Cinematical

I'd like to make two thing clear before we begin:

1. I love, love, love Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy, and this is coming from a guy who read the Tolkien only after the movie adaptations were announced (but not yet released). I presently own all three Extended Editions, which are prominently featured on my highest DVD shelf and are dusted twice a month. (OK, twice a year.)

2. In most cases, I'm not a real big fan of the "double dip." (We're talking about DVDs here; when it comes to ice cream, double dips are always welcome.)

So you probably know where I'm headed with this: Yes, very soon there will be all-new DVD releases of The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King. Each package will contain the movie on disc one and an all-new documentary on disc two. And if you don't already own the Extended Editions, here's something semi-nifty: All three first discs will offer your choice of the theatrical cut or the extended cut. It's a little bit of magic we call "seamless branching," only on lots of DVDs, the branching isn't always that seamless. Taken in one sitting, the all-new three-part LOTR doco, which was put together by Costa Botes, will set you back about 300 minutes, just in case you were worried about the extras being skimpy. New Line plans to unleash these platters on August 29th and the cost to you should be in the $19 - $23 range. (Hey New Line, throw the theatrical trailers on there and you got a deal!)