I like to watch movies while ironing. Today, the movie of choice was the Fellowship of the Ring. It’s been awhile since I’ve watched the LOTR trilogy, and the extended editions of each make for plenty of ironing time!

Today, a few random thoughts occurred to me while I was watching the first half of the movie (watching the two-disc extended edition; I said the movies made for plenty of ironing time, I didn’t claim to actually IRON for the entire duration of the movie!). For your consideration, I share these random tidbits from Z’s brain below:

1. I still don’t particularly like Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins. For that matter, Frodo still annoys me in the movies…Gandalf said don’t put the ring on, it’ll attract those looking for it, and when he’s faced with the wringwraiths, what does he do? PUT THE RING ON! Smart one. (For the record, I get it – the ring wants him to put it on, and the pull is just too strong, etc. etc.)
2. Considering Stryder/Aragorn beat off the wringwraiths with fire, maybe the hobbits having a fire wasn’t such a bad idea after all. Maybe torches would’ve been a better weapon to leave them with than the swords.
3. Humans always get such a bad rap; thank goodness for Aragorn living among the elves so long to save the race from being nothing but power-hungry, easily-corruptible…humans.
4. Viggo Mortensen is, to borrow a phrase from a friend, very easy on the eyes. So glad his son convinced him to play the part!
5. I still think Orlando Bloom makes a better elf than a pirate…
6. Maybe this says something about the movies and/or books I’ve been reading, but who was the first author to portray ravens and crows as being evil, or at least in league with the bad guys? I’m curious if they’re ever the good side’s spies?
7. Christopher Lee (Saruman) just makes a great bad guy.
8. Moths still creep me out, but they get a slightly less creepy quality when helping save Gandalf from Isengard. (Sidenote: that was one huge moth.)
9. When was the last time Gimli actually visited his cousin in the Mines of Moria…?
10. I wonder if Hugo Weaving (Elrond) did the one-eyebrow raised thing as part of his audition? Was that a requirement? Raising both would seem too much when Boromir walks towards the ring, but just raising the one speaks volumes!
11. The exasperated looks from Elrond and Legolas when Gandalf speaks the words on the ring still make me chuckle. You just don’t think elves would gives looks that say, “Ugh. You just had to go there, didn’t you?”
12. Hobbit foot hair must be one heck of an insulator.

Well, there you have it. Z’s random thoughts while ironing and watching the first half of Fellowship of the Ring.