THECLOWNCLINIC
Monday, December 22, 2003
Taken from :
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/12/19/DDGV43PE441.DTL
Every long movie has that special moment -- here's how to find it
Finding the right moment to take a bathroom break is difficult in "Return of the King," where key plot points and impressive special effects shots are strung together with almost no interruption.
Fortunately, the makers of "Lord of the Rings" have given viewers a subtle visual cue for when to dash for the facilities. Whenever Arwen (Aragorn's elfin love interest, played by Liv Tyler) appears onscreen, nothing important happens.
Below are a few tips to help choose your breaks in the "Rings" movies and a few other noted marathon films:
The Liv Tyler Rule of Diminishing Returns: It's becoming clear that Tyler's role was overblown in the series, most likely so they could include a chick on a Burger King souvenir drink glass. After the first half of "Fellowship of the Ring," where Arwen actually had something to do (she carried Frodo on horseback to safety), the character's scenes have become increasingly pointless.
The first Tyler-sponsored bathroom break in "Return of the King" comes in the middle of the 26-minute mark. At that point, a full three minutes of romantic mush is piled on before anything important happens. Arwen appears again just before the one-hour, 15-minute mark, giving viewers 72 seconds of nothingness before a key plot point is revealed.
After that, "Return of the King" is pretty much one battle after the other. Try to hit the facilities early during the Tyler breaks. If nature calls later, wait until Frodo says the words "I have to destroy it for both of our sakes" at the one-hour, 45-minute mark. You have a minute and a half of down time before the action resumes.
