There is a problem with commenting on a DVD release before listening to the commentaries — your Profound Insights, such as they are, basically parrot (or are answered by) the director’s comments before you even get a chance to hear them.

Jackson’s comments on the extended DVD regarding character changes and deletions: it’s all a matter of narrative tension and conflict. The Two Towers — the book — is rather linear, with next to no character conflict. (Gollum notwithstanding, I guess.) Changes were made to make the film viable as a film, which tacking too close to the book would not have allowed. That’s a fair enough argument.

Some fool has posted clips from The Return of the King. That’s brave of them — though they seem to be taken from a Norwegian TV station’s web site. Anyway, see if you can have a look — wait a minute, that bit with Pippin and the palantir wasn’t there before … (via Ceej)

Gimli is the Marv Albert of the film trilogy. At the end of the first two movies (FOTR: “Let’s hunt some Orc”; TTT: “Let the horn of Helm Hammerhand … “) he bellows “Yes!” as though Jordan scored a three-pointer. Will he do this in ROTK? Will he bellow “Yes!” as Frodo boards the ship at the Grey Havens? Just asking.