Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

Went back to the TGV in KLCC after a number of years to watch the morning screening of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. Well okay, it wasn't just that - I also had something else to do while I was in the mall, so I thought I might as well. It has also been a while since I paid double digits to a movie (RM13 - eep), but at least I didn't watch it in 3D. I'm not putting in a spoiler alert because the book's been out for ages. And no, I didn't watch the other movies or re-read the second half of the book.

I was in time to watch the trailer for Final Destination V (who actually likes those movies, anyway?) and then the movie started right away with a recap of the last scenes from Part 1 (in case anyone forgot). 

• I thought the Gringotts break-in was pretty meh. Plus side was Rupert Grint not looking too bad with the facial hair there and also their epic escape with the albino dragon.
• The intended comic relief scenes were hilarious. McGonagall gleeful like a school girl about bringing the statues to life for battle was one of those.
• I thought they were never going to show Neville killing the snake. It was a little convoluted getting there, but it got done. 
• The "Not my daughter, you bitch" line LIVES!!
• Whatever technology they used to de-age Snape in the Pensieve memory? Woah.
• No naked Harry in the King's Cross limbo bit. Sorry.
• The epilogue was pretty sweet. The aging makeup the kids had on? Only Radcliffe "aged" the most for some reason.

I won't bore anyone else with these things - that's what IMDb's user reviews are for :P But I am inserting the jump break to break it up a little. There's more after the break...

Save for several instances of creative license, I thought it followed the book okay. Whatever they left out I was fine with - would've done nothing for the plot.

• Snape's dying tears as memories for the Pensieve? Hokay then.
• I don't understand how the scene with baby Harry and his still alive mother would exist in Snape's memory if Snape only found her dead and not alive? I'm also glad that they didn't show all the memories Snape had in the book; which might explain why the tears, haha.
• Neville's speech? Dramatic for sure, but superfluous. 
• Harry lost his jacket between killing Voldemort and celebrating the aftermath at (what's left of) Hogwarts.
• Bellatrix and Voldemort turning to confetti when they died? Heh heh.. well okay, Voldemort turned to ASH in the end, but still.
• How they despatched the Elder Wand? Horrible. Still preferred the book version.

The only good thing about watching this alone was the tears I shed (when they were setting up the castle's defenses and also when Harry and the spirits of his dead parents, godfather and teacher in the Forbidden Forest). I also heard sniffling in the cinema I was in, so I know I can't be the only one.

If you're a book fan, you would be okay with this; if you're a movie fan that's not read the books... I don't want to talk to you. A great end to the franchise, I think.

In case anyone's wondering: No stingers or extras. You're welcome.

Pottermore - What Is It?

I had heard whispers about Pottermore for the last week or two, but I don't have the energy to speculate what could it possibly be.

But you can watch JK Rowling's announcement about it below... 

From what I gather from the video - it's basically an interactive way of reading the Potter series all over again and users also get to experience the Potter world for themselves (getting sorted by the Sorting Hat, picking a wand at Ollivander's, etc). I'm not sure if I'm willing to read the books all over again, honestly. But I do want to see what information she's held back about the characters all these years.

I don't know about anyone else, but I think I would prefer a Harry Potter encylopedia. I'm just saying.

The Nerdist has also linked the official press release here, if you're so inclined to read it. 

8th Harry Potter? OH HELL NO!

There's been buzz that JK Rowling might write MORE Harry Potter books - which she mentioned on Oprah, but has been busted by Daniel Radcliffe.

As a fan of the series, I would hope there wouldn't be anymore Harry Potter books - I thought the epilogue in Deathly Hallows was pretty clear in telling readers what happened to Harry, Ron and Hermione (at least). She probably would be able to get away with at least a novella if that epilogue wasn't written.

I don't understand why people want to read about what goes on in Harry's happily-ever-after life, which I feel would read like the Adrian Mole series, just less pathetic (maybe).

As to what happened to the minor characters, well, that's not hard to find as well...

(From JK Rowling.com)

If she wrote a spinoff series still based in the Potter universe, who could she write about? Exactly. If she writes about the kids, then it's no different from Enid Blyton's school series.

The only Harry Potter-related book I want out of Ms Rowling would be the rumoured encyclopedia - who's with me?

Related articles

• Judd Apatow Discovers The Truth About Harry Potter And Daniel Radcliffe (slashfilm.com)
• Daniel Radcliffe Doesn't Want To Play Harry Potter Again (mtv.com)
• J.K. Rowling Texts Daniel Radcliffe: No More 'Harry Potter' Books (mtv.com)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Pt 1

Took me almost a week, but I finally saw Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Pt 1. I only went as far as to re-read the book before watching; I can't be arsed to watch the six previous movies because they have pissed me off in some way or another in the past.

I thought they made the right judgments in what bits of the book to leave out and/or speed through. For the most part.

What they left out/might be in the DVD

• Harry's coming of age birthday - I don't know if the epilogue was filmed as it was in the book, but there was a detail in the book that I wouldn't mind watching on screen. 

What I liked

• How the Tale of The Three Brothers was done.
• The Seven Potters scene. 
• The ear loss bit was kept in.
• Hermione obliviating her parents' memories was a brief mention in the book, but got a scene in the movie in the cold open. *thumbs up*
• Lack of Viktor Krum

Miscellaneous stuff

• The Burrow bit earlier in the book was a little TOO fast for my liking. Even the wedding. Speaking of the wedding - why did Harry appear as himself and not as a Weasley relative in the book?
• How did Ralph Fiennes breathe with his Voldy makeup? Quite an achievement, actually.
• The nude scene that Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson did that was the buzz awhile back? Negligible - only lasted about 5 seconds on screen.
• Don't remember hearing Hedwig's Theme AT ALL.
• I missed the Equus poster in the movie that was supposed to be a nod to the West End/Broadway production that Daniel Radcliffe was in. Screen grab, anyone?

I have nothing about where the split occurred in the movie (which is supposedly right smack in the middle of the book anyway). Not my favourite place to split, but what the heck. I think them planning the Gringotts break-in is gonna be in Part 2 unless that's skimmed over.

I didn't hate this instalment, but I'm crazy over it either - It was just okay. I don't know how people who haven't read the book will take it and frankly I don't give a damn. But you might as well just watch if you want to see what happens in Part 2.

I'm glad they split the movie into two, even if it is a blatant money squeezing attempt from WB. I thought the pace wasn't too bad, either. Can't wait to watch the second half next year, 3D or not.

Related articles

• 10 Things Parents Should Know About Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part I (wired.com)

Deathly Hallows movie trailer

I think I'm the only one I know that's looking forward to the first part of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (DH) movie that's out later in the month. While it's sad that DH Part 1 won't be in 3D this year, but I'm also glad that I don't have to choose. My guess is that by the time Part 2 comes out next year, there would be a back-to-back 3D screenings of both movies.

The enthusiasm only came back a little because I had been catching up back episodes of the Mugglecast (a Potter-related podcast by the only Potter fansite I visit with any regularity, Mugglenet), and the hosts' enthusiasm sort of brought out the excitement in me about this movie and the franchise.

There are too many video clips online, but I saw most of them here (thanks to Mugglenet).

Here's one of the trailers.



Can't wait to watch this one.

Nudity in Deathly Hallows?

I know it's old news, but it was a slow day for me...

I just remembered hearing that there will be a sex scene in the Deathly Hallows movie.

First thought was: Is it necessary? I don't remember reading it... there might've been a HINT of it at the specified part of the book, but still... I guess they must really want to sex it up.

I guess if nothing else, the scene in question would be fast as a flash because of the context.

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

Image via WikipediaChecked out the new GSC cineplex at Tropicana City Mall to watch Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (HBP) last night. There's nothing like the smell of new cinema - as far as GSC cineplexes go, this one's smaller than the 1U's, which I don't really mind. Plus: Wednesday tickets are only RM6!!

I've already heard all the possible spoilers and stuff the last week, so I had low expectations of the movie.

At 153 minutes (or 2 hours, 33 minutes), it's a standard-length Potter movie. Even with the movie running that long, they still had to nip and tuck the story to keep the pace. I agree with some of the things they cut out, but I'm (as usual) pissed at some of the other cuts.

Yay moments

• Seeing the Weasley twins again (even if it's only for a couple of minutes), and their joke shop, which reminds me of the toy shop in Mr Magorium's Wonder Emporium. Too bad about them later on...
• Dumbledore's ring of fire to repel the Inferi.
• Daniel Radcliffe - ^_^;; - 'nuff said.
• Tonks and Lupin for longer than 30 seconds - Which I guess is sort of necessary for the next two movies...
• No Dursleys.

Why bother? moments - stuff they could've taken out :P

• The attack on The Burrow: it SOOO did not happen in the books. I get why they put it in the movie - something about the lack of action in that part of the movie, among other things - but STILL... I didn't really watch this scene as I had to use the loo.
• The bridge attack.

Did I miss it in the books...?

• A pair of unaccounted for female twins; they're credited as Twin Girl #1 and Twin Girl #2 on IMDb.
• I was under the impression that Jim Broadbent's Slughorn would a little more walrus-y; by that I mean the facial hair :P Oh well. The man was pretty amusing all the same.

I heard from a podcast (or two) about how Alan Rickman (as Snape) says his lines so slowly that he even pauses between syllables in a sentence. They might have exaggerated a little bit cos I didn't hear anything out of the ordinary like that.

You can find the nitpicky book-to-movie details here; I don't want to bore anyone by rehashing all of them. All the same, I can't help but notice that Harry and Dumbledore Apparating from the Astronomy Tower when it's been said time and again in the series that you can't do that within Hogwarts. Their explanation?

Dumbledore: "Well, being me...has its advantages".

*Sound-o'-crickets* WTF, man.

The kids they got to play young Tom Riddle are not bad to look at - one of them is actually Ralph Fiennes's nephew, Hero, the younger one of the two. And the guy who played McLaggen kinda reminds me of a younger Ryan Philippe, circa Cruel Intentions.

I guess the movie's a little scary (for under 10s and also certain adults...:P) but if you've read the book, you're already ahead of those who haven't. I personally thought it was just okay only - I wasn't too overwhelmed or anything.

It's been a while since...

I last went to a cinema, but that's just because there's nothing on now that I want to watch. That, and the Transformers 2 hoo ha which makes going to the cineplex for anything else a pain to line up to get tickets for (like when I tried to watch the Fantastic Four sequel around the same time the first one came out - I was cussing out the lobby because I was running late). There also hasn't been any free screenings that I'm inclined to go for - I find this year's summer movies a little meh.

(I know people who can one-up me and say that they've not been to the cinema for months, even years - you can suck it.)

Public Enemies is also out this week - the gangster movie with Johnny Depp - but I've not seen director Michael Mann's other movies, so I can't say that I like the guy's work. I guess the people who would go to watch this are either fans of the gangster films, or fans of the director.

The movie that I do want to (kinda) see is Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - mostly just to bitch about it afterwards. I like the series' visuals, but them taking out certain characters is plain unacceptable. I just got done rereading the book, and again I got teary at the funeral scene (oh don't pretend you don't know :P).

Bits and Pieces

Short(ish) notes in lieu of actual, meaningful stuff.

1. FINALLY finished Susanna Clarke's Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell. Damn weird (and long) book, can't wait for the movie because the side stories make the main narration damn hard to follow. There's also a shit load of footnotes to read because otherwise it would make no sense because of the references made to fictional works. I have an idea as to why it took her a decade to write this book. It should win a prize just for length (paperback's over 1,000 pages).
   
   
2. I finally got round to applying for Public Bank's (DEBIT) Visa Electron card on the first of the month. Lucky for me there's an ongoing promotion at the moment: free for life, first year waived, after that it's based on tiered usage (have to spend RM1,200 and above to not pay the annual fee of RM24). I've been told that processing takes about 3 weeks, after which I get a notice in the mail asking me to bank in at least RM25 into the card (I can't link it to my bank account for security reasons), it'll be about another week before I could finally use it. Long story short, I could only use it properly next month soonest. On a somewhat related note...
   
   
3. Should I really apply for a credit card while I'm still employed? Thanks to my mother, I'm not a big believer in the concept of credit and credit cards (and I really hate owing people money, so don't say banks lah). Need some advice here - so far the only suggestion thrown at me is for me to apply for CIMB's credit card cos it's "free for life". Can't say I'm tempted - only reason this is in the KIV part of my conscious is because the person who threw that at me is a friend who works at CIMB. So... yeah.
   
   
4. Is Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows out in paperback already or not one? It's been over a year leh - I still need to read the thing properly lah (No, I've still not cracked the plastic wrap on my special edition). I haven't noticed the promotional buntings and stuff that you would normally see in the bookstore.
   
   
5. Office is FINALLY moving this week(end) - last I heard, haha. Pretty sure that it's this weekend as we've been packing stuff into boxes since last week. It'd be damn funny when asshole who signs paycheque comes round next week (as he's been gone since last week) to find the place emptied out and then he calls his long-suffering secretary (think Pepper Potts; aka my super) to ask where everyone (and everything) is. There was anecdotal precedence, too - so won't put it past anyone.
   

The Tales of Beedle the Bard

Got an email from Amazon about preordering the new J.K Rowling book (that's still Harry Potter related), The Tales of Beedle the Bard (last mentioned in Deathly Hallows) with them, which is due out in December - American standard edition here, the not-so standard edition here, the UK standard edition here. [There may be some spoilers in the preceding links.]

Personally I'm not sure if I really want to read this, some more buy it. (I'm still waiting for that Harry Potter lexicon that she said she might put together). All the editions look pretty and all, but still... Standard editions are reasonably priced (at least Amazon's prices, anyway) , the collector's edition is going in the RM300 - RM400 range (Amazon.com's price is $100, Amazon.co.uk is selling it for £50) .