FECKENHAM'S movie buffs are celebrating after their film society was chosen as the only one in the country to officially re-show the two Lord of the Rings films.

The FeckenOdeon Cinema Society, which usually shows vintage films, will show the first two parts of the classic J R R Tolkien masterpiece just a month before the third film in the trilogy is released nationwide.

It is fitting that the village group has been allowed to show the films - Tolkien himself had links with the area having stayed with his aunt at a farm in Dormston, near Inkberrow.

To celebrate this weekend's showings at the newly refurbished village hall, the society will also lay on a 'Hobbiton Supper' in the interval between films.

Society chairman Ian Bellion said: "The distributors don't normally permit showings outside mainstream cinemas but they have been so impressed by the reputation and facilities of our society that they've granted a special dispensation.

"It will be a boon for Tolkien enthusiasts and novices alike," he added.

The society prides itself on its hi-tech 35mm cinema equipment and sound system and both of the three-hour films will be shown using original cinema prints in Super-WideScreen format.

Member and film booker Nigel Earle said the society had been running three years and shows mainly old classics on a monthly basis since there are no cinemas in the area.

Tickets for non-members can be bought from the Rose and Crown, High Street, Feckenham for £4.50 per film or £8 for both. Tickets for the Hobbiton Supper cost £6. The first film on Saturday's double bill starts at 3pm and the second at 7.30pm.