[Jane Sherwood]

I'll eviscerate Keanu Reeves.


And just wondering Stalky, have you actually read the books? If you've read them and are insulting the films, fine, but if you haven't...

(*sharpens knife*)

This post has been edited by Jane Sherwood: 09 June 2004 - 06:24 PM

[Stalky]

Yes, I have read all the books, because the books are GOOD. The films would be good if the acting wasn't ridiculously crappy.

[Jane Sherwood]

Ah.


...


All right then. You're forgiven.

This post has been edited by Jane Sherwood: 09 June 2004 - 07:29 PM

[civilian_number_two]

The new HP movie finally has a decent director, and the screenwriter took liberties to make the thing play out better as a film. Great performances from the actors, and Ron is allowed to notice Hermione's coming into maturity, and yes, he's the only one so far. Nice touch.

The art direction plays into the story as well: less focus on the school, an more on the drizzled rainy atmosphere outside it, with constant focus on the giant clock tower that I frankly don't even think was there in the last two films. Big departure making the dementors fly, but a good idea as well, since walking on to the pitch as they did in the book, I thought they were not that intimidating, like some noisome rabble that Dumbledore might have exiled with little fuss.

Big loss in the film is more direct hinting that the Demetors are not after Harry at all, and more attentions ought to have been played to the secret villain of the piece (no spoilers here), but I think that came down to time. Harry summoning his Patronus with the help of a powerful realization, that he has grown into the man his father once was, is really the point of the whole book, and it is a strong scene.

All of the specific casting for this film is great: Micahel Gambon brings the humor that to Dumbledore that was lost in the too-majestic Richard Herris; Emma Thompson pulls off a fine silent-film farce; Gary Oldman was the first name I came up with when trying to imagine the casting of Sirius, so hooray for that; David thewlis as Lupin and Robert Hardy as fudge round out what has to be the greatest colection of British character actors in a modern film series.

Actually seeing it on film draws attention to how small the characters of Ron and Draco are, but that's carried over from the novels, so not a complaint about the film.

I think I'll stop watching if they have to get new actors for the three main kids. Part of the fun for me is watching the character grow up. What say you, Jane?

[SimeSublime]

Whilst reading that post I was worried about spoilers, but then I remembered I'd already read the book, so what was I worried about?

[SkinnedAlive]

I didn't watch the HP films because i'd read the first 2 books and found them... Well... lame, to be honest. I'm more of a Dune fan although i've never seen the film.

I didn't watch lord of the rings out of the principle that Tolkien didn't want it made in the first place and i'd rather read the books anyway.

As for the matrix, I pretty much watched that just for the action. The plot was predictable and uninspired in most places but I didn't really pay attention after a while, I just went into superficial mode. Watch the shootybangs.

[Stalky]

Dune is cool, shame that my family only has Dune and Dune Messiah. And the Dune film is rubbish.

Oh, by the way, whilst watching through all the special features in my Lord of the Rings trilogy box set, I saw a documentary that said Tolkien wanted it as a film, but he didn't want it done badly, which is why he was careful with giving out permission. So poo to you.

[Jane Sherwood]

Well, since Civilian has already covered most parts, I'll just add a few here.


The Dementors: I hope I'm not alone here, but Dementors have always been the most frightening things in the books for me. The way they made them look in the movie made them all the more frightening. I figured they were more solid and Grim Reaper-ish looking, but know that I think about it, the ghostly wraith-like appearance is perfect. Overall, those are some scary bastards. Very nicely done.

The Whomping Willow: Those extra bits thrown in centered on it (such as the "Bluebird of Happiness", as my mother called it, being squished into a feathery pulp by its branches) were excellent. I don't care if people say they were necessary or not.

Dumbledore: I thought Gambon made an excellent Dumbledore, although my mother (who insisted on going to watch it with me) said she didn't like him very much, saying that he seemed to "Hippy-dippy", and while Herris's Dumbledore was more "raise your eyebrow" funny, Gambon was more of the "old pot-smoker" funny.

Draco: He really came off as quite the sniveling little coward in this one. I'm not sure about the change of haircut, though, I always thought he looked kind of like a "Mini-Spike" (BtVS)... By the way, hooray for invisible snowball attacks!

I have a few continuity issues, as always, but it wasn't as bad in this film as the last two (now that I think about it, Sorcerer's Stone kind of pisses me off...).

[civilian_number_two]

I hear what your mom is saying about Gambon's approach to Dumbledore. Cuaron was certainly playing him more for comic relief than Columbus did. And of course Richard Harris, King Arthur after all, Mr MacArthur Park, didn't really have a concept of humour on his own and played even his comic bits to the hilt. Which is fine if you like that sort of thing, which I do, but when changing actors it's always a good idea to let the character change a little as well.

And I always say, if you want continuity, go watch a play. As an editor, I always concentrate on the best acting, and forget about continuity altogether. Discontinuity is part and parcel of filmmaking, and seldom worth worrying about.

...........

PS:

I really think it's funny you folk call it "Sorceror's Stone." What the hell is a Sorceror's Stone anyway? Because the Philosopher's Stone, that artifact sought after by the alchemists as necessary to turn base metals to gold and to create the Elixir of Life, is actually the subject of the first novel, and of the first movie. Some publishers thought kids might not want to read an incredibly popular and charming noverl if it had an unfamiliar word in the title, so they changed it, and it carried over to the film series. Grr ... well, fine. The least the FANS could do is to protest t by calling the thing by it's author-given name damn it!

And while you're at it, don't claim you've read the Narnia books either, until you've read the editions not combed over by American publishers and culled of "difficult words and concepts."

[Jane Sherwood]

And while you're at it, don't claim you've read the Narnia books either, until you've read the editions not combed over by American publishers and culled of "difficult words and concepts."

WHAT?!

Goddammit, now I have to find different copies of those books! I suppose it's easier to miss that kind of stuff if you've never read the original versions. I remember having to search around for a re-released copy of A Clockwork Orange just to get the twenty-first chapter.

As far as the Philosopher’s/Sorceror’s Stone thing goes, I don’t care what it’s called. It’s the same book either way (or at least, I think it is. They didn’t do anything to that one did they?). Either word works fine for me.



(My spell-check keeps wanting me to spell "Sorceror" two "e"s...hmm.)

[Chyld]

And while you're at it, don't claim you've read the Narnia books either, until you've read the editions not combed over by American publishers and culled of "difficult words and concepts."

Its times like this I'm glad I'm British.

Yet sad I'm human, like these silly people...

[Jane Sherwood]

Damn my American upbringing! Why couldn't I have been British, too?

[SimeSublime]

Or Australian. A Clockwork Orange was on TV last Sunday night.

And I'm not positive, but I thought the first HP movie was left as Philosophers here? Anyone willing to take a trip to the video store to find out?

[civilian_number_two]

As far as the Philosopher’s/Sorceror’s Stone thing goes, I don’t care what it’s called. It’s the same book either way (or at least, I think it is. They didn’t do anything to that one did they?). Either word works fine for me.

There are minor internal changes, to "Americanize" some words.

It's classic publisher power-tripping. Once they can make a chamge, they do. But yeah, you have essentially the same books, despite the condescending minor rewrites.

It's not like they decided to make Ron black or something.

[SimeSublime]

In the novels, Lee Jordan was male, but in the movie he was inexplicably changed to female. Was Lee female in the American books, or was it just the movie?