<BR> Re: Are the movies a good or bad thing?</b><br><br> Aha! Look at these remarks in Letters from Tolkien regarding his reactions to a synopsis for a proposed (animated) film adaptation of LotR. It seems the prof wasn't quite as fetishistic as some of his present day fans are about preserving every little detail of his books:<blockquote><i>Quote:</i></b><hr> You will receive on Monday the copy of the 'Story Line' or synopsis of the proposed film version of The Lord of the Rings. I could not get it off yesterday. ....<br> An abridgement by selection with some good picture-work would be pleasant, & perhaps worth a good deal in publicity; but the present script is rather a compression with resultant over-crowding and confusion, blurring of climaxes, and general degradation: a pull-back towards more conventional 'fairy-stories'. People gallop about on Eagles at the least provocation; Lórien becomes a fairy-castle with 'delicate minarets', and all that sort of thing.<br> But I am quite prepared to play ball, if they are open to advice – and if you decide that the thing is genuine, and worthwhile.<hr></blockquote>These abominations (people galloping about on Eagles! Lórien a fairy-castle?!) make even Arwen swinging a sword around seem like small beans in comparison, yet the professor was willing to "play ball" and was obviously open to the idea of adapting his work into other mediums.<br> <p></p>
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