The Frodo Franchise

Author: Kristin Thompson
Publisher: Univ of California Press
ISBN: 0520932870
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 431

Book Description
"Once in a lifetime." The phrase comes up over and over from the people who worked on Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings. The film's seventeen Oscars, record-setting earnings, huge fan base, and hundreds of ancillary products attest to its importance and to the fact that Rings is far more than a film. Its makers seized a crucial moment in Hollywood—the special effects digital revolution plus the rise of "infotainment" and the Internet—to satisfy the trilogy's fans while fostering a huge new international audience. The resulting franchise of franchises has earned billions of dollars to date with no end in sight. Kristin Thompson interviewed seventy-six people to examine the movie's scripting and design and the new technologies deployed to produce the films, video games, and DVDs. She demonstrates the impact Rings had on the companies that made it, on the fantasy genre, on New Zealand, and on independent cinema. In fast-paced, compulsively readable prose, she affirms Jackson's Rings as one the most important films ever made.

The Frodo Franchise

Author: Kristin Thompson
Publisher: Univ of California Press
ISBN: 0520247744
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 430

Book Description
In this study of Peter Jacksons film adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkiens "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, Kristin Thompson demonstrates the impact the trilogy has had on the companies that made it, on the fantasy genre, on New Zealand, and on independent cinema, and looks at how the trilogy is regarded as one the most important films ever made.

The Frodo Franchise

Author: Kristin Thompson
Publisher: Univ of California Press
ISBN: 9780520258136
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 438

Book Description
"This is the best all-around view of the Tolkien phenomenon. Thompson understands the books, she understands the movies—she also understands the money and the franchising. Best of all, she understands the people. Thompson offers cultural criticism of the highest order, examining one of the most significant shifts in contemporary popular media."—Tom Shippey, author of The Road to Middle-earth "Reading these chapters has been an absolute pleasure. It’s all so complex but so succinct. Thompson has managed to do what so many others have failed to do . . . in chapter one, she has explained how all the rights to LOTR bounced around, and were finally sorted so Peter Jackson could make the movie. I’ve never understood the complexities of how that worked until now!"—Judy Alley, Merchandising Coordinator, The Lord of the Rings "I must say that Thompson has written the definitive study of Peter Jackson’s work in creating this remarkable production entity."—Alex Funke, ASC, Oscar-winning Visual Effects Director of Photography, miniatures unit, The Lord of the Rings "I had a wonderful time reading those chapters! There’s so much I don’t know about what went on—I am in awe of all the research Thompson has done. It is an extremely interesting read! There’s so much there that I’d forgotten and I always wished there was a permanent record of many things that happened. Thompson’s account of TORN’s beginnings and how it functioned gets it absolutely right—more than that, Thompson captures how it felt to us at the time. Nobody else has managed to get enough of an understanding to do that."—Erica Challis ("Tehanu"), co-founder of TheOneRing.net

Storytelling in the New Hollywood

Author: Kristin Thompson
Publisher: Harvard University Press
ISBN: 9780674839755
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 428

Book Description
Drawing on a wide range of films from the 1920s to the 1990s—from Keaton’s Our Hospitality to Casablanca to Terminator 2, Kristin Thompson offers the first in-depth analysis of Hollywood’s storytelling techniques and how they are used to make complex, easily comprehensible, entertaining films.

The Fellowship of the Ring

Author: John Ronald Reuel Tolkien
Publisher: HarperCollins UK
ISBN: 0007203586
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 571

Book Description
'The Fellowship of the Ring' is the first part of JRR Tolkien's epic masterpiece 'The Lord of the Rings'. This 50th anniversary edition features special packaging and includes the definitive edition of the text.|PB

Film History

Author: Kristin Thompson
Publisher: McGraw-Hill Humanities, Social Sciences & World Languages
ISBN: 9780070384293
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 788

Book Description
This comprehensive survey not only acknowledges the contributions of Hollywood and films from other US sources, but broadens its scope to examine film-making internationally.

The Wisdom of the Shire

Author: Noble Smith
Publisher: Macmillan
ISBN: 1250026415
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 223

Book Description
In The Wisdom of the Shire, Noble Smith sheds a light on the life-changing ideas tucked away inside the classic works of J. R. R. Tolkien and his most beloved creation—the stouthearted Hobbits. How can simple pleasures such as gardening, taking long walks, and eating delicious meals with friends make you significantly happier? Why is the act of giving presents on your birthday instead of getting them such a revolutionary idea? What should you do when dealing with the Gollum in your life? And how can we carry the burden of our own "magic ring of power" without becoming devoured by it? The Wisdom of the Shire holds the answers to these and more of life's essential questions.

Anything You Can Imagine: Peter Jackson and the Making of Middle-earth

Author: Ian Nathan
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 0008192480
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 592

Book Description
The definitive history of Peter Jackson’s Middle-earth saga, Anything You Can Imagine takes us on a cinematic journey across all six films, featuring brand-new interviews with Peter, his cast & crew. From the early days of daring to dream it could be done, through the highs and lows of making the films, to fan adoration and, finally, Oscar glory.

There and Back Again

Author: Sean Astin
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
ISBN: 1466856351
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 384

Book Description
The fascinating memoir of a Hollywood life and an inside look at a life-changing role and the groundbreaking Lord of the Rings films that captured the imagination of movie fans everywhere. The Lord of the Rings is one of the most successful film franchises in cinematic history. Winner of a record eleven Academy Awards--a clean sweep--and breaking box office records worldwide, the trilogy is a breathtaking cinematic achievement and beloved by fans everywhere. For Sean Astin, a Hollywood child (his mother is Patty Duke and stepfather is John Astin) who made his feature film debut at 13 in the 1980s classic The Goonies and played the title role in Rudy, the call from his agent about the role of Samwise Gamgee couldn't have come at a better time. His career was at a low point and choice roles were hard to come by. But his 18-month experience in New Zealand with director Peter Jackson and the cast and crew od The Lord of the Rings films would be more than simply a dream-come-true--it would prove to be the challenge of a lifetime. There and Back Again: An Actor's Tale is the complete memoir of Sean Astin, from his early days in Hollywood to the role that changed his life. Though much has been written about the making of the films, including the techniques and artistry employed to bring Tolkien's vision of life and the various relationships between castmembers, the real story of what took place on the set, the harrowing ordeals of the actors and the unspoken controversy and backstage dealings have never been told. Sean's experience and candid account of his time filming in New Zealand is unparalleled. More than a companion guide to the Ring films, There and Back Again filled with stories from the set and of the actors involved that have never been revealed before and is an eye-opening look from a Hollywood veteran at the blood, sweat and tears that went into the making of one of the most ambitious films of all time.

Twelve-Cent Archie

Author: Bart Beaty
Publisher: Rutgers University Press
ISBN: 0813563860
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 233

Book Description
For over seventy-five years, Archie and the gang at Riverdale High have been America’s most iconic teenagers, delighting generations of readers with their never-ending exploits. But despite their ubiquity, Archie comics have been relatively ignored by scholars—until now. Twelve-Cent Archie is not only the first scholarly study of the Archie comic, it is an innovative creative work in its own right. Inspired by Archie’s own concise storytelling format, renowned comics scholar Bart Beaty divides the book into a hundred short chapters, each devoted to a different aspect of the Archie comics. Fans of the comics will be thrilled to read in-depth examinations of their favorite characters and motifs, including individual chapters devoted to Jughead’s hat and Archie’s sweater-vest. But the book also has plenty to interest newcomers to Riverdale, as it recounts the behind-the-scenes history of the comics and analyzes how Archie helped shape our images of the American teenager. As he employs a wide range of theoretical and methodological approaches, Beaty reveals that the Archie comics themselves were far more eclectic, creative, and self-aware than most critics recognize. Equally comfortable considering everything from the representation of racial diversity to the semiotics of Veronica’s haircut, Twelve-Cent Archie gives a fresh appreciation for America’s most endearing group of teenagers.