Just listening to this makes me want to watch them all again. I've got all three directors cuts - keep thinking of setting aside a day to watch them back to back. personally I love films taht begin with voice-over - it can really set the tone.

Me, too. For those who don't know the story, I posted this anecdote about how Peter Jackson almost lost the rights to be able to make LOTR and pulled it out at just the last moment. It's a classic Hollywood story and makes the movies that much more remarkable.