I realised this morning that...
Nov. 19th, 2010 01:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
heidiEven though I've been reminding myself for a week to switch to this icon in honour of the release of DH1 (which should have an old-school VH1-style logo) I still managed to forget yesterday.
Well, I've corrected for it now.
As I've tweeted recently, I was lucky enough to get to see Deathly Hallows at the premiere in NYC on Monday, although my review was officially embargoed until today.
The opening scene with the Trio at their homes was so heart-wrenching, knowing as we all do what they are about to face. And then! Oh Hedwig!
Back in 2001,![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
alice_and_lain could tell you that as the credits rolled on the first film, I was just horrified by some of the changes from the book - I ranted then, and have ranted since, about the 70 or so seconds that I said were "wasted' on Hedwig flying across the screen, when they could've had Dumbledore say "Nitwit, blubber, oddment, tweak!" or given a line or two back to the Weasley twins - but now, I would love to have had seventy seconds of Hedwig flying across the screen to safety and magic in some far-away land. But she saved her Harry with her bravery and wonderfulness, and I will never watch that minute of Sorcerer's Stone on fast forward again.
It seems bizarre that I have to say this point blank, but I will - I liked they way the Ron/Hermione was done in the film, but I've seen a few mutters about the way Ginny wasn't mentioned once from the time the wedding began, and I saw a few places where it could have worked to have had Harry mention her, or think of her - I actually have no idea how they are going to make their marriage work in the second half when we've hardly seen them together at all, and we've seen almost more of a connection between Harry and Luna.
The scene with Harry and Hermione dancing was just so completely reminiscent of Lori's Paradigm of Uncertainty, where swing dancing was a thing for both of them, together, after they lost Ron. Knowing through the scene that they get him back reminded me why I am really, at this point, a complete trio-shipper at heart.
Speaking of fanfic, actually seeing Bellatrix torture Hermione reminded me so strongly ofamanuensis's And Just Plain Wrong. Not a kids' film, not a scene for kids - there was so much impled noncon in that scene that had there been only one film instead of two with the split only a few minutes later, there would have needed to be some aftermath for Hermione.
As for a different type of "scary", the two moments where Nagini "eats" the audience were terrifying for me - in Godric's Hollow the entire theater just jumped at once. I can't even imagine what it would be like in 3D and I am glad I don't need to find out.
I loved the views into the Malfoys' home, and more scenes at Grimmauld Place, and thought the bits at the Ministry were phenomenal. The actors playing Ron, Harry and Hermione were brilliant - just evocative enough of the kids, but also completely different people in their own rights, just as Dan in the beginning of the film was definitely all the other characters, not Harry Potter seven times. One benefit, I think, from having the same director for films five through eight is that the look of set places like the Ministry is very consistent - you don't have a director trying to put his own mark on something. (It also will make it very good for vidding Ministry scenes - the films can be mix-and-match to some degree.)
The entire theater - celebs and publicists and kids and the cast and random fansite reps burst into applause during Dobby's speech at Malfoy Manor, and it was magnificent! Then, the two transitional scenes were properly transitional.
Yes, I wish we'd had a flashback of Dumbledore and Grindlewald Back In the Day, and yes an explanation back in Movie #3 about Harry's father having been a stag would've given some more insight into the Silver Doe patronus, but overall it was such a solid story that I am actually going to see it a second time in the theaters, which I haven't done since perhaps Goblet of Fire? As a film, I'll probably still be more likely, in the future, to just pop PoA in because it's easier to watch, but as a cinematic work? This was the best.
Harry Potter changed my life. It's been more than twelve years since I first read Philosopher's Stone, and Chamber of Secrets shortly thereafter. And twelve years ago this week, I learned I was pregnant with a boy we named Harry, and tomorrow he'll be going with me to the movies as a very, very belated birthday party thing.
In July, we're both going to be at LeakyCon, so we can see it surrounded by thousands of friends who we've met because of JK Rowling's words, and it won't be the end of the story for either of us. I can't wait to finally get to Leavesden Studios, or see the new additions to the Museum Exhibition again some day, and of course, there will always be cons and symposia and events and revivals of the movies and maybe someday, musical theater.
And there will always be people who are new to the story, and who then discover the fandom - and those who read the books and saw the movies, but are only just now finding the news-sites and the fics and the art and the vids and the films, musicals and fancons.
The kids who are about to have their first experience with Harry Potter as their parents take them to the Wizarding World, the random grownups like Mark (of MarkReadsHarryPotter) who didn't read it in their childhood or their teens, the kids whose parents banned the films and books because of "witchcraft" and those who simply, finally, get caught up in the hype that will lead to the last movie's release - they're all still just discovering fandom, and like the influxes of the past, they will all cause fandom to change in a million individual ways.
If you have a moment and haven't voted yet, let me know what song you think I should vid each HP film to. And if you can think of a better song that charted in the UK in 1997, please let me know!
Well, I've corrected for it now.
As I've tweeted recently, I was lucky enough to get to see Deathly Hallows at the premiere in NYC on Monday, although my review was officially embargoed until today.
The opening scene with the Trio at their homes was so heart-wrenching, knowing as we all do what they are about to face. And then! Oh Hedwig!
Back in 2001,
alice_and_lain could tell you that as the credits rolled on the first film, I was just horrified by some of the changes from the book - I ranted then, and have ranted since, about the 70 or so seconds that I said were "wasted' on Hedwig flying across the screen, when they could've had Dumbledore say "Nitwit, blubber, oddment, tweak!" or given a line or two back to the Weasley twins - but now, I would love to have had seventy seconds of Hedwig flying across the screen to safety and magic in some far-away land. But she saved her Harry with her bravery and wonderfulness, and I will never watch that minute of Sorcerer's Stone on fast forward again. It seems bizarre that I have to say this point blank, but I will - I liked they way the Ron/Hermione was done in the film, but I've seen a few mutters about the way Ginny wasn't mentioned once from the time the wedding began, and I saw a few places where it could have worked to have had Harry mention her, or think of her - I actually have no idea how they are going to make their marriage work in the second half when we've hardly seen them together at all, and we've seen almost more of a connection between Harry and Luna.
The scene with Harry and Hermione dancing was just so completely reminiscent of Lori's Paradigm of Uncertainty, where swing dancing was a thing for both of them, together, after they lost Ron. Knowing through the scene that they get him back reminded me why I am really, at this point, a complete trio-shipper at heart.
Speaking of fanfic, actually seeing Bellatrix torture Hermione reminded me so strongly of
amanuensis's And Just Plain Wrong. Not a kids' film, not a scene for kids - there was so much impled noncon in that scene that had there been only one film instead of two with the split only a few minutes later, there would have needed to be some aftermath for Hermione. As for a different type of "scary", the two moments where Nagini "eats" the audience were terrifying for me - in Godric's Hollow the entire theater just jumped at once. I can't even imagine what it would be like in 3D and I am glad I don't need to find out.
I loved the views into the Malfoys' home, and more scenes at Grimmauld Place, and thought the bits at the Ministry were phenomenal. The actors playing Ron, Harry and Hermione were brilliant - just evocative enough of the kids, but also completely different people in their own rights, just as Dan in the beginning of the film was definitely all the other characters, not Harry Potter seven times. One benefit, I think, from having the same director for films five through eight is that the look of set places like the Ministry is very consistent - you don't have a director trying to put his own mark on something. (It also will make it very good for vidding Ministry scenes - the films can be mix-and-match to some degree.)
The entire theater - celebs and publicists and kids and the cast and random fansite reps burst into applause during Dobby's speech at Malfoy Manor, and it was magnificent! Then, the two transitional scenes were properly transitional.
Yes, I wish we'd had a flashback of Dumbledore and Grindlewald Back In the Day, and yes an explanation back in Movie #3 about Harry's father having been a stag would've given some more insight into the Silver Doe patronus, but overall it was such a solid story that I am actually going to see it a second time in the theaters, which I haven't done since perhaps Goblet of Fire? As a film, I'll probably still be more likely, in the future, to just pop PoA in because it's easier to watch, but as a cinematic work? This was the best.
Harry Potter changed my life. It's been more than twelve years since I first read Philosopher's Stone, and Chamber of Secrets shortly thereafter. And twelve years ago this week, I learned I was pregnant with a boy we named Harry, and tomorrow he'll be going with me to the movies as a very, very belated birthday party thing.
In July, we're both going to be at LeakyCon, so we can see it surrounded by thousands of friends who we've met because of JK Rowling's words, and it won't be the end of the story for either of us. I can't wait to finally get to Leavesden Studios, or see the new additions to the Museum Exhibition again some day, and of course, there will always be cons and symposia and events and revivals of the movies and maybe someday, musical theater.
And there will always be people who are new to the story, and who then discover the fandom - and those who read the books and saw the movies, but are only just now finding the news-sites and the fics and the art and the vids and the films, musicals and fancons.
The kids who are about to have their first experience with Harry Potter as their parents take them to the Wizarding World, the random grownups like Mark (of MarkReadsHarryPotter) who didn't read it in their childhood or their teens, the kids whose parents banned the films and books because of "witchcraft" and those who simply, finally, get caught up in the hype that will lead to the last movie's release - they're all still just discovering fandom, and like the influxes of the past, they will all cause fandom to change in a million individual ways.
If you have a moment and haven't voted yet, let me know what song you think I should vid each HP film to. And if you can think of a better song that charted in the UK in 1997, please let me know!
