Watch the lost, camp-like Soviet version of The Lord of the Rings

While fans of JRR Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings Sage wait for the mega-dollar Amazon series, they can delight themselves in a camping version of the famous fantasy story. If you love the kind of cheesy movies produced by Mystery Science Theater 3000 and RiffTrax, You will probably appreciate the dazzling goodness of a Soviet television version of the 1991 LOTR trilogy.

From the school game costumes to the computer-like special effects of the house, it’s a strange bit of nostalgia that is about as far removed from director Peter Jackson’s Hollywood trilogy as Moscow of the Middle Earth.

The TV movie, which was broadcast on Soviet television in 1991, has disappeared and has not been shown until now, reports the newspaper Guardian. It was broadcast on Leningrad Television and was posted on YouTube by Leningrad Television’s successor, 5TV, the newspaper reported.

Tolkien fans who do not understand Russian can still see who is who and what what. Some of the hobbits look like werewolves, Gandalf can use a bat, and the less can be said about Frodo’s furry-yet-hoofed feet (scroll to 2:09 in the first video), the better. To sit through the whole affair seems like a punishment worthy of Gollum. But if you’re a LOTR finisher, or just a fan of champions, this is a must.