We’re down to the final movie. Can Peter Jackson clean up his act and make a more coherent film? Oddly enough, despite having some of the most egregious changes to the story, this film does fairly well on overallcoherence, but it still has its problems. For previous entries in this series check out these links: Fellowship, part 1: https://www.youtu…

In which I clarify some points from my previous video, and also explain the real problem with Rings of Power, which it shares with everyone’s favorite Lord of the Rings adaptation…. Other Links: Playeur (formerly Utreon):https://playeur.com/c/TolkienLorePodcast/ Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-355195 Odysee: https://odysee.com/@TolkienLore:f Twitter…

Recently the Tolkien fandom erupted in yet another controversy because Corey Olsen (aka the Tolkien Professor) stated in an interview that there is no such thing as “canon” in Tolkien. Naturally this led to many people calling him a traitor or sell-out, but their criticism missed the mark. Let’s define “canon” and ask ourselves some meaningful ques…

It seems a natural enough topic of conversation, yet for some reason Gandalf and Aragorn never mention to Frodo that Bilbo is in Rivendell, despite that being Frodo’s destination. I have a feeling it’s because both of them would love a good surprise party. Other Links: Playeur (formerly Utreon):https://playeur.com/c/TolkienLorePodcast/ Rumble:https…

On the fence about acquiring a huge 3-volume hardback full of Tolkien’s poetry? Here’s the skinny on what’s in the title. Other Links: Playeur (formerly Utreon):https://playeur.com/c/TolkienLorePodcast/ Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-355195 Odysee: https://odysee.com/@TolkienLore:f Twitter: https://twitter.com/jrrtlore Patreon: https://www.patreon.…

When we think of Theoden as a parallel, we often think of him as the flip side of Denethor, which is perfectly apt. But it turns out his actual story and decisions are much more parallel to the protagonist of the story, which is perhaps what you would least expect. Other Links: Playeur (formerly Utreon):https://playeur.com/c/TolkienLorePodcast/ Rum…

Now that I’ve nitpicked and given credit for Peter Jackson’s second film in the Tolkien universe, let’s look at some of the details that are a little off, but you might not notice unless you’re a major nerd. Other Links: Playeur (formerly Utreon):https://playeur.com/c/TolkienLorePodcast/ Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-355195 Odysee: https://odysee.…

The loss of innocence is a fairly common theme in literature, and wouldn’t you know, Tolkien handled it too! As with most things, he manages a nuanced take showing both the positives and negatives of innocence and its loss, if you know how to read his tale. Check out the whole Hobbit Day playlist here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCeOWem…

In my previous video on this topic(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWZtLRAm3Hc)I covered several details Peter Jackson got right in The Fellowship of the Ring. Here I add a few more from that film, plus a bunch from The Two Towers. Other Links: Playeur (formerly Utreon):https://playeur.com/c/TolkienLorePodcast/ Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-355195…

In the second half of my (humorous) review of The Two Towers, we have lots of characters doing stupid things, knowing things they shouldn’t, and timelines making no sense, among other problems! For previous entries in this series check out these links: Fellowship, part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nb4E0TBsrtA Fellowship, Part 2: https://www.y…

It was bound to happen I suppose. I showed the trailer for War of the Rohirrim in my previous video so of course I got a copyright claim, but this has gotten out of hand. Let’s talk about the broken YouTube copyright system. Other Links: Playeur (formerly Utreon):https://playeur.com/c/TolkienLorePodcast/ Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-355195 Odysee…

The trailer (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCUg6Td5fgQ) for the animated “War of the Rohirrim” film, brought to you by the same creative team behind the New Line Lord of the Rings films, finally dropped. Unfortunately it killed a lot of my anticipation for themovie…. Other Links: Playeur (formerly Utreon):https://playeur.com/c/TolkienLorePodcast/…

Someone recently sent me a private message asking about the plausibility of the feat of the Three Hunters, for which Eomer names Aragorn “Wingfoot.” Here’s the results of my research into the issue. Other Links: Playeur (formerly Utreon):https://playeur.com/c/TolkienLorePodcast/ Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-355195 Odysee: https://odysee.com/@Tolk…

Recently a minor controversy erupted on X/Twitter regarding comments by Ismael Cruz Cordova, who plays Arondir in Amazon’s “Rings of Power” series, to the effect that he was trying to be the most Elven character he could be. Of course the critics said he wasn’t, and defenders said he was. But what were Tolkien’s elves really like? Turns out Arondir…

Continuing my nitpicky review of Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings Trilogy, I get into the first part of The Two Towers, which involves lots of stupid decisions and...maybe an editing snafu? For previous entries in this series check out these links: Fellowship, part 1:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nb4E0TBsrtA&pp=ygU3ZXh0cmVtZWx5IG5pdHBpY2t5IHJldm…

Recently a video by YouTuber and artist Jazza (https://www.youtube.com/@Jazza) popped up in my feed, and it’s all about illustrating Tolkien’s creatures and characters according to their book descriptions, so youknow I had to check it out! How did he do, from my purist’s perspective? Let’s find out! Here’s his first video where he illustrates the B…

In a quest fraught with practical problems, like how to get into Mordor, how to evade capture, and how to make good time, it turns out most of the decisions made have little to do with these practical details. Other Links: Playeur (formerly Utreon):https://playeur.com/c/TolkienLorePodcast/ Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-355195 Odysee: https://odyse…

GRRM is at it again, or rather Twitter is at it again reviving old quotes by the Song of Ice and Fire author, with a really bonkers line about Tolkien and sex. Other Links: Playeur (formerly Utreon):https://playeur.com/c/TolkienLorePodcast/ Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-355195 Odysee: https://odysee.com/@TolkienLore:f Twitter: https://twitter.com/…

Someone shared something of a meme on my Discord server (join at the link below!) and it actually raised some interesting points about how movies affect our imaginations, as well as a legitimate question regarding how Saruman hid his activities for so long, so let’s takea look. Other Links: Playeur (formerly Utreon):https://playeur.com/c/TolkienLor…

Aragorn’s choice to follow the Uruk-hai in order to rescue Merry and Pippin is made very differently in the original book as compared to Peter Jackson’s movie trilogy, but the same scene also foreshadows in some ways Sam’s own difficult choices much later in the story. For my recent discussion of Aragorn’s lack of self-confidence, see this video:ht…

Galadriel tells the Company that she cannot see Gandalf from afar unless he is within the borders of Lothlorien. This is an implied limitation on a much more astonishing ability which is never explored in detail, but maybe we can tease out a few things from the text on what exactlyGaladriel can and can’t see, and how and why as well. Other Links: P…

Another fascinating cross-over with modern media, this time with an Australian kids show about anthropomorphic dogs?? Let me explain. Other Links: Playeur (formerly Utreon):https://playeur.com/c/TolkienLorePodcast/ Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-355195 Odysee: https://odysee.com/@TolkienLore:f Twitter: https://twitter.com/jrrtlore Patreon: https://…

Aragorn has a significant amount of self doubt after Gandalf falls with the Balrog, in contrast to the dynamic, confident leader we see in much of the rest of his story. This hints at aspects of his relationship to Gandalf that aren’t really that explicit in the story, but we can find other bread crumbs.... Other Links: Playeur (formerly Utreon):ht…

After the “Hunt for Gollum” movie announcement, I notice more than one person asking why the Tolkien Estate hasn’t sold the rights to the Silmarillion yet. It seems like a natural enough question following the death of Christopher Tolkien, but there are still plenty of obstacles to such a move. Want to know about that atrocious John Boorman LOTR sc…

Viewer coreyander286 wondered about this, and in the post Peter Jackson era it’s not a strange thing to wonder, but there’s a fairly simple answer. Other Links: Playeur (formerly Utreon):https://playeur.com/c/TolkienLorePodcast/ Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-355195 Odysee: https://odysee.com/@TolkienLore:f Twitter: https://twitter.com/jrrtlore Pat…

Wrapping up the first of Peter Jackson’s original Middle-earth Trilogy, we have a grab bag of homages, reversals, and interesting adaptive choices. Previous videos in this series: Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_1rDzChnJ0 Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2dKbIlTthc Other Links: Playeur (formerly Utreon):https://playeur.com/c/Tolki…

Embracer Group has finally announced details of its planned first foray into the world of Middle-earth from a cinematic angle, with a working title of “The Hunt for Gollum.” I give the details so far, my thoughts, and maybe some snide remarks about a certain other company. My review of the fan film by the same name is here if you’re interested: htt…

Wrapping up my extreme nitpick of Peter Jackson’s first Middle-earth movie, we have insane character decisions, major tonal disconnects, and even technical complaint. Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nb4E0TBsrtA Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPBCiY7P2Dg Other Links: Playeur (formerly Utreon):https://playeur.com/c/TolkienLorePodcast…

Decades ago, when Dungeons and Dragons first got started, there were a fairly large number of Christians in the United States who thought it (and many other fantasy properties) were dangerous and anti-Biblical. That was always based mainly on a misunderstanding, and you’d think by now that would have been cleared up. I recently found out, though, t…

A viewer asked me in an email what I thought would have happened if Frodo hadn't been wearing Bilbo's mithril coat and had instead been killed in Moria. I tried to come up with a response, but as it turns out there are just too many possibilities, so instead I made this video describing my thought process and why "what if" questions can be dangerou…

Peter Jackson’s take on the confrontation of Gandalf on the one hand and Theoden and Grima Wormtonge on the other drastically changes the nature of what is going on in the scene. Some of that is somewhat dictated by the medium of cinema, but some of it is...not. Other Links: Playeur (formerly Utreon): https://playeur.com/c/TolkienLorePodcast/ Rumbl…

On the surface there are many parallels between the Valar of Tolkien’s Middle-earth and the Greek pantheon, but probe a little deeper and significant differences emerge. This video was requested by one of my Patreon supporters! If you want to have the right to pick a video topic, check out my Patreon link below! Other Links: Playeur (formerly Utreo…

Continuing my extreme nitpick of Peter Jackson’s epic trilogy, we discuss terrible movie tropes, inexplicable events, and bad character decisions. Apologies for the audio and video issues; I tested the setup before I started but it still came out weird for some reason. If you missed part 1 of this series, here it is:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=…

Minor changes come fast and thick in this section of the movie, and several of them have significant storytelling implications. Miss my first video in this series? Watch it here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_1rDzChnJ0 Other Links: Playeur (formerly Utreon): https://playeur.com/c/TolkienLorePodcast/ Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-355195 Odysee: …

After his meeting with Denethor, word quickly spreads about Pippin and the local residents get the idea that he is Hobbit royalty and that he was bringing some half-high warriors to aid in the defense, but how exactly did they get this idea? It’s a bit of a funny story. Other Links: Playeur (formerly Utreon): https://playeur.com/c/TolkienLorePodcas…

In the first chapter of the Silmarillion, Eru Iluvatar makes it clear that while Melkor may try to disrupt the music with themes of his own, all will ultimately redound to the glory of Iluvatar. Boromir’s death turns out to be a great example of that. Other Links: Playeur (formerly Utreon): https://playeur.com/c/TolkienLorePodcast/ Rumble: https://…

Cinemasins was off base with a lot of their criticisms so let’s see what we can really find if we decide to be super finicky with our viewing of Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy... Other Links: Playeur (formerly Utreon): https://playeur.com/c/TolkienLorePodcast/ Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-355195 Odysee: https://odysee.com/@TolkienLore:…

For all his faults, Peter Jackson clearly knew the story he was adapting to screen. And superfans know this because they noticed those little details that only a fellow superfan would bother to mention. Other Links: Playeur (formerly Utreon): https://playeur.com/c/TolkienLorePodcast/ Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-355195 Odysee: https://odysee.com/…

A viewer asked that I discuss Tolkien-inspired lyrics in Led Zeppelin ongs, so here I go with some bonus material from Rush! OtherLinks: Playeur (formerly Utreon): https://playeur.com/c/TolkienLorePodcast/ Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-355195 Odysee: https://odysee.com/@TolkienLore:f Twitter: https://twitter.com/jrrtlore Patreon: https://www.patre…

Tolkien’s Elvish script is beautiful, but it might seem hard to learn at first glance. It’s actually quite easy if you just take a closer look,and you can customize it as much as you want! Here’s my previous videos “translating” some of the Elvish in Lord of the Rings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Tz6PdaQpFo Other Links: Playeur (formerly Utreo…

Once again I explore how modern pop culture intersects with Tolkien in surprising, interesting, and insightful ways, this time through the lens of Pixar’s “Inside Out.” Other Links: Playeur (formerly Utreon): https://playeur.com/c/TolkienLorePodcast/ Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-355195 Odysee: https://odysee.com/@TolkienLore:f Twitter: https://tw…

Saruman’s speeches to Gandalf have always struck me as revealing something of Tolkien’s opinion of politicians in modern democratic systems. Sweet-tongued and convincing but willing to sacrifice principle and honesty in pursuit of his goals, he reflects an uncomfortably large number of prominent figures on the modern political scene. Let’s analyze …

Last week (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXinRWIi1yw&pp=ygUzbG9yZCBvZiB0aGUgcmluZ3MgYm9vayB2IG1vdmllIGdhbmRhbCBkaXNhcHBlYXJhbmNl) I discussed how the changes to how we experience Gandalf’s disappearance and captivity in Peter Jackson’s Fellowship of the Ring make sense given the limitations of the medium. A viewer commented that the case was rath…

Normally my book versus movie videos are about the changes in the actual substance of the story being told, but in this case I want to look at HOW the story is told differently because it shows us how adaptation does actually require changes to a story so it better fits the new medium. It’s not too late to get a gorgeous Tolkien calendar:https://sh…

As “The Lord of the Rings” grew in popularity in the U.S., one bookpublisher took advantage of an odd copyright provision to issue an unauthorized version of the book, and this is the story of whatfollowed. It’s not too late to get a gorgeous Tolkien calendar:https://shop.mythenauswesternis.de/enMake sure to use discount code TOLKIENLOREPOD for 5% …

Merry Christmas, Happy Yule, and Happy New Year! Want a great 2024 Tolkien themed calendar? Getit here: https://shop.mythenauswesternis.de/en Makesure to use discount code TOLKIENLOREPOD for 5% off! Other Links: Playeur (formerly Utreon):https://utreon.com/c/TolkienLorePodcast/ Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-355195 Odysee: https://odysee.com/@Tolki…

People often think of fantasy, and particularly Tolkien’s fantasy, aslight, fluffy stuff for kids or immature adults, but in these scenesTolkien shows us that he can write some serious material that isn’tappropriate for everyone. Want that cool calendar I showed off? Get it here:https://shop.mythenauswesternis.de/en Make sure to use discount code T…

Last video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qb2SGOGcnIo&pp=ygU-NyBzY2VuZXMgd291bGQgbG92ZSB0byBzZWUgYnV0IHByb2JhYmx5IHNob3VsZG4ndCB0b2xraWVuIGxvcmU%3D) I talked about scenes that should be really cool if adapted visually,but probably wouldn’t work for one reason or another. This list isabout the scenes that have yet to be adapted that actually shoul…

Say what you will about visual adaptations of Tolkien, we all would love to see Middle-earth, if we can’t actually visit it. But asamazing at it would be to see Tolkien’s vision brought to life,there are some scenes that are best left as words on a page. Other Links: Playeur (formerly Utreon): https://utreon.com/c/TolkienLorePodcast/ Rumble: https:…

In light of the recent U.S. celebration of Thanksgiving, it seemedfitting to discuss the parallel cases of hospitality offered to Frodoby Gildor and Faramir, which both give Frodo many reasons to bethankful. Other Links: Playeur (formerly Utreon): https://utreon.com/c/TolkienLorePodcast/ Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-355195 Odysee: https://odysee.…