Lord of the Rings Survey

How'd you get into it?
So long ago, I can't even remember--close to 40 years ago, I think. I know I read The Hobbit first, which I would never recommend to any child unless s/he had shown an interest in that type of book--I disliked it and very nearly didn't read the others. Fortunately, my mother was never much of a believer in "children's books" and let me go right on to the trilogy. And considering my mother owned (and wore) a "Frodo Lives" button for most of my childhood, you'd better believe she encouraged me in my Tolkien enthusiasm. We even once, on my junior high class field trip to Chicago, discovered a store called "Reddig's Randolph Street Newstand and Middle Earth Bookshop" which we made another pilgrimate to the following year. I was most unhappy, when I finally moved to Chicago, to find it had disappeared.

How many of the books have you read?
The trilogy, the Hobbit, the Silmarillion, The Book of Lost Tales... at least, I remember reading the last two, although I don't remember the contents. Think I might have had one more, at one time, but whether read or unread, I do not remember.

How many times did you see the damn movie, you obsessive spaz?
25, and although I keep trying for #26, it just won't happen for me, so maybe that is my mystical, magical number until an eventual re-release.

How many of those times included the Two Towers trailer?
4, I think--although we try to go early and see the trailer at the end of the showing before, so I've seen it many times. And, since I'm paranoid and tend to go in early, I've seen Boromir die a whole lot more than 25 times, too, unfortunately.

Merchandise freak?
Yes and no. Not totally obsessive. I have the action figures that I like, the complete set of Topps cards and 3 of the 4 of the autograph cards (Sir Ian, Elijah, Billy and SeanB), a couple of the Game sets, the complete set of British stickers, maybe 7-8 of the Burger King Toys, two of the BK goblets (Gandalf, Frodo), a couple of notebooks, a bunch of t-shirts, a baseball cap... OK, maybe more obsessive than I think I am. And don't even get me *started* on what I've spent on ebay.

If so, whaddya got? (aside from the books)
See above, plus I'm in the midst of making a whole slew of window clings, magnets, and "arty" prints for myself and my friends.

Roleplayer?
Nope, at least not yet...

Favorite...

...book
Toughie. I'm making a point not to re-read them until I've seen the appropriate movie enough times to judge it on its own, so it's been more than 20 years since I read anything but FOTR. I guess for now I'll say FOTR, although I'm sure that wasn't it at the time I read them. Less angst.

...passage from any of the books
Just about anything with elves or elvish in it. "A Elbereth..."


...part of the Fellowship movie
I have changed that so many times I've lost count. The way Frodo looks at Gandalf in the cart after the wizard sets off the fireworks--that one is just special. Most of my favorite scenes are between Frodo and Gandalf--when Frodo agrees to leave the Shire ("What must I do?"), the famous scene in Moria where Frodo admits that he wishes he'd never taken on the quest... I'm pretty predictable


...race
Elves, easily. That's the one thing that's been constant for me the last umpteen years. Hobbits are growing on me, though.

...character
In the books? I suppose Gollum, but I never really had one. Movieverse, see my Rings-Thing answer, which was Boromir, but it was a very close race between him, Frodo, and Gandalf. I feel bad that I didn't simply say Frodo, but I'm sure I will for the other two movies.

...actor
Elijah Wood. I've gone around and around on that one for months, but that's where I've settled. Other favorites are, basically in order, Sean Bean, Sir Ian McKellen, Hugo Weaving, and Billy Boyd.

...piece of merchandising
Right now, the British sticker cards. They're lovely. But I'm enjoying my home-made window clings a lot, too.

...song off the soundtrack
Don't know the names of any of the pieces--I guess I'm not *that* obsessive. But there are two pieces I particularly like--the one that plays in Moria when they come upon Dwarrowdelf, and the piece at the very end in the scene with Frodo and Sam, the same music as in the Shire, but with added percussion.

...song off David Arkenstone's album
Don't know it.

...line from the movie
They have a cave troll (of COURSE). Closely followed by: "What must I do?" and "Gondor has no king. Gondor *needs* no king."

...moviegoing experience
Although I didn't necessarily think so at the time, I enjoyed seeing it right after having read the Very Secret Diaries for the first time, with all of us going into hysterics. It was at least 4 more viewings before I could see the carrot or the point hat or the horn of Gondor without totally losing it... I also enjoyed the time Heidi and Laurie went with us--we had a BIG group that day and a lot of fun. And all the times we ran into our teen-age counterparts in Evanston were a blast.

...experience involving... anything LotR related
I think it must be going to ICON. I decided that I just HAD to go, at the very last minute, and the bbnet "loons" were all so helpful in getting me set-up with room, rides, people to meet and places to go, etc. And both Viggo and Billy were so much more than I ever could have hoped. (AND my photos turned out fairly well--always a plus!)

...V. Secret Diary
Another tough one. I guess it must be Arwen, because I still say "there is no Gap in Rohan..."

...line from a parody fic
Although I enjoy them, I can't say I find them (other than the VSD) memorable enough to quote a line. See above...

...slash pairing (if you're into that sort of thing, you perv)
Frodo/Aragorn. Thanks, Lily!!

And of course,
What are you looking forward to seeing most in The Two Towers?
Frodo angst in general. No scene in particular, although "It's the ring. It's getting heavier..." from the trailer nearly kills me. And Pippin with Treebeard, of course. And Gandalf's return!

How about Return of the King?
Which book is it in which Sam finds Frodo minus his clothing? Is that ROTK or TTT? Whichever...

Pissed about that Shelob thing?
Nope. Actually, I missed the barrow-wights more than I'll ever miss a spider. Gave Frodo a chance to prove that he's resourceful and brave (which Lij could have used). And even then, I totally understand Peter's choices and agree with 99% of them.

People who think 'The Two Towers' is an insensitive name.
Unfortunately, as Karen would say, fans are too stupid to live. (I tell her that it's PEOPLE, not just FANS, but she says "whatever".) First of all, the book name precedes the buildings, let alone their destruction. And even if it hadn't, I'm tired of people pretending that the WTC never existed--it did, and I loved it. I was just at Ground Zero, and although it's not nearly as devastated as a few months ago, the skyline will just never look right again.

What's the worst tease you've come across, picturewise, about the coming movies?
Still photo? I can't think of anything that wasn't also in the trailer. I guess, if you count the DVD, it's the shot of Pippin in Lothlorien, lying on his back with his head on a big pillow, looking gorgeous and thoughtful. If Billy is right and that scene *is* restored in the DVD, I'm dying to see it!

The Silmarillion.
Don't remember a thing about it.

Anything else to say?
Yeah, and I've been saying it in this blog for months now! Mostly my paranoid Galadriel theories.