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The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy (The Fellowship of the Ring / The Two Towers / The Return of the King Extended Editions) [Blu-ray]
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Return this item for free
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Additional Blu-ray options | Edition | Discs | Price | New from | Used from |
Blu-ray
May 1, 2012 "Please retry" | Extended Edition | 15 |
—
| $95.85 | $27.00 |
Blu-ray
April 17, 2019 "Please retry" | — | 15 |
—
| $239.02 | $235.02 |
Blu-ray
May 1, 2012 "Please retry" | — | — |
—
| — | $39.00 |
Blu-ray
June 28, 2011 "Please retry" | Limited Collector's Edition | — |
—
| — | $80.00 |
Watch Instantly with | Rent | Buy |
Purchase options and add-ons
Format | Multiple Formats, AC-3, Blu-ray, NTSC, Subtitled, DTS Surround Sound, Widescreen, Dolby |
Contributor | Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Peter Jackson, Ian McKellen |
Language | English |
Runtime | 11 hours and 22 minutes |
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Product Description
Product Description
The Quest Is Over: All three extended versions in dazzling 1080p and DTS HD-MA 5.1 Audio. Deluxe set includes over 26 Hours of spellbinding behind-the- moviemaking material, including the Rare Costa Botes documentaries, on 15 discs.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Extended Edition: With the help of a courageous fellowship of friends and allies, Frodo embarks on a perilous mission to destroy the legendary One Ring.
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Extended Edition: In the middle chapter of this historic movie trilogy, the Fellowship is broken but its quest to destroy the One Ring continues.
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Extended Edition: The final battle for Middle-earth begins. Frodo and Sam, led by Gollum, continue their dangerous mission toward the fires of Mount Doom in order to destroy the One Ring.
Amazon.com
As the triumphant start of a trilogy, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring leaves you begging for more. By necessity, Peter Jackson's ambitious epic compresses J.R.R. Tolkien's classic The Lord of the Rings, but this robust adaptation maintains reverent allegiance to Tolkien's creation, instantly qualifying as one of the greatest fantasy films ever made. At 178 minutes, it's long enough to establish the myriad inhabitants of Middle-earth, the legendary Rings of Power, and the fellowship of hobbits, elves, dwarves, and humans--led by the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) and the brave hobbit Frodo (Elijah Wood)--who must battle terrifying forces of evil on their perilous journey to destroy the One Ring in the land of Mordor. Superbly paced, the film is both epic and intimate, offering astonishing special effects and production design while emphasizing the emotional intensity of Frodo's adventure, and ends on a perfect note of heroic loyalty and rich anticipation.
After the breaking of the Fellowship, Frodo and Sam journey to Mordor with the creature Gollum as their guide in The Two Towers. Meanwhile, Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), Legolas (Orlando Bloom), and Gimli (John Rhys-Davies) join in the defense of the people of Rohan, who are the first target in the eradication of the race of Men by the renegade wizard Saruman (Christopher Lee) and the dark lord Sauron. Fantastic creatures, astounding visual effects, and a climactic battle at the fortress of Helm's Deep make The Two Towers a worthy successor to The Fellowship of the Ring, grander in scale but retaining the story's emotional intimacy.
With The Return of the King, the greatest fantasy epic in film history draws to a grand and glorious conclusion. The trilogy could never fully satisfy those who remain exclusively loyal to Tolkien's expansive literature, but as a showcase for physical and technical craftsmanship it is unsurpassed in pure scale and ambition, setting milestone after cinematic milestone as Frodo and Sam continue their mission to Mordor to destroy the soul-corrupting One Ring. While the heir to the kingdom of Men, Aragorn, endures the massive battle at Minas Tirith with the allegiance of Legolas, Gimli, and Gandalf, Frodo and Sam must survive the schizoid deceptions of Gollum, who remains utterly convincing as a hybrid of performance (by Andy Serkis) and subtly nuanced computer animation. Jackson and cowriters Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens have much ground to cover; that they do so with intense pacing and epic sweep is impressive enough, but by investing greater depth and consequence in the actions of fellow hobbits Merry (Dominic Monaghan) and Pippin (Billy Boyd), they ensure that The Return of the King maintains the trilogy's emphasis on intimate fellowship and remains faithful to Tolkien's overall vision. By ending the LOTR trilogy with noble integrity and faith in the power of imaginative storytelling, The Return of the King, like its predecessors, will stand as an adventure for the ages. --Jeff Shannon and David Horiuchi
Our Review of the Extended Edition on DVD (Dec. 14, 2004):
The extended editions of Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings present the greatest trilogy in film history in the most ambitious sets in DVD history. In bringing J.R.R. Tolkien's nearly unfilmable work to the screen, Jackson benefited from extraordinary special effects, evocative New Zealand locales, and an exceptionally well-chosen cast, but most of all from his own adaptation with co-writers Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, preserving Tolkien's vision and often his very words, but also making logical changes to accommodate the medium of film. While purists complained about these changes and about characters and scenes left out of the films, the almost two additional hours of material in the extended editions (about 11 hours total) help appease them by delving more deeply into Tolkien's music, the characters, and loose ends that enrich the story, such as an explanation of the Faramir-Denethor relationship, and the appearance of the Mouth of Sauron at the gates of Mordor. In addition, the extended editions offer more bridge material between the films, further confirming that the trilogy is really one long film presented in three pieces (which is why it's the greatest trilogy ever--there's no weak link). The scene of Galadriel's gifts to the Fellowship added to the first film proves significant over the course of the story, while the new Faramir scene at the end of the second film helps set up the third and the new Saruman scene at the beginning of the third film helps conclude the plot of the second.
To top it all off, the extended editions offer four discs per film: two for the longer movie, plus four commentary tracks and stupendous DTS 6.1 ES sound; and two for the bonus material, which covers just about everything from script creation to special effects. The argument was that fans would need both versions because the bonus material is completely different, but the features on the theatrical releases are so vastly inferior that the only reason a fan would need them would be if they wanted to watch the shorter versions they saw in theaters (the last of which, The Return of the King, merely won 11 Oscars). The LOTR extended editions without exception have set the DVD standard by providing a richer film experience that pulls the three films together and further embraces Tolkien's world, a reference-quality home theater experience, and generous, intelligent, and engrossing bonus features. --David Horiuchi
Versions of Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy on Blu-ray and DVD
Original Theatrical Edition
Platinum Series Special Extended Edition
Original Theatrical and Extended Limited Edition
Original Theatrical Edition [Blu-ray]
Extended Edition [Blu-ray] Release Date May 25, 2004 Dec. 14, 2004 Aug. 29, 2006 Apr. 16, 2010 TBA Format/Disc # Three DVDs 12 DVDs Six DVDs Three Blu-ray Discs, Three DVDs, Three Digital Copies 15 Discs Total: Films are on Blu-ray, with Special Features on DVDs Digital Copies No No No Yes, on three discs (expired Apr. 4, 2011)
Yes, online (expires Jun. 26, 2012)
Extra footage None 30 minutes added to Return of the King; 43 minutes added to The Two Towers; 50 minutes added to Return of the King For all three films: Both the theatrical and extended edition on one disc None Same as extended-edition DVD Commentaries None Commentary by Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens; Commentary by the design team; Commentary by the production/post-production team; Commentary by the cast, including Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Sean Astin, Andy Serkis, John Rhys-Davies, Orlando Bloom, Christopher Lee, and Miranda Otto None None Same commentaries as extended-edition DVD Documentaries Fellowship of the Ring: "Welcome to Middle-earth," "The Quest for the Ring," "A Passage to Middle-earth"; The Two Towers: "On the Set: The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers"; "Return to Middle- earth"Return of the King: Three documentaries: "The Quest Fulfilled: A Director's Vision," "A Filmmaker's Journey: Making The Return of The King," "National Geographic Special: Beyond the Movie" "From Book to Vision," "From Vision to Reality," "The Journey Continues...," Documentaries on J.R.R. Tolkein, "From Book to Script" documentaries, "Designing and Building Middle-earth," "Home of the Horse Lords," "Gollum," "Filming 'The Two Towers,'" "Visual Effects," "Editorial: Refining the Story," "Music and Sound," "The Battle for Helm's Deep is Over..."; "Filming The Return of the King," "Weta Digital," "Post-Production: Journey's End," "The Passing of an Age," "Cameron Duncan: The Inspiration for 'Into the West'" Three behind-the-scenes documentaries by Costa Botes, the filmmaker director Peter Jackson personally hired Same as theatrical-edition DVD Same as extended-edition DVD, plus Costa Botes documentaries from the Original Theatrical & Extended Limited Edition Featurettes Fellowship of the Ring: 15 featurettes originally created for lordoftherings.net; The Two Towers: Eight featurettes originally created for lordoftherings.net; Return of the King: Six featurettes None None Same as theatrical-edition DVD None Other Features Exclusive 10-minute behind-the-scenes previews of The Two Towers and The Fellowship of the Ring; Enya "May It Be" music video; An inside look at the Special Extended DVD Edition of The Lord of the Rings Trilogy; Preview of Electronic Arts' video games; DVD-ROM features: Exclusive online content; Emiliana Torrini "Gollum Song" music video; "The Long and Short of It," a short film by Sean Astin; "The Lord of The Rings" Trilogy Supertrailer Design Galleries; "Middle-earth Atlas: Tracing the Journeys of the Fellowship" interactive map; "New Zealand as Middle-earth" interactive map w/on-location footage; production photos; "The Mumakil Battle" demonstration / multi-angle interactive feature; "DFK6498" short film, "Strike Zone" short film, DVD-ROM access to exclusive online features None Same as theatrical-edition DVD Same as extended edition DVDs; see above for complete special features
Product details
- Aspect Ratio : 2.35:1
- Is Discontinued By Manufacturer : No
- MPAA rating : Unrated (Not Rated)
- Product Dimensions : 7.25 x 6 x 2.25 inches; 1.32 Pounds
- Director : Peter Jackson
- Media Format : Multiple Formats, AC-3, Blu-ray, NTSC, Subtitled, DTS Surround Sound, Widescreen, Dolby
- Run time : 11 hours and 22 minutes
- Release date : June 28, 2011
- Actors : Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Ian McKellen
- Subtitles: : French, English
- Studio : New Line Home Video
- ASIN : B0026L7H20
- Number of discs : 15
- Best Sellers Rank: #1,908 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
- #333 in Action & Adventure Blu-ray Discs
- Customer Reviews:
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The basic facts-
LOTR series has basically two types of movies- a) Theatrical and b) Extended, each edition are available in both-DVD and Blu ray format.
Extended versions of the movies have humongous amount of extra film footage added to the theatrical editions (approx. 30, 40 and 50 additional minutes for movie 1, 2 and 3 respectively). So, go for the extended editions only if you are a die hard fan of the movies. If you are not, the review ends here. Buy whichever movie you like in your preferred format and enjoy. Thanks.
FOR LOTR FANS-
Let's get straight to-the-point. Now, many of you may as well own the DVD versions of LOTR (Either Theatrical or Extended ot both), and if you are trying to make a decision whether to spend more money on this blu ray extended, here is the comparison-
Extended DVD set-
For each movie they have 4 discs (2 movie discs and 2 extra features); So total 12 discs. Sound is DTS ES 6.1, which is significantly better than regular dolby digital. This set is probably the most gorgeous I have ever seen for any DVD. Colorful and feature packed, it stands out in your entire collection.
Extended Blu ray set-
For each movie they have 5 discs (2 movie blu ray discs, 2 extra feature DVDs and 1 behind the scene DVD). So, total 15 discs. Audio is spine chilling DTS HD 6.1 and it has the all the betterments of blu ray (HD pic, HD sound, BD live). Also, blu ray set includes the Digital copy of the Extended Versions of all three movies (Standard definition, not HD). The set itself is a delight, with a sturdy golden cardboard package that is durable and beautiful. The remastering of these movies have been handled excellently and with respect to both picture and sound, this one is SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER THAN THE DVD.
The GOOD (Blu ray set over DVD set):
1. Video and Audio significantly improved. Excellent blu ray transfer. I have not noticed any 'darker' colors as mentioned by some other viewers.
2. Blu ray set has THREE EXTRA DVDs (Behind the Scene for each movie) apart from the 2 extra feature DVDs.
3. Blu ray set has Digital copies of Extended versions of all three movies.
4. They did not waste a DVD for digital copy. You download them straight from the server.
5. Digital copies are great downloads and super easy. Together, it's almost 10 GB download, which was overwhelming for me.
The NOT-SO-GOOD:
1. Extra feature DVDs (2 for each movie) are the SAME as those of DVD editions. In fact, the DVDs are identical when I do head-to-head comparison. These DVDs are pulled straight from the older DVD editions, nothing new added there.
2. The overall appearence of the set is not as beautiful as the DVD sets. This one is excellently packed though, lacks the colours of the DVD set.
3. Extra feature discs are DVDs and not Blu rays.
FINAL VERDICT-
If you own the extended DVD set, then buy this only if you want to have a great improvement in pictutre and sound quality. The only extra features you get is 'behind the scenes' DVDs. All other extra feature DVDs (total 6 of them) will be a duplication of what you already own in Extended DVD set. Actually, I noticed that all the extra feature DVDs here are from the various older DVD editions. The two DVDs are from the Extended DVD set, and the one 'behind the scene' is probably pulled from the limited editions of LOTR (the double sided DVDs that New Line Cinema released sometimes back).
However, if you do not own the DVD versions, then this is a must buy as this includes almost everything that you can think of (HD movies, extra features, behind the scenes, plus digital copies).
UPDATE 1: Also check the images I uploaded which may help make the comparison.
UPDATE 2: Thanks for all those who marked this review as helpful. As you are interested in LOTR, I guess at some point you'll consider purchasing "Hobbit" as well. I have recently written reviews for those, hope you find them useful too. Comments are welcome!
Thanks again!
UPDATE 3: DIGITAL COPIES: When I purchased the set back in 2011, the set came with complimentary digital copies. Nevertheless, the later editions do not seem to have digital copies with them (hence the lower price I guess). Please verify the product information closely before making a purchase. Thanks!
Reviewed in the United States on November 24, 2011
The basic facts-
LOTR series has basically two types of movies- a) Theatrical and b) Extended, each edition are available in both-DVD and Blu ray format.
Extended versions of the movies have humongous amount of extra film footage added to the theatrical editions (approx. 30, 40 and 50 additional minutes for movie 1, 2 and 3 respectively). So, go for the extended editions only if you are a die hard fan of the movies. If you are not, the review ends here. Buy whichever movie you like in your preferred format and enjoy. Thanks.
FOR LOTR FANS-
Let's get straight to-the-point. Now, many of you may as well own the DVD versions of LOTR (Either Theatrical or Extended ot both), and if you are trying to make a decision whether to spend more money on this blu ray extended, here is the comparison-
Extended DVD set-
For each movie they have 4 discs (2 movie discs and 2 extra features); So total 12 discs. Sound is DTS ES 6.1, which is significantly better than regular dolby digital. This set is probably the most gorgeous I have ever seen for any DVD. Colorful and feature packed, it stands out in your entire collection.
Extended Blu ray set-
For each movie they have 5 discs (2 movie blu ray discs, 2 extra feature DVDs and 1 behind the scene DVD). So, total 15 discs. Audio is spine chilling DTS HD 6.1 and it has the all the betterments of blu ray (HD pic, HD sound, BD live). Also, blu ray set includes the Digital copy of the Extended Versions of all three movies (Standard definition, not HD). The set itself is a delight, with a sturdy golden cardboard package that is durable and beautiful. The remastering of these movies have been handled excellently and with respect to both picture and sound, this one is SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER THAN THE DVD.
The GOOD (Blu ray set over DVD set):
1. Video and Audio significantly improved. Excellent blu ray transfer. I have not noticed any 'darker' colors as mentioned by some other viewers.
2. Blu ray set has THREE EXTRA DVDs (Behind the Scene for each movie) apart from the 2 extra feature DVDs.
3. Blu ray set has Digital copies of Extended versions of all three movies.
4. They did not waste a DVD for digital copy. You download them straight from the server.
5. Digital copies are great downloads and super easy. Together, it's almost 10 GB download, which was overwhelming for me.
The NOT-SO-GOOD:
1. Extra feature DVDs (2 for each movie) are the SAME as those of DVD editions. In fact, the DVDs are identical when I do head-to-head comparison. These DVDs are pulled straight from the older DVD editions, nothing new added there.
2. The overall appearence of the set is not as beautiful as the DVD sets. This one is excellently packed though, lacks the colours of the DVD set.
3. Extra feature discs are DVDs and not Blu rays.
FINAL VERDICT-
If you own the extended DVD set, then buy this only if you want to have a great improvement in pictutre and sound quality. The only extra features you get is 'behind the scenes' DVDs. All other extra feature DVDs (total 6 of them) will be a duplication of what you already own in Extended DVD set. Actually, I noticed that all the extra feature DVDs here are from the various older DVD editions. The two DVDs are from the Extended DVD set, and the one 'behind the scene' is probably pulled from the limited editions of LOTR (the double sided DVDs that New Line Cinema released sometimes back).
However, if you do not own the DVD versions, then this is a must buy as this includes almost everything that you can think of (HD movies, extra features, behind the scenes, plus digital copies).
UPDATE 1: Also check the images I uploaded which may help make the comparison.
UPDATE 2: Thanks for all those who marked this review as helpful. As you are interested in LOTR, I guess at some point you'll consider purchasing "Hobbit" as well. I have recently written reviews for those, hope you find them useful too. Comments are welcome!
Thanks again!
UPDATE 3: DIGITAL COPIES: When I purchased the set back in 2011, the set came with complimentary digital copies. Nevertheless, the later editions do not seem to have digital copies with them (hence the lower price I guess). Please verify the product information closely before making a purchase. Thanks!
My golly goodness is this one hell of a big box set! The Extended Editions of 'The Lord of the Rings Trilogy' have finally arrived on Blu-ray! The packaging itself is a very sturdy, metallic clasping six sided box that's as golden as can be, with light embossing only adding to its beauty. The front folds open to reveal a map of Middle Earth on the inside of the front and spine sections, with a cast shot atop the case holders. Each film in this set gets its own Blu-ray case (unlike the Theatrical Edition set), with a five disc black cased box with identical layouts on the art. The spines themselves for these titles have a very slight hint, matching the colors of the book-fashioned DVD set: blue for 'The Return of the King,' red for 'The Two Towers,' and green (how fitting) for 'The Fellowship of the Ring.'
The first two discs for each film are BD50s, each with half of the film. Yes, dear fans, you'll have to get up off the couch to switch discs. Yes, I know, burning calories is the antithesis of a proper marathon viewing, I get it. However, the end result is worth said minimal strain (and, come on, you'd have to get up to switch movies anyways!). The third and fourth disc for each film contain the Appendices, the final two discs on their respective original Extended Edition DVD releases. The fifth disc in each set contains the Costa Botes documentary for the respective film. Due to the way this set sprawls out, every extra from the DVD releases can be found here, whereas the Botes documentaries were not found in the four disc book packs. The final score on this set is Blu-ray: 6, DVD: 9, where the DVDs could have all easily fit on a single BD50 disc per film (even at a maxed out DVD9, that would just be barely more than a BD25 disc, before reconfiguring and updating menu systems. Like the previous Blu-ray release, there are again Digital Copies, though this time, they're non-disc, contained on a piece of paper with URL and download code information.
There is no extended/new scene indicator, as is found in some other alternate cut home video releases; however, the chapter selection for each film has single and double apostrophes next to each chapter indicating what changes are made. Each film has a booklet in its respective black case, that has a chapter selection (with additional indicator marks), as well as a spreadsheet for the supplement package. There isn't, though, any space in the black cases for anything else, whatsoever. Put in the additional paper inserts in the case (the shameless advertising, such as a Harry Potter mini-catalog...what's that about?!?), and the case will bulge and have difficulty closing.
As of yet, there is no announced release date for these films individually, but it's sure to happen, just as it did for the Theatrical Editions on Blu-ray.
Sound:
"Three films, three DTS-HD Master Audio 6.1 mixes, one reason why this release may rule them all."
The adage concerning not fixing what isn't broken applies to the audio New Line provided 'The Lord of the Rings' trilogy. In fact, I'm much more impressed with the sound this time around than I was back then, even if nothing has changed in terms of what type of mix has been provided. The entire trilogy sounds quite literally flawless, for its entire runtime. Not once in the entire viewing marathon did I have a moment where I wished some element was heftier, or some speaker had more activity. This was perhaps one of the most pleasant, accurate to the action on screen mixes I've encountered in some time.
All three tracks are nothing short of splendid, with pitch perfect dynamics, wonderful directionality, constant and appropriate localization effects, superb clarity, impeccable prioritization, wonderful volume spikes, and plenty of down and dirty bass to keep the entire experience engaging, no matter how thoroughly worn out you are by the length of the material. The soundstage is constantly filled, putting you in the middle of the experience throughout the entire affair, be it in a not-so-crowded hall or a battle littered with combatants from all angles. There's never an inappropriate moment or sound, not a single hair out of place. Range is brilliantly unchecked, and the echoes found in this trilogy, there may not be any better example on this format! I loved how regularly the bass had a different kind of roar, with frequencies and potencies changing, creating a fun new experience each time there was the need for extreme power, and I loved even more the fact that not once in the entire runtime did I need to adjust the volume settings on my receiver. The sharp clangs of sword on sword, the cold thumps of bodies hitting the ground, the whizz of arrows swooping across the room at any given angle, the thunder beneath a massive creature's footstep, the haunting melodies, the sharp spikes of victorious yells and screams, the screeching of the undead, the rumble of a volcano...all part of a perfect audio experience. The Extended Editions of 'The Lord of the Rings' trilogy all earn perfect marks, with no regret or nitpicks. The most thunderous element after these three tracks played was the sound of my applause for a job more than well done.
Easter Eggs
There are three "easter eggs" on the Blu-ray discs, with each being found on the disc one of each film, in the supplements tab, where an entire tab is a ring. They're not exactly hidden all that well, to be frank, so putting them here is a bit of a stretch, but ah well!
On the 'The Fellowship of the Ring' disc, we get a three minute SD alternate version of the council of Elrond, starring Sarah Michelle Gellar and Jack Black. This one has to be seen. It's definitely not for children. It's horribly crude, yet hilarious at times, especially the Frodo gag.
On the 'The Two Towers' disc, a three minute SD MTV movie award acceptance speech is shown, as Gollum won an award for best virtual performance (tough category, that). It's pretty poor, really, but calling Dobby a %$@ing &^% is quite epic.
On the 'The Return of the King' disc, there is a nine minute SD interview between Monaghan and Wood, played off as a hoax of sorts on Wood. Monaghan doesn't do a bad German, but the joke here is on us, not Wood, as it isn't all that funny.
On the Appendices DVD discs, there is a symbol at the bottom of each page that is a not-so hidden link to the DVD credits.
The following Easter Egg has been found by one of our readers (John Bowdle, take a bow, and thanks!): After finishing 'The Fellowship of the Ring,' watching through the end credits (or even fast forwarding through it all), you are brought back to the main menu, and if you let the screen sit for a short while, past where the audio cuts out, the menu seems to make a choice for you, the screen goes black, and Peter Jackson introduces the theatrical preview for 'The Two Towers.' Jackson says DVD, and it's in SD, so you know this is an old bit of footage from a past home video release, but a three minute HD clip of the second film, that's something, isn't it?
Researching this tip further, when this trick is done to the 'The Two Towers' disc...nothing happens. I kept waiting and waiting, but after four minutes, I had enough. Since there's no way 'The Return of the King' would have a trailer for 'The Hobbit' or one of the previous two films in the series, I didn't even investigate that disc.
Thanks go to reader/forum member Tiny Angel for spotting this extra. On disc two of 'The Return of the King' Blu-ray, at the black screen, select to view the main menu. From there you get a traditional menu, and another not-so-well-hidden ring in the supplements tab. This six minute MTV feature has Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, and Peter Jackson sitting down as the two actors faux-interview Jackson about making a sequel to the 'The Lord of the Rings' trilogy. It's not bad, by any means, and gets better as the runtime rolls on. Still, MTV means it panders quite a bit.
[...]
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