Drinking Contest: Any Support From the Books?

[radagastly]

AbercrombieOfRohan said:

I think on one of the commentaries (Cameras in middle-earth?) Jackson said that one of the reasons he included the scene was because howard shore has a cameo appearance in it and he was really keen on having it in the movie. (He is one of the drunken rohirrim)

True enough, though I think it also says that in the final edit of the drinking scene, the shots that included Howard Shore ended up on the cutting room floor anyway. I enjoyed the scene, though I agree there was probably some other more Tolkien-related content that could have been included instead. For example, the scene of Sam getting past the watchers at the gate of Cirith Ungol was filmed, but did not make the final cut of the EE. I would like to have seen what P.J. did with that. Or he might have expanded the Houses of Healing scenes to include more of Faramir's and Eowyn's dialogue. Interspersed with Liv Tyler's singing it would have made quite a lovely scene, instead of feeling rushed and too brief as it did.

I enjoyed the drinking game, however I agree it would have been more believable if Gimli had won.