Topic: Leaving to see Harry Potter in 52 minutes!!!!!

[ohcheap1]

Im SO excited and yet forlorned to experience the end of this era. But the brilliance of film is that you can continue living it forever!! Anyone else going to the midnight showing?

[chekovsulu]

Take a camera!

[CMF]

[smokester]

And Daniel Radcliffe hasn't grown an inch.

[hmed2390]

Really Not digging Ema's haircut in the last pic.

@ Ohcheap1, hope you had a great time.

[redlandslide]

My two teenage daughters went to see it straight from school. They told me it was the best of the Potter films and Alan Rickman should get an Oscar. 

[chekovsulu]

I've not watched the one from last year.

[hmed2390]

I stopped watching them at the third. I prefer the books much more.

[mishca09]

SO I saw the last installment of harry potter and….

Spoiler (hover to show)

is Professor Snapes  Harrys father? I got confused about the whole doe and magic wand part? and why did weasely and harry have two kids but only one of the two kids got to go to school? and who was that that draco married?

I didn't really like it.

[hmed2390]

You should read the book(s).

Spoiler (hover to show)

By the way, you totally got it all wrong.

Something I've come to notice about the movies is, if you haven't read the books beforehand you will be totally mind-bent the entire time as they leave out lots of explanations and assume that the audience can fill in the blanks.

[mishca09]

I read the first three and lost interest after that.

[ohcheap1]

Off with your head Mishca!! Now go fill in your puzzle posts.

[hmed2390]

I read the first three and lost interest after that.

Well there you go, problem solved.

[mishca09]

uh, not really but thanks for trying to be helpful.

[hmed2390]

Spoiler (hover to show)

" Harry sees Snape's childhood and learns his true loyalties. In this vision, Harry learns that Snape befriended Lily as a child when they lived near each other. Upon their arrival at Hogwarts, the Sorting Hat placed Snape and Lily into Slytherin and Gryffindor Houses, respectively. They remained friends for the next few years until they were driven apart by Snape's interest in the Dark Arts; the friendship finally ended following the bullying episode that Harry had briefly seen in the fifth book. Despite this separation and Snape's animosity toward Lily's eventual husband James, Snape remained in love with Lily.
Harry learns that Snape had revealed the prophecy made by Sybill Trelawney (not knowing, at first, that it was referring to Lily and her family) to Voldemort, prompting the Dark Lord to attack the Potters in an attempt to prevent its fulfilment. Though he asked Voldemort to spare Lily, Snape, still fearing for her safety, went to Dumbledore and begged him to protect the Potters. Dumbledore agreed and ensured that they were placed under the Fidelius Charm. In return, Snape became a re-doubled agent for the Order of the Phoenix against Voldemort, using his powers of Occlumency to hide his betrayal from his master. Even with his efforts to protect her, Snape felt responsible for Lily's death when the Potters were betrayed by their Secret-Keeper, Peter Pettigrew. Snape demanded of Dumbledore, however, that his love for Lily (his reason for switching sides) be kept a secret. Dumbledore agreed and he kept the secret for the rest of his life."

Spoiler (hover to show)

Kids start at Hogwarts at the age of 11, the child left behind wasn't 11 yet as I recall from the book

Spoiler (hover to show)

Malfoy's wife is irrelevant as i recall and left unnamed in the book's epilogue.

I still think you should give the books another shot, I mean if you watched all of the movies up until the 7th I would image the books being as enjoyable if not more so since it would fill inn the missing gaps for you. Shame on you,hah.

[smokester]

I read the first book as at the time you couldn't have a conversation if you hadn't, but thought her writing was formulaic and predictable (didn't really enjoy it truth be told).  I watched the first 3 films and can't deny that they were mildy entertaining, but I have struggled making it through any of the others to date. "The half blood prince" I still haven't managed to get past the first 20 minutes.

Personally, I'll take Tolkien any day and any of the film adaptations.

[redlandslide]

I read the first book as at the time you couldn't have a conversation if you hadn't, but thought her writing was formulaic and predictable (didn't really enjoy it truth be told).  I watched the first 3 films and can't deny that they were mildy entertaining, but I have struggled making it through any of the others to date. "The half blood prince" I still haven't managed to get past the first 20 minutes.

Personally, I'll take Tolkien any day and any of the film adaptations.

You'll find the books improve as they go along (with maybe the exception of "The Order of the Phoenix" which I found dull). "The Half Blood Prince" flick had loads missing that was in the book, including a huge battle at the school which all the students participate in. Hmed's right about the films leaving out lots of explanations and if you read "The Half Blood Prince" before watching it, then you might be able to make it to the end (plus the book's way more enjoyable than the film anyway). 

[hmed2390]

Well, it is a children's book after all. Her writing is streets better than, say, Dan Brown. Kids want a story, and characters, and HP gives them both. It sorta ain't aimed at grown-ups (even if lots have actually taken to it).

That's true too, I actually forgot about that. I remember with the 4th book it became darker and more cynical and that was the biggest complaint with parents with the added level of violence and etc. In my opinion though, the last few books, the last 2 in particular are more geared towards the young adult/adult audience.

[smokester]

Well, it is a children's book after all. Her writing is streets better than, say, Dan Brown. Kids want a story, and characters, and HP gives them both. It sorta ain't aimed at grown-ups (even if lots have actually taken to it).

It was actually given/lent (same difference eh) to me by a quite eminent GP from a Kensington surgery.  He really enjoyed it so I suppose I expected more from it from the outset, but in all honesty, I found it a bit of a chore.

[hmed2390]

hah

[cz85b]

I read the first book as at the time you couldn't have a conversation if you hadn't, but thought her writing was formulaic and predictable
Personally, I'll take Tolkien any day and any of the film adaptations.

+1

[ohcheap1]

+1 my ass! This is a kids book and was written, both books and scripts, brilliantly!!

[redlandslide]

+1 my ass! This is a kids book and was written, both books and scripts, brilliantly!!

+1 

[goldshirt*9]

i gave up on them after 100 pages or so.
nothing grabbed me , not my scene i'm afraid.
as stated by christ  , for the kids no matter how big they are 

but the best thing about the books was the fact it made kids / people start to read again.
that is the most important thing, what will fill the gap now
i would say she has to wright more just to help the next generation read books

[cz85b]

+1 my ass! This is a kids book and was written, both books and scripts, brilliantly!!

well....  I guess you liked it more than I did! LOL

[smokester]

Well, it is a children's book after all. Her writing is streets better than, say, Dan Brown. Kids want a story, and characters, and HP gives them both. It sorta ain't aimed at grown-ups (even if lots have actually taken to it).

I really liked the Nome/Bromeliad Trilogy, and they were targetted at a younger audience I believe.  Not a lot of accompanying hype either.

[goldshirt*9]

I really liked the Nome/Bromeliad Trilogy, and they were targetted at a younger audience I believe.  Not a lot of accompanying hype either.

not too bad a series

[ohcheap1]

My two teenage daughters went to see it straight from school. They told me it was the best of the Potter films and Alan Rickman should get an Oscar. 

RIGHT ON!! I totally agree. It was a masterpiece. Of course different strokes applies to this as well as anything else but I dont see how you couldnt love this book series. Ill always be a fan.

[dweez]

Hehe, I just actually watched DH: Part 2 tonight.  I thought it was great.  I also ordered the complete collection of the movies on Blu-Ray for $52.45 (from amazon.co.uk).

[goldshirt*9]

not too bad a price for the entire collection.
have just ordered as well
i guess blue rays are region free

[dweez]

Yeah, I wasn't sure if it'd actually get processed when they got to the "shipping" step but I received an e-mail saying my order has been "dispatched" via Royal Mail so YAY!

[bubu]

I read the first book of the series but i don't know if it was the Italian translation it felt too much a children's book for my taste, I liked the two movies I saw

The thing I thought was really clever was how J K Rowling grew the books up in the series to match her readership, shifting focuses from more childish simple concerns to adolescent confusions and finally in the last two books to a more young adult / adult themed appraisal of complexity of life in dealing with feelings, hiding feelings and how the world is not so much black and white but there are shades of grey too....

Personally I am a cantankerous old scallywag erring on the cynical side but even I have to applaud this series that introduces some of the darker sides of life to children in a way that they can understand and so compellingly that it is giving rise to raise is reading standards among the young...

Well until they get texting on their mobiles at least which destroys all that hard work building up their literacy....

I completly agree with you and you describe my feeling perfectly

[goldshirt*9]

Not heard the American versions with Jim Dale but according to others they are not as good as when Stephen Fry reads them...

sorry about my ignorance but is this jim dale from the carry on movies

[chekovsulu]

Wikipedia says yes.  I was wondering about him the other day when Carry on Doctor came on.