The Trailer Park

I should probably start another Netflix thing this week after finishing some stuff. Maybe one of my less-favourite Star Treks? Or maybe Alias Grace? Or... I don't know yet.

Oh, and I saw another trailer for that unnecessary rehashed superhero thing.

They were probably trailers for the trailer.

Gonna try to fit in Return Of The King now. May end up splitting it into two parts or may just fast forward a bit through those endings.

I actually threw the Lord of the Rings Trilogy on the day before yesterday, while working from home. And today, watched the Hobbit Trilogy. I had seen the first one a while back, but never watched the other two until today. ... They just happen to have them all on HBOMax, and since there isn't anything else on during the day.

I did manage to fit it in with a touch of fast forward through a couple of moments.
And now begins that age-old ritual of trying to work out which scenes should have been cut to make the best ending for you.

First of all I'd get rid of that Fade-To-Black on the mountain before the eagles arrive. That's a horrible fake-death cheat and if a first year film student did that they'd be slapped down by their teacher. Then I'd remove (or at least trim) the cringey bit where Frodo wakes and everyone grins in slow motion. Next to go is Aragorn's coronation. The film may be called Return of The King but it's never been his story and his arc is complete when he gets the sword and does the thing with the dead ghosties. Everything after that is tautology. So no King Aragorn, no Arwen popping up and certainly no Aragorn singing in a made-up language.
I do like the "You bow to no-one" line but I can live without it.
The return to the Shire needs to be acknowledged but a simple establishing shot will suffice instead of the slow ride and the silent nodding.
Now the Sam bits...
Keep the tavern moment when he goes to talk to Rosie but no wedding and no kids at the end. "I'm back" may be an iconic bit in the books but I don't need it here. I do think Frodo's line about Sam being torn between two people needs to stay so maybe move that to the tavern scene.
So I shall leave Frodo writing the book and moaning about the wound that never heals and definitely keep all the Bilbo/Grey Havens sequence which is beautifully paced and one of my favourite scenes in all of cinema, but I shall end the film on that shot of Frodo looking back over his shoulder with his poignant smile. That one image really nails everything about the character's story and experiences and as he leaves so should we.

And that concludes this particular episode of Fantasy Film Editor.

I'm currently watching that rubbish 90s Godzilla movie.