1. Star Wars: Luke lives in a domed house with his uncle and dreams of farway adventures. His sword glows blue.
LOTR: Frodo lives in a hobbit hole with his uncle and dreams of faraway adventures. His sword glows blue.
2. Star Wars: Luke finds a message hidden in R2.
LOTR: Frodo finds a message hidden in the Ring.
3. Star Wars: Obi-wan and Luke travel to Mos Eisley and meet Han solo at a cantina.
LOTR: Frodo and his friends travel to Bree and meet Strider at the prancing pony.
4. Star Wars: Obi-Wan digs Anakin's lightsaber out of an old wooden box, gives to Luke.
LOTR: Bilbo digs his magic sword out of an old wooden box, gives to Frodo.
5. Star Wars: The Company is forced to enter the perilous Death Star.
LOTR: The Company is forced to enter the perilous Mines of Moria.
6. Star Wars: Luke is attacked by a tentacled creature.
LOTR: Frodo is attacked by a tentacled creature.
7. Star Wars: Luke watches from across a chasm as his mentor Obi-Wan duels with Darth Vader, sacrificing himself so that the others can escape.
LOTR: Frodo watches from across a chasm as his mentor Gandalf duels with a Balrog, sacrificing himself so that the others can escape.
8. Star Wars: Darth tries to convince Luke to join the dark side, thereby bringing order to the galaxy.
LOTR: Saruman tries to convince Gandalf to join the dark lord, thereby bringing order to Middle Earth.
9. Star Wars: Ben Kenobi falls and returns in a more powerful form (jedi spirit).
LOTR: Gandalf falls and returns in a more powerful form (Gandalf the White).
10. Star Wars: Han Solo, a rough space traveler in exile, falls in love with a beautiful princess.
LOTR: Aragorn, a wreckless ranger in exile, falls in love with a beautiful princess.
11. Star Wars: ATATs crush everything as they attach the rebel base.
LOTR: Oliphaunts crush everything as they attack Minas Terith.
12. Star Wars: Han Solo comes to the rescue when the Death Star battle seems lost.
LOTR: Gandalf comes to the rescue when the helm's deep battle seems lost.
13. Star Wars: Darth cuts off Luke's hand, which plunges into the abyss with Luke's lightsaber.
LOTR: Gollum bites off Frodo's finger, which plunges into the abyss with the One Ring.
14. Star Wars: Heroes are walking through a forest when they're suprised by ewoks, captured at spear-point, then taken to a village in the trees.
LOTR: Heroes are walking through a forest when they're suprised by elves, captured at arrow-point, then taken to a village in the trees.
15. Star Wars: R2D2 and C3P0 provide comic relief.
LOTR: Merry and Pippin provide comic relief.
Yes, some of these are a stretch (and not book/movie specific), but some are so close that it's almost scary. I of course left out things like Ewoks=Hobbits, Stormtroopers=Orcs, Emperor=Sauron, Vader=Saruman, etc.
Oh yeah by the way, Star Wars (and its sequels) hold the record for having the most hove video releases EVER. So dont diss LOTR for having more than one DVD release.