19/03/2002 - 6:19 p.m.

The crownless again shall be king

Anybody not interested in a lengthy writing on the theme of this diary better flip on back. There's a lot of Tolkien-ness in here.

I saw Fellowship of the Ring again today and liked it so much better this time. (And I was in raptures the first time.) It was a chance not to have to worry that maybe I was getting cheated, because I'm not. This viewing, it was a chance to take in everything I missed the first time and appreciate the detailing done. It also renewed my hopes for Academy Awards on Monday.

I know I've said before, I won't be hurt if it doesn't win the others, but if Ian McKellen doesn't win Supporting Actor, well, I agree with Afrai that
I will marshal the many Tolkien fans around the world so that they'll help me block the entrances to all the cinemas when The Two Towers comes out, and you won't get to see it. And we'll come out afterwards and talk about the best bits and watch you squirm. And serves you right, you ingrates.
Or would that be going a bit far?

Anyway, Sir Ian deserves it. Technically, they deserve the script awards too, if just for putting the chapter names in the dialouge. That's such an awesome detail.

It's such a difficult book to do well as a movie, and these people, these fabulous New Zealanders, have done it. It is not the book, but it is so true to the book, that's the best part. It doesn't matter that they cut Tom Bombadil, it doesn't matter that they cut the songs, it hurts a little that they fiddled with Arwen, but it doesn't matter. Anyway, I guess if they'd done it too well, there'd be no reason to read the book, which would be a pity.

I think the most unfortunate thing about the movie is all the people who watch it just because "elves are sexy" and whatnot. I've looked around, and most of the diaries out here themed around the movie are of that sort- "We didn't really care until we thought that Orlando Bloom was hot, but now? Go Legolas!" Which is depressing. I completely agree that Orlando Bloom is perfect for the part, and I would love to be able to do my hair the way he's got it, but I don't think that's the only thing the movie has to offer. Please, look past your petty infatuations in this movie, because there is so much more there. For one thing, Aragorn is 87 at the time he meets Frodo at the Prancing Pony in Bree. Legolas is much much older than that.

I would love to be a Tolkien scholor, and I think that if I had the time it would make a wonderful hobby. Unfortunately, I don't have the time. I have spent far too much time as it is trying to learn to write Quenya (I can't manage the language, so I just try phonetic English with Elvish characters, doesn't work so very well, let me tell you). For anybody wanting to learn an ancient Tolkien alphabet, choose the Moon Runes from The Hobbit, the change right into English with no troubles. Of course, they're entirely incompatible with any of the later Cirth, but they fulfill the purposes of allowing anybody else to look at your writing and say "what's that?"

Anyway, it was a much better movie this time around and I can't wait until next December. I have many many hopes surrounding the release of The Two Towers, and hope that my life will not be too dramatically different by the time The Return of the King is released. I know what I want that final six hours (when I've finally got all three movies and the time to watch them all back to back) to be like.

As another note, I've found a place that sells One Rings: Badali Jewelry. I'm bitter. The only one worth having is the gold ring (who wants one you can't wear or a silver one???) and it costs from around $480 to around $900. The sterling silver ones are no picnic either at $90. The "cheap-o" ones that aren't made to wear (size ten sold with a chain) are between $30 and $50.

I pride myself on the knowledge that all the rings I own cost me less than two dollars. I never expected to have something that expenseive in wedding ring form. However, I really want one of those rings... Do you see the dilemma this is causing me? The choice is, quite basically, I can buy a ring or I can live a useful and college-educated life. I guess it's a good thing I'm not allowed access to the amounts of money they're requiring, or I would probably end up screwing over the rest of my life for a pretty sparkly trinket.