December 21, 2001
They got it right. Oh, sweet muses be blessed, they got it RIGHT.I'm not going to say that Peter Jackson and New Line Cinema's The Fellowship of the Ring was flawless, because perfection is a direction of travel, rather than a destination in this life, but THEY GOT IT RIGHT.
Hobbits. Hobbiton. Dwarves. Moria. Rivendell. Mithril. Wizards. Elves. Orcs. Cave trolls. Swords that glow. Men whose hearts fail. Friends whose hearts do not. It's all there, and it works, and now I need to see it again.
I'm not going to say more. Just go see it. Even if you're not a Tolkien fan, or a fantasy fan, or even interested in the movie at all... you need to see it. It's restored more than one man's faith in cinema as an art. Remember the newspaper guy I decided not to scoop? Here's his review. He gave it an 'A,' which is something I've seldom seen him do before, and never seen him do for a three-hour blockbuster.
If you're into that sort of thing, enjoy the Winter Solstice. Shortest day in the year, you know. Which is a cool thing, because it's my last day at work for the year (I'm on paid holiday through the 2nd of January), and I know it's going to be short for me.
If your wedding anniversary happens to be today, you have less daylight in which to remember that you've forgotten it, and hence less time to plan something cool for your spouse when the sun sets. You know who you are. Hopefully this was not your first notice.