More and New To Me: Sequels

 

More People’s Guide to J. R. R. Tolkien (2005), by [the Writers and Editors of] TheOneRing.net

The sequel and supplement to The People’s Guide to J. R. R. Tolkien (2003), it covers the release and aftermath of the film The Return of the King (2003, before the first book came out), essays about the message and meaning of the books, interviews with prestigious Tolkien scholars, and analyses of the fandom. It begins with a Foreword by Peter S. Beagle, which makes it a nice echo of his essay in The Tolkien Reader.

The most dominant note of the book that can be detected is a sort of self-congratulatory basking in the cultural success of the films. TheOneRing.net had attached itself to the project quite early, and Jackson, Walsh, and Boyens successfully used them as ‘friends of the films’ and an unpaid (except in perks) source of publicity. While their adulation of Tolkien’s work was no doubt sincere and their knowledge of the Legendarium fair, they were in no way ‘scholars’.  As one of the editor’s says in the preface, “Boy, did we pick the right author”, and they rode that author right to the finish line. I was able to conclude a reading of it between 9 AM and 1 PM today; it was approximately 150 pages shorter than the first volume.

Now, what follows is just my reading of subsequent events after 2005. During the release and after the disappointing trilogy of Hobbit movies (the last in 2014), the prestige and popularity of TheOneRing.com has been sinking steadily. When Amazon’s The Rings of Power appeared, it seemed that here was a chance to relive their glory days. But for that to happen, the series had to be a success. So there was every reason to support and praise the increasingly disappointing show, no matter how badly it damaged the reputation of Tolkien’s work. This seems to apply to a few other Tolkien ‘professors’ who need a continued interest in the ‘franchise’ to float their own boats.

But this little book came out at the noontide of the movie fandom. There is a level of innocence, even in their triumphant crowing. To read it now is to see a snapshot of a certain moment of time, a glory day that is somehow long past already.

Journey to the West: The Demons Strike Back (2017) Produced and Written by Stephen Chow

The sequel to Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons (2013), this new title seems to be a humorous reference to the Star Wars movie.

“Journey to the West: The Demons Strike Back  is a 2017 Chinese fantasy adventure comedy film directed by Tsui Hark. [I]t was produced and co-written by both Tsui and Chow… The film follows the adventures of Tang Sanzang and his disciples Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Wujing after the events of the first film; all four roles have been recast.” – Wikipedia.

I haven’t had a chance to watch it yet, but I greatly enjoyed the first film. I didn’t know this sequel even existed until a week or so ago. Apparently it didn’t do so well, but I’m trying to keep an open mind until I’ve seen it. I plan to have a viewing tonight.