"Not Another Tolkien Movie" DVD release!
 

Hi All,

I'm excited to announce that we're now distributing a feature-length film from a fellow Baltimore filmmaking group. The film is called "Not Another Tolkien Movie", and is a mockumentary about a low-budget filmmaker who is trying to make a true-to-the-book version of "Lord of the Rings".

This movie has some hilarious performances, great writing, and solid directing. It was shot with a VX2000, edited in Adobe Premiere, and then color-corrected and film-looked in Adobe After Effects.

If anyone is interested in purchasing the DVD, you can go to http://www.37point5.com/store.htm . There you'll also find a trailer and a link to a review from Film Threat. The DVD only costs $12, and that includes shipping and handling!

If you do end up purchasing the film and have any technical questions after watching it, myself and the filmmakers would be happy to answer those questions either on this board or via e-mail.

Thanks in advance,
Ryan Graham
37.5 Productions
www.37point5.com

Well, having not gotten any bites on this, I'm curious:

1. Is the price too high? If so, what would you say a reasonable price would be for this DVD? Keep in mind the $2 in shipping costs....

2. Is there not enough information on the website?

3. Is the trailer lacking? Does it just not really make you want to see the movie?

4. Do you not trust PayPal?

Just wondering, because I was planning on slowly rolling out this release, and this is the first and only place I've announced it so far, so any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Ryan Graham
37.5 Productions
www.37point5.com

TO be honest I think you oversold it a bit.... it is hard to say something has hilarious performances, great writing and solid directing, then see something very campy and goofy. It seems that the idea is much better than the execution, things just arent as funny as they should be.

I really like the performance from the older lasy smoking but everyone else seemed really flat. The trailer does tell the same story as the description or the review. I would focus more on the struggling film maker than anything...



ash =o)

Thanks for the input, Ash. I think the trailer might be a little slow, and I agree that it should be more focused on the struggling filmmaker, since he is the lead character in the film.

I've gotten varying responses to the film. Some people don't seem to like this particular kind of humor. I would say it has a lot in common with Christopher Guest movies ("Best in Show", "Waiting for Guffman", etc). The humor is played straight, and there aren't any big "jokes" as there would be in a Will Ferrell or Adam Sandler film. Plus, there is a fair amount of improv going on.

Regardless, I do honestly believe that this film is hilarious, it does have amazing performances, and the directing is solid. If I didn't believe these things, I would never have offered to distribute the film for this group. I believe in this movie, and I believe that people will like it if they give it a chance.

Hopefully when/if someone here purchases a copy, they can give an honest and non-biased review of the film.

Thanks,
Ryan Graham
37.5 Productions
www.37point5.com

This is what I would normally say:

"You know, this reminds me of the recent turd movie that is Toxic Avenger 4. The guy sells it by saying "This movie is F****ing funny and you WILL enjoy it!". Seems too cheap to me, I wouldn't want to sit there and watch a two hour Lord of the Rings spoof shot by a group of high school kids with less than amateur movie experience."

Throw a different trailer out there, the one you've got is kind of "...meh" and makes me actually think the above. I like the idea, but I need to know a little more about it's content first.

Jack, thanks for your bluntness.

Just to clear up some possible misconceptions:

1. All of the actors are in their late 20's/early 30's. Some have even graduated from real film schools! They've made numerous short films which have won a few awards, but this is their first feature.

2. It IS NOT a spoof of "Lord of the Rings". It is a film about an indie filmmaker trying to make a "true-to-the-book" version of "Lord of the Rings". You do see about 15 minutes of the film-within-the-film, but the rest of the movie concerns the trials and tribulations that the filmmaker goes through in trying to get his pure vision to the screen (and how he fails miserably at doing so).

3. The Toxic Avenger 4 rocks! Well, if you like Troma movies, anyway. I think they're a pleasant distraction.

4. I agree that the trailer is "meh". I'm hoping the filmmakers will be open to cutting a new one. Specifically, I think the text parts go on for too long, as evidenced by the fact that if I watch it with the sound off, I keep thinking the player has stalled.

In spite of all of this, what would you pay for this DVD? I mean, given all of your apprehensions about whether it will suck or not, what would the price need to be for you to take a chance on it?

Thanks,
Ryan Graham
37.5 Productions
www.37point5.com

I think the problem here is the trailer and a trailer is nothing more than a commercial. If the commercial is not great, nobody will want to buy the product. The Filmthreat review says "project greenlight style" and you say, "Christopher Guest" style, both of which I LOVE and own but the trailer does not even hint that the film could be either... take another stab at the trailer...



ash =o)

I can actually see a bit of the Christopher Guest style trying to seep its way through in the trailer, but I have to agree that while it may be a good movie the trailer is very weak. Its primarily a problem of timing and music I think. The "One filmmaker" titles are on screen a little too long, and the music in connection with them suggests the style of the movie..but nonetheless just doesn't seem quite right to me.

Personally, I would start out similar to the way you did...try and make it look like a serious Lord of the Rings movie, and at about 10 to 15 seconds I would cut to the clip of the microphone hitting Gandalf in the head - *cue music*. Then focus on the filmmaker like the others said. Try and put in the punchiest jokes or the sight gags...that's pretty much all comedy trailers are about.

Also, as to your question as to why you had no bites on your intial post, but now you are getting alot...its because of the nature of these forums. Typically there are three types of people on this forum

1. Film and video Professionals - The type of people too busy shooting three movies or booking commercials right now to ever watch a movie.

2. Technology geeks - People who might be interested in your movie if you told them you shot it using a homemade camera that you built by breaking apart a 'speak and spell', a tv remote, and an lcd projector.

3. Microbudget vigilantes - People who don't have $12 or a speak and spell, but are learning all they can from the above two groups (I imagine I somewhere between this and catagory 2).

But one thing is for sure...you ask for advice on these forums you'll get it.

Hi All,

Well, the trailer hasn't been recut, but I do have a new website up for the film: http://www.notanothertolkienmovie.com . You can check out some photos and other information there.

Also, I'm offering a great deal just for the people on this board: For a limited time, I'm going to sell this DVD for half-price. That's $6, which includes shipping to anywhere in the continental US!!!

All I ask is that anyone from this board who buys the DVD for the reduced price comes back and writes a review in this thread. Positive or negative, it doesn't matter (although obviously I hope it's positive). I'm just trying to get the word out on this film, and I'm hoping the lower price will be a good incentive for people to give it a chance.

To buy the DVD at the reduced price, you must buy it through the 37.5 Productions store at http://www.37point5.com/store.htm .

Remember, this price is for a limited time only. I'll bump it back up to $12 sometime in the next few weeks.

Thanks in advance,
Ryan Graham
37.5 Productions
www.37point5.com

My suggestion would be to at least have the trailer in something other than Real.

Agreed. Windows media as well, quicktime maybe?

I'll see what I can do. Thanks for the suggestion. I don't like the Real Player either, although that new free codec (Real Alternative) helps the format because you no longer have to install Real Player.