I’ve always gotten a real charge from seeing classical music played live. And so it was with great happiness and anticipation that I went to see the MSO last night, as they were playing the score of the Lord of the Rings.

I got an even bigger thrill (and surprise) when I saw Howard Shore, the composer of the Oscar-winning score, step onto the stage to direct. I had no idea he would be there, let alone lead the orchestra!

And then the lights went dim, and after a few introductory bars, swelling ponderously and gradually, the thin and eerie violin theme of the Ring was heard. And I was a blubbering mess, incoherent with pleasure for the next three hours.

The order in which the various movements were played followed the story perfectly, and as a real fan, it was a wonderful treat to relive the story again through its music. It’s often a cliché to note how evocative music is, but last night, it was simple rapture.

For those of you who wondered where the boat was going at the end of the movie, check this out.

(Thanks Ced)

So guys, if Saruman’s not in ROTK, then how in the seven hells does Pippin get the Palantir?

(to non-dork readers: we’ll return to our regular programming soon, promise)

I agreed with all the decisions Peter Jackson made when adapting The Fellowship of the Ring into a movie (like, for example, cutting Tom Bombadil and replacing Glorfindel with Arwen). Some said that things had been added that weren’t from the books (like Arwen’s choice), but they were usually things that Tolkien had written either in the Appendices to LOTR, or in other books. Therefore, canonical. And total candy for the real fans.

When I saw The Two Towers theatrical release, however, I had two major gripes: 1) The Palantir chapter, which I’d expected to see, wasn’t in the movie. This is a major Pippin moment so I was sorely disappointed. 2) Faramir, my second favorite character in the books, had been turned into another Boromir. Moreover, he decides to let Frodo go after seeing Frodo offer the Ring to a Nazgul! What gives? Although I didn’t really understand the other changes (e.g. the Wargs), they didn’t bother me as much as this.

I calmed down about Major Gripe #1 when I realized this would be told in ROTK. I was looking forward to the extended version of TTT to see what they’d do about Major Gripe #2.

(ok, spoilers)

Well, they’ve added an entire scene which clearly shows that Faramir was much less respected by his father than older brother Boromir. This desire to please his father provides some explanation for his behavior toward Frodo and the Ring (this is clearer if you’ve read the books). Not a perfect absolution, but an improvement. Faramir still comes off seeming like a weakling, especially compared to how incredibly cool, noble and strong-willed he is in the book.

Most of the other additions are little details that the bring the movies closer to the books (with lots of Pippinny goodness), but don’t add much other than slowing down the pace. Examples: Frodo and Sam use Elven rope to climb, Pippin and Merry drink Ent Draft and grow, Treebeard talks about the Entwives. It’s understandable that Jackson took them out of the theatrical release and restored them for the true fans in this extended edition.

(spoilers over)

So, as a huge fan I liked it. But from a totally “movie that works” standpoint, the lightspeedchick cut of TTT would be simply the theatrical release, plus the scene with Faramir’s father.

(image from The One Ring)

At lunch today I procured my copy of The Two Towers, extended version. It’s sitting here on my desk. It encloses 43 minutes of footage I’ve never seen. It encloses the answers to all the questions I’ve been asking myself since last December. It even encloses new, never-before-seen Pippinny goodness.

There’s a DVD player on my workstation. DVD, DVD player. A foot apart.

And they call me impatient. I am a bastion, a citadel, a fortress of fortitude and patience today.

But I’m going home at four, fer sure.

Getting medieval on Sauron’s ass, tomorrow.

Well, unless you’re me…

From the “Which Billy Boyd character are you?” quiz:

Well! What a bit of luck you have found, and seems
to always follow you! You are just like
everyone’s favourite trouble causing hobbit,
Pippin! You have to have your pint of ale and a
bit of adventure.

What Billy Boyd Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Soon, I can buy cosmopolitans with Pippin money!

The Internet Movie Database is running a poll today about what songs would we like to see in the Lord of the Rings musical. Among the choices (warning, these are baaad):

“Nazgul, You Fool!”
“Frodo Mojo”
“Force of Hobbit”
“Uruk-Hai, Uruk-Ho!”
“It’s All Elvish to Me”
“Strider Beside Her”
“Call Him Gollum”

They’re going to make The Lord of the Rings into a musical. That’s just wrong. Of course, I’d easily drop a hundred beans to see it, but it’s just wrong.