Did anyone see ROTK with a "newbie"?"

[Orophin]

I went to see the Fellow ship of the ring with a couple of my friends on the first day that it came out. Neither of my friends new the first thing about LOTR so it was a totally new experience. When the movie was done both of my friends turned to me and began to ask in a distressed and urgent manner "What the heck! Why didn't they make it to the mountain yet." They of course were talking about Mt. Doom and they were under the impression that the ring was destroyed in the first movie and the others were about something different. I laughed as I explained it to them and they were kind of angry but I thought it was hilarious.

[StarJewel]

My first time seeing RotK was with a newbie...several, in fact. It wasn't bad, really. They stayed quiet during the movie, it was only after that they started bombarding me with questions. My parents were worse. My mom never read the books, and my dad barely remembers them. That was fun

[BethoHOG]

I took my best friend with me to see The Return of the King for my second time. She has never read the books, but did watch the first two films.

It wasn't that bad really, except she kept saying things like, "Does he die? He dies right?" or (referring to Aragorn), "He's so pretty!"

Oh, and I forgot to mention the fact that when I was almost crying at the point when Sam is holding and talking to Frodo outside of Mount Doom, she's laughing.

[Beren87]

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.

[Amanaduial the archer]

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.

[Beren87]

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

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?

[Amanaduial the archer]

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*