The big news around here is, of course, the continuing success of The Lord of the Rings movies. It is generally regarded as "our film" which is a little odd given that most of "us" had absolutely nothing to do with making it (although most of us do know someone who worked on it). At the same time it does mean something to me as a New Zealander. I was in the States when The Fellowship of the Ring was released and being able to see "home" up on the big screen made a big difference to the emotional impact of the film. Similarly, after seeing the Two Towers for the first time I was overcome with a desire to head out to the Strath-Taeri. It's not that I imagine Rohirrim riding across it when I see it, in reality it produces quite an eerie feeling, but I hadn't seen it in years despite it being only an hours drive from home (the nearest parts are technically within the city limits).