Henry Jenkin’s blog has a two-part interview with Kristin Thompson (film studies researcher) about the impact of Lord of the Rings films in cinema and the wider world. For Kiwi readers there’s an outsider’s perspective on their impact here.
See The Frodo Franchise: An Interview with Kristin Thompson (Part One) and The Frodo Franchise: An Interview with Kristin Thompson (Part Two).
Update:
The Frodo Franchise: An Interview with Kristin Thompson (Part Three)