Frodo and Gandalf and Sam, oh my!

I was feeling mighty low a couple of days ago, just general ennui stemming from self-doubt about being able to accomplish my goal of going to college at this late date, and some very old angst, as well, so I put Fellowship of the Ring in my DVD player and settled in. I was gifted with all three movies, extended version (30 to 50 extra minutes, per movie) by my dear son this Christmas. Frodo is just such a wonderful character, so little, so innocent, so brave. Now, I will admit that I didn't particularly like the first two movies when I saw them at our little Rio Theater. They seemed long, difficult to understand (I didn't read the books) with all those names and places and legends to assimilate. Then the 3rd movie came along and I got it. Oh, Aragorn is the decendent of Isilidor! He is the King of Gondor! Actually, it all got crystal clear when I watched the movies with the English subtitles on. Until then, I thought Elrond was Elron, as in Elron Hubbard. And the music is wondrous, have you noticed? I have a couple of the soundtrack albums as well, and there are all these choral pieces, and boy sopranos, and pan flute, all elvish and vaguely Celtic. So I have made it through the first movie, (it took two evenings to do that) and now will journey on with the 2nd one. I should be done by next Monday; it takes an evening to watch 1/2 a movie. A week of Frodo and Sam, Gimli, Legolas, and that yummy Aragorn, there's something to live for.