midnight pottery

[threeplusfire]

When I first bought my midnight ticket for Order of the Phoenix there was only one show at the south Lamar Drafthouse. By last night, it looked like every single screen in the building was showing it and the Village Drafthouse was also doing midnight showings. Woo. The Remus Lupins played in one room, there was a magician doing some pretty good disappearing tricks, all the theaters were labeled Charms, Potions, Divination, Transfiguration, etc. They served some very tasty butter beer. It was awesome.

Neville, I love you.

The movie was great, I thought. For such a dense book, I was shocked they managed to fit so much into the two hours they had. (There were of course things not included, which made me sad, but fine.) It was better than I expected it to be actually.

What was hard for me was sitting there watching Dolores Umbridge. The character makes me physically ill. She was just as horrid on the screen as she was in the books. Reading the scenes with Umbridge was so painful that I have only read this book twice overall. I have such an aversion to her aspartame sweetness, her little mannerisms, her blind conviction.

What really gets to me is the horror of being a child in a situation where you are tortured by an adult and there is no one to protect you. I've been there. Maybe that's why those scenes fill me with loathing and rage.

The Death Eaters are exciting, and Helena Bonham Carter was so well cast. For the Ministry battle alone the movie is worth seeing, though it is full of other brilliant moments.

Last but not least, thank the Weasley twins. I love those boys.

Comments

[rockstarbob.livejournal.com]

I am kinda hot for all the Weasleys, I'll admit it!

And yes, I was almost physically ill from watching Umbridge. They really did hit the jackpot with the actress who played her--she did a fantastic job bringing all the sugary ick to the screen.

I am still not sure what I thought overall; I was left with a feeling that the whole thing was rushed, but when I go over it in my head I'm not sure what they could have done differently.

[tsarina.livejournal.com]

It did go fast. There was a lot of compression. I don't know how I would have done it either, the book is so huge. They easily could have made a five hour version.

Weasley twins - yes. They are awesome. I would totally go out with them.

[rockstarbob.livejournal.com]

You know what, though? I was wondering this yesterday... Why didn't they just make it a 2.5- or 3-hour movie? I mean, it's not really a kids' movie anymore. It would have benefited a lot from loosening the pace and taking the extra time. People are so rabid over HP anyway, I doubt anyone would have minded the extra time.

[tsarina.livejournal.com]

That's something I haven't been able to figure out AT ALL.

[rockstarbob.livejournal.com]

I know, right?! Everyone I've talked to about this is mystified as well. I'm secretly hoping there will be an "extended edition" on DVD or something, although that seems unlikely based on the kind of thing they've released so far on DVD.

[wonderlandkat.livejournal.com]

I'm going to see a showing of the movie tonight with the actors who play the Weasley twins. I look forward to all their rambling commentary.

[tsarina.livejournal.com]

I am sooooooooooooooo full of envy right now! How totally cool.

[coyotegoth.livejournal.com]

I think "her aspartame sweetness" wins phrase of the day; well, well said :) (I'm seeing it tonight.)

[tsarina.livejournal.com]

Thank you! :) I hope you enjoy the film.

[rockstarbob.livejournal.com]

You know, do you read beatnikside? Because he just wrote this scathing HP thing over here, and I wonder what you think of it.

[tsarina.livejournal.com]

I do read him. I disagree, but I understand his point. I do think it probably would hav been a more glorious thing to let someone like Peter Jackson have a go. But for what we have? I think they are pretty good.