Saturday, February 21, 2009

Fro Bagg on the big screen (Ok, my laptop)

All has been pretty quiet on the nerd war front. Sue lost book 4 behind her bookcase (she has since found it again and probably started it over for at least the 3rd time). I decided after finishing the first two books I would watch the movies to get a better handle on things and perhaps be able to visualize things in "Middle Earth" a bit better. What does that mean? Is it supposed to be in some untapped area of the planet? Just wondering. This took a large amount of time mostly because I decided to just rent them from the library instead of using my Netflix account. That meant I had to wait an extraordinary amount of time on a waiting list, which didn't make sense since I was able to renew them 3 times each. (Yes, that's right, I didn't jump on them the second I got them.) They are really long!
If you will remember, I watched the first movie in the theater and was prepared to like it since I saw imagery from the movie earlier and found it stunning. It didn't work like that. For me, the imagery was not enough to pierce through the severe bordem that I was feeling. I believe B's favorite part about this story is my clapping when I saw the first credit roll (I clapped because I was so happy it was finally over). Anyway before starting the books last fall, the only thing I could recollect from the movie was two little flashes. Hobbits in little cave things with little round windows and doors and a ring being thrown in a fire, and also I remembered Gandolf falling down some cave hole. THAT IS IT. I thought reading the book might jog my memory a little. Nothing doing. Then I thought for sure watching the movie again would have to jog something out. Nothing. I swear not one thing besides those few things I said looked familiar at all. I was mostly surprised that Sean Austin didn't make a bigger impression on me what with my Encino Man roots. Ok, that was just a weird little side note I thought I would share. Turns out, when you know the story -and perhaps get to watch the movie in your dunglees- the movie is pretty good. I alotted 3 different nights to break the movie up into one hour segments and ended up watching half in the afternoon, and the other half that same night. That is a pretty good compliment. I watching wilst sorting cds in the afternoon and watched the rest in the wee hours of the night (Emily's dinner and a movie, if you are my facebook friend- you know what that means). Rivendell and it's "elven council" wasn't as boring this time around, that was good. Anyway it was nice to watch it and get some visuals and brush up on my plot points. I didn't like getting a visual on hobbit feet. Hobbit feet creep me out.
It took me another month to get around to the 2nd movie. I came away from that movie with a better appreciation of the men on quests doing stuff. They aren't nearly as boring to watch as to read, and wars are MUCH better to watch then to read. There really is no comparison.
The best part about the second movie was the ent's feet. I liked their feet. A lot. So, I am glad I watched them, I feel better armored to start the 3rd and final book. It is on my nightstand as we speak, lets see how long it takes me to pick it up.
Sue and Amy- it's time to declare. Get reading Sue, I am on the home stretch.

14 comments:

Amy said...

I'm totally on the home stretch!! I am halfway through the 7th and final Harry Potter book. The 5th one bogged me down a little. However, reading through the holidays, and having to stop it twice to read two book club books didn't help. I liked it OK. I thought that they could have maybe made it a little shorter. It bored me just a tiny bit. The sixth one I liked a lot more and read it in a little more than a week. It kept my attention better although I still can't say that I LOVE them as much as you and Haley. I like them, like the characters and story line, but find myself not caring enough to really get into them. I find myself wishing I like it more. Anyway, the 7th is really good, I'm reading it fast, however, I just had to quit for a few days to read "The Screwtape Letters" by C.S. Lewis for book club. I should have both finished in a week or two and I'm looking forward to see how the Harry Potter series gets wrapped up.
Good job on the Lord of the Rings, Em. I'm glad you liked the movies better than you thought you would.

Emily said...

Wow Aim, I didn't know you were so far along! I would have asked for your predictions on what is going to happen in the 7th book and how it ends. Perhaps it's not too late?
Funny thing, I really really like the 5th book. Bringing Umbridge in was interesting, the "DA" club concept was awesome, I love that they did that. The ending was sad, but boy, all the endings are sad after book 3. But number 5 was really sad. Oh, I also loved being brought into the Minstry of Magic and (especially) St. Mungo's hospital, that was fun. I don't remember how much I liked it though after my first reading, what I remember from that is just Harry being so angry the whole time and Dumbledore's distance was difficult. It took me a few reads to appreciate the politics going on in number 5. Oh, the "headquarters" was really fun to read about too, and the Weasly twins were great. See? I really liked the Order of the Phoenix.
Book 6 is really interesting and captivating. A lot of intriguing stuff going on and lots of background and some pretty dark and creepy moments.
And book 7 is book 7.

Sue said...

I promise I will start book 4 this week!

So you haven't started the Return of the King? It is so good, you'll love it! And I could have loaned you the movies. I have all 3 extended versions. You did get the extended ones from the library, right?

Amy said...

I did like all of those things about book 5 too, I just thought it was a little slow. Like I said, though, the timing was bad for me and it took me too long. So far, a lot of my predictions seem to be unfolding nicely. We'll have to talk about it sometime.

Sue said...

I promised you I'd re-start book 4 this week, and I did! I read about 90 pages last night. So far I like it. The World Cup is about to start.

Amy said...

I think you'll like the fourth book, Sue. I sped through the Screwtape Letters and am cruising through number seven. I just want to read it till it's finished! I have a hard time putting it down to take care of things at home! I really like it.

Emily said...

Yeah, book 7 was the book I was reading when I was like, "yeah, as long as Scout isn't swimming in a vat of poison, I am going to keep reading." And a few chapters in particular made me bawl like a baby.
Book 4 was really fun to read. I liked the world cup, I guess I can't mention the middle, but that was exciting, and the end changes things a bit eh?
Reading LOTR's I've picked up on that there is a character that serves a dark wizard called "Worm Tongue" to whom Rowling's character "Worm Tail" bears a striking resemblance. Just an observation I bet Sue has noticed also.

Amy said...

I don't think worm tail appears until book 5. I might be wrong.

Amy said...

I FINISHED HARRY POTTER! Good stuff! I'm so amazed at the imagination of JK Rowling. The way everything is tied together is incredible! Stick with it Sue, I'm sure you'll enjoy the finale, but you need to pay attention to everything in all the books. I wish I had a little more. It's pretty cool! Now I can clean my house again!

Emily said...

Yeah, I was amazed too at how woven together everything was, it was very clever. Also, some books give you impressions that turn out to be wrong a few books later. Very interesting storytelling. Since I read them over a span of 6 years, I had re read all of the books a few times, so I think I had everything pretty much together and all aspects were familiar. Glad you liked them! Wormtail first appears in book 3-- you don't really know he is Voldemort's right hand man until book 4, but he is prophesied at least as the dark lord's servant in 3.
And Sue, I am sure you will like them more and more.

Amy said...

ok, i've only read them once, so I'm a little cloudy on what happens when.

Matt Wright said...

Yeah, I would have to say that the last part of the seventh and final book has some lumpy passages of exposition and a couple of clunky detours — but the overall conclusion and its determination of the main characters’ story lines possess a convincing inevitability that make some of the prepublication speculation seem curiously blinkered in retrospect.

All in all, I love the whole series and want a bull haircut and scarf.

B said...

That's it. I just ordered Matt and I matching scarves of bravery for his birthday.

Emily said...

Wiseguy.

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