I've been working on a long appraisal of the Harry Potter films that simply isn't ready for the light of day. Plus, I have my wife in the room with me as I write this, and when she isn't talking to me and distracting me from my thoughts, I can sense her disapproval. She has concluded that the reason I won't let her read this blog is because I am writing bad things about her. Conflicting with this is that I have told her she can read it, but she isn't allowed to get upset about anything I write. She declined my offer, choosing to disapprove on principal rather than over anything concrete that I might write. Yes, she is 100% female, thankfully.

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I rewatched part of "The Return of the King" this afternoon while pressing my shirts, and even now, after more than a dozen viewings, there are still moments that thrill me. The shot of the armies of Rohan as they bear down on the Orcs outside of Minas Tirith. The peoples of Gondor and Rohan bowing to the four hobbits after their final triumph. Aragorn's speech to his soldiers outside the black gates. Sam's go-for-it moment with Rosie after their return to the Shire. Eowen's defeat of the Witch King - "I am no man". Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli leaping off the pirate ship to face a horde of Orcs, and then a moment later when the ghosts emerge behind them. Sam's final return to his young family. And many, many more. Truly one of the great films, and not even my favorite in the series ("The Two Towers" wins that prize).

The downside of so many viewings is that my seven-year-old now does a bang-on Gollum imitation, which she used to terrorize her little friends at school the other day. Sure beats the hell out of those Barney songs she used to sing.