Shaena
Sweet Summer Child
always off topic sorry so sorry
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Post by Shaena on Jul 15, 2015 12:28:27 GMT
Anytime someone prefers Gambon over Harris I just can't understand it I prefer Harris' looks, but Gambon's voice. It's weird. lol I loved the casting for the adults. There's not one that I didn't like. Alan Rickman was my absolute favorite. The kids, the only ones I really didn't like were Emma Watson and Bonnie Wright. Watson is weird. I hated her take on Hermione, Watson as an actress has grown on me over the years. Bonnie Wright is just not a good actress. The HP fandom was never boring. I remember one time someone created an entire website (on AngelFire or GeoCities, one of those) and sent it to me to " prove" that Harry and Hermione were meant to be instead of Hermione and Ron.  That sweet summer child.Well, JKR let herself be heard that she had make a mistake when she had Hermoione marry Ron instead of Harry, so there's that. Nobody's happy now; not the Harry/Herm shippers, because their ship's still not the proper canon, and not the Ron/Herm shippers, because the author has cast doubt on the pairing.  I used to be a great fan of the series myself. I still remember the first time I had come across it. I must have been only seven or eight years old back then, and a friend of mine mentioned that she's alredy read that book while we were choosing from a book catalogue for young readers. I hadn't picked it from the catalogue, but I had found it under the Christmas tree the next Christmas. It was my last choice out of titles like Little Nicolas or Egg and I. But once I got around to reading it, I fell in love immediately. Should I rank the books, the order would be 4 > 3 > 1,2,5 > 6 > 7. I know that the Order of the Phoenix is not universally liked, but for me it was full of suspense and emotions... Umbridge, Percy, Dumbledore's strange behavior, Sirius' bitterness and Grimm Old Place, the unpleasant lessons with Snape, Harry's dreams, the waiting for Voldy to pop out.. and that climax, after which we've finally found out why Voldemort has wanted to kill Harry since he's been but a baby. The Half-Blood Prince fell flat in comparison.. it felt like a prolonged Order, but the charm was gone, somehow. I can't put my finger on why, exactly, but it was not the same. I remember being really annoyed with the Quiditch competion and Slughorn's club, too. Oh, and the romance... oh noes. I expected it was the quiet before the storm and that Deathly Hallows would be amazing. From my ranking, it's clear I was disppointed, though. It just didn't do it for me, again. I really felt that JKR was reaching, that she was under pressure to finish the series and wanted it off her back, badly. I was bored, and I don't really remember most of the book anymore. The biggest flaw were the Deathly hallows themselves... they hasn't ben mentioned in the previous six books, like never. I could buy into never having heard of horcruxes since they were supposed to be the blackest of magic, unknown to masses, and the revelation kind of made sense, given what we've seen of Voldemort's resurrection and Tom Riddle's diary... but the deathly hallows? That was weak, a ploy of an author who didn't know how to continue, a last moment Deus ex Machina, lacking any build-up. She was probably aiming for another Peter Pettigrew revelation, but it absolutely didn't work out, as far as I am concerned. And of course, there's also the final blow that was the legendary 19 Years Later. That said, although the story ultimately disappointed me, I still love the world and the characters and probably always will. |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 15, 2015 12:38:04 GMT
The kids, the only ones I really didn't like were Emma Watson and Bonnie Wright. Watson is weird. I hated her take on Hermione, Watson as an actress has grown on me over the years. Yeah, you're right, Watson's Hermione was a bit off. I still think she was one of the better child actors, maybe even the best, but her interpretation of Hermione was far too snappy, almost bitchy, and she seemed to be constantly annoyed with everyone. In the movies, I missed Book!Hermione's nerdy side, her constant desire to consult a book on every possible issue and her overall dorkiness, which is what makes her so loveable in the first place, imo. Another thing that I found extremely disappointing was the complete lack of reaction in the final movie, when the supposedly dead Harry is shown to the defenders of Hogwarts. I love how in the books, it's McGonagall, who screams in despair at the sight of the dead Harry. Ron and the others are openly rebelling against Voldemort, they're even taunting him and his spell fails to keep them under control. It's such a powerful scene overall. In the movie, we got nothing, only this extremely cheesy and bad-acted speech by Neville, Voldy hugging Draco (which made the whole theater laugh, by the way) - and almost no reaction from Harry's friends and teachers. And they should have made the duel between Mrs. Weasley and Bellatrix longer and a bit more exciting. In the books (I hate saying that over and over again xD), it's such an epic scene, that literally everyone in the Great Hall is watching these two women fight to the death. In the movie, the entire scene is 10 seconds long and all the other Weasleys are just kinda standing there, behind their mother, watching with this bland expression on their faces. It was really quite a letdown. This, so hard. It's such a great moment in the books. I think the last movie missed the sort of urgency the last book had. Like this was their last chance to defeat the Dark Lord, there was like a desperation about it. |
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Post by Basil on Jul 15, 2015 13:24:55 GMT
From my ranking, it's clear I was disppointed, though. It just didn't do it for me, again. I really felt that JKR was reaching, that she was under pressure to finish the series and wanted it off her back, badly. I was bored, and I don't really remember most of the book anymore. The biggest flaw were the Deathly hallows themselves... they hasn't ben mentioned in the previous six books, like never. I could buy into never having heard of horcruxes since they were supposed to be the blackest of magic, unknown to masses, and the revelation kind of made sense, given what we've seen of Voldemort's resurrection and Tom Riddle's diary... but the deathly hallows? That was weak, a ploy of an author who didn't know how to continue, a last moment Deus ex Machina, lacking any build-up. She was probably aiming for another Peter Pettigrew revelation, but it absolutely didn't work out, as far as I am concerned. And of course, there's also the final blow that was the legendary 19 Years Later. That said, although the story ultimately disappointed me, I still love the world and the characters and probably always will. I tend to agree that the "Deathly Hallows" themselves felt a little bit like MacGuffins. But the thing with them is, Rowling has made it very clear, that these objects, albeit unique and extremely powerful, were created by wizards, not "Death". And if you really think about it, the cloak and the stone had almost no impact on the outcome of the story. The Elder Wand, of course, did - by the fact that, being more conscious and "intelligent" than any other wand in the world, it recognized Harry as its master and actively decided not to kill him. We've learned a lot about wandlore in the last book, so the Elder Wand being unique in such a way doesn't seem too much of a stretch, in my opinion. And you forget, wizards knew about the Deathly Hallows, but for most of them, they were nothing but a legend, a children's tale. Only a handful of wizards, like Dumbledore, Grindelwald and (ironically) Xenophilius Lovegood, knew (or at least suspected) that these objects were real. There really wasn't any necessity to introduce the Deathly Hallows beforehand. The only reason You-Know-Who could learn about the Elder Wand was because he tortured Ollivander, who revealed to him the possible existence of this almighty, invincible wand (the Elder Wand was none of these things, by the way, it was merely more powerful than "normal" wands) - and Harry learned about the Deathly Hallows through visions of Voldemort, Dumbledore's biography and his conversation with Lovegood. Pursuing the wand just showed how much of a short-sighted idiot Voldemort really is, and how little he knows and understands. For me, the Deathly Hallows were just another tidbit of wizard lore, that's why I didn't mind them personally. The tale of the three brothers is just there to drive home one of the greatest themes in Harry Potter: accepting death. And of course, from a narrative perspective, their actual purpose was to show us another side of Dumbledore and to explore his life before he became a teacher at Hogwarts. (Dumbledore + Grindelwald =  ) |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 15, 2015 14:37:57 GMT
The world she created in this series is so rich. I read them as an adult, and they always made me want to run away and become a kooky teacher in a private school. Of course, no private school is nearly so cool as Hogwarts.
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Post by Basil on Jul 15, 2015 14:45:50 GMT
I'm 25 years old, but when I see a stick, a piece of wood, or really anything that remotely resembles a magic wand, I'm sure as hell gonna pick it up, wave it around and shout: "Expecto Patronum!" |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 15, 2015 14:54:39 GMT
I'm 25 years old, but when I see a stick, a piece of wood, or really anything that remotely resembles a magic wand, I'm sure as hell gonna pick it up, wave it around and shout: "Expecto Patronum!" What do you think your patronus would be? |
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Post by Basil on Jul 15, 2015 15:04:08 GMT
I'm 25 years old, but when I see a stick, a piece of wood, or really anything that remotely resembles a magic wand, I'm sure as hell gonna pick it up, wave it around and shout: "Expecto Patronum!" What do you think your patronus would be? I'd want it to be a cat, because I love cats. Or an ocelot, that would be cool. But it would probably end up being a Chihuahua or something ... |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 15, 2015 15:33:33 GMT
I'd do Wingardium Leviosa. My patronus, gosh I'd like to have different ones for each day: flamingo, giraffe, elefant, owl. In the end, I think I'd be a penguin: a bit clumsy, used to low temperatures but always well dressed. |
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Post by Basil on Jul 15, 2015 15:39:24 GMT
I'd do Wingardium Leviosa. My patronus, gosh I'd like to have different ones for each day: flamingo, giraffe, elefant, owl. In the end, I think I'd be a penguin: a bit clumsy, used to low temperatures but always well dressed. You know, I thought of penguin as a patronus, but then I remembered @kairos and Alfred, his penguin butler, so I didn't want to steal his idea ... Although a penguin patronus does sound like the awesomest thing. Dementors all around the world, beware! He's coming for you. |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 15, 2015 15:45:27 GMT
I'm 25 years old, but when I see a stick, a piece of wood, or really anything that remotely resembles a magic wand, I'm sure as hell gonna pick it up, wave it around and shout: "Expecto Patronum!" What do you think your patronus would be? I'm going with dragon, because that's how I roll. |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 15, 2015 16:08:45 GMT
I'd do Wingardium Leviosa. My patronus, gosh I'd like to have different ones for each day: flamingo, giraffe, elefant, owl. In the end, I think I'd be a penguin: a bit clumsy, used to low temperatures but always well dressed. You know, I thought of penguin as a patronus, but then I remembered @kairos and Alfred, his penguin butler, so I didn't want to steal his idea ... Although a penguin patronus does sound like the awesomest thing. Dementors all around the world, beware! He's coming for you. I didn't catch penguin butlers being a thing. I dig it. (rofl) @kairos, you can be a penguin, I'll be a chameleon instead. |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 15, 2015 17:12:14 GMT
I'm totally a chameleon too. A bear some days, a slinky kitty once in a while, a freaking Emilia style bumble bee other days.
Edited: Who am I kidding? I'm a bear every morning. (More coffee please.)
Best part of the series for me had to be Snape's patronus.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 15, 2015 17:54:15 GMT
You know, I thought of penguin as a patronus, but then I remembered @kairos and Alfred, his penguin butler, so I didn't want to steal his idea ... Although a penguin patronus does sound like the awesomest thing. Dementors all around the world, beware! He's coming for you. I didn't catch penguin butlers being a thing. I dig it. (rofl) @kairos, you can be a penguin, I'll be a chameleon instead. Yeah, I basically want a penguin butler to bring me drinks. I'll name him Alfred. I would definitely have an avian patronus. A penguin or an owl.  |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 15, 2015 18:00:27 GMT
I didn't catch penguin butlers being a thing. I dig it. (rofl) @kairos, you can be a penguin, I'll be a chameleon instead. Yeah, I basically want a penguin butler to bring me drinks. I'll name him Alfred. I would definitely have an avian patronus. A penguin or an owl. Like in Dinner for One? Sloth would be pretty cool too. "Avada Kedavra? No, not today mate. I'll need some more sleep, maybe tomorrow, ok?" |
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Post by Basil on Jul 15, 2015 18:07:00 GMT
I'm totally a chameleon too. A bear some days, a slinky kitty once in a while, a freaking Emilia style bumble bee other days. Edited: Who am I kidding? I'm a bear every morning. (More coffee please.) Best part of the series for me had to be Snape's patronus.One of the few things the last movie did really, really well imo was the scene, where Harry witnesses Snape's final memory. The entire flashback sequence was edited brilliantly, and the music they used was heart wrenching. When I watched it the first time, I had tears rolling down my face. And I don't even like Snape all that much, I mean, he's a great character and all, but the fact that he was one of the "good" guys the entire time, doesn't really excuse his assholish behavior towards Harry and Hermione. But that scene was extremely powerful regardless.  |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 15, 2015 22:22:31 GMT
One scene I really loved in the movies was Hermione's and Harry's trip to Godric's Hollow in 7.1. They captured the beauty and creepiness of it very well. The chemistry between Daniel and Emma didn't hurt either.  Don't get me wrong, I've never shipped Harry/Hermione, but the two actors' chemistry with each other is always so pleasantly apparent. |
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Post by Basil on Jul 18, 2015 14:19:39 GMT
This is cheesy as fuck and overly dramatic, but kinda awesome at the same time. Can't say I didn't enjoy the sexual tension between Dumbledore and Grindelwald ... |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 18, 2015 15:48:10 GMT
This is cheesy as fuck and overly dramatic, but kinda awesome at the same time. Can't say I didn't enjoy the sexual tension between Dumbledore and Grindelwald ... Yes, it's cheesy, but I was grinning the whole time through. I miss this world so much. Arresto Momentum. Thanks for sharing! |
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Post by day dreamer on Jul 18, 2015 16:04:28 GMT
Yeah, you're right, Watson's Hermione was a bit off. I still think she was one of the better child actors, maybe even the best, but her interpretation of Hermione was far too snappy, almost bitchy, and she seemed to be constantly annoyed with everyone. In the movies, I missed Book!Hermione's nerdy side, her constant desire to consult a book on every possible issue and her overall dorkiness, which is what makes her so loveable in the first place, imo. Another thing that I found extremely disappointing was the complete lack of reaction in the final movie, when the supposedly dead Harry is shown to the defenders of Hogwarts. I love how in the books, it's McGonagall, who screams in despair at the sight of the dead Harry. Ron and the others are openly rebelling against Voldemort, they're even taunting him and his spell fails to keep them under control. It's such a powerful scene overall. In the movie, we got nothing, only this extremely cheesy and bad-acted speech by Neville, Voldy hugging Draco (which made the whole theater laugh, by the way) - and almost no reaction from Harry's friends and teachers. And they should have made the duel between Mrs. Weasley and Bellatrix longer and a bit more exciting. In the books (I hate saying that over and over again xD), it's such an epic scene, that literally everyone in the Great Hall is watching these two women fight to the death. In the movie, the entire scene is 10 seconds long and all the other Weasleys are just kinda standing there, behind their mother, watching with this bland expression on their faces. It was really quite a letdown. This, so hard. It's such a great moment in the books. I think the last movie missed the sort of urgency the last book had. Like this was their last chance to defeat the Dark Lord, there was like a desperation about it. People cheered in my theater when she said the "not my daughter, you bitch." line. |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 18, 2015 16:22:11 GMT
Harry Potter is my life. I'm currently rereading the series for about the millionth time and it still fills me with joy and sadness when I reach the end of Deathly Hallows. I can't tell you how many times I've cried at Dobby's death. It's really quite pathetic From the movies, this is easily my favourite track and I wish it had been reused in later movies  |
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That sweet summer child.
) 
Don't get me wrong, I've never shipped Harry/Hermione, but the two actors' chemistry with each other is always so pleasantly apparent. 
