Preview
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: TRILOGY TUESDAY
Starring Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen
Directed by Peter Jackson
Tuesday, December 16
Parmount Chinook, Sunridge Spectrum
One large popcorn: $6. Homemade Legolas costume: $70. Two tickets to Trilogy Tuesday: $98. The experience of watching all three The Lord of the Rings films on the big screen in one sitting: Precioussssss!
Precious indeed for lifelong The Lord of the Rings fan, Scott Freeman, whose eyes widened with delight when he first heard about Trilogy Tuesday. While many may shy away from 11-plus hours of continuous movie watching, this mild mannered filmgoer will be there. Starting at 2 p.m., this event includes back-to-back special extended version screenings of The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers. This will be followed by the new release, The Return of the King. The marathon will end at about 1 a.m. with a total of 692 minutes of Middle-earth cinema. With his willingness to endure this, Freeman is the prototypical The Lord of the Rings fan.
As he fingers The Return of the King novel off his bookshelf beside a Gollum toy, Freeman ponders how Jackson will once again make Tolkien’s world of fantasy come alive in the third and final instalment. Will there be as much battle action as in The Two Towers? Which characters will be included and omitted from the book? Will it come together in grand fashion or will it be a disappointment? In the end it doesn’t matter because Freeman will be there for the full deal that will claim half a day of his life. He will endure it as if being on a journey himself to feel a little of how Frodo felt in his trek towards Mordor.
"Pacing," said Freeman on how he intends to endure the marathon. "Everyone knows what happens in Rivendell. So when they’re having the big slow meeting you can take a catnap. Just be awake for all the big juicy bits and the battle scenes."
The thing that possesses Freeman in his need to participate in this unusual event is that this is the only time the special extended versions of the first two movies will be on the big screen. With these versions, more detail from the novels is covered, making the whole story more complete. Freeman believes that Trilogy Tuesday is more for the hardcore fans with a passion for the books than casual moviegoers.
Even though he already owns home video versions of the first two extended cuts, Freeman still believes there is something about seeing them at the theatre that cannot be matched. "It’s the whole package about going to the movies that makes going to the movies so exciting," he says.
He will have plenty of company since every show for Trilogy Tuesday will likely be sold out across Canada and the United States. With some tickets for the all-day screening going for $150 each on eBay, this Lord of the Rings extravaganza has quickly turned into the hottest theatrical event of the last 10 years.
The popularity of the event does not surprise Andrew Sherbin, manager of corporate affairs for the theatrical exhibitor Famous Players. When New Line Cinema first announced plans for Trilogy Tuesday, Sherbin said they knew there was going to be a demand for it. "There’s a definite dedicated audience for this," said Sherbin. "I’m going myself."
Movie marathons are not a new thing, but on a North America-wide level, this is unique. Sherbin also believes Trilogy Tuesday is important for The Return of the King because "it builds a lot of excitement for the film. It creates an event for this third and final instalment."
Although Sherbin is unsure of whether or not the event will be a cash windfall for Famous Players, it definitely won’t hurt.
"Having a theatre full of people in our theatres for eleven hours means chances are they’ll be buying a lot of concessions. So that’s great for us!" he said.
So what is it about The Lord of the Rings that can command such a following from people like Scott Freeman?
"I just enjoy the story," he said. "The journey that these characters go on is so fantastic and just the epic story of it makes it all worthwhile."
With the event spanning half a day, Freeman will have to come prepared to survive the movie marathon. "I’ll probably have a backpack full of cola and some popcorn to tide me over," he said. "Other than that, you wouldn’t need much more."
After a last look at the major happenings in the third novel, Freeman puts it back on his bookshelf with excitement in his eyes. He, like Frodo, will set out on his journey for this once-in-a-lifetime event and anxiously awaits The Return of the King. This type of devotion is precious indeed. |
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