FotR: A Short Cut to Mushrooms...

[lucidity]

FotR: A Short Cut to Mushrooms, Buckleberry Ferry, At the Sign of the Prancing Pony

(Begins with Sam losing Frodo in a corn field and ends with Strider telling Frodo, “They’re coming.”)

Here are my quite random thoughts:

I loved when the Hobbits tumble to the bottom of the hill after Merry and Pippin had stolen the veggies. There’s a big ‘ol hairy foot right in Merry’s face. I think it belongs to Frodo? Anyway, it’s hilarious.

When the bugs are coming up from the ground as the Nazgûl hovers over the Hobbits hiding at the root of the tree, I got a decidedly Stephen King-ish vibe. I liked it though!

The shot of the black rider at the end of the path all back lit and stuff…delightfully creepy.

When the Hobbits are running for the ferry my heart was racing! It was very well done and quite suspenseful. The eerie screech of the Nazgûl…scary!

Is that Peter Jackson sitting outside in Bree? If not he has a doppelganger!

In the Prancing Pony…what’s with the ferret, LOL! ;D

Now, I had not read the books when I saw the first movie. I was pretty sure that this Strider character was a bad guy. Of course the 'eye shot' with the red glow of the cigar (?) kind of pushed me to that conclusion. Beautiful effect.

Pippin has such a big mouth. Gah!

The future king has some wonderful lines in this part. I love when he says that Frodo is not nearly scared enough because he knows what hunts him. *shudder*

Next week: Travels with Strider

[lucidity]

Okay guys! ;D

Do we wish to continue with this?

I don't want to watch alone. Wahhhh!

[Rosie]

lucidity said:

Okay guys! ;D

Do we wish to continue with this?

I don't want to watch alone. Wahhhh!

I'm sorry - I keep meaning to join in.

Give me a couple of hours and I'll do this scene OK?

ETA: Make that 24 hours........

[Lily]

I am smelling carrots. ;D

I´ll also be back later with some thoughts.

[Rosie]

OK, well here's my thoughts....

Considering that it's one of my favourite sequences in the whole film, I have a few nitpicks!

The dialogue is quite poor in parts.

"I thought I'd lost you"

"What are you talking about?"

Frodo's response to Sam just doesn't make sense to me.

Then we have the arrival of Merry and Pippin, and Pippin says "It's Frodo Baggins". This has always rankled with me - the four are friends, and Pippin is related to Frodo. He wouldn't have bothered with the "Baggins".

Then when Sam says "Trust a Brandybuck and a Took", Merry says it was just a shortcut - again, a response that just doesn't make real sense.

And finally, at the bar in Bree - they never explain who was asking Pippin about Baggins, and why. Non-readers won't have a clue.

But I can live with all that because I love those scenes. You can feel the tension when they are hiding from the Black Rider, and the eerieness of the twilight scenes after are perfect.

And "Are you frightened?" is one of my favourite bits of the whole trilogy.

[Lily]

In the cornfield scene it is clear that Frodo is the stronger Hobbit. He encourages Sam to do the step out of the world he is familiar with. Sam grows with every step from now on, whereas Frodos strength diminishes.

Isn´t the scene scary when the Hobbits hide unter the tree and how menacing is the Nazgûl?

I love the scene at the gate of Bree. The two windows - for Hobbits and Men, the point of view of the Hobbits between all the big folks and all the small things which you realize at the third, fourth...viewing.

And Strider! What a marvellous way to introduce a character!

[lucidity]

Rosie, I never thought about your nitpicks before. I suppose it does seem silly for Pippin to say 'Frodo Baggins' instead of simply 'Frodo.'

Lily, you've put Sam and Frodo in perspective very well when you said this: "Sam grows with every step from now on, whereas Frodo's strength diminishes." I never thought about it, but it makes good sense.

The two doors in the gate in Bree is quite a nice visual, you're quite correct.

I will get to the next three scenes sometime this week. Thanks for not leaving me hanging guys. ;D