I was so hoping that Sean Astin would get nominated. . . oh well. (It was a longshot.)

Complete list of all nominations is here.

Also, from the Science & Engineering Awards section:

To Stephen Regelous for the design and development of "Massive," the autonomous agent animation system used for the battle sequences in THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy.

Massive takes a new approach in simulating behaviors of large numbers of computer generated extras (a.k.a.) "agents." Each "agent" contains a primitive software "brain" used to develop behavioral rules simulating a wide range of behaviors. In THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy,over 200,000 agents were controlled in several scenes.

That's great!

Go Massive! I have the hugest crush on it.

I'm really delighted Johnny Depp got a nom for PotC, but come on! No acting for RotK?

I know! Sean or Billy -- at least!

I find #4 on your list least important on mine. And I really, really don't want the last item on your list. I think the way it was done was visceral and bleak and quite affecting enough. More would blunt it, I think.

#4 is important to me because it's such a huge moment for Sam. I suppose he gets enough big moments in the movie as it is, but in a way, that moment is the biggest, IMHO. "The Choices of Master Samwise." It's such a struggle for him to decide the right thing to do. And it would show more clearly that Sam is a ringbearer too, which otherwise I don't think you really get from the movie. As for the last item on the list, the reason I want more time spent on it is that I've talked to enough people now who, not having read the book, were totally confused as to why Frodo had to leave Middle-Earth. I wouldn't want much more than is already there--when I first saw it, I thought it was just about perfect--but I would like to see a little more clearly that Frodo really cannot live in the Shire any longer. What scenes would you all like to see in the EE?

(And I'm sad about no Best Actor nom for Sean Astin, but woohoo! for the rest!)

I'm wording Kate on the #4 item love, but I can see how it probably won't happen in the extendo-Return. They decided to go the suspense route instead, and I can see how it would be difficult to convey to a modern/US audience why Sam becoming a leader/decision-maker is such a whopping development. I mean, I'm really sorry they went the way they did, because it's up there on the Must See list for me.

Also agreed that Frodo needs to have more than a little bursitis in his shoulder for a reason to leave Middle-earth. Not that I need more moaning out of him, but it needs to be clearer that "never really heal" means more than the occasional twinge when then weather is bad and a mild case of PTSD.

I would be extremely pleased to see extended Eowyn/Faramir interaction, but I have my doubts this will happen, what with the way the Eowyn scenes shook out in the theatrical version. I don't know what they're going to do with it, but I don't think they're going to hew very closely to the book!

I would be extremely pleased to see extended Eowyn/Faramir interaction, but I have my doubts this will happen

I've read on several fansites - one was AICN, but of course now I can't find the link - that there will be extended E/F. Apparently parts of the Houses of Healing sequence, plus their wedding scene, were filmed & have a good chance of being in the EE.

Oh yeah, one other thing I want: Faramir waking up asking "What does the king command?" It only really has the proper impact if other Gondorians are in the room, and can gasp dramatically, but I'll be happy enough if --I expect they will -- work up a parallel between Boromir's death and Faramir's return-from-death, both with Strider attending.

Nutty -- yes!

That would be so good.