The Strain: Season 1

The Strain Struggles Late in Its Debut

by Kristin Battestella

Guillermo Del Toro (Pacific Rim, Crimson Peak) executive produced the 2014 FX debut of The Strain – a thirteen episode vampire zombie plague thriller based upon Del Toro and Chuck Hogan's (Prince of Thieves) own novel trilogy. While the series starts strong with scientific updates on traditional horror lore, the pacing flounders in the latter half with muddled, drawn out storytelling.

CDC Canary Team members Ephraim Goodweather (Corey Stoll), Nora Martinez (Mia Maestro), and Jim Kent (Sean Astin) investigate the strange circumstances surrounding a plane landing in New York. Everyone on board is seemingly dead, and a mysterious box of earth lies in its cargo hold. Despite plague symptoms and infectious worm-like creatures, higher up authorities dismiss Eph's insistence for a quarantine thanks to the powerful but ill mogul Eldritch Palmer (Jonathan Hyde). Rodent inspector Vasiliy Fet (Kevin Durand), however, realizes larger vermin are afoot, and ex-con Augustin “Gus” Elizalde (Miguel Gomez) reluctantly takes jobs for the bizarre Thomas Eichhorst (Richard Sammel) – who has tormented the supposedly unassuming antiques dealer Abraham Setrakian (David Bradley) in the past. Fortunately, Setrakian wields a silver sword cane, and having seen this kind of vampire killer previously, uses his strigoi wisdom to help Eph stop this outbreak before it is too late.

A super-sized seventy-two minute “Night Zero” written and directed by Del Toro starts The Strain with waxing on hunger, unquenchable thirst, and love – the forces that make us human. Airplane tedium, radio chatter, familiar travel fears, and ornery passengers create realism, grounding the ominous scares in the cargo hold with jurisdiction, stupidity, press, and red tape. Family troubles versus work priorities layer values, packing in smart dialogue and character backgrounds without being rushed or in your face. Spiritual character names and “Holy Jesus!” exclaims over creepy jar specimens and biohazard suits invoke a whiff of religion alongside doctors talking of 210 souls on board this modern Dementer ala Horror Express. Well shot horror movie accents set the scene amid numerous locations, disaster response action, quarantine technicalities, and paranormal simmer. The Strain uses horror to mirror politics and acknowledges public panic, PR responses, famous survivors, and disaster containment while building suspense and updating traditional vampire lore with contemporary science and plague cliffhangers. Television reports and leaked documents are not to be trusted – nor is the titular coffin decorated with Faust demonography in “The Box.” It's tough to get everyone's name on The Strain, however, the not all white, not all speaking English characters are real people dealing with prejudice to match rather than stock Hollywood pretties. Supposed criminals go to mass and respect their families while the villains at the top are more concerned with looking in control as they cover their asses. Shrewd commentary on the press making a scoundrel for the public to detest sets off terse conversations and hatred coming full circle as the empty body bags, zombies at the morgue, and bath tub body horror mounts. Selfish bureaucrats look the other way to tentacles and bone cracking transformations – orchestrating suffering to belie the facade in “Gone Smooth.”

The Strain may start slow for some viewers, but we are now invested in the players even before the horror escalates. Be it cravings for blood, liver transplants, custody battles, or sobriety, everyone is trapped by their own needs – not to mention the intrusive media and corrupt disease officials. The Strain tells its scary story with authentic hopes, wills, and weakness rather than expected television gimmicks, and frightful moments of invasive violence create scientifically based monsters for 21st century audiences in “It's Not for Everyone.” Basement autopsies and pets beware disrupt rosaries and prayers yet gruesome new appendages and genital mutations become increasingly intriguing. Blood on snow, husbands and wives that can't do what needs to be done, dishonest team members – if you love someone, how far are you willing to go? Hackers and lying politicians are just as dangerous as biological agents, and the ye olde Van Helsing and front line doctors lock horns over how to proceed in “Runaways.” This strigoi vampire history is tough for men of science to accept! Instead of listening to rat catchers, Spanish traditions, or our elders when they say to stay away from monsters, today these horrors demand documentation, cell phone video, and proof splashed upon the unreliable internet – idle inaction as this tiered metamorphosis grows from plague to vampires to zombies in “Occultation.” Apocalyptic gloom, biblical pestilence, and contemporary virus talk refresh the vampire genre while leaving the comforts of sunlight to save the day. Unless there's a gosh darn lunar eclipse imminent that is! External planetary zooms further show how small humans are once we're the tasty victims chained in a padded room, and The Strain reminds us this outbreak will get worse before it gets better. Can we protect loved ones when families won't have it? A plague that isn't on the news means it isn't really happening, right? Nail gun action matches slowing or rapid heart rates as the untrustworthy phones, backward security systems, and interrogations help things fall apart in “For Services Rendered.” Sirens, bridges shutting down, cabbies with a gun and silver bullets...oh yeah.

SARS masks in the crowded subway station keep the fears immediate for “Creatures of the Night” while vampires and virus debates reveal similar preferences for lying dormant in dark, damp areas. Looting is small in comparison to what's at stake once zombie movie aspects pick up the outbreak action. Our everyday heroes are besieged – fighting off the approaching, growling prowlers with rudimentary weapons. With teamwork, they can get the job done, and it's great to see characters who have been apart on The Strain finally meet. Will they work together or is it everyone for themselves? What do you do when one of your own is infected? Do you treat a victim or save one's soul? Fortunately, a convenience store is a good place to hold up, and UV light is your friend against a smart monster mob. Back room surgery, however, is to no avail. Everyone on The Strain is fair game, and people must be smart with Macguyver tricks and proactive measures against the increasing enemy and disturbing child attacks. Once noble citizens must sneak into corporate offices, investigate underground tunnels for vampires, and experiment with science and weapons – breaking the rules they once felt paramount to save all they hold dear. Hefty decision making comes in “The Third Rail” with plans to attack and big, matricide choices thanks to not the fantastic but regular human sickness. Do we leave family behind or commit a worse sin? World Trade Center ties give The Strain a firm reality while containers packed with strigoi are apparently being bought and shipped in a quite creepy, but gosh darnnit not surprisingly corporate turn. Science versus bible quotes accent the tiptoeing into the lair as everyone gets on the same page for some great confrontations. Evil so easily tricks the well-intentioned does it not? An almost Hammer-esque sixties flashback sets off “Last Rites” as personal parallels are strongly felt past and present. This battle has been going on longer than we think, and there's no time for current stubbornness and disrespect amid such bittersweet loss.

Sadly, The Strain degenerates somewhat when too many disposable characters and dead end tangents behave in dumb horror movie fashion and disrupt the interesting but unanswered vampire hive hierarchy designs, creature differences, and mystery SWAT teams. The solid Holocaust flashback scenes should also not be intercut with the modern narrative as if they were just any standard B plot. I don't like Holocaust material as it is, and splicing it with horror plots compromises the real world impact – this provenance should have been told in its entirety in one episode. The Strain falls into an alternating pattern with the same character plots together – which forces important developments to wait while others catch up – and the storylines become increasingly busy and repetitive. Redundant scares aren't surprising the fourth time around in “The Disappeared,” and The Strain sags when boosting annoying child questions and plots. The audience doesn't need any rabies for people explanations, and more inconsistencies creep into the debates, grief, and jailbreak infections. Some victims are infected by a little nick while others unafflicted fight hand to hand versus the tentacles, and these later episodes becoming increasingly padded with either extreme as needed. Maybe there are biological time differences for a strigoi turning, but a serious amount of artistic license plays a part as “Loved Ones” further sidetracks The Strain with convenient laptop uses, secondary A/B plot holes, and unrealistic turns. Isn't anybody getting out of dodge to warn somebody about this huge happening in New York City? Where is the military? Secretary of Health quarantines and National Guard calls comes too late – as does an attempt to broadcast information. Shouldn't a way to call for help have been the first course of action, not last? Surely, these intelligent vampires could have looked up everyone's addresses and come knocking on some doors much sooner, too. Although the miniseries styled international ensemble represents all walks of life and the characters themselves are well done, the show would have been a lot shorter – and maybe should have been only ten episodes – had several plots and players been woven tighter. Half the survivors are completely superfluous with stray shock stories wasting time The Strain doesn't have to spare. “The Master” finale does tie up some loose ends by pulling together speakeasy secret passages and survivor connections, but such obvious information and smart uses of sunlight feel unnecessarily delayed just to entice for the second season. You can get away with that on the page, but on television the string along action becomes too chaotic, ending The Strain with poorly choreographed fights and a vampire turf war voiceover.

Ephraim Goodweather is a fittingly ironic name for Corey Stoll's (House of Cards) relatable CDC doctor reluctant to choose between his falling apart family and work commitments. Eph is frank with the press on the job yet has to be the bigger man and leave his family happy without him. Drinking questions are thrown in his face, and Eph can't convince the FBI to just consider the possibility of an outbreak – making viewers glad when he gets to say I told you so. The family angles do become too cliché as the season goes on, unfortunately slowing the main story down while The Strain decides whether these side characters are important or not. Such uneveness compromises Eph at times, like when he sleeps with a woman one moment but professes to love his wife in the next. Fortunately, this scientist is thrust out of his element with swords and medieval monsters thanks to David Bradley's (Harry Potter) tough pawn shop owner Abraham Setrakian. Our Armenian Jew Holocaust survivor has seen these strigoi before as a young craftsman learning how to stay alive, and his old fashioned ways are a pleasant marker amid the contemporary battles. After all Setrakian's witnessed, we don't blame him for his chopping heads with a sword first and the heck with CDC rules after crusty attitude. He vomits at the gore but Sean Astin (Lord of the Rings) as Jim Kent plays the fence when it comes to doing the right thing thanks to an understandably sick wife behind his reasons. What do you expect him to do but what any one of us would have done? Jim is the audience layman and sums up the scares quite plainly, inducing dry chuckles to alleviate the tension. We hope Samwise will make amends, but will it be too late? Likewise Mia Maestro (Frida) as Nora Martinez cracks and can't always handle The Strain's gruesome or deaths. They are supposed to be doctors helping people, right? Nora cares deeply, but doesn't need a man to tell her what to do. She researchers her own information and shares her input with Eph against superiors and red tape. Though reluctant to believe what's happening – much less fire a gun or kill – Nora must protect her mother while on the run and accepts the necessary defiance of their 'do no harm' creed.

Kevin Durand's (Lost) Vasiliy Fet has a thankless job as a city exterminator aka rat catcher. However, he's quite well educated and has a sense of humor about his work. Fet can be both harsh to the uppity deserving it and kind to others in need – he knows what's happening below is a sign of worse to come and to hell with those who disagree with him. He does what he has to do without help from others, but comes to respect Setrakian's knowledge and ingenuity in this fight. Miguel Gomez' (Southpaw) Gus Elizalde is also doing the best he can to get legit and help his family now that he's out of juvenile prison. He quickly grows suspicious of Eichhorst and wants out of his dirty work, but, like most of us, he just plum needs the cash. When his friend is infected and the prisoners are chained together, the cops see rap sheets rather than what's really happening, naturally. Yes, how do you stop a plague from running rampant in a jailhouse? I know there is a reason for it, however, I wish Gus wasn't separate from the other main storylines. His literally bumping into another main cast member on the street is not enough. Thankfully, Richard Sammel (Inglourious Basterds) as the not quite breathing Thomas Eichhorst is wonderfully creepy unto himself with a Nazi to the core defense of the Reich and a suave, godless collaborator veneer. He counters every argument with a justifiable defense and is frighteningly not wrong when he says people accept the choice to suffer and comply rather than die. Eichhorst's strong arm and menace increases as The Strain goes on, and Jonathan Hyde's (Jumanji) terminal magnate Eldritch Palmer wishes he were as ruthless. He believes in a higher power and thinks The Master will reward him with immortality, but faith in evil or one's own wealth and power may not get you very far in the end. We should have seen more of Roger Cross (24) as Palmer's loyal but suspicious aide Fitzwilliam, and Ruta Gedmintas (The Tudors) as regretful hacker Dutch Velders is a strong character with superb chemistry who's story is dealt with too late. Jack Kesy (Baywatch) as the goth musician Gabriel Bolivar and Regina King (American Crime) as his manager Ruby are also underutilized – The Strain glaringly derails by conveniently forgetting to check up on his storyline much, much sooner.

Fortunately, fine cinematography and cinematic editing anchor The Strain's usual forty five minute episodes. Viewer discretion is advised alongside brief title credits with bloody smears on white tiles and a fitting sense of medical gone wrong. Onscreen locations and time stamp countdowns with the occasional pop up text messages are nicer than having to read tiny print on a dated phone screen, and the realistic mix of languages, Spanish lyrics, and cultural accents match the city locales. The antique store base provides a sense of old patina hidden in the borough, contrasting the bright yellow warning tape, flashlights, bio gear, and technology screens, laptops, and communications. Simple buzzing sounds, ringing noises, “Did you hear that?” calls, and recoils over ammonia smells invoke more senses than obnoxious jump scare sounds while slimy tentacles, oozing worms, slushy squirts, and gurgling slurps add to the monstrous. Autopsy saws and dissections increase the body horror as Neil Diamond tunes, pop music cues, and nursery rhymes create irony. Colorful orange and green hues pop during night scenery, drafting a super sized count on acid, comic book style, however dark tunnels and UV lighting can be tough to see at times. There's also a subtle 'Spot the Cross' thread in The Strain thanks to necklaces, crucifixes, altars, and other veiled spiritual reminders seemingly hidden in every scene – good visually counteracting evil. Several common directors and writers doing multiple episodes each including Keith Gordon (Dexter), Peter Weller (Sons of Anarchy), David Weddle and Bradley Thompson (Battlestar Galactica), David Semel (American Dreams), Regina Corrado (Deadwood), and Gennifer Hutchinson (Breaking Bad) help maintain The Strain's overall cohesive feel and well done horror design. I must also say, I actually don't mind the commercials when watching The Strain on Hulu, for these fast moving ads get back to the show – unlike the seven minutes or more on television when you forget what you were watching!

The Strain starts with plenty of layered horror parallels and intriguing monsters versus science enthusiasm and well developed characters. However, poor pacing and struggling storylines in the second half of this debut kind of make me want to read the books instead of watch Season Two. Some harsh language and brief nudity are nothing major for horror tweens today, but it is best for sophisticated scary fans to go into The Strain cold for a maximum on the surprises, plague versus horror politics, historical commentaries, and religious context. Despite a piecemeal, trickling along exit, The Strain is a unique combination of mad science, vampires, and zombies with a little something to appease all horror audiences.

Pathetic Action Movies We Love

Pathetic Action Flicks We Love

By Kristin Battestella

There are those dynamite, effects laden and car chased filled blockbuster action thrillers of which we just can’t get enough.  Story, performance, and the whole lot- honestly, what’s not to love?  However, we’re not talking about those gems today.  Admit it.  You have been up at 2 a.m. watching some crappy-ass, low budget, dated yarn that you’ve got no business of viewing once-let alone ten times.  My friends, celebrate these woefully badass bad action flicks unashamed!

Chain of Command – I’ve only recently stumbled upon this 2000 political thriller thanks to its seemingly ceaseless runnings on cable.  The cast is a-okay, if too nineties.  Roy Scheider (Jaws) as a slick President-to-be I can accept, cool as cool Michael Biehn (The Terminator), too- but our hero is Melrose Place and Starship Troopers sleaze Patrick Muldoon? Huh?  The scenario is a little too preposterous, too, and the production values are way too low budget.  And yet, there’s enough credibility, believability, acting, and suspense here for a half decent yarn.  Who knew?

Cobra – Sylvester Stallone has had a few greats, yes indeed, but this 1986 vehicle written by Sly and starring his then woman Brigitte Nielson is neither Rocky nor Rocky IV for that matter. The sunglasses, the car, the silly names, oh my the music and bad punch lines-Cobra is almost in a class by itself: the so dated, so eighties, so bad it’s so dang good.  At least Nielson was truly eye candy back then, and who’s really going to %^&* with Stallone, people?

Double Impact – I could just as easily cite any of Jean-Claude Van Damme’s flicks: Death Warrant, Sudden Death, Lionheart, or perhaps the slightly superior Universal Soldier or Nowhere to Run. Impact however, has the dubious distinction of using the oldest action film trick in the book. This isn’t a buddy cop movie, oh no-it’s long lost identical twin brothers from opposite sides of the martial arts! Despite the cliché, Van Damme actually gives his dual roles some personality and separation. Of course, he kicks ass and gets the girl, too, but that was to be expected- along with the French accent, Asian stereotypes, and revenge-fu.

Navy Seals – Charlie Sheen has made his share of clunkers, I grant you that, but this 1990 typical military ‘up to snuff’ flick is pretty notorious, even garnering debate and disdain in Clerks.  Despite a half decent cast including resident action boys Michael Biehn (again) and Bill Paxton, this ridiculously obvious flick has so many bad turns that it’s actually fairly entertaining.  I probably still have all the dialogue memorized, and if there’s a drinking game, email me.

 

  

 The Rookie (1990) – This cop thriller from star Clint Eastwood is almost so bad it’s good.  It’s completely preposterous and again Charlie Sheen is not at his best, but the one-liners here are so dang kitschy that they’re catchy.  The all-star cast-including juicy Raul Julia and dominatrix Sonia Braga- are surprisingly good even if we’re at the bottom of Eastwood’s directing barrel.  Dirty Harry himself is a little too old for the action, but that’s supposed to be the point, isn’t it? Fans of the cast, bad buddy cop movies, and car chases can always delight in this one.

 

Showdown in Little Tokyo – There’s a certain je ne sais quoi about a movie that unabashedly shows a dummy getting crushed in a car compactor, not to mention all the women and sushi quips and penis size jokes one could ask for.  Dolph Lundgren (star of his share of bad movies like Masters of the Universe) and the late Brandon Lee (also unfortunate star of a few clunkers like Rapid Fire and really only one great film in his too short career, The Crow) do the obvious buddy role reversal here with all things Fu Lundgren and L.A. yuppie Lee.   Tia Carrere and Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa juice up all the good, bad, and ugly here, even if every single thing in this one is so unintentionally funny that it’s actually a joy to watch. 

Toy Soldiers – Bad boys Sean Astin (that’s Samwise, folks) and Will Wheaton (Wesley Crusher, need I say more?) are going to save their prep school from seriously angry, armed, and deadly terrorists.  Yeah right!  Once you take that considerable leap of faith, get over the obligatory bonding with spiked fluoride, and accept the obvious attempt at colorblind casting, this one is kind of fun.  The cast is both good and bad, the delinquent preppy boys really aren’t so badass at all, and yet you want to see Samwise save the day and help Frodo destroy the ring. Oh, sorry, wrong movie!

Now then, I was also going to mention a few films starring kick boxer turned SyFy Channel boy toy Olivier Gruner.  However, those yarns are a little more science fiction than pure action; and in the end I decided to classify Nemesis (1992) and the not available on DVD Automatic (1995) as hidden gems, not pathetic action flicks.  Don’t get me wrong, I actually love every movie I’ve mentioned here, I even own them.  How bad is that?

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

Book or Movie, Return of The King is a Must See (or Read)

By Kristin Battestella


My interests in The Lord of The Rings first peaked with I saw Return of the King. Not after waiting in line at a theater, but when it came out on DVD. I was a cashier at Sears, and the electronics department broadcast the 3 hour epic on all the display televisions. My stranglehold on playing Bee Gees DVDs was out voted, but I was willing to watch. Even though my first viewing of The Fellowship of the Ring was ambiguous, and I hadn't even seen The Two Towers, my first reaction after seeing Return of the King was Wow! Oh, and I cried, and I don't cry.


Despite all the special effects, big battles with ancient elephants- oh excuse me oliphants- and girls swooning over Orlando Bloom as Legolas, the big payoff of Frodo finally getting that albatross of a ring to Mount Doom is so emotional, powerful, masterfully done-spin the wheel of adjectives! In the beginning of the trilogy, faithful Gardner Samwise Gamgee (Sean Astin) is portrayed as equally insignificant as the small golden ring chained about Frodo's neck should seemingly be. Sam's power, however, is equal to, if not greater than the One Ring. Samwise's loyalty, honesty, friendship, and integrity are uncorruptable, and Sam is directly involved in the Ring's destruction. In the original book, Samwise is also the ring bearer for significantly longer than in Director Peter Jackson's telling.


Although some feel the ending of Return of The King drags on (Jack Nicholson famously so, as Elijah Wood tells on the extended DVD’s appendices), Peter Jackson and writers Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens remain true to the book's conclusion. All the endings are resolved, from Aragorn's coronation to the Hobbits' return to the Shire and Frodo's final trip to the Grey Havens. Most of the book's five chapters after the destruction of the ring are attributed to, even hints of the Scouring of the Shire are found in the original Fellowship of the Ring movie. Despite its length, the theatrical version of Return of the King earned a slew of Oscars, including Best Picture and Adapted Screenplay.


My obsession with Return of the King was solidified with the Extended Edition DVD. Indeed now I can't watch the 'short' version without noticing something's missing. Christopher Lee enthusiasts will enjoy Saruman's reworked, relocated, and restored death scene, and Viggo Mortenson lovers will enjoy the extended Paths of The Dead scenes.




At over 4 hours the extended third film definitely requires a comfortable seat. Extra dialogue (better with subtitles on), extended scenery and looks add to the depth and characters. My favorite additions are most definitely the Houses of Healing scenes. Beautiful music with vocals by Arwen actress Liv Tyler, gorgeous sets, and lush costumes highlight the resolution of Eowyn and Faramir's characters. Here two seemingly dead end supporting characters unite for another happy ending. It’s not wholly surprising considering the relationship between Aragorn and Arwen, but in the middle of the battle to end it all, Tolkien gives these people some sorely need romance. I can’t believe I said that!


Fans and skeptics alike have claimed The Lord of the Rings to be unfilmable. Peter Jackson comes close to perfection, but the gems left on the cutting floor and later found in the extended edition showed me there is indeed more in the book than cannot be filmed.
I'm a used book hunter. Why pay full price for a book when-if you search enough- you can find just about any book for under a dollar? The Hobbit- library sale. The Fellowship of the Ring- thrift store. The Two Towers- another library sale. The third part of JRR Tolkien's Lord of The Rings Trilogy Return of the King, however, has been elusive. Of all the books I've gotten for a dime a piece-Dickens, Shakespeare, Bibles to The Exorcist- Return of The King is one classic fans don't want to give up.


When I finally got my old, glorious, used paperback copy of Return of the King-for a dollar mind you-I was still reading The Two Towers. I couldn’t help but peak at some of my favorite movie scenes in the third book. The appendix and index also found after Return of the King are essential reads as well. Back story such as the love of Aragorn and Arwen and more invaluable history Tolkien himself could not fit into his epic are found here. As a writer myself part of me finds this footnote of Aragorn and Arwen inexcusable. Such meat of a story belongs in the story. Tolkien’s choice however, is masterful. The way other people in the books mention Aragorn and Arwen forbidden love strengthens the characters and the subtext.


Blossoming fans upset that they can’t search Google in Elvish will also love the Appendices. These treasure troves of information include Tolkien’s linguistic basics-everything from alphabets and runes to pronunciations. Beginner fans confused by the out of sequence storylines will also find a timeline of The War of the Ring. What happens to the Fellowship after the book is over is also touched upon, and these nuggets are worth the extra read. These are the kinds of characters you don’t want to leave behind.


The film and novel versions of Return of the King have their own nuances to be appreciated. Some of Tolkien’s wordiness and convoluted sequences I can do without. The Lord of the Rings as a whole is in many ways a very poorly written book. Repeated names, numerous flashbacks within flashbacks, here then gone characters, and even poor grammar. The quirks of foreign and aging language from Linguist Tolkien can however be forgiven. He does play up the idea that he is merely translating an ancient text, and The Lord of the Rings does read like history. This tone and language give the book its tag as an infamous hefty read.


One of the most difficult things one can do is recommend a book. What if he hates it? What do you tell her? Despite those fears, I take the plunge. The Lord of The Rings is one of a handful of books I recommend everyone should read at least once in their lifetime. Even considering the handful of significant differences between the novel and the movie, both are equal and accurate reflections of Tolkien’s world, just in different mediums. As I wept at the end of the movie, I also sniffled at the completion of reading Return of the King. I can’t believe I waited until I was 25 to read it.

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

Potential Life Changer: The Two Towers Extended Edition

By Kristin Battestella

I always end up on the backend of a phenomenon-not really getting into something until everyone else has. Recently I’ve gotten involved with The Lord of The Rings fandom. Neh-I am certifiably obsessed! At least I am not obsessed alone. You know we are obsessed with The Lord of The Rings when my future husband found out my ring size by trying his replica One Ring on my finger. (A replica I bought him.) How did this craziness come about? Repeated viewings of The Two Towers Extended Edition that’s how.

I didn't see The Two Towers in the theater. I didn't see it when they came out on DVD. I watched the culminating third Return of the King movie before the middle Two Towers film. Only when both my father and future husband insisted I watch The Two Towers did I succumb. I liked it well enough, as I did the Fellowship of the Ring and more so Return of the King. My Tolkien obsession, however, did not really begin until we bought director Peter Jackson’s Extended Trilogy.

Fellowship’s extended scenes were exceptional enough. Tidbit book info here and there and additional character development. Nothing in the extended films is excessive, redundant, or unnecessary fluff. Jackson cut the film's only for length, I'm sure-the extended version of The Two Towers clocks in at over three hours. The extended footage of Eowyn, Faramir, and Boromir ice the extended version.

Although it is much more subtle in the books, Jackson's cut footage of Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) and Eowyn (Miranda Otto) develops the crush subplot into a full-blown love triangle. In the extra scenes, you get the feeling that Aragorn does generally like Eowyn, and were it not for Arwen, or the Ring, or his destiny, he could settle in Rohan. We of course know different, and the bittersweet feel of the scenes is just the right flavor.

The real treat of the extended Two Towers is a lengthy flashback sequence involving Boromir (Sean Bean) before he journeys to the Council of Elrond. Denethor, Steward of Gondor and Boromir's father, wants The Ring for himself. Favorite son Boromir protests, but abides his father's wishes. Despite a loving relationship between Boromir and Faramir, Denethor nearly loathes his second son. Now that Boromir’s dead, Faramir wishes to take Frodo and The Ring simply to prove his worth to his father. Although they differ significantly from the book, these insights into the Steward family are exceptionally done. Skillfully acted and directed looks and glances do in 10 minutes what takes the book 10 pages.

These scenes and two key scenes added to Return of the King involving the relationship between Eowyn and Faramir impressed, shocked, and intrigued me so much, I started reading The Lord of the Rings. Peter Jackson's vision presented in the extended Two Towers is truly worthy if he can get me to read the books. I never felt I had the time to invest in the epic. Not that I really do now, but the tidbits restored in the extended Two Towers have me wanting more of Tolkien’s world. Who says books and movies have to compete?

Not only are the movies superior, but the extended trilogy also hails two discs of behind the scenes appendices per film. The wealth of material here alone is worth the price tag (about $80) of the trilogy. Visit your favor retailer for the Extended Editions of The Lord of the Rings, available individually or as a box set.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

The Fellowship of the Ring Novel Worthy of Film Fans

By Kristin Battestella

I always said I didn’t have the time to read The Lord of the Rings. Perhaps part of me thought it was too tough, long-winded, or overrated. But as a science fiction, fantasy and horror enthusiast, I felt I must have some sort of opinion on JRR Tolkien's definitive fantasy epic. The lives and legends of Middle-Earth took Tolkien a lifetime to produce, and since its first publication in 1956, millions of fans have read The Lord of the Rings-and demanded Elvish be declared an official language.



After seeing the Peter Jackson’s extended Lord of The Rings film trilogy, I finally yearn for more Middle-Earth. I dug out my thrift copy of the first installment, The Fellowship of the Ring. Those millions of fans worldwide were correct. So far for round one, the print has surpassed the film. In fact, I also recently saw the 1978 woefully bad cartoon version of The Lord of the Rings. Although it cuts off abruptly halfway through the story, some details in the cartoon are actually truer to The Fellowship of the Ring, and some details animated were dropped from Peter Jackson’s films altogether.



Even though there are countless writing mistakes and absolutely noncommercial storytelling early on in The Fellowship, Tolkien’s slow opening and back story set up the immensities to come. When I first started reading, I thought hobbits were little more than pothead drunkards. Now that I'm through The Fellowship, Frodo is like an old friend. His internal monologues and struggle with the One Ring are so much greater in the novel and truly can be captured on film.

The Elvish line drops dispersed throughout The Fellowship I can take, Tolkien's insistence on including hobbit songs and lyrical Elvish tales, I do however find irksome. I'm sure he means them as a back story narrative and additional character descriptions, but it's tough to read the words to a song without a tune. Tolkien's technique also slows down the linear narrative, sometimes with two or three pages of poems. For someone like myself, who is coming from the films and is not well versed in the history of Middle-Earth, these parts are almost skippable. On the other hand, Obsessive Luthian and Simrallion fans will enjoy Toklien’s attention to detail.



The early chapters of The Fellowship of the Ring describe The Shire in detail, but after the introduction of Strider in Bree, I was an able to put the book down. I carried it everywhere. Work, Bathtub, and to bed when I couldn't hold my eyes open. I skipped meals, and turned lunch breaks into silent sustained reading. I stayed up all night with a gallon of ice cream. Even though I knew the story, I had to continue. I didn’t know I could read so fast! The evil Ringwraiths pursuit of Frodo and their lust for the Ring are perfectly honed by Tolkien.



Novel fans of old already know The Fellowship of the Ring is good, an excellent work of humanity with the odds against them. If you are merely a fan of the films, I strongly recommend picking up a copy of the complete Lord of the Rings, available were most books are sold. Although younger fans might enjoy the more juvenile centered prequel entitled The Hobbit, and scholars may revel in starting at the beginning with The Simarillion, If you are a moviegoer and need a risk-free plunge, pick up the first installment of the Lord of The Rings trilogy. The Fellowship of the Ring is but the page turning tip of iceberg.