Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
All you wanted to know... and more, 1 Dec 2002
This is an extremely detailed and excellent account of the making of the three Lord of the Rings films. It has plenty of detail regarding costumes, make up, creatures, set designs, miniatures, props, et al; plus plenty of fantastic photographs and sketches. It is full of interesting facts and also includes comments from the actors and technicians involved. You can either pick it up to read in short bursts or, like me, read great chunks at a time in order to find out how they did the next bit! It also informs you of how much some of the actors and extras put up with in order to look like dwarfs, Uruk-hai's, orcs, etc. The work put in to the prosthetic make up is incredible - especially as some of them only appear for a few seconds. I found the picture of Boromir's dead body particularly eerie as it looks so 'life-like'.Although titled as the making of the trilogy, there is very little detail regarding the third film, which is perhaps a good thing so as not to spoil anything! Obviously, it will not answer every question you may have regarding the films, but it certainly goes a long way towards it. I think it is a must have book for all fans of the films.
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A concise and yet comprehensive look at the Movie Trilogy, 15 Jan 2004
The chapter where you become truly amazed at how Brian Sibley can make every single aspect of the production of "The Lord of the Rings" fascinating is Chapter 8: Hobbit Hair and Wizards Whiskers. That is because he talks not only about how Peter Owen and Peter King created the hair and makeup for Gandalf's beard and Galadriel's golden tresses, but also because he explains the need to making bucket loads of mud (short version: you need "sterilized" dirt). Then there is the sidebar that explains director Peter Jackson got the sound of several thousand Uruh-hai chanting Black Speech as they march to Helm's Deep in "The Two Towers" by going to a New Zealand versus England cricket match (admit it, you were expecting it to be soccer or at least Australian rules football). Once you have that reached that level of insight you know that you are getting a truly comprehensive look at "The Making of the Movie Trilogy."Sibley covers everything from model making to creating the one ring to rule them all, so ultimately it is just a question of what parts you like best. Obviously, anything have to do with Éowyn, the White Lady of Rohan is going to appeal to me, so I liked the look at her costumes. But I also really enjoyed the Epilogue: An End and a Beginning, that has to do with the world premier party for "The Fellowship on the Ring" in New Zealand. I liked the poster of New Zealand customs desks reworked with signs indicating lines for Orcs, Trolls, Journalists, and hobbits and the set of commemorative stamps and special first-day cover. Sibley wrote "The Lord of the Rings Official Movie Guide," so he obviously knows the territory, but what impressed me most is that while explaining how the magic is made he manages to be both comprehensive and concise. After all, he could have put together something as long as the Trilogy itself in detailing the process of adapting it for the screen. Fans of the movie trilogy will find this a worthy companion volume.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The making of a masterpiece, 20 Mar 2003
This book is for those people who, like myself, have watched the whole of the appendices section of the Extended 'Fellowship of the Ring' DVD, and want to know more about the making of The Lord of the Rings. It's full of fascinating and often hilarious accounts by people who were (and still are) involved in the films, from the Director, the cast, the designers and producers, through to the people who make the amazing wigs! The book is written in a very easy to read and informal way, which makes it quite unusual but a pleasure to read. One of the best bits is the interview between the author and actors Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan, which is very funny. The illustrations and photographs are wonderful, and the foreword by Sir Ian McKellen adds a really nice touch.
This is a must-have for all LOTR fans.
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