Enjoy!
What do you think?
The part where Tonks reaches out to Lupin is so sad. But I don't think I saw Fred in there. Did you?
Watched it again and did see Fred, or at least Molly and Ginny leaning over his body, right before Lupin and Tonks. Also caught sight of Molly and Bellatrix in battle.
I wonder what they're doing with Harry grabbing hold of Voldemort and jumping? Definitely not in the book.
Would love to hear your thoughts!
Showing posts with label Movies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Movies. Show all posts
Look at Upcoming JK Rowling Biopic
Access Hollywood recently showed a behind-the-scenes look at the upcoming, unauthorized biopic of JK Rowling's life for Lifetime TV. You can see the 2-1/2 minute clip below:
While I know I'll watch this movie when it airs and eat-up anything on JK Rowling, I have to wonder how good or accurate this will be considering what a private life she leads. Still, it shows what a fascination JKR still holds over the public's imagination -- even though the last book of Harry Potter was released almost 4 YEARS AGO!
So, what do you think? Will you watch it?
While I know I'll watch this movie when it airs and eat-up anything on JK Rowling, I have to wonder how good or accurate this will be considering what a private life she leads. Still, it shows what a fascination JKR still holds over the public's imagination -- even though the last book of Harry Potter was released almost 4 YEARS AGO!
So, what do you think? Will you watch it?
Celebrations and Speculations
It was wonderful to see the Harry Potter franchise honored by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts with the award for Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema. What was even more special was getting to hear David Heyman and JK Rowling speak during the acceptance. If you haven't seen it yet, check it out on Youtube:
But perhaps the best part was hearing JK Rowling's interview on the red carpet, where when asked what she was writing now, she said she had "several things on the go at once." Although she doesn't know which will actually first appear in print, she's "writing hard."
As it's now been four years since she submitted Deathly Hallows for publication, it seems to me that we should be hearing about a new release sometime this year. But what would it be if she's working on several things?
We know she's said at some point in time she would do a Harry Potter Encyclopedia. She's also said previously that she was working on some sort of "political fairytale" for younger readers. Then, during her Oprah interview and when receiving the Andersen award, she heavily hinted at revisiting Harry's world but with a different character.
I don't know about you, but I think this last possibility gets my hopes up the highest, though I'd also love to see the encyclopedia, if only to find out if any of my Egyptian mythology subtext theories are correct. :-)
What would you most want to see next from JK Rowling?
But perhaps the best part was hearing JK Rowling's interview on the red carpet, where when asked what she was writing now, she said she had "several things on the go at once." Although she doesn't know which will actually first appear in print, she's "writing hard."
As it's now been four years since she submitted Deathly Hallows for publication, it seems to me that we should be hearing about a new release sometime this year. But what would it be if she's working on several things?
We know she's said at some point in time she would do a Harry Potter Encyclopedia. She's also said previously that she was working on some sort of "political fairytale" for younger readers. Then, during her Oprah interview and when receiving the Andersen award, she heavily hinted at revisiting Harry's world but with a different character.
I don't know about you, but I think this last possibility gets my hopes up the highest, though I'd also love to see the encyclopedia, if only to find out if any of my Egyptian mythology subtext theories are correct. :-)
What would you most want to see next from JK Rowling?
Deathly Hallows Review
First and foremost, I LOVED it!
My family and I saw it at midnight last night -- and I must be getting old because I'm still recovering from lack of sleep. :-( But it was worth it. I do think this is my favorite Harry Potter movie yet.
The thing that impressed me the most was the depth of the acting. These kids have really grown up. With the earlier movies, sometimes I winced with the young actors' performances (and not just the Trio). But not so now. They've truly been put through a top-quality acting intensive with the wonderful adult actors they've shared the stage with over the years and the fabulous directors. It shows. There was not a miss in anyone's performance to throw me out of the fantasy.
Second, the level of the pacing. For me, I did not notice that odd delayed reaction thing which I talked about in Wednesday's post. The pacing kept my attention and didn't slow down. Even though it was often not a fast-action movie, it was still gripping.
And then the faithfulness to the books. Maybe because of giving more time to the story by splitting it into two movies, or maybe because it's been a while since I read Deathly Hallows, but I did not leave the theater with a lot of frustration about what had been cut or changed from the books. Some additions I quite liked, such as Harry and Hermione's dance.
I'll be honest and say it's the first Harry Potter movie I've seen in quite a while where my initial reaction wasn't a mix of complaints and frustration along with the pleasure. I've always liked the movies better the second and third time around, but for some reason, that first viewing left me somewhat disappointed. Not at all with Deathly Hallows!
The only complaints I will offer is that 1) while I loved Dobby's scenes at the end, I think his monologue before disapparating with the Trio went on just a bit too long, and 2) in contrast, I think his death and Harry's reaction was just a bit too rushed. Likewise, I would have liked something a bit more with Mad-Eye's death, but honestly, am not sure exactly what. My son says he wished they had shown Nagini/Bagshot "talking" with Harry more, and we both wished they'd shown the statue in front of the Potter home in Godric's Hollow.
But, honestly, these are mostly minor details that I had to think about. For the most part, for me, it was a flawless immersion in a wonderful fantasy world! I loved seeing the seven Potters, the whole Godric's Hollow sequence, the emotional interactions between the Trio, the spectacular scenery, and the intensity of the Malfoy Manor scene near the end. Well done!
I hope you enjoy it as much when you see it, if you haven't already!
My family and I saw it at midnight last night -- and I must be getting old because I'm still recovering from lack of sleep. :-( But it was worth it. I do think this is my favorite Harry Potter movie yet.
The thing that impressed me the most was the depth of the acting. These kids have really grown up. With the earlier movies, sometimes I winced with the young actors' performances (and not just the Trio). But not so now. They've truly been put through a top-quality acting intensive with the wonderful adult actors they've shared the stage with over the years and the fabulous directors. It shows. There was not a miss in anyone's performance to throw me out of the fantasy.
Second, the level of the pacing. For me, I did not notice that odd delayed reaction thing which I talked about in Wednesday's post. The pacing kept my attention and didn't slow down. Even though it was often not a fast-action movie, it was still gripping.
And then the faithfulness to the books. Maybe because of giving more time to the story by splitting it into two movies, or maybe because it's been a while since I read Deathly Hallows, but I did not leave the theater with a lot of frustration about what had been cut or changed from the books. Some additions I quite liked, such as Harry and Hermione's dance.
I'll be honest and say it's the first Harry Potter movie I've seen in quite a while where my initial reaction wasn't a mix of complaints and frustration along with the pleasure. I've always liked the movies better the second and third time around, but for some reason, that first viewing left me somewhat disappointed. Not at all with Deathly Hallows!
The only complaints I will offer is that 1) while I loved Dobby's scenes at the end, I think his monologue before disapparating with the Trio went on just a bit too long, and 2) in contrast, I think his death and Harry's reaction was just a bit too rushed. Likewise, I would have liked something a bit more with Mad-Eye's death, but honestly, am not sure exactly what. My son says he wished they had shown Nagini/Bagshot "talking" with Harry more, and we both wished they'd shown the statue in front of the Potter home in Godric's Hollow.
But, honestly, these are mostly minor details that I had to think about. For the most part, for me, it was a flawless immersion in a wonderful fantasy world! I loved seeing the seven Potters, the whole Godric's Hollow sequence, the emotional interactions between the Trio, the spectacular scenery, and the intensity of the Malfoy Manor scene near the end. Well done!
I hope you enjoy it as much when you see it, if you haven't already!
A Fun Harry Potter Film Survey
With the end in sight of the Harry Potter film franchise, I thought it might be fun to do a brief survey comparing the films to the books. I'll list the questions below and then answer them myself. You can answer in the comment section, and please forward to any of your friends who are Harry Potter fanatics as well!
1) What did you discover first, book or movies?
Me: the books!
2) What moment did you most enjoy seeing come to life on the big screen?
Me: So many to choose from! I think the ice imagery for the Yule Ball was spectacular and was deeply moved by Mr. Diggory's grief in Goblet of Fire.
3) What aspect of the movies looked the most different than your imagination had pictured it?
Me: Lupin. I think David Thewlis is a wonderful actor and characterized Lupin well, but he just didn't look at all like I'd imagined Lupin.
4) Which actor did you think best embodied the character?
Me: It will be hard for me to choose just one. I loved Emma Watson as Hermione and, of course, Alan Rickman as Snape. But I also think Miranda Richardson as Rita Skeeter was fabulous as well as Gary Oldman as Sirius. Really, so many!
5) Which movie-only element did you like the best? (meaning something added to the movies which was not present in the books)
Me: I know Prisoner of Azkaban the movie was really a bit weird, but I loved it. It's one of my favorite movies. I loved the added elements with the shrunken heads. In Order of the Phoenix, it was really cool to see them Order whizzing by various London landmarks.
6) Which element from the books that did not make it to the movies did you most miss?
Me: All the stuff with the Marauders. There was just so much to this backstory which had to be cut to fit into the shorter movie. But I missed it, and I think it left non-book fans confused. I know this goes a bit against my answer to five, but there you have it.
7) What surprised you the most about the movies?
Me: that all the major actors, really, even the minor ones, made it through all 8 movies! Except for the death of Richard Harris (the first Dumbledore), I don't know of any significant actor change mid-stream. Incredible.
***
I'm stopping at 7 as that's the most magical number. :-) I'm sure I'm forgetting many tidbits, and will probably be doing a lot of me-too'ing with your answers!
One question I have for anyone who might know: The pacing of the movies, especially near the beginning, have always seemed a bit odd to me. I don't know how to explain it, but it seems like the pacing of a person's response to an action is always just a beat off. And, for me, this is not just one movie but several.
For a good example, in Prisoner of Azkaban, after Harry has blown up Aunt Marge, he lingers, watching her for a few seconds longer than I think is necessary so that his running away seems almost late, an after-thought.
I'm wondering if this pacing thing is something that's just different with British pictures rather than American, or if it's just me! ;-)
Photo credit
1) What did you discover first, book or movies?
Me: the books!
2) What moment did you most enjoy seeing come to life on the big screen?
Me: So many to choose from! I think the ice imagery for the Yule Ball was spectacular and was deeply moved by Mr. Diggory's grief in Goblet of Fire.
3) What aspect of the movies looked the most different than your imagination had pictured it?
Me: Lupin. I think David Thewlis is a wonderful actor and characterized Lupin well, but he just didn't look at all like I'd imagined Lupin.
4) Which actor did you think best embodied the character?
Me: It will be hard for me to choose just one. I loved Emma Watson as Hermione and, of course, Alan Rickman as Snape. But I also think Miranda Richardson as Rita Skeeter was fabulous as well as Gary Oldman as Sirius. Really, so many!
5) Which movie-only element did you like the best? (meaning something added to the movies which was not present in the books)
Me: I know Prisoner of Azkaban the movie was really a bit weird, but I loved it. It's one of my favorite movies. I loved the added elements with the shrunken heads. In Order of the Phoenix, it was really cool to see them Order whizzing by various London landmarks.
6) Which element from the books that did not make it to the movies did you most miss?
Me: All the stuff with the Marauders. There was just so much to this backstory which had to be cut to fit into the shorter movie. But I missed it, and I think it left non-book fans confused. I know this goes a bit against my answer to five, but there you have it.
7) What surprised you the most about the movies?
Me: that all the major actors, really, even the minor ones, made it through all 8 movies! Except for the death of Richard Harris (the first Dumbledore), I don't know of any significant actor change mid-stream. Incredible.
***
I'm stopping at 7 as that's the most magical number. :-) I'm sure I'm forgetting many tidbits, and will probably be doing a lot of me-too'ing with your answers!
One question I have for anyone who might know: The pacing of the movies, especially near the beginning, have always seemed a bit odd to me. I don't know how to explain it, but it seems like the pacing of a person's response to an action is always just a beat off. And, for me, this is not just one movie but several.
For a good example, in Prisoner of Azkaban, after Harry has blown up Aunt Marge, he lingers, watching her for a few seconds longer than I think is necessary so that his running away seems almost late, an after-thought.
I'm wondering if this pacing thing is something that's just different with British pictures rather than American, or if it's just me! ;-)
Photo credit
Deathly Hallows Week
Usually in this blog I try to focus on the books rather than the movies. It is, after all, JK Rowling's writing that I'm most interested in. But the release of the first part of the last movie is huge, and I'm just as excited as any other rabid fan. We've already got our tickets for the midnight premiere!
So, in celebration, I'll post something every day relating to the books or the movies, whether through links to other blogs, guest posts, or my own.
First up, a question for you all: When did you first meet Harry? Was it through a book or a movie? And which one?
I found Harry by way of a recommendation from my local used bookstore owner. My son was about 5-6 years old at the time, and we used to go into his store a couple of times a week to pick up kiddie books for me to read aloud. The owner pointed to a paperback of Sorcerer's Stone and said, "This one's been very popular with the kids. You might want to try it."
But, it looked a bit too old for my son, so I didn't get it at first. It was still there a few days later, and the next week, so I eventually got it and read it aloud to him. We were both hooked.
From there on, I bought all the books new. We quickly went through Chamber of Secrets and Prisoner of Azkaban as they were already out, and then picked up Goblet of Fire as soon as it was released. I read each one aloud to my son, even after he got to the age where he could read them himself. Until the last book, Deathly Hallows. I'd attended a fan conference in London where I'd presented a couple of workshops and had to read the whole book overnight without him there. So, when I caught up to him on a family vacation in Turkey, he read that one on his on during the car rides.
We went to release parties for Order of the Phoenix and Half-Blood Prince as well. It was a great bonding experience for us that included my younger daughter as she got old enough.
So, what about you?
Photo credit
So, in celebration, I'll post something every day relating to the books or the movies, whether through links to other blogs, guest posts, or my own.
First up, a question for you all: When did you first meet Harry? Was it through a book or a movie? And which one?
I found Harry by way of a recommendation from my local used bookstore owner. My son was about 5-6 years old at the time, and we used to go into his store a couple of times a week to pick up kiddie books for me to read aloud. The owner pointed to a paperback of Sorcerer's Stone and said, "This one's been very popular with the kids. You might want to try it."
But, it looked a bit too old for my son, so I didn't get it at first. It was still there a few days later, and the next week, so I eventually got it and read it aloud to him. We were both hooked.
From there on, I bought all the books new. We quickly went through Chamber of Secrets and Prisoner of Azkaban as they were already out, and then picked up Goblet of Fire as soon as it was released. I read each one aloud to my son, even after he got to the age where he could read them himself. Until the last book, Deathly Hallows. I'd attended a fan conference in London where I'd presented a couple of workshops and had to read the whole book overnight without him there. So, when I caught up to him on a family vacation in Turkey, he read that one on his on during the car rides.
We went to release parties for Order of the Phoenix and Half-Blood Prince as well. It was a great bonding experience for us that included my younger daughter as she got old enough.
So, what about you?
Photo credit
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