The Lord of the Rings Tag

Got this off The Life of a Musician and Dancer.
Couldn't resist.
So here we go:

Have you read the books? 
Three times. Each.

Provided you've read the books, which is your favorite? 
The Fellowship of the Ring. There's something just so classic, so childhood-y nostalgic about it for me.

Have you read the Hobbit? 
Yes, twice. When I was young I remember the old cartoon was playing for it, but I didn't like it and didn't even know it had anything to do with The Lord of the Rings.

Have you read any Lord of the Rings companions? Not movie companions, but Middle Earth and book companions? 
I read the poems about Tom Bombadil, and I've also read The Children of Hurin, but it's not my favorite.

Have you seen the movies? 
Have I seen the movies? *maniac laugh*  Why does it ask us silly questions, preciousss?

Have you read any movie guides? If so, which one(s)? 
I own all of The Art of the Lord of the Rings books. They're brilliant.

Which is your favorite movie? 
It's between Fellowship and Return of the King. While Fellowship once more reminds me of my childhood, The Return of the King is. just. epic.

What's your favorite scene from the trilogy?
Just one?! Well, I'd have to say where Gandalf and the Rohirrim come charging down the hill as the sun rises. That's just stunning.

What scenes do you find exceptionally touching?
The Breaking of the Fellowship, where Frodo remembers Gandalf's words and Sam goes after him,
"There's some good in this world, Mr. Frodo",
and "I can't carry it for you. But I can carry you!"
Come to think of it, mostly ones involving Sam.

Have you seen the extended movies?
Yes, and I own the second one. It was a birsssday present.

Tell us your three favorite characters (good luck narrowing it down) and why.
Sam for his loyalty and innocent courage, Aragorn for his selfless bravery, and Faramir, because he has many emotional struggles, and so his happy ending with Eowyn is much more sweet.

Who bugs you the most in the terms of being really annoying (but not necessarily wicked?)
Gollum. I mean, sometimes I pity him, but sometimes I just wish Sam would shove his head in.

What are your feelings on Boromir? 
 It bugs me when people who haven't read the books think he's evil. He's not. He just gave in to the lure of the ring, and that was his downfall. He learned his lesson too late. But he was a good man, and you can really see that, especially in the way he looks out for Merry and Pippin, and in that extended scene with him and Faramir (why they didn't keep that in the theatrical version, I'll never know).

Who do you like better, Aragorn or Faramir? 
Aragorn. But I still love Faramir--he's also a good man.

Which Lord of the Rings weapon would you use?
A bow.

What do you think about Eowyn?
"...fair and cold, like a morning of pale spring..."
She's an incredible, brave woman.

If you were going into battle, which character would you want to take with you?
Aragorn.

Which girl is your favorite?
Eowyn.

Which hobbit is your favorite?
Samwise Gamgee.
(These questions are getting too easy.)

Which location is your favorite?
The Shire is just picturesque. I could gladly live there till the end of my days.

Giving Thanks

Have an excellent Thanksgiving, everyone!

(Don't forget to share!)

Famous Literary Swords: Narsil/Andúril

Narsil/Andúril
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

Narsil was forged in the First Age by the Dwarf Telchar, and its name was Quenya for "red and white flame". Everyone who's seen the movies thinks they know the story of how The Blade that was Broken came to broken in the first place. But they don't.

In the Battle of the last Alliance, King Elendil fell in death and Narsil broke beneath him. In the films, however, it breaks by Isildur (Elendil's son) killing Sauron. Also Narsil, in the books, breaks into two pieces while in the films it breaks into six.
The re-forging of the sword differs as well. In The Fellowship of the Ring Aragorn has it re-forged before they set out for Mordor, meaning that he probably was close to acepting his role as king.

The Sword of Elendil was forged anew by Elvish smiths, and on its blade was traced a device of seven stars set between the crescent Moon, and the rayed Sun...and about them was written many runes...And Aragorn gave it a new name and called it Andúril, Flame of the West.

And, of course, you all know how it ends up in the films.

But I won't be a purist. Though the films and books differ, the sword of Narsil is fascinating. And they couldn't have done a better design (Thank you, John Howe.)

New Zealand Hobbit Safety Video

New Zealand Airlines did a Tolkien-based safety video, with special guest appearances by Peter Jackson, Gollum, and the Witch-King of Angmar.

Wreck-It Ralph: A Non-Gamer's Review

Wreck-It Ralph
Rated PG for some rude humor and mild action/violence.

I'll be the first to admit, I am not the intended audience. I am not a gamer. At all.
So the fact that I actually enjoyed this film is slightly shocking.

Wreck-It Ralph is a film with surprising depth and emotion, as well as some satisfactory twists at the end. Somehow it left me feeling much more fulfilled than this year's Pixar project.
Admittedly, it didn't pick up until he agreed to assist Vanellope. Then I actually got to sit back and enjoy it as Ralph and his little charge created chaos in their candy-coated world, and got to appreciate each other more. The moral was handled extremely well, and I had no idea how Ralph was going to manage to get out of the muddle he found himself in.
And though I expected all of the video game jokes and references to fly over my head, there was actually nothing that I didn't understand (or at least I didn't notice that I didn't understand.)
And yes, there were many crude jokes on bodily functions, but clean jokes were slipped in for older viewers, so I found myself laughing constantly. However, flaws included Calhoun's awkward back-story shown in flashbacks, and King Candy becoming a bug at the end (I was confused on that part until one of my movie buddies leaned over and reminded me that whatever the bugs eat becomes the bug. Right. They probably should have explained that better.)

While the film was more FUN than inspiring, I rather liked and really enjoyed it. It's not destined to be a favorite, but I will see it again on DVD. Preferably on a Friday night with a box of pepperoni pizza.

Favorite Line: "How many licks does it take to reach the center?"
Verdict: Wait for the DVD, although I'm highly tempted to tell you to go see it in theaters simply so you can enjoy the breathtaking animated short "Paperman" in HD and surround sound.
Grey Travel Rating: 3/5
Animation: 5/5
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Acting: 4/5
Objectionable Content: A zombie's heart is pulled from his chest, mostly as humor, but it has a certain gross factor. Some mild crude humor involving bodily functions.

Which Avenger Are You? a quiz

A personality quiz I made for fun after seeing The Avengers for the second time.
Man, I love that movie.
(Please do not use or re-post without my permission.)

Which Avenger are you?

1. You are at a party. You:
a) Retreat to the punch bowl and talk to no one.
b) Get a clear scope of the room and take stock of who you know and don't know.
c) Become the life of the party. You're here to have fun.
d) Marvel at the lighting and decorations.
e) Associate only with your closest friends and ignore those you don't know.
f) Meet new people and ask them questions about themselves.

2. You wish for people to describe you as:
a) Efficient.
b) Successful.
c) Normal.
d) Strong.
e) Just.
f) A leader.

3. How would you spend your day off?
a) Hit the gym.
b) See the sights in your area.
c) Spend time with your closest friend.
d) Do things no one else has done before--break records.
e) Party. How else do you do it?
f) Do something relaxing, like listening to music.

4. Your perfect spouse would be, chiefly:
a) Intelligent and able to hold a conversation.
b) Someone who can also simply be your best friend.
c) Someone who is attractive and appreciates your skills.
d) Someone who can be tough and yet sweet.
e) Kind and gentle.
f) Someone you need who also needs you.

5. Pick a food. (No, shawarma isn't an option.)
a) A tender steak.
b) A burrito.
c) An open-faced sandwich.
d) Anything spicy.
e) Anything foreign.
f) Your comfort food.

6. You've just been given responsibility over an entire project. How do you react?
a) You don't like responsibility but you'll do it.
b) Do it all by yourself.
c) You assign different parts to team members.
d) Get ideas and listen to your team for their ideas.
e) Do most of it, asking advice only from those you trust.
f) Hand out assignments but bear the brunt of it yourself.

7. You choose your clothes based on:
a) How comfortable they are.
b) The name-brands.
c) How many things you can actually do while wearing them.
d) How attractive it makes you look.
e) If they will last long.
f) If it's considered 'nice'--as in, you could wear it to a job interview.

8. When faced with a new problem you:
a) Keep your cool and attempt to obliterate it.
b) Shrink away at first but then deal with it later.
c) Attack and destroy it.
d) Create a step-by-step plan to get through it.
e) Search for the right thing to do morally.
f) Take a step back and study it from all sides before making a decision.

9. What does your room usually look like?
a) Full of gadgets (TVs, computers, video games, etc.)
b) Pretty clean.
c) Dim-lit and secluded.
d) With books and papers scattered everywhere.
e) Tastefully decorated, yet comfortable.
f) Neat, and everything has a place.





Answer key:

Questions 1-5: 
Thor: f, e, b, a, a
Captain America: d, f, a, d, c
Hulk: a, c, f, e, f
Black Widow: e, d, c, f, e
Iron Man: c, b, e, c, b
Hawk Eye: b, a, d, b, d

Questions 6-9:
Thor: d, e, e, e
Captain America: c, f, d, b
Hulk: a, a, b, d
Black Widow: e, d, a, c
Iron Man: b, b, c, a
Hawk Eye: f, c, f, f

See which character's results you have the most of.