This isn't a come-on. I'm in a very serious relationship with a landscape architect.

Oliver ,'Conviction (1)'


LotR - The Return of the King: "We named the *dog* 'Strider'".  

Frodo: Please, what does it always mean, this... this "Aragorn"? Elrond: That's his name. Aragorn, son of Arathorn. Aragorn: I like "Strider." Elrond: We named the *dog* "Strider".

A discussion of Lord of the Rings - The Return of the King. If you're a pervy hobbit fancier, this is the place for you.


Volans - Dec 20, 2003 11:13:48 am PST #478 of 3902
move out and draw fire

Some quick things...that documntary says that both Arwen and Eowyn were orginally in the combat at Helm's Deep and having jealous moments between them. Gak!

GamerGeek moments included the horses bolting at the Paths of the Dead. My friend leaned over and said, "This is the point where the DM asks what equipment was on your horse, and what equipment you were carrying personally."


Sean K - Dec 20, 2003 11:16:02 am PST #479 of 3902
You can't leave me to my own devices; my devices are Nap and Eat. -Zenkitty

Raquel, as a game master, that is hands down my single favorite question ever.

In fact, I'm always exhorting my players to keep careful track of that, so that I already know what I'm taking away from them when I bolt the horses, or crash the drone car, or close a blast door between them and the equipment they came with.


§ ita § - Dec 20, 2003 11:21:46 am PST #480 of 3902
Well not canonically, no, but this is transformative fiction.

Which documentary, Raquel?

And the idea of Arwen being jealous of Eowyn? So glad that didn't happen, much like the potentially EE Legolas drinking game -- but the latter I want to see because it looks funny, not because I think it has any part in the story.


Susan W. - Dec 20, 2003 11:32:48 am PST #481 of 3902
Good Trouble and Righteous Fights

Also, to clarify yet further, hopefully without putting my foot any deeper into my mouth, I do believe the inability to write three-dimensional women (or men--I've certainly encountered writers with the opposite problem) is in absolute terms a writing flaw. However, given that there's no such thing as a perfect writer, how important that flaw is is largely a function of value-neutral reader taste. And I'm certainly not going to defend my own taste as having any particular virtue to it. Though I will defend myself to the extent of saying it's not that I can only relate to female characters or only enjoy a story with at least one woman in a lead role--after all, I do love LotR, and my other favorite movie from this year is Master and Commander --I'm even reading those books now, after finding them dry the first time I tried them. It's just that if you asked me why LotR doesn't top my all-time favorite books list, I'd say it's because Tolkien's female characters didn't work for me.


brenda m - Dec 20, 2003 11:39:55 am PST #482 of 3902
If you're going through hell/keep on going/don't slow down/keep your fear from showing/you might be gone/'fore the devil even knows you're there

Susan, am I correct in thinking that what you're saying is that you prefer strong and believable female characters over female characters who don't share those traits - not just S&B female characters rather than S&B male characters? Maybe this is where some of the confusion is coming from. Or maybe I'm the one confused.


Susan W. - Dec 20, 2003 11:44:36 am PST #483 of 3902
Good Trouble and Righteous Fights

Susan, am I correct in thinking that what you're saying is that you prefer strong and believable female characters over female characters who don't share those traits - not just S&B female characters rather than S&B male characters?

Exactly. (Well, I do have a preference for stories where women play important roles, but not to the extent that I can't love one where they don't. See under loving Master and Commander.)


Kathy A - Dec 20, 2003 12:02:34 pm PST #484 of 3902
We're very stretchy. - Connie Neil

ita, this one. (A big download.)


Volans - Dec 20, 2003 12:27:21 pm PST #485 of 3902
move out and draw fire

ita, the one Kathy linked to earlier. And just linked to again, while I was looking for the post.

Another point from the doc is Bernard Hill saying that Howard Shore scored 5 hours of film for ROTK. FIVE HOURS, boys and girls. That's one helluva Extended Edition.


Nutty - Dec 20, 2003 12:31:27 pm PST #486 of 3902
"Mister Spock is on his fanny, sir. Reports heavy damage."

"Okay. So. She's a dog."

Ha! This absolutely made my day.


Volans - Dec 20, 2003 12:37:58 pm PST #487 of 3902
move out and draw fire

Back on the gender thing (thwap thwap), I think the Arwen we got in movies 2 and 3 was much more of a slam on women than the mostly-absent Arwen of the books.

Pretty dresses though.