[Marileangorifurnimaluim]

I timed my way through the movie. How much was I able to cut for rewrites? Two minutes, 23 seconds! Ha! <P><UL TYPE=SQUARE><LI>Cut the entire scene of Farmer Maggot chasing the Hobbits. I'd use most of the time saved rewriting it.<BR><LI>Cut the Nazgul breaking down the gates of Bree. Over the top, it's not necessary.<BR><LI>Cut some of the cutaways to the Nazgul riding, between Bree and Weathertop. Take some of the stress off, make the getaway from Bree clean to leave us unsuspecting of the possible attack at Weathertop (and thus the fire lighting more likely).<BR><LI>Cut the scene (from the moment Arwen's blade shown) with "A ranger, cut off his guard?" Instead introduce Arwen with her appearance to Frodo.<BR><LI>Cut some of the gallop to Rivendell.<BR><LI>Cut some shots of Frodo's gasping face.<BR><LI>Cut Arwen's "Frodo, oh Frodo.." and started up again with Elrond speaking elvish.<BR><LI>I cut the portion showing Lurtz coming out of the pod. Irrelevant. Inaccurate. And they're scarier without showing how they're created.<BR><LI>Cut 90% of the Watcher in the Water (it grabs Frodo, Sam cuts off the tentacle - cut - everyone flees inside, tentacles come from everywhere and slam the door - cut part of falling rocks - starts again with Gandalf lighting his staff.) <BR><LI>By-the-way, to make Moria scarier I would have had silence and clattering stones only - no Howard Shore score - from the slamming of the door until the spotting of Gollum and then Frodo's conversation with Gandalf. Silence again until the hall of the Dwarrowdelf.<BR><LI>Cut some of the cave troll scene, bits and pieces, the entire portion with Aragorn getting tossed by it trying to save Frodo - adds nothing - and part of the hide and seek around the pillar. The scene's just too long and exhausting, we need to save more for the Balrog.<BR><LI>Cut several seconds of the goblins gathering around them in the great hall. They wait too long to attack, it's not clear why they would wait.<BR><LI>Cut several seconds from the broken stairway tipping. It's too slow, takes too much space in the story for what it is: a cool special effect.<BR><LI>After that I would cut nothing until after Lorien..<BR><LI>But I would not have Aragorn run through the water on the way to Lorien. This is where PJ shows he's not a hiker. I am. You get your boots wet, you're screwed, even with modern fabrics. No way.<BR><LI>Cut a few seconds here and there showing mean Uruk-hai growling at the camara. Two shots of that will do. Left in Saruman's speech to them.<BR><LI>After Lorien, I cut out all but one of the cutaways to the orcs running while the Fellowship rowed down the Anduin. Why not let the attack of the orcs be as much a surprise to us as it is to the Fellowship? I could be wrong, but I think releasing the tension slightly there will cause the audience to loosen up as much as the Fellowship, and make it believable Frodo would wander off.<BR><LI>Surprisingly, I find I wouldn't cut one iota of the final battle scene.<BR><LI>Cut several seconds showing Frodo standing at the boats with the ring in his hand, tears running down his face. But leave in the part with the voiceover with Gandalf.</UL><P>It all amounts to 2 minutes, 23 seconds. Sheesh.<P>[ March 31, 2002: Message edited by: Marileangorifurnimaluim ]<p>[ March 31, 2002: Message edited by: Marileangorifurnimaluim ]