Writer-director Carlene Cordova's Ringers: Lord of the Fans serves up an enthusiastic and informative look at fans of J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy classic, from the immediate success of The Hobbit upon publication in 1937, to the hippie embrace of LOTR mythology in the late 1960s, and the revival of fandom in the wake of Peter Jackson's epic movie trilogy. In addition to Jackson and several Lord of the Rings cast members, interviewees include influential authors such as Clive Barker, Terry Pratchett, and Terry Brooks; Tolkien-inspired musicians such as Rush's Geddy Lee and Motorhead's Lemmy Kilmister; and hundreds of fans, who provide affectionate testimonials. Actor Dominic Monaghan (who played the hobbit "Merry," and is now featured on TV's Lost) perfectly delivers the film's eloquent narration, which runs the gamut from intellectual appreciation to the hilarious eccentricities of über-fan obsession. Delightfully comprehensive, Ringers is a fine documentary profile that is sure to win fans of its own. Highly recommended. [Note: DVD extras include audio commentary (by writer Cliff Broadway, director Carlene Cordova, executive producer Tom DeSanto, associate producer Catherine Frizat, cinematographer Josh Mandel, producer Jeff Marchelletta, and assistant editor John Welch), the 19-minute “making-of” featurette “The Ring Comes Full Circle,” 10 minutes of “Memorable Confessionals” segments, a “Rock and Ringers” music featurette (7 min.), deleted scenes and interviews (6 min.), a photo gallery, and trailers. Bottom line: a fine extras package for a fine doc.] (J. Shannon)
Ringers: Lord of the Fans
Sony, 97 min., PG-13, DVD: $24.99, Nov. 22 Volume 21, Issue 1
Ringers: Lord of the Fans
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: