 Originally Posted by Neil
I love those flicks!
I hadn't seen them in several years, and seeing as I'd just wrapped up the three Hobbit movies, I figured it was the ideal time to re-watch TLOTR. Watching them that way you can see that Peter Jackson was not only making an adaptation of The Hobbit, he was also making an introduction to the world of Middle Earth and a set up to TLOTR.
Anyway, on TLOTR specifically ... I think Fellowship is the best all-round movie of the three (although, it's funny now that I see it - just like An Unexpected Journey - it takes 40-45 minutes to leave the Shire), however my favourite part of all three films is the Battle of Helm's Deep without a doubt. I've often thought of Two Towers as being my favourite of the movies, but I'm reconsidering it. Naturally being the middle chapter it lacks the beginning of Fellowship, and the ending of Return, and I have to say all the stuff with the Ents is my least favourite part of all three movies. Everytime they cut away to them from Helm's Deep I just wanna get back to Helm's Deep ... except for the last time they do so and the Ents take down Saruman, which was good.
Now, Return of the King, arguably it's a bit too long at four hours in the extended form (e.g. it becomes a bit frustrating when Frodo and Sam are taking ages to climb up Mount Doom, I get that it's a big struggle, but that point was made too often and it got a bit distracting, like, "just get up the sodding hill and chuck the ring in the lava!") ... but Minas Tirith looks amazing, and the Battle of Pelenor Field is pretty damn great (although Helm's Deep still wins out in my view), and even though there's "lots of endings", frankly, when you've gone on such a huge journey with all these characters - and with a new age dawning in Middle Earth - you want to see what happens to all these characters in something more than just a throw away shot or a title card, so I was fine with the multiple endings.
Ultimately though, like with the Back to the Future movies, I view TLOTR films as one giant movie split into three parts and they all work better together than apart. Yes, Fellowship is the best of the three on their own individual terms, but each movie contains their own hugely important elements of the story.
...
And on a more grindhousey vibe, here's an updated version of an overview of the Ilsa trilogy that I did a while back:
http://deadshed.blogspot.co.uk/2013/...a-edition.html
Likewise, an updated version of a DVD review of a Roger Corman WIP collection (The Big Doll House / Women In Cages / The Big Bird Cage):
http://deadshed.blogspot.co.uk/2011/...cs-triple.html
Just in case things were starting to get a little bit mainstream around here.    
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