When I saw it (for the fourth time) on Sunday at the Cinerama in Seattle, I have never heard 800 people more quiet (in the appropriate places) in my life. Shelob got big gasps (my sister leaned over to me and whispered, "Now THAT'S one big-ass spider") and cries of "No!" when Frodo got stung (I'm assuming no more white-font, right?). A huge difference from my third viewing in a multiplex in Joliet the previous Sunday, where the crowd could not have been ruder.

I don't deny that the audience Christmas afternoon at the multiplex may have been less invested than at some other places. They may also have been less washed.

Since I'm more than 4000 posts behind in Natter, I'll put my holiday wishes here. And to make it on topic, instead of "Auld Lang Syne," I'll give you another drinking song:

You can search far and wide
You can drink the whole town dry
But you'll never find a beer so brown
As the one you'll find in our hometown

You can keep your fancy ales
You can drink 'em by the flagon
But the only brew for the brave and true
Comes from the Green Dragon!

t kicks a beer stein over, soaking all Buffistas

Happy New Years, everyone!

Saw the movie last night! I think I actually liked it better the second time.

(Even though I whispered to my seat neighbor "It's the Emerald City -- gone horribly wrong!" when we first see Minas Morgol. And realized that when Sam carried Frodo that made him the Ring-bearer-bearer.)

Also, in front of us was a woman in a white sweater who -- I swear -- moaned the whole time Shelob was on screen. Like, not one gasp and then rapt silence, but true moaning of the loathing phobe. She tried to cover her eyes with her sweater at one point.

Saw the movie last night! I think I actually liked it better the second time.

I've only seen RotK once, so far. But I expect this to happen for me with it. It's what happened with both FotR and TTT, and with FotR (for me) that was a huge accomplishment, because I adored it right out of the box.

eta...

Nutty, please tell us you leaned forward, tapped her on the shoulder and said, "It's only a movie."

No! One does not interfere with people's moviegoing experiences unless said people's experiences involve loud talking, scorn, or assholery. It tickled me to see a visceral reaction.

I too liked it better the second time, and took notes to remind myself of the parts I liked, so as not to fixate on the parts I didn't like.

Hobbit loving slut.

Neighbor of a hobbit-loving slut!

I spent part of my movie just looking at the =details= like the embroidery (the coverlet that Frodo wakes up under is white-work quilting with the white tree on it), the tiling on the floor of the Gondor throne-room, the white tree in flower at the coronation, and so on. Even the oliphaunts tromping and fighting far off in the distance as the corsair ships pull up to the docks of Osgiliath.

Even though I whispered to my seat neighbor "It's the Emerald City -- gone horribly wrong!"

I hum the "oh-wee-oh" (or "all we owe," if those lyrics are actually real) song in my head when the orcs march out.