Reliving Fellowship

[oselle]

I understand from the great information resources on LJ that today, October 11th, marks the 10th Anniversary of the beginning of principal photography on the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I can't believe that was 10 years ago. Everything about LoTR feels like it just happened a couple of years ago.

Newcomers to this journal who know me for my SPN rants (or political rants) may not know that it was LoTR that first brought me here, and LoTR (and my absolute obsession with Elijah Wood) that dominated my online life (and most of my real life) for years. Last night, my fellow LoTR fangirl and part-time Elijah Wood stalker merylmarie very kindly offered me a ticket to see Fellowship of the Ring screened at Radio City Music Hall with the score performed by a live orchestra and chorus and of course, the glorious setting of Radio City and the exquisite musical accompaniment enhanced the experience immeasurably but the movie itself has lost none of its beauty or resonance. Really a work of art that will stand the test of time and yes, I cried at the end, just the way I always did. I didn't know that today was the 10th anniversary of the beginning of that epic endeavor, and now that I do I'm especially glad that I was lucky enough to see the performance last night.

When I got home last night I put my ticket in the envelope with all the ticket stubs I saved from every performance of each of the three movies and the very first one was still in there, dated December 31, 2001, 10:00 AM at the Loews E-Walk in Times Square. That day marked the beginning of one of the happiest and most fun and really, one of the most joyful times of my entire life. I sometimes get into a foul mood in which I think these fannish things I've indulged in have been stupid and juvenile and a waste of time but the truth is that I'd have been a shabbier and sadder and considerably duller person without them.

Comments

[mews1945.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad you got to go to the concert. It's an amazing experience to see the movie with a live orchestra doing the score. I know my life would have been a much less joyful one if not for LotRs, fandom, and LJ.

[caoil.livejournal.com]

That must've been a really lovely experience, oselle. I know I was beside myself with glee at the symphony performance I saw (conducted by Mr. Shore himself).

And I don't know what I would've done without LOTR fandom either - the people I met on and offline helped me through some very dark times & I love all of them for it.

[mirabile-dictu.livejournal.com]

I have my tickets, too. What a time that was -- I treasure my memories. And I met so many wonderful people as a result!

[slipperieslope.livejournal.com]

((hugs))

Me, too. Oh yes, me too!

[oxer12.livejournal.com]

YOU GOT TO GO??? Oh, I am SO jealous!! But happy for you too. :)

Your account of seeing the trilogy and Elijah years ago is one of the very first things I remember about online LOTR fandom. It does seem like just a couple of years ago. I have to constantly remind myself that I've been on LJ for almost 7 years!

[merylmarie.livejournal.com]

Thanks for making last night terrific, old friend! We just picked up where we left off, didn't we? It was great to feel the old magic bubbling up again.

I hope we can do The Two Towers next year, but there's something so special about Fellowship...

[ariadnes-string.livejournal.com]

oh, that sounds so fun!

[golden-berry.livejournal.com]

"Joyful". Yes, that is exactly the right word! Every time I think back to that era of my life I feel thankful that I had, and still have and will always have all the wackiness and silliness and profoundness, the glee and melancholy and feeling of community that came with it all.

Heck, I think I'm gonna go hug my Frodoll now. :)

[tskterata.livejournal.com]

That sounds wonderful!

We re-watch all three movies every year around Christmas, and every time we notice something new. I love those movies!

[claudia603.livejournal.com]

I'm so incredibly grateful for all that I've gotten through lotr fandom and LJ. Without the LOTR films, well, I can't imagine what my life would be like. Certainly not as rich and fulfilling.

[ladymirth.livejournal.com]

How did I not know you were into LoTR too?! I have the six-disc gold collectors edition with music CD. I'm conivnced that Tolkien was God and Peter Jackson is Jesus.

[i-o-r-h-a-e-l.livejournal.com]

Several of my LotR flisters went there too, I guess. I wonder if you met them.

*hugs*

[pearlette.livejournal.com]

I'm jazzed that you saw this! :)

I saw it last April. What made the experience so very magical was the live orchestra and music. It was very moving and very special: Howard's music truly makes those films what they are; that guy absolutely nailed the majesty of Middle-earth in his magnificent score.

I will always be grateful for PJ's LotR, for many reasons, but I am also much more critical these days of the filmic interpretation of Frodo than I was at the height of my movie fandom. Be that as it may, I will always remember that period with great affection. :)

I'll be seeing TTT on 24 April 2010 at the Royal Albert Hall and then of course RotK in 2011. :)

[aussiepeach.livejournal.com]

We need a Haremite reunion! I'll bring cheesecake.

Reunion

[juliebeth.livejournal.com]

I second that!

[sixth-queen.livejournal.com]

I well remember your posts on the LotR message board and later on LJ. They were indescribable movies... well, OK parts of TTT really blew, but overall they were pretty good.

To me LotR feels like it happened 20 years ago, not eight. Why is it that something that was so integral to my life fade so quickly? To this day I'll watch fans screaming for some movie or other and have to conciously remind myself that, yes, I was once one of them.

[sixth-queen.livejournal.com]

Oh, and on a trivia note, the first day of principle photography was the scene where Frodo says "Get off the road, quick!"

[nwhepcat.livejournal.com]

I just finished reading "Once," and I know I sent you feedback after I listened to a long, delicious fic of yours as a podfic, and so I figure it's just time I friended you. And sometimes I have those doubts about the time I spend on these pursuits, too, but when I think of the lovely people I've visited, had in my home, road tripped with, spent hours on the phone with ... such passion and loveliness fandom has brought into my life, too.

[fictualities.livejournal.com]

Belatedly, <3 <3 <3

Wasn't that a time? :)