As someone who has been a very big fan of the Lord of the Rings for a very long time, I can honestly say that I have never really found it or any of its adaptations scary. I've been scared for the characters, sure, and there are some parts that are exceptionally creepy, but nothing has ever made me, Mary, a person who exists in real life, afraid.
THAT BEING SAID
THE NAZGUL IN RALPH BAKSHI'S 1978 ANIMATED ADAPTATION ARE THE MOST TERRIFYING THINGS I HAVE EVER CLAPPED EYES ON.
The way their EYES GLOW, the way their cloaks wrap around them like BURIAL SHROUDS, the way they MOVE. It is all SO VISCERALLY UNSETTLING.
Even the SOUNDS they make, while goofy sounding out of context, combined with the whole image and pure tension of most of the scenes they are in are suddenly nightmare inducing.
As many memes and bad comments there are on the 1978 animated Lotr, it’s actually quite endearing. Safe for the occasional and quite disturbing lazy eyes of the characters and very weird animation choices, it’s really cute.
Also Frodo puts an entire new perspective on “walking homosexually“
I don't really understand people's distaste for the bakshi sam. although the narrative at times looks down on him, generally speaking I really enjoy his character. he's charming and uplifts the tone when it starts to feel particularly depressing. really I think his primary use in this case is a reminder of the spirit of hobbits, their perseverance and ability to find joy in hopelessness, their unexpected strength and loyalty to those they care about. he as a character also emphasizes a lot of the aspects of frodo that might otherwise go unnoticed. frodo's thoughtfulness, determination, bravery, and unwavering love all become clear through his interactions with sam.