Timewaster's Guide Archive
Departments => Movies and TV => Topic started by: Slant on November 18, 2002, 05:40:29 PM
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Ok, so how did we all like it? I personally thought it was an incredible improvement over the first film (which was so slow that it actually put me to sleep). Kenneth Branagh as monster hunter and media whore Gilderoy Lockhart was incredible! You could tell he was having a lot of fun in the role. the movie as a whole was much more scary than the first, with lots of blood and monsters. Far too intense for anybody under, say, eight years old, but a whole hell of a lot of fun for older kids and adults. I really urge anybody who hasn't yet seen it to go and give it a peek.
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I completely agree, Slant. Kenneth Branagh was absolutely delightful and I doubt they could have cast anyone more fitting for the role.
Also, I'm really starting to dig the "bad guys." The Slytherin folks were always pretty cool (in and evil way) in the books, but I love how they're being potrayed on screen. Alan Rickman as Snape was a highlight in the first film and I think that other than Branagh, he and Lucius Malfoy stole the show. They're just so dang slick!
Anyone have any idea how they're going to film the next 2 books? With the first two books being by far the shortest and their films approaching 3 hours I don't know how they're going to do three of four. Four especially. They may have to make two movies for that one!
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I'm going to post a full-length review of it later this week, but I agree with you overall. Most of the weak points of the first movie (the kids' acting, too-cheery tone, over-the-top-score, and cheezy CGI) are notably improved in the sequel. I was definitely impressed with the improvements in set and prop design - everything has more of a dark and sinister look to it.
I hate to say that the biggest disappointments were the script and the pacing, which surprised me because Steve Kloves is a great writer. The script removes too much information, including the best clues about the identity of the one who opened the Chamber of Secrets, leaving the villain to do too much explaining at the finale, causing it to drag a little. If they had shortened the interminable denouement by about 10 minutes, there would have been plenty of room to include the important facts removed from earlier portions (e.g. details about Hagrid's expulsion, Ginnie Weasley wanting to talk to Harry about something, etc.) I'm guessing, though, that the way-too-huge finale was the idea of director Club-You-Over-The-Head Columbus and not writer Steve Kloves. I am SO glad that Columbus is out for the next two movies - his replacement, Alfonso Cuaron, has a talent for depicting frank and realistic sex scenes that may just come in handy.
Also, I wasn't a big fan of the long trench sequence in the Quidditch match, if only because the Snitch shouldn't be allowed to leave the playing field. I am aware, however, that complaining about that makes me a total nerd. So sue me.
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They are not going to do a HP movie for next year: Prisoner of Azkhaban is set to be released in 2004, which means that by then the kids may very well be six feet tall. From what I hear, PoA is supposed to be an inclusive film much like the first two. Goblet of Fire is indeed too long to make into a single movie unless they plan to butcher it mercilessly. I also like Snape. He has that whole dry humored, too-cool-for-the-room, semi-evil wizard thing going.
I've also heard good things about Alfonso Cuaron, although I'm pretty sure that his talents in directing sex scenes probably won't come into play in the Harry potter films. Although, I predict that in the final Harry Potter novel he will use his magic to score with Britney Spears. Hey, I just know that it's gonna be coming.
I'm kind of curious as to why they never showed the younger Hagrid's face.
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From what I hear, the kid playing Harry will not be returning for the remaining movies (he'd be thirty by the time the seventh probably). Is there any word about the other actors? Obviously, they need a new Dumbledore.
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I just hope they keep the girl who play Hermione. She's super cute now and is going to be quite the looker in a few years. :)
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Amen to that, my brotha. Hermione is going to be an absolute fox by the time book four or five rolls around. That kid playing Ron has got it made if the rest of the books continue the Ron/Hermione romance that Goblet of Fire hinted at.
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You guys keep talking about Hermione like this and you'll end up on some FBI Potential Statutory Rape Offender list. It's just not right . . . although I have to admit I wanted to give her a big hug in the scene where she was crying in Hagrid's hut.
Also, it's interesting that you bring up the Ron/Hermione thing, given that the new movie has put a different spin on things than is found in the books. I don't think it was really a good idea to try to inject some kind of sexual chemistry into the proceedings, but the hug/handshake thing did exactly that, no matter how you interpret it. What's the deal with that?
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Jeez people, Emma Watson's only like, what, twelve? You people are creepin' me out. ;)
I have heard from a few sources that the new Dumbledore will be none other than Ian McKellan, who is known for playing.... ummm.... an eccentric kindly old wizard. hmmm... Talk about typecasting.
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I've hear that it's cristofer lee.
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The most definitive information indicates the the part is not being considered at this time by either Christopher Lee or Ian McKellan.
Christopher Lee denied taking the role on his website, but it has crashed apparently, so the news can also be found here:
http://www.theonering.net/perl/newsview/1/1036092899
Ian McKellan has also recently denied having even been considered for the part:
http://www.theonering.net/perl/newsview/8/1037127228
So, I guess that makes me a bigger nerd than all y'all. It begs the question, however, of who else there is that could take the part (especially considering Rowling's Brit-only mandate). Michael Caine? Bwahahaha!
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"Goodnight, you princes of Hogwarts, you kings of England."
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How about Tony Blair?
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Yeah, the Hermione thing is a little creepy, but it's been menitoned by virtually all the guys I know who've seen the movie (and many girls actually). She's just so cute! Waaaaaaay too young, but she'll be a knockout when she's 20. :)
Ehhhhh...dirty.
Anyhoo, I've hear that Alan King (is that right) had some understudy who not only looks just like him, but sounds a lot like him too. Last thing I heard the part was between him and....uh....someone else.
I though the Ron/Hermione relationship was a bit strange to put in this movie, though I think the seeds have been planted for it in later books. Some of the people I saw it with who haven't read the books think Hermione and Harry will hook up, but I don't see that happening as Harry has another love interest.
Of course, he has to somehow keep himself alive to ask her out, which will be incredibly difficult giving the events in book 4 (the keeping alive bit, not asking her out :) )
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Hey, how about Rowan Atkinson as Dumbledore? Hey now, put the rocls DOWN! I was just kidding! How about Tom Baker? He's getting up there in age and he's tall and lanky with piercing eyes and that hawk's nose. He would make a much more convincing Dumbledore than he did an elf.
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Now that's an amazing idea, Slant--Baker would make a great Dumbledore. I feel ashamed for not having thought of that first.
So, any guesses (or actual info) on why they're changing directors? Columbus seems to have done a good job with the series, so I can't imagine they're getting rid of him. Maybe it's just because hispanic directors are so hot these days. What do you guys think?
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From what I've heard it's going to be a different director for each movie. I know Spealburg wanted to do #3 or #4 but J.K. Rawlings didn't want him to because she wants final say on everything and Speilburg well is Spielburg you don't question the man.
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First of all, Columbus did not do a good job with the series. The things that were good about the two Harry Potter movies were good in spite of him, not because of him. He only ever planned to do the first two movies in the series because it requires working in England, and he was unwilling to relocate his family there semipermanently.
I don't think there's an explicit intention to switch directors on each film from here on out, but they may feel that this will happen because a) few directors want to become chained to a series, no matter how profitable it is and b) few good directors want to do all there work in and around London. My guess is that Cuaron will do a good job with Azkaban (which will do well because interest will be renewed next year with the release of Book Five) and will be rehired (if he's interested) for Goblet of Fire. There will definitely be a third director in by the fifth movie, though. That director? Peter Jackson, if there's any justice at all in the world.
As for Dumbledore, I had another good idea (not that any of the Dr Who's wouldn't do a decent job). I think Jim Broadbent would be good - not as he appeared in Moulin Rouge, obviously - more like the character he played in Iris. Or what about Sir Richard Attenborough? He'd be pretty good and, now that James Coburn is dead, he's one of the only principle actors in The Great Escape that's still alive (Charles Bronson and James Garner will be dead before the end of the year at this rate).
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Hey, Kid, do you have a release date for book 5? It seems like we've been waiting forever. The wait is exponentially worsened because after what happened in book 4, the story could go anywhere!
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Unfortunately, Book Five doesn't have a release date yet, but it is definitely going to come out next year (probably in the first half of the year). In her most recent statement on the subject (Nov. 2), Rowling said that she was doing final tweaking and was "weeks away from sending it to the publishers". If the publishers get it before Christmas, it should be a fairly short process to get it out into stores from there. Rowling also revealed that the book is a chapter longer than the last one (38 chapters), and is much darker than the others, including a major character death.
The article can be found here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/tv_film/newsid_2401000/2401765.stm
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The EARLIEST the next book will be out is July 2003. Now that JK Rowling is pregnant it will likely be even later. The latest info is that she has not yet finished the first draft of book five, but is close. The name of the book, by the way, will be Order of the Phoenix.
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she said the same "major character death" thing before the fourth book came out, it's getting a bit old
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Who do you reckon the "character death" will be? I doubt it will be a main protagonist, nor will it be Dumbledore or Snape. Perhaps McGonnegal? more than likely it will probably be a minor but reoccuring character like Neville or Crabbe.
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hagrid is my guess. hes important enough to make millions of kiddies cry in their lunch breaks, but not so important itll screw up the story in any way.
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yeah probably hagrid, hope it's not hermi:-*ne
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Actually, what would be a morbid but logical choice is Dumbledore. Yes, he's the headmaster and protector of Hogwart's, but how better to increase the danger to everyone than to get rid of him? Plus I'm sure it would be a heroic death.
It'd be a sad reflection of reality, though.
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And then Richard Harris would only miss out on two movies instead of seven or however many there's going to be.
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Hagrid might well die, but it won't be in the next book. I think it will be one of the professors, possibly McGonnigal. There is the possibility that it might be a character who is introduced in book 5 as a major character, but who ends up dying. Here's a hint: if he winds up teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts, he's a goner.
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Have you heard about this? Rowling is going to auction off a card printed with 93 random words from Order of the Phoenix, starting at $10,000. The auction will be held on Sotheby's which I guess is an internet auction place.
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are they a chunk from the book (ie in order)
or random
if they're random they could just be stuff like "and, it, wand, harry", you know stuff that's in every book
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They're completely random, with no relationship between them at all. I think they're planning to take out words like "and" and "the," but that's just a guess.
I should also mention that the money will all go to charity, so it will be more of a publicity stunt than an actual purchase. Whoever buys it will probably be a large organization or web site.
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The article I read made it sound like it wasn't random. The title of the card is "What I can tell you about Harry Potter: Order of the Phoenix." I don't think it's an excerpt, but it sounded like a bunch of ideas, not just random words.
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Personally I would rather just wait and be 100% surprised when the book comes out.
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I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL THE 4TH MOVIE COMES OUT!! ALL OF THE HARRY POTTER CAST IS GONNA BE SOOOOOOOO INCREDIBLY CUTE BY THEN! I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHO PLAYS CEDRIC DIGGORY AND VIKTOR KRUM!!! DRACO MALFOY IS SUCH HOTTIE!!!! AND SO IS HARRY! RON IS A CUTIE--LOVE THE FACES! I'M SAD THAT THE GUY WHO PLAYS DUMBLEDORE DIED... BUT IAN MCKELLAN WILL DO A GOOD JOB! PROFESSOR MCGONAGALL IS SOOO COOL!! SHE IS THE BEST TEACHER AT HOGWARTS! I LOVE HERMIONE TOO (ONLY NOT IN THAT WAY YOU SICKOS! JK) SHE IS SO SMART! SNAPE IS EVIL. SLYTHERINS TOO. GRYFFINDORS RULE!! BY THE WAY, WHO DO Y'ALL THINK THEY'LL GET TO PLAY CHO CHANG IN THE 4TH MOVIE? AND WHAT ABOUT SIRIUS IN THE 3RD MOVIE?? AND WHAT ABOUT PETER PETTIGREW?! SO MANY QUESTIONS... WHEN WILL THE MOVIE COME OUT?!?! HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX IS COMING OUT IN EXACTLY 100 DAYS!!!!!!!!!!!
;D ::) :D ;) :) 8) ;D :D ;) 8) :) ;D
love, TrekGirl07 aka gryffindorgurl07 and her bestest friend raven14!!
p.s. sorry i haven't posted in a while guys! i've been so busy! [/b]
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I am speechless. Fan girl + harry potter = loss of all non-essential brain functions in fan girls brain. :-/
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Are you implying that fangirls have essential brain functions? Well, I suppose their essential to fangirls.
Seriously, though, I don't think Ian mcKellan is doing Dumbledore. I heard the guy's name somewhere, but I can't remember it.
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Michael Gambon (Gosford Park) will be playing Dumbledore.
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Yes, that's the one. I think he'll do a pretty good job, and I'd rather have McKellan making more X-Men movies anyway.
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Could you imagine if he had to play a wizard in both the LotR films AND the Harry Potter films? His family would find him crouching in a corner wearing a pointed hat and cackling about "astral configurations" and "spell components."