The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) — Epic and awesome. It’s really only the first third of what in essence is one colossal twelve-hour movie, but if you had to evaluate them as individual films this one would be my favorite. [I am referring to the extended versions. I saw the theatrical versions in theaters for the first and last time. Certainly great flicks, but why read the Cliff Notes when the book is better? (Figuratively speaking anyway. I’ve never actually read any Tolkien)] Anyway I’m a sucker for the epic flicks. When somebody can create an entire world that feels completely unique, that’s usually enough to sell me on a movie. Another cool thing is that Peter Jackson is a director who cut his teeth on gore-soaked low budget horror flicks. When making a movie (especially a horror movie) you pick up certain tricks to get the most bang for your buck. What’s even more cool is seeing a film-maker who knows all those tricks use them on a movie with a colossal fucking budget. But the multitude of immersive and pioneering effects all work in service to a story, which is the main reason it all works so great. I intend to watch the next two in the coming days so hooray…