Actually, in order to include some scenes to a length I thought excessive, other scenes, which I thought more iconic and mythic and cool, had to be chopped or cut entirely.

This + What Sean Said = Me

I sense a lack of surprise.

I have off work next Tuesday, and I'm thinking it's matinee time. Can't wait to see all the detail I missed the first time around, and savor all the great FX.

Is that the inscription from the One Ring on the collar of Richard Taylor's coat?

Sure is. Burned into the velvet lapels. Very. t /Heathers

Is that the inscription from the One Ring on the collar of Richard Taylor's coat?

*fondly* They're such dorks. It's great.

Umm, did they leave this scene out or did I somehow manage to forget it?

Didn't happen, sumi. I think EE.

I would have remembered that scene--vividly. I also assume it's for the EE.

I see, Katie. Most of my Moria's not claustrophobic comes from the great hall. The rest I hadn't really thought much about.

I looked carefully for that scene, sumi, and I'm not sure about waiting until November for it.

Suela, how was that described in the books? I'm not a battle specialist, and I thought they were pretty much dead meat any way they cut it. I'd be interested to know the right way, because I don't remember the text.

Right. A lot of the military elements were crowd-pleasing rather than logical. Which I can live with, except inasmuch as I am logical yet also part of the crowd. Whereas, the Freudian Assault on Osgiliath was a proper cavalry formation, just the wrong use of cavalry. Which I am choosing to interpret as intentional mass suicide rather than foolishness or moviemaker error.

Point on the lack of railings in Moria and need for some large gathering-place in MInas Tirith. Still -- child-safety never an issue among the noble southerners? Also, very awkwardly shaped if it was intended as a proscenium. I mean, visually cool, but a little less with the logic than I like.

High marks, however, for capturing the motions of giant trebuchets from the city walls. I saw a thing on PBS about a college engineering team building one from scratch, and those are hella cool.

Cereal:

ita, the scene in question in the books has them all dismounted, but drawn up to two main defensive positions on parallel hills. That is, a big circular hedge of spears, which all things considered is sort of an effective defense against attackers.

Breaking the hedge out into individual spears, less effective. Also, more vulnerable.

Moria was a place for a people with a deathwish. Or a setup for whoo!

It's interesting -- I've seen the LotR movies and Heavenly Creatures, so I was slow in coming to what PJ indulging himself looks like -- but with the lack of OSHA in Khazad-Dum and Legolas stair surfing, I feel pretty sure I know it now. It does provide immediate satisfaction, but the stair-surfing probably won't even do that in five years.

Unless Xtreme takes over the world.

edit: Thanks Nutty. It's about all Greek to me without diagrams, but I think I get the distinction.