serai

So Sunday was the last day.

As you all have probably seen on LJ, Billy was of course his usual dry, quirky, funny self. He's such a doll! Funnnnyy! He told this one Scottish joke that had me in stitches. (Unfortunately, you can't write it. It's a joke that has to be heard.) And the whole thing with grabbing his own ass as he looked up at the big screen...HEEEEHEEHEEE! He is just too cute. If we ever develop cloning, I want a copy of him. I also got a little brush with Billy, yay! After his talk was over, I was standing off near the restroom with

thuri, and he came trotting along on the way to his photo op! He couldn't stop to talk because he was running late, but he smiled at everyone. As he passed by me, I threw him a kiss and he waved at me. Cutie pie!

Seeing and getting to speak with Miranda was one of the high points for me. She and Mr. Noble were really the reasons I wanted to go to the con, as I hadn't had a chance to see either of them before. My goodness, but she is beautiful! That skin, wow. I hadn't known what to expect from her, but she was cheerful and gracious and seemed very happy to be there. She answered questions very well, giving us her full consideration. I got up in the question line because I wanted to ask her how she viewed Eowyn's abilities and training as a warrior - was she playing the character as unique, or working off the idea that such ability was common for women in Rohan? She said that she felt it was a bit of both. She said she thought the women had had to learn it as a result of all the conflict in Rohan. (Spike later suggested to me that Eowyn's training was part of her position in the royal household because royal families often carry on traditions that are no longer in play among the general population. Living embodiments of history, as it were.) I also thanked her for the work she did with Brad Dourif, as Wormtongue had always been just a slimeball to me until I saw the scene she played with him in Theodred's chamber. Seeing the beautifully nuanced work in that scene, I got this whole backstory flooding into my head that really changed him for me. One of the lovely bonuses these films gave me.

Also, I got to go to the luncheon that was added onto the schedule at the last minute, and so got to spend a few minutes with Miranda and Mr. Noble in a small setting with just a table of people. That was awfully nice too. They're both such charming and personable people.

And now the squeeee of the day:

I GOT TO READ THE RED BOOK!!!!

This was the real treasure for me. Since I first saw FOTR, I've been dying to know what was in that book. If there was one prop I could have from the films, it would be that. And at the luncheon, Daniel Reeve was the third guest, and he brought along a couple of folders and books of stuff he'd done for the films, to pass around the tables, and one of them was a copy of the Red Book!! (I think he said it was the first copy he did. I know it wasn't the one used in the film, because this one was on pristine paper, no aging added.) I didn't get to read it in real depth, but had a chance to flip through it and read bits here and there while he conversed at our table. Got to sigh over the Shire map, and OMG the very last page!! There's a paragraph there, on the left-hand page near the top, where Frodo speaks about how it's time for him to go, and wonders whether Sam will want to come with him.

"But I suppose he will not want to leave Rosie and Elanor. Well, perhaps he'll be willing to come along and see me on my way..."

That's a paraphrase of what I read, but I think it's very close to what was there. I got a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes reading that. I know it's silly, and the thing was just a movie prop and not written by Bilbo and Frodo at all, but still...it felt like I was holding something sacred. I wanted to just sit there and cry over it. And of course the last three words - "he ever did" were not at the end, because Elijah would write them in while filming. There was a practice page, though (I think it was in one of the other folders), where Elijah had written the phrase over and over as he was learning the alphabet Daniel had designed, and how to use the pen.

So that was my major squee of the day! *sigh* How I wish there had been some way I could have been involved with the making of these films. Seeing that book, and all the work Daniel had done, really reminded me of that feeling. It's like I missed the boat somehow, thinking that had I just had the guts and the ingenuity, I might have found a way to be of service to the production. *sigh* Ah, well.

The autograph thing went quickly for me, because I couldn't think of a thing to ask either of them. I did, however, give Billy one of my Erisian Pope cards, so now he, like everyone else on the planet, is a Genuine and Authorized Pope, with spiritual authority over all matters. Hail Eris! He was amused by that. *g*

The bloopers were very funny, but too short! I loved the Elrond/Agent Smith bit, and Frodo struggling with his coat, and Sam trying to steal camera time (denied by Gandalf, the ol' diva)! I hope if they do put the bloopers on the SuperSized Edition, that they'll include the entire set that was shown last year and got out on the web.

And that's about it for my ORC experience. If I happen to remember anything else, I'll post it, but I think I've covered everything.

Oh yeah, one little thing. Those of you who've been to ORC before, or other large LOTR events, may be familiar with The Triplets. That's what I call them, anyway. They're three Japanese girls who come to the conventions dressed as characters from the films. (Except I found out this weekend that there's actually four of them in the group, but I've dubbed them The Triplets, and The Triplets they'll stay.) They always do photos with Elijah, and very cute ones, I might add. Well, I had them sign this year's friend pic (last year was Frodo, this year's is Sam). They were surprised when I asked, and the only one who speaks English had to tell them what I wanted, but they sweetly agreed. And while they were signing, I pulled out my pic with Elijah, and they started squealing and jumping up and down and laughing! So we went all fangirly together for a little. Ah, the international language of Squeeeeee! Some things just don't require words.