Filmtracks reviews the score to Shadowlands: Among Richard Attenborough’s narrative triumphs was 1994’s Shadowlands, a glimpse into the later years of admired British scholar and author C. S. Lewis. In his career of biographical storytelling, Attenborough would experience the full range of success, from the heights of Gandhi to the failures of Chaplin, and while Shadowlands is not anywhere near as well known as many of his other pictures, Attenborough’s telling of the friendship and love between Lewis and American poet Joy Gresham is widely regarded as a nearly flawless film.

The overall impression that Shadowlands will leave you with is one of restrained beauty and elegance. No part of the score overwhelms you like some of Fenton’s larger, later efforts. He develops one primary theme of romance in the two “The Golden Valley” tracks, though since the relationship between the poet and author does not include sparks, the theme quietly meanders with the ease of a typical John Barry venture. Performances of this theme are typically restrained to strings and woodwinds, with the only robust statements placed near the end.

[Read the rest at Filmtracks]

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Starting next week, we’re going to have a new feature here at NarniaFans.com. It is a weekly mailbag, that will be posted on Thursdays. We’ll do our best to answer your questions, respond to your comments, and to be consistent with the answers.

The bonus? Future podcasts will feature our favorite letters, chosen from the many that we receive.

We can’t promise to post all of the questions and answers, but we’ll do our best to cover the best.

Look for this new feature in the fan section, starting next Thursday. E-mail us your questions and comments over the next week, and we’ll try to fit you in on our first edition of the NarniaFans Mailbag!

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Here’s an image of the contents of the Extended Edition Gift Set. Like the press release posted Saturday says, the package will include the Four-Disc Extended Edition DVD Set plus a pair of bookends created by artists at Peter Jackson’s WETA effects workshop. Available on December 12th, and on sale for only seven weeks, retail for the Gift Set will be $79.99.

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Disney contacted us and they asked if we could help them out a bit. They’re trying to decide on the cover for the Season Two – 4 Disc Set of the Muppet Show, and they want us to lend a hand by voting for our favorite version of the cover!

Click this image to visit Muppets.com where you can vote for your favorite!

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In “The Chronicles of Narnia,” the four Pevensie children are evacuated from London during the Blitz and sent to stay with an elderly professor in a house in the countryside. Last Wednesday evening, in an old Ottoman villa in West Beirut, Skandar Keynes, the fourteen-year-old actor who played Edmund Pevensie in last year’s film of “Narnia,” his mother, Zelfa, and his grandfather, Cecil Hourani, were packing their things and getting ready to evacuate. Two days before the Israeli attacks on Hezbollah began, on July 12th, they had arrived from Britain for their annual summer holiday in Lebanon, and had found themselves stranded there along with thousands of other foreign tourists. They had, in fact, been about to leave Beirut for the Hourani ancestral home in the ancient town of Marjeyoun, near the frontier with Israel. Marjeyoun is very close to the current fighting, and before being taken over by Hezbollah it had been the longtime headquarters of the Christian militia. Except for 2004, when Skandar was filming “Narnia” and the family decamped with him to the set in New Zealand, he has spent every summer of his life there.

Outside the walls of the villa, closely packed modern tower blocks rose all around. It is a noisome neighborhood of narrow streets jammed with people, scooters, and men pushing carts. Quite a few women wear head scarves. On a building in the next block a large banner in support of Sheikh Nasrallah could be seen. A half an hour before they were due to leave Beirut, Zelfa packed the car with their belongings, and Cecil waited by the front door, clearly edgy about the night journey ahead. Skandar chatted in the living room, a place of high timbered ceilings and flaking plaster, adorned with bronze pots and Chinese painted-silk panels of peacocks.

Skandar, a slim, handsome boy with tousled dark hair, was wearing a “Scarface” T-shirt over baggy shorts and blue canvas Vans. He said he had been looking forward to Marjeyoun, where he planned to spend his days swimming and reading. He had brought along his guitar, and hoped to catch up on some movies. “I don’t turn fifteen until September, and back in England I can only go to under-fifteens, which is frustrating,” he said. “Here in Lebanon they don’t care about age limits, and I can see any movies I like.” The day after Beirut’s airport was bombed, he’d gone to the cinema in Beirut where the new “Pirates of the Caribbean” was supposed to première; the theatre owners had turned him away, explaining that they hadn’t been able to fly in the reel. He added that he was a big fan of Johnny Depp. “He’s the man,” he said.

[Read the Rest at The New Yorker]

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C.S. Lewis, well-known and well-loved for the “Narnia Chronicles,” is not as well-known for his radio broadcasts in England during World War II.

Justin Phillips presents Lewis during the prewar and war years in a different light as he reached out to the devastated population of Great Britain with a series of messages that later were published as “Mere Christianity,” a book that ranks among the great classics of religious literature.

A well-known and popular lecturer at Oxford, Lewis was asked in 1939 to present a series of five 15-minute speeches for the BBC about what Christians believe.

This proved to be a greater challenge than the author ever expected. Lewis admitted, “Any fool can write learned language. The vernacular is the real test. If you can’t turn your faith into it, then either you don’t understand it or you don’t believe it.”

Lewis became known as one of the great Christian apologetics, which is a branch of theology concerned with the intellectual defense of Christian truth.

Not yet famous for the “Narnia” series, Lewis had published “The Problem with Pain,” a book that caught the eye of BBC executives who determined that he was a writer who was prepared to grapple with the tragedy of war – the inexplicable loss and suffering at the hands of evil. In asking Lewis to present a series of lectures, they had no idea of the impact he would make reinventing religious broadcasting.

When the war began in 1939, broadcasting was toned down and cut to basics that included news bulletins, classical music and sermons or church service broadcasts.

Newspaper publishing was curtailed and television had not yet become popular. Radio brought the only communication to most households. However, the BBC struggled at the beginning of the war determining what was appropriate to send out to the public.

Christianity was central to the BBC. Its purpose was to “sow the good seed of Christian values as far as the radio would carry them.”

By 1940, BBC’s focus became that of lifting the spirit of the nation. As England was being bombed continually by the Germans, people had to endure blackouts, rationing and being cut off from each other.

Thousands were killed and much of England was left in ruins. The citizens needed to be encouraged to carry on, and the BBC was the lifeline that could do that.

This decision resulted in a search for the right person to deliver words of comfort with a talent for doing so on the radio. It was determined that a layperson would be preferred over a minister so that the messages would be delivered in the language of the common man, rather than that of the King James Bible. Producer Eric Fenn, a Presbyterian minister, called on Lewis. They shared a desire to find the common ground in Christian belief that would unite Britain rather than divide it.

Transferring from the written word to broadcast was a challenge that proved much more difficult than Lewis had imagined. Live broadcasts were required and had to be timed to fit into 15-minute windows. Lewis had no idea how his talks would be received. His audience would include those who were ignorant of Christian beliefs and those who were well-versed in Christian thinking. Since he had been a non-Christian for many years, he felt that he could relate to the ordinary person. After many letters and much discussion, it was decided that Lewis would broadcast five lectures on the topic of “Right and Wrong.” He later broadcast a series on “What Christians Believe.” Evidently, he accomplished what he intended. It was reported that in an RAF officer’s mess, everyone froze when Lewis’ broadcast came on the radio. It was so riveting that talking and movement ceased.

He sought criticism from his producer and ministers prior to his broadcasts so that any offensive or incorrect information could be removed. Lewis did not see this writing as creative. He felt that God created it and his writing was merely a “process of rearranging elements that God has provided.” He simply pointed out that the human idea of decent behavior is universal and that all people have that in common. His appeal was his ability to identify with the listeners and not sound like a preacher.

Lewis broadcast a few more times, always to eager audiences, but eventually, he gave it up because of a lack of time, as he was a busy university lecturer and writer.

After reading this book, it is clear why his popularity and appeal never declined. This is an interesting and inspiring book.

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Disney was on board next with a look at the extended edition of THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE. Producer Mark Johnson shared some of the new footage and vfx being worked on for the special DVD release. As well as promising the fans that PRINCE CASPIAN will be just as exciting as the original NARNIA adventure.

If anyone has a description of the footage, please send it to us. We know that part of it featured a very brief extended edition scene of the final battle in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, featuring new bat gargoyle-like creatures attacking.

This comes in from Latino Review:

The much awaited DVD release of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe received a warm welcome at the Disney panel. Mark Johnson, one of the award-winning producers of Narnia greeted the attendees with a preview of the 4-disc extended edition of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. In addition, he noted that the upcoming sequel, Prince Caspian, will begin principal photography in January of 2007 and that it will be bigger, badder and bolder than the first.

The first clip showed the grandson of Narnia author C.S. Lewis speaking about his grandfather and the legacy he left with his books. Additional luminaries on the DVD feature included academics as well as actors such as Ben Kingsley. Another clip featured was called, Visualizing Narnia, where the subject will be the blurring between CGI imagery and reality and its relationship to the making of Narnia.

“Everything in Narnia is magical,” Johnson said, “we’ve heard time and time again the question of how did they do that. Well, this DVD will answer those questions and much, much more.” The DVD will also include extras such as deleted scenes as well as before and after shots of scenes before the special effects were added.

During the question and answer session of the presentation, one fan asked the question of why the movie franchise was being made out of sequence with respect to the novels. Johnson said that they wanted to establish who the children were in the first movie and then proceed with the rest of the stories with the children being the main focus.

Another fan asked if all the novels will be made into movies. Johnson replied that every movie will be a challenge. He and his associates had no idea of the success that the first movie would bring. They were as surprised by it as much as anyone. He added that each succeeding movie had to be different and better the one preceding it or they would not attempt to make the movies.

Johnson concluded the presentation by saying how much he and his cast and crew appreciated everyone’s loyalty and support. Afterwards, a clip featuring the director of Narnia, Adam Adamson was played for the audience. In the video greeting, Adamson talked about the ultimate Narnia fan contest. All Narnia fans should go to the Narnia website (narnia.com) to find out more about it.

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Here is the Press Release for The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Four-Disc Extended Edition of the film. The Feature’s Run Time is approximately 150 minutes, which is only about 10 minutes longer than the official runtime of the theatrical cut. But we must remember, they didn’t have much that they actually cut out of the film, originally. Here’s hoping that there’s more than just the mentioned battle scene extension, and enhanced special effects.

NEW MAGICAL NARNIA COLLECTIONS!
LIMITED EDITIONS AVAILABLE ONLY FOR THE HOLIDAYS

Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media Present

THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA:
THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE
FOUR-DISC EXTENDED EDITION & GIFT SET

All-New Footage Added By Director Andrew Adamson;
All-New Feature-Length Film About ‘Narnia’ Author C.S. Lewis;
New Explorations Of The ‘Narnia’ Film Magic
All The Wonders Of C.S. Lewis’ Enchanted Realms In Treasured Collections On Disney DVD December 12

BURBANK, Calif., July 22, 2006 – For a very limited time, Walt Disney Home Entertainment presents the ultimate “Narnia” DVD collection: Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media present C.S. Lewis’s The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe Four-Disc EXTENDED EDITION available on DVD December 12. This extraordinary 4-disc DVD edition, a wondrous celebration of C.S. Lewis’ beloved fantasy world, will only be available for seven weeks over the holidays, making it an excellent holiday gift.

The EXTENDED EDITION features a new, extended version of the film with enhanced special effects and anextended, climactic battle scene. Viewers will venture even deeper into the beloved fantasy world of ‘Narnia’ with “C.S. Lewis – The Dreamer Of Narnia,” an all-new feature-length film about the creative genius behind the ‘Narnia’ mythos. “Visualizing the Lion, the Witch and The Wardrobe: The Complete Production Experience” is an in-depth look at the process and technology of adapting the book into the stunning motion picture.

For the ultimate collector, there is The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe Four Disc GIFT SET. This limited-edition offering features the 4 disc DVD plus a pair of heirloom-quality bookends from the master creative artists at WETA Ltd., the innovators who designed the breathtaking creatures for the film.

The Extended Edition: (U.S. $42.99 SRP, Canada $59.99 SRP) and the Gift Set: (U.S. $79.99 SRP, Canada $119.99 SRP), each a treasure for collectors, will go back to the Disney vault after the holidays. There are very limited quantities available for each title.

DVD BONUS FEATURES

DISC ONE: NEW EXTENDED VERSION
•FEATURE FILM: EXTENDED MOTION PICTURE
New Extended Version Of The Film With Enhanced Special Effects And Extended Battle Scene
•NARNIA FUN FACTS
With this feature engaged, viewers can access optional pop-up facts about C.S. Lewis, the creatures and lands of Narnia, and more. Plus, there is an introduction by author C.S. Lewis’s step-son Douglas Gresham.
•BLOOPERS OF NARNIA
The cast and crew are caught in hilarious moments and outtakes as they miss lines and make other miscues.
•KIDS AND DIRECTOR COMMENTARY
The delightful child stars Georgie Henley (Lucy), Skandar Keynes (Edmund), Anna Popplewell (Susan) and William Moseley (Peter) had just screened the film for the first time when they recorded this audio commentary. The result is a fresh, witty and lively commentary track, joined by director Andrew Adamson.
•FILMMAKER’S COMMENTARY
This audio commentary features Director Andrew Adamson, Production Designer Roger Ford, and Producer Mark Johnson.

DISC 2: TWO WORLDS OF NARNIA

CREATING NARNIA

An in-depth look at this cinematic masterpiece.
•CHRONICLE OF A DIRECTOR
This personal diary takes viewers on a tour of the film from director Andrew Adamson’s point of view. Viewers can sit in the director’s chair with the director as he brings his skill, artistry and unique imagination to the film.
•THE CHILDREN’S MAGICAL JOURNEY
Viewers will be delighted with this “behind-the-scenes” tour, led by the film’s charming child stars Georgie, Skandar, William and Anna. Here is a fresh and fun look at making the film, with wonderful moments including the children’s surprise first look at the amazing ‘Narnia’ sets.
EVOLUTION OF AN EPIC

•ANATOMY OF THE SCENE: THE MELTING RIVER
This featurette goes in-depth to explore the making of the exciting and pivotal ‘waterfall’ scene. Viewers are taken to the set of a remarkable in-door river, where the children and crew make this complicated scene work. Viewers will learn how effects and shots from different countries are put together to get the final scene just right.
•CINEMATIC STORYTELLERS
Eight different film diaries, from eight different members of the film team, give viewers a personal and heartfelt look at every step of the film’s production. Recorded as the film was being made, the personal film diaries of ‘Cinematic Storytellers’ are fresh, candid and unique perspectives on an epic film. Producer Mark Johnson, Production Designer Roger Ford, Costume Designer Isis Mussenden, Editor Sim
Evan-Jones, Composer Harry Gregson-Williams, KNB Effects Group co-founder and Makeup Effects wizard Howard Berger, Weta Workshop Visualist and Creative Supervisor Richard Taylor, and Director of Photography Donald M. McAlpine each contribute their insights about the production.
•C.S. LEWIS: FROM ONE MAN’S MIND
This featurette is a fond look at C.S. Lewis, the creative dreamer and best-selling author who wrote The Chronicles of Narnia and created the world of Narnia.
•CREATING CREATURES
THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE won the Academy Award® for Best Makeup (2005) and was Oscar®-nominated for Best Visual Effects (2005). Now, viewers can learn the movie effects secrets behind eleven creatures from the film, including Jadis the White Witch and Aslan. From initial creative sketches to sculpting, molding, rendering, and final realization, each creature is showcased in an easy-access menu. Featured are: The White Witch, Aslan, Ginarrbrik, Mr. Tumnus, Wolves, Minotaurs, Goblins, Beavers, Satyrs, Ankle Slicers and Centaurs.
This feature offers a special wardrobe icon which when accessed takes viewers to the real-life biographies of the creatures in the ‘Creatures of the World’ portion of the DVD.

CREATURES, LANDS & LEGENDS
Meet all the strange creatures that fill Narnia, and explore the wondrous landscapes of this far-off land.
•CREATURES OF THE WORLD
This is the companion feature to the “Creating Creatures” feature. Here viewers will discover fantastic biographies on The White Witch, Aslan, Ginarrbrik, Mr. Tumnus, Wolves, Minotaurs, Goblins, Beavers, Satyrs, Ankle Slicers and Centaurs.
•EXPLORE NARNIA (3D MAP)
Viewers can explore Narnia’s magical realms with this unique interactive map.
•LEGENDS IN TIME
This special timeline acts as a portal to take viewers through Narnia.

DISC 3: ALL-NEW FEATURE-LENGTH FILM

•C.S. LEWIS – THE DREAMER OF NARNIA
Here is the never-before-seen feature-length film about C.S. Lewis, the man who created the land of wonder and enchantment called Narnia. For fans of C.S. Lewis and for those who are experiencing his wondrous works for the first time, this comprehensive feature shines a brilliant spotlight on this creative genius.

DISC 4: ALL-NEW IN-DEPTH EXPLORATION OF NARNIA

•VISUALIZING THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE: THE COMPLETE
PRODUCTION EXPERIENCE
Fans will rejoice at this unique, exclusive tour of the film. Here is the ‘movie magic’ that results in the lavish final film. Adapting the book into the motion picture is a daunting task, and this featurette show show it was done.
•ANATOMY OF A SCENE: BEHIND THE BATTLE
Viewers will be thrilled with this fascinating new look at a crucial battle scene. From pre-visualization computer images to storyboards, here is the exciting process of creating one of the key scenes in the film.
•ART OF NARNIA GALLERY
‘Narnia’ features stunning imagery, and here is a special museum full of superb images from the film. This new gallery is open for business, and fans will want to visit it again and again. A spectacular journey of imagination and one of Walt Disney Pictures’ most successful live-action films of all time, Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media present C.S. Lewis’s THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE – the spectacular live-action/CGI motion picture adaptation of C.S.
Lewis’s beloved literary classic. In World War II England the four Pevensie siblings — Lucy, Edmund, Susan andPeter — enter the world of Narnia through a magical wardrobe while playing a game of ‘hide-and-seek’ in the rural country home of an elderly professor. Once there, the children discover a charming, peaceful land inhabited by
talking beasts, dwarfs, fauns, centaurs and giants that has become a world cursed to eternal winter by the evil White Witch, Jadis. Aided by the wise and magnificent ruler, the lion Aslan, the children fight to overcome the White Witch’s powerful hold over Narnia in a spectacular, climactic battle that will free Narnia from Jadis’ glacial powers forever.
This epic film stars Tilda Swinton (“Constantine,” “Vanilla Sky”) as the White Witch, Rupert Everett (“Shrek 2,” “Inspector Gadget”) as the voice of Mr. Fox, Jim Broadbent (Academy Award® winner Best Supporting Actor “Iris” 2001) as Professor Kirke, James McAvoy as Mr. Tumnus, and Ray Winstone (“King Arthur”) as the voice of Mr. Beaver. The children are Georgie Henley as Lucy, Skandar Keynes as Edmund, William Moseley as Peter and Anna Popplewell as Susan.
The film won the Academy Award® for Best Makeup (2005) and earned Oscar® nominations for Best Visual Effects, Best Sound Mixing 2005. The film marks the first live-action directorial effort for New Zealander Andrew Adamson (“Shrek,” “Shrek 2”),
who also co-wrote the screenplay adaptation with Emmy® Award-winner Ann Peacock (HBO’s “A Lesson Before Dying”) and scribes Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely. Based on the book by C.S. Lewis. Produced by Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Mark Johnson (Best Picture “Rain Man” 1988) and Philip Steuer.

STREET DATE: DECEMBER 12, 2006
Direct prebook: October 17
Distributor prebook: October 31

EXTENDED EDITION :
Suggested retail price: U.S. $42.99, Canada $59.99
Feature run time: Approximately 150 minutes
Rating: U.S. Extended Edition not rated
Canada: Extended Edition rating is pending
Bonus features not rated
Aspect ratio: Widescreen (2.35:1) enhanced for 16×9 TV screens
Sound: 5.1 Dolby® Digital Surround Sound
5.1 DTS Digital Home Theatre Mix
Languages: English, French, Spanish audio
French, Spanish subtitles
Not all technical specifications apply to all elements.

GIFT SET:
Suggested retail price: U.S. $79.99 Canada $119.99
Walt Disney Home Entertainment is distributed by Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Inc., a recognized industry leader. Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Inc. is the marketing, sales and distribution company for Walt Disney, Touchstone, Hollywood Pictures, Miramax, Dimension and Buena Vista videocassettes and DVDs.
THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA, NARNIA and all book titles, characters and locales original thereto are trademarks of C.S. Lewis Pte Ltd. and are used with permission. © Disney Enterprises, Inc. and Walden Media,
LLC. All rights reserved.

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The success of the Narnia, Harry Potter and Star Wars movies show a unknown cast can still clean up at the the box office.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Revenge of the Sith all made more money last year than any star-led movie.

War Of The Worlds, starring Tom Cruise, was fourth on the list of top-grossing films, taking £322million at the box office.

But £55million of that went to its star in salary and bonus payments.

Third-placed Narnia, made £402million, with no high-earning actors swiping a slice of the profits.

Record film writer Alan Morrison said the trend for films based on already popular books or comics eliminated the need for a star cast.

He explained: “The brands of Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings and Narnia are bigger than the name of any star that could be in the films.

“So the studios know they can cast a bunch of unknowns and millions of people will go to see it anyway.”

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Weta will be out in force (at San Diego Comic Con) showcasing it’s dynamic Superman Returns collectibles and unveiling the first of our new Hellgate: London statues, based on Flagship Studios’ hotly anticipated new video game. Comic Con will also be your very first chance to view the amazing new Weta Originals. The Weta Originals are like nothing you’ve seen before. Not to be missed! At the stand will be Weta Originals creator and Weta Workshop designer, Greg Broadmore. Greg designed armour, weaponry and creatures for King Kong and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. He will be at Comic Con every day, as will our impressive Kong and Narnia collectibles, so come and meet him and be the first in the world to see his incredible new pieces of art.

In addition, Weta Workshop owner, Richard Taylor will be on and around the stand all day Saturday. The Weta Collectibles team, Jamie, Olivia and Ryan will be on hand to chat and answer questions so stop by to say hello and check out our exciting new Weta branded clothing items, we call them ‘Weta Gear’. And, don’t forget to pick up a copy of the very special, exclusive Comic Con Weta booklet for even more sneak peeks at what’s to come from Weta. Look out for our stand #2615.

For more details on Comic Con click here and for the WETA forum thread, click here.

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