August 20, 2002

Film Appeals to All Races
Rik

Last night, after dinner and few pints with new friends involved in a play at the Fringe Festival in Manhattan, I walked here and there, stopping for a pint or two on the way. The temptation to purchase LOTR on DVD is great but I am holding out for the November release.Finding myself at Circuit City in Union Sq. (DVD on sale for $17.99) i went in to tryi and find a TV in the appliance section showing the movie, just for a few minutes. I did. Only one set had it on, some overpiced flat Mitsubishi. The sequence was just the orcs attack them in Moria. There was a youger kid of Asian descent next to me sititng on the floor watching it as well. As the scene progressed, customers and employees would stop and watch. I was the only caucasian. Members of the staff, chiefly African-American, as they walked around the are doing work, were talking to each other.
"Best movie ever, man" and "I can wait for Two". Another employee was talking about the details of the film to a customer.... two other guys showed up, Latino, and watched, commenting on how amazing it was...the Employee who was talking to the customer left to help someone, and missed the Balrog scene. when he came back he rewound it to the point where it first shows up. NO ONE had a problem with this! NO ONE was really watching ANY of the other TV's that had R & B videos, either! It just goes to show what not only an amazing achievment this film was, but that Tolkie's STORY is truly a work of genius that appeals to SO many people of different races and cultures, bring us together not only in theaters but anywhere. And I ended up still waiting for the November release.