[ChrisH]

I first read LotR about a quarter century ago, and just before I went to live in Middle Earth. I figured that since I was going to live there I should know something about the place.

I became an immediate and diehard fan. Having sat through the Bakshi version when it was in the theatre, I was very concerned about the latest version. Just how bad was it going to be?

I was pleasantly surprised with the first part. Yes there are a few alterations, honestly I think they were acceptable. The movie is almost three hours long already and the deletions would not have added much. Even though they cut out one of my favorite characters, Tom Bombadil in the process.

I think that doing all three parts at once was a great help to the production staff. It helped maintain continuity of vision and saved having to rebuid sets if the movies were successful. It also meant that they were COMMITED. They had to do it right or not at all.

We are currently finishing TT as my son's bedtime reading. Hopefully we will finish before the movie comes out. I just hope they don't cut out Treebeard.

FYI: Middle Earth is the name of a dorm complex at UC Irvine. I spent four years living in Lothlorien, though we usually shortened it to Lorien. Not as nice as the one in the books, but not a bad place either.

I never did learn Elvish though,