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Master of the Rings - The Unauthorized Story Behind J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" | 
 enlarge | Director: Stephen Grant (iv)
Actors: Roger Garland, Anke Buttner, Humphrey Carpenter, Bob Catley, J.r.r. Tolkien
Studio: Lions Gate
Category: DVD
List Price: $14.98
Buy New: $7.74
You Save: $7.24 (48%)
New (16) Used (7) from $6.58
Rating:  10 reviews
Sales Rank: 80746
Format: Color, Dvd-video, Ntsc
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 60 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.4 x 0.6
ISBN: 1588174034
UPC: 031398788126
EAN: 9781588174031
ASIN: B00005RIIK
Theatrical Release Date: December 4, 2001
Release Date: December 4, 2001
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: ******BRAND NEW****** ** Over 1.5 million orders shipped worldwide and more than 500 000 items in stock, BUY FROM A TRUSTED SOURCE, ESTABLISHED SINCE 1998 - INETVIDEO ~~~
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
Viewers with more than a passing familiarity with fantasist J.R.R. Tolkien will find this hourlong documentary a trifle at best. With only a handful of photos and locations at their disposal, the filmmakers rely on a host of talking heads to discuss Tolkien's life as well as the influence of his Lord of the Rings trilogy on popular culture. Biographers Humphrey Carter and Graham Rogers provide informative but sporadic commentary; their input is overwhelmed by more substantial interviews with such fringe elements as ex-Magnum vocalist Bob Catley, who sings Tolkien-inspired folk rock, and members of Dagorhir, who enact real-life versions of medieval battles. Their largely vapid contributions only serve to further enhance the often-negative popular opinion of fantasy literature. The shot-on-video production is competently filmed, with many images capturing the simple beauty of the English countryside, but the lightweight content renders Master only marginally useful as an introduction to Tolkien's worlds. --Paul Gaita
Description
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien never set out to become a pop icon. But almost 30 years after his death, he has ascended to heights previously reserved for pop stars. For hundreds of thousands, his vivid description of the enchanted land of Middle Earth--and the band of Hobbits, heroes and wizards who set out to save it--have evolved into more than just a fairy tale. Travel to Tolkien's hometown in England. Experience Dagorhir, where participants enact Dark Age battles. Watch Bob Catley perform music from his album "Middle Earth." Get a rare glimpse into the unique work of Roger Garland as he creates images reflecting the world of fantasy. 60 minutes.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 5 more reviews...
 Stay away from this DVD... January 14, 2003
Sean Meade (Columbia, SC USA)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
...or you'll regret you spent the money. Instead, buy Carpenter's excellent biography. Or buy Artist and Illustrator. I'm a huge Tolkien fan and this movie was embarassing to watch. I agree with the recent review that the interview with Carpenter was the best (so read his book). It was also a nice to see some of the Oxford environs (especially for those of us who aren't English), but the tour guides were total hacks.
don't bother with this one! November 30, 2002
P. J. Palmer (middle earth)
9 out of 14 found this review helpful
as a teacher, when i mark a pupils work i am required to comment on the pupils strengths, weaknesses and how their work could be developed.
this dvd has very few strengths. the short interviews with tolkien's biographer and members of the tolkien society are informative. the brief section showing roger garland at work in his studio in launceston, cornwell is okay(if on holiday over here in the uk visit it). but that's about it!
the weaknesses in the dvd are too numerous to mention but some that stand out include:
dagorhir - a bunch of yanky civil servants running about chaotically screaming there heads off attempting live role play.
in the uk lrp usually consists of planned reinactments with players in full armour or detailed outfits using full-on weapons and swords. dagorhir run about with hankercheifs on their heads, carrying pillows as shields and hitting each other with foam swords - it was embarrasing to watch.
'rock idol' - bob catley's performnaces were also enough to make me cringe. when he sang with magnum, throughout the 80's their work was littered with tolkien influenced lyrics and artwork. however at the time they would never admit to it ripping off tolkien. now bob catley is clutching at straws singing in plastic trendy pubs in an attempt to continue his career and cash in on the success of peter jackson's film. bob a word of advice - you're 20 years too late! magnum should of tried this sort of thing in the 80's (remember rick wakeman or marillion ?)
the part of the dvd that really shows the production team were on a cheap budget and knew nothing about tolkien were the interviews with grahamn rogers on tolkien in oxford. the man either cannot remember a script or the production team just let him waffle on regardless. every other word is 'um'. (if you have the misfortune of watching this dvd count them it gets really annoying after a while). it's as if the production team did it all in one take and could not afford to do another run. this includes shots of the soundman and other camera men getting into view (i'm sure this was not intentional like some of these new quirky documentaries with odd camrea angles).
the final nail in the coffin for this guy was when he misquoted tolkien's start of the hobbit. "in the ground there lived a hobbit" BLASPHEMY! even my 6 year old son knows that the hobbit starts with the immortal line " in a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit ". the quote is as famous as the book itself. it is as famous as "romeo, romeo where for art thou romeo".
the dvd was a disappointment to say the least. i can see now why tolkien's estate would not authorise it's release.
to the production team: plenty of room for development. try watching the other dvd available with a similar title 'master of the rings - a definitive guide to the world of the rings' it is excellent and well worth the money.
 Moderately amusing but only slightly informative October 12, 2002
Sharon Yvonne (Chicago, United States)
6 out of 7 found this review helpful
This film seems to have gotten higher ratings from most reviewers than the similarly named "J.R.R. Tolkien: Master of the Rings," but yet I actually found it to be more enjoyable to watch than the other one myself. Maybe it's because I didn't spend my own hard-earned cash on this one (I borrowed a library copy), or maybe it's because my expectations were much lower in this case. Whatever the reason, that was my reaction.Neither of these films does a stellar job of presenting the world of Middle-Earth, in my opinion, but somehow this one seemed to have more real emotion and enthusiasm behind it. The long sequence on fans renacting battles might be annoying to some, but I found it to be rather entertaining. I didn't learn anything about Middle-Earth from it, but it entertained me. I also enjoyed the scenes of Oxford and the views of houses where Tolkien lived. Those bits were quite interesting and even informative. Definitely my favorite parts. My LEAST favorite parts, on the other hand, were the unnecessarily lengthy sequences on artists and musicians inspired by Tolkien's works. That sort of thing is worthy of noting in a film like this, but I don't find it to be interesting enough to warrant lavishing the amount of time on it that it was given here. If that portion had been about a third as long as it was, I might have given the film 3 stars instead of two. My overall comment: this DVD is not a COMPLETE waste of time, and you might be entertained and/or amused by some parts of it. But it does not really do justice to its subject. It only scratches the surface and it spends too much time on peripheral matters. I am still waiting for someone to produce a really high quality documentary on JRRT and Middle-Earth.
Painful at best March 11, 2002
16 out of 22 found this review helpful
I kept looking at the clock to see if it was over yet and forced myself to watch the whole thing. To review all the bad parts would involve me having to watch it again and honestly, I can't think of a good thing to say about it. This is one purhcase I deeply regret.
 Greatly covers Tolkiens acheivement March 11, 2002
Tony Neiderer (Hanover, PA USA)
5 out of 16 found this review helpful
I believe to create an autobiography about a man such as Tolkien video creates a great picture and understanding of the concepts that that particular person or persons is trying to get across to its audience. This documentary revealed the aspects of Tolkien's life that were key to writing the amazing novels that were produced. I recommend this to anyone that is a fan or just curious. AMAZING!
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