random ramblings
Jun. 7th, 2004 11:42 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dslartooJust a quick entry this morning. No time for anything else.
1. So Ronald Reagan's died. Hope he's at peace now. His deterioration over the past few years was sad. However, when referring to him, one should not say "the former late President" (as the local radio station mentioned in a news report this morning), because that makes it sound like he WAS dead, but isn't now. How about "the late former President", guys? Sheesh.
2. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban was pretty damn good (for the second time). I agree with![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
ashtreza and the_gneech, both of whom think the film was rushed, and with weetanya as well (she thinks it feels kind of like a Cliffs Notes version of the book). Despite that (and the quibbles below), it's a very enjoyable film in my estimation.
However: when the hell did the geography of Hogwarts change so radically? Hagrid's shack was across a FLAT FIELD in the first two films, if memory serves me correctly; now suddenly it's down a massive slope with huge stone monoliths sprouting up randomly around it. Er, what? Likewise, the Whomping Willow -- fairly close to the edge of the Forest in the first film, but far enough off that it has a space all to itself -- and here it's apparently moved to the side of another mountain slope.
Also, why the fuck was it necessary to make the dementors FLY? The books gave me this impression of creepy creatures that glided silently over the ground, but didn't float around like the Grim Reaper in a Castlevania game, and especially didn't gang up and attack Harry during a Quidditch match. The whole POINT of the dementors' appearance in the books was that they affected Harry profoundly but with no apparent reason. They most certainly didn't start administering the Kiss to him the instant they first saw him on the train.
Also, why is it that Harry was able to produce a Patronus on only his second try while practicing with Lupin, and then again against dozens of dementors later on? The book makes it clear that he wasn't able to get anywhere at all with it even after hours and hours of practice. This makes his ultra-powerful Patronus from the far bank even more impressive when he IS finally able to do it.
Also, WHY didn't they take five minutes to explain how it was that Sirius and Lupin both knew how to use the Marauder's Map? Again, I agree withashtreza: this film sometimes makes you feel like you're required to read the books to find out what's going on. That's not good filmmaking.
Good stuff: I loved David Thewlis as Lupin. Alan Rickman was again deliciously unpleasant as Snape. Gary Oldman makes a very good Sirius Black. The kid stars are growing up fast (Emma Watson in particular is really becoming an accomplished little actress). The scenes with Buckbeak were wonderful. The Marauder's Map was well done. And in general, I think the entire film had a better aura of pure film magic than the previous two did.
Anybody else think that Cornelius Fudge sounds a LOT like Engywook the Gnome from The Neverending Story? Sounded so much like him to me that I thought they WERE the same, but apparently not.
3. I don't care if you couldn't get a baby-sitter, and I don't care how long it's been since you left the house. Do not fucking bring your very young children to a two-and-a-half-hour film. In fact, don't bring them to the movies at ALL. I paid good money for this film (except last night, whenvill paid good money for the film), I want to hear it, not your ill-behaved children babbling and crying. And for fuck's sake, if they do start yammering and whining as they're bound to do, fucking take them outside instead of staying inside. That kind of behavior is inexcusable.
After biddingvill goodbye last night, I went back to the front of the theater and confronted the couple who had been one of the worst offenders inside. They had two snot-nosed whining children and one BABY with them and had done absolutely nothing to shut any of them up during the film. I had planned to just scold them for their lack of manners, but wound up being so angry that I shouted at the woman for nearly five minutes, and left her in tears afterwards. I almost wanted the guy to say something so I could yell at him too, but he just stood there looking embarrassed. There's a hint, people: if you feel that bad about something afterward, it's a clue that what you did was pretty fucking rude in the first place. So either shut your fucking rug rats up during the film, or put a strip of cloth in their mouths and muzzle them.
-- END OF LINE --
Currently playing: Lana Lane -- Queen of the Ocean. Lane bills herself as "the queen of dramatic, symphonic progressive rock." Ooooookay. She does have a nice voice, though, and surrounds herself with great musicians.
1. So Ronald Reagan's died. Hope he's at peace now. His deterioration over the past few years was sad. However, when referring to him, one should not say "the former late President" (as the local radio station mentioned in a news report this morning), because that makes it sound like he WAS dead, but isn't now. How about "the late former President", guys? Sheesh.
2. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban was pretty damn good (for the second time). I agree with
ashtreza and the_gneech, both of whom think the film was rushed, and with weetanya as well (she thinks it feels kind of like a Cliffs Notes version of the book). Despite that (and the quibbles below), it's a very enjoyable film in my estimation.However: when the hell did the geography of Hogwarts change so radically? Hagrid's shack was across a FLAT FIELD in the first two films, if memory serves me correctly; now suddenly it's down a massive slope with huge stone monoliths sprouting up randomly around it. Er, what? Likewise, the Whomping Willow -- fairly close to the edge of the Forest in the first film, but far enough off that it has a space all to itself -- and here it's apparently moved to the side of another mountain slope.
Also, why the fuck was it necessary to make the dementors FLY? The books gave me this impression of creepy creatures that glided silently over the ground, but didn't float around like the Grim Reaper in a Castlevania game, and especially didn't gang up and attack Harry during a Quidditch match. The whole POINT of the dementors' appearance in the books was that they affected Harry profoundly but with no apparent reason. They most certainly didn't start administering the Kiss to him the instant they first saw him on the train.
Also, why is it that Harry was able to produce a Patronus on only his second try while practicing with Lupin, and then again against dozens of dementors later on? The book makes it clear that he wasn't able to get anywhere at all with it even after hours and hours of practice. This makes his ultra-powerful Patronus from the far bank even more impressive when he IS finally able to do it.
Also, WHY didn't they take five minutes to explain how it was that Sirius and Lupin both knew how to use the Marauder's Map? Again, I agree with
ashtreza: this film sometimes makes you feel like you're required to read the books to find out what's going on. That's not good filmmaking. Good stuff: I loved David Thewlis as Lupin. Alan Rickman was again deliciously unpleasant as Snape. Gary Oldman makes a very good Sirius Black. The kid stars are growing up fast (Emma Watson in particular is really becoming an accomplished little actress). The scenes with Buckbeak were wonderful. The Marauder's Map was well done. And in general, I think the entire film had a better aura of pure film magic than the previous two did.
Anybody else think that Cornelius Fudge sounds a LOT like Engywook the Gnome from The Neverending Story? Sounded so much like him to me that I thought they WERE the same, but apparently not.
3. I don't care if you couldn't get a baby-sitter, and I don't care how long it's been since you left the house. Do not fucking bring your very young children to a two-and-a-half-hour film. In fact, don't bring them to the movies at ALL. I paid good money for this film (except last night, when
vill paid good money for the film), I want to hear it, not your ill-behaved children babbling and crying. And for fuck's sake, if they do start yammering and whining as they're bound to do, fucking take them outside instead of staying inside. That kind of behavior is inexcusable. After bidding
vill goodbye last night, I went back to the front of the theater and confronted the couple who had been one of the worst offenders inside. They had two snot-nosed whining children and one BABY with them and had done absolutely nothing to shut any of them up during the film. I had planned to just scold them for their lack of manners, but wound up being so angry that I shouted at the woman for nearly five minutes, and left her in tears afterwards. I almost wanted the guy to say something so I could yell at him too, but he just stood there looking embarrassed. There's a hint, people: if you feel that bad about something afterward, it's a clue that what you did was pretty fucking rude in the first place. So either shut your fucking rug rats up during the film, or put a strip of cloth in their mouths and muzzle them.-- END OF LINE --
Currently playing: Lana Lane -- Queen of the Ocean. Lane bills herself as "the queen of dramatic, symphonic progressive rock." Ooooookay. She does have a nice voice, though, and surrounds herself with great musicians.