Thursday, July 28, 2011

Hallo and Hallows!

So what with the school hols/ visitors/ back-to-school madness I have only felt like I've got enough time/energy /brainpower to blog as of today. It is highly likely I'll start flooding Le Blog with catch-up doings now, but the policy I've just decided on (subject to change) is to blog one thing at a time.

Today I want to talk about Harry Potter, so fair warning to anyone who is not into him! (And while I'm doing that I'll show you some pictures of Cherub modelling the wizardy/Jedi cloak I made for Astrid's 5yo son)

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When they released film of The Deathly Hallows, Part 1 last year, I made a conscious decision not to go see it. I knew exactly where they'd end the first film (I was right) and I didn't want to have to wait a year for the resolution. The Deathly Hallows is a great big finale, and is full of big battles and sad goodbyes and important revelations. I felt the need to go through it all in one fell swoop.

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So last Saturday, Nell and Climber and I borrowed the Part 1 dvd from the lovely Shula, and locked ourselves into the Lego Grown-Up's Room. (Cherub was banned owing to not having read Book 7 - the rule in our house is Book First- and Fixit was sidelined owing to having to look after the banned Cherub, and also he wasn't that interested.) When it was over we had a little break and then headed off to the local cinema, where we bumped into our very good friend Pea (Astrid's daughter) and her Dad, also come to see it. The kids were very happy to see each other and elected to sit next to each other. Pea's Dad advised them that if they got scared they were to hold each others' hands, at which they both gave shy embarrassed giggles. I sat on the other side of Climber. There were concerns on my part about whether he'd be able to handle it, owing to his hyper-sensitivity. This is a kid who was traumatised by a Mr Bean movie for heaven's sake; although, that was a while ago now. And when we'd been reading the books he was so upset by the death at the end of Book 6 that he wouldn't go near Book 7 for a long, long time. But thankfully, curiousity and a little bit of peer group pressure got the better of him, and he read the book last year. When I suggested that we could see it at the movies together he was quite excited and certain he'd be okay.

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And good news, he was okay, at the end, if you know what I mean! During the film, the scenes involving Snape's flashbacks had the two of us sobbing our hearts out, and I could also feel Climber shaking during the Gringott's break out and the final battle. But he came out looking fine, and pleased, and exhilarated, and there were no breakdowns or losses of sleep later either.

Even though I resented Warner Brothers for releasing the 2 movies a year apart, I agree with Pea's Dad about how splitting the book into 2 parts made the Deathly Hallows Parts 1 & 2 much better films. They didn't feel so rushed. Important things weren't left out for the sake of quidditch special effects. The tension was excellent. Alan Rickman is a legend, and was the most inspired piece of casting in film history.



In fact I'd go so far as to say that these 2 films were the best of the series, alongside Azkaban. My only quibble is that they ought to have shown Harry repairing his original wand before he snapped the Elder Wand.

I highly recommend seeing the films as a double feature. What it felt like was the same as the days when each new Harry Potter book was released: after waiting a year and lining up for it on the first day, I'd come home, shut the door on my family and fall into the book completely. For an entire day I lived in the world of Magic, and it was magic. And that was how it was on Saturday too.

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15 comments:

  1. Haven't seen either one yet, think I will re-read the books again first. Good for Climber for getting through it and enjoying it!

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  2. Hubby and I saw it at Imax in 3d, what a blast!! I kind of wish I had re-visited part 1 first though, because I did forget some of the stuff. I have read all the books, so I am glad for that, I felt that if I hadn't, the movie may not have answered everything for me.

    But I totally absolutely agree with Alan Rickman, what a performance! From the very first time I saw him in HP1 I felt that he WAS Snape...the Snape Mrs Rowlings had in her imagination.

    I often think I would love to have half an hour with her alone just to find out how she REALLY feels about the movies...I think I would be devastated if I found out she didn't like them, I truly felt they brought the words to life like no book-to-movie ever has before...other than Gone with the Wind. I remember how blown away I was at the first movie and how they brought Quiddich to life...wow.

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  3. Whew! So glad to read your post today. I've been checking every day or so for a post and glad all is well... and I love reading your posts, of course! Sorry that I'm not a Potterophile but loved to read your take on things, anyhoo!

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  4. I admire your resolve in not seeing the first of the Deathly Hallows films. I couldn't wait (never been good at waiting actually!) and the wait between Part 1 and Part 2 was EXCRUCIATING!!!!

    But your summing up of Part 2 was fabulous.... Goodness I loved it.. Would love to take Heath, but suspect with his issues, at this stage it would only cause problems, so think will wait for it to come out on DVD.

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  5. I can't wait to see it the same way, as a double feature.

    Great summary of the two films, I bloody LOVED em!

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  6. PS I totally agree about Alan Rickman. Snape's scenes were devastating, and I sobbed too. The girls I took all laughed when I handed out the tisses pre-film, but they ALL used them!

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  7. Apparently Jo Rowling asked him specifically to play Snape. He agreed when she hinted to him there was more to the character than was initially obvious.

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  8. I have to say I've not read the books or seen any of the films. But I would like to say that Cherub looks most fetching in that cape!!

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  9. I loved the way Rickman was allowed to be animated and emotional - the intensity of the last scene looking at Lily's eyes in Harry's face undid me completely.

    The flashbacks were wonderful.

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  10. Never got caught up Pottermania, but it must be a good thing to turn a whole new generation of kids into avid readers, when it was starting to look like reading might be going out of style!

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  11. Must confess that I have left Harry Potter to hubby to share with the kidlets! But I will admit that Alan Rickman could do KFC ads and I would be in awe!!!

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  12. great idea about the double feature. It had been so long since read the book and a year since I watched the Part 1, I was a little lost trying to remember what was happening at the start of 2 (and I wasn't the only one, people around me were asking each other questions). I agree though, I think they went out with style on these movies.

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  13. I haven't even seen the third film yet. Eldest is a real shrieker - there's no way we can go there! I agree with the book first philosophy, with Mr Coffee reading them aloud here.

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  14. I think it's amazing that you waited to see the two movies together. I don't have that kind of self-control when it comes to Harry Potter!

    I'd like to rewatch both of them though, doing what you did. I'd need a Butter-beer break in the middle though.

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  15. Like Fairlie, I'm so impressed with your self-control! And you described the joy of getting each new book perfectly. I read them within twenty four hours of laying my hands on each one. The rest of the world might as well have stopped. It makes me a little sad that I don't have any more to look forward to, but the story was so perfectly told, that I am satisfied with both books and movies.

    I also agree with you that the last two movies were my favorites! I was disappointed with so much being left out in the first one.

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