to the Athens Games of 2004.
DISC 8: EXTRAS
Included on Disc 8 are:
1. Hercules screensaver
2. The Chronicles: A comprehensive guide to the Hercules universe including Episode Guides (Scrolls) and character guides for important characters including Mortals, Gods and Creatures.
3. Trivia Game: Test your Hercules knowledge (or pick up some).
4. Director and Actor Bios: Filmographies for ALL actors and directors who appeared in/worked on Season One.
THE VERDICT
Lovers of action-adventure and mythology are bound to fall in love with this series. The 'Ancient Greece' settings and the FX that make up all its evil monsters are awe-inspiring. In all, you won't be disappointed as you follow along with Hercules and his Legendary Journeys!!
Highest Recommendation

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Long ago… In a time of myth and legend, when ancient gods plagued man with suffering – only one man dared to challenge their power. Hercules! This spectacular collection brings together all five full-length action-packed movies starring Kevin Sorbo as Hercules and Anthony Quinn as Zeus and includes the entire debut season in one epic collector's set. Kevin Sorbo's fresh, hip and good-natured spin on the legendary hero carried this witty, adventure-filled action drama to high critical acclaim. Smartly combining ancient myth with contemporary sensibilities, the series became one of television's highest rated programs. Hercules: The Legendary Journeys Season One Collection Includes All Five Action-Packed Hercules Movies And All 13 Season One Episodes!

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Dragonslayer: When Dragons Were Real (1981) Review

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(More customer reviews)Ultimately, "Dragonslayer" succeeds where the vast majority of monster movies fail, which is the point at which you get to see the creature and it is a big disappointment. Very few movies had really great monsters when I was growing up and you get to the point where you just expect them to be bad. Even when the make up is pretty good, say Boris Karloff in the original version of "The Mummy" or Oliver Reed in "The Curse of the Werewolf," you get shorted on how often the monster actually gets to be on screen. "Dragonslayer" ups the ante because there is a big build up to the point when you finally get to see the dragon. But for my money it is well worth the wait because the folks at Industrial Light & Magic delivery even though we are talking 1981 special effects.
The story in "Dragonslayer" combines a couple of recognizable plot lines from the fantasy genre. First there is the hapless young apprentice, Galen (Peter MacNicol), trying to learn his craft from a great wizard, Ulrich (Ralph Richardson). I am certainly reminded of Mickey Mouse from "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" in "Fantasia," except that Galen is a lot more earnest. Second, there is the fact that Casiodorus Rex (Peter Eyre), the ruler of the land, has been sacrificing virgins to keep the local dragon from leveling the countryside. Young Valerian (Caitlin Clarke) arrives to beseech Ulrich, the last wizard around, to kill the dragon, which is probably the last of its kind as well.
The only problem is that Ulrich has died, which means that young Galen has to become a dragonslayer. Galen wants to do the great deed for the right reasons, but there is also the Princess Elspeth (Chloe Salaman) to consider, along with all the other young virgins forced to participate in the grim lottery. Casiodorus is not thrilled by the prospect of the fate of his kingdom resting on the shoulders of Galen, so he tries to thwart the young man's plans. However, there is somebody who thinks that the rules of the game in Urland have to be changed.
Beyond the Oscar nominated special effects (and musical score by Alex North) what makes "Dragonslayer" work is that it takes place in a grungy medieval world where everybody is dirty and outright despair seems like an appropriate response to each sunrise. In such a world sacrificing a virgin once a year seems rather reasonable, and an act of heroism seems improbable, especially when your hopes rest on the baby-faced Galen. The atmosphere and the special effects fit together just perfectly, and Ralph Richardson's performance as the sorcerer gives the film its memorable performance.
The casting of MacNichol is seen as problematic by some, especially those familiar with his stellar comedy work on "Chicago Hope" and "Ally McBeal," but I think he works well in this particular context. The idea here is that the hero is not somebody who wants to be a great fighter with a sword but a sorcerer using potions and magicks. MacNichol looks like somebody who would be more comfortable with a staff than a sword, so that when he actually has to pick up a spear and shield to fight the dragon he looks really uncomfortable. Then he sees the dragon and he looks scared. We see the dragon, so we completely understand.
Although a lot of the elements are familiar to everyone weaned on Tolkien and excited by the original "Star Wars" films, there are some attempts to be different. I especially liked the fate of the Princess and the ending has a sense of fatalism we rarely get in a fantasy film, with or without a monster. Unfortunately, the DVD version of "Dragonslayer" has absolutely nothing in terms of bonus features (not even the trailer), but at least the film is presented in anamorphic widescreen so you can enjoy all of the Scottish landscape. More importantly, there is the CGI dragon that mandates this one getting five stars because that dragon is that good. When a movie delivers the goods with the monster the way "Dragonslayer" does, attention must be paid.

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A fire-breathing dragon terrorizes the 6th century British countryside whose only hope is an aging sorcerer. When he is killed before he can save the people, the task falls to his young apprentice.Genre: Science FictionRating: PGRelease Date: 9-AUG-2005Media Type: DVD

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Muppets from Space (1999) Review

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(More customer reviews)Muppets From Space (not to be confused with the original Muppet Show's Pigs in Space) is one terrific movie. The Muppets redefine themselves on the cutting edge of entertainment, put together a film of nonstop action and hilarity, pull off a rather touching ending, impart an important lesson about life to children as well as adults, and really bring their own special magic to the viewing audience. Feature films permit the Muppet universe to expand in altogether new ways. For one thing, you get to see full-body shots of Muppets doing extraordinary things (rather than having to settle for the old above the waist only shots). More significantly, in relation to this movie, there are some pretty good special effects that really make the Muppet world seem more believable than ever. All of the Muppets look great, and some relatively newer characters are nothing short of hilarious (Pepe the Prawn in particular).
Muppets From Space centers around Gonzo, the little guy with the big nose and no real history. He's tired of being a one-of-a-kind creature and yearns to know where he came from. First things first, though. The film opens with the start of a new day in the Muppet house; everyone gets up out of bed and quickly gets down with their bad selves to the funky music of "Brick House." The Muppets have definitely found the funk, and this makes for a really happening, memorable soundtrack. Just when Gonzo is really down about being alone in the world, he receives a communication from outer space (via his alphabet-shaped breakfast cereal). Soon, he is convinced that he is an alien and, what is more, he claims his alien family is on its way to earth. A certain secret agency picks up signs of the aliens and comes after Gonzo, thinking he can tell them what the aliens want and where they will land. The leader of this secret group, played by Jeffrey Tambor, is a little bit out of his mind, and Gonzo falls right into his pending trap by showing up at the local news studio to announce that the aliens are coming. The other Muppets don't really believe Gonzo's claims, but they are eager to help rescue him when he falls into the evil clutches of the Men in Black. The conclusion of the movie is a real hoot indeed, delivering a close encounter of the truly unique kind.
All of the Muppet characters are great; Kermit and Miss Piggy don't get as much screen time as usual, but that may well be a good thing. Gonzo and his roommate Rizzo the Rat (another fantastic, relatively new character) are more than capable of carrying the movie by themselves - of course, they don't have to do it alone because many of the Muppets play important parts. Pepe the Prawn absolutely steals the show, if you ask me; he may be the funniest Muppet yet created. As usual, a number of famous stars make cameo appearances in the film, including Andie MacDowell, Ray Liotta, F. Murray Abraham, Kathy Griffin, Hollywood Hogan (as his NWO self), and an always annoying David Arquette. Kids as well as adults should love this movie. Older viewers will appreciate some of the subtle nods to popular culture; for example, you will find parallels to big movies such as Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Star Trek, Men in Black, Independence Day, and The Shawshank Redemption.
This is as funny and enjoyable a Muppet movie as you will find. Don't let the kids get all of the enjoyment out of Muppets From Space, though; there are plenty of things incorporated into the plot and script to make adults smile and laugh, as well.

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MUPPETS FROM SPACE - DVD Movie

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The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (Widescreen Edition) (2001) Review

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(More customer reviews)A cinematic version of Tolkien's THE LORD OF THE RINGS ranks up with the hope that Lucas will indeed make another Star Wars Trilogy, and, I think I can safely say, this is one of the most anticipated films in the movie industry's long and checkered history. You would think it's movie paradise, considering Lucas has been in the midst of another Star Wars trilogy and LORD OF THE RINGS has finally got a cinema deal (live action!), but PHANTOM MENACE proved something of a disappointment (Mesa Jar Jar Binks!), and I think quite a few people will enter into the theatre with a certain amount of trepidation.
There's a reason for that. Three animated Tolkien films have been released with very problematic results. The 1978 Bakshi release is just embarrassing; the film is both incoherent and confusing.
Rankin & Bass's two movies are fine for little kids; those two films are Tolkien for Saturday Morning cartoons. They proved my introduction to Tolkien and for that I am thankful, but the movies still fail to capture the grandeur of Tolkien's imagination.
There are two things to consider here about a work of literature. Although all good literature has a polarization effect on its readers, this work has a gigantic legion of followers which are extremely dedicated to Tolkien's vision (I count myself a member of this camp). The other camp cannot figure out what the big fuss is about and why they should care about the novel.
Now, there's a reason why all this is relevant to the film: had Peter Jackson gone to far either way the film would have fallen apart. Appeal to much to the fan-base and you loose the general movie-goer. Appeal to much to the movie-goer, and you'll lose the fan-base.
So when the fan base learned of Peter Jackson's decision to film all three films at once, an unprecedented move in movie history, most of us really wanted it to be good but were just simply afraid. We've already been burnt. Would it be so bad that it would alienate both fan base and those who are just looking for a good movie?
Not only does Peter Jackson's film work, it's glorious, beautiful, has all the myth and grandeur of the book. Jackson, a Tolkien fanatic, could have gotten so involved with bringing out the extremely detailed world Tolkien gave us that the pacing would suffer or we'd lose patience with all these obscure details which would alienate the regular movie goer. Not only does he not alienate the general movie goer, but he entices the fan base so much they can't help but fall in love with his vision of Tolkien's world.
The only real flaw is how rushed first section of the movie is. Although I can understand cutting the Old Forest and Tom Bombadil, the way they handled getting the hobbits out of the Shire was unacceptable. There is not that sense of camaraderie between the Hobbits that there is in the book, there is no "conspiracy," and Merry and Pippin just join without any questioning from Sam and Frodo. While Jackson does a good job at building the Hobbits' characters and establishing their personalities, I couldn't come up with a good reason why Frodo and Sam would just let Merry and Pippin join them.
The Prancing Pony is worst. There is no questioning from the Hobbits about Aragorn proving himself, there is no scene about him asking them to trust him, and the whole sequence feels much too rushed. Sam only questions Aragorn while they're actually out of the inn and traveling.
Thankfully, however, that is the only real flaw. The rest of the things the script changed (tightening Elrond's council, the expansion of Arwen, cutting Sam from the Galadriel mirror sequence, tempting Aragorn with the ring, etc) I can see why they did it for dramatic tension. I also liked the way they handled Elrond's council, because that could have ruined the movie like it did with Bakshi's. They had established and covered much of the material in that chapter elsewhere by means of voice-over prologue and actually showing the viewer what is happening (especially with the Isengard sequences), and as a result lessened the screentime of that scene and helping with the dramatics of it.
As for the controversial expansion of Arwen, I tend to agree with the film makers in their decision to enlarge her role. By making her part of the Ford sequence it introduces the character and establishes her in the viewer's mind, and the relationship between Arwen and Aragorn is more fully explored. As for their romantic interlude in Rivendell, not only do I agree with that but think it should have been done in the book. Tolkien did not know who Strider was when he was first writing FELLOWSHIP, and did not go back and change the scenes to further explain the romance between Arwen and Aragorn, and by not including a scene in Rivendell to establish their love for one another lessens by far the impact of their union in Part III, and (for once) this romantic scene is actually an improvement on the book. As for her role in the Flight at the Ford, for the movie they made the right choice though the book is still preferable.
In achieving the balance between fan base and the more causal fan, this film is a spectacular success. Making a movie out of a book the size of Fellowship, the fact is you will have to condense, tighten, rearrange, and make changes for dramatic tensions. The mediums are different, and you cannot have a direct translation from a book to a film. Despite of what they cut, the movie still clocks in at three hours, which is very generous. The real problem with this film, as others noted, is it's going to be a full two years before we finally get to watch THE RETURN OF THE KING.
In the end, we get a movie that stays true to the SPIRIT of the book. This is what we Tolkien fans have long been waiting for. Thank you so much Peter Jackson and your cast and crew.

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Based on J.R.R. Tolkien's masterpiece, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is an epic adventure of good against evil, the power of friendship and individual courage. The saga centers around an unassuming Hobbit named Frodo Baggins who inherits a Ring that would give a dark and powerful lord the power to enslave the world. With a loyal fellowship of elves, dwarves, men and a wizard, Frodo embarks on a heroic quest to destroy the One Ring and pave the way for the emergence of mankind.DVD Features:3D Animated MenusDVD ROM Features:Exclusive online contentDocumentaries:3 in-depth programs that reveal the secrets behind the production of this epic adventure, including: -"Welcome to Middle-earth" in-store special as shown by Houghton Mifflin -"The Quest for the Ring" as debuted on the FBC Network -"A Passage to Middle-earth" as premiered on the SCI-FI ChannelFeaturette:15 featurettes originally created for lordoftherings.net, which explore the locales and cultures of Middle-earth and include interviews with cast members Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, Liv Tyler and others. Exclusive 10-minute behind-the-scenes preview of the next The Lord of the Rings theatrical release, The Two Towers.Music Video:Enya "May It Be" music videoOther:An inside look at the Special Extended DVD Edition of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Preview of Electronic Arts' video game, The Two Towers Double Amaray PackagingTV SpotTheatrical Trailer:Original theatrical trailers

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The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (Widescreen Edition) (2003) Review

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(More customer reviews)Not sure why there's such a vacuum of information available here on ROTK- the platinum extended edition release.
Its no secret that Peter Jackson has finished the version - and that it contains a whopping 65 minutes of additional footage that was cut from the theatrical version, putting the final movie at four hours and ten minutes. Awesome!
Apparently there was some rumor that New Line Cinema was going to cheap out on the special effects for the extended release version - and go with a cut-rate American outfit instead of the New Zealand firm they've worked with on the prior two films - but this was just that - a rumor, as far as I've been able to obtain.
New Scenes from the book to appear in the extended release version include the following: Confrontation with Saruman at Isengaard in which the Palantir is acquired (tossed out tower by Wormtongue), Parley with the Mouth of Sauron outside the Black Gates, Merry pledging his swoord and allegiance to Theoden, Sam and Frodo, disguised in Orc garb, marching with (and then escaping from) Orc Troop in Mordor, Eowyn and Faramir meet in the Houses of Healing in Gondor, and finally, a scene in which Aragorn reveals himself to Sauron in the Palantir.
All in all, good stuff. The only liberty it sounds Jackson has taken with the material is that Saruman is killed in the confrontation at Isengaard - falls to his death from the tower - rather than simply cast from the order, stripped of his power and humiliated by Gandolph, as the book. We can certainly live with that, can't we?

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The final battle for Middle-earth begins. Frodo and Sam, led by Gollum, continue their dangerous mission toward the fires of Mount Doom in order to destroy the One Ring. Aragorn struggles to fulfill his legacy as he leads his outnumbered followers against the growing power of the Dark Lord Sauron, so that the Ring-bearer may complete his quest. DVD Features:3D Animated MenusDVD ROM Features:Exclusive online content Link to www.lordoftherings.netDocumentaries:3 in-depth programs that reveal the secrets behind the production of this epic adventure, including: "The Quest Fulfilled: A Director's Vision" (23:05) "A Filmmaker's Journey: Making The Return of The King" (28:30) National Geographic Special (45:57)Featurette:6 featurettes --Aragorn's Destiny (3:25) --Minas Tirith: Capital of Gondor (3:10) --The Battle of Pelennor Fields (2:14) --Samwise the Brave (4:32) --Eowyn: White Lady of Rohan (3:45) --Digital Horse Doubles (4:35)Other:2-DISC SET The Battle For Middle Eath Continues--Video Games from EA (3:00)TV SpotTheatrical Trailer:Original Theatrical Trailers "The Lord of The Rings" Trilogy Supertrailer (6:45)

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