#is that how the LOTR quote goes?

[bensigas]

7am - 8pm of Hourly Comics Day 2025

Not much else happened after this, but I'm going to try to finish the last couple hours soon.

[so-called-quail]

'Trapped in the end!' said Sam bitterly, his anger rising again above weariness and despair. 'Gnats in a net. May the curse of Faramir bite that Gollum and bite him quick!' 'That would not help us now,' said Frodo.

Sword in hand Sam went after him. For the moment he had forgotten everything else but the red fury in his brain and the desire to kill Gollum. But before he could overtake him, Gollum was gone. Then as the dark hole stood before him and the stench came out to meet him, like a clap of thunder the thought of Frodo and the monster smote upon Sam's mind.

Now he tried to find strength to tear himself away and go on a lonely journey – for vengeance. If once he could go, his anger would bear him down all the roads of the world, pursuing, until he had him at last: Gollum. Then Gollum would die in a corner. But that was not what he had set out to do. It would not be worth while to leave his master for that. It would not bring him back. Nothing would.

Sam and vengeance in today's entry

[transmasc-wizard]

i exist with a drawing! not a particular OC this time, rather the combination of me finding a hairstyle and a lighting scenario on pinterest and wanting to put them together. made for @creatingblackcharacters' Black History Month challenge! CBC posts a lot about colour loving melanin and melanin loving colour and i wanted to use that philosophy/quote here. the scenario i think is going on here is that this gal is at a party just like havin a good time :)

tagging @planes-like-vultures for the "tag a friend to join in" bit 👋

assorted ramblings about context and intent continued under cut

The general idea in my mind for lighting was that the pink comes from the bottom right, the orange from the top right, the blue from like. forward right, and the purple from mostly the back left. i want to do a study of the lighting scenario photo reference i used after this i think cause i really like how it was photographed:

i really really like the way the colours play on her skin, which goes back to the "melanin loves colour" philosphy and using contrast and saturation to appreciate Black characters in art/photography :). i know Black people and characters are often spoken about like their skin colour inherently makes art (or photography) more difficult to accomplish, with people blaming their own racist bias and inexperience on Black people instead of simply taking the time to learn how to work with dark skin. I want Black people + especially dark skin to be portrayed as something beautiful and worth capturing within a variety of colours and contrasts.

also wanted to shoutout the two lessons i had open while working on this !!

[maenefa]

Hot take: I cannot stand the “Tale of Aragorn and Arwen.” It makes Aragorn and Arwen look like terrible people, but even worse, Tolkien did not intend for Aragorn and Arwen to be terrible people. Which means that the story is just… poorly written. I know I’ve praised Tolkien’s use of understatement as an artistic choice, but here he simply fails to communicate.

Let’s start with the character assassination of Arwen. At least Aragorn’s entitled attitude is foreshadowed in the main text of LotR, but poor Arwen gets her entire personality (such as it is) flipped upside down. I’m talking about this scene where Aragorn is dying and she suddenly discovers that death is, like, bad:

“But I say to you, King of the Númenoreans, not till now have I understood the tale of your people and their fall. As wicked fools I scorned them, but I pity them at last. For if this is indeed, as the Eldar say, the gift of the One to Men, it is bitter to receive.”

Now, Arwen barely exists in the novel, but the two character traits she gets are SMART and EMPATHETIC. Then, with these three short sentences in the appendices, Tolkien says lol no Arwen is DUMB and SELF-ABSORBED, ackchually. I know some people like Arwen becoming more complex or morally grey or whatnot, but I find this quote jarringly inconsistent with her character in the novel.

First impressions are important, and the first time Arwen appears in LotR we are told that “thought and knowledge were in her glance, as of one who has known many things that the years bring.” So right away, the main thing Tolkien wants us to know about Arwen is that she is smart and thoughtful, in addition to being beautiful. After all, she’s the daughter of the greatest lore master in Middle Earth, and she’s had over 2,000 years to browse Elrond’s library and ponder life’s mysteries. Her longest scene in LotR, the only scene where she gets to speak, is all about her empathy:

“But the Queen Arwen said: 'A gift I will give you. For I am the daughter of Elrond. I shall not go with him now when he departs to the Havens; for mine is the choice of Luthien, and as she so I have chosen, both the sweet and the bitter. But in my stead you shall go, Ring-bearer, when the time comes, and if you then desire it. If your hurts grieve you still and the memory of your burden is heavy, then you may pass into the West, until all your wounds and weariness are healed. But wear this now in memory of Elfstone and Evenstar with whom your life has been woven!'

And she took a white gem like a star that lay upon her breast hanging upon a silver chain, and she set the chain around Frodo's neck. 'When the memory of the fear and the darkness troubles you,' she said, 'this will bring you aid.”

Arwen is the reason Frodo goes to the Grey Havens. No one else sees him and his pain quite this clearly. Even Sam is shocked when Frodo leaves, thinking that he was going to “enjoy the Shire for years and years.” But Arwen gets him. Instantly. Her mother left Middle Earth after suffering great torment, and Arwen makes that connection and offers Frodo the same healing that her mother chose.

Why does Arwen wear a necklace that apparently has some kind of magic trauma-soothing powers? Does it help her when she is feeling sad about Celebrian? Is it a parallel to the Elessar, the healing stone that Aragorn carries (his Elfstone, her Evenstar)? In any case, giving it away to Frodo reinforces Arwen’s generous, thoughtful nature. She takes after her father: kind as summer, skilled at healing. For I am the daughter of Elrond.

This deeply empathetic Arwen seems too imaginative for the smugness of “as wicked fools I scorned them.” If Arwen LITERALLY didn’t try to understand how the Numenorians felt until her husband was dying in front of her, that’s… horrifying. Did Arwen really shrug off the deaths of Eowyn and Faramir and all the humans she knew in Gondor, in addition to any humans she met over centuries of living in Rivendell? Did she never feel pity for her own infant children who were born “doomed to die”? When Arwen chose death for herself, she also chose it for her children!

The idea that Arwen couldn’t figure out why the Numenorians were sad about dying is just ridiculous, especially because Arwen never has anything positive to say about mortality, ever! Aragorn is the one who pushes her to renounce her immortality, and she hesitates for a long time before saying, “I will cleave to you, Dúnadan, and turn from the Twilight. Yet there lies the land of my people and the long home of all my kin.” And Elrond straight up tells Aragorn, “I fear that to Arwen the Doom of Men may seem hard at the ending.” There is no indication that Arwen has a rosy view of mortality!

To me, Arwen’s words about the Numenorians feel like sloppy writing. I imagine Tolkien meant something like “losing you is even worse than I imagined,” not “I am a spoiled elf princess who has never questioned the Elf Catechism until this exact moment.”

Or no. It’s worse than that. The entire story is imbued with this idea that Arwen has no life outside of Aragorn! Tolkien never explains how Aragorn grew up in Rivendell without learning that Elrond had a daughter. Seriously, he is 20 at their first meeting and he asks her if Elrond has kept her “locked in his hoard”? Classy! And when Aragorn dies, Arwen immediately leaves her children and loved ones behind to go die alone in Lothlorien. Because there’s no way she could carry on for a few more years and enjoy her grandkids, apparently.

And this is a trope with Tolkien! There’s Rian, who leaves her newborn son behind to go die on her husband’s grave, and Melian, who peaces out to Valinor the second her husband is killed (instead of staying around to govern Doriath). Eowyn’s mother dies of grief after her husband is killed in battle. It’s a very icky double standard—the male characters tend to soldier on after their wives die (Finwe, Turgon, Denethor, Theoden).

The idea that Aragorn’s death is the first one that has really mattered to Arwen and that she has nothing to live for without him is just… sexism! That’s all it is.

Edit: I have a new theory that “as wicked fools I scorned them” is a reflection of Tolkien’s own fire-and-brimstone attitude towards the Numenorians. Arwen could have mourned sincerely for Faramir and Eowyn, even if feeling sorry for the fallen Numenorians was considered immoral and taboo in her society.

[ohno-elrond]

FAVE CREATORS ART CHALLENGE: PART ONE

(based on ana's wonderful idea!!!)

so i wanted to do a shout-out on here as well because i think the rings of power fandom has many many talented individuals! of course i will forget people and cannot tag everyone and this fandom is far too big but if you create things, know you are appreciated and you are so important to fandom <3333

let's start with gifs & graphics makers. i'm honestly impressed with the amount of edits some of you have made like damn, y'all productive 😂

(in no particular order)

@letthefairyinyoufly i loooove how sharp your gifs are, and your coloring is always SO pretty 😍 this is still my fave set of yours this year because i feel it's so different from your usual sets but it's soooo cool and creative!! dagor dagorath my beloved <3

@ceeyoutea i'm mostly amazed by how consistent you can color and it always looks good??? HOW? teach me your ways!! i love this set of yours, the quote is so perfect. but honestly all your saurondriel gifs are incredible.

@saudariel hehe of course gotta mention the bestie 😌 rj you know all the good i think of your gifs and how i'm in awe of your talent and every set blows me away etc etc. ily. all your gifs are stunning i can't pick a fave ok don't sue me.

@withered-rose-with-thorns ana!!! i love your coloring style, i immediately know when you're the one behind a set hehe :D love when you're being creative like with this half-maia celebrian set (still my fave of yours). it's sooo good, the font is a great pick and the cropping is incredible on the bottom gifs omg.

@thequeensjester obviously gotta mention you because your graphics are out of this world gorgeous!!! the way you make the colors pop, your use of textures, your fontwork, etc. i can go on for a while. truly you're so talented!! choosing a fave is too difficult, i'm in love with everything you make.

@elena-gilbert yet another super talented creator! looove your coloring style so much. also love how you aren't afraid to try out different fonts, effects or transitions!! my fave set is this one i'm obsessed with the yellow and how it pops. the coloring is truly gorgeous and that glitch on the last gif is so cool. and the quote choice is obviously perfect for them <3

@percysjakcson wanted to do a shoutout to your coloring skills because your sets are sooooo pretty. love this one in particular, this purple is stunning!!!

@lexys i keep repeating myself at this point 😂 but god i love your coloring!!! it looks so natural and soft. and your gifs are so high quality too. love your lotr / trop parallels sets <3

@martanis loooove the sweet pink in your gifsets haha. no but honestly your coloring is so nice to look at, i'm jealous!! so many gorgeous gifsets. and i wanted to thank you in particular for making gifs and edits of the cast as well.

@fukutomichi yet another person with excellent coloring skills! love your creativity as well, especially with layouts. and your gifs are so sharp and high quality!! and you always pick such good shots too. wanted to give you a super special shoutout as well because you always gif all the characters, giving each of them the spotlight they deserve 🥰

@sugurugetos more quality coloring can be found here :D it's so pretty!! i love their darkness? if that makes sense. like i personally tend to sometimes go overboard with the brightness. idk i'm rambling. anyway gotta talk about this set though because it still makes me laugh. he's so silly. love it.

@goodsirs stunning nice and crisp gifsets just like i love them. great natural-looking coloring as well. no notes, all around wonderful work, chef's kiss <3

@celebrimborium of course had to mention you!! gorgeous coloring and creative sets. love the fonts you use as well. really tough to pick a fave but my heart goes out to this set because it's so cool and i'm a sucker for a good color + b&w contrast. that font is amazing too!! they're just lil creechers 😌

@cuthalions your coloring is soooooooo gorgeous, there's a softness to it that i love. all your sets are beautiful but i love this one in particular because the typography is incredible. the gifs are so sharp and just so nice to look at!!! and that middle gif with the incredible b&w and that quote has me on the floor. and love all your book inspired edits as well!

@rithe ohh the way i'm in love with your edits, the cropping is exquisite!!! and i love your coloring so much. my fave are your song edits tho, they're soooooo pretty to look at. (this one in particular) i'm in love with that font you use. and the caps you choose are SO fitting!! gah 😍

@rhaenyradaemons your coloring is SO pretty julia!!! it's got that muted softness i love (idk how to describe it, i'm tired haha) and they're nicely sharp and clean. just very pleasing to look at :D

@emziess i love your coloring so muchhhh. i think this one is my fave, i love the rich and warm yellow contrasting with the blueish tone on the first & last one. and they're so sharp and nice! beautiful work all around <3

this took a lot longer than expected and now i'm exhausted so part two will be another day 😂

if you read all this, congrats to you!!

like i said this fandom is filled with talented people and i'm so happy to see all your beautiful creations!! may 2025 be inspiring to you all. i cannot wait to see all the new things you will create in the future 😘

[sonofarathorns]

thoughts after watching lotr in theaters for the first time 🥹

• it was amazing and i’ve hardly stopped thinking of it since.

• i loved being in an audience where the wide majority of people in the theater had already seen the movies before. like people dressed in ren faire clothes or lotr graphic tees.

• everyone quoted “second breakfast” and “po-tay-toes” and laughed at “oh yes we could!” and “one does not simply…” and “they’re taking the hobbits to isengard!” and “roast chicken?!” and so many others.

• everyone clapped at the end of the first two movies (as we should!)

• a lot of people cried at the end of the third movie but it was too bittersweet and atmosphere to clap (although i really wanted to, because !!!!!)

• fellowship has the best score to listen to in a theater, for me. there is no beating the ring goes south right after the council of elrond and the caverns of isengard and concerning hobbits. cinematography was excellent, as usual, but on such a huge screen i could tell even more.

• the two towers is my favorite lotr movie, because i love the anticipatory dread of the battle of helms deep, ROHAN!!!, aragorn’s leadership and character development, the way the movie ends…

• ^ the soundtrack is also incredible like the music during anything rohan related just ugh. i do think however that while this is my favorite lotr movie, my favorite to watch in a movie theater is…

• return of the king. something about this rewatch hit different and i was glued to the screen the whole time. nobody went to the bathroom. it was so intense and you didn’t want to miss a single part. “i can’t carry it for you, but i can carry you!” “i’m glad to be with you sam, here at the end of all things” “how do you pick up the threads of an old life?” “you cannot always be torn in two. you’ll have to be one and whole for many years” my heart 😩

• i haven’t stopped listening to the soundtracks since and it’s put me in a serious mood for baking and gardening and doing hobbity things 😂 i’m already planning my ren faire outfit for october!

[jurakan]

Do you have any thoughts about who/what Tom Bombadil might symbolize/represent/evoke in Lord of the Rings in relation to Tolkien's Catholicism? (I am watching Rings of Power and extremely excited to see my boy Tom)

I'm going to be real with you: I don't know.

[IT'S YA BOI]

Tom Bombadil, as you probably know, is an utterly bizarre figure, given that he was first protagonist of some children's stories before he hopped into the Hobbit sequel as Tolkien was writing it. And in it, he isn't just some guy. He's apparently ancient, as in he says he was in Arda (Earth) before the Dark Lord's arrival from "Outside". If the Dark Lord in question is Sauron, then he's pretty damn old. If it's Morgoth, then that means he is as old as the Earth itself.

Which is! By the way! Supported by the text: as the Tolkien Gateway points out, he calls himself "Eldest," and the elves call him "First" and "Oldest and fatherless", and outside Eru (God) and the Valar/Maiar, no one in the Legendarium is "fatherless". He was apparently in Arda before the trees and landscape, which is, uh, basically as the world was being formed in Tolkien. In The Silmarillion, Morgoth is also the first of the Valar to flee to the world after it was created? So, uh... he's literally old as dirt. He also is apparently sinless? Or at the very least, devoid of obvious temptation, because the Ring has no effect on him whatsoever.

Which makes him hard to place from a Catholic perspective. The Valar/Maiar are quite obviously parallels to both pagan deities and angels, in a way that is clear to even casual readers. It's not hard to fit the Valar into that role, knowing the author is Catholic--"Oh, here are angelic figures that ancient men mistook for gods! Okay!" And you can put different events in The Silmarillion into those sorts of ideas. But Bombadil doesn't fit neatly into that kind of slot. Tolkien also wasn't too helpful, as he deliberately did not clarify Bombadil too much, because he thought that the mythic Middle-Earth needed some mysteries kept.

It is tempting to say that Tom's meant to be God Himself, given at one point Gandalf (I think?) says, "He is," reminiscent of God's name in the Bible ("I Am"). But given Tom's married, and Tolkien was devoutly Catholic (he sang Latin in Mass after Vatican II) I don't think this works. Some have suggested that he's an avatar of Tolkien himself, though I don't know where that's coming from.

This Aleteia article has this quote from a letter, but it does not say which letter, so I am not sure how reliable this is:

“I do not mean him to be an allegory – or I should not have given him so particular, individual, and ridiculous a name – but ‘allegory’ is the only mode of exhibiting certain functions: he is then an ‘allegory,’ or an exemplar, a particular embodying of pure (real) natural science: the spirit that desires knowledge of other things, their history and nature, because they are ‘other’ and wholly independent of the enquiring mind, and wholly unconcerned with ‘doing’ anything with the knowledge: Zoology and Botany, not Cattle-Breeding or Agriculture.”

Said article goes on to compare this to Saint Augustine's approach to knowledge.

This article I found compares him to a Biblical angel in his role in the narrative--though the author makes a point to say that he doesn't think that Bombadil is, in-universe, an angelic being (again, he doesn't appear to be one of the Valar/Maiar), only that he fulfills that narrative function. Which is on to something, I think--Biblical stories, and medieval Catholic legends, often have an angel appear randomly and help out the protagonist only to disappear and never again play a role in that person's life. In LotR, it's enforced, because when Frodo suggests giving the Ring to Tom, Gandalf and Elrond point out that he'd probably forget about the Ring, which is as dangerous as leaving it out in the open.

So I think--and I'm not a scholar on this, so take this with a pinch of salt, friend--I think Tom is something of an odd, medieval pagan figure (that is, an incarnation of the natural world, or an aspect of it, at least) that is being applied in a Christian story. Ancient and medieval legends did this sometimes, like Saint Anthony and the satyr or Sir Orfeo, because these people certainly believed creatures like fairies or satyrs existed, but tried to fit them into the Christian universe. Which is fair, I guess, because there's nothing in the Bible that says these sorts of things don't exist, so there's no reason a guy like Bombadil can't be running around out there, as long as acknowledges what the rest of the order of creation is (which Tom does).

I'm also tempted to draw some sort of parallel-like line (???) to Melchizedek in the Book of Genesis--a mysterious figure who is oddly helpful at the beginning of the story (Genesis), and also kicked off a lot of speculation. He is also sometimes seen as very old, or having parallels to angelic figures, or even God Himself.

I'm sorry this answer wasn't as helpful as something straightforward, but it's the best I could do.

[acourtofthought]

I always think about the statement Nesta made in the new cresent city where she met Bryce and Azriel was there. I haven’t read CC but I saw that statement in passing and for some reason that statement stays with me. It goes something like “I have learnt to just let fate happen in our world” aka prythian. I can’t remember exactly how she says it because like I said I haven’t read the books so it’s not verbatim.

But for some reason that statement makes me so sure of Elucien. If they are truly destined to be together by fate, if they are truly mates. Then there’s no way SJM would not explore it and make them endgame.

it’s also a really good quote that can be applied to even real life stuff lol. If you have seen it or can remember reading something like that, please share it. I honestly am blank on how I saw it and I don’t want to start looking for it because I am afraid of CC spoilers. I don’t know if it’s in a BC or the actual books.

I'm not sure where that specific line is but when it comes to fate and destiny, that is Sarah's jam. She doesn't write about a character fighting their destiny and winning because "choice matters!". She literally writes her characters all wanting to avoid their destiny and ending up embracing said destiny because it leads to them saving their world.

Feyre's goal was to have enough food, marry off her sisters, and spend her life painting. Yet when she found that with Tamlin, the food and peace to paint where he would protect her, she started rebelling against. She realized that she wanted more, she wanted to fight for their world and ended up ruling a court as High Lady (something she did not want to be called in Spring). Aelin's goal was to ride out her years as the Kings assassin then live a quiet life, running from her truth and her destiny as Queen of Terrasen. To the point that her friend orchestrated her own death in order to spur Aelin into action. But Aelin living a quiet life is not the story we got though, was it? Instead Aelin decided that what she wanted was no more important than facing her destiny and helping save their world. Nesta's choice was to shut herself away from people she could have feelings for. She wanted to avoid training, avoid growing close to anyone she could lose. That's what she WANTED. But is that where she ended up? Nope. So when people say "Elain deserves to have a choice!" it makes me cackle because Elain's current choices are not the kind that will save lands. They not the current choices that make her a fantasy heroine. I would never throw any shade to someone if they, in their real life, wanted to live a quiet peaceful life but let's be real, nobody is writing fantasy books where that's the premise. LOTR wouldn't be what it was if Frodo had stayed in the Shire. Just like every other SJM female main character, Elain is not going to get "what she wants" because what she currently is demonstrating is not someone who is a serious player in the ACOTAR world. Elain ending up happy in love will only come after she finally steps into female main character energy in her book and 10 times out of 10, the love interest a fmc thinks she wants to have a "quiet and peaceful life" at the start of her journey is not who she ends up with. Sarah has clearly set up Lucien as the MMC who will be beside her when it's time for her to do more. "The Spring Court had been made for someone like Elain", "Nesta would have told her to visit this place" and "We need to contact Lucien and permanently station him in Spring" (paraphrasing). We also had Elain's father at Koschei's lake with Lucien, with Lucien "setting his sights on Koschei" and with Elain being the only one who has had visions of the girls at the lake and the box Koschei hides. And we all know what happens when one of Sarah's fmc ends up in forced proximity with a mmc she was fighting against.

[chicken-wayng]

Helaena Targaryen rant y'all don't wanna read but need to:

I hate how people insinuate/assume that because Helaena is autistic coded that she doesn't get angry/feel emotion. (Some have even gone as far to say she doesn't love her own children?!?!?!!!)

The sketch below my stepdad did for me when I was little, we both loved LOTR and fantasy and he was an artist. I've moved around a lot since I was younger but I finally have a place of my own and this is one of the few things I have left and I just found it. I cried for hours, I was so happy. Spent another hour putting tape on it so it wouldn't be as fragile.

(Image description: an old, anthropomorphic dragon sketch)

The night I put it up I'd invited a girl I'd been flirting with for some time over. I showed it off, told the story with more details. She said she liked it. Then an hour or so later we ran to a restaurant to grab dinner, and ofc I'm STILL talking about dragons. Then she says and I quote, "I just don't think dragons should have arms. They should be more bat-like. Otherwise they look fake and ugly."

... Okay, bet. Friend zoned.

Now before you call me stupid, or dumb, or a bitch, realize idgaf. Not a single one. The point of this story was to illuminate that autistic people are people, which means we feel emotion and have thoughts,,, wow, amiright???!!! Total shocker! 🤯🤯🤯

Now personal anecdote aside, you wanna look at these pics and tell me she isn't in pain? Set aside your prejudice and assumptions and look at how well she is portraying Helaena's anguish. There's no denying we have not got enough screen time (obvs the producers care more about money than releasing a well thought out story. When the actors, writers and set are wanting to do more episodes and the viewers are watching/paying for it then why not give more? Because more money goes out of MAX/the producer's greedy pockets... But I'll step off this soap box for now) with her and her personality. However a lot of y'all's hcs are just plain ableistic.

It's 3am I'm going to bed y'all sort yourselves out before I'm back🙃💀

[theheirofthesharingan]

tolkien said sam was the chief hero of lord of the rings. also frodo wouldn't have made it out of the shire without him. sam carried frodo on his shoulders in mordor and fought shelob all alone.

tolkien said sam was the chief hero of lord of the rings.

He didn't, apparently. The chief hero quote is a heavily misquoted, perverted phrase LotR fandom has perpetuated without using any critical thinking because it serves their bias. The entire quote, within the context of the letter, means and says something else entirely.

Since we now try to deal with 'ordinary life', springing up ever unquenched under the trample of world policies and events, there are love-stories touched in, or love in different modes, wholly absent from The Hobbit. But the highest love-story, that of Aragorn and Arwen Elrond's daughter is only alluded to as a known thing. It is told elsewhere in a short tale. Of Aragorn and Arwen Undómiel. I think the simple 'rustic' love of Sam and his Rosie (nowhere elaborated) is absolutely essential to the study of his (the chief hero's) character, and to the theme of the relation of ordinary life (breathing, eating, working, begetting) and quests, sacrifice, causes, and the 'longing for Elves', and sheer beauty. But I will say no more, nor defend the theme of mistaken love seen in Eowyn and her first love for Aragorn. But altogether it would hardly amount to the excision of a single long chapter.

People miss the whole context. Here, the theme is that of Love. The characters in question are Sam (rustic, simple love) being compared to Aragorn (higher, nobler love). Tolkien also mentions Éowyn because of her feelings towards Aragorn. It's not a comparison between Frodo and Sam. LotR is a story about the hobbits and all four serve a purpose in the story. They all start out as fairytale heroes but only three return with a gain. Frodo is the tragic hero of the tale.

Furthermore, in many of his letters, Tolkien talks about Frodo as the central character.

Here is a small consignment of 'The Ring': the last two chapters that have been written, and the end of the Fourth Book of that great Romance, in which you will see that, as is all too easy, I have got the hero into such a fix that not even an author will be able to extricate him without labour and difficulty. Lewis was moved almost to tears by the last chapter. All the same, I chiefly want to hear what you think, as for a long time now I have written with you most in mind. (letter #91).

Many people think since Sam is the only one (physically) present there, Tolkien is talking about Sam; but in truth, the one character who is in 'fix' here is Frodo. The main objective of the story is how will Frodo, with Sam's help, go to Mordor and destroy the Ring. Since Sam abandons the idea of destroying the Ring and chooses to follow Frodo's 'dead body', hence endangering the fate of the world, I doubt it has to be about him. We need Frodo to save the world. And we need Sam to save Frodo. Without Frodo, Middle-earth is doomed and the story and the plot cannot go any further than this.

In another letter to David Masson (1955), Tolkien says this:

'Surely how often "quarter" is given is off the point in a book that breathes Mercy from start to finish: in which the central hero is at last divested of all arms, except his will?

(emphasis is mine)

Frodo is the one who divests himself of all arms. And it's his will that's repeatedly talked about throughout the story. The central hero Tolkien talking about here is him.

In The Silmarillion, Frodo is the only character mentioned from the Fellowship. Gandalf is mentioned as Olórin, not Gandalf. Surely, it's a bird-eye view of LotR, but the sentence that was phrased as 'Frodo with the help of his servant destroyed the ring' could also have been said differently with Sam being in focus instead. In the letter #246, JRRT goes in extreme detail regarding Frodo, his heroism, his contribution to the quest, and his relevance in the story thematically. Frodo was the antithesis of Sauron and fought against him singlehandedly. The battle of wills, not any physical battle. In the Field of Cormallen, both Frodo and Sam are honoured, but Frodo is still bestowed with the highest honour for his service (they sang 'Frodo of the Nine Fingers in his honour). Tolkien's words on this:

Frodo deserved all honour because he spent every drop of his power of will and body, and that was just sufficient to bring him to the destined point, and no further. Few others, possibly no others of his time, would have got so far. The Other Power then took over: the Writer of the Story (by which I do not mean myself), 'that one ever-present Person who is never absent and never named' (as one critic has said). (Letter #192)

also frodo wouldn't have made it out of the shire without him.

It's been many years since I read the book, so my memory might betray me, but if I remember it correctly, Sam helped them in the Old Forest because he was the only not under the spell of the tree (Old Man Willow, I suppose). In other instances Frodo took precautions himself. He knew whom to trust. The rest was handled by Merry and Pippin while they left their home and met Strider. Frodo saved his friends from Barrow Wight at the Downs, was the only one to summon courage enough to get back at the Nazgúl while the other three hobbits were terrified. Are you sure you aren't making any overstatements in your comments?

sam carried frodo on his shoulders in mordor and fought shelob all alone.

His contribution in helping Frodo and getting him to Mordor, even on his shoulder, are undeniable. He has a long list of accomplishments, for which he was generously rewarded in the end. But his accomplishments don't make him the 'true hero of LotR', definitely not greater than Frodo.

I can't recall the taste of food, nor the sound of water, nor the touch of grass. I'm naked in the dark. There's nothing — no veil between me and the wheel of fire. I can see him with my waking eyes.

This was Frodo's condition while they were nearing Orodruin. He still didn't give up. No one else, I repeat no one else, was put through these conditions, not even Sam. There comes a time when the Ring physically forces Frodo to put itself on. He resists it and then finds Galadriel's phial. When Sam carries Frodo on his shoulders, he states Frodo hardly weighed more than a hobbit child. It was either Sam was rewarded for his kindness or Frodo had actually lost so much weight that he didn't even weigh more than a child at that time.

'All gave some and some gave all' is a quote I read somewhere. Frodo was the one who gave all he had. He was the kindest, bravest, and most selfless hobbit. Tolkien might have meant Sam to be the chief hero/main character, but that means that for a 'supporting character', Frodo is far more heroic, relevant to the story, because without him, the story wouldn't even exist.

___

I hope this answer was convincing enough for you, anon. Thanks for reminding me why I grew to dislike LotR fandom so much. Apparently, anything pro Frodo must be responded with "sam is the true hero" and "tolkien said so" without looking at the context of the phrases because it helps you with your own bias.

[tinkerbitch69]

Huh, so thanks to verilybitchie’s most recent video essay on LOTR, (go watch!) I discovered that Tolkien described writing as a process similar to cooking. In his analogy, the writer mixes together idea’s, inspiration and other ingredients to create a new ‘meal’ (I.e story)

Which I find really interesting because Tolkien is without a doubt my biggest inspiration as a writer and despite never hearing this quote before, this is always how I’ve described my own writing process. Which just goes to show how much this guy has inspired me with his ‘recipes.’ What else is there to say other than;

*chef’s kiss* 😘

Link : https://youtu.be/FBHe5I98nwg?si=aIDzH09QZx8zXGNt

[lost-and-cursed]

Autobiography, epeolatry, and book-bosomed for the book ask!

Autobiography: Who is the protagonist you most relate to?

That's very funny question to answer because to be completely honest it's a character from the book that weren't translated from Russian into like... any language. It's a fantasy where he, Roque Alva, is both highest marshall and a duke, ridiculously competent and depressed, effectively immortal (because of the curse) and also everyone around him die or betray him (because of the curse) and he thinks that the curse is he sold his soul to devil or smth (it's not). He also bisexual disaster, proponent of make problems bestowed on him other people's problem and a war criminal(also a bit OP). He was my role model since I was sixteen, helped to circumvent certain mental health patterns (i really didn't want to end up like him lmao) and was the first and only character I can claim to "kin" in popular understanding of the word. We are just on the same wavelength. And he also was a breath of fresh air in occasionally hair-tearing passages of book

The hero of the Night.

Speaking from the books someone realistically might read... Idk. I found myself really relating to Hamlet.

(maybe the secret is i feel kinship with characters that are just Haunted by their life)

Epeolatry: What is your favorite book quote?

Oh. All the questions are out to get me. For the record, I have exceptionally bad memory. Like I barely can remember words you said to me 30 seconds ago. I won't remember quote if I didn't reread it fairly recently. I constantly awed by different quotes in the books, but unfortunately I don't keep track of them. That said

'But look, you found the notice, didn't you? ' 'Yes,' said Arthur, 'yes I did. It was on display in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying Beware of the Leopard.

From the Hitchhiker's guide to galaxy. I both remember it (noticeable quality) and enjoy it tremendously.

Book-bosomed: what is a book you feel everyone should read?  

Depends on how you pose a question. If I had ability to force everyone read one book

... because it's amazing?

Cloud Atlas, David Mitchell. Very thoughtful, multiple perspectives, interesting wordbuilding, plays around with language, combines few different genres and eras

... because how do you stil don't know it how how I'll start chewing your shoes ?

Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien. Both The Staple and The Cradle of Fantasy. If you absolutely must read only one fantasy book. Let it be Tolkien. It has everything. Is pretty amazing. Wordbuilding out for my heart.

(but I was lately informed that a lot of people don't enjoy reading it because it's epos, and I am not really cruel and also don't really believe that anyone Must read something)

(if I was unusually cruel Silmarillion would be so funny for the book to force people to read, most of them won't even read LOTR, comedy gold)

If I was to recommend a book keeping in mind that not all people like dense books?

Probably aforementioned Hitchhiker's guide to galaxy. It's easy. It's fun. It has puns. 42.

Or wait hmmmmmmmmmmm

It's my chance to propagate amazing unpopularish stuff.

So everyone goes to read Myth Adventures cycle by Robert Asprin (first few books are really cool and then read as much as you feel like).

It has very good dialogue, and sniping and sarcasm. It's a comedy and slight parody on the genre with backwater mage student that dreams of becoming a Thief and reluctant teacher who lost his magic just now as he was summoned to this backwater town and now they need to flee from the assassins and learn magic on the road. Also teacher big and green and has sharp teeth hope this helps

[violent-optimism]

My favourite domination quotes from every TF2 Merc

Holy cow this took a while but was so fun to put together.

Because let’s be honest…the domination voice lines are one of the best things about playing TF2. You can’t tell me it’s not satisfying (or hilarious) when you hear one of these!

Scout:

To Soldier: “What’s your major malfunction, brother?”

(This is a reference to the movie Full Metal Jacket with a character that Soldier is definitely based off of)

To Medic: “Real nice effort, Deutsch-bag!”

To Pyro: “Dude, you’d get a closed casket at the ugly cemetery”

To Sniper: “You’ll never hit me! You’ll never hit my tiny head! It’s so tiny, I got a frickin’…such a tiny little head!

(If I ever hear this as Sniper I might just throw my mouse out the window lol)

To Spy: “Hehe, hey look! You shapeshifted into a dead guy!”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Soldier:

 “If God had wanted you to live, he would not have created ME!”

To Demoman: “Scotland is not a real country! You are an Englishman in a dress!”

To Pyro: “You cannot burn me, I do not have time to combust!”

To Engineer: “Go back to Calgary, you cow-herdin’ Canadian!”

(As a Canadian, this one just tickles me. Why does he think Engie is from Alberta? I’m honestly shocked that Soldier knows the name of a single Canadian city lol).

To Medic: “Ich Bin I just kicked your ass!”

(“Ich Bin” means “I am” in German, which means Soldier said “I am I just kicked your ass” LOL)

To Sniper: “You just got dominated, Bilbo Baggins!”

(I have NO clue why he says this but as a LOTR fan I fucking love it. If anyone can explain the connection that would be cool.)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gonna skip Pyro for obvious reasons, sorry Pyro! :(

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Demoman:

To Pyro: Go to hell! And tell the devil I’m coming for him next!”

(Damn that goes hard)

To Medic: “How’s that ‘doing no harm’ working out for you, then?”

To Sniper: “I hate you campers! Everyone bloody hates you!”

(Jesus Demo, what did he do to you? lol)

“They’re going to bury what’s left of you in a soup can!”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Heavy:

(No character specific lines but I still enjoy them)

“You are dead. Not big surprise.”

“Killing you is full time job now.”

“Entire team is babies!”

“I think you should fight someone much, much smaller!”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Engineer:

To Scout: “Boy, this here is just gonna keep happening and happening.”

To Soldier: “That there is just a sad display, boy.”

To Demoman: “Drunk on the battlefield ain’t no way to be, son.”

(I love how he calls everyone “boy” or “son” lol)

To another Engineer: “I’m wolverine-mean you son of a bitch.”

To Medic: “You must be a doctor, ‘cause you just saw the extent of my patience!”

(My personal fav)

To Sniper: “Down under? More like six feet down under.”

To Spy: “If ya’ll had more gadgets for killin’, you wouldn’t need so many for hidin’.”

(We love a sassy short king)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Medic:

(Also doesn’t have any character specific lines, but there are some gems)

“Would you like a second opinion? You are also ugly!”

“I do not think we brought enough body bags!”

“Aww, did the Fraulein’s have their Mittelschmerz?”

(Translation: “Did the ladies get their period cramps?” Damn Medic that is…something lol)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sniper:

(Maybe I’m biased but I swear he has the best lines in the game.)

“If your strategy is to build me confidence, it’s working.”  

To Soldier: “Oi, lend us your shovel so I can dig your grave!”

(Jesus Christ lol)

To Demoman: “Ace reflexes, you bomb-chuckin’ waste of good scotch!”

To Engineer: You are inventing loads of new ways to get killed by me!” (The freaking sass when he says this, it’s unparalleled)

To Medic: “Sorry, there nurse, I mistook you for an actual threat!”

(OUCH)

To another Sniper: “You’re making this so easy. I’m actually getting worse.”

To Spy: “Aww, did I get blood on your suit?”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Spy:

“I never really was on your side.”

To Scout: “Here lies Scout, he ran fast and died a virgin.”

(Stop, stop, he’s already dead!)

To Demoman: “Here’s what I have that you don’t: a functioning liver, depth perception and a pulse!”

To Heavy: “You died as you lived…morbidly obese!” (Spy really doesn’t pull any punches lol)

To Engineer: “Did I throw a wrench into your plans?” *laughs*

To Medic: “Aww, you almost healed me to death that time!”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gosh this took me way longer to write than I would’ve expected so I hope somebody reads it lol

Comment below with your favourite TF2 line (or put it in the tags). I have to know!

[alu3e]

heres my pinned 'intro' post

hi im emma / any prononus goes!

i barely know how to use tumblr still so its a total mess here. i also despise the english language and i dont apologise for any misspellings they are all in spite. (quote that one ao3 note)

i like lotr / hobbit and also poldark and arcane and star wars.

goodbye

[dweemeister]

2024 Movie Odyssey for-fun awards

I haven't done this in six years. Though the 2024 Movie Odyssey is complete and the 2025 Movie Odyssey is underway, I am currently working through all of the categories for the 2024 Movie Odyssey Awards (which I am aiming to post on Sunday, January 12).

Given the fact I haven't done the for-fun awards in six years, I might be a bit rusty. But here goes - honors and dishonors that don't quite fit the Movie Odyssey Awards. A reminder that each of these films were movies that I saw for the first time in their entirety last calendar year!

Best conversation: Caleb Sykes (Jamie Campbell Bower) and Hayes Ellison (Kevin Costner)’s conversation filled with veiled threats while walking up a hill, Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 (2024)

No, Horizon wasn’t that great. Yes, it’s a vanity project. Yes, the 181-minute runtime while awaiting a potential three other sequels is killer. But the extended time allows you to fill in your movie with a scene where two men are ostensibly having a friendly conversation, but beneath those niceties are threats that simmer just underneath their words. Yes, Horizon is an indulgence. But there are more than a few instances of brilliant filmmaking within.

Best moment: “I Could Use a Boost”, The Wild Robot (2024)

For those of you who have seen the film, you know exactly what scene I’m talking about here. A major assist here from Kris Bowers’ spectacular score – one that I’d argue is the best for any movie released in 2024. This scene felt like an early ending for the film, didn’t it?

Best movie father: George Rose (Cary Grant), Room for One More (1952)

Grant – alongside his actual wife at the time, Betsy Drake – stars in one of the better family movies from ‘50s Hollywood. That sound you heard were a few of my tumblr followers, whose celebrity crush is Cary Grant, screaming with delight.

Best movie mother: Roz (voiced by Lupita Nyong’o), The Wild Robot (2024)

Okay, it’s won two of the first four awards. But that’s it. Keep going!

Best on-screen friendship: Grace (voiced by Sarah Snook) and Pinky (voiced by Jacki Weaver), Memoir of a Snail (2024)

The least transactional friendship I saw on screen this year. Genuine love for the other, brought to you by Adam Elliot – whose characters find a way to persevere despite their tragic backgrounds. Bugger!

Best quote: “I'm gonna give you a break. I'm gonna fix it, so you don't hear the bullets.” – Mr. Brown (Richard Conte) speaking to Joe McClure (Brian Donlevy) in The Big Combo (1955)

This quote makes far more sense and becomes far more menacing in context. Trust me. Without spoiling too much, Conte here is granting Donlevy (who devout worshippers at the church of film noir will know is a quintessential noir character actor, but is in an unusually meeker role here) what he believes to be a mercy. This scene was also shot spectacularly.

Best theatrical experience (as an audience member): The Frida Cinema’s repertory screening of The Lord of the Rings (1972)

It had been too long since I saw Ralph Bakshi’s take on LOTR (a movie I rate higher than most, but would only conditionally recommend). And in that time, I forgot how unintentionally funny the whole damn thing was. Having a sellout crowd on hand only made things that much more enjoyable.

Best theatrical experience (in my capacity as Viet Film Fest Artistic Director): High school students’ day screenings

For those not in the know, Viet Film Fest always begins its in-person screenings every year with a handful of screenings intended for high school students in the Little Saigon area in Orange County who are taking Vietnamese language courses. It’s a field trip for them, and you feel the energy pulsing through the theater on that opening morning.

Also, I almost never sit down and watch a full film/short film set through as Artistic Director. Too many things to do.

Best title (feature): Children of a Lesser God (1986)

Thanks should go to Tennyson.

Best title (short): Mom, Dad… I Want to Be a Porn Star (2024)

I mean, come on! With compliments to director Corey Cao Nguyen and his team!

Best worldbuilding: Mars Express (2023, France)

The filmmakers knew exactly what sort of world they wanted their characters to inhabit right from the get-go. And for a ninety-minute cyberpunk movie not based on any previously published material at all, their background storytelling achievement is stunning stuff.

Biggest disappointment: Perfect Days (2023, Japan)

Wim Wenders serving up a sampling of Diet Ozu! Still rated this a 7.5/10, but the Criterion-heads, Letterboxd users, and other cinephiles who are online far too much had me believe this might have been better than sliced bread (or, at the very least, could hold its own against the post-War live-action cinema that is one of my specialties). I don’t think so.

Biggest (pleasant) surprise: The ending to The Wedding Banquet (1993)

In an era where happy endings for LGBTQ+ folks were elusive, perhaps the rather balanced, believable ending to The Wedding Banquet is what we should have expected. One of the finest Asian American movies ever made, overshadowed by The Joy Luck Club (released the same year).

Biggest (unpleasant) surprise: The out-of-nowhere stabbing attack in The After (2023 short)

Well, that was some way to start the Oscar-nominated Live Action shorts last year. The murder was horrifically staged, to make things worse. David Oyelowo, despite being the lead actor, is not the reason why this movie was as terrible as it was.

Do not watch on an empty stomach: The Taste of Things (2023, France)

As was the joke shared among VFF staff through much of this year! Seriously, though, make sure to have a snack on hand or eat beforehand.

Greatest discovery (actor… and director too!): Raj Kapoor

Some of you folks will be glad to know that I sought this classic Bollywood actor out by myself this time, without anybody directly recommending him (or 1951’s Awaara).

Greatest discovery (actress): Mikey Madison

I had seen Madison on-screen before, but she was in a bit role then. She is excellent in Anora (2024), however you feel about the title character.

In most need of an IRB review (TIE): Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932) and X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes (1963)

For those who don't know, an IRB review – broadly speaking – is an ethics review that is required when you are conducting a study involving humans.

Murders: Based on the Edgar Allan Poe short story of the same name, Bela Lugosi sports one of the most unconvincing unibrow I’ve seen in movies but gives a standout performance as a mad scientist trying to mix the blood of… actually, go watch this movie and read the short story. Ideal Halloween viewing. Lugosi making a frigging meal of his performance and his lines.

X: Dr. James Xavier’s (Ray Milland) research in this movie has bigger implications for humanity in this movie. Sure, he does all of the things you would imagine you would do if you suddenly had X-ray vision – I don’t have to spell this out to you – but good lord man where is your sense of ethics? Obligatory thank you to the now-late producer/director Roger Corman – who gave so many directors and actors their start in the ‘60s and ‘70s through his films at American International Pictures (AIP).

Honorable mention: The too-reckless dentistry on King Kong in Godzilla x Kong and whatever the hell else was going on in that movie

Kick-ass moment: Bruce Lee destroys the “No dogs or Chinese allowed” sign in Fist of Fury (1972, Hong Kong)

Apologies for the hilariously bad brownface and the bad English dub (I can’t find the original online)!

Least deserving of its praise: The Zone of Interest (2023, United Kingdom)

Jonathan Glazer’s film (which I wrote about here) utterly failed on one of the two things he set out to accomplish. First was to immerse us in the psychologies of the Auschwitz commandant, his wife, and other Nazis. Check, I think. Second was to take out as much cinematic artifice as possible in his film. That cinematography? That “score”? On this latter point, I thought Glazer utterly failed. Most folks didn’t see it that way.

Least likely to deserve my negative rating 10 years from now: Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)

I didn’t write on this film, but I gave it a 6/10 – which, on the blog, is right on the boundary between “fresh” and “rotten” (to use Rotten Tomatoes parlance). It was a more negative 6/10 from me. I’ve mentally checked out of the MCU years ago, and I personally don’t have much use for constant mean-spirited humor. But I don’t think the MCU has scraped the bottom of the barrel yet.

Least likely to deserve my positive rating 10 years from now: The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial (2023)

Though it debuted in America as TV movie, it was originally released at a film festival. So it counts. William Friedkin’s final movie is filled with fantastic performances. But the staging itself… just a tad too simple, isn’t it?

Moment in which I most wanted to look away from the screen: The crash scene, Society of the Snow (2023, Spain)

La sociedad de la nieve is about the disaster and recovery of the survivors who were on Uruguay Air Force Flight 571 (1972) – the flight was chartered by a Uruguayan rugby team. This scene, which has been cited by experts as among the most realistic airplane crash scenes ever put to film, is harrowing to watch. A technically outstanding movie, but more importantly honors the humanity of those who went through the ordeal.

Most beautiful use of nature: Sequoia National Park at the end of The Big Trail (1930)

For my non-Californian friends, just know that California is far more than deserts and beaches. The state has so much more, naturally, to offer. The ending of The Big Trail – not recommended for Western novices – takes place as the settlers end up in a valley, but the scene is set among enormous Sequoia trees I’ve had the privilege of seeing a few times in my life. The Big Trail was a rare ‘30s movie shot in widescreen (in 70mm, no less!), and the black-and-white photography of the groves of Sequoias is magnificent to behold. The light peeking through the canopies? Breathtaking.

Most inspirational water sports movie: Young Woman and the Sea (2024)

Technically, there were two films eligible here: The Boys in the Boat (2023; about the University of Washington rowing team that represented Team USA for Berlin 1936) and Young Woman and the Sea (about Gertrude “Trudy” Ederle – 1x gold, 2x bronze at Paris 1924, but the film concentrates on her becoming the first woman to swim the English Channel).

Having neglected to watch one of the official Olympic documentaries before last year’s 2024 Summer Olympics (oops), these two movies did okay to fill that void.

Most memorable delivery of a line: “That’s politicssssssss.” – Denzel Washington, Gladiator II (2024)

There was absolutely no need to hold onto that “s” for so long. But Denzel Washington, in a movie in which all of the principal actors seem to be acting in different movies each, decides to go for the overdramatic Shakespeare route. And as villain, it’s a fantastic choice.

Most memorable quote: “And you think that one year of medical school entitles you to plow through the riches of my Emersonian mind?” – Adam Driver, Megalopolis (2024)

First things first… I didn’t say “best quote”, you know! Second, I’m of the opinion that Megalopolis defies any judgment of “good” or “bad”. I appreciated this movie for its bold artistic swings that violate so many rules and the film was one of the best experiences I had in a theater all year.

Oh yeah, this comes from the same nutty scene where we get “go back to the cluuuub”. Folks, if someone says a line like this to you unironically, run away. Run far away.

Most overrated: Poor Things (2023)

This is a movie I never connected at all to. I thought Lanthimos’ film was very male gaze-y and its depiction of sex work extremely sanitized. Oh? One of the lessons is that Victorian times were extremely sexually repressed? What a revelation! Welcome to the twenty-first century! I gave Poor Things a 6/10.

Pixar’s Elemental (2023), which I gave a 5.5/10, was the other movie I considered for this because of how audiences (as opposed to critics) have reacted to this.

Most shocking moment: The coffee scene, The Big Heat (1953)

If you have never seen this movie, please DO NOT look this up. I audibly gasped in the theater when this happened (this was a repertory screening at the Frida Cinema in Santa Ana, CA), and I wasn’t the only one.

Most underrated: On Borrowed Time (1939)

I’ve got some bad news for the high fantasy lovers out there. Classic Hollywood largely didn’t bother with high fantasy. On Borrowed Time is a low fantasy based on a play of the same name. This is a fable regarding the inevitability of death. I found this film better-acted and better-written than your average classic film fan. Lionel Barrymore’s performance goes a long, long way here for me.

Most underseen: Ferdinand the Bull (1938 short)

I could list a litany of Viet Film Fest movies here. But to make things simpler, I won’t. Ferdinand the Bull is one of the most charming Disney animated shorts of its era and, at a time where the studio hadn’t animated too many humans yet, this is one of those shorts that sets an in-house style that lasts for a long, long time.

Never learns: Andy Hardy (Mickey Rooney) in Andy Hardy’s Private Secretary (1941), Life Begins for Andy Hardy (1941), and The Courtship of Andy Hardy (1942)

I’ve only seen 5/16 Andy Hardy movies (1937-1958). I’m not the biggest fan, but the movies are a fascinating time capsule into what an idealized America was imagined to be and what teenaged behavior was sort of like during the ‘30s and ‘40s. But…

Andy Andy Andy. Always spurting out some variant of “I’m a big man now, pop. I’ve seen a lot of things, and I have the wisdom to do better,” and then turning around and doing stupid shit. His over-extroversion, chasing girls, getting into trouble, getting into trouble that involves chasing girls? Oh my goodness. If the Andy Hardy series is any indication of what America is really like, it’s that America is run like a high school ASB. Appropriate, as Andy is his senior class president!

Go to college! Or actually stay together with Betsy Booth (Judy Garland) for crying out loud! With apologies to those who are #teampollybenedict (Ann Rutherford).

No femme, all fatale: Vera (Ann Savage) in Detour (1945)

I’m not saying anything about the plot to this film noir that is NOT recommended for anyone who is a noir novice. But Ann Savage – with that incredibly appropriate surname – might have played the meanest leading lady in a film noir. And she plays the part shockingly well.

Resulted in me losing my mind in a theater (in a good way): The long uncut shot in Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell (2023, Vietnam)

In a film filled with extremely long, uncut shots, that 20+-minute uncut shot of our main character having a few conversations, hopping on a motorbike to get to the other side of town, and the camera coming in through the window during the final conversation left me astounded. I could scarcely believe what I was seeing.

This actor should have done more movies like this: Tom Hanks, News of the World (2020)

For an actor who has long been compared to Jimmy Stewart for much of his career, it was half-surprising to me that Tom Hanks had never starred in an American Western like his predecessor before. News of the World neither fully embraces the classical Western nor the revisionist Western, and an older Hanks is very well-suited to the role here. Okay, perhaps a youthful Hanks (‘80s-‘90s) would have been unsuitable for Westerns. But he’s damn well suitable now.

Way too much body hair: Chuck Norris, The Way of the Dragon (1972, Hong Kong)

What just happened?: Megalopolis

The whole thing. The audience member speaking live to Adam Driver’s character two-thirds of the way through wasn’t even in my top five weirdest things about this movie. The IMAX theater didn’t have much folks there, but the experience was amazing!

Worst moment: THAT needle drop in War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John and Yoko (2023 short)

Yet another Beatles or Beatles-adjacent song ruined for me! I was simultaneously embarrassed for the filmmakers (who won a fucking Oscar for this anyways, largely due to heavy lobbying from Peter Jackson, Sean Ono Lennon, and many other big names) and furious. If you had a camera capturing my reaction in-theater, you would have seen my brain melt in real time.

Worst use of music: Oh, come on. You know what it is! See above!

Worst title: Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024)

It’s not a good movie, but I admit to liking it. I know Warners would like to tell you that you pronounce this “Godzilla Kong”, but that sounds like two first names lumped together (thanks, Rachel). Should it be “Godzilla times Kong”? “Godzilla ex Kong” as if us kaiju fans are shipping them? To this day, that frigging “x” bothers me, alongside that generic-as-hell subtitle!

[autistook]

if you had to pick one favorite scene from each of the LOTR movies, which would they be and why?

Oh boy.

The Fellowship of the Ring: Gandalf vs Balrog/Khazad Dûm. I think mostly because the music, acting and script in that scene are FANTASTIC. Sir Ian McKellen delivers his lines fantastically, and the score is just *chefs kiss*, especially when the rest of the Fellowship cry outside of Moria.

The Two Towers: I want to say the last march of the Ents because of, well, everything in that scene. But my heart goes to the ent-draught scene with Merry and Pippin. I can quote that whole thing from my heart, and I love how light hearted it is. I love their childish banter.

The Return of the King: This one was the hardest to decide, but I have to say the charge of the Rohirrim at Pelennor fields. Basing this on having chills everytime and crying at the grocery store today when I heard the music from my headphones. After that it's "I can't carry it for you, but I can carry you!" and after that "You bow to no one."