Films gain major convert

[Thinlómien]

I really don't understand the division of fans to film buffs and purists and making these two camps opposite to each other and having some sort of class wars... Plain silliness, if you ask me.

[davem]

I think a 'major convert' would be someone like CT or Verlyn Flieger.....

[William Cloud Hicklin]

Shippey was never a Purist in the first place. At best a Pragmatist.

[Bêthberry]

I think hyperbole is simply a functional aspect of StW's style.

That might explain his taste in movies too.

[Lord Gothmog]

Looks like the Purist camp has a major defection and the film buffs have gained a well known convert.

And who would that be then????

This is the best all-around view of the Tolkien phenomenon.

Perhaps, maybe I will have a look.

Thompson understands the books, she understands the movies-

And I suppose no one who dislikes the films in any way can possibly do so?

she also understands the money and the franchising.

And??

Best of all, she understands the people.

And which people would that be?

Thompson offers cultural criticism of the highest order, examining one of the most significant shifts in contemporary popular media.

Good I could do with fertiliser for my garden.

It is a must read for any Tolkien fans.

Why? Tolkien fans did not need someone to tell them that 'The Hobbit', 'The Lord of the Rings' and 'The Silmarillion' were good books. They told the critics. So why would Tolkien fans need someone to tell them that they should fall down and thank the divine PJ for what he put on screen. I make up my mind on what PJ showed me the same as I did with what Tolkien showed.

I have always been very much against the movie adaptions, but now have changed my view almost completely

Perhaps he should have watched the films before making up his mind. Personaly, I was dubious of the claims I had heard for the films and knew that they would not fallow the book as some said. So in watching them I found that while I disliked the unnessasary changes make to the story by PJ, overall the films were for the most part enjoyable. I very much doubt that increasing understanding for the rubbish will change my view of them which can be summed up by a Meatloaf song. "Two Out of Three Ain't Bad".

[Sauron the White]

Lord Gothmog..... anybody who quotes from the great Meat Loaf -- well Jim Steinman actually, cannot be all bad.

I did think it was interesting that after all these years minds - or one mind in this case, has been changed. And the person is of some note in Tolkien circles for his website which does a great job at reporting book news.

Bethberry - regarding my style and approach --- I did not write the story, merely copied it and reported on it with the exception of my comment at the end. But thank you for noticing

[Lord Gothmog]

Originally Posted by Sauron the White

Lord Gothmog..... anybody who quotes from the great Meat Loaf -- well Jim Steinman actually, cannot be all bad.

Thank you. It is true, not All,

I did think it was interesting that after all these years minds - or one mind in this case, has been changed. And the person is of some note in Tolkien circles for his website which does a great job at reporting book news.

I agree that it is interesting. But to me, the only changes of mind that I would take real note of would be JRRT (impossible) or PJ (unlikely). From what I have seen in threads about the films is that many of the opinions were set in stone before the films were even started, let alone released.

The one opinion that I had about the films that was set in stone, was that Nobody could really 'Get it Right'. The reason I felt (and still feel) this, is because The Lord of the Rings is Mythology. I have yet to see ANY film based on mythology where the film maker 'Gets it Right'. The best that can be hoped for is that an enjoyable film is made.

In my view, PJ made some major errors in all three films but managed to make two of them enjoyable.

[zxcvbn]

Originally Posted by Thinlómien

I really don't understand the division of fans to film buffs and purists and making these two camps opposite to each other and having some sort of class wars... Plain silliness, if you ask me.

Well, usually it's the purists who seem to draw the battle lines. Many seem to have the opinion that the terms 'movie lover' and 'hardcore Tolkien fan' are mutually exclusive; that only purists are real fans of the books and movie-ists barely know anything about them. Plus there's a 'I'm better than you' feeling among them.

No offence to barrow-downers; I'm talking about various other purists I've found over the internet that made my blood boil with their attitudes.