The date is February 29 th , 2004, it’s the 76 th Academy Awards and the world has been slapped in the face with Lord of the Rings (LOTR). Whether you wanted to or not you knew about the fantastical world of J.R.R. Tolkien. Why? Because against all odds of Cinema traditions, LOTR: The Return of the King, the “ unfilmable ” film had just won every single Award it was nominated for. Tying with James Cameron’s “ Titanic ” and William Wyler’s “ Ben-Hur ”, for most ever won Oscars, 11 Academy Awards in total. The success of LOTR changed the world of Cinema. They changed the way that we created movies, our culture, how we perceived fantasy as a genre, the kinds of movies that production companies wanted to make and so much more! This article will be mainly focusing on the trilogy’s use of movie magic and special effects that made stories previously thought of as “unfilmable” completely possible. Without these effects they never would have had they impact that they did....
As a North American full-time student, living in a city that is increasingly expensive, I’m not afraid to admit how difficult it is. With rising tuitions, book prices and fees, the financial aid the government offers only just covers my tuition. With 5 classes a semester, hours of homework and assignments due, I am unable to work full time and maintain good grades. I have to get creative every month to make ends meet for my living costs. I’ve even tried my luck with student lines of credit. Thanks to the fact that I am a young person with no net worth and no family members capable of co-signing this was dead-end. I once had a financial advisor at a bank very seriously look me in the eyes and state “a lot of girls in school are stripping these days… have you ever thought of something along those lines.” This is a reality for many returning adult students, returning to post-secondary is unaffordable and...