A review by ailenach
Anything You Can Imagine: Peter Jackson and the Making of Middle-earth by Ian Nathan
5.0
this may be my indisputable lord of the rings bias talking, but i loved this. this is what i was hoping for when i read the previous studio ghibli biography (i didn't intend to read two film-industy-centric biographies back-to-back, but it did end up providing an interesting basis for comparison and highlighted shared experiences in the world of filmmaking): an overall "making of" structure and focus, scattered yet in depth interviews from throughout the whole timeline and across departments and responsibilities, fun behind the scene anecdotes, and with quotes and quips referencing the movie that felt like part of an in joke without being too trite.
i found the overall structure to be engaging, in spite of the sort of erratic way it followed the timeline. i could see the parallels with the story of the production of the three movies themselves with the story of the ring. even though i knew how it all ends (both the war of the ring and the war for public recognition and oscars), i could feel my heart race as it followed the humble underdog beginnings all the way to its triumphant sweep at the 2004 oscars (why am i gasping? i already knew that). i could almost hear the sweeping coronation score during the chapter relaying the experience of the third movie getting its own crowning achievement in hollywood.
sometimes it feels like it puts peter jackson and kiwi sensibilty and the whole country of new zealand on a pedestal (but having actually visited many of the filming locations in person myself, i know that on that final point the perfection of new zealand as middle earth is perfectly spot on), and sometimes it was difficult to keep track of the few unfamiliar names and corresponding roles in the list of interviewees, but that didnt diminish my enjoyment. as a rings fan, and especially a huge admirer of the art direction, practical and even SFX execution, and just creative process in general of the movie trilogy, this was such a fun and informative read.
i found the overall structure to be engaging, in spite of the sort of erratic way it followed the timeline. i could see the parallels with the story of the production of the three movies themselves with the story of the ring. even though i knew how it all ends (both the war of the ring and the war for public recognition and oscars), i could feel my heart race as it followed the humble underdog beginnings all the way to its triumphant sweep at the 2004 oscars (why am i gasping? i already knew that). i could almost hear the sweeping coronation score during the chapter relaying the experience of the third movie getting its own crowning achievement in hollywood.
sometimes it feels like it puts peter jackson and kiwi sensibilty and the whole country of new zealand on a pedestal (but having actually visited many of the filming locations in person myself, i know that on that final point the perfection of new zealand as middle earth is perfectly spot on), and sometimes it was difficult to keep track of the few unfamiliar names and corresponding roles in the list of interviewees, but that didnt diminish my enjoyment. as a rings fan, and especially a huge admirer of the art direction, practical and even SFX execution, and just creative process in general of the movie trilogy, this was such a fun and informative read.