Rewatch: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
The cinemas are open again and the one in my area shows every Harry Potter movie for a week, with really cheap tickets. Today I had the entire screening room for myself. They probably should do more advertising :) Of course' I've seen The Philosopher's Stone many times, but only once at the cinema (I must have been ten years old), so it was the second time.
The title gave me chills!
Vernon is more abusive than I remembered. He can get rid of Harry for ten months, but he won't let something good happen to him.
I forgot how much time we spend discovering the magical world before Harry goes to Hogwarts. We see Diagon Alley, then the Hogwart Express, we see what wizards wear and how magic is "hidden" from muggles. We see a few spells, magic candy, goblins and animals. In following movies, we see many places, people and magic objects, but nothing can compare to the first experience of magical world.
It's such an iconic scene when the wand chooses Harry. It's just a change of lighting and some dust going up in the air, plus wonderful music, and the effect is fantastic.
I never noticed it says Hogsmeade on the bench at the station.
The first time we see Hogwarts - it's a beautiful shot. What an idea, to make first-years go by the boats so they could see the castle in its full glory. Then they would leave Hogwarts by the boats when they finish the school. Every other journey between Hogwarts and Hogsmeade is by the carriages.
And we spend so much time in class! And for something else than explaining things that will be important to the plot! Everything related to the stone happens outside of class.
Movie!Snape is so different than Book!Snape. He's a grown up, for instant, and has fresh hair. I always liked when Snape was funny in the books and we also know that he was extremely talended in multiple areas: potions, dark arts, oclumency. Add Alan Rickman's charm, forget his pettyness and you get Fanfic!Snape - smart and highly skilled person who was wasted as a teacher. He was well read, liked good wine and chess. And came from an old family of wizards, like the Malfoys. Little did we know until The Half-blood Prince.
I love Mrs Hooch. Yelling "Mr Longbottom, go back!" at someone who can't control his broom is surely going to work!
For a person who hoesn't have another home, Harry does plenty of things can be expelled for. He was told he'd be out if he flew when the teacher wasn't there. He was seen doing it, and the punishment was getting into a quiddich team. Everytime he broke a rule, he was awarded so he kept doing it.
I still can't believe that the actress who plays Mrs Hooch is the same person who played Cassandra in Doctor Who.
First potions lesson and the last until The Half-blood Prince. Maybe Harry was bad at those classes because it was so dark that he couldn't see the instructions? He's wearing glasses, he shouldn't sit in the back!
Hogwarts is huge and has stairs that move. I can't blame Harry and Ron for getting lost and being late. The first spell to learn should be one that tells you where to go when you're lost.
I read somewhere that Harry doesn't cast a single spell in the entire movie. It's true. Hermione does the most of them, I think.
Never go alone to the bathroom! Hermione did and was attacted by a troll. (And in the next movie, we learn that Myrtle died in the bathroom.)
Ron can properly cast Vingardium Leviosa only because he was mocking Hermione who corrected his pronunciation. She saved her own life, or helped, at least.
Harry acuses Snape of something and he turns out to be innocent. Repeat next year. And the year after. The only thing he doesn't acuse him of is being the Half-blood Prince, which is exactly who he turns out to be. (Seriously though. He looked for someone who was great at potions. Of course he didn't think ofh his potions teacher.)
Which teacher came up with the chess to procect the stone? I don't know if it was said in the novel. McGonnagall?
"Harry, as long as Dumbledore is here, you are absolutely, totally, completely safe."
Next day:
"Where is Dumbledore?"
"He left."
The rules of quiddich don't make much sense. Everyone else really should stop playing and just help seekers with the snitch.
Hagrid: cries over Norbert
Filch: rolls his eyes
This is the best Filch scene.
Poor Slytherins. I can't say Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville shouldn't be rewarded (and they got 160 points after losing 150 for wandering at night, so it's not a reward, just cancelling the previous loss), but you don't do it at the last moment when the Slytherins are happy that they won.
Hagrid is the closest thing to parent Harry ever had. Forget Lupin and Sirius.
Next time:
How can a twelve-year-old drive a car? In the air?
Dumbledore vanishes again for the last 30 minutes of the movie.
Snape teaches Harry Expeliarmus, a spell that lets you disarm someone or, in Harry's case, defeat Voldemort. Harry never thanks.
The title gave me chills!
Vernon is more abusive than I remembered. He can get rid of Harry for ten months, but he won't let something good happen to him.
I forgot how much time we spend discovering the magical world before Harry goes to Hogwarts. We see Diagon Alley, then the Hogwart Express, we see what wizards wear and how magic is "hidden" from muggles. We see a few spells, magic candy, goblins and animals. In following movies, we see many places, people and magic objects, but nothing can compare to the first experience of magical world.
It's such an iconic scene when the wand chooses Harry. It's just a change of lighting and some dust going up in the air, plus wonderful music, and the effect is fantastic.
I never noticed it says Hogsmeade on the bench at the station.
The first time we see Hogwarts - it's a beautiful shot. What an idea, to make first-years go by the boats so they could see the castle in its full glory. Then they would leave Hogwarts by the boats when they finish the school. Every other journey between Hogwarts and Hogsmeade is by the carriages.
And we spend so much time in class! And for something else than explaining things that will be important to the plot! Everything related to the stone happens outside of class.
Movie!Snape is so different than Book!Snape. He's a grown up, for instant, and has fresh hair. I always liked when Snape was funny in the books and we also know that he was extremely talended in multiple areas: potions, dark arts, oclumency. Add Alan Rickman's charm, forget his pettyness and you get Fanfic!Snape - smart and highly skilled person who was wasted as a teacher. He was well read, liked good wine and chess. And came from an old family of wizards, like the Malfoys. Little did we know until The Half-blood Prince.
I love Mrs Hooch. Yelling "Mr Longbottom, go back!" at someone who can't control his broom is surely going to work!
For a person who hoesn't have another home, Harry does plenty of things can be expelled for. He was told he'd be out if he flew when the teacher wasn't there. He was seen doing it, and the punishment was getting into a quiddich team. Everytime he broke a rule, he was awarded so he kept doing it.
I still can't believe that the actress who plays Mrs Hooch is the same person who played Cassandra in Doctor Who.
First potions lesson and the last until The Half-blood Prince. Maybe Harry was bad at those classes because it was so dark that he couldn't see the instructions? He's wearing glasses, he shouldn't sit in the back!
Hogwarts is huge and has stairs that move. I can't blame Harry and Ron for getting lost and being late. The first spell to learn should be one that tells you where to go when you're lost.
I read somewhere that Harry doesn't cast a single spell in the entire movie. It's true. Hermione does the most of them, I think.
Never go alone to the bathroom! Hermione did and was attacted by a troll. (And in the next movie, we learn that Myrtle died in the bathroom.)
Ron can properly cast Vingardium Leviosa only because he was mocking Hermione who corrected his pronunciation. She saved her own life, or helped, at least.
Harry acuses Snape of something and he turns out to be innocent. Repeat next year. And the year after. The only thing he doesn't acuse him of is being the Half-blood Prince, which is exactly who he turns out to be. (Seriously though. He looked for someone who was great at potions. Of course he didn't think ofh his potions teacher.)
Which teacher came up with the chess to procect the stone? I don't know if it was said in the novel. McGonnagall?
"Harry, as long as Dumbledore is here, you are absolutely, totally, completely safe."
Next day:
"Where is Dumbledore?"
"He left."
The rules of quiddich don't make much sense. Everyone else really should stop playing and just help seekers with the snitch.
Hagrid: cries over Norbert
Filch: rolls his eyes
This is the best Filch scene.
Poor Slytherins. I can't say Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville shouldn't be rewarded (and they got 160 points after losing 150 for wandering at night, so it's not a reward, just cancelling the previous loss), but you don't do it at the last moment when the Slytherins are happy that they won.
Hagrid is the closest thing to parent Harry ever had. Forget Lupin and Sirius.
Next time:
How can a twelve-year-old drive a car? In the air?
Dumbledore vanishes again for the last 30 minutes of the movie.
Snape teaches Harry Expeliarmus, a spell that lets you disarm someone or, in Harry's case, defeat Voldemort. Harry never thanks.