The Lord of the Rings: The Making of the Movie Trilogy

This book is absolutely fascinating, explaining the detail and thought that went into making an epic of this proportion. I would have never considered all the minute details they so painstakingly devoted their lives to over the years of the pre-production and principle production period of the LOTR. Every detail from designing the perfect Gandalf hat to finding ingenious ways to protect ancient moss in a particular location to makeup for horses (yes, even horses need makeup!) is explored. Plus much, much more.The book is as easy as it is enjoyable to read. It is like reading a magazine article on each topic they covered. Concise and too the point, but with plenty of information. If you can only buy one LOTR book, make this the one. While the others are good, most of the information in them has also been presented in various documentaries or other media. You'll find surprises in this one!

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.

If you're like me, and patiently went through all the documentaries, and every single still in the Extended cut of Fellowship of the Ring, than you should read this. Very little information is repeated, and it really gives a comprehensive look at the making of one of the greatest artistic achievements in the past decade.This book, along with the DVDs, and the 'Art of Fellowship of the Ring' gives a whole new appreciation for Peter Jackson and his talented crew.

Don't get this book confused with Sibley's FIRST "Making of Lord of the Rings" book. The first book was restricted in what it showed the production of -- in other words, it showed production mainly of the first movie. This book includes stuff from the first AND second movies, a slew of new photos and information, and real-world reactions to the first movie.The book starts with a description of what the stars did on the night of the movie's world premiere, then snaps back to when Peter Jackson first began the journey to create "Lord of the Rings." The parts on costumes, sets, locations and CGI have been expanded to include Two Towers as well (there's an entire chapter devoted to making Brad Dourif into Grima Wormtongue). There's information on dressing Eowyn, creating Treebeard, baking lembas, and -- of course -- the creation of CGI masterpiece Gollum. Even little details, such as the moth that Gandalf uses as a messenger, are dealt with.There are dozens of pictures, ranging from the exquisite (pictures of people working on the "bigatures," Treebeard, and the intricate costumes) to the awkward (Legolas in mid-war-scream, Elijah Wood gnawing on his fingertip). The bonuses include quotes from the actors on their costars and a hilarious interview with Dominic Monaghan and Billy Boyd ("I need a hug!" "Not NOW!") in which they comment on the sexiness of their hobbit armor, the maturation of their characters, and Billy falling into a cactus. And actor Ian McKellen writes a brief but sprightly foreword in which he talks about Sibley's "Making of" guide and the making of the movie itself, and the impact it's had. (And it has a plug for his website!)It's an entertaining and informative look behind-the-scenes for anyone who enjoyed the movie and wanted to know "How was that done? Who did that?" Fantastic read.

Brian Sibley, the author of "The Making of The Movie Trilogy" has been connected to Tolkien-dom for many years -- he wrote the BBC radio dramatization. So it's no fluke that he was charged with creating this excellent behind-the-scenes account of the making of Peter Jackson's new LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy. With Part Two (THE TWO TOWERS) due in theaters in just a few weeks, the release of this book has excellent timing!At almost 200 pages long with over 300 pictures, the book is thorough and entertaining all at once. The pictures, many never seen before, are excellent! Sibley's writings/chapters range from typical, glossy actor interviews to in-depth descriptions of movie-making. After one reading, there is more in the book for me to investigate!Enjoy the book. It's a great companion to a (so far!) excellent film series.