Well, I see that The Limey has his dander up.  Watch out when that happens. 

however, I do know that one could do different interpretations of this great story.  I did miss the "quiet spots" in the books.  It was as if everything had to be intense/dark/ultradramatic all the time.  That is not really like the books, which often are like sitting down with a cozy fairytale.  And this was lost in the movies.  So The Limey has a point I admit.  Though they are great films nonetheless. 

The one way you could do a remake is with a mini-series.  That left absolutely NOTHING out, including Tom Bombadil which was one of the best spots.

Sorry Guy to hijack this from your music, though you must admit it this irrelevant delirium keeps it at the top. 

The BBC radio production was better than this shit.

I remember when we were all hippy types in the late 60's and waiting to go to university. We all had jobs in that summer  doing deckchairs on the beach and all that sort of thing. The only thing that mattered was women - and having a copy of LOTR. That's how shallow we could be in those days.

However, years go by and WHAT I DON'T EXPECT to see when the film comes out amongst other things is FOR EXAMPLE - the characterization of Merry & Pippin on screen like two jerks that have just fallen out of a Glaswegian gay bar for MIDGETS!!! They played the parts like they were total imbeciles. That's not in the story. No ending to it either. Where was the 'scouring of the shire'? F***ing nowhere that's where.

And Frodo. He sounded like he just had lunch at a Manhattan restaurant. And then all of sudden all the other little hobbits start running around sounding like they've just escaped from a Cornish mental asylum (or basically just Cornwall).

The book is not the greatest book in the world lets face it - but if you're some half assed New Zealander that's decided to do LOTR - at least make it somehow English and catholic - because that is what it is.

Yeah - nice music once again Guy.     [:P]