To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive

Today, on Obscure Questions I Pose Because That Was Always My Favorite Part of Studying Literature: Was Tolkien a John Masefield fan?

The MLA database is silent on the matter. Me, I'm going to go with "yes."

Back to your regularly-scheduled B5 commentary in a bit. I spent the past two days re-reading The Historian (which I just, oh, I love it, even if I do see what critics mean about the characters being a bit featureless--but vampires and history and working with primary sources and YES), so I've left other things by the wayside for a bit.

Thanks to everyone who replied to my last post. I will start looking into how to set up RSS feeds. I plan to stick around here, because I've got paid time until Christmas, and I likes my 100+ icons, yes, I do. I'm so behind the times technologically that I don't think I'll manage to crosspost to Dreamwidth, but...maybe? Anyway, those of you who are making non-crossposted-to-LJ posts on DW, I'll try to make it so I can read y'all on my LJ flist.

*

I watched The Fellowship of the Ring tonight for the first time in...perhaps five years? I feel like we may have watched it before going to see ROTK in sophomore year, but I don't really remember. Anyway, it's been a while.

I had forgotten how genuinely terrifying it is. Not the shock horror of slasher flicks--well, not entirely; there are a couple of things jumping from around corners I didn't remember--but a cold dread that settles in the pit of your stomach and won't go away, but rather sits there and sends chills down your limbs. I nearly curled up in the fetal position when Gandalf recited the inscription on the ring.

Last time I watched this movie, I was more interested in Legolas and his pretty hair Frodo and his quest than in Aragorn, but Aragorn riveted my attention this time. Maybe it was because I knew how important he would become later. (Although...I'm sure I watched this again after I'd read ROTK, so who knows what it was.) Last time I watched this movie, I also hadn't been in Klein's class or read Beowulf, so it was exciting finding the influences of Old English literature on the story. (Oh, and Silmarillion! I hadn't read that, either. Now the names Luthien, Beren, and Elendil have referents in my head.)

How did I not notice how stoned Frodo looked throughout the whole movie? I mean, really. I know he was under the influence of the ring and all, but man. (Celeborn looked less vacant this time, though. That made me happy.)

I, uh, also realized I can name several of the musical cues from the soundtrack upon hearing them in the film, I've listened to it so much. Er.

But anyway, the reason I was watching it, and will be watching TTT and ROTK later this week, was of course because of my continuing Bablyon 5 obsession. I've been pointing out with glee all the ways in which JMS, ah, borrowed from LOTR, and now I got to do it in reverse, which was fun. I've (mentally) updated my B5-LOTR correspondance list with two things:

JMS managed to combine Frodo, Aragorn, and Gandalf into Sheridan (with a little leftover Gandalf going to Kosh). Um, I think Sinclair might be Elrond in a way maybe?

And...I think there might be shades of Boromir in Londo? Maybe that's stretching. They both love their empires, though, enough to attempt either stealing the ring or allying with Shadows.

Someone should write a book about the usage B5 makes of Tolkien stuff. (I would offer if I were going to stay in academia, but...nah.)

Whew. Making it through the entire 4-hour ROTK:EE in one sitting deserves an Oscar in itself.

( Extendedness! )

And now I have an urge to make Cupid icons. And then perhaps to actually get off my butt and plunk down the cash for a paid account so I can use all these icons I make. ;)

I sat down this afternoon intending to read Acts I and II of Henry V. Three hours and four acts later... I so need to read more of the histories. Henry is totally Aragorn. I had "The White Tree"--you know, the really majestic music from the lighting of the beacons--playing when I got to the St. Crispian's Day speech, and it was magnificent. I was already going to keep my copy of Shakey's complete works, but now I think I have to spend the summer reading the other histories. Along with all my comps reading. Um, maybe the histories can wait until the summer after that...

To continue in the same vein, a book meme from babylil:

( Meme'd! )

I've never posted anything that wasn't finished before, but there's a first time for everything. Here's mine. It's another silly crossover starring SG-1. Should I bother finishing it?

DISCLAIMER: Stargate SG-1 belongs to MGM, Gekko, Double Secret, and probably others. The Lord of the Rings and all associated stuff belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien. I'm a poor college student who's not making any money off of this; if you sue me, you'll get whatever spare change I can scrounge from under the dorm couch cushions when I go back next month.
FEEDBACK/ARCHIVING: Feedback is welcomed, and if I ever finish this, archiving will be as well. Send it all to [email protected] .
CATEGORY: Humor, Crossover (semi-sorta-kinda-not quite), honest-to-god genfic(!)
SEASON/TIMELINE: Any season where Daniel's around and Sam is a major for SG-1. Doesn't really matter much for LOTR, but probably somewhere during FOTR.
RATING: G
NOTES: Another semi-crossover thing, although I'm aiming to use an actual character this time. Not one of the fellowship, though.

( Treed )

Yes, I am really, really whacked.