Last night I watched the new director's cut of the Fellowship of the Ring. I loved the new scenes ? it restores some very important character and plot information ? but it's way too long now. I think Peter Jackson could easily have made LOTR into six movies.

My suggestion to someone renting the director's cut: watch it in two nights, pausing between books one and two (after Chapter XII, "Flight to the Ford"). I'll avoid spoiling it for anyone who hasn't read the book or seen the movie, but I will say that it's an obvious pause in the action after a serious chase scene and a river (the "flight to the ford"). Although the movie is split onto two discs in the four-disc set, I felt that the break came at a strange spot.

Anyway, I survived the marathon movie-watching session. Now I have to tackle the DVD "extras". And when am I going to find the time to watch it with the three different commentary audio tracks?? I'll have to watch it three more times before I return it on Monday.