Lord of The Rings Trilogy Love......

[ProudMNDemocrat]

I have been a Movie Buff for well over 50 plus years.

A film Trilogy that I can watch over and over and not be bored is the Lord of The Rings Trilogy in Extended Edition on Blu Ray. Sentimental, philosophical, and downright entertaining. I still cry when Frodo tells Sam, Pippin, and Merry that the Shire was saved, but not for him.

A new adventure will take me in a few weeks Down Under to Australia and NZ. While In New Zealand, I plan to tour the Hobbiton set and other sets used in the films. The battle of Helm's Deep from the Two Towers remains my favorite of all the battle scenes from the trilogy.

I am sure I am not alone.

[Aristus]

1. You're not. I'm a huge fan of the films.

I had the potential to be a disappointed, scolding fanboy because I loved the books so much. But I thoroughly enjoyed the screen adaptation, and understood the changes Peter Jackson made in order to tell the story well.

My favorite moment in all three films is in FotR; The hobbits arrive in Rivendell, and the Rivendell theme plays on the soundtrack. Frodo is reunited with Merry, Pippin, and Sam. Then Frodo spies Bilbo sitting on a bench, and the Shire theme takes over the music.

Lovely.

My wife's favorite moment (she was never a fan of the books) is also from FotR: Sam's declaration to Frodo at the end: " 'Don't you leave him, Samwise Gamgee.' " Mr. Gandalf said to me. And I don't mean to. I don't mean to..."

[ProudMNDemocrat]

2. Another of my favorite scenes.....

During the Battle at Minas Tirith in RoTK when Gandalf is telling Pippin that the journey towards death is not a bad one.

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[Aristus]

4. Yes. Foreshadowing the "Into The West" theme in the end credits.

Getting Annie Lennox to sing it was simple, unadulterated genius.

[IADEMO2004]

9. Yes to yes. "Into The West" a frequent replay here.

[yallerdawg]

3. We went to all the movies in theaters.

My kids were in elementary school, but they were transfixed - and understood - the dual nature of Gollum, and totally fascinated by his story, and then the Ents, and Gandalf, and Sam, and....

We had the DVD versions as soon as they came out, and then the extended 4-hour versions with varieties of commentaries, from director, actors, even master weapons-maker! And ALL the added features! Watched and listened to them all - over and over!

I grew up knowing LOTR could never be "a movie." Never.

Peter Jackson made it more than a movie!

It has all - from book to now - been an epic adventure many of us have shared for almost our entire lives!

Much love!

[Docreed2003]

5. Love the triology and I'm insanely jealous of your trip!

I read the books as a preteen for the first time, they were a gift from my aunt who always gave the best literary gifts! I've loved that world ever sense and I've reread the trilogy numerous times over the years. When "Fellowship" was originally released I was in Med school and I intentionally avoided going to see it, even tough friends were pressuring me to go, because I couldn't believe that a film could capture the magic of the books. I finally went to the theater at the end of the films run and I was, quite literally, blown away. The nuance and the details and the beauty were all captured. The Orcs made my skin crawl, the creation of the Uruk-ahi was deeply unsettling, the beauty of Rivendell was awe inspiring, even the simple quaintness of the shire was there....hell, even the cutting out of Tom Bombadill was pleasing, even though I've appreciated the intent of the character with age. I could go on and on...I'll just say one more thing....Gandalf vs the Balrog? That scene still takes my breath away and is one of my favorite movie scenes ever. Anyway...pardon my geeking out...the subsequent films, particularly the special editions, are phenomenal. Enjoy your trip and take plenty of pics to share here on DU!!!

[ProudMNDemocrat]

8. You shall not pass!

Just for you, docreed2003

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[TeapotInATempest]

6. I will admit it's visually beautiful and well acted.

But I can't get on board with some of the changes that I felt were totally unnecessary. (What he did to Faramir's character was a crime!) I flat out refused to see The Hobbit, since I can't figure out how he managed to make 3 movies from such a short book.

However, I admit that I'm a complete nerd when it comes to LoTR, having first read it and The Silmarillion when I was 13 and many, many times since then.

[StrictlyRockers]

7. The books are good enough to read over and over. I have. The movies are that good, too.

I've watched the first two over and over. The Return of the King movie doesn't grab me as much as the first two movies for some reason.

[ProudMNDemocrat]

10. In July of this year at a SciFi Convention, I met .....

Norman Cates.....


One of the Prosthetics designers for WETA Workshop, Norman Cates, worked on the LoTR and Hobbit films. He was sitting at a table next to me at breakfast at the hotel in Bloomington, Minnesota that hosts the annual SciFi Convention called CONvergence that I have been attending since 2004.

I asked Norman if I could interrupt his breakfast. He said, "Yes you may. I have plenty of time before my first panel." We spoke for 45 minutes about the films, my work as a Costume Designer. I showed him a replication of the Bilbo Baggins coat I did for a young fan of "The Hobbit" films, he was impressed. I told him where I bought the fabric for the coat and where the buttons for the vest came from. They came from New Zealand, from WETA workshop. He asked me for a Business card, I gave him 2.

I also mentioned to Norman that his work from the LoTR and Hobbit films was remarkable. What a sweet man who loves what he does.

[Martin Eden]

11. I love the movies, but I'm glad I saw them before reading the books.

Because I love the books more. If I had read them first I would have been unhappy with some of the changes made by Jackson and his writers. I understand the need to eliminate Tom Bombadil and the battle for the Shire when the Hobbits returned home, but I don't like what they did with Faramir or how Frodo told Sam to go home (didn't happen). In the book the Ents decided at their Entmoot to go to war because they already knew (how could they not know?) what Saruman's Orcs had done to their forest. It made no sense that Pippin had to steer Treebeard to the destruction or that so many Ents instantly showed up when he roared.

I have the set of DVDs of the extended versions with Appendices. I don't know why the confrontation with Saruman at Orthanc and his death there was cut from the theater version. He was a major character and I wondered what the hell happened to him until I got the DVD set.

My wife and I really do love the movies and watch the DVDs at least a couple times a year.

I've read the trilogy three times all the way through. I've also read The Silmarillion twice, which is the bible of Middle Earth. It tells the history of Middle Earth from its creation and all through the wondrous stories & events, some of which are mentioned in the movies and referenced in the trilogy.

Anyone who likes or loves the movies really should read the trilogy and The Silmarillion.