Posted on 12/17/2002 7:32:02 AM PST by HairOfTheDog
Come on! Come in! -if you would like to have some seedcakes and a pint and relax a while. (If it is a special occasion, we still have a few bottles of the old wineyards left!)
Our first thread ( New Zealander builds Hobbit hole ) reached 4,100 posts, and we thought that was big. Our second thread (The New Hobbit Hole ) held us for over 48,000 posts, and we loved it dearly. We talked about moving to a new thread for the last 38,000 posts, but we are really slow to muster! Finally, the time has come. Tomorrow (at 12:01 am, to be precise!) The Two Towers comes out, and we start a new chapter.
I think it is because there so much oil transport across the North Sea. There have been a couple of pretty large spills from oil tankers off the coast of Scotland, and Greenpeace has been able to stir up a lot of emotion about it. From what I remember none of the spills has caused any long term damage, but remember the furor over the pictures brought us about the Exxon Valdez spill? Dom and Billy might also be picking up on the 'environmentalist' attitudes of the Ents, as least what folks in the 60's thought was the 'Save the Earth' attitudes. someone wise needs to take them aside and clue them in on Greenpeace. There are other, less volatile environmental organizations which they could support.
Home again, from our second viewing. I think I enjoyed it more this time... the differences were less jarring, and I was able to relax more and enjoy the action. Some comments on subjects old and new...
First off, the changes to Faramir's storyline didn't bother me as much this time. The actor played Faramir very subtly... Faramir was noticing things and thinking things through. I still think a scene showing Faramir's inner conflict more clearly would have been welcome... as it is, it is so subtle that it is easy to miss on a single viewing.
Secondly... I haven't seen anyone yet comment on the portrayal of Grima Wormtongue. My impression: he's a very negative person. And, when he's cast out of Rohan and goes to Saruman, he turns that negativity against Saruman: paraphrasing, "Even if this strange explosive powder of yours takes down the wall, you'll still need an army of thousands, and you ain't got a army that big!" Then, when Saruman shows Grima his army, there's a close up of Grima's face... with a tear running down his cheek. This leads me to something that may be obvious, but no one else has commented on: Grima didn't want Rohan destroyed, he wanted it whole, but under his control. I speculate that Grima's unhappiness with Saruman's attack will lead him to betray Saruman; if the Spiky Wheel is truly Saruman's end, this will be why Grima pushed him. Which makes me wonder if Grima will survive?
A final comment on the venue... it was truly nice watching the movie while eating! We weren't seated at tables, it was more like stadium seating... each row of seats had a bench-like table running the length of the row, in front of the seats. Orders were placed by writing them on a piece of paper that was provided, and then sticking the paper in a holder for the wait staff to pick up. "Last call" was an hour or so before the end of the movie; at that time, the check was dropped off for payment. The sound system was a first-rate DTS system; I wasn't able to hear any distracting sounds over it, except for once when a beer bottle fell. The wait staff were very careful, and didn't distract from the movie at all. In all, we had a great time!
The first time I saw Grima's tear, I thought, "he didn't want this to happen." Then today I noticed he had turned the negativity thing against Saruman. I will bet that we see a scene in ROTK where Grima is chewing out Saruman, telling him what a bad idea it was to attack Helm's Deep.
He didn't look happy to me... more like stunned and worried.
I believe that Grima comes to hate Saruman in the book
I agree with you there...
'The murderous rogue!' cried Éomer. But Gandalf was unmoved. 'No, that was not thrown by Saruman,' he said; 'nor even at his bidding, I think. It came from a window far above. A parting shot from Master Wormtongue, I fancy, but ill aimed.'
'The aim was poor, maybe, because he could not make up his mind which he hated more, you or Saruman,' said Aragorn.
'That may be so,' said Gandalf. 'Small comfort will those two have in their companionship: they will gnaw one another with words. But the punishment is just. If Wormtongue ever comes out of Orthanc alive, it will be more than he deserves.'
Of course, he did come out alive... and in the end, it was poor old "Worm" who cut Saruman's throat, after the Scouring of the Shire. Since the Scouring supposedly isn't in ROTK, it makes me wonder what Grima's end will be in the movie.
I remmeber him looking stunned. Guess I'll have to go see the movie again! LOL
There is a Dinner and movie place here but they aren't showing TTT. The review says the food is mediocre.
What an excellent point, Bear! I remember his tears, but wasn't sure what was up. Things went so fast after that, I just didn't spend any time thinking about it!
You are so right...I kept thinking how awful it was that they chose to repeat a 20+ yr old lie. And oil spills are alarming. Why is it though, that only people like you and me and others know that technology exists to alieviate that. I have friends who operate a business that sells oil-eating microbes to the various oil companies in the area (Gulf Coast Texas) who operate the multitude of oil wells that exist. The microbes are used EXTENSIVELY and safely and restore the natural balance without a hitch.
For once, I wish these actor-dudes would stand up in the name of WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT. That's where science meets the pavement, as it were. The one thing that made Tolkien such a throwback even in his own time was his unwavering rejection of technology at all. I have an LP of recordings of Tolkien reading parts of his works, and it says on the sheet notes that he refused to record anything until he had said prayers over the tape recorder to cast out any evil spirit.
Thanks for the explanation! It seems so many people in the UK have taken up the cause of environmentalism without much thought or verification. Are you proposing that someone...(like you and me?!?!) take them aside...I get Billy!!!!
hehehe, as good as reason as any, I guess. I know that when I went this time, I was watching for a number of different things after seeing them remarked upon here... mostly the portrayal of Faramir, but other things too. For instance, I'm fairly certain Merry's wound moves around, sometimes it's over his right eyebrow, sometimes it's over his left.
Another thing, when Haldir appears at Helm's Deep, he tells Theoden that he's there with a message from Elrond of Rivendell. Made me wonder when Haldir got the job transfer from "guard of Lorien" to "errand-boy of Rivendell"!
I'm a bit conflicted about him. He LOOKS good enough to be an elf, but talks and moves like he is in some melodrama. He was a star in a soap opera, wasn't he?
Totally agree with you on that one. Began reading The Hobbit again yesterday. That description of Elrond makes PJ's even more grossly disfigured.
Information on "TTT" Extended Edition DVD!
I've already pinged some of you, sorry, I don't have a ping list of all. Hit the link and enjoy!
(I saw this posted nowhere else. Full embarrasment if it has)
Heh heh... when Aragorn hugs him at Helm's Deep, Haldir tenses up... can almost see him thinking "Eww! He's so *dirty*!"
The actor's name is Craig Parker. A quick look at IMDB shows that most of his previous work has been on TV series, including several appearances on "Xena, Warrior Princess", and a four year run on a New Zealand soap opera, "Shortland Street". LOTR is his first movie work listed.
It sounds like Christopher Lee's voice to me.
Another reason to see it again! ;)
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