While the show didn't start until midnight, and we already had our tickets, we arrived at the theater an hour early, just the same.

And weren't the first ones there. Two young women were already in the theater, row four, seats 7 and 8.

They know how to pick the seats. 'Course, tonight the wife had wanted to be a little closer than usual, so we were looking for the middle of row 3. And settled for seats 8 and 9, 'cause it would have been a little rude to sit exactly in front of the only other two people in the theater.

Brought the day's crossword puzzle, but forgot a flashlight and Chuck had the theater lights dimmed, so we had naught to do but visit for an hour. And watch the rest of the audience.

Chuck only sold 80 seats in the 120+ seat theater for this special midnight show, so folks could settle in fairly comfortably. The high school jazz band crowd, which included youngest son, took most of the front row (along with eldest son), and kept the wait lively and entertaining. Wife or I knew a lot of the folks there. Don't know his name, but recognized the man and his son on our left from other first night showings, in the same part of the theater, and we both said hello.

Chuck blinded everybody by turning on all the lights about five minutes before midnight, to announce one, that it looked like everyone was there, and two, he would be starting the film soon. My watch said one minute after midnight when the show started.

Don't know what to say about the film, and what not to say. Thank you to Mr. Jackson would be a good start. Bring tissues would be another comment to safely make.

Being a midnight showing during the week, this was a fairly diehard audience. I don't remember a single incidence of obnoxious talking, whispering, or inappropriate outbursts. The couple on our right killed the wait by playing games on their cell phones, but they were quiet, and had the things off by show time. Yeah, the Gimli remarks got laughs, but everyone was laughing. And there were a few cases of spontaneous applause scattered through the film, but it was never an annoyance.

Surprisingly, quite a few, a dozen or more, stayed for much of the credits. This remaining audience applauded when the credit for John Rhys-Davies came up, with the graphic of Gimli in his "high risk of death and small chance of success" pose. But Chuck was busy cleaning up, since it was like 03:30 Wednesday morning, and he'd been there since 05:00 Tuesday morning, so we got up while Annie Lennox was still singing.

And helped clean up. And we weren't the only ones.

And there was actually little trash to pick up. Most people were neat, and carried their own trash out. Like I said, a fairly diehard crew. But as usual, we were the last ones out of the building, other than Chuck.

So, 15 and a half hours later, we were back to do it again.

Met an amazingly friendly young woman from University Town, who invited us to sit next to her and her date in the third row. Originally from "back East", she has adapted well to western informality. We gathered from her conversation with her beau, who returned with the popcorn, soda and a surprise box of mints, that she had already moved once in the theater to avoid someone less than pleasant, and apparently considered us to be a safe bet for neighbors.

She was a little dismayed, however, to find we had already seen the film once. Thought they were getting the local premier (since she drove over 95 miles for this date). But then was more than eager to pump us for details, without giving anything away.

So, the theater appeared to be about full. Couple behind us, friends with the dating couple on our left, had a boy just a little too young for some of the fighting and spider scenes, so there was a great deal of chatter, calming explanations and warnings going on behind us. Not to mention at least three pee breaks. If this'd been our first viewing, might have been a little upset. As it was, we were just mildly annoyed.

So. Cried just as much the second time through, maybe more. Certainly laughed more. Did notice one technical error (Near the end, just after Aragorn has told the hobbits they should bow to no man. As the camera pans up and back, we see the four hobbits standing on the dais facing the new king and his lady. But as the view continues up, above the model city now, the dais is empty and the four hobbit figures are missing. Oops.) and another error with sloppy costuming. (Check Sam's Orc helmet near the end. On several close-ups, you can see the chin strap is a muddied nylon strap with a modern rivet and buckle.)

Yeah, okay, I know it's an annoying habit.

Speaking of annoying. Eldest son also came to the second showing, and again sat in the front row. But this time, rather than cool jazz band members, he was surrounded by younger teen females. All there swooning over Orlando Bloom (I suspect they were especially trying during the oliphant scene... which upset both wife and son, since they felt Legolas should have just sent the oliphant away from the battle, but you miss the subsequent great Gimli line if Legolas doesn't kill the beast). Guess the girls all squealed and lifted their feet at each and every sighting of Shelob, too.

Wife spotted a cameo by Peter Jackson on board one of the ships, and I spotted his kids in the crowd along the lane in Minas Tirith.

So, we stayed for the entire credits this time. And to his credit, Chuck left the lights off so that we could enjoy the last minutes of the film. And then we helped him with the last of the trash pickup. Discussing the pros and cons of crumpled napkins on the floor vs the unopened flat ones. According to the expert, crumpled is better... they roll down to the front of the theater with the popcorn when the morning crew comes in to clean with their blowers. The flat, unopened napkins snag up against the chair legs. (The things one can learn in life. So let this be a lesson: if you're going to be so inconsiderate as to discard your napkins in the theater seats, at least crumple them up first.)

Now, the movie trivia question, something that both the wife and I noticed on the second time through.

What is the street number of the Gamgee household?