I don't look at the Orcs and other beasties as non-White characters, but when watching the films recently the whole thing did come across as very very white. Now I don't know a lot about the world in which the whole saga is based so maybe other continents (that's the term for big islands, right ?!) are populated by non white people - there ARE other continents, right ?! - cos I recall Gandalph(?) saying to a bunch of badies to "leave this land and I won't kill your asses" (or something like that), so the LotR only takes place on one part of the planet, the other parts being all peaceful and full of love+harmoney, right ?! - I really should have read the books by now.

The reason given was always that the Eagles can't be summoned at will, but they are:
Gandalf calls them on his 'moth phone' on top of Orthanc
Gandalf calls them outside the Black Gate
Gandalf calls them to rescue the Hobbits passed out on the rock

They are his bitches. Gandalf could float Middle Earth Airways on the Gondor Stock Exchange

The best argument against using eagles to fly the ring to Mt. Doom is that Mordor has both an airforce (fell beasts) and anti-aircraft (about a million archers), it would have been an endeavour as susceptible to failure as invading Mordor with an army.

Are you saying 'one cannot simply fly into Mordor'?

A night-time airborne assault from high-altitude straight down on Mt Doom (like shooting womp rats back home in Beggar's canyon) would surely be less risky than sending in two useless, unskilled, unamoured Hobbits into the heart of enemy territory (Hudson: 'You can count me out').

That's the explanation that makes sense to me, too - the eagles aren't pack animals or pets, they're a race unto themselves.   Generally they stay out of the affairs of men, and they don't always come when summoned.     

I always saw Gandalf's trick with the moth as an appeal to the eagles for help, and he seems actually surprised when one shows up.     In the books they also do some favors for Galadriel, but as Tolkien himself once said "The eagles aren't a Middle Earth taxi service."

Another interesting retcon I've seen is that the eagles are just as likely to fall victim to the power of the Ring as any other race.   So Gandalf chose not to ask the eagles to carry the ring.

Of course, I believe the real reason for the eagle plothole is that it just didn't occur to Tolkien at the time.

Eagles v Fell-Beasts: from what we saw in the movie, those Eagles kicked Fell-Beast butt. They might not look like much, but they've got it where it counts, kid.

Possibly. It's just as likely because there wouldn't be much of a story without this 'plothole'. A lot of stories have a 'well if the hero just did this they wouldn't have a problem' element. Except the problem is the story.

The eagles surprised the fell beasts but I wouldn't say they could outlast them in a stand-up battle. Besides, you'd need to bring several eagles (at least 9) to have a chance to get through and with that number you're announcing to all the world that you're coming.

I don't think the eagles would have worked.

Does anyone know what the original plan was? (I haven't read the books for ages, so I've forgotten).
Had there not been an Orc ambush at the end of FOTR, were the nine going to sneak into Mordor when the Black Gate was open? Or recuperate at Minas Tirith for a while? I've forgotten what was actually decided at the Council of Elrond. In the movie, Elijah volunteers to 'take the ring' but there was no discussion of how or by which route into Mordor.

Well, that was 13 hours of fucking insanity. But we got three fantastic commentaries out of it, and I had a great time. Well done!

Holy fuck guys. We did it. It was insane, and awesome and amazing. And we fucking made it!

The ultimate thing I haven't been able to get out of my head from today, is hope, like Trey said. With a little bit of luck and the budget of just over the average blockbuster these days, I too could make the fucking Lord of The Rings. And that is an amazing prospect.

I look forward to listening to these again when they're released!

So tired. So so tired.

Tomorrow I may do a slobbering thank you post to the folks in the room and who were in the chat; for now, simply, we did it.