I watched it a week ago and only made my way through this thread now! All I have to note, really, is that I agree there were pacing problems. I've never been with a more restless audience-- I actually had to shush a guy three times. And that, like Steph, having never read the books, I thought Frodo was a goner. In fact, when he was being airlifted out of there by Gandalf's magic eagle, I thought he was dreaming the reunion sequence. It was simply too rosily silly to be real. (cf Titanic.) But, obviously, I was wrong.

I also wanted to post this:

Just went to see The Return of the King, which opened in Australia today. As the Nazgul were dive-bombing the crap out of everything during the battle of the Pelennor Fields, I found myself wondering whether there was a deputy assistant undersecretary from Gondor’s Defence of the Realm Department hiding under his kitchen table somewhere on the fifth level of Minas Tirith thinking, "I must have written dozens of memos about Mordor's air superiority, but would they listen, oh noooo! Just like every other year, the whole goddamn budget was blown on horses, silver filigree and whitewash."

when he was being airlifted out of there by Gandalf's magic eagle, I thought he was dreaming the reunion sequence. It was simply too rosily silly to be real. (cf Titanic.) But, obviously, I was wrong.

That's *exactly* what I thought, too!

when he was being airlifted out of there by Gandalf's magic eagle, I thought he was dreaming the reunion sequence.

That's *exactly* what I thought, too!

I was too busy thinking, "Eagles. Carrying people in and out of Mordor. They couldn't have come up with this idea 2.5 movies ago?" Yes, yes. Flying wraith thingies and the power of Sauron and etc. would have made that impractical. But still.

ETA I wouldn't have missed the rest of the movies for the world. I just had a flash of empathy for Sam and Frodo's long slog at the time is all.

WOW! Just made it through all the posts.

Up until recently I would be one of the lowly non-readers. I did not even see FotR in the theaters. I have no idea how I missed reading the books growing up. I never discovered them on my own and if any of my friends were into the series, no one clued me in.

Anyway, I ended up watching the DVD of FotR befor TTT came out and I was hooked. I took my daugher to see TTT the first weekend it was released and she was hooked also. Now, I have this thing about watching movies based on books. Usually it drives me nuts. So, I told myself I was not going to read the books until the after RotK.

Oh - side note - I would like to issue a public apology to everyone at the theater in Union City on Saturday, Dec 18th, 1pm showing. I took my daughter and 5 of her friends. Despite dire warnings before the movie, they were typical 13 year olds, ooohing and ahhhing not so quietly over the pretty elf. And yes, as a good mother, I pretended I didn't know them as we left the theater.

Anyway, now that I have seen all the theaterical releases, I am avidly reading the books - am currently in the middle of TTT. I should say that I had bought the boxed set for my daughter for Christmas. She is a voracious reader - makes me so proud. Being the great kid that she is, she allowed me to snag FotR back from her to read all Christmas day....ahhhhhhh!

I have asked my family for the EE's for my birthday (in Feb). I want to rent them, or borrow them NOW, but I find myself in the opposite position - I want to finish the books before I indulge in the extras.

This might amuse those going back for a second (or more) viewing.

#'s 2 and 12 in particular struck me as funny.

I snickered more than a little at 8, 9, and 22, while realizing that if anyone tried 24 on me, I'd punch their faces but good.

?I must have written dozens of memos about Mordor?s air superiority, but would they listen, oh noooo! Just like every other year, the whole goddamn budget was blown on horses, silver filigree and whitewash.?

HA!

I was too busy thinking, "Eagles. Carrying people in and out of Mordor. They couldn't have come up with this idea 2.5 movies ago?" Yes, yes. Flying wraith thingies and the power of Sauron and etc. would have made that impractical. But still.

I believe that Bob the Angry Flower already thought of that one. Of course, there might be a few problems with that solution, too...

[link]

Nah, I'm sure it'd be fine, in the end.

I don't know if it's been posted before, but this is pretty cute - Frodo's MapQuest to Mordor.

Really brief Village Voice interview with Philippa Boyens on the appeal of Tolkien to girls, homoeroticism, and (lack of) female characters in the trilogy. Her take on Shelob:

Fran and I loved Shelob. She's overweight, she can't get through the tunnel the way she used to. Men flee from her. She's got hairy legs. She really is the focus of this abject male gaze?this hairy creature that lives in the tunnel. The way Gollum says 'tunnel' makes it sound like the rudest thing ever! You know, it's the most terrifying thing for men. We did have a bit of fun with it.

I've never been with a more restless audience-- I actually had to shush a guy three times.

When I saw it, the audience was rapt throughout-but that was the Saturday after the opening when it was probably still almost entirely fans of either the books, the previous movies, or both, so I have no idea how the film plays with a "normal" audience.