Hum. I've seen the movie in theatres 8 times now, curiously enough only one of which was with a true "newbie". One of the most amusing experiences though, as she sat there completely entranced, didn't ask me a single question throughout the entire movie, then we walked out and she goes, "You know, I really didn't get that".

I just stared.

The most memorable (and culminating?) time was when I saw it with my girlfriend whom I met here, about 7 months ago. Actually (now that I look), she posted about 10 posts up as "Cinderella". Both diehard fans, it was the best movie experience of my life, and rather interesting, our first date (long-distance relationship, it was the first time I had met her) seeing RotK, when we had met on a Tolkien board in the first place!

That's about my only interesting stories. Well, except the first time I saw it, I was with a carfull of friends and we got caught in a blizzard on the interstate and ended up in traffic for 4 hours, with me driving. When we pulled up beside the cop to ask what was wrong ahead (there was a wreck) he gave us quite an odd stare, two of us being in Hobbit costumes (me and another), and the rest wearing elf ears.

I can imagine that look on you, Beren. I mean, hobbit...classy. *cough*therightheight*cough* ;)

BethoHOG, I can relate - I went to see with one of my friends. She had battled her way through the books at my insistence (she tried to read them several years ago and gave up), and actually liked them. The film was greeted with...less sucess though, from her. She spent several parts of the film cringing in her seat whenever Shelob came on (I had seen it before and every time she was about to come on I was like 'Now!', which earned us some rather odd looks from others in the audience), and other parts making absolutely no attempt to stop shaking with laughter in the most inappropriate parts. For example, as you said, at the end, when Frodo and Sam are on Mount Doom.

An...experience. :rolleyes:

Five inches taller than you, short-stuff. ;)

Was your friend afraid of spiders, like, as a phobia? And did she know beforehand Shelob would be in PJ's version of RotK?

Over a year younger and female, hobbit-boy ;)

She is arachnaphobic, yes, and did know Shelob would be in the film - but my God, that spider was realistic! Someone has spent some serious time watching what happens if you poke a tarantula...*shudders*

Iw ent with my boyfrind to a midnight showing in costume. He had no idea what on earh was going on, so I spent half the movie explaing what he missed in the first two, and the other half trying to make out what I missed explaining to him. it's not as easy as, Oh, it happened this way in the book, so that's what I missed.... Oh no, I missed stuff. He spent the next few months teasing me for knowing stuff about LotR and he's saying now that I spend a lot of time on "avatar" stuff, and I keep telling him that an avatar is not posting!

When I went for the second time (I only went twice in theaters, I swear!) with some friends one of them asked me a question. When the Eye was looking over Gogoroth for the hobbits he asked "is that a mediavel security system or something?" and I said Sort of..... :rolleyes:
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I saw TROTK with a newbie. He likes fantasy and had only read the first two chapters of TFOTR.

I don't think he'll ever read the book, he 'likes the movies. He prefers movies to books mostly.