The End of All Things?

I have read the books. I have seen each movie over the last THREE consecutive YEARS. I hold in my hands, all three of the beautifully decorated special edition DVDs...‘The Fellowship of the Ring’ ‘The Two Towers’ and ‘The Return of the King’. Each film unique and yet part of the same story. A long journey –now complete.

We don’t even realize what was so important to us, until it has been taken...or gone...finished...over. The films have all been released. We have seen everything. There is nothing left. Here we are in December 2004. Where were you at this time last year –December 2003? 2002? 2001? We were all at the dark cinema. Enjoying what we waited all year to see.

Each year I would drive by the movie house just to see if they’d put up the LOTR poster outside yet. People were excited; you could find anything you wanted in LOTR merchandise; there were promo TV specials; my friend named her dog ‘Frodo’.... Displays in bookstores and the library...You had to be on a waiting list just to check out the LOTR books, they were THAT popular....

My sister and her husband would come home every Christmas and take us to see each movie every year, even if we had already seen it 3 times before, I couldn’t get enough. It was like a new tradition. After my sister took us to see FOTR for the first time, I couldn’t believe I had to wait another year before finding out what happens to Mr. Frodo, and Sam, and those other two hobbits, and that cool Strider guy, not to mention the wait of another additional year to end the story!

I was fourteen when this all began, and I didn’t know it would lead me to an even greater passion for literature, discover my own joys at filmmaking and writing, and that I would ultimately find love.

I immediately bought the books and spent the rest of the (usually depressing) fun winter reading about the Ring of power -Gandalf’s resurrection, amazing creatures that stirred my imagination, overwhelmingly likable and relatable characters, and left me with a desire for more. I cried over the books. The first time reading them was an experience I will never forget. I hardly found them boring as my best friend did, and wasn’t satisfied to just watch the movies. I discovered the ending to the story myself without help from the movies, I read the books and waited with anticipation for ‘The Two Towers’, watching FOTR DVD at least every week to ease the slow passage of time.

The Two Towers was amazing (of course) and I was further drawn in to Middle Earth, and it’s complex characters.

Somewhere after TTT and before the release of ROTK, I was hungry for info on the newest (and final) film, my desire took me to ‘google’ and ‘google’ took me to KMC. I had never been to a message board before, and I was actually told they were dangerous. But the idea intrigued me, and I could see each topic made up of different opinions but of the same community, each user –it’s own personality and style. Each user a human being, with a mind and a soul, so much more than what they appear to be...and every one of them was a part of Middle Earth. The REAL Middle Earth.

I made my own new identity: ‘Smodden’ and began to realize how much my life was changing because of the LOTR.

It’s something powerful, and stirring, you can find yourself lost in the books and movies, but still be comforted by your companions, elves and wizards, it began to feel like home, like I should be there, and MY life was now part of THEIR journey too.

A lot of things happened to me directly during that time. My Grandma died. My dog who was older than I was, died. I ended a painful relationship with a girl, only to be driven into another, more painful relationship, that would end much the same way, later the next year. My Dad was struggling to keep his job.... I was struggling with school.... My Mom was ill...
The Lord of the Rings was an escape for me; from everything...I was part of something... and my problems didn’t seem as huge as I made them out to be, when I was with Aragorn, trying so hard to catch up to those Uruks, who kidnapped my friends the hobbits... Frodo’s ring became MY ring. And if Frodo could make it as far as he did, than so could I. My ring wasn’t as heavy anymore. My problems were now surmountable.

It would be the spring after ROTK, that my life would take an amazing turn...changing my life yet again...I met shadowy_blue, and she met me. LOTR ignited us into Love. And that’s where Solina took over my life.😉

Lol.....anyway..😛

LOTR has come to a close. We are at the end of it all. What once seemed so far away, is now. NOW. we are here already. J.R.R. Tolkien and Peter Jackson and his cast and crew have made me more than happy with their accomplishments. It’s a sad reality that the movies we have come to love so much, are completed....And it does leave me feeling more than a little empty this December....We’ve changed. all of us have...we’ve grown, and discovered so many new things...merry and pippen wern’t the same after their journey, neither was frodo....Gandalf and so many others left us...and sailed away...some stayed with us, clinging to the dream they have lived, and re-lived. We HAVE something that the next generation will NEVER have. We have lived it...we have been there and back again...You and I will always remember these three years. Some ties are to deep to be forgotten. Some stories worth re-telling, Some dreams to strong to end...You can never loose Middle Earth. “And I don’t mean to, I don’t mean to.”

“I don’t suppose we’ll ever see them again.”

-“We may yet Mr. Frodo, we may.”

Frodo and Sam -FOTR

You guys can post your own stories of how LOTR has changed your life....and how the 'end' has effected you.
🙂

it depresses me that it has all come to an end. i have a broader outlook on life through lotr, and a more intellectual one as well. through the past three years, it's been a time of change for me as well. i've gone through multiple friendships, discovering who was genuine and who was false (to use a gollum-ism). i've grown as a person, become more outspoken, but also have become quieter in some aspects. i've developed my flirting skills, and have met a guy that is crazy about me...i've started thinking about religion again, i will never become a fully devout catholic again, but i'm not repulsed anymore. i can think about it as a myth, similar to joe campbell. in my english classes i have begun to enjoy archetypes and mythology more than i did before. it keeps me stimulated to relate things to lotr, english class would be boring without it. over the past three years, one of my friends and i have become the merry and pippin of our party scene, being the most boisterous when drunk (which is something else i started to do). i've become passionate about things, especially lotr. friends have made fun of me for it, but i'm always so moved by tolkien, besides a slight relationship with harry potter, i was never 'involved' in a book that way before. i know that there is no more to come, but i will never stop watching, and hopefully in 10/20 years or so, peter jackson will come out with a special edition like george lucas did and put in even more scenes. who knows. but all i do know is, i'll be there

to those about to rock, i salute you

📖 🍺 🤪

Originally posted by muse5
it depresses me that it has all come to an end. i have a broader outlook on life through lotr, and a more intellectual one as well. through the past three years, it's been a time of change for me as well.... english class would be boring without it. over the past three years, one of my friends and i have become the merry and pippin of our party scene, being the most boisterous when drunk (which is something else i started to do). i've become passionate about things, especially lotr. friends have made fun of me for it, but i'm always so moved by tolkien, besides a slight relationship with harry potter, i was never 'involved' in a book that way before. i know that there is no more to come, but i will never stop watching, and hopefully in 10/20 years or so, peter jackson will come out with a special edition like george lucas did and put in even more scenes. who knows. but all i do know is, i'll be there

to those about to rock, i salute you

📖 🍺 🤪

I salute YOU😄

nice.

i have the same sentiments towards 'the prydain chronicles,' i read them as a child and loved them, but lotr is just...different. i'm going to miss it soooo much

happy 1 year of rotk premiering!

Good Riddance i say 😊

Originally posted by The Inkeeper
Good Riddance i say 😊

Leave it to you to spoil the moment!😠

😛

what moment? OH! You mean LotRs 15 minutes of fame?

or your last words?!😒

😱

Exactly

Prepare for extermination. Sauron, you shall soon be dead. I will take very good care of your possesions...😖hifty:

Do your worst *puts on blindfold*

Your ring, Sauron...give me your ring....

but...but....weep fine...*sigh* *gives ring*

Sex, lies, and The Lord of the Rings. Ahh, a normal day at KMC. Well, okay, there is rarely if ever any sex, and very few lies, but the last part is true. There sure is a hell of a lot of LotR.

This post will be a little maudlin, but I don't care because today is sad. I mean, it's happy because "OMGROTKEELOLEEEEEKKKWTF!!1!!!1!!1!!" But it's sad because after this, it's really the end of the movies. There won't be any new images of Eowyn or Faramir, no new songs to download off weird sites in other languages. There won't be any more jumpy pirate recordings of trailers that we watch excitedly. There won't be any more rantings about some inappropriate scenes. There won't be any more Tuesday nights in mid-December when we think, "OMG!! LoTr 2MORRO IM Soo0oo000 ECsaYTED!!!1#@!" So I'm going to make a post, even if it's mostly for myself. Yes, my dear, sweet reader. I'm actually going to write something.

Fantasy has always been a part of my life. Back when I was little and I was alone, there would be my little world in which I had herds of horses, falcons, wolves and dragons to manage. There were no humans, and I liked that. I was their creator, and each herd leader was my own personal vassal. This world existed when I was 4-8, but I've never forgotten them. I have simply released my herds from my service so to speak, as they have served their purpose. After that, I had found some valuable friends which released my hold on my worlds as escape routes, and I began to live solely in this world. Life was fine, I read purely for information and enjoyment, having found a great interest in Egyptian mythology and also in the cosmos and in archaelogy. I became quite a bookworm.

Then I discovered The HOBBIT, we read it in class at school. I soon found myself digging through the books in our library to find more books by this certain JRR Tolkien. Then I saw their dusty old copy of The Lord of the Rings. I was 9 years old. It is quite likely that it was one of the sources that helped to shape my beliefs in how the world, and more realistically, myself should be. Who we are is a culmination of our life experiences and what we've learned from them. Naturally, everyone is affected differently by a certain book. When you read, you think of it in context with what you've lived through, and you bring that experience into what you're reading...sometimes an event that takes place in a book hits very close to home, because you've "been there" and know how it feels. It's the emotional connection one feels which gives them a deeper appreciation for something. I find that I definitely relate to Tolkien's books, and I read the books with such moral conviction that I cannot help but be moved by how relevant it is to the way I think about life. The magic draws me in and strings me along for the ride, transporting me to places never seen, allows me to converse with people never known, and forces me to open my heart and mind to new ideas. This innermost longing that I possess, for the magic of the lost realms; this sets me apart from most other people with whom I come in contact daily, my peers and my family. While people might think that this wish made me an oddball and a sort of freak--keep in mind that highschoolers don't consider deep discussions about classic literature and fantasy "normal". I now realize finally that it is precisely this which makes me unique; this is how I make myself feel important and grounded. I might not be a scholar, and I don't have the insight or knowledge of the most intelligent beings on earth, but I realize now that that's OK, because I have an appreciation for the great minds and the great works of literature that came from those minds, and that's what matters. In fact, that is what I tell myself whenever I feel left out, or just plain frustrated because I don't have friends who share my love of the arts. I am an 11th grader, and finding peers who also hold this appreciation is next to impossible. So I turn to fantasy, and yet again the magic grabs my soul and demands my heart; it is my escape and my passion. I can't say my inner strength comes completely from Middle-earth but it certainly helped. Friends and family are the most essential part of my daily puzzle, but there are times when friends and family just aren't there--either physically or emotionally. Middle-earth is not the be-all or end-all of my existence, but it is one part of who I am.

Anyway then, the movies came out.

If my fervour for LotR had cooled any, it was brought to a raging blaze at that. The children who hadn't even been born on the wintry night became immensely interested in Frodo, and there was no end of excitement and proclamations of devotion to the movies. They were wonderful, and increased my already burning devotion for LotR, and made it much easier to read the book, for it was much simpler to go through the lengthy descriptions when the films depicted the landscapes in a marvellous way.

The Lord of the Rings movies have been one of the biggest things that has ever happened to me. It has been a key point in my life; these last 3 years have been full of both triumphs and heartbreaks. I'll never forget the first time I saw the trailer for the trilogy 3 or so years ago. I watched it on an old piece of junk computer on Realplayer. It was so poor quality that I had to blow it up all the way and then sit back away. But I was awed. I had only finished the books a few years before, and then there they were--Gandalf, Frodo, and Aragorn--all there, alive, breathing. That was the day I started checking TOR.n almost religiously. I remember the first "spy" reports, one that sticks out in my mind is how all the people were making fun of a "certain Orlando Bloom" because they had no idea who he was, he was very unknown back then, and they even had a very hard timing finding even a ONE single picture of him to judge if his looks will be right for Legolas. It seems very funny now. With that trailer I found myself re-devouring LotR all over again.

I saw FOTR and was spellbound. I adored the danger that Galadriel exuded. I loved Saruman. I loved Gandalf. Ian Mckellen WAS Gandalf. And when he died, I cried. I knew he was coming back, but he wouldn't be the same. He would still be the kick ass Gandalf the White, but no more Hobbity dances, no more fireworks, no more smoke rings.

Then 2 years after, I found KMC. I must admit that my initial intention was not to find another forum about Middle-earth, for I already had a handful of forums to spend my time on during that time. I went to Google and searched for an X-Men forum, and Google took me to KMC. It was only after ROTK came out that a sudden magnetic force brought me here, the LotR forum. The next thing I knew, I was visiting this forum more often than I ever did with the X-Men forum. I couldn't manage to leave this place, until I NEVER went back there again. The Lord of the Rings forum has been my home ever since.

I can not communicate what this forum has meant for me, it's a place of stability, fun, and love. I've seen Ringers come and go, old ones left and felt that they have somehow "grown out" of it, or something, I've seen newbies go from smiley abusing "omgwtf-ers" to respected, clear, productive members. I witnessed how LotR ignited some people into love, not only once, but a couple of times. I truly know that everything's a part of a big plan. I know why I didn't die just before I was born, I know why Middle-earth was created, I know why the movies were made, I know why Google brought me to KMC, I know why I suddenly felt a strong urge to go and post in this forum, I know why a certain accidental PM was made, and I know why I was bored to death in the afternoon of March 20. 😉 This is all inside-scoop, so unless that you know me and my KMC life pretty well, I don't think you'll get what I'm talking about. 😛 But I'll just say this because it's true (and also so that the other members wouldn't just stare at that last statement and say, "wtf? 🤨"): I love you, Smodden. 🙂

I remember all the ridiculous threads, all the bannings, and some personal conflicts. So, you see, it's all you guys' fault I talk so much now. My real life (real life? what's that?) friends are out for your blood. I'm much more annoying in person now. 😛

I can say that it's truly sad that this is the end of a chapter. A chapter that will stay marked in our hearts forever. But though the euphoric years of the movies and fandom are over, there is so much left of Tolkien's world to explore. I have a feeling that even after the hype of the movies fades and the public interest moves on to the next big thing, there will be a lot of us fans right here, in forums and clubs, learning and teaching and rejoicing in the greatness and beauty of this world that was given to us first by the Professor himself, and then was recreated in grand scale by Peter Jackson.

It does not end here. I certainly hope it does not. There is so much more to Tolkien fanship than Hot Elves or Adorable Hobbits or even the gorgeous scenery and magical world portrayed in the films. The true heart of the magic and wonder is with the true fans, those who will never stop loving this world. And as long as those fans exist, Middle-earth will be the place of wonder that we know and love.

I know all those things, but I still couldn't help it but to be melancholic at the end of these films. I'm just so very thankful. The friendships and love I've found along the way because of the appreciation for the books and movies are the best thing about it all.

I love all of you; Legolas fangirls, E/F and A/A shippers, Eagle lovers, Silmarillion junkies, book fans, movie fans, all of you, from all over the world. Thank you, thank you, thank you. 😄

- Solina Dreida Alvinez (shadowy_blue) 😊

Ah..now to cast this into the fires from whence it came....I shall put an end to the evilness that has come to the forum and the innocent lives you have cursed...I shall walk to mount doom *walks to mount doom* and cast my hand forward*casts hand forward*and release the ring into the fire!*holds on to ring* I said RELEASE!...*holds on*

THE RING IS MINE....sauron now lives!

So I don't get exa😐

😛

Forget my post above. It's worthless.

I forgot to consider the fact that the people in this forum hate the movies and nobody reads my posts.

Originally posted by shadowy_blue
Fantasy has always been a part of my life. Back when I was little and I was alone, there would be my little world in which I had herds of horses, falcons, wolves and dragons to manage. There were no humans, and I liked that. I was their creator, and each herd leader was my own personal vassal. This world existed when I was 4-8, but I've never forgotten them. I have simply released my herds from my service so to speak, as they have served their purpose. After that, I had found some valuable friends which released my hold on my worlds as escape routes, and I began to live solely in this world. Life was fine, I read purely for information and enjoyment, having found a great interest in Egyptian mythology and also in the cosmos and in archaelogy. I became quite a bookworm.

cry
I remember when I was younger too....My imagination formed incredible worlds filled with characters of my own making.

Then I discovered The HOBBIT,

I had discovered the hobbit book long before the movies too...lol, but I didn’t read it, my mom tried to get me to read the book, but I didn’t think I’d be that interested lol...I must have been 10 or so...I now know my Mother has a great taste in literature.
I was to busy with Narnia, and Hardy Boys....😮

Then I saw their dusty old copy of The Lord of the Rings. I was 9 years old.

That sentence is pure magic. 😄 The start of everything, and the way you found it. It’s almost like another story, of how you found a story, and so much more....Brilliant.

Who we are is a culmination of our life experiences and what we've learned from them. Naturally, everyone is affected differently by a certain book. When you read, you think of it in context with what you've lived through, and you bring that experience into what you're reading...sometimes an event that takes place in a book hits very close to home, because you've "been there" and know how it feels. It's the emotional connection one feels which gives them a deeper appreciation for something.

Exactly. It’s that feeling you get while reading, when you sigh out loud and you say: “Yes, yes! I know how your feeling Sam!” and it’s deeper than that too, you can easily feel inside the same thing the characters are feeling, and than it’s not even reading anymore, it takes on something so much more powerful, it’s YOUR characteristics and your desires and feelings laid out in front of your minds-eye.

highschoolers don't consider deep discussions about classic literature and fantasy "normal". I now realize finally that it is precisely this which makes me unique; this is how I make myself feel important and grounded. I might not be a scholar, and I don't have the insight or knowledge of the most intelligent beings on earth, but I realize now that that's OK, because I have an appreciation for the great minds and the great works of literature that came from those minds, and that's what matters. In fact, that is what I tell myself whenever I feel left out, or just plain frustrated because I don't have friends who share my love of the arts.

✅ It’s almost impossible to start a serious conversation with my friends about literature or LOTR, with the exception of a very small limited number, my friends don’t read as much as I do...and they’d rather watch MTV (or fuse!!!!😱 ) than read about, Rohan and Gondor, and the kings and leaders and heirs of Isildur....But I am blessed to have a few friends who are as passionate about LOTR and literature and the arts...as I am

Anyway then, the movies came out.

And I died.

I'll never forget the first time I saw the trailer for the trilogy 3 or so years ago. I watched it on an old piece of junk computer on Realplayer. It was so poor quality that I had to blow it up all the way and then sit back away

The first time I heard of LOTR movies was when My brother and law and my sister and my parents were talking about it and saying how great it was going to be and it was coming out this year....we were eating dinner and I had no idea what they were talking about, lol and I just sat back and listened to them talking, not quite sure what to think...I was 13-14....I saw the trailer on TV...it was some special, I think I was in Oklahoma visiting my Grandma who was still living at the time, and my Grandpa...we were watching the special on Fox...and they showed the cavetroll and everything...I was so excited...even though I hadn’t read the books yet...

a "certain Orlando Bloom" because they had no idea who he was, he was very unknown back then, and they even had a very hard timing finding even a ONE single picture of him to judge if his looks will be right for Legolas. It seems very funny now. With that trailer I found myself re-devouring LotR all over again.

And when he died, I cried. I knew he was coming back,

It does not end here. I certainly hope it does not. There is so much more to Tolkien fanship than Hot Elves or Adorable Hobbits or even the gorgeous scenery and magical world portrayed in the films. The true heart of the magic and wonder is with the true fans, those who will never stop loving this world. And as long as those fans exist, Middle-earth will be the place of wonder that we know and love.

I agree...Some may have moved on and lost some thing important....but not you...your a true fan, all the way...I would even go so far as to say you came from Middle Earth.😉
Don’t ever loose this.

I know why I didn't die just before I was born, I know why Middle-earth was created, I know why the movies were made, I know why Google brought me to KMC, I know why I suddenly felt a strong urge to go and post in this forum, I know why a certain accidental PM was made, and I know why I was bored to death in the afternoon of March 20. But I'll just say this because it's true: I love you, Smodden.

I love you s-b. I love you so much.

Solina Dreida Alvinez (shadowy_blue)

I love your name...I love reading your posts...I know how much time went into this...Your Briliant, and I always enjoy reading your writings...*wants an autograph*

-Joshua John William Gassett

Y'know, my testimony is not that long. I loved the movies. They each created a new passion in my soul. And every time I heard that music, I cried. Because I knew it had to end. I didn't want it to end. cry I thought of Peter Jackson as a god. The scenery, the dialogue, the excitement. God, I love those movies.

I thought the movies were the greatest films to come out in a long time when I got done watching the dvd commentary of the cast I was like don't say it's over but they did.Now all us fans have to wait 25 years even before we see these films again even though they are on dvd I thought today you could release return of the king in theaters and it would win all oscars again because the holiday films just suck this year.