While true Tolkien obsessives apparently make reading The Lord of the Rings an annual event, I am not there yet (although, that repeat reading did yield new truths and virtues...) so I will instead settle on an annual viewing of all 3 of Jackson's LOTR Extended Editions in one day, the next scheduled for February 11, 2006 (the Saturday after the Super Bowl), exactly one year after the first go around*. Yes it is an endurance test (in so many ways), but those movies were wonderful, magnificent, and just as much a complete mythological work as the original book taken as a whole; the 6.1 DTS sound is also mindboggling in it's super sensory overload (the REAL sound FX, the sweepingly lyrical and majestic Howard Shore score)- don't worry it's easy to stay awake.
Mark it on your calenders.
Also, the new documentary Ringers: Lord of the Fans is a pleasant hoot: a whimsical and thoroughly reverential look at the pop cultural history of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings and the fans who've been there for the ride (Including WH Auden! Zep! Geddy Lee! Clive Barker! That dude from Motorhead!). Literate, self effacing and fun.
* "First go around" on home video that is. I survived the wondrous LOTR Marathon Tuesday in Theater 3 of the Regal Cinemas on Transit Rd. on December 17, 2003- easily the greatest moviegoing experience I've ever had: getting hand stamped like for a bar on Chippewa for easy access, being able to bring your own (not noisy) food into the theater, "nesting" in your seats for the day and evening, the girls dressed as elves channeling their inner Galadriel, and the beautiful vibe that comes from being in a room of fans- this time however actually accomplishing something as a group. Yes it was a bit ripe by the end, but it was an awesome experience.
Video Game Update: I finished the Reign of the Empire feature of the SW:BF2 yesterday morning and the game is going away for a while. It will be back (destroying the galaxy is a nice pressure release indeed), but I want to savor my triumph over the Rebellion...
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