The end of life as I know it (a.k.a the end of Harry Potter)



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SPOILER ALERT: This entry is about Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. If you haven't read the books or seen the movie, stop reading now please.  I will be going into an in depth discussion about the entire story.

After all the buildup and anticipation, I think I am probably going to disappoint with this blog entry about Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II.  You see, I've never liked the Harry Potter movies as much as I have liked (loved) the books.  Don't get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE all of the movies for what they are -  but I am flat out obsessed  with the Harry Potter books, to the point where I start crying or laughing or breathing heavy (from fear) just thinking of them.   So here is a pre-summary, and then you can decide if you'd like to continue reading this entry or not:  As a movie, HPDH Part II was absolutely phenomenal, but in comparison to the book it just didn't match up.  So there you go, a brief summary.  Now let me explain in more detail.

I remember first purchasing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows at Borders in New York City in the summer of 2007 the very day it came out, as was my tradition.  It was a Friday, I believe, and right at the tale end of my time in the Samsung Fresh Films competition.  My teammates were a bunch of fellow Harry Potter fanatics, and I remember Saturday being a difficult day to get any work done knowing that there was a big fat piece of literature bursting at the seams with unbelievable new adventures waiting for me in my hotel room.  I had been waiting two years for this book, after all, and I didn't feel like waiting one more day to read it.  I was thirsty for it right then. Somehow I made it through the day, and couldn't get back to the room fast enough to start reading.  The next few days went by in a flash, and I was hardly aware of what was happening around me.  I constantly had my head buried in my book, but somehow managed to make it home from NYC, and plop myself down in my room for the next three days.  As usual, I only left my room for the bathroom and food. 

It felt like I couldn't read fast enough. SO much was happening.  (Here come the spoilers so you better stop now if you don't want to know more!  I'm serious. If you have never read the books for the love of GOD do not read any more of this entry.)  Hedwig's was the first death, and I actually had to put the book down for a little while to recover.  Next came Mad-Eye which for some reason was easier for me to cope with.  But that was only the beginning.  The entire 7th book was an emotional roller coaster for me, right up until the very end where my uncontrollable sobbing at 3 am woke my mother up.  When I finished the last Harry Potter book (it is still hard for me to type that phrase) it felt like the end of my life.  I am extremely over dramatic when it comes to Harry Potter. I didn't know what my life would be like without a new book to anticipate every couple of years.  At least then I still had the movies to look forward to, like a small glimmer of hope in my ever-so dismal future.  Now, even that part of my life is over.  But let's not dwell on that right now. 

In stark contrast to the emotional roller coaster of the books, I felt that the very final installment in the Harry Potter movie series managed to only invoke one emotion in the audience: excitement.  Well, whats wrong with excitement?  Nothing, really.  I just think there was the potential for a lot more than just one real emotion in a movie that was based on a book that had literally covered every emotion on the spectrum.  I went into the theater for the midnight premier with half a box of tissues stuffed in my purse, and actually never had to take any out.  Don't get me wrong, I definitely cried.  I just didn't cry nearly as much as I had anticipated.  The parts of the book that really got to me failed to spark much of a reaction from me in the movie.  For example, when Harry is on his way to face Voldermort and "die," I could barely continue reading the book.  Seeing him say goodbye to his best friends who had been with him through EVERYTHING, then finding the stone in the snitch that brought back the ghosts of his loved ones, and then Hagrid carrying Harry's lifeless body all the way back to Hogwarts - all of it bombarded my brain and forced every tear out of my eye balls.  In the movie I cried for a different reason towards the end.  I was more upset that this was it, that it was over, that there would be no more Harry Ron and Hermione in my life.

I feel that the first and second parts of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows just brushed over events from the story that I would rather have had them focus on a bit longer. In particular they really brushed over the deaths during the final battle - Tonks, Lupin, Fred, Snape, Colin Crevey (did they even show it? I don't remember.) The list goes on and on.  They only zoomed in on the bodies of the dead for a few seconds, show a bit of the Weasleys crying, and thats it.  I mean I guess they shouldn't dwell on it for too long, but a littler longer than what they did would have been much appreciated.  I needed more time to process.  I'm crazy.  It's ok.

On a positive note: I saw the movie in 3D which was the absolute coolest thing ever.  First of all, the 3D glasses were Harry's glasses!!!!!!!! Best idea ever.  Second of all it was such a cool experience in that it wasn't the kind of in-your-face 3D that gives you a headache and makes you motion sick.  Rather than making the film seem chaotic and crazy, it enhanced the movie, making it more exciting and enjoyable.  The best part was towards the beginning where it is slowly zooming in on Hogwarts and it is surrounded by dementors.  As the camera gets closer it's like the dementors are floating over the audience all over the theater.  Sooo awesome.  I loved it.
 

Anyway, that's really all I have to say about the end of my childhood.  If anyone has anything else they'd like to discuss, please leave comments!!!!!

Coming up next:

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

I'm in the middle of this book right now and it is absolutely fabulous, I can't put it down.  I'm off to read! Enjoy the preview:

now go read the book!






P.S. for an entry that focuses more on the movie (rather than a comparison) check out my other blog! http://jilltalksmovies.blogspot.com/

bear with me folks, i'll stop obsessing soon!

I sense a new obsession coming my way...

J.K. Rowling's newest creation, and a brand new trailer!

I am a wee bit late reporting the news, you may have already heard, but something BIG is happening on the Harry Potter front.  J.K. Rowling has a new site coming soon - Pottermore.com.  What is it about? We don't know! They aren't telling!! It's apparently "breathtaking," whatever that means.  How can a website be breathtaking? I haven't a clue.  This coming Thursday, the 23rd of June, Rowling will be announcing SOMETHING on the official Pottermore twitter account,  twitter.com/pottermore.  Stay tuned!!!

For more information, check out this article.

New bloggy baby

Check out my new blog - Jill Talks Movies! Unlike the blog you are currently visiting, my new blog is strictly about movies.  As they are released in theaters I will go see them and then let you all know if they are good/bad/so-so and if they are worth seeing in theaters or not!  Become a follower, leave comments, or just stop by from time to time if you are trying to make a movie decision!

David Heyman to get the recognition he deserves!

According to an article I just read on the Hollywood Reporter (see link above), David Heyman, Producer of all of the Harry Potter films, will be honored as Producer of the Decade at the CineEurope Trade Fair in June. Heyman's other films include I am Legend starring Will Smith, Yes Man starring Jim Carey, and the most depressing movie ever - The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. (right sarah spaz?)

(from SnitchSeeker)

Is there life after Potter for Heyman? You betcha.  He produced the soon to be released drama Paige Eight  starring Ralph Fiennes (Voldermort!) and Rachel Weisz.  He also produced the upcoming film Gravity, starring George Clooney and Sandra Bullock.

Anyway, I pretty much just love this guy because he did such a wonderful job producing the Harry Potter movies.  It is very difficult for movies to be as wonderful as their book counterparts, but these movies came very close!  We'll have to see if this continues with the FINAL Harry Potter event of my life...

Oh and if you were wondering, June 27-31 in Amsterdam... in case you want to go.

This is turning into a Harry Potter blog... but I'm ok with that.

I found this article  today on Entertainment Weekly, and I enjoyed it, though it makes me very sad.  I would also like to mention that whenever I see the trailer for the new movie,  I get all squirmy and excited.  And sad.  SO MANY EMOTIONS!  It's a lot to handle.


(Via Coming Soon)



Harry Potter and the
Deathly Hallows - Part 2

The most successful film franchise ever finally draws to a close

Jun 01, 2011

The Great Hall — the cafeteria of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry — is the oldest standing set inside Leavesden Studios, the drafty Harry Potter movie factory located outside London. So much drama has been staged inside its towering walls of ersatz stone over the past decade, from the ritual of the Sorting Hat to the intrigue of the Goblet of Fire. But its days are numbered. On a dreary afternoon in March 2010, the fabled hall is seeing some of its final moments of action, as is one of the characters, Severus Snape. We are witnessing the first salvo in the Battle of Hogwarts — the very beginning of the final act of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 2. The Great Hall's long tables and benches have been shoved aside for Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) and a small army of allies — including Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) and Professor McGonagall (Maggie Smith) — to rumble with Snape (Alan Rickman), the apparently loathsome professor of potions. The day's work involves Radcliffe and Rickman exchanging a couple of snarls and threatening quips, and the stunt doubles for Rickman and Smith engaging in a wand duel that resembles an Olympic fencing match. Filming lasts late into the evening. When his part is complete, an emotional Rickman quietly acknowledges the ovation from cast and crew and quickly exits without comment.

During a break, Radcliffe takes a seat in Albus Dumbledore's chair at the head table and shakes his head in disbelief. ''Alan Rickman's last day. Bizarre,'' he says. ''For years, we felt: 'It's never going to end!' Now it's all starting to sink in.'' With his days as a boy wizard coming to a close, the young actor says one of the hardest challenges of shooting the last Harry Potter film has been relishing the moment and taking nothing for granted. ''I've become particularly aware on this film that I'm not always going to be able to play these action-hero-type parts,'' he says. ''You really have to enjoy it, make the most of it, have fun with it.''
Fans of Harry Potter should embrace that wisdom as well, because this is it, friends. The End. The climactic installment in the biggest movie franchise in Hollywood history (total domestic gross to date: $2 billion), and the final movement in a cultural phenomenon that began in the U.K. in 1997 with the debut of J.K. Rowling's first Harry Potter novel. Part 2 — adapted from the second half of the author's seventh novel, which was published in 2007 — finds Harry, Hermione, and Ron (Rupert Grint) preparing to take their fight to snake-snouted despot Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) after spending much of Part 1 on the run. The estimated $200 million-plus production Deathly Hallows — Part 2 begins where Part 1 left off, with Voldemort raiding Dumbledore's tomb for the Elder Wand, one of three Deathly Hallows that can grant him immortality. Meanwhile, Harry and his friends, reeling from the heroic death of liberated house elf Dobby, are on the hunt for magical objects called Horcruxes that hold fragments of Voldemort's soul. The quest brings them back to Hogwarts, now run by Snape following the death of Dumbledore a couple of movies ago. ''The new film is just a relentless action movie,'' says Radcliffe. ''It. Just. Does. Not. Stop.''
Okay, it stops a few times — but for some of the most pivotal emotional moments in the saga. A ghostly reunion of departed friends and family. An encounter in limbo with Dumbledore's specter (Michael Gambon), who reveals dark secrets about his past. And, of course, Ron and Hermione's kiss. ''It has to be the most anticipated moment between the two of them in the whole series,'' says Watson. ''In general, though, Part 2 is just plain hell-raising and scary. I get to get my Lara Croft on.''
Both parts of Deathly Hallows were shot simultaneously over 261 days. Keen-eyed Potterphiles will note a number of tweaks to Rowling's climactic tale. The filmmakers have added a new structure to the sprawling Hogwarts campus — a glass boathouse where a certain iconic character will perish. (Hint: In the book, the scene takes place at the Shrieking Shack.) The final confrontation between Harry and Voldemort — a wand duel in the novel — has been expanded to include a chase through Hogwarts and a very physical brawl as the two foes ''apparate'' (i.e., teleport) toward and away from each other. At one point, the rivals seem to fuse, creating a striking, symbolically loaded visual effect.
One of the trickiest sequences for the filmmakers was the movie's epilogue, set 19 years after the heroes' graduation from Hogwarts. Director David Yates first shot the scene during the middle of production, with the young stars wearing makeup to look like the adult versions of their characters. ''I didn't want older actors,'' says Yates. ''If you spent seven movies with these guys, you know these kids, and you want to end with them.'' But looking at the footage, he felt the epilogue fell short of magical. ''We ended up with a scene that, for all sorts of reasons, not just the makeup, just didn't work,'' says the helmer. So late last December, months after the end of principal photography, Yates called the actors back for a do-over. ''We came up with a very simple solution — simple makeup, which may be enhanced slightly with special effects — that's really charming.'' According to producer David Heyman, the new epilogue also led to a change in the portion of the film that plays during the closing credits. ''We thought about a nostalgic look back at how the kids have grown over the previous films,'' says the producer. ''We decided against it because this ending captures all of that.''
Of all the moments in Deathly Hallows — Part 2, the one that may exude the strongest sense of closure comes right before the epilogue, when Harry, Ron, and Hermione stand on a bridge outside Hogwarts, looking back at the school. ''I like it very much because it wasn't just the actors playing the scene, it was the kids reflecting on growing up in this moviemaking world, and I believe a bit of that has ended up on [film],'' says Yates. ''For anyone who knows them or can identify with these three, as characters or actors, it's quite moving.''

Now they're all moving on — into adulthood as well as to new projects. Just a year after relishing his last moments as an action hero inside the Great Hall, Radcliffe is singing and dancing on Broadway in a well-reviewed revival of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying — and Harry Potter already seems to be in the actor's rearview mirror. ''My grieving period has come and gone,'' Radcliffe told EW last month. ''The end of Potter is exciting in its own way.... It's a [new] beginning for me.'' For the rest of us, graduation is still a few months away. (Additional reporting by Aubry D'Arminio)

8 more weeks!

Yep.


(VIA Coming Soon)

Water for Elephants

SPOILER ALERT: If you haven’t yet read the book or seen the movie and you don’t want to know the ending, DO NOT READ THIS.  I am giving away the ending in the first paragraph.  You have been warned. 

IMDB - Photo by David James – © TM and 2011 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation.

In case you didn’t read it (or see the movie), the basic story is that the main character, Jacob, is studying Veterinary Science at Cornell when his parents are killed in a car accident during his finals week.  He loses all his material possessions to the bank, and becomes very distraught.  He wanders around and eventually comes upon a train, which he jumps on only to find out it’s a Circus train (The Benzini Brothers).  After a lot of shoveling poop and what not, he snags a job as the circus Vet.  Then he falls in love with the insane boss’s wife (the boss is insane, not the wife), and after a whole lot of drama and violence, they finally end up together and live happily ever after.  Until she dies.  Then he is distraught again and living in a nursing home, but he eventually escapes and joins the circus again.  That was probably the worst summary anyone could have ever given, but there you go.  I really hope you read the book.

Let me start off by saying I have mixed feelings about this book, but I don't know if it's because of the book itself, or because of the dumb narrator of my audio book.  This was my first experience with an audiobook, and I can't say that I really enjoyed it.  The book had two narrators, an elderly man who did the voice of "Jacob Age 90.... or 93," and a younger guy who was the voice of Jacob at age 23.  The old man did an excellent job narrating, putting emphasis on the right lines and showing the emotions of the elderly Jacob. 

The young man, on the other hand, had the most obnoxious voice I've ever heard, and listening to him for 8 hours nearly killed me.  He was whiny and had a very nasally voice, as if he always had a cold.  My problem with this is that I don't think the young Jacob character was actually whiny at all, but it was hard to picture him any other way with this guys voice stabbing into my brain constantly.  Because of how much he annoyed me, I never really felt any sort of connection with the young Jacob character.  I didn't like him and I didn't care what happened to him.  

Anyway, I'm pretty sure that is the main reason why I only thought this book as okay.  Maybe if I had actually read it with my own eyes and brain, and had the chance to picture the characters however I saw fit, it would actually have been enjoyable.  Also, the book had a lot of romance in it, and I'm not really into that unless it involves witches, vampires, dragons (maybe?) or some other mythical creature.  I'm trying to expand my horizons here and read something other than Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings, but it's a challenge for me.  I find myself getting bored easily because I know what’s going to happen.  With these fantasy books, you never know what is coming next because the author can invent some wild new creature to jump in and change everything.  With fiction books like Water for Elephants, they are based on real life with no magic creatures or unimaginable twists, and they just don’t hold me attention the same way.  Reality is pretty boring sometimes.  

Despite all this negativity I seem to have, I really liked the book in the end.  It did take almost the entire book before I actually started to enjoy it, but at least I did enjoy it in the end.  I liked the writing style, and how it was very detailed but not TOO detailed.  I also liked the flow of the book, and how it constantly switched between past and present, young Jacob to old Jacob.  I also really liked a lot of the characters, particularly Kinko, Rosie, and the little monkey that they always talked about who liked to hold people’s hands.  I think it took me such a long time to get into the book because I was frustrated with how long it was taking for anything truly exciting to happen.  The first three quarters of the book are mainly about Jacob shoveling poop and having little moments with Marlena, while August beats poor Rosie and throws people off the train.  

I would have thought, going into the book, that my favorite parts would have been when Jacob was young and surrounded by the exciting circus life and all its splendor.  I was surprised to find that instead my favorite parts were the chapters from the point of view of old Jacob in the nursing home.  For some reason I felt more for older Jacob than I did for young Jacob.  I felt so sad for old Jacob and what his life had become, and those were the chapters I found more enjoyable, despite how depressing they were.  My heart broke for Jacob when I found out that he finally ended up with Marlena, but that she had passed away many years before.  He said, "Although there are times I'd give anything to have her back, I'm glad she went first. Losing her was like being cleft down the middle. It was the moment it all ended for me, and I wouldn't have wanted her to go through that."  Talk about true love.  I thought the relationship between Marlena and Jacob told through the words of old Jacob was… I don’t know the word for it.   I just liked old Jacob’s perspective so much more.  What do you think, reader? Do you like old Jacob or young Jacob better? Or are you indifferent?

My absolute favorite part of the whole book, and the reason why I actually liked the book in the end, is the last chapter. Elderly Jacob had escaped the nursing home and made it to the circus, where he met the manager of the circus (Charlie) who treated him very well.  When Charlie found out that Jacob worked at the Benzini Brother’s circus during it’s demise (when the animal stampede took place) the manager was fascinated and had Jacob recount the whole story to him.  Best of all, and the most emotionally compelling part of the entire book, is when the manager allows Jacob to stay with the circus and work in the ticket booth instead of going back to the nursing home.  The following paragraph is what really got me: 

“And then I laugh, because it's so ridiculous and so gorgeous and it's all I can do to not melt into a fit of giggles. So what if I'm ninety-three? So what if I'm ancient and cranky and my body's a wreck? If they're willing to accept me and my guilty conscience, why the hell shouldn't I run away with the circus?
It's like Charlie told the cop. For this old man, this IS home."

And that's it right there.  That moment brought me to tears, and made it absolutely worth reading this book.  

So now let’s discuss the movie.   This is going to be a challenge because it was different from the book in many ways.  In the end, I would definately say the book was better than the movie. 

Photo by David James – © TM and 2011 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation.

 

The good:  I think the movie really captured the sort of dream-like, whimsical aspect of the circus. The soundtrack was perfect (I think the composer was James Newton Howard – a personal favorite.  He did the newer Peter Pan movie too.)  Fantastic.  I loved all the vivid colors of the performer’s costumes and the tents, paralleled by the neutral tones of the worker’s clothes and the cream colored big top.

I also think the casting was perfect (for the most part.. I'll explain later).  Old Jacob was played by Hal Holbrook.  He wasn’t as frail as they made old Jacob sound in the book, but I liked that about him.  It made it less nerve-racking for me at the end when the Circus Manager decided to keep him on as a worker, because he seemed like he really could take care of himself.  

Robert Pattinson as young Jacob… Let’s just say I went into this thinking back on Pattinson’s “acting” in the Twilight movies, and wondering who in their right mind would choose for him to be in such a promising movie.  He isn’t exactly what I would call a talented actor, he’s just a pretty face (though that’s all you need in a Cedric Diggory or Edward Cullen, so it worked for him.)  Based on what I knew about the character Pattinson was portraying from the book, I knew he was going to have to be more than just a good looking teenage vampire who always looks like he has shit under his nose and acts like he is constipated.  Hehe.  Lucky for him (and for everyone else involved in this movie) he did it!  He actually made me forget about Edward Cullen and Cedric Diggory (RIP) and let me get totally wrapped up in Jacob Jankowski, runaway and circus vet.  He was slightly awkward and very young, but so sincere and kind-hearted.  It was the perfect portrayal of Jacob.  Plussss it didn’t hurt that he is seriously handsome.  

Reese as Marlena was perfect, but they definitely changed her character a lot.  In the book, Marlena was sort of a weak figure, a banker’s daughter who was always doted on by men and protected from things that would upset her.  She was swept of her feet by August as a young girl and joined the circus, and was shunned by her family for it.  In the movie Marlena had a more interesting life story and was a much tougher and more independent woman.  She was abandoned on the train as a baby and was in and out of foster homes her whole life.  She met August when she was young and joined the circus, back on a train again, so it was the only home she ever knew.  She also was present when her horse was killed; unlike in the book where they were sure to keep her far away so she wouldn’t be upset.  Was the movie version of Marlena better or worse?  I don’t know, I’m indifferent.  I do enjoy a strong female character, but I’m not opposed to a weak one from time to time, and back when this was supposed to be taking place a weak woman would have been “the norm.” But I suppose Marlena isn’t really supposed to be normal.  What do you think?

Photo by David James – © TM and 2011 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

The bad:  The whole story line was extremely different in the movie than it was in the book.  The movie completely cut out the part about Jacob as an elderly man in the nursing home.  I really liked this part in the book even though it made me really sad, but maybe its for the best that they didn’t include it – it may have been boring.  Anyway, by cutting out this part, it completely changed how the story was told.  They took the end of the book (old Jacob at the circus) and made it the beginning and the end of the movie. Interesting.  I don’t know how I feel about that, because as I said earlier I didn’t really like the book until the last few chapters.  Part of the reason I liked the book in the end is because I loved how it all came together after a very long build-up, and I think the movie ending was very anti-climatic.  After all, in the movie, the audience never got any sort of connection with old Jacob, only young Jacob.  I think the movie ending lacked some of the beautiful emotional quality of the book.

I think the number one reason the book is better than the movie in this case is the severe lack of chemistry between Pattinson and Witherspoon.  I felt very uncomfortable watching them interact in the film, especially in moments where the two of them were alone and interacting only with each other.  At first I thought maybe it was just really good acting, particularly in the beginning where it would make sense for them to be a little distant from each other.  However even after the early stages of their blossoming romance, once they have finally done the deed and professed their undying love for one another, there is something lacking between the two characters.  Maybe it’s the age difference between the two actors that hindered them from truly finding some sort of connection with each other.  Or maybe Pattinson is so caught up in his alleged relationship with Kristin Stewart that he can’t even fake emotions towards another woman.  He needs to ditch KStew.  Either way, and despite being great casting choices individually, the pair just didn’t work together.  This wasn’t so in the book, which delved deep into Jacob’s intense feelings for Marlena and clearly described their intense chemistry, making their relationship so much more meaningful and enjoyable. 

Anyway, that's all I have to say about that.  Please share your opinions with me! I'd like to know what other people thought.   

Now I am going to share some really good news with you.  And I mean REALLY good.  

The next book/movie I will be discussing..... iiiisssss.........................................................

 

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II!

Yayyy hurrahh! The best book in the whole world!! Are you excited? I am!  And guess what! If you havn't read the book yet, you have plenty of time! You can even read the entire series if you haven't already done so! And if you haven't, you really should.  For your own health.  Seriously.  

Do it.

Read it. Watch it. Discuss it here!  Ciao for now :-) 
 

Let's try this again...

7 months later, I am writing my second entry. I apologize, and this was a horrible way to start off my blog. Right after I posted that first entry back in October of last year came the beginning of my first full time job, and the end of my ample free time. A little over a month ago I started a NEW full time job at an awesome advertising company, and I now have a very lengthy commute. Helloooo audiobooks! My commute gives me time to "read" the books I have been wanting to read! SO my precious followers, let me start again. Though I did start writing the entry for the social network, I think it is rather irrelevant at this point so I won't even post it. Basically: The movie was good, the book was better. If you want to know more, just ask me.

The first book/movie I will be discussing is "Water for Elephants." The book is by Sara Gruen, and the movie is directed by Francis Lawrence, starring Robert Pattinson (swoon) and Reese Witherspoon (my idol!) I have read the book, I have seen the movie, now just give me some time to organize my thoughts and I will make my first REAL post on my little bloggy.

I have also been doing some thinking about the future, and it seems this coming year will have a serious lack of new movies coming out based on books. I think perhaps in the months where there are no new movies being released, I will discuss books/films from the past. Let me know if you have any special requests! Tata for now... new post coming in the next week!