I really liked LOTR despite the movies being somewhat bastardised I think it's cool that something so ambitious was pulled off that well. I loved the first movie which reminded me a lot of being a kid and growing up in England with a few good friends and a ton af adventures.

I remember first reading the beginning of the Hobbit in the late 70's when I was about 5 years old. I didn't get far because my dad gota Job in Egypt for 4 years, when I came back I was about 10 and really got into the whole fantasy thing after discovering LOTR in the school library. I only got to read the first two 1st edition hardbacks they had, and had to wait a further 3 years to read the Return of the King. All that time I was convinced Frodo had died. And cried my arse off when Boromire and Frodo seemed to have passed away in the climax of the two towers.

I'm looking forward to The Hobbit immensely since that is actually my favourite. Supposed to be coming out either next christmas or 2011 I don't remember which.

Did anyone try and play the Middle Earth role playing game? I tried but couldn't get into it at all. That was way back in the late 80's I think.