Won't have a chance to see it before Saturday (so I appreciate all the white-fonting). I assume it will still playing then?

Yeah, it's sort of weird, having seen all the promo footage, and knowing stuff that hasn't shown up "yet". There were scenes in the TTT previews that didn't turn up till the theatrical ROTK, which was sort of wiggy. Like, people, way to spoil your own movies, more than a year in advance!

I don't think they consider promos spoilage. They may consider them appetite whetters, in which case -- way to torture your audience.

There were scenes in the TTT previews that didn't turn up till the theatrical ROTK, which was sort of wiggy.

Like the shot of Arwen lying on the bed with the leaves drifting over her, presumably dying? That's the only one I can think of. Someone behind me in line at Trilogy Tuesday said that shot was also in a trailer for FOTR but I don't recall it.

Right. Also where she comes running up the stairs and just drops her long coat behind her. Further proof that the elves all wear wrinkle-free polyester.

I think there was one other item I remembered from the TTT promos, but I've spaced what it was.

You know, you notice how the FYC ad for ROTK, with Frodo and Sam, was from the climbing Mt. Doom scene? I had thought it was Frodo lying "dead" in Cirith Ungol, and was sort of surprised when he got the spiderweb body gove treatment.

Another TTT preview scene that was in RotK was The helicopter shot of Eowyn standing alone on the near corner of Meduseld wearing a white dress and black vest/bodice/thingy.

I'm trying to arrange to see it again with DH late Friday morning. If he can't manage it, I'll have to go alone. I have to see it again--soon.

I'm dying to see it again, but I despair of there being any tickets left for this weekend! Should have planned ahead, dammit.

SeanK and Katie M., I just wanted to say I loved and wroded up your frodo's journey as christian allegory discussion from earlier. I'm not a religious person. Tolkien has always made christianity work for me in a way that all the powermongering bastards that run organized religion never have been able to. I was going to say that if there was a church of tolkien writings, I'd belong to that, but I suppose I already do.

Having said those things, I really don't want to put other people off, because I strongly dislike that kind of "agenda-izing" about things I love, particularly this one, but it has always been there on some level, as the good professor intended, in his way. I'm much more about the overt mythologizing but I had to give Sean and Katie their props for an exchange that rang verytrue for me.

As with the other two, I have to see it again, to get over my "They changed that?!?" issues. That said, initial impressions:

(Side question - when can we stop whitefonting in here? A week after it's been out?)

I cried four times, all in the first hour -

My first cry was the lighting of the beacons. I also cried when Merry and Pippin separated.

Can't remember the other two right now.

Big gasp moments included GROND!! and all the orcs chanting it* the riding of the muster from Dunharrow * the moment all the ghost appear in the Paths of the Dead * the heads being catapulted over the Minas Tirith walls (shoulda known PJ couldn't resist THAT) * Gollum's gleeful fall *

And even though I've read the book several times, and was waiting for it for 20 minutes, I still shrieked when Shelob stuck Frodo.

I, too wish they had kept more of Eowyn's speech, dammit. I have thrilled to that speech since before I could read (RotK record). Still, it was cool that she was the first to figure out how to disable the Mumakil.

I was in a theater where everyone was in tune with the HoYay, perhaps too much so. A lot of scenes y'all have listed as crying or gasping scenes, such as the reunion at Rivendell and Sam carrying Frodo provoked our whole theater to laughter. It spoiled several moments for me.

Some of the changes seemed really pointless, and as such, irritated me. Those include Denethor's flaming leap. I prefer the book version, where he unveils the palantir and we understand his madness and despair. Also, that incredibly inexplicable change where the fate of Arwen is tied to the ring. So much for making her a subject and not an object.

I don't even hate Arwen in the books, nor do I hate Liv Tyler. But, boy, do I hate Liv Tyler as Arwen and the character as portrayed in the movie. I'm aware that I'm biased b/c of my deep and abiding worship of Eowyn. And I don't care.

I don't think Aragorn was consciously leading Eowyn on. I think he likes her and respects her and wishes he could love her, but realizes that she's actually more in love with what he represents than himself. I think maybe we will get to see more Eowyn/Faramir action in the DVD's, as the studio stills I was looking at yesterday very definitely showed a scene from The Houses of Healing.

Yup. Need to see it again. Preferably in an empty theater. Issues.

One more thing. I love Pippin, and I love Billy Boyd. I really wish he could get some kind of award for the work he did in this movie, and I know it won't happen. He really primed the waterworks every. single. time. he was onscreen.

smonster, I'm sorry that your audience laughed at those scenes! Though I suppose both reactions (laughing and crying) show that you see the HoYay; it just depends on how you feel about it.