When...

watching a Lord of the Rings movie marathon (all three extended cuts back-to-back-to-back), it helps to have:

1. A gracious host who provides all the food—and even cooks it!
2. A comfy couch to sit on
3. Good company with which to joke about Frodo's "ringasm" face and dissect the class implications of Frodo's metaphorical burden vs. Sam's physical burden (no frying pan left behind).
3. Not watched the third movie or read the third book so that there is still some suspense involved (I think that Sam and Frodo should have died on Mt. Doom. But I tend to prefer that movies kill off their protagonists.)
4. Beer. Or at least something to toast with by the time you get to the last DVD.
5. Nothing else to do on a Saturday.