The Hobbit Hole III - Journey to the Cross-roads!

[HairOfTheDog]

Welcome to The Hobbit Hole!

Journey to the Cross-roads
The Two Towers Edition

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.

[ItsOurTimeNow]

I think in your case, that could be considered "Justifiable Homicide"...lol...provided you had Tolkien fans as your jury.

I had a similar experience when my wife and I first saw Fellowship of the Ring.

Sitting behind us was a young-ish couple. The woman continually asked questions out loud, "Who is that?", "Why did he do that?", "Where are they going now?", "I thought he was a good guy?", "Who's doing all that screeching?", etc, etc...ad nauseum.

To which her fella would explain the answer to every question, equally as loud. They made NO effort to hush their voices, or speak in a whisper. What made it even worse, was that her fella was apparently only a "Movie Tolkien Fan" who got his story summary from a link on MSN.com. So, not only was he explaining things loudly, but he was explaining them INCORRECTLY! Argh! Yrchs!

After about an hour of this, I turned around and said sternly, "Look pal, I didn't spend good money to come here and listen to you poorly explain the story to your missy! Now shut it! Or you and I will go round-and-round outside, capishe?" That seemed to help.

Below us were a group of teenaged girls who thought they had some kind of divining power over the movie. They thought they should guess, out loud, what the characters were going to say next. It was like watching MST3K, only not funny. THere was an older woman sitting behind them who had apparently had enough...she stands up, leans over and yells, "HEY! The actors already HAVE a script! They DON'T need YOUR help!" lol...which got some applause from people sitting nearby.

I cannot, for the life of me, fathom what inspires this sort of behavior in public. We were raised to be polite children, but 10 times more polite when we were in public. Man, the thrashing we would have gotten if that were OUR behavior! I just don't understand what happened to good old-fashioned MANNERS. The blatant lack of, has completely cheapened the movie-going experience for me. It's not bad enough that we're paying hefty prices, both at the ticket stand, then again at the snack bar...and what do we get out of it? No control whatsoever in the actual theater...not an usher or manager in sight. Then, if you're the one to complain, you're seen as a stick-in-the-mud. How the heck does that compute?

We just simply stopped going, unless it's a movie we're both absolutely DYING to see. But, even in that case, we'll wait a few weeks for the crowds to die down, then go see the first matinee showing of the day. We went to see FotR again on a Tuesday at 1pm. There were 10 other people in the theater...it was bliss.

[HairOfTheDog]

Last night I popped in FoTR and when bright-eyed little Frodo was riding with Gandalf in the cart in the Shire, I started to cry! Am I just hormonal and emotional, or is it pretty shocking to compare how dark he looks now compared to the beginning?

I also decided last night to start my re-read. Probably at Christmas. Because it has been a few months since we quit, I am going to start over with FoTR... shouldn't take too long to get up to TTT.

Should we start the book discussion around Jan 1? Should we start at the beginning again? - or pick up where we left off before?

[Overtaxed]

Should we start the book discussion around Jan 1? Should we start at the beginning again? - or pick up where we left off before?

I'm okay starting at TTT....but maybe we should see what everyone else thinks.

[HairOfTheDog]

Good morning! - So glad you checked in with us!

[HairOfTheDog]

Right... I meant starting at TTT, but should we start the discussion at the beginning of TTT, or at Chapter 5, where we stopped before?

[Overtaxed]

Ummm.....I'd say the beginning of TTT.

[HairOfTheDog]

I could agree with that. We can just kill that other thread.

[ItsOurTimeNow]

I'm just about done with the Fellowship portion of my re-re-re-re-read. The travelers just had to move their boats across land past the rapids of Anduin.

Here's a question. I just read a portion last night where the Fellowship is travelling down the river. Aragorn spots what he thinks is an eagle against the setting sun, far off in the distance, travelling southwards. Is this Gwaihir bearing Gandalf off of the mountain?

[2Jedismom]

But you know, the midnight movie was the best behaved I ever saw! People were not there just to see a movie...they were there to experience the movie and were all transfixed by it. It was fabulous. The only disruption was Steve scratching his beard right by my only good ear.

The best time I ever had seeing FOTR in the cinema was the time I was all by myself! Except I missed Matthew not being with me.

And the boys are not allowed to utter a sound during a cinema movie, except "I need to go to the bathroom." They are much better behaved than many adults...and were appalled when the lady next to us a took a phone call like she was in a phone booth!

[2Jedismom]

I'm almost finished with my 9th read-through of the trilogy (since FOTR came out)...I'm at the Battle of pellenor fields.

[2Jedismom]

I'm in a dreadful situation...Steve is off for a WEEK. His mom is coming for the week (which should be fun). I don't know when i'll ever get to catch up.

We have a deal that I can check my email and FR while I drink my first cup of coffee each morning.

I already have to go. See you later, maybe when he picks his mom up from the airport.

[HairOfTheDog]

Gwaihir is scouting and bringing Gandalf news... Gandalf will mention it when he returns.

[ItsOurTimeNow]

Thankey thankey...it's good to be here! We're heading up to my "former step-step mother's" house to do a gift exchange, and afternoon meal fellowship.

It's kind of a wierd thing, I should explain: My mom's second husband got re-married several years ago. Since he was the main father figure in my life for a number of years, there was a strong bond, despite the fact that there was no literal connection after he and my mom divorced. He then became my former step-father...or the Step-Father Formerly Known As Pops. Two months ago, he and his wife (who became my step-step mom) divorced. But, since Autumn has always known them as her grandparents, we're still maintaining the connection. It's an odd thing, and it makes for a lot of houses to visit on holidays...not to mention a confusing thing to explain. lol

[Overtaxed]

Steve will want to take his mom shopping or out for coffee or something alot, right? You know....spend some quality time since she's so far away most of the year?

[HairOfTheDog]

Oh brother! - Does he golf? - Maybe you can buy him gift certificates to go golfing a couple times this week!

[ItsOurTimeNow]

LOL...people that answer cell-phones during a movie should be brought out back and beaten with reeds. Once, when Jess and I were seeing X-Men, a guy answered his cell phone, then SHOUTED - "SPEAK UP, I CAN'T HEAR YOU OVER THE MOVIE!"

AARGH!

Your boys sound like two well-behaved angels...I applaud you for instilling them with that sense. More parents should take a lesson or two from you. It's insane the behavior that I see out in public, be it restaurants, movies, the mall, Wal-Mart...anywhere.

Oh Lordy...this could get me started on a whole Discipline/Child-Rearing/Public Behavior rant. I'd better stop now...lol

[Overtaxed]

Hehehehe.....I know what you mean. Never, never, never go to a pizza restaurant on a Friday night else you'll be dealing with every unruly brat in town!

[osagebowman]

2JM: I see a very LARGE coffee mug in your future. BTW, The weatherman in KC says we'll be brown for Christmas but south of here, including T-town, should see the white stuff. If so enjoy, we're at 37 days w/o measurable precip and none expected next week.

I suggested a second viewing of TTT but spouse suggested a round of visiting old neighbors and her Christmas cookie and biscotti trays. Back to the basement, a ash stave is calling my name.

[HairOfTheDog]

It can be confusing! My mom remarried, after my parents divorced... I was probably hmmm... 15 when they got married. So I had a Dad, a Mom, and a step-Dad.

It was rocky enough when I was a teenager, but we got along well when I grew up. And he was a God-send for my mom. I am so glad she had someone, and him in particular, for her end.

So it was unusual, perhaps, for me to be left with two dad figures and no mom. We stayed in touch. He died though. less than a year after she did. And now my Dad, who divorced my mom, lives in my mom's parent's beach house! - I understand unusual family introductions!

[HairOfTheDog]

I am going for a third view of TTT tonight late, but only if I behave today and get my shopping done. Discipline! - I need discipline!