[William Cloud Hicklin]

Regardless of the Masses (whose collective judgment makes McDonald's a great restaurant) and the judgment of the AMPAS and film critics (all movie people), look at the consensus of those who know Tolkien best- Tolkien scholars. Their verdict is *unanimous*- YECCCHH!

(Not to mention JRRT's own children. Christopher's disdain for the fluicks is well-known, and Priscilla told a story about having re-typed the early chapters of Lord of the Rings for her father, and being terrified to the point of nightmares by the Black Riders. Someone asked if she had seen the movies. With her very English (almost headmistressy) tact, she said that she would 'rather not go into that'. The questioner just wondered if she had still found the Black Rider's frightening in the film. 'Oh, good God no!' she exclaimed, adding something about 'spectacle and sensation'.)

The biggest problem with PJ's work is that it's *shallow*- but of course the non-reader or casual reader isn't aware of the depths PJ never plumbed. Where at least in theory something on a par with Lawrence of Arabia might have been possible in other hands, what PJ gave us was Indiana Jones and the Ring of Doom. Again: Yeccchh!


NB: PJ's "love of Tolkien????" Get a clue! PJ set out to make a sword 'n' sorcery flick and only then learned that Zaentz was willing to deal- and PJ hadn't read the book since he was a teenager.

And it shows.


Oh, sure, he talked a good game in interviews- most of the time. Well, guess what? Smeagol lied. PJ has also said this: "Tolkien's tale was long and boring....I think I did better."