ROTK - Ultimate Best Film winner - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Sauron the White · 02-20-2009, 10:28 AM

WCH - can you point to a similar poll where the Bic Mac combo meal was pitted against other foods and was judged by 700,000 people to be the best?

Even those who partake of such meals do not necessarilly believe it is the best. Cost and availability have much to do with the success of McDonalds. Speed and access also play a role.

I seriously doubt that even if you interviewed customers right in a McDonalds they would tell you that their meal is the absolute best beating out all other meals.

It must really smoke your shorts that the public loves these films when you have the opposite opinion.

William Cloud Hicklin · 02-20-2009, 11:51 AM

Sauron, a poll is not reality. It's merely a measure of people's perception of reality: people, fifty percent of whom are of below-average intelligence.

No plebiscite or election can make 2 + 2 = 5, or make the Keynesian Multiplier other than a myth.

Sauron the White · 02-20-2009, 12:15 PM

WCH - one could say the same of any beliefs. The beliefs of the people who participated in this film poll. Your political or social beliefs. My beliefs about what shoes to buy.

So what?

This is a Tolkien site and I thought people would like to hear the great news.

What does addition have to do with anything?

Sounds to me like you just don't like the movies and you are displeased to see that so many people do. This is hardly news that they are going to stop the presses for.

Mnemosyne · 02-20-2009, 02:13 PM

My issue with the poll is not so much that the will of the masses may be right or wrong, but that the masses themselves are automatically limited by the nature of the poll.

This is not a representative sample of the population; it's a sample of people who were online (specifically on Yahoo), knew about the poll and cared enough to vote in it. Which automatically skews the population such that it's younger. Plus there are a lot more people active online who care about Lord of the Rings than, say, Casablanca (I can't even think of an equivalent of a Balrog-wings debate in that universe!).

Now, I'm sure that there were plenty of people in the poll who were simply movie afficionados in general and had some really tough decisions to make when casting their vote--and voted for RotK. But we have a still-active fanbase out there, including Yahoo groups, and they could very well have influenced the voting--it doesn't take that large of a margin if things are close.

Call me again when the poll seems to be statistically valid and then I'll celebrate.

Also, what release of RotK are we talking about? The theatrical release for me felt as if it was depending too much on the EE and so had a lot more plotholes than, say, Fellowship.

Sauron the White · 02-20-2009, 03:24 PM

Gee whiz folks - this news would have gone over better on a Star Wars board. I would have thought people on a Tolkien board would have been very happy to hear it.

Mnemosyne · 02-20-2009, 06:54 PM

I would be a good deal happier if I felt it were telling me any sort of information I could trust! As it is, I can't manage to dredge up any sort of feeling for it, negative or positive, even though I am certainly not ambivalent about the films themselves.

Tuor in Gondolin · 02-20-2009, 07:15 PM

ROTK cinematically was good, but had way too
many absurd changes to be considered in the
top 1,000 movies (sorry). To cite some, maia
Gandalf's assaulting the Steward of Gondor,
the green slime at the BotPF, yadda,
yadda, yadda.
On the other hand FOTR was very good (and the
only one I really rewatch). If I was an Academy
voter I'd have been hard pressed to choose
between it and Chicago .

Nerwen · 02-20-2009, 10:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sauron the White

Gee whiz folks - this news would have gone over better on a Star Wars board. I would have thought people on a Tolkien board would have been very happy to hear it.

Oh come on, STW– you know we fancy ourselves as intellectuals here. Do you really expect us to be thrilled that a bunch of Yahoo! users have voted "Return of the King" TEH MOST AWSOMEST MOVIE EVAH LIEK WHOA!!!!111!!!!

So humiliating...

Morthoron · 02-20-2009, 11:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sauron the White

Gee whiz folks - this news would have gone over better on a Star Wars board. I would have thought people on a Tolkien board would have been very happy to hear it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nerwen

Oh come on, STW– you know we fancy ourselves as intellectuals here. Do you really expect us to be thrilled that a bunch of Yahoo! users have voted "Return of the King" TEH MOST AWSOMEST MOVIE EVAH LIEK WHOA!!!!111!!!!

So humiliating...

Actually, the folks at TheOneRing.net are doing handstands of joy due to the proclamation, but they have always been more film/fan boy oriented (not all, there are many serious Tolkien enthusiasts there, but there are even more Legolas-lovers). I think there are perhaps more folks here who are interested in the literature and not so much the films; at least that's my impression. Personally, I don't consider RotK in my top 10 films, or top 20 for that matter. The poor scripting and juvenile plot changes ruined the experience for me. Brilliant cinematography, great special effects, but ham-handed direction and some questionable casting. I am sure you have a difference of opinion in that regard, but we wouldn't be having many in-depth discussions here if we all followed the company line.

02-20-2009, 11:51 AM	#2
William Cloud Hicklin Loremaster of Annúminas Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 2,330	Sauron, a poll is not reality. It's merely a measure of people's perception of reality: people, fifty percent of whom are of below-average intelligence. No plebiscite or election can make 2 + 2 = 5, or make the Keynesian Multiplier other than a myth. __________________ The entire plot of The Lord of the Rings could be said to turn on what Sauron didn’t know, and when he didn’t know it.

02-20-2009, 02:13 PM	#4
Mnemosyne Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Between the past and the future Posts: 1,159	My issue with the poll is not so much that the will of the masses may be right or wrong, but that the masses themselves are automatically limited by the nature of the poll. This is not a representative sample of the population; it's a sample of people who were online (specifically on Yahoo), knew about the poll and cared enough to vote in it. Which automatically skews the population such that it's younger. Plus there are a lot more people active online who care about Lord of the Rings than, say, Casablanca (I can't even think of an equivalent of a Balrog-wings debate in that universe!). Now, I'm sure that there were plenty of people in the poll who were simply movie afficionados in general and had some really tough decisions to make when casting their vote--and voted for RotK. But we have a still-active fanbase out there, including Yahoo groups, and they could very well have influenced the voting--it doesn't take that large of a margin if things are close. Call me again when the poll seems to be statistically valid and then I'll celebrate. Also, what release of RotK are we talking about? The theatrical release for me felt as if it was depending too much on the EE and so had a lot more plotholes than, say, Fellowship. __________________ Got corsets? Last edited by Mnemosyne; 02-20-2009 at 02:53 PM.

02-20-2009, 06:54 PM	#6
Mnemosyne Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Between the past and the future Posts: 1,159	I would be a good deal happier if I felt it were telling me any sort of information I could trust! As it is, I can't manage to dredge up any sort of feeling for it, negative or positive, even though I am certainly not ambivalent about the films themselves. __________________ Got corsets?

02-20-2009, 07:15 PM	#7
Tuor in Gondolin Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Southeast Pennsylvania Posts: 3,651	ROTK cinematically was good, but had way too many absurd changes to be considered in the top 1,000 movies (sorry). To cite some, maia Gandalf's assaulting the Steward of Gondor, the green slime at the BotPF, yadda, yadda, yadda. On the other hand FOTR was very good (and the only one I really rewatch). If I was an Academy voter I'd have been hard pressed to choose between it and Chicago . __________________ The poster formerly known as Tuor of Gondolin. Walking To Rivendell and beyond 12,555 miles passed Nt./Day 5: Pass the beacon on Nardol, the 'Fire Hill.'

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02-20-2009, 10:28 AM	#1
Sauron the White Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 903	WCH - can you point to a similar poll where the Bic Mac combo meal was pitted against other foods and was judged by 700,000 people to be the best? Even those who partake of such meals do not necessarilly believe it is the best. Cost and availability have much to do with the success of McDonalds. Speed and access also play a role. I seriously doubt that even if you interviewed customers right in a McDonalds they would tell you that their meal is the absolute best beating out all other meals. It must really smoke your shorts that the public loves these films when you have the opposite opinion.

02-20-2009, 12:15 PM	#3
Sauron the White Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 903	WCH - one could say the same of any beliefs. The beliefs of the people who participated in this film poll. Your political or social beliefs. My beliefs about what shoes to buy. So what? This is a Tolkien site and I thought people would like to hear the great news. What does addition have to do with anything? Sounds to me like you just don't like the movies and you are displeased to see that so many people do. This is hardly news that they are going to stop the presses for.

02-20-2009, 03:24 PM	#5
Sauron the White Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 903	Gee whiz folks - this news would have gone over better on a Star Wars board. I would have thought people on a Tolkien board would have been very happy to hear it.