The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) (with Daniel White)

Finally following up their podcast on The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (Peter Jackson, 2001), Episode 116 has Chris and Alex picking up the story of Middle-earth with this instalment on the second film in the franchise, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (Peter Jackson, 2002). Joining them is special guest Dr Daniel White, who is Senior Lecturer in Musicology in the Department of Music & Design Arts at the University of Huddersfield, and author of a number of publications looking at music in relation to worldbuilding and fantasy storytelling, including its role across the Lord of the Rings films. From the sonic dimensions of fantasy cinema to female vocality within Peter Jackson’s big-screen adaptations, listen as the trio discuss the contribution of sound to the construction of impossible fantastic space; processes of suture and de-suture; digital technology and Gollum’s identity as a VFX marvel; New Zealand and the impact within fantasy of shooting on location; what the interpretation of orcs as an indigenous community tells us about the film’s fluctuating levels of ‘humanity’; and the influence of Norse mythology upon The Two Towers’ musical logic. **Fantasy/Animation theme tune composed by Francisca Araujo**