Tolkien-themed Questionnaire: Answers! (PART II)

Yesterday I posted Part I of the Tolkien-Themed Questionnaire, which you can see here.

Behold! Now Part II awaits … enjoy 🙂

21. What are your top five favorite lines from the films?

1. “A wizard is never late, Frodo Baggins, nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to.” – Gandalf, ‘The Fellowship of the Ring’
2. “Even the smallest person can change the course of the future.” – Galadriel, ‘The Fellowship of the Ring’
3. “So, it is before the walls of Minas Tirith that the doom of our time will be decided.” – Théoden, ‘The Return of the King’
4. “I’m a Baggins, of Bag End.” – Bilbo, ‘An Unexpected Journey’
5. “Oh, come on!” – Dáin II Ironfoot, ‘The Battle of the Five Armies’

22. What are your top five favorite lines from the book?

Too many! But here are some of the most memorable and the ones I look forward to re-reading …

1. “Short cuts make delays but inns make longer ones.” – Frodo, ‘The Lord of the Rings’
2. “To me! To me! Elves and Men! To me! O my kinsfolk!” – Thorin, ‘The Hobbit’
3. “There is nothing like looking, if you want to find something. You certainly usually find something, if you look, but it is not always quite the something you were after.” – ‘The Hobbit’
4. “I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend.” – Faramir, ‘The Lord of the Rings’
5. “So comes snow after fire, and even dragons have their endings.” – Bilbo, ‘The Hobbit’

23. Who do you think is the most underrated character?

Fredegar Bolger. He “held the fort” as it were, and delayed some of the Ringwraiths from getting to Frodo.

24. Have you watched any of the animated films? If so, what are your opinions?

I think the Rankin/Bass version of The Hobbit is a nicely-compressed adaptation of the story – even though it has a weird pacing and misses some important elements. The Return of the King is also an interesting adaptation, but I still prefer The Hobbit from both; though I love the “Frodo of the Nine Fingers” song!

25. How has LOTR affected your life?

I actually wrote a 43-page document on how The Lord of the Rings influenced me and became part of my life. I don’t think it’ll ever see the light of day, but in summary: it re-shaped and re-wired who I am. And it remains the single most major event in my life – until I get married of course, or have kids (neither anytime soon) …

26. Which characters would you want in your Fellowship?

1. Gandalf for his wisdom
2. Aragorn for his courage
3. Boromir for his strength
4. Legolas for his aim
5. Gimli for his sturdiness
6. Frodo for his determination
7. Sam for his loyalty (and cooking)
8. Merry and Pippin for their comedy

27. Weapon of choice?

Bow and arrow – dealing death at a distance!

28.Would you have volunteered to destroy the Ring?

Not really. That’s what hobbits are for, aren’t they?

29. Who do you think is the most attractive character?

Visually from a films perspective I’d say Tauriel (though I do admit a bit of a man crush for Luke Evans’ Bard). What we can glean from the books I’d say I’m rather drawn towards Elrond (though I can’t help but think of Hugo Weaving’s coolness every time he appears in the book).

30. Do you own any LOTR merchandise? If so, what is your favorite item?

Probably it’s the WETA One Ring replica with the Elvish inscription.

31. Have you read the book?

Uhm, would you believe me if I said I haven’t? It’s become a yearly tradition now.

32. Have you ever had a LOTR marathon? Describe your perfect marathon.

I have had a LOTR marathon every year. But some 3 years ago I managed to do the “Single Day Marathon” – all three extended editions that took around 13 hours (with breaks). I have yet to do a Hobbit one, but whether I’ll ever be able to manage both trilogies at once is yet to be determined.

33. When did you first watch the films and/or read the book?

At 13, in early 2002, I saw The Fellowship of the Ring – and then each film the following years. Read the book/s around 2007. Because me being me I decided to read The Silmarillion first … which I did: in 2006. It was an immense task to complete – as you can imagine. Nowadays, I can’t live without it! But that reading experience, and tackling the depth and complexity of the writing, actually helped to ease some of the difficulties when reading The Lord of the Rings.

34. What is your favorite film/book?

I refuse to answer that question. It’s like asking a parent to choose their favourite child. But I will say that I rate The Fellowship of the Ring above all the other films. From the books, I’d say The Hobbit. Oh darn! I just answered the question …

35. Get drunk with/marry/fight to the death. (Pick three characters)

1. Get drunk with Gimli
2. Marry Éowyn
3. Fight Grishnákh to the death

36. Which scene scares you the most?

The assault on Dol Guldur (The Battle of the Five Armies). The organ music, the gloomy setting, Christopher Lee’s creepy eyes (may he rest in piece) when beholding Sauron… Yeah, it’s rather spine-tingling. And it’s brilliant!

37. Gondor or Rohan?

As much as I love Gondor, I’m going with Rohan.

38. Which character(s) would you want as your parent(s)?

There are some pretty cool parents in Middle-earth. But I’m sticking with the ones I already have 🙂

39. Which characters would you want as your best friends?

Balin and Radagast: the thinker and the happy-go-lucky.

40. When was the last time you watched the films/read the book?

Finished reading The Hobbit some 3 weeks ago. Saw The Two Towers last month. Time for The Return of the King soon …

41. Favorite horse?

Asfaloth, Glorfindel’s horse. Awesome elf, awesome steed.

42. If you could spend a day in Middle-earth, what would you want to do?

Visit Tom Bombadil in the Old Forest.

43. Is there anything you would change about the books?

Make them longer … or never-ending. Hah!

44. What do you think is the greatest lesson LOTR has to offer?

Courage and determination keep hope alive and overcome all odds.

45. What would your dream home in Middle-earth be like?

A hobbit hole right next to Bilbo’s.

46. How would you describe what LOTR means to you in one word?

Everything.

47. Which death makes you the most sad?

Surprisingly, it’s Grimbold’s death. It really hits me hard every time.

48. Favorite behind-the-scenes moments from the films?

The End of All Things featurette. The craziness of the last few weeks and days of the crew before The Return of the King is delivered. PJ’s laugh at the start is iconic.

49. If you could own any item from the films, what would it be?

The beautiful leather prop used for the Red Book of Westmarch.

50. If you had the opportunity to meet the Professor, what do you think you would say?

Good morning!

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This has been a really fun exercise. It’s really intriguing how you may not normally ponder some of these questions. It was hard to answer some of them, but upon completion I feel I have emerged as a better, more appreciative fan of Tolkien and the films.

I urge you to give it a try and share! 🙂 #tolkienthemedquestionnaire