Course change and some HBP thoughts
We're working out the Winter schedule and there's some talk of changing one of my Graduate classes to something else; my online Shakespeare class (ew, no) MIlton (which would be a totally new prep) or a second section of Children's LIterature. Sliding by the departmental politics here, which are important but not interesting, I made a counter-proposal. I WANT to teach my Studies in Drama course. But if I MUST teach something else, I would like to offer a second section of Children's Lit . . .
. . . which would be a totally Harry Potter seminar. Could tie in the medieval and renaissance stuff, and frankly it's not a total picture without adding in the elements of fandom, of course. I figure if it was decently publicized, a lot of people would take it who aren't English or Education majors.
Also, like chocolate, Harry Potter makes you Feel Better.
Almost everyone's opined on *HBP* and I'm not going to go over stuff that almost everyone has said, but here's a few thoughts anyhow.
On the whole, I liked it. I always expect the movies to be considerably different, and usually I think David Yates is pretty good at getting a coherent film out of the books. I don't usually notice what's missing until later, when I go " . . .hey. Wait."
Where did Snape get hold of a blow-dryer, and how did he get it to work at Hogwarts? While we're on hair, I agree with a lot of people: I like my Narcissas totally platinum blonde.
Cinematography: oh, yeah. I particularly liked the big swooping shot around the tower with Ron and Lavender kissing in the window and then up and around to Draco angsting.
It's kind of funny that HBP the book is pretty dark and HBP the movie is overall fairly light.
Evonna Lynch ruled as Luna. And I really liked Draco in this. He's really important in this book and I thought the film brought it out well. Tom Felton had a lot to do and he delivered.
David, if you put in some slashtastic stuff for the fans on purpose, or even if you didn't, thanks. It really doesn't take much imagination to finish "I can . . . .ASSIST you. . . " with ". . . in your pants."
Tonks pining over Lupin: did NOT miss it. I would rather have two minutes of Badass Tonks than twenty minutes of Angsty Tonks.
I resigned myself long ago that the movies are not "Remus Lupin and the Half-Blood Prince." I miss his presence, of course, but so much gets cut that it only seems fair. That said:
We don't have time for Lupin's report about werewolves or Percy or further news about Voldemort, but we have time for Ron and his pies? And I say that as someone who LIKES Ron.
The "the first night of the cycle is the worst" and Arthur Weasley's "his condition is hard on him," WTF. Yeah, I get it that he hasn't had access to Wolfsbane Potion and that it's whooping his ass, not that we know anything about Wolfsbane Potion from Movie #3 or really at all. And we don't know anything about him living with other werewolves, and in fact, that doesn't seem to be the case in the movie. Look, the guy's been a werewolf since he was a kid. It's not like this is anything NEW. And I know what I do to people who say sympathetically "that time of the month?" to me. I can show you where all the bodies are buried.
Lupin sniffing around right before Bellatrix and Greyback showed up: actually, I kind of liked this. But I have to admit that when Tonks says ". . . sweetheart?" I heard "Lassie! Lassie! What is it, girl?" "WROOF!" "You mean that there is an untamed werewolf whose smell you recognize and another Death Eater and they're out there in the cornfield waiting to attack, is that it?" "WROOF! WROOF, WROOF!"
Arthur's little hobby shed full of busted Muggle electronics --really liked it. Too bad we'll never see it again, because . . .
The filmmakers burnt down the Weasleys' house. And their boats.
Harry on Felix Felicis = win. Any questions?
I adore Jim Broadbent's Slughorn. The reminiscence about Lily's fish magic was so lovely. I appreciate anything that makes Lily more than a pair of eyes. There's gotta be some reason Snape remembers her so many years later *other than* him being a stubborn barstid. Besides, right from the beginning, I was very excited about Jim Broadbent playing Slughorn. He's a fabulous actor.
I enjoyed the Ron/Hermione stuff, even if somehow there were a lot of things with a Harry/Hermione spin: all the *weeping* on Harry's shoulder, Hermione consulting with Harry about the locket while Ron just chills in the background . . . do you feel better now, Steve Kloves? Is it all out of your system?
Many people have already weighed in on the Pensieve stuff. The only thing I really missed is that there was nothing on Merope Riddle. I think that throws things off. So much of these books is about "did your mama love you, or not?" and the fact that Harry and Voldemort have a lot in common, except not that, strikes me as critical.
Also, now we don't know anything about the ring, and in fact we don't know much of anything about Horcruxes or what might be a Horcrux. Anyone an L Frank Baum fan? There's a bit in *Ozma of Oz* where everyone has to find the royal family of Ev in the Nome King's rooms. They've been turned into bric a brac, but the problem is that there's so damned much of it that your chances of finding any of them is really slim. Everyone gets a chance to touch the tchotchkes and say "Ev," which will bring them back to life, but they only get so many wrong guesses or they get to be a tchotchke themselves. Dorothy guesses one right by sheer luck, and the only thing that saves their ass is that Billina the chicken has overheard the Nome King talking about which tchotchkes are really people (the royal family is purple, the Oz folks are green, etc.) Without that clue, they'd be touching china dogs and things and uttering "Ev" fruitlessly until their luck ran out.
I'm assuming they'll straighten this out in the next one, though I hope there's not *too* many Hermione Saves The Day moments.
Anyway, as I said, I mostly really liked the film. More on Azkatraz later. I've got to get some work done.
. . . which would be a totally Harry Potter seminar. Could tie in the medieval and renaissance stuff, and frankly it's not a total picture without adding in the elements of fandom, of course. I figure if it was decently publicized, a lot of people would take it who aren't English or Education majors.
Also, like chocolate, Harry Potter makes you Feel Better.
Almost everyone's opined on *HBP* and I'm not going to go over stuff that almost everyone has said, but here's a few thoughts anyhow.
On the whole, I liked it. I always expect the movies to be considerably different, and usually I think David Yates is pretty good at getting a coherent film out of the books. I don't usually notice what's missing until later, when I go " . . .hey. Wait."
Where did Snape get hold of a blow-dryer, and how did he get it to work at Hogwarts? While we're on hair, I agree with a lot of people: I like my Narcissas totally platinum blonde.
Cinematography: oh, yeah. I particularly liked the big swooping shot around the tower with Ron and Lavender kissing in the window and then up and around to Draco angsting.
It's kind of funny that HBP the book is pretty dark and HBP the movie is overall fairly light.
Evonna Lynch ruled as Luna. And I really liked Draco in this. He's really important in this book and I thought the film brought it out well. Tom Felton had a lot to do and he delivered.
David, if you put in some slashtastic stuff for the fans on purpose, or even if you didn't, thanks. It really doesn't take much imagination to finish "I can . . . .ASSIST you. . . " with ". . . in your pants."
Tonks pining over Lupin: did NOT miss it. I would rather have two minutes of Badass Tonks than twenty minutes of Angsty Tonks.
I resigned myself long ago that the movies are not "Remus Lupin and the Half-Blood Prince." I miss his presence, of course, but so much gets cut that it only seems fair. That said:
We don't have time for Lupin's report about werewolves or Percy or further news about Voldemort, but we have time for Ron and his pies? And I say that as someone who LIKES Ron.
The "the first night of the cycle is the worst" and Arthur Weasley's "his condition is hard on him," WTF. Yeah, I get it that he hasn't had access to Wolfsbane Potion and that it's whooping his ass, not that we know anything about Wolfsbane Potion from Movie #3 or really at all. And we don't know anything about him living with other werewolves, and in fact, that doesn't seem to be the case in the movie. Look, the guy's been a werewolf since he was a kid. It's not like this is anything NEW. And I know what I do to people who say sympathetically "that time of the month?" to me. I can show you where all the bodies are buried.
Lupin sniffing around right before Bellatrix and Greyback showed up: actually, I kind of liked this. But I have to admit that when Tonks says ". . . sweetheart?" I heard "Lassie! Lassie! What is it, girl?" "WROOF!" "You mean that there is an untamed werewolf whose smell you recognize and another Death Eater and they're out there in the cornfield waiting to attack, is that it?" "WROOF! WROOF, WROOF!"
Arthur's little hobby shed full of busted Muggle electronics --really liked it. Too bad we'll never see it again, because . . .
The filmmakers burnt down the Weasleys' house. And their boats.
Harry on Felix Felicis = win. Any questions?
I adore Jim Broadbent's Slughorn. The reminiscence about Lily's fish magic was so lovely. I appreciate anything that makes Lily more than a pair of eyes. There's gotta be some reason Snape remembers her so many years later *other than* him being a stubborn barstid. Besides, right from the beginning, I was very excited about Jim Broadbent playing Slughorn. He's a fabulous actor.
I enjoyed the Ron/Hermione stuff, even if somehow there were a lot of things with a Harry/Hermione spin: all the *weeping* on Harry's shoulder, Hermione consulting with Harry about the locket while Ron just chills in the background . . . do you feel better now, Steve Kloves? Is it all out of your system?
Many people have already weighed in on the Pensieve stuff. The only thing I really missed is that there was nothing on Merope Riddle. I think that throws things off. So much of these books is about "did your mama love you, or not?" and the fact that Harry and Voldemort have a lot in common, except not that, strikes me as critical.
Also, now we don't know anything about the ring, and in fact we don't know much of anything about Horcruxes or what might be a Horcrux. Anyone an L Frank Baum fan? There's a bit in *Ozma of Oz* where everyone has to find the royal family of Ev in the Nome King's rooms. They've been turned into bric a brac, but the problem is that there's so damned much of it that your chances of finding any of them is really slim. Everyone gets a chance to touch the tchotchkes and say "Ev," which will bring them back to life, but they only get so many wrong guesses or they get to be a tchotchke themselves. Dorothy guesses one right by sheer luck, and the only thing that saves their ass is that Billina the chicken has overheard the Nome King talking about which tchotchkes are really people (the royal family is purple, the Oz folks are green, etc.) Without that clue, they'd be touching china dogs and things and uttering "Ev" fruitlessly until their luck ran out.
I'm assuming they'll straighten this out in the next one, though I hope there's not *too* many Hermione Saves The Day moments.
Anyway, as I said, I mostly really liked the film. More on Azkatraz later. I've got to get some work done.