Video: Lord of the Rings gets the long treatment

What new is there to say about the Special Extended Edition of "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" (New Line, $39.95), except that it's just as good as -- if not better than -- last year's similarly configured release of "The Fellowship of the Ring?" Here's a by-the-numbers look at this impressive set:

-- 1,800-plus images in two extensive galleries of photos and production artwork.

-- 366 minutes' worth of documentary footage about the making of the movie.

-- 223 minutes in this version of the movie.

-- 200 visual-effects shots created for added footage.

-- 40-plus people on four commentary tracks, including another eloquent outing by director Peter Jackson.

-- 35 new and extended scenes totaling 43 minutes -- dramatic scenes that balance the overt war-movie feel of the theatrical cut to create a better film.

-- 30: The chapter number that holds the key to a secret goodie: Gollum's hilarious, expletive-filled appearance on the MTV Movie Awards.

-- 24-plus hours needed to watch the movie by itself, with each commentary track and all the extras.

-- 8 naughty words bleeped in Gollum's "acceptance speech" for best virtual performance on MTV.

-- 6.1/5.1 DTS ES and Dolby Digital EX surround sound -- powerful enough to shake the very core of Middle-earth.

-- 4 discs: Two for the movie and two for extras.

-- 1 ring to bind them all.

© 2003 marconews.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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