Micole, that didn't even sound dumb when you said it twice. When the dragon-thangs started divebombing the towers of the city, it gave me a dull sick "That's wrong, it's cheating, it's not fucking fair" feeling in the pit of my stomach (approximately the same feeling I had the entire six weeks my European History class spent on WWI).

how shocking and against all the laws of nature it must have seemed for there to be that kind of attack from above, for the battlefield to turn into a three-dimensional matrix when for millennia people had been thinking of it as a two-dimensional one

Yes, this exactly.

Oops, double-post. Thank you, JZ.

Have now seen movie twice. Almost gave away to my sister several times that I'd been too impatient to wait to see it the first time with her, but fortunately she was not looking for signs of this deceit.

My favorite bits are still:

the beacons (which is something I don't remember from the books at all)

Faramir asking his father, "What would you have me do?" with tears in his eyes (which maps onto one of my favorite bits from the books)

Is Caryn James even remotely aware that 2/3 of the writing team for this were woman? Also, does she think manly tears are unemotional? Also, I'm kinda said because I think she's a big Buffy geek. Whatev.

I finally saw it on Saturday morning. Haven't had a chance to post about it until now. I went with two other guys and a woman, and they all thought it was amazing (the woman gave up on Tolkein after trying to get through the Hobbit, so she didn't know what was going to happen). We joke about how we all got sniffly, but it least they were MANLY tears.

I loved it, but I had a few quibbles.

BHP addressed one of my big ones - Denethor. I didn't mind so much that they made him so nasty out of the box, but given the emphasis they gave it at Orthanc, and Denethor's comment about having seen more than Gandalf could imagine, I was certain that they were going to do a reveal about Denethor using the Paleantir (sp?), which would have gone a long way (if not 100%) towards making him more than a psycho villain. Also, it would have made the Paleantir less of a dropped ball (so to speak), since they didn't have Aragorn using it either. Kind of like it a reverse ass-pull.

Something no one has mentioned (and since Astin was so good in the role, it didn't hurt all that much), but two changes to Sam bugged me: 1) The de-emphasis on him being a ring bearer, even if only for a short time, and, more importantly, 2) him sparing Gollum on Mt. Doom, which parralled Frodo's mercy upon first encountering Gollum up close in TTT.

Also, not happy that they made stabbing the Witch King non-life-threatening, but I figure they 1) can have Eowyn in the Houses of the Healing in the EE becuase of her arm, and more importantly 2) wanted Merry at the battle at the Black Gate.

Really didn't mind Arwen, liked Eowyn, loved Pippin.

Also, I'd like to thank the Buffistas for warping me so that whenever Legolas made an entrance or reunited with a character I'd mutter "Still the prettiest" under my breath.

Funniest overheard conversation after the movie: a woman was berating somebody she was with who had misled her - "You said that Frodo died! You said that the elf died!" and then trailed off into invective at that point.

I'd like to thank the Buffistas for warping me so that whenever Legolas made an entrance or reunited with a character I'd mutter "Still the prettiest" under my breath.

Heh. I never actually muttered that, but after the Oliphaunt scene and the Gondor entrance, I did think it. What I muttered was "Now that's my boy."

which is something I don't remember from the books at all

Just thought I'd let you know this is NOT in the books. On of PJ's best inventions, actually.

Applause moments at my showing: Samwise the brave's two big moments (Shelob and the Orcs in the tower), Eowyn slaying the winged lampery o'doom and her "I am no man", and there was one more I can't remember. Lots of gasps when the Rohhirim first impacted the enemy.

(which is something I don't remember from the books at all)

They are in the books, though far less dramatic. I forget exactly where in the books it happens, too, as there's also the Red Arrow, which summons Rohan. Hmm... Guess I'll just have to read the books again.

Anybody see Bravo's special last night on Entertainment Weekly's top 20 entertainers of the year? Even though I already knew that the cast/creators of LotR were number one on the list - I *still* teared up during the montage.

I am hoping there were some hormones at play because if not, I am a much gianter sap than I think I am.

My dad comforted me last night by telling me he was not going to cry when we see it together on Christmas Eve. (My been-through-real-wars dad crying for any reason is too freaky for me to handle especially while trying to keep my shit together to a certain extent in front of him.)

One other thing: Does it make sense to stop whitefonting now? Since everyone has had the weekend to see it?

Why don't we wait out the week?

Just thought I'd let you know this is NOT in the books.

Okay, now I can't remember for sure if the beacons are lit, but they are mentioned in the books, and NOT an invention of PJ's.

In fact, on the detail map of Rohan and Gondor, the beacons even each have names, so I know I didn't make this up.

Sean is right. When Gandalf is riding to Minas Tirith with Pippin, they pass a messenger going the other way, and then they see the beacons lighting up, one after another, and Gandalf calls out the names of the mountains as they pass. It's actually kinda cool, but not as visually impressive as in the movie.

Katie, I'm with you and Nutty on Eowyn: more despair, please. Eowyn is brittle like Season 6 Scully. *g*

I don't know yet that I think this is the best movie ever. Probably not, not because it's not a fabulous achievement, but because I know too much about it. I think it's impossible to do something this sprawling perfectly, frankly -- there's too much room for error. But it's magnificent, and I can settle for that. *g*