Trilogy Tuesday follow-up
I never did fully explain what happened on Tuesday night so I’ll just sum it up. Just before “Return of the King” was to begin, Elijah Wood (Frodo), Sean Astin (Samwise), Dominic Monaghan (Merry) and Andy Serkis (Gollum/Smeagol) showed up to say hello to the troops sitting through 10 hours and 35 minutes of film. I’m not usually all that impressed with being in the presence of celebrities, but it was awfully nice of them to come and show their appreciation to the Rings fans. The New York Times has the rundown. (Free registration required.)
A quote from the Times peice:
“Oh, my God,” Mr. Wood said. “You people just sat through one and two?” (“YAYY!!!”) “The extended versions?” (“YAYY!!!”) Then he uttered a warmly enthusiastic but entirely un-hobbitlike obscenity. As he went on excitedly, I was torn: delighted to seem relaxed and expansive, dismayed to see this radiantly smooth-skinned cherub with the curly tresses talking like a sailor.
So what do I think of the film “Return of the King”? Everyone who knows I saw it has been asking. All I can say prepare yourself for three hours of carnage, puncuated by what has to be one of the longest and most drawn-out conclusion sequences ever put to film. Don’t get me wrong — I loved this film and will see it again. But after 10 hours and change, the end of ROTK reminded me an old sketch from “Space Ghost Coast To Coast” — the one about the song that never ends. After 10 hours, ROTK was the film that wouldn’t end.
