ella_menno: (me at a desk with a soda)
ella_menno ([personal profile] ella_menno) wrote2005-12-12 08:38 pm
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elves and dwarves and wizards, oh my

Much to my shock and surprise, all three of the kids and the husband watched LotR: TTT several times this weekend. (TNT was running it repeatedly.) I myself have never been much of a Tolkien fan – I blame this shortcoming on the mandatory seventh-grade dissection reading/analysis of The Hobbit – so I only watched bits and pieces of it.

Thanks to fannish osmosis, I was able to follow along pretty well (even though I wasn't really paying attention.) There were a few things that definitely stuck in my head, however….

1. All those “still the prettiest” icons? Okay! I totally get that now! Matter of fact, even the decidedly non-fannish husband was referring to him as “the pretty blond boy” (okay, really he said “the pretty-boy blond,” but it’s practically the same thing) by the end of the weekend.

2. How the LotR fans keep all those wacky names straight, I’ll never know. Barafaragorn? Gimlilumlas? My favorite, of course, was the oldest child referreing to Orlando Bloom’s character as “the Lego maniac.”

3. While we’re on the subject of name-confusion, can I lodge my complaint against the whole “Saruman/Sauron” thing? If you simply must have a Big Bad and his Main Henchman, could you at least do us the courtesy of giving them less-similar names? Even the nasty old Emperor gave his Darths different titles, for heaven’s sake.

4. Speaking of Star Wars, the children were quite impressed to hear that Saruman was the same guy who played Count Dooku. Oh, and we realized the reality/fiction line is still blurred for the six year old, as he kept hollering at anyone who appeared onscreen with Saruman to "watch out for his lightsaber!!"

5. So, um, Gandalf. He's dead, he's not dead, he's dead, he's not dead. Indecisive, much?

6. I was truly amused to hear the boys discussing a "Gollum vs. Dobby" smackdown; became frightened when I realized such a thing probably exists in a fic.

7. Last of all, those Ork monster thingies? Were wicked scary. Makes a lot of sense, now, why Mork was so thrilled to get off-planet. *nodnod*

[identity profile] deannie.livejournal.com 2005-12-13 02:28 am (UTC)(link)
I was truly amused to hear the boys discussing a "Gollum vs. Dobby" smackdown; became frightened when I realized such a thing probably exists in a fic.

Sadly, I'm sure that's true. *g*

[identity profile] ella-menno.livejournal.com 2005-12-13 09:21 pm (UTC)(link)
And even sadder than the "Gollum v. Dobby" is the Gollum/Dobby that has certainly been written.

[identity profile] gothphyle.livejournal.com 2005-12-13 02:41 am (UTC)(link)
Re: #3

Am I the only one who kept fighting the wholly inappropriate urge to hum "Suleiman" (or however the heck you spell the Neil diamond classic ;) every time someone said his name? I am? Oh. Well then.

[identity profile] ella-menno.livejournal.com 2005-12-13 09:23 pm (UTC)(link)
*pats your hand consolingly* And yet, I cannot mock, for I was the one muttering "Nanoo, nanoo" every time the ork-beasties galloped across the plains.

Heh.

[identity profile] rhiannon-jehane.livejournal.com 2005-12-13 03:24 am (UTC)(link)
1. All those “still the prettiest” icons? Okay! I totally get that now! Matter of fact, even the decidedly non-fannish husband was referring to him as “the pretty blond boy” (okay, really he said “the pretty-boy blond,” but it’s practically the same thing) by the end of the weekend.

Oh, yes. Orlando is quite pretty, isn't he? Actually "still the prettiest" came from a now-famous, hilarious series of fanfiction stories told in diary form by various members of the Fellowship, written by Cassie Claire. (The link goes to Legolas' diary. The Vainest Elf of All.)

2. How the LotR fans keep all those wacky names straight, I’ll never know. Barafaragorn? Gimlilumlas?

*snicker*

And I am one and I don't know how we keep the names straight, either.

My favorite, of course, was the oldest child referreing to Orlando Bloom’s character as “the Lego maniac.”

Hee!

5. So, um, Gandalf. He's dead, he's not dead, he's dead, he's not dead. Indecisive, much?

Maybe he can give Sirius lessons? *crosses fingers*

6. I was truly amused to hear the boys discussing a "Gollum vs. Dobby" smackdown; became frightened when I realized such a thing probably exists in a fic.

Oh, I'm sure. LotR is one of those fandoms where I'm very, very careful where I tread. It's got scarier scenarios than Harry Potter.

7. Last of all, those Ork monster thingies? Were wicked scary. Makes a lot of sense, now, why Mork was so thrilled to get off-planet. *nodnod*

Dude. That explains so much!

[identity profile] ella-menno.livejournal.com 2005-12-13 09:29 pm (UTC)(link)
RE: #1 - Oh, oh, oh. I read the link, and I had to go read the rest of them - SO. FUNNY. I feel like I've finally read the "LotR Humor Guide" or some such!

RE: #5 - Though I've come to terms with Sirius' death, I am ALL FOR the Gandalf not!dead lessons. (After all, it appears that said lessons come with a makeover! W00t!) *snicker*

RE: #7 - So it isn't wrong that I was muttering "nanoo, nanoo" and "shazbot" during the battle scenes?

Given the amount of fannish content these children have been exposed to, I suppose I ought not to be surprised at how quickly they took to LotR, eh?

[identity profile] dolimir-k.livejournal.com 2005-12-13 11:34 am (UTC)(link)
You so silly. *g*

[identity profile] ella-menno.livejournal.com 2005-12-13 09:29 pm (UTC)(link)
This is what I'm told....

Heh.