Well, I can't deny that the coming of the movie re-kindled my interest in Tolkien's work, but I've read the Hobbit and the LOTR series two or three times now, and I'm about to re-read the Silmarillion, which I haven't touched in over a decade.
I think that most people who've only seen the film* and want to know more will probably read the books. Probably only a small percentage of those who go that far will want to get into literary discussions of the books or learn all there is to know about Middle Earth and it's history, although so much the better if they do.
I usually only post on automotive message boards, and I can tell you that reading and lurking here has been a breath of fresh air in terms of the intellectual capability of the average poster and their interest in the nuances of literature and ability to discuss such things. Somehow I don't see that changing, although I'm new and cannot speak from experience.
* I suppose I should say "films" really, if you count the Bakshi and Bass/Rankin films.
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