Oh, man.

Billy fucking Boyd, where have you been all our lives? I think I cried through the last half hour at least. What got me started was Gandalf and Pippin's talk about death. And then god, poor Faramir, and Pippin singing!

Cry points:

* The aforementioned Gandalf/Pippin scene. And the singing.

* Denethor's death.

* Pippin and Merry's reunion.

* Sam saying "I can't carry the ring, but I can carry you." And his whole lead-up description of the Shire.

* Sam and Frodo after the ring was destroyed, clinging to each other on that rock.

* And pretty much everything from that point on. The reunion, each member of the Fellowship walking into the room. Orlando Bloom is fucking unearthly.

* The return to the Shire, and the four of them sitting at a table, realizing that they're never quite going to fit in again.

* Pretty much all of Frodo's narration, about how people's stories end.

* The good-bye scene, and the way that Frodo turned around and looked back at them, and he finally looked beautiful and at peace.

Other cool stuff:

* The lighting of the beacons! What a fantastic sequence.

* Minas Tirith impressed me more than any of the other CG stuff. God, it was gorgeous.

* Flashback to poor Boromir's death. It hurts every time the arrows go in.

* All the little echoes from the other two movies, like "I know your face" and the shockwave from Sauron's destruction.

* Eowyn! Rock on, sister.

I had to go out to my car so I could cry in peace. I can't believe it's over.

I loved (So many things, but this is jumping at me to be said now):

the entry into Minas Tirith. I've wanted to walk the streets of the White City my whole life, this was the closest I'm going to get.

I thought they were going to cut Pippin's oath, then it was there. Trust the audience, PJ, they'll understand "Oathbreaking with vengeance". It is poetry, try to use the power of JRRT's words whereever you can. Disloyalty, feh.

I'll have to see it again in a less geekly audience so I'm not so distracted by people's reactions.

"That still only counts as one!"

I was wanting the full Eowyn about to kick Nazgul ass speech, too, especially a bit more defiance when she yanks off the helmet. But I'm glad she got her scene with Theoden at the end. I do hope they put the Eomer finding her on the field scene in the EE. Her riding through and slashing Oliphaunts was way cool. Seeing that line of monsters gave me a chill.

Immensely cool points:

Eowyn putting her arm around Merry and him grabbing her arm before they charge.

Frodo going evil/possessed without them cheating with CGI effects.

OK, Aragorn going all human and passionate for once and just grabbing Arwen and laying one on her. I expected him to say, "Oh, by the way, this is the woman who's going to be your queen, just thought you should know." Or words to that effect.

Legolas and the Oliphaunt--show off. I'm with Gimli. snerk.

This next bit is from Hubby as he was coming out of the anesthesia today. "I kept seeing the big birds, but I told them I couldn't go. Because I promised you I wouldn't go somewhere you couldn't follow." The drugged human mind is an odd place, and I don't care to think what was going on to bring those images to his mind during surgery.

There'd darn well better be Faramir and Eowyn stuff in the EE. It makes no sense otherwise.

Okay, I'm off in a few to dinner and movie. The big question: HOW MANY TISSUES DO I BRING?

How many do you have?

Okay, I'm off in a few to dinner and movie. The big question: HOW MANY TISSUES DO I BRING?

Half a box? I went through a large pocketful and I'm a dour, unemotional Scotsman (although not about LotR).

HOW MANY TISSUES DO I BRING?

All of them.

I work for the only newspaper in America that gave RotK a bad review. It was so bad, we ran the New York Times review next to it, just to keep from getting lynched.

I suspect your reviewer of being contrary just to be ornery, victor.

I work for the only newspaper in America that gave RotK a bad review. It was so bad, we ran the New York Times review next to it, just to keep from getting lynched.

Arty film critic who hates this kind of stuff, or someone who should know better? Doesn't matter, bring them to me so I can stomp out their reproductive organs. Any living children, brains to be dashed out. That critic must leave the gene pool, forthwith.

(What? I tried to be nice and restrained. Didn't work.)