Why did you finally say, “OK, I’m going to watch the most seminal movie franchise of all time”? Hear the entire episode wherever you get your podcasts.ĭave: Jordan, you only recently watched the Lord of the Rings and became a fan. We’ll grapple with what made the Lord of the Rings films the most monumental works in cinema history, and whether that success can carry on into the future of cultural significance. On this week’s Galaxy Brains, Jonah Ray and I are joined by comedian, podcaster, and writer of the epic sci-fi graphic novel Bubble, Jordan Morris. The definition of epic is more than just the size of a CG thing blowing up. Great epic filmmaking has graced cinema screens since the end of the Lord of the Rings trilogy in 2003 - Avatar, The Dark Knight, Avengers: Endgame - but none of them can quite match the emotional honesty and old school “aw, shucks” vibe that Peter Jackson instilled in the DNA of his greatest triumph. From the cinematography by Andrew Lesnie to the stirring score from Howard Shore and the indelible performances by Ian McKellan, Liv Tyler, Sean Astin, Viggo Mortensen, and Elijah Wood, every single element of these movies had to make you feel deeply. Like so many epic films before it, the Lord of the Rings trilogy demanded a level of tonal sincerity and commitment that borders on the superhuman. The stars had to align in more ways than one to allow these movies to touch millions of people across multiple generations, and be truly “epic.” The triumph of the Lord of the Rings didn’t just come down to happy coincidence. The timing was certainly right for J.R.R Tolkien’s tale of perseverance, community, and oddly intense male friendship, but so much more was at play.

So each Wednesday throughout the year, we'll go there and back again, examining how and why the films have endured as modern classics.

2021 marks The Lord of the Rings movies' 20th anniversary, and we couldn't imagine exploring the trilogy in just one story.

Gandalf vs balrog