January 5, 2003 The other day, I went and saw The Two Towers for the second time. I wasn't supposed to be seeing it again, but as the result of a, uh, a sort of freak out, I didn't go somewhere I was supposed to be going and I ended up hiding out in the movies, watching The Two Towers again Intriguing, huh? But I can't (or don't want to) say any more about the colossally stupid panic attack that lead me to the movies (mostly because it will make me seem like an even bigger moron than I already am), so instead, I'll blather on about the film I watched while I was there. Aren't y'all lucky? So, yeah, The Two Towers. I really liked it the first time I saw it, but I liked it even more the second time. I don't know; it just hung together better on the second viewing. The first time, it felt too episodic, like they were trying to get all the major plot points in, cover what each member of the Fellowship was doing, and somehow the events in the film weren't as strongly connected. (Which, incidentally, is the same thing I felt both times I saw Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. I liked that movie, too, but it just felt choppy in a strange way that didn't alleviate with a second viewing.) But The Two Towers flowed better, at least for me, the second time. Maybe it was just my frame of mind or maybe it was because I had already seen it and I wasn't trying to process the enormity of the film like I was the first time. I do remember a similar feeling the first time I saw The Fellowship of the Ring. I think that Tolkien's story is so huge in scope and richly textured and because Peter Jackson has really tried to do justice to the depth of his story, as a result, the films are a little hard to process completely on first viewing. I definitely don't like it as much as Fellowship, but I like it enough to already be impatient for the extended DVD to be released. I think I like Fellowship more because I always love the beginnings of books and movies more than the endings. I don't like endings as much, even when they are very satisfying, because endings mean that there is no further road to journey with the characters. So Fellowship is wonderful for me because I get to know all of the characters so well and I get to love them over the course of the film and the adventures they have are amazing and when the film ends, I know there will be six more hours and so many more adventures that I can spend with them. I also like the exploration of the characters in Fellowship -- we get to know them through small, establishing incidents and actions. There is a lot less of this in The Two Towers -- it's much more concentrated on moving the plot forward. I read a review somewhere that said while The Two Towers is in some ways a weaker film than Fellowship, it does serve the important purpose of being a bridge between Fellowship and Return of the King and that once the third film is released and The Two Towers is able to be viewed in the full context of the trilogy, it will be a more effective movie. I tend to agree. In fact, while I was reading the book, I got the sense that the book itself is a bridge between the more important books of Fellowship and Return of the King. Almost as if Tolkien used The Two Towers to get everyone in place and where they need to be for the final action of Return of the King. (Plus, if you consider that Tolkien actually intended the story to be contained in one large work, then really The Two Towers technically isn't a book at all, it's just rising action.) But I did say I like the movie, didn't I? And I do. Helm's Deep is AMAZING. I've watched a number of documentaries on the making of the battle sequence and still none of them could prepare me for the scope and intensity of those scenes. (And, yes, I know it's cheesy, but I love Legolas sliding down the stairs on a shield and shooting arrows at the Urak Hai. All the more because it's an homage to Marty McFly's skateboarding in Back to the Future, another favorite of mine.) The development of the friendship between Legolas and Gimli adds warmth and humor to some scary moments and I think it helps to define them as individual characters, which is good, because of the nine Fellowship members, they are the least fleshed out in the first film. I like Gimli's turn as comic relief and the obvious affection that all three hunters -- Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli -- exhibit towards each other and in regards to the other members of the Fellowship that they are separated from. And I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that I like the arrival of Haldir and the Elven archers. Hell, I like Haldir, even though I spend most of his scenes trying to figure out where the hell I've seen him before (and I've already checked IMDB and I haven't seen anything else Craig Parker has done, so I'm guessing he just looks like someone I went to high school with or something.) But anyway, back to the Elven archers coming to Rohan's aid, I know it isn't in the book (at least not this early), but I think the inclusion of Elrond's (and all the Elves') conflict between leaving Middle Earth and staying and helping the Men adds depth to the theme of everyone doing their part in order to accomplish what is right. So, yes, I think that Elrond sending Haldir and the archers to help the Rohans was a good addition to the film. And I like that Galadriel is the one who pushes Elrond to do it (and I love Cate Blanchett in that role). And I think Haldir's death is tragic and well done and it says a lot about the frailty of life and the destructiveness of evil in a very short sequence. (Although I will now miss trying to figure out whom from my checkered past he looks like.) Gandalf is also a bright spot in a movie that has so many bright spots. Ian McKellen has really taken the character on a journey -- in Fellowship, Gandalf is very human, unsure of himself and his abilities; he's fallable -- you can see why he is Gandalf the Grey and why Saruman is the White. But in Towers, he's completely changed. He embodies what it means to be The White: he is confident and seething with power and yet, he still retains the kindness and humor that made him so likeable when he was The Grey. I love how the Rohrrim resemble horses, especially Eomer. The horses themselves are gorgeous, particularly Shadowfax. And the kingdom of Edoras is so coldly beautiful it makes me cry. Out of the Edoras/Rohan cast, I think Grima Wormtongue is phenomenal. Brad Dourif could have played him as a one-dimensional villain -- the viper in the nest, so to speak -- but he didn't. His Wormtongue has some really interesting facets and understandable motivations, such as Eowyn being his reason for betraying Theoden to Saruman -- the scene where he confronts her over the body of her cousin gives me chills. And Gollum. I normally loathe CGI, but Gollum is terrific. They're right: Andy Serkis does deserve to at least be nominated for an Oscar. He makes Gollum/Smeagol more than just a computer-generated trick. He makes him sympathetic and flawed. The scene where Gollum and Smeagol are arguing as if they are two separate entities is so touching. Meanwhile, there were jackasses in the theater who thought it was funny. I am frightened for our society that so many people cannot recognize pain and torment for what it is. Gollum's relationship with Sam and Frodo is great; especially the antagonism between him and Sam and the underlying sense that they are both competing for Frodo. And once again, Sean Astin is terrific. He makes Sam so likeable -- you can't help but root for him, even more so than Frodo. Frodo is noble and all sacrificing (something that I think Elijah Wood communicates really well), but that nobility and higher-purpose distances him from the audience. Frodo is who we should all aspire to be. But, Sam, Sam is who we are. He's human. He's scared. He doesn't want to be on this quest. He gets frustrated and angry. He takes out his frustration and his fear on Gollum, whom he perceives as weaker than himself. He's still not quite sure why he's doing what he's doing. But he made a promise and he cares about his friend so he's going to see it through to the end. The speech he makes to Frodo about people in the great stories always having a chance to turn back and give up, but what makes them truly great is that they keep on and they do what needs to be done just kills me. Both times, I sat there sobbing into my popcorn. Even though Pippin (Gee, could you tell?) and Merry are still my favorites, I think Sam is truly the heart of these movies. Speaking of Merry and Pippin: naturally, I adore their scenes, what few of them there are. Their scenes with the Urak Hai are scary -- hell, I knew what was going to happen and I was still scared for them. Treebeard and the Ents are well done. (All the CGI is: the winged Nazgul are scary and the Wargs are too.) Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan bring such humor to their work and they've created a palpable affection and camaraderie between Merry and Pippin that is always present (it's going to be heartbreaking when they are separated in Return of the King). I also think they both communicate the strong internal conflict that Merry and Pippin are experiencing, but they do it in such different ways. Both Merry and Pippin are scared and adventure is against their nature as hobbits and so there are all these moments when you know they aren't where they want to be and they feel useless because they can't fight or travel as effectively as the Men, Elves and Dwarves, and they don't have specific roles like Frodo the Ringbearer and Sam his guardian. (On a related note, I really like how they both are so dependent on Boromir in Fellowship. It not only serves as an effective contrast to the antagonism between Boromir and Frodo, but it also makes Boromir's attempt at redemption mean even more.) Anyway, Billy Boyd brings an innocence and reluctance to Pippin -- Pippin does what he needs to do but only when there is absolutely no other way out and you can see that it costs him and it's killing him because he keeps creating more trouble and he's obviously the weakest link in the company. Dominic Monaghan, on the other hand, gives Merry this little edge -- like Merry enjoys the adventure more than any of the other hobbits. He's tougher and more capable. Things are still new and strange for him, but there's an enjoyment there. Don't believe me? Watch the very brief scene in Fellowship when they are camping on Weathertop and Aragorn gives the hobbits the swords. As soon as they get them, Merry unsheathes his with a look of determination, while Pippin sits with his hand curled around the hilt of his sword, still sheathed, looking at it as if he is thinking, "I don't want this. I really don't want this." (Yes. I know. I'm a total nerd, but that's what comes of watching the same film over and over again when a horrific toothache keeps you up for three nights straight.) I think many people don't see Merry and Pippin as more than halves of the same whole, but there is a world of subtle differentiation in their characters, which is the mark of two very good actors. And of course, it doesn't hurt that Billy Boyd is a doll. However, one of the few things that I don't like about The Two Towers is how little screen time Merry and Pippin actually get. I'm usually not one of those "That's not how it was done in the book" people, but I think that Merry and Pippin's time with the Urak Hai and then the Ents and the razing of Isengard is a more important part of the story than the film allows it to be. It comes across as a sort of afterthought to Helm's Deep, when really, if you stop to think about it, the Ents destroying Isengard is just as, if not more, important than Helm's Deep, since it means the defeat of Saruman. So I don't like the reduction of Merry and Pippin's story to a tangent and I'm not enamored of the fact that they spend most of their screen time riding around on Treebeard. On a similar note, I think Billy Boyd got robbed. And not just because I think he's talented. Yes -- I think he's incredibly talented, not just adorable. Please, people, I'm not that shallow. In fact, I think he's so talented that they should let him play Professor Lupin in the Harry Potter series. Hey, if I couldn't get Steve Valentine for Snape, I should at least get Billy Boyd for Lupin. Because you know Warner Brothers and J.K. Rowling owe me something. But I digress. A large part of the text of The Two Towers is about Pippin starting to come into his own. Merry is out cold for most of the time they are held captive by the Urak Hai and Pippin shows how resourceful and intelligent he is by managing to cut his bonds and leaving clues for Aragorn to track. Which, when you consider Pippin's conflict over being the most "useless" of the party, is an even bigger deal. Essentially, he saves himself and Merry. They escape because he was able to cut his bonds earlier and because he figures out that Grishnak is looking for the Ring. In the movie, all he gets to do is spit his leaf-broach into the mud so Aragorn can track them. (But I do like the scenes with the three hunters tracking the Urak Hai and the worry that they show for the hobbits). And I'm not totally happy with Merry being the one who fights so hard to convince the Ents to wage war on Saruman, mostly because it makes Pippin look weak and ready to give up. Yet, I do like Pippin saying to Merry "But we have the Shire. Maybe we should go home." and Merry saying "If we don't fight, there won't be a Shire, Pippin." So maybe you shouldn't listen to me. And Pippin does get to show his courage and cleverness by thinking of way to get Treebeard to fight Isengard, even if it is a bit of a cheap trick. And, still, what there is of their scenes is, overall, pretty good. I'm not entirely crazy about Faramir, either. Maybe it's because I love Sean Bean as Boromir in Fellowship (my God, the ending scene where he dies trying to save Merry and Pippin reduces me to tears every time) and so Faramir has some big shoes to fill. However, I'm not in the camp that hates the film's take on Faramir because he's more conflicted and less noble. I think it's a valiant attempt to make a connection to Boromir's struggle with his desire for the Ring and to show that Faramir is able to do what his brother could not and let Frodo go. Still, his scenes don't quite do it for me. I don't feel as much tension in them as I feel during the rest of Sam and Frodo's journey to Mordor and I'm a little puzzled as to why he brings them to Osgiliath anyway. But Faramir has his good points, too. And I like that they chose an actor who resembles Sean Bean so closely. They could pass for brothers in real life. Really, the only thing in the film that I out and out dislike is Eowyn. I HATE her. There is just no reason for her to have such a major role in this movie. It's strange. I'm reading Return of the King now and I like the character. I just read her speech about being afraid of “a cage” and in the book, I thinks it's great and that it works, but when she says the same exact words in the movie, I want to retch. Maybe I just don't like Mirando Otto; I do hate that staring/glassy-eyed expression she has on through half the film. But I think there's more to it than that. I feel like outside of Eowyn's relationship with Grima Wormtongue (something that I think is very well executed), she isn't used effectively in The Two Towers. The rest of the time, it feels like she is there either to fill the requisite role of the fierce, independent, capable female character that every movie has to have these days, or to drive a wedge between Aragorn and Arwen. Again, I'm usually not a stickler for following exactly what is written in the book, but as I read Tolkien's story, it seems to me that the dynamic is more that Eowyn loves Aragorn who does not love her back and loves Arwen (and, on this point, I could be wrong because I haven't finished the third book so maybe Aragorn runs away with Eowyn or something and I'm just a retard), but it feels like the film is trying to force this Arwen-Aragorn-Eowyn love triangle into existence and it just ends up being awkward, bogging down the story and taking too much time, which annoys me especially because of the dearth of Merry and Pippin scenes (I swear, Billy Boyd should hire me as his agent). But seriously, why does Aragorn have to exhibit any interest in Eowyn? Wouldn't it be more interesting to show Eowyn feeling this love that will not be returned? But that's a pet peeve of mine: taking a perfectly good adventure and forcing a love story into it. Why does everything have to involve a man and woman falling in love? And what's more is that I do like the Arwen-Aragorn relationship (that didn't feel forced in Fellowship) -- I like their scenes and that she gave up her Elvish life for him and the problems Elrond is having with seeing his daughter betrothed to a mortal and the conflicted feelings Arwen and Aragorn are having over the whole situation. So why gild the lily and throw this other girl in there? But really, not liking one character out of what? twenty-five? and being disappointed that my favorites don't get as much screen time as they deserve are minor complaints in the grand scheme of a film that is overall a beautiful, intense re-telling of a wonderful story. And, besides, I'm sure the extended version DVD of The Two Towers will remedy my complaint of too little screen time for Merry and Pippin and I am confident that Peter Jackson will put Eowyn to better use in Return of the King. Now I just have to get through the next year to find out. Hopefully, Book Five of Harry Potter will come out and take my mind off it.

7 Deadly Sins and Other, Less Fatal Diversions Pride: Something I'm not proud of at the moment: My hair. My bangs are halfway to my nose and I have such a gigantic chunk of roots showing that Holden thought I had purposely painted strands of my hair silver. What a joy it was to tell him, "No, baby, that's gray." Woo. Envy: Anyone with either no gray hair or an up-to-date dye job. Wrath: Estelle is still the front-runner target in this category. Sloth: It doesn't take too long to dye my hair. An hour and a half tops. Yet, I can never keep on top of it. Hell, it takes even less time to get my hair cut and it seems that I can never get that done with any regularity either. Avarice: A personal stylist that lived in my house would be nice. Gluttony: Can't see a movie without popcorn and M&Ms. Mixed together this time as I was alone. Lust: Hmmmmm. I just saw The Two Towers again. Who could it be? And a big shout out to Kristin who has succumbed to the charms of Billy Boyd and joined me in my obsession. See, I told you Billy should hire me as his agent. Or his publicist. Or his beautiful, devoted girlfriend. Well, he wouldn't have to hire me to be that last one. Book: Finished The Two Towers. On to Return of the King. Tune: Goo Goo Dolls, "Big Machine": Now this angry little girl, drowning in this petty world. And I'm who you run to. Swallow all your bitter pills. That's what makes you beautiful. You're on the mark. I don't need what you ain't got. Task at Hand: Buying a car. Quandry: Part of my delay in dying my hair (at least this time around) is the result of not being able to choose a color. I've been a redhead for three years now. Before that my hair was black. A lot of people, including my mother (what a surprise!) HATED the black hair. Nearly everyone likes the red. But I'm tired of red and I feel like my skin looks so washed out with lighter hair and I just saw some old pictures of myself with black hair and I think I looked fab. So I'm leaning towards black again. Only problem is that black dye eats all other dyes so if I go black and then decide I want a change before it all grows out, I'm had. Quest for Publication: Total Submissions: 22 Rejections: 13 Acceptances: 1 Withdrawals: 7