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Post by sbr on Jun 2, 2010 16:23:56 GMT -5
Do we not have one? Did I lose it? Whatever. WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT HARRY POTTER. Now that Mark is reading Harry Potter ( markreadsharrypotter.new.buzznet.com/user/journal/ ), I'm really revisiting how much I love this series. You love it, too, right? Let's talk about how awesome the books are, how good the first few movies are, how not great the rest are. Even though everything is old as dirt, let's try to give some warning on spoilers because I want to convert the nonbelievers with this thread. SO CONVERT. My main thought right now? I really miss the guy who originally played Dumbledore. I couldn't stand the guy who replaced him, and he was one of the big reasons that I've still not seen the films after Goblet of Fire. Did he ever get better? Did he become more Dumbledore like, or did he continue to completely fucking suck at the job? I read somewhere that the offered Ian McKellen the job, but he was afraid of being typecast. It's a shame, really. Very few people can pull off a Wizard of Dumbledore of Gandalf stature. Honestly, I've only seen two people do it and one is dead and the other turned down the role. Should I even bother watching the OotP and HBP? Will I just rage? Will I hate them with a fiery passion? I know I will, because I know a lot of my favorite things from the books got lost along the way, but, yeah. HARRY POTTER NOW GO GO GO!
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Post by rc on Jun 2, 2010 16:51:22 GMT -5
I don't think any of the movies are great, but I enjoyed them all. I still think the ending of the Half-Blood Price film is the stupidest thing they've yet done to the franchise; the way they set up the ending, there was no reason for Harry to not just get dragged off to Voldemort's head quarters for dismantling.
I never got through Mark reading the Twilight sequels (I lost my comp about half-way through New Moon), but this I want to experience even more! I love the novels thoroughly and anticipate the humorous rage to come from Harry and company getting bashed. Unless Mark enjoys them... I honestly don't remember if he does (and not that Mark only bashes, but it's what made me chuckle the most from the Twilight readings).
I'm not reading them again for a long time, though. I've read each multiple times, including the entire series straight through. Maybe after I finish House of Leaves and everything else on my waiting list.
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Post by sbr on Jun 2, 2010 16:56:33 GMT -5
Mark seemed to thoroughly enjoy the first book. When he finally gets through the whole series, in like, 12 years, we shall see.
I kind of want to reread them, but I have SO MANY books that I've bought but haven't read yet. I'll feel kind of lame if I keep putting them off to reread the Potter stuff again.
I still remember when I first read, them, though. I had absolutely refused to jump on the Harry Potter bandwagon. I thought it was ridiculous and there was no way I was buying into it. A really really close friend finally convinced me to check it out, and since I had pretty much disposable income then, I trusted her judgement and bought a box set of the first 5 books. I read them all over the course of a few days. It was so absurd. I then went out and bought HBP as soon as I finished OotP. I waited in pained anticipation for the last book, preordering it months in advance. Ugh. Good times.
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Post by Casey on Jun 2, 2010 16:59:35 GMT -5
The thing I like about Mark's thing is that he just doesn't know anything, like Quirrel being bad and being all blown away at the first book. And he described Sirius Black as "a major villain" to me just now, people who haven't read Harry Potter are SO FUNNY.
Also if we're going to reminisce about waiting for books I'm going to say the party for the fourth one at my local Barnes and Noble was the best one. There were pumpkin pasties and butterbeer and they were delicious. I don't remember waiting for 5 or 6 but I went with my friend to get the 7th one at wal mart at midnight, they gave us posters and Gryffindor bracelets.
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Post by sbr on Jun 2, 2010 17:24:14 GMT -5
The thing I like about Mark's thing is that he just doesn't know anything, like Quirrel being bad and being all blown away at the first book. And he described Sirius Black as "a major villain" to me just now, people who haven't read Harry Potter are SO FUNNY. Right? I think reading the blogs would be so much less fun if he honestly knew more than he does. Watching the tone go from puzzled to shocked to overjoyed is just so hilarious and fun. Every time I see a comment with a spoiler I want someone to yell at that person because it's like telling a little kid that Santa isn't real. It just reminds me of when I first read the books and how much I loved it, how shocked I was when Snape was actually trying to save Harry in the Quidditch match, etc, etc.
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Post by rc on Jun 2, 2010 17:43:47 GMT -5
OMG, chp. 6, lmfao
AND IT JUST GETS BETTER!
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Post by Tommy on Jun 2, 2010 18:45:51 GMT -5
I actually really liked the 6th movie and thought it was the best after the 3rd one. that might be partly because the 6th book was my favorite though.
If I remember correctly, Rowling wanted Terry Gilliam to direct the movies but the studio didn't want that or something? I would probably love the movies so much more if that had happened.
Also, I HATE HATE HATE the epilogue to Deathly Hallows! Albus Severus? really? come on now
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Post by sbr on Jun 2, 2010 21:01:02 GMT -5
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Post by Bang on Jun 2, 2010 21:20:34 GMT -5
I haven't read any of MRHP yet, but I think I might try to read along with it now I have a chance. I only ever read the first 5 books.
I loved the books so much. I'll definitely have to pick up the last ones.
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Post by rc on Jun 2, 2010 21:20:49 GMT -5
Ah... I missed the watch episode one festival because I started ripping through Mark's blog from the beginning. Oh well; the movies always piss me off.
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Post by Jessticles on Jun 3, 2010 0:32:36 GMT -5
I still remember when I first read, them, though. I had absolutely refused to jump on the Harry Potter bandwagon. I thought it was ridiculous and there was no way I was buying into it. A really really close friend finally convinced me to check it out, and since I had pretty much disposable income then, I trusted her judgement and bought a box set of the first 5 books. I read them all over the course of a few days. It was so absurd. I then went out and bought HBP as soon as I finished OotP. I waited in pained anticipation for the last book, preordering it months in advance. Ugh. Good times. I was exactly like this. Except I borrowed my little sister's books instead of buying the first 5 of them. I felt totally left out in that I started reading them so 'late' in the game. I enjoy the movies, for the most part. The acting from the children was pretty horrid in the first one and it's great to see them grow as actors throughout the films. I never go in expecting movies to be like whatever they're based off of, so I think that's why I generally like them more than most people. I always keep the books pretty separate from the movies, though there definitely are things I would enjoy better if they did it differently or added certain things in. Alan Rickman though could never be the book Snape. I'm too attracted to him. I love reading Mark's blog on HP. It's so great to revisit how exciting the books can be for people who have never read them before. It's refreshing to find someone who hasn't because it makes me excited to read them over again. It's so popular that you just kind of expect everyone you know to know what you're talking about when you start discussing HP or reference to it.
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Post by Adam! on Jun 3, 2010 1:19:42 GMT -5
I began reading Harry Potter with absolutely no prior knowledge of it. My mom bought the first two or three for me when they first came out so that I could read them when I was home sick. I fucking loved them, I still do, I think they're the only series that, no matter how long the wait was in between books, I would always come back to (I used to love the Redwall series, but after a while, the wait between books made me lose interest).
I think the first three movies were decent, the third being the best of them. The fourth one was alright, I don't remember much from it, and the fifth was pretty bad. The sixth however, was incredible. I loved everything about it EXCEPT HOW BADLY THEY FUCKED UP THE ENDING and some other part I can't bring to memory right now. I can't wait for the seventh movie(s). I don't know what I'm gonna do when they're all done.
I just read through all of Mark Reads Twilight. So funny. Mark is going to shit bricks later in the series.
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Post by rc on Jun 3, 2010 2:41:22 GMT -5
I started reading these a bit before Goblet of Fire was released. I was staying the week at a church-friend of my mom's, who recommended I try them out. I started reading around 9 that night and finished shortly before going to school the next day. That was the first time I'd ever read a book in one sitting. Hooked much?
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Post by Arial on Jun 3, 2010 4:48:00 GMT -5
I just recently ordered all of the first 6 off Ebay so I could re-read them. And I'm getting an HP tattoo on Sunday. I have no idea what I'm going to do when the movies are all over, it's weird knowing there won't be anything to look forward to afterwards.
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Post by kr on Jun 3, 2010 9:21:45 GMT -5
And he described Sirius Black as "a major villain" to me just now, people who haven't read Harry Potter are SO FUNNY. This is adorbs, omg. I'm rereading Goblet of Fire now! It's been a while since I've read this one.
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Post by rc on Jun 3, 2010 12:27:15 GMT -5
Now I want to litter the thread with trivia!
Starting simple: When is Sirius first mentioned--Book 1, 2, or 3?
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Post by kr on Jun 3, 2010 12:33:40 GMT -5
Book one! Hagrid has his motorcycle. What book are the Lovegoods first mentioned in?
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Post by AKiminseattle on Jun 4, 2010 1:50:02 GMT -5
How did I not see this thread sooner?!
Goblet of Fire!
I remember doing my book report of the Goblet of Fire for my one of my sixth grade book reports. I got an A. My favorite is the Prisoner of Azkaban followed by The Order of the Phoenix. I hated The Half Blood Prince and the only part of that movie I like was the cave scene. I was totally on the edge of my seat, it was awesome. I really like Gambon as Dumbledore, he makes him so intense! I know alot of people don't like him though. JKR was originally going to call the Death Eaters the Knights of Walpurgis.
My trivia question... Who was the Ravenclaw ghost, The Grey Lady?
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Post by (• ε •) on Jun 4, 2010 2:03:14 GMT -5
I had very little choice in the decision to like HP. My 8th grade teacher was so obsessed with the books that she read them out-loud to the class. God, that was more than 10 years ago.
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Post by rc on Jun 4, 2010 19:08:28 GMT -5
Who was the Ravenclaw ghost, The Grey Lady? I forget if they actually name her, but she's the daughter of Rowena (sp?) Ravenclaw, one of Hogwarts original founders. Who was Harry's, Hermione's, and Ron's first kiss, respectively?
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Post by blackbird on Jun 4, 2010 22:57:53 GMT -5
God, these books are so good. They are the only books I've ever pulled all-nighters to finish, and every time I re-read them I find cool little details I had previously missed.
The movies have gone downhill since the third movie when they changed directors, and the sixth was by far the worst for me. However, I enjoy them more when my memory of the book is foggy so that I can really separate the books and movies as two completely different creative entities. I finished re-reading the sixth book the day I went to see the movie, so all the missed details made me really bitter. I won't be doing that for the seventh movie(s?).
I also didn't like the new Dumbledore. He was too harsh. The guy who played him originally really let off that air of wisdom and kindness and yet having the dark secrets and standing of Dumbledore.
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Post by Rachel on Jun 4, 2010 23:44:33 GMT -5
I definitely agree. I loved the first one. My fifth grade teacher started reading them aloud to us in class in 2005. I vaguely recall a classmate of mine imitating the characters in early elementary school. I guess you could say I was a little late on the boat, but I was also pretty young when they came out. After my teacher started reading them to us, I was hooked. We got to book three and I read Goblet of Fire on my own. I remember reading Order of the Phoenix in sixth grade, my first year of middle school, in our AR class (accelerated reader, where we read for points that were part of our English grade). And in the summer of 2005, I went on a trip to England and Scotland with People to People, a student ambassador program. The trip was called the "Myths and Legends Tour", and appropriately enough, I was 11 at the time. We got to ride the Hogwarts Express, as in the train they used in the movie, saw the Platform sign, visited the dining hall in Oxford. I do recall that the sixth book came out that summer, while we were over there, and I remember being really upset that Rowling was doing a reading at one of the castles we were visiting just days after we'd be there. And when the book was released, someone opened it, read the ending, and spoiled it for everyone. My mom won't give them the time of day, because she's not a fantasy person and she knows they're books for children. I can't even put my finger on why I love them so much. Maybe because I started them at the age at which I thought I might expect a letter myself. I truly believed it existed to some degree for that first year, but after no letter came, and I saw the film stuff and the cafe where Rowling wronte the first two, I knew for sure. Even if they are for kids, I think she's a great writer. She really has developed a completely new world, and it's fascinating to me. I love how clever she is in the books by incorporating words with Latin roots. Many of the spells are easy to figure out. "Levi corpus", like levitate and corpse. "Lumos Maxima", like light and maximum. Maxima is the latin adjective. What I find most interesting, though, which were things I didn't realize until I started classes with my current Latin teacher, who is a Potter nerd herself, started pointing out things to us, like the name Bellatrix. We started reading Caesar's De Bello Gallico this year. Bello. Bella. Bellatrix. -ix is a common ending ancient Gallic names. Bellatrix is actually a form of the word "warmonger". And she said she always knew the true nature of Snape because of his name. Something about "Severus" means severe, but I believe has a fairly innocent connotation. I suppose like a parent who is strict but has good intentions. Figuring out little things like that always makes me so excited, because I love Latin and I love Potter. I'm pretty sure Rowling minored in Classics or something, too. I think the way she incorporated little things, like the reference to the bezoar in book 1, and how she connected them to later to major events, is really great. As far as the movies go, I think they could be better, and I don't think I could enjoy them very much if it weren't for reading the books first. I know plenty who have only seen the movies and haven't read the actual stories, and I don't think the movies do them justice. I do love Emma Watson, though! And even though I'm sad about the first Dumbledore being gone, I have gotten used to the new one. And I think Alan Rickman is awesome as Snape. I'm not too keen on Daniel Radcliffe, but at least he looked the part in the beginning. The sixth book was my favorite, so I was disappointed to see how much changed in the movie. I started re-reading it because I honestly forgot that the burning of the Burrow didn't happen until the seventh, but I figured it probably had to do with crunching all those events into three last films. I'll still be so sad when it's over. I really can't explain why I love this series so much. I ought to think about it some more and really come up with a reason. It's just so fascinating and exciting and it can make you feel so involved. I feel for the characters. I've wanted to be the characters. It is, truly, magical/enchanting/some other terrible pun. I love it. Edit: Here's a good link describing some of the cool and clever things she's done with the names. I'm still looking for more info on Severus, because I don't remember exactly what she told us, just that she knew from the start his true nature. www.angelfire.com/stars2/fawkesfire/Names.html
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Post by Deleted on Jun 5, 2010 12:32:50 GMT -5
I love Harry Potter. So good
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Post by katherinej on Jun 5, 2010 16:50:38 GMT -5
I'm still angry that they chose to use Gary Oldman for Sirius. I love Oldman, but he didn't fit my interpretation of the character at all.
Sirius forever.
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Post by Cei on Jun 5, 2010 22:02:40 GMT -5
Who was the Ravenclaw ghost, The Grey Lady? I forget if they actually name her, but she's the daughter of Rowena (sp?) Ravenclaw, one of Hogwarts original founders. Who was Harry's, Hermione's, and Ron's first kiss, respectively? Cho Chang, Viktor Krum and Lavender Brown. I really love the HP books, though I was late to the badwagon as well. But I don't get where all the love for the first two movies is coming from. Chris Columbus is the most boring director in the world. Yes, they were faithful adaptations, but... blurg. The third film was great, and I enjoyed the fourth, fifth and sixth (except for the weird anti-climactic ending in the sixth). I really enjoyed OOTP, but maybe that's because it's my favourite book. Can't wait for the last two films, and I'm very okay with them splitting it in two. My main problem with the movies (despite how much I love Alan Rickman and Gary Oldman) is how OLD they made Sirius, Lupin, Snape and even the images of James and Lily. They were, what, 18 when they had Harry? So they should have been 20 in the mirror of Erised or the ghosts from the wand, but they're all middle aged! Sirius and Snape should only have been late thirties/early forties. And it looks like they've aged Ron and co way too old for the Epilogue. I always loved Snape, bad or good. He's just such a fun character. Big Fred and George fan, too. Certain events involving Fred in the last one crushed me. Fucking Percy.
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Post by sbr on Jun 6, 2010 2:16:05 GMT -5
Honestly, I thought the first two were fun, for what they are, and the third was actually good. The third was the best, that I've seen, and the only one I really "liked."
I've read that Gambon greatly improves his Dumbledore throughout OotP and HBP? I'm kind of interested in checking them out, just to see. GoF will always piss me off because of that guy, though.
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Post by AKiminseattle on Jun 6, 2010 2:51:24 GMT -5
So my roommate and I were about to fall asleep when all of a sudden she says "Cattermole" and she asks me where it's from. So I scream "Harry Potter! Remember in the 7th book when the trio went to the ministry?" This isn't the only time she's done something like this. 2 nights ago I was treated to her repeatedly asked who Karkaroff is.
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Post by Cei on Jun 6, 2010 3:10:44 GMT -5
I actually like Gambdon's Dumbledore as well as Harris', so I can't really comment. I like the power he brings to the role. Harris had the whimsical side, but he certainly wasn't intimidating. Since Dumbledore became more serious and more intimidating as the books went on, I think his portrayal becomes more appropriate, rather than him improving if that makes any sense.
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Post by Eankam on Jun 6, 2010 3:37:18 GMT -5
Richard Harris was the greatest Dumbledore of all time. OF ALL TIME.
I love Harry Potter. So much. I don't have much else to add at the moment, I'm exhausted but had to add my two cent regardless! Haha.
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Post by Kristin Sane on Jun 6, 2010 16:15:04 GMT -5
my best friend made me read the first one five years ago and said if i didn't like it, she wouldn't make me read the rest. i thought it was eh, so i didn't continue. my boyfriend wanted to see the one that came out last year in imax so i said i'm only coming if i watch all the previous movies. so i did, but we never ended up going to the movie. i'll probably eventually see all the movies/read the books, but i'm in no rush.
the point of this story is that 4 years ago i moved into an apartment with a friend and her boyfriend. i got the router and he set it up. he named our network nimbus 2000 and i didn't know what meant until july of 2009. LOL.
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