Why is it that theaters run commercials before movies these days? I can understand showing slide-show advertisements for half an hour before the movie begins; theater patrons are looking for something to pass the time while they warm up their perfect seat. What gets me are the full-motion, glorified TV spots hogging the big screen and the Dolby sound. It’s not the fact that I just paid $7.50 to see the flick; rather, I cannot ignore the ads. Once the lights are dimmed and the volume is up, focusing on anything other than the ad is an exercise in futility. Kind of like Clockwork Orange, except without the drugs and weird metal instruments. Oh yeah, no Beethoven.

Why bring this up? Well, I saw LOTR: The Fellowship of the Ring today. If you haven’t seen it, do so, advertisements and all. Before you go, read the book. Without the book as a background, several scenes would not make sense. For example, outside the door to Moria, Bill the Pony is released both in the book and the movie. However, Bill is never introduced in the movie; all of a sudden, he’s simply part of the group. Despite this and several other discontinuities, FotR is quite enjoyable. The actors were especially good. Gandalf is particularly well cast; Ian McKellan plays the wizard with particular adroitness. Once again, go see the movie. I dare you!