Rating: 
Summary: A Great Look at a Great Movie
Review: "The Lord of the Rings Official Movie Guide" is a book that covers the making of the motion picture trilogy based on the wonderful books by J.R.R. Tolkien from A to Z. This is the first book of this kind that I have read from cover to cover an I found this work to be thouroughly enjoyable. Brian Sibley, the author of this great guide, did a great job of finding and researching all of this information and did an even greater job by writing it all up in fun, easy to read articles next to gorgeous photographs. The articles presented in this work cover everything from a biography of Peter Jackson, the director of the trilogy, and how he was inspired as a young boy to one day be a moviemaker. There is also a biography of J.R.R. Tolkien. The book then delves into information about the sets chosen for these films and why and how New Zealand was such a great choice to do the filming of the pictures at. Then there are biographies of each actor that had a main part in "The Lord of the Rings" motion picture trilogy. Then we learn about costumes, make-up, prosthetics, swords, props, and many more things that made up his film. Within all of this information there are great quotes from the actors that were received from interviews by Brian Sibley. The photographs in this book are gorgeous and Brian Sibley was also able to get some original drawings of Middle Earth from artists like John Howe and Alan Lee put into the book. "The Lord of the Rings Official Movie Guide" is great for a lover of "The Lord of the Rings" movies or books. With great writing and pictures this is fun to look at and read. This book can be read very quickly and easily while being enjoyed. All in all, this is a great book that a fan of the movie or books would enjoy. Purchase this book and you'll experience the motion picture trilogy that you have seen and loved. Happy Reading!
Rating:
Summary: A Great Look at a Great Movie
Review: "The Lord of the Rings Official Movie Guide" is a book that covers the making of the motion picture trilogy based on the wonderful books by J.R.R. Tolkien from A to Z. This is the first book of this kind that I have read from cover to cover an I found this work to be thouroughly enjoyable. Brian Sibley, the author of this great guide, did a great job of finding and researching all of this information and did an even greater job by writing it all up in fun, easy to read articles next to gorgeous photographs. The articles presented in this work cover everything from a biography of Peter Jackson, the director of the trilogy, and how he was inspired as a young boy to one day be a moviemaker. There is also a biography of J.R.R. Tolkien. The book then delves into information about the sets chosen for these films and why and how New Zealand was such a great choice to do the filming of the pictures at. Then there are biographies of each actor that had a main part in "The Lord of the Rings" motion picture trilogy. Then we learn about costumes, make-up, prosthetics, swords, props, and many more things that made up his film. Within all of this information there are great quotes from the actors that were received from interviews by Brian Sibley. The photographs in this book are gorgeous and Brian Sibley was also able to get some original drawings of Middle Earth from artists like John Howe and Alan Lee put into the book. "The Lord of the Rings Official Movie Guide" is great for a lover of "The Lord of the Rings" movies or books. With great writing and pictures this is fun to look at and read. This book can be read very quickly and easily while being enjoyed. All in all, this is a great book that a fan of the movie or books would enjoy. Purchase this book and you'll experience the motion picture trilogy that you have seen and loved. Happy Reading!
Rating:
Summary: An absolute treat for Lord of the Rings fans!!
Review: As a long time fan of Tolkien's magnificent novel and as one highly anticipating the upcoming Peter Jackson trilogy, I couldn't wait to get my hands on this book. And, I would have to say, I was not disappointed! This amazing book offers an extensive and informative background to the making of the trilogy - with specific emphasis on the first film, "The Fellowship of the Ring." Brian Sibley's book has 120 glossy pages and includes beautiful colored pictures that gives us behind-the-scenes glimpses as well as shots from the film itself. The many topics covered include: "From Book to Script" which covers the process of adapting the complex novel into a series of 3 films; "Speaking the Languages of Middle Earth" - incorporating Tolkien's different languages in the film; "From the Director's Chair" - Peter Jackson's perspective; "The One Ring" and "Of Wizard Beards and Elf Ears" - a look at the props and costumes; "A Workshop of the Fantastic" - WETA's special effects role; "Seeing Tolkien's World" and "Fantasy to Reality" - artists Alan Lee and John Howe's significant contributions to the film visuals, characters and sets as well as the role of the art department; and, most significantly, "The Fellowship, Friends and Foes" - casting info and an introduction to the principal actors of the first film. I do have to point out that Tolkien's notable creatures - such as the Balrog and Gollum - are not shown anywhere in the book. I'm sure they were purposely (understandably) omitted to preserve the element of surprise for the first film. It also appears that this book may just be the first of a series by Brian Sibley, primarily since it only covers topics relevant to the first film (for instance, pictures of Bernard Hill who plays "Theoden," Miranda Otto who plays "Eowyn" and other actors and locations from the 2nd and 3rd books are absent in this book). Though it is not explicitly mentioned, I would have to assume that there will be similar movie guides released in 2002 and 2003. These points noted, I have to stress that this is a thoroughly enjoyable and informative book and I could not recommend it highly enough. This is a book that any Lord of the Rings or film fan should be without!
Rating:
Summary: A Succinct Guide to the Greatest Fantasy Film of All Time
Review: Brian Sibley's "The Lord Of The Rings Official Movie Guide" is a succinct overview of how the film "Fellowship Of The Ring" was made, from the very beginning through post-production. There are excellent chapters on the locations used in the film, creating the sets, and brief biographies on virtually all of the actors playing the major and prominent minor characters in the film. Fans of the film interested in getting a behind the scenes look at the film's production will undoubtedly be interested in this slender tome, which certainly covers everything without going into exhaustive detail. I find it the perfect companion to the film; it is most aptly titled "Official Movie Guide".
Rating: 
Summary: Good of Its Kind
Review: By the way, Brian Sibley was the main force behind the excellent 13-hour BBC dramatization of the Lord of The Rings (with Ian Holm - Bilbo in the film - playing Frodo!). A 13-CD version is available on Amazon.com. So much better than drive-time radio!
Rating:
Summary: Parents' Guide to The Lord of the Rings
Review: For all parents who have taken your children to the newly released "Lord of the Rings", now it is time to pick up Tolkein's four-book series and read them aloud to your children. Start with "The Hobbit". Read a page or two every night at bedtime. I've read through "The Hobbit" twice to our kids, and have read through "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy once to them. Our boys are all teenagers. We read every night for 20-30 minutes. We've also unplugged our TV and replace this time with reading in our home. Tolkein is an excellent storyteller, with vivid descriptions a cinematographer can only begin to play with. Your child's imagination is so much greater than that of any movie maker. Give them the gift of your time and Tolkein's genius writing: Read Tolkein Aloud to your Kids! Use Sibley's guide as a resource. The best resource for our kids though is our own active participation in their lives, taking the time to read to them regularly. For two books filled with other creative ideas for parenting, take a look at "The Family Cloister" and "The Christian Family Toolbox", both written by David Robinson.
Rating: 
Summary: Hobbits rule
Review: For even though this is an informative book, and I am Tolkien/LOTR fanatic, I don't think I'd pay eighteen bucks for it. Yet, now I'll focus on the book's qualities. First of all, it has interesting overveiws of the actors' careers and lives
and has quotes made by the cast and crew scattered throughout.
Overall, the book has good content, and Brian Sibley is quite a good author, overveiwing the pruduction of the movie, and some parts are somewhat humorous. One thing that was very strange was in the 'workshop of the fantastic' chapter, they labeled a picture of a uruk-hai, as the uruk-hai chieftan Lurtz, though if you look at the picture you can see it is not Lurtz, for he does not have Lurtz's trademark top knot or his specific downwards pointing hand print on his forehead. Overall, this book is somewhat of a disapointment.
Rating:
Summary: Fan
Review: I am a die hard fan of the trilogy, long before the movie came out. The information in the book is brief but enough to make it worthwhile. The pictures, however, are hardly in focus.
Rating:
Summary: Great Documentary
Review: I am so in love with The Lord of the Rings. I am obsessed, so when I saw this I had to have it. It's got tons of great info about the people behind the costumes and make-up. There's also quotes from the actors. There's a lot of behind the scenes info too. Absolutely love it.
Rating:
Summary: I love it!
Review: I haven't put the book down since I got it last week. I love it. I love all the photos that was in this book. For fans of The Lord of The Ring, The Fellowship of The Ring, and the soon to come upcoming movies, this is a great companion(sp) to the movie itself. I can actually hear the words from the movie when I look at some of the photos inside the book. This is a must have book for your shelf.
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