Please tell me that by "got" you mean "kidnapped and brought home for the weekend."

Well, of course! I'd let them type a hello or two, but they're a bit tied up at the moment, and just can't tear themselves away...

t Threadsuking the whole thread

t Jumping straight to the end, skipping all the definitely-to-be-read posts

So, I've finally seen it. I've waited (heroically, if I may say so myself) in order to be able to watch with my brother, when he has a weekend off from the army, and that was this Saturday.

I still don't have words running in my head, only images and pictures. Maybe some sounds, but mostly pictures (my brain, see, is a rather 'scary visual place'). So when I get to have words, I'll post them, and later I'll catch up on this thread (I can't wait to do that, but I'd like to know what I think, first, if I'm making myself clear, and I'm not sure I am - that lack of words thing makes it difficult).

So I guess that all I'm saying is that I'm going to say something when I can. That's not a very content-full post, I'm afraid.

[Edited because posting in pictures wasn't invented yet, and posting with words has spelling-errors]

Oh boy! We're gonna get a Firefly-style review from Nilly! Can't wait!

I'm about to engage in a websearch for a friend, but I thought I'd ask the most clueful people I know. Do any of you have suggestions for good recent books about the cultural impact of LotR. Academic is good, written for an informed popular audience, better. Thanks in advance.

Just got back from the "Conversation with Peter Jackson" event at Lincoln Center. As Jess mentioned, Jackson was sadly not in-house for this conversation as originally planned (the official explanation given was that he was in the middle of cutting the RoTK EE). Instead, he was interviewed live via satellite from New Zealand. Things kicked off with a clip reel from all his films, Bad Taste through RoTK (the LoTR stuff drew the biggest applause, of course). Then Jackson popped up onscreen looking as disheveled and hobbit-like as ever and the moderator had him walk through his beginnings in the film biz. I had heard some of these stories before (Bad Taste took four years to make because he could only shoot the film on weekends), but most were new and Jackson was clearly having a great time reminiscing about the days when he didn't have millions of dollars at his disposal. Because the cost of beaming Jackson in via satellite was probably astronomical (and because he has a tendency to ramble), they couldn't spend as much time talking about his pre-LoTR films as I would've liked. He covered Bad Taste and Meet the Feebles somewhat in depth, but spent less time on Brain Dead and Heavenly Creatures, which are two of my favorites of his. They didn't even get around to discussing Forgotten Silver and The Frighteners.

Next up was the LoTR section, which again was somewhat abbreviated by time. In fact, the moderator only asked one question: "How was Gollum brought to life?" After Jackson's fifteen-minute answer, it was announced that some friends had come to join the event and onto the stage walked Bernard Hill, Andy Serkis, Elijah Wood and Sean Astin. Naturally the place went crazy and Jackson looked understandably confused, since all he heard on his end were screams. There was a funny moment where the actors all said hi to their director (Elijah: "Glad to see you changed your shirt, Pete"--guess he had worn the shirt he had on throughout production). The moderator pitched another question to Jackson, something along the lines of "Why do you think Tolkien wrote these novels" and he fielded that one with an assist from Sean Astin. For the most part though, the actors stayed quiet except when the satellite feed unexpectedly cut out midway through Jackson's answer. So to kill time (and to make us all happy) they started telling funny behind-the-scenes stories from the shoot, most of which I'm sure they've told elsewhere too (Hill brought up Viggo's rant about action figures, for example).

One very cool piece of new information came at the end of the event when they finally got the feed working again. Since the audience had been so receptive to all these stories about offscreen gags, Elijah asked Pete about putting a gag reel on the RoTK DVD. Jackson smiled and said that, yes, he was definitely planning on putting outtakes from all three films on the DVD. There were two mentioned in particular that might show up (whitefonted for people who don't want the gags spoiled):

1) Sean Astin had a running gag throughout the first film where he'd try to hog more camera-time (Jackson apparently told him before filming started that he wanted Sam to have a reduced presence in FoTR). So he'd elbow his way into scenes saying things like "I've been in too many group shots--it's time for a close-up!" On one of these instances he elbowed aside Ian McKellan and McKellan grabbed him and gave him a big kiss.

2) During pick-up shooting on RoTK, Jackson went back and filmed more stuff for the Aragorn/Elrond encounter where Elrond brings Aragorn his sword. On one take, Aragorn bursts into the tent and sees a hooded figure. The figure stands, throws back his hood and...it's Hugo Weaving wearing his Agent Smith sunglasses. He says to Aragorn in his Smith voice: "You may be disguised as a warrior, but I see your true face...Neo." Meanwhile, Viggo's standing there completely in shock. Jackson was really proud of this gag in particular because, as he said, "It was a brilliant geek moment."

So all in all a fun afternoon, if not as in depth as I was hoping for. Jackson's a great storyteller though; I'd love for him to write an autobiography someday or maybe do one of those "Jackson on Jackson" books.

Fone Bone, just the thought of gag #2 has me shrieking in laughter.

Both gags had me rolling.

But, for geek brilliance, I'd have to give up for #2 also.

Bwahahahaha.

Fone Bone, just the thought of gag #2 has me shrieking in laughter.

Me too.

Hill brought up Viggo's rant about action figures, for example

I don't think I've heard this before. What was the rant?

I watched the Critics' Choice Awards on E! last night (which could have been a week old for all I know) and it was just adorable to see PJ (via satellite) win all these awards and give his acceptance speeches in a striped polo looking all crazy and disshelved. Billy Boyd was there in person to accept the Best Ensemble award and if I thought Billy was a hottie at all I would have squeed mightily because he was wearing a very sexy tux. But - not thinking Billy is a hottie - I just thought "huh. cool tux."

I started re-reading Fellowship this weekend by accident (I was looking something up, couldn't stop, went back to the beginning and started all over) and am surprised at how much I now envision the actors faces as I am reading.

I am soo glad there are still RotK EE DVDs to look forward to - gag reel!! Yay.

Hill brought up Viggo's rant about action figures, for example

I don't think I've heard this before. What was the rant?

Me either.

ETA: I almost forgot! Nilly! I am looking so forward to reading your thoughts on RotK. Wheeee- Nilly review!!

We got The Peoples of Middle-Earth (book number...11?...in Christopher's History of Middle-Earth series) for Christmas. Of note, Tolkein had started on a sequel. He wrote about 10 pages, which are included in this book.

It's quite dark. I can see why he stopped (other than maybe not having another 50 years to spend on a book). As he said, "As I suspected, there is nothing worth writing about in the world of Men."

If you read this book, have the Prozac ready.