my heart will never stop fluttering for lotr, it seems

[lobelia321]

I am reading The Frodo Franchise: The Lord of the Rings and Modern Hollywood.

I am absolutely rivetted. It's a straightforwardly academic book, footnotes, the lot, and it's written by Kristin Thompson who's an eminent film historian and theorist and whom I like a lot (her book on Hollywood narrative is brilliant). But this one on the Frodo franchise? Pure lurv.

I am realising that I really and truly am a dyed-in-the-wool Lotr fan. I actually am. Even if it's not canon and not a fic, I am fascinated by each and every detail, from the design on popcorn bags to the clinching of million-dollar-deals with producers. And people appear with whom I am familiar! And some of whom I've slashed, omg! RICHARD TAYLOR! Oh my duck. And all those people from the DVD extras. And the actual DVD extras themselves get discussed in detail! And there's a chapter on FANDOMS, omg, but I haven't got that far yet.

I will keep you posted and include juicy quotes in my next post. *clutches fannish heart*

It's great solid research, and written in a fun flowing style, and full of knowledge and tidbits about the way Hollywood works. To see the words 'Billy Boyd' or 'Viggo Mortensen' or 'Andrew Lesnie' in an academic book...!! (I have slashed Andrew Lesnie. This is when rare pairings pay off!)

Comments

[22by7.livejournal.com]

last year i read a very scholarly book on led zeppelin by a female author - herself a musicologist/academic, iirc - and it was so engaging and obviously engaged that i got over my wariness at meetings of pop culture and pop culture studies. i realised that it's all play, all exploration, talk, and talk is good, talk throws up ideas and memories and good things like that.

I am fascinated by each and every detail, from the design on popcorn bags to the clinching of million-dollar-deals with producers.
:laugh: i feel that way about comics now. is there a term for this? 'total fandom'? i like the opening up (and out) of fannish interest, although it occurs to me that for many fans who didn't get into online fandom/fic-centric fandom at a crucial stage their involvement is inherently that diffused/all-embracing. does this make any sense? probably not :/

oh, and i look forward to quotes!

[lobelia321.livejournal.com]

for many fans who didn't get into online fandom/fic-centric fandom at a crucial stage their involvement is inherently that diffused/all-embracing. does this make any sense?

No, it doesn't! But I desperately want it to! So can you explicate? elaborate? expialidociate??

Are you perhaps saying that a run-of-the-mill fan is inherently all-embracing and popcorn-bag-loving, and that once snared by the lure and siren-like temptation of slash, we are all doomed, doomed, doomed to obsess simply about our little slashy neck of the woods???

Look, it's a Gondor warrior!

[brightest-blue.livejournal.com]

Sounds marvelous! I don't think I will ever get tired of every little detail about LOTR- it's just that wonderful!

[lobelia321.livejournal.com]

No, never! You can't ever get tired of it! Oh whee, I am so glad you feel the same. I am realising that I was never really a fan of any of the other fandoms I was in. I loved the fic, but I wasn't a total fan. I didn't care 2000 percent about the canon. I am so, so nostalgic about lotr, and how wonderful to read a book that recreates it all.

Have a Gondorean warrior.

[msilverstar]

I tried to read it, was almost too real or something. Too much exposure of how other people see my canon maybe. I might try skimming for anecdotes.

Am very glad you are reading it!

[lobelia321.livejournal.com]

was almost too real or something. Wow! Maybe you are even more dyed-in-the-wool than I just discovered myself to be. Too hardcore to cope with Teh Real of Teh Canon. And you're right: for lotrps fans (as opposed to fps), this academic book is just one big blob of canon. Popcorn bag designers?? Sure, we'll slash 'em.

*throws Gondor warrior in your general direction*

Still, though, I am a bit fascinated by your fannish revulsion. I have this when I encounter books on fandomme. That Henry Jenkins guy, for example, irritates me to the point of having had to slash him. But not this Thompson book wot i lurv.