Peter Jackson made cinematic history with the Lord of the Rings trilogy, presenting J. R. R. Tolkien's story onscreen with drama and visual majesty, while shattering box office records. On the surface, his background as a director of low-budget New Zealand splatter movies would seem to make him an odd choice to direct a multimillion-dollar Hollywood film adaptation of a literary epic. A closer look at Jackson's approach to filmmaking reveals why he was the one of the few directors who could successfully meet the challenge. This collection, the sixth title in the Ultrascreen series, includes the best reviews, essays, and features on Jackson's films, plus interviews with Jackson himself, offers a comprehensive examination of his career to date, from humble beginnings as a child filmmaker, shooting movies in his backyard, to early successes like Bad Taste and Dead Alive, to his current position as one of the world's most feted directors.