[The Saucepan Man]

Clearly, those who watch the films but do not read the books are not "Tolkien fans", since Tolkien did not make the films. They are simply adaptations of one of his books. But it is right to say that the two are not mutually exclusive.<P>Although I greatly enjoyed the films, I would not describe myself as a "fan" of them. (I would not, for example, join a forum devoted only to them). They are great films, but not in my view, the best ever made. However, much of my enjoyment of them (particularly the visualisation) derives from my being a Tolkien "fan".