Day One - The LotR Exhibition!!!!
Nov. 5th, 2003 07:49 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
wolfsbrideWell, today is the day we'll be going to the LotR exhibition. Went for breakfast at 8:30am. Scrumptious as usual. Went back to our rooms for a bit since we didn't need to leave until 9:45am.
When it was time, we caught the tube to South Kensington since the Science Museum is only a short walk from there. Got in fine. No line up.
Walked towards the exhibition and just as got to the entrance, we heard Gandalf yelling YOU SHALL NOT PASS!!! Whoa. Great first impression.
The day continues....
WB
We cross the threshold. It's dark but the displays are lit from within so it's okay. There are quite a few people but it wasn't packed. Am glad.
To our right is Arwen's sword. Looks very impressive up close. You can see the elvish script on the blade.
Next to Arwen's sword is a small display case filled with buckles of Rohan. I guess it's the stuff they fastened the costumes with. It's unbelievable the detail on these small pieces of metal. I mean it's not like they show up on film.
Across from there is the boat with Boromir. Am a bit disappointed as it doesn't look that much like Sean Bean. Probably just as well. I think I would have cried if it did.
It looks great though. It has the three arrow holes and there is actually dirt on the soles of his boots. Am suitably impressed.
Down a bit from Boromir is the Big Guy himself. SAURON. Gads the armour is impressive. Mega detail. He's wearing the ring and everything. It's a huge thing. Looms over you.
Across from Sauron is the armour of Rohan and the Elves. Again the details are fantastic. It's amazing how much work they must have done even before they started to film the movies.
Around the corner in another room is Eowyn's dress. The one she was wearing when accosted by Wormtongue. I really like the style. I wonder if they sell LotR sewing patterns :)
Across from Eowyn's dress is the shards of Narsil. I wonder if they made the sword whole and then broke it or if they made the shards separately.
Up from that display case is the case holding Frodo's costume. Err... Let me rephrase that. The costume that MINI Frodo wore. Wow. Whoever it was is SMALL.
Across the way are the dresses that Arwen wore. Also very beautiful. Kiddy corner to Arwen's dresses is the costume that Aragorn wore. It's not in a display case and if you stand close enough you can actually smell the scent of leather and sweat. Quite pleasant.
There's a little sign next to it that tells of how Viggo wore the costume all the time. If it needed washing or mending, he did it himself. That's cool.
The next item is the third room. All by itself. Wanna guess what it is?
Yep. It's the One Ring. The room is totally dark. There is a spotlight that illuminates a plastic column that rises out of the floor and almost reaches the ceiling.
The column is about six inches in diameter and probably eight to ten feet high. And suspended in the middle of the column is the One Ring. One the walls of the room about eye level, there are flames to symbolize the fires of Mordor. And they have bits of Frodo talking about the Ring, specifically when he tries to get out of having to carry it and then later when it ensnares him. Mega impressive.
In the next room they had three stations: the making of Gollum, the making of the Cave Troll and the making of the Ents. Guess which one we spent the most time at :) I still think Andy Serkis and all the Gollum people should have gotten an Oscar.
In the next room are the costumes that Legolas, Gimli, Galadriel, Gandalf and Saruman wore. I really like Leggylulu's outfit. It's kinda like Robin Hood in tights because of the leggings.
And now I have this imagine of Leggy prancing through Mirkwood singing I feel pretty and happy and gay! *giggle*
Anyway, a couple of teenagers in front of us were giggling and whispering about how they'd like to lift up Leggy's tunic. As if Gimli wouldn't slay them where they stood.
Gimli's costume looks a hell of a lot smaller than he did on TV. Mebbe it shrunk in the wash.
Galadriel's dress is beautiful natch. It shimmers in the light.
They only had Gandalf the Grey's robes. I guess Gandalf the White still needs his :)
Saruman's outfit looks like a dress. Sorry Sarry.
The next room has the armour from different parts of Middle Earth. Gondor, Hadras, Lothlorien, Rivendale, all the prologue stuff. All wonderfully detailed.
There is also Haldir's armour and weapons. Not that they did him any good! Stupid 'does my bum look big in these pants' Aragorn. >_<
Next we go around the corner and YIKES! It's a Ringwraith. This is really well done as you have no idea it's there until you just about bump into it. It' looms over you more than Sauron did and they have it set up so that it's coming out of the wall at you. Wow.
The last thing we looked at was the making of Lurtz and the display that held his armour. Amazing what foam latex can do. Although they didn't show him right at the beginning of the makeover. Would be funny if he was this short shrimpy guy underneath all the latex.
All in all, I am very impressed. Especially since it only costs ten pounds to get in. Which is HALF as much as it was to go to the horrible Madam Tussauds. It was the right amount of junk.
Speaking of junk, I bought some. I am now the proud owner of a LotR notebook and a LotR pen, ruler and tin pencil case. W00T!
After the LotR thing we went to the Victoria and Albert Museum again. Said hihi to the snake plate. We were intending to go see the other floors but unfortunately they were renovating. Bummer.
Went also to see the British Museum. I sat n a bench while Viccy wandered through the dinosaur exhibit. Yup, my feet were killing me. Went to the museum shop and bought some niffy stones and a striking postcard.
We came home, ate at Mimos and then slept through dinnertime and well into the next morning. Luckily we were able to get back to sleep.
London is really amazing. you can go to many museums and such for free. I hope these people appreciate what they have. If I lived here I'd be going to one of those things every day. It's great. Whatever you're interested in, there's a place that you can go research it.
When it was time, we caught the tube to South Kensington since the Science Museum is only a short walk from there. Got in fine. No line up.
Walked towards the exhibition and just as got to the entrance, we heard Gandalf yelling YOU SHALL NOT PASS!!! Whoa. Great first impression.
The day continues....
WB
We cross the threshold. It's dark but the displays are lit from within so it's okay. There are quite a few people but it wasn't packed. Am glad.
To our right is Arwen's sword. Looks very impressive up close. You can see the elvish script on the blade.
Next to Arwen's sword is a small display case filled with buckles of Rohan. I guess it's the stuff they fastened the costumes with. It's unbelievable the detail on these small pieces of metal. I mean it's not like they show up on film.
Across from there is the boat with Boromir. Am a bit disappointed as it doesn't look that much like Sean Bean. Probably just as well. I think I would have cried if it did.
It looks great though. It has the three arrow holes and there is actually dirt on the soles of his boots. Am suitably impressed.
Down a bit from Boromir is the Big Guy himself. SAURON. Gads the armour is impressive. Mega detail. He's wearing the ring and everything. It's a huge thing. Looms over you.
Across from Sauron is the armour of Rohan and the Elves. Again the details are fantastic. It's amazing how much work they must have done even before they started to film the movies.
Around the corner in another room is Eowyn's dress. The one she was wearing when accosted by Wormtongue. I really like the style. I wonder if they sell LotR sewing patterns :)
Across from Eowyn's dress is the shards of Narsil. I wonder if they made the sword whole and then broke it or if they made the shards separately.
Up from that display case is the case holding Frodo's costume. Err... Let me rephrase that. The costume that MINI Frodo wore. Wow. Whoever it was is SMALL.
Across the way are the dresses that Arwen wore. Also very beautiful. Kiddy corner to Arwen's dresses is the costume that Aragorn wore. It's not in a display case and if you stand close enough you can actually smell the scent of leather and sweat. Quite pleasant.
There's a little sign next to it that tells of how Viggo wore the costume all the time. If it needed washing or mending, he did it himself. That's cool.
The next item is the third room. All by itself. Wanna guess what it is?
Yep. It's the One Ring. The room is totally dark. There is a spotlight that illuminates a plastic column that rises out of the floor and almost reaches the ceiling.
The column is about six inches in diameter and probably eight to ten feet high. And suspended in the middle of the column is the One Ring. One the walls of the room about eye level, there are flames to symbolize the fires of Mordor. And they have bits of Frodo talking about the Ring, specifically when he tries to get out of having to carry it and then later when it ensnares him. Mega impressive.
In the next room they had three stations: the making of Gollum, the making of the Cave Troll and the making of the Ents. Guess which one we spent the most time at :) I still think Andy Serkis and all the Gollum people should have gotten an Oscar.
In the next room are the costumes that Legolas, Gimli, Galadriel, Gandalf and Saruman wore. I really like Leggylulu's outfit. It's kinda like Robin Hood in tights because of the leggings.
And now I have this imagine of Leggy prancing through Mirkwood singing I feel pretty and happy and gay! *giggle*
Anyway, a couple of teenagers in front of us were giggling and whispering about how they'd like to lift up Leggy's tunic. As if Gimli wouldn't slay them where they stood.
Gimli's costume looks a hell of a lot smaller than he did on TV. Mebbe it shrunk in the wash.
Galadriel's dress is beautiful natch. It shimmers in the light.
They only had Gandalf the Grey's robes. I guess Gandalf the White still needs his :)
Saruman's outfit looks like a dress. Sorry Sarry.
The next room has the armour from different parts of Middle Earth. Gondor, Hadras, Lothlorien, Rivendale, all the prologue stuff. All wonderfully detailed.
There is also Haldir's armour and weapons. Not that they did him any good! Stupid 'does my bum look big in these pants' Aragorn. >_<
Next we go around the corner and YIKES! It's a Ringwraith. This is really well done as you have no idea it's there until you just about bump into it. It' looms over you more than Sauron did and they have it set up so that it's coming out of the wall at you. Wow.
The last thing we looked at was the making of Lurtz and the display that held his armour. Amazing what foam latex can do. Although they didn't show him right at the beginning of the makeover. Would be funny if he was this short shrimpy guy underneath all the latex.
All in all, I am very impressed. Especially since it only costs ten pounds to get in. Which is HALF as much as it was to go to the horrible Madam Tussauds. It was the right amount of junk.
Speaking of junk, I bought some. I am now the proud owner of a LotR notebook and a LotR pen, ruler and tin pencil case. W00T!
After the LotR thing we went to the Victoria and Albert Museum again. Said hihi to the snake plate. We were intending to go see the other floors but unfortunately they were renovating. Bummer.
Went also to see the British Museum. I sat n a bench while Viccy wandered through the dinosaur exhibit. Yup, my feet were killing me. Went to the museum shop and bought some niffy stones and a striking postcard.
We came home, ate at Mimos and then slept through dinnertime and well into the next morning. Luckily we were able to get back to sleep.
London is really amazing. you can go to many museums and such for free. I hope these people appreciate what they have. If I lived here I'd be going to one of those things every day. It's great. Whatever you're interested in, there's a place that you can go research it.
