So, this month has started with curious things, and the one I’m posting is probably one of the most interesting ones, and one of the most expected. Let’s see what is it…

Yes ladies and gentlemen, here there is a Sneak Peak of the first (we can call it like that ¬¬) teaser trailer of the high-anticipated Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows film!!! This preview is included in the DVD/Blue-Ray Special Edition of the sixth movie and I have to say that, although it only lasts 30 seconds, it really shows a lot of what’s coming in the film.

For all you fans of Harry Potter (like me) who have followed the saga since the very beginning, this will represent an amazing Christmas gift. Shell Cottage is included, as well as Griphook and Ollivander appearances, and we can hear things about the Deathly Hallows. There are also two little interviews with the producer David Heyman, and the director David Yates. Just by watching this, I’m absolutely sure it will be an amazing experience the day I sit in fron a big cinema screen waiting for the logo to appear.

So… for all you desperated ones, calm down! Here’s the link to see this preview:

http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/check-out-the-harry-potter-and-the-deathly-hallows-sneak-peek-trailer

Check it out and enjoy!!! I’m sure this will be the beginning of a big amount of Harry Potter for the next two years!!! I give you another image from THE trio, and feel free to comment! See you all!

What Is It?

The 4th installment of the super popular series about an average boy, growing into teen and adult hood while attending a boarding school for “witches.” The series seems to hook you with the fantasy aspects and keep you with the true to life coming of age stories. Here, we are back at Hogwarts School and the Tri-Wizard tournament will pit one wizard from England against one from Russia and one from France. Some how the Goblet has selected an extra name, and it is….

How was it?

If you have been enjoying the series so far, you will not be disappointed. This one is older and darker, and is still progressing. The effects are better (Particularly the transformations as compared to the Werewolf from the last film.) I loved the scene where the dragon crawls across roofs like a bat scraping across a brick wall.

They still have their “Live action cartoon” feel, and include long dialog to explain all the new rules for the world so that some of this makes sense.

Still, I’m about sick of, after 3 years in this world, Harry still being surprised by things being “odd”. Though more than that, it’s sad that such interesting and potentially complex characters as Snape and professor McGonagall populate this world, but instead of digging deeper, they just introduce new characters to skitter across the screen and disappear into cameo obscurity.

(Can we please just keep one “Defense Against the Dark Arts” teacher for more then one film?)

Hey, anyone for a quick game of “Name that Tolkien Influence”?

SPOILER – I have thought it cheesy that in the last three, everything was constantly life threatening and no one died…. Good job

Is It Good for Kids?

There are potential nightmares lurking through the graveyard of this film. The Death Eaters are mild, compared to the (Spoiler) re-birth of the noseless Voldermort.

Though more than this, is the sudden burst of sexuality in this film. We get a point of view shot of Ron checking out the back ends of several French witches. Later he comments on the fact that he usually only looks at them and only from behind. We get Hermony in a low cut dress, and Harry taking a bath, while a teen age girl ghost watches him, and comments on bubbles disipating for a better view. She later cuddles up with Harry in the tub, though he doesn’t seem interested.

Yes, as kids get into their teen years, they are going to start to notice girls and be curious. It would just be nice if we could see this delt with without giving acceptance to checking people out like they are meat, or putting the characters into sketchy situations (like the tub).

You can find out more about what’s on the screen from Screenit.com

What About Spirtual Themes?

The big hub-bub about Harry, in the “Holy Huddles”, has been the use of witchcraft. Yes, the Bible condems it. Yes, it is flaunted in these books and movies and the only people who think poorly about witchcraft are given a horrid sounding name, and are charactures of unthinking hatred, fitting of a Roald Dahl book. The magic here is from an undetermined source. (This differs from “Lord of the Rings” where all power is attributed to either the Author of Evil, or the Creator and Ruler of Good.) Yes, the last movie included a “spell” that kids could “perform” to better their lives (Ridiculos). Yes, this uses the term witch, and yes, this could cause a child to look into or stumble upon the fastest growing religion in American High Schools. But that is not the point of these stories.

That said, the craft here is all very much educated by years of cartoons and comics. The magic is often arbitrary. (Kids can make a student cough up slugs, but can’t make Ron’s “Dress Robes” stylish.) Magic is not the point of these stories.

There is a kid here, who is in fact, growing up infront of us. He is going through the same struggles of bullies and girls and friendship and akward ages that we have all or will all face. It his how he deals with teachers, rules and homework that provides the true messages and meanings of Harry Potter. Though there may be plenty to be worried about in the past three movies (See my combined review of the first three) this one is free of the concerning morals that plague it’s predicessors. Infact, the only major moral concern I see here, is the objectifying of boys and girls.

Here Harry is shown as self sacrificing, friendship is preserved (maybe to the extent that it is putting forth an existential philosophy, but not overtly.) And growing up is about change.

Your Recommendation?

If your children are into the Harry Potter Series, like anything else, talk to them about it. Talk to them about what they liked and didn’t, as well as, the choices made by characters and our choices in our world.

If they are not, though this may be the “safest” of the series, it is a series and I don’t think we can deal with it as a seperate componant. Yes, the poor moral choices that plague the other films (and the two books of the series that I have read) were not present here. But there was not a turning away of those choices either, and I think we can expect more of it in the future.

Furthermore, unless you are very “into” the characters, the movies will probably lag for you.

If you or your children are just itching for fantasy children’s entertainment that can thrill adults as well, pick up the book “The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe” and get ready for a worth while, “Is it as good as the book?” debate.

Yesterday, while some of us were making it our mission to speak out against the most recent developments in the robot apocalypse, the internet was getting its first taste of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I, which isn’t coming out ’til next November (which is like infinity in Harry-Potter-anticipation, but even more tediously long), so really, we’ll take whatever we can get:

Obviously the only thing this actually confirms about Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I is that wizards appear to prefer layering in threes, while Muggles–such as the one to the left*–prefer the more minimalist two-layer approach.  Also, seeing as they’re in some sort of indoor complex that houses a cinema, my guess is that they’re in a mall.  Given that I remember Harry and Ron and Hermione spending plenty of time in a forest but none in any malls, I’m glad to know that David Yates and his crew are to keeping things fresh for the fans.  And by “fresh,” I mean possible shopping montage.  

Oh, and let’s not forget this tantalizing tidbit that ComingSoon.net reported along with the picture:

Video Business also talked to Yates, who confirmed that Daniel Radcliffe will appear naked at one point during the last two movies.

In one scene, “a horcrux [carrying a piece of Voldemort's soul] defends itself by producing nightmarish visions, and one shows Hermione and Harry embracing and kissing,” explained Yates. “It’s something intriguing and sensual for Rupert to react to, and Dan will be bare for that.”

SOLD.

*Not to be too random, but I’m glad this Muggle’s making the bold choice of combining lime green with pink.  I’ve been a fan of this combination for years, and it’s nice to know that I’m not the only one who enjoys being confused with an Easter egg.

Now that we’re back in the swing of things, it’s time for the results of our most recent (and longest lived) Readers Poll, asking where in the Harry Potter universe you would most like to visit.

The results very heavily favored the Weasley family. When faced with a seemingly endless array of wizarding sights and shops, 32% of readers would still prefer to visit the most humble of abodes – The Burrow. And for good measure, 22% would like to visit Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes.

No good wizard is complete without his custom wand, so 16% of you opted to visit Ollivander’s (I’m assuming pre-Ollivander’s mysterious disappearance in Book 6).

11% voted for butterbeer at The Three Broomsticks. Another 11% prefered chocolate frogs from Honeydukes Sweetshop. 5% voted in favor of The Leaky Cauldron. 3% mysteriously wanted to visit the Ministry of Magic.

What? No one wants to go to Azkaban?

Upon second glance, this poll looks like a survey for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. In fact, I think they asked something similar on the website (but they did it for marketing reasons – I did it because I’m curious).

New Poll in the Sidebar! Enjoy!

********************

Unrelated Side Note: I just realized my photo on the sidebar has been backward for the past six months, with the cover names mirrored in a creepy “figure out the hidden message” sort of way. That’s been fixed. Better late than never.

I’ve discovered yet another band named Let’s Lumos starring Brittany and Jessica.

In this video posted on youtube jessicalestrange only Jessica and Jason are singing.

lets lumos brittany indie music idea girl consulting

lets lumos jessica indie music idea girl consulting

ministry of magic jason munday indie music harry potter idea girl consulting

I love fan videos and Harry Potter has been my favorite character for the past several years.

We all loved the movies, the books and JK Rowling.

Now we can enjoy the bands that create songs about the fictional characters in Harry Potter.

Emma Watson – Hermoine Granger, Rupert Grint – Ron Weasley, Daniel Radcliffe – Harry Potter,  Evanna Lynch – Luna Lovegood and Katie Leung – Cho Chang.

Evanna Lynch, Emma Watson, Daniel Radcliffe,Katie Leung

A new wrock song by my band, Let’s Lumos!
The story of Lily and James Potter is one that gets a lot of attention throughout the books, but it’s always in regards to Harry, and how horrible it must be for Harry to be without parents. But what about the two who actually died to save him? What would that horrible night have been like? This song is their last goodbye, sung to Harry in hopes that he’ll meet them again someday.

James’ vocals are done by Jason Munday of the Ministry of Magic. Lily’s vocals are Brittany of Let’s Lumos! http://www.youtube.com/heartcrux

Add us on myspace:
http://www.myspace.com/letslumos

DOWNLOAD THIS SONG:
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=BBWCNPK1

LYRICS:
I’m sorry for everything,
He came in through the door so quickly, I had no time.
And even though I knew I’d die,
I still wish i had turned around to say one last goodbye, Lily.

Please tell him I love him,
And that i’ll always be there.
And though I’m soaked in blood now,
I just want him to know i’ll always care, and that…

CHORUS:
I’m going home
Home to a place
A place I must go
A place you will go someday

I’m going there
Where I’ll be awake
Though my eyes are closed
I’m going home
I’m going home

Don’t be sorry for anything, James.
It took me long enough to pull away from your side.
And as my screams fell upon deaf ears,
I knew my only choice was for him to take my own life.

I’ll tell him we love him,
And that we’ll always be there.
And though my heart won’t beat for much longer,
I’ll let him know that we will always care, and that…

I’m going home
Home to a place
A place I must go
A place you will go someday

I’m going there
Where I’ll be awake
Though my eyes are closed
I’m going home
I’m going home

Well it’s official. It appears Mrs Rowling has finally run out of ideas; not that they were particularly groundbreaking to begin with. Don’t mistake a negative commentary as evidence of a bias against the series; I quite enjoyed the previous two offerings. I wish I could say the same for the fifth instalment, but in Order if the Phoenix we are presented with very little in terms of new entertainment, plot or character development. Length is not a substitute for quality, and here we have a film that feels like bits and bobs of information have been pasted together in one over-long and self indulgent motion picture.

As is to be expected, the cast of the previous films return for another year at Hogwarts. Daniel Radcliffe returns as the all-too-perfect Harry, Emma Watson as the brains of this amateur Nancy Drew crew and the token in-between man, Ron Weasly, is once again played by Rupert Grint. The Order of the Phoenix itself seems more of a panic-induced last minute title than anything else, the time given to anything remotely resembling the Order or its significance must cover all of two and a half minutes of screen time. Although the previous books and films had some sort of central event to revolve around, this template does not return for this instalment. In fact, we find out two or three nuggets of important information and that pretty much sums up the entire film.

The film begins with everyone at Hogwarts and the ministry of magic believing that Harry is a liar, that he did not see “he who cannot be named.” For a start this seems inexplicable considering Harry’s status and perfect record in absolutely everything. The fact that supposedly intelligent adult wizards and witches are consumed with unqualified denial also adds fuel to the fire that says that Rowling really didn’t have a lot to say here. In short, Harry trains up the students in the art of battle, has a couple of lessons, has a brief rendezvous with Voldemort at the end and learns of a prophecy that he or Voldemort must die. Harry also has his first kiss, but this is his only interaction with Cho in the whole film, they say no more than two or three words to each other.

The acting is at a decent standard here, with the star turn undoubtedly being attributed to Emelda Staunton as the meddling Delores Umbridge. As usual, the adults out-act the youths in every scene, but it isn’t as noticeable as the first two films. Emma Watson has finally played down her seemingly incessant over-acting with a far more balanced performance here, after all this time the jury is still out on Radcliffe, (although his character is remarkably one-dimensional) while Rupert Grint remains the most consistent with his sit-on-the fence style. As usual the seasoned pros such as Alan Rickman and Michael Gambon deliver the performances expected of veterans, despite the unmistakably mundane dialogue that has come to characterise the films.

There is some good in this however. The ministry taking over the school is an intriguing development and I particularly enjoyed the enforced curriculum changes, making magic theory-based. This is a relevant parallel to draw when one considers the similar changes in the educational system in the UK since 1997. Delores Umbridge is a delightfully conniving character, if somewhat unoriginal. But originality is not why we watch the series, surely, or else we would be irritated by the almost genetic similarities of Tolkien’s Gandalf and Rowling’s Dumbledore.

The main problem with this film is that there is no real sustained structure; it is essentially a bridging film. After two and a half more hours, the story has hardly advanced. I’m sure no-one despises Rowling for milking the cash cow, but stretching a battle with Voldemort over three and half books/films is bordering on tedium. By fluke, genuinely interesting story and cut-throat marketing, the Harry Potter franchise has become a phenomenon. But this offering serves as a reminder that beneath all the hype, the formula is becoming extremely repetitive and the characters somewhat ordinary. It is a shame considering the adventurous feel of the last two pictures, but unfortunately here we have an instalment (both cinematically and in literary terms) that only exists because of the brightly lit dollar signs that come with it.

GRADE: C

With all of the recent Twilight hype, I thought I’d use today’s post to talk about why Harry Potter is eleventy billion times more awesome than Twilight. There are similarities between the two series; they both feature teenagers newly immersed in supernatural worlds, both are written by female authors, and both are widely popular. But that’s about where the similarities end. Harry Potter is, in my opinion, an incredibly rich series with ties to many classic works, ranging from Greek and Roman mythology to Jane Austen. Twilight reads like a 13-year-old’s diary and has ties to, well, nothing. Stephenie Meyer pretty much ignored every piece of vampire fiction that came before her (see: vampires sparkling in the sunlight, etc.). But I’m not here to gripe about Twilight, I’m supposed to be talking about how awesome Harry Potter is.

Harry Potter is a coming-of-age tale about an orphaned boy wizard, Harry Potter (obvs), and his ongoing battle against the evil Lord Voldemort. Lord Voldemort kills Harry’s parents, and attempts to kill him, when he just a baby, but somehow Harry survives. Harry is raised by his Muggle (that means non-magical, for those of you who weren’t aware) aunt and uncle, and is unaware about what happened to him as a baby, until his eleventh birthday when he receives his admission to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. At Hogwarts, Harry meets his two best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, and the series follows their time at Hogwarts and their many run-ins with Lord Voldemort.

Harry Potter also features one of my favorite literary characters ever, Ron Weasley (you thought I was going to say Hermione, didn’t you?). Ron is perennially living in the shadow of his brothers and his best friend. Which is pretty much my life. While he may not be the best student, or the most famous, Ron is totally hilarious and is always making jokes in tense and awkward situations. Again, my life. And he’s totally inept at matters of the heart. Which, unsurprisingly, is a trait I also happen to share. Basically what I’m trying to say is, if I were a dude and a wizard and not real I’d be Ron Weasley.

Twilight has no Ron Weasley, though. Or a Harry or Hermione, for that matter. Twilight is basically four books of bad weather, Edward sparkling, and Bella being emo. Also, if you can bear reading until the fourth book, there’s a wonderful scene involving demon spawn biting its way out of Bella’s uterus. Ah, the miracle of childbirth! Sadly, Harry Potter has no demon spawn, but the rest of the series more than makes up for it. Also, the Harry Potter movies are way better than the Twilight ones. I’ll take Alan Rickman (yummy) and Helena Bonham-Carter over Peter Facinelli and Elizabeth Reaser any day.

Flipping through the wonderful new handbook from United Methodist Communications, I was impressed again by how much ministry our church does with so many people in so many places. The handbook does a great job of putting into words and images the scope of ministry (and structure!) in which our denomination engages. (I’m even in the background of the picture featuring worship in Cote d’Ivoire, at the bottom of p 13!)

As I pondered our “Four Areas of Focus,” prominently located at the front of the handbook, I once again wondered why they always make me uncomfortable. I believe we need to be growing ethical, engaged, and excellent leaders (both lay and clergy); clearing space for new communities of faith to thrive and resourcing existing ones; enacting good news to the poor; and ensuring health and wholeness worldwide. None of these are bad–in fact, they make me humbled to be part of such a wide-ranging and deeply concerned connection.

Only when I contrasted these four areas with the priority of the British Methodist church did I find the source of my unease. Here’s their only priority:

To proclaim and affirm its conviction of God’s love in Christ, for us and for all the world; and renew confidence in God’s presence and action in the world and in the Church

After that, a number of other familiar-sounding “ways towards realising this priority” begin to spill out, but notice the difference: we talk about 4 areas of focus that deal with what we do–British Methodists have 1 priority: to proclaim God’s love in Christ and renew confidence in God. Adopted in 2004, I arrived in Great Britain a year later to discover this priority was on the lips, hearts, and minds of everyone at every level of the church…not to mention my class membership ticket.

In the words of one of my favorite theologians–Ron Weasley–we need to sort out our priorities. What ought to be our first priority? God, the holy and blessed Trinity, just as Jesus answered the question about the first commandment. The second is like it, and here we might well talk about our four areas, but they only make sense in the context of a God who participates in & enables a love that fills heart, soul, mind, and strength.

What would it look like if we made our first priority developing confidence in God? If we could have Gospel action to go with our Gospel words, if all our membership could speak about God with confidence, and point to faith communities where we acted Christ-like? Call me naive, but it seems to me that the first priority enables all the rest.

Dan Dick states with annoying regularity (here, for instance) that attracting new members won’t help us much if we can’t figure out what to do with the 8 million we already have here. What can we do with each and every one of those? Develop confidence in God…and then put that to work.

Dear Mrs Rowling,

how is it that all of your book never cease to be addictive? It is as if you have the magic touch. (-:  you’re officially my Queen of all authors. It is actually J.K. Rowlings’ books that inspired me to write my own. So thank you!

I wish i could go to Tasha’s yard sale. Sigh. Sadly, i don’t have any transportation. Really, transportation has prevented me from doing anything. Go to friends houses, birthdays, extracurricular activities, and now.. yard sales. Bloody hell, i need a car. (hah, yes, i just quoted ron weasley) *wink*

Adios!

Questa è proprio una licenza cinematografica!

Da un’intervista del regista David Yates a Sorrisi e Canzoni Tv emerge che in una scena del film, in uscita nel 2010,

Daniel Radcliffe apparirà senza vestiti in una scena in cui Harry e Ron lottano contro una creatura magica, che per confonderli e fuggire genera una visione. Nella visione si vedono Harry e una donna abbracciarsi e baciarsi. È una scena intrigante e molto sensuale.

Radcliffe in Equus

Chi ha letto il libro sa che la scena a cui si riferisce è quella in cui Ron, stregato dall’Horcrux che tiene al collo, vede l’immagine di Harry e Hermione che si baciano; siamo nella foresta, in uno dei tanti momenti in cui i tre cercano di nascondersi e, allo stesso tempo, cercano e distruggono gli Horcrux.

Nel libro non si parla di nudità, ovviamente.. e la donna a cui si riferisce Yates è proprio Hermione (Emma Watson), oppure hanno modificato un po’ la storia? A questo punto credo proprio di sì.

Sappiamo che Daniel Radcliffe ormai è avvezzo alle scene senza vestiti; nel 2007, infatti, ha interpretato Alan Strang,  il protagonista della piece teatrale Equus, dove in molte scene ha recitato completamente nudo.

David Yates nell’intervista parla anche del film:

Il film Harry Potter e i doni della morte, che uscirà tra un anno esatto, non concluderà la saga, perchè – continua Yates – era impossibile rendere giustizia all’ultimo libro di J.K. Rowlings in sole due ore. Per cui ci sarà un’ottava pellicola. Il prossimo, però, sarà il primo film in cui praticamente non si vede Hogwarts: i protagonisti sono sempre in viaggio da un posto all’altro, è un film ’on the road’ secco e ruvido. Nell’ottavo torneranno le grandi coreografie con una super battaglia in cui Hogwarts andrà distrutta»

Infine vi ricordo che il DVD di Harry Potter e il Principe Mezzosangue esce in Italia il 17 novembre!

[credits: LaStampa]

We started Halloween morning with Christian working at making his way through some sort of cold.  So we all took things quietly, hoping we could get at least a small amount of trick or treating in.  We did, but it was a small bit.  Lydia was a pirate and Christian was Ron Weasley.  Lydia is wearing the purple shirt in the morning at breakfast and in the later photo, Christian is making her laugh!

Ron Weasley with Morfar, and good friend Scabbers…as you can guess making Christian’s hair orange was one of the biggest highlights and some of the most fun!  Do you see the resemblance???

Brother and sister celebrating Halloween 2009

What a cute pirate eh?  But she still hates it when we stand her up and have her hold onto something…so you see her winding up for a big protest cry here.  She certainly has a mind of her own – and if she doesn’t want to do something, she doesn’t hesitate  in letting us know.

A little pirate onthe move – pretty cute!

The hat is so cute – and the colors suit her so well – Lydia must be just about the cutest pirate in the land!  As Christian kept saying to her, “Arrrrrrr matey!”

They are just too cute!  I want a micro pig.  Even Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) has one…

This recipe is sure to keep your dentist’s Benz rolling.

Taken from an authentic Tudor recipe, butter beer is known most recently as a drink fancied by Harry Potter and his ginger friend Ron. *

This drink contains egg yolk.  If you are put off by this, think of a delicious creme brulé.  Same idea.  The egg is cooked in the beer, so you won’t catch the lockjaw, triganosis or scurvy.

* Hi, Mel!

Recipe:

Butter Beer:

500ml ale
Yolks from 2 medium eggs, whisked
60g sugar
Dash of nutmeg
15g unsalted butter

- Pour the ale into a pot on a medium heat.
- Meanwhile whisk two egg yolks in a bowl until they become light in colour.
- When the beer begins to come to the boil (100 degrees F) take off the heat.  Turn the heat down to minimum.
- Add one tablespoon at a time to the eggs in their bowl. (tempering the eggs).
- Add sugar and nutmeg
- Return pot to the heat (minimum) so as to dissolve the sugar and cook the eggs very gently.
- Finish with butter

The internet is a funny old place.
As regular readers (or the regular reader – Hi Mum! at least) of this blog will know I’ve long been fascinated by the sort of comments people post on the Internet. There seems to be something about the anonymity avalible on the internet that causes commenters to type things online about people which they’d never dream of saying to their face, and transforms those who are charming, civilised, Doctor Jeckyll types in everyday life, into foul, foaming-at-the-mouth abusive Mr. Hydes when sat in front of a computor screen.

I noticed a good case in point yesterday. Frittering away time on Youtube, I watched this disturbing video of a pram with a one-year-old baby inside rolling under a moving train at Ashburton Station, Melbourne. Amazingly, due to the train driver swifly applying the brake, the child actually escaped with only a small cut to the head. The CCTV video was then released by the Australian train network to remind parents about the importance of safety when taking prams on trains. (Not that this incident was in any way the mother’s fault!)

I then watched this linked video of a young boy sharing his thoughts on the ‘miracle’ with us.

He doesn’t say anything particularly insightful, and I doubt he’s ever going to be elevated to the role of public intellectual on the model of Bertrand Russell et al, but I don’t find anything particularly offensive about the video, although I’m slightly unsure whether its extremely earnest tone is mean to be tounge in cheek.

Then I read the comments…
In the day since in was put up, the video has collected 262 comments. In general, they range from the rabidly ranting, to the merely abusive.

The boy’s admittedly striking resemblance to Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter films is frequently referred to:

‘Ron Weasley!’
‘Ron Weasley…. if you are tht magic.. you should have prevented this….. YOU SCUMBAG!!!!!!’
‘shut the fuck up ron weasley’
‘Ron Weasley!’
‘hahaha you look like ron weasley’
‘Ronalld Weasley!’
‘ron weasleyh, lol video was boring’
‘RON WEASLEY in a way u kinda remind me of him just the face part’
‘Lol looks like Ron Harry potter’
‘omg he does look like ron weasley aye’
‘holly shit its the kid from harry potter’ [Would that be Ron Weasley?]
‘RON WEASLEY’
‘tell me, what’s is like have sex with Hermoine?’
‘zomggg. it’s ron weaslyy!! he is!! he really does exsist!! its just he doesn’t have a british accent. oh a let down. but anyways, hey ron?? where’s harry??’
‘You really like Ron on the Harry Potter movies…’
‘Hows Harry Potter doing dude??’
‘Yeah, he look like Ron from Harry Potter’
‘Shut the fuck up Ron Weasley!’
‘lol, It’s Ron Weasley.’
‘Go wave your magic wand and disappear back to Hogwarts Or get a hair cut.’
‘HE LOOKS EXACTLY LIKE RON FROM HARRY POTTER’
‘Sorry if this has been said a bajillion times but my god you look like Rupert Grint!’ [No, only 21 times.]

Many comments also speculate about his sexuality, the politer ones saying things like:
‘faggit’
‘Shut up fag!!’
‘Gay’
‘fag’
‘If sucking cock could prevent babies from being pushed in front of trains; this kid would be Superman!’
and ‘Who cares what gay Ron Weasly thinks?’

His ginger hair is also remarked upon:

‘lolol your ginger’
‘Ginger minger’
‘Haha your ginger!’
‘Shutup you ginger cunt’
‘Ginger bastard’
‘Shut up you ginger fag’
‘AHHH GINGER KID WTF KILL IT KILL IT KILL IT OMG thats fucking disgusting’
‘who cares about what you think carrotface.’
‘Ginger minger’
‘Ginger Mop Head.. How far apart are your eyes. You sad Fuck.’
‘was the baby a ginger? cuz the mom was probably trying to kill it if it was’
‘damn ginger kids…always want attention.’ [From someone constantly commenting on Youtube...]

Some of the comments are just rather odd:

‘If its God performing a miracle like i have said before then please throw your baby off that same platform and in the same area. Are u willing to do it or not ?’

‘To me this is a classic case of carelessness. The mother had faced the stroller directly towards the train tracks whilst she hoisted up her pants. People don’t realise that such acts of carelessness happen all the time and many are not so fortunate as to live. She should be punished.’

‘I like your vidoe. Let me know if you ever want to meet three women who want to give a ginger boy a good time!!!!’ [As another commenter says’ HAHAHAHA thats the best... most pedophile like comment ive ever seen!’]

‘And also? Did you hear about the miricle man? Search him up on google. He got in a plane crash. Broke every bone in his body. The doctors said for the rest of his life he could not breath cause his lungs were fucking dust. [I do hope they used those very words. ‘I’m sorry Sir, your lungs are fucking dust.’] Than one night, he tried to breath without his machine. He did breathe.’

But most comments are remarkable, only in the level of their anger and abusiveness. There are far too many to repeat, but to share a small sample:

‘How utterly moronic.’
‘you are stupid ‘
‘You fukin idiot why would you actually think that ANYONE cares what the fuck you think you horrible little ming’
‘Have some issues, loser?’
‘Fuck you…i don’t care!’
‘STFU NOW!’
‘your a fucking idiot. You suck’
‘Die!!!!! Please!’
‘wtf bitch…the mother wasnt orderin tickets..and the baby wasnt in the stroller…watch the video again he fell out dats how he got the bump!! not a cut…damn u fucked up the story u fuckin rednut gay’
‘No one gives a shit what you think’
‘stick to your own views of yank shit, nobody wants to hear a studip red headed yank cunt talking shit he doesn’t even know Remove yourself from the internet NOW you ranga fag’
‘i wish a train hit you ‘
‘Who Care’s For Your Comments U Ginger Fuck’
‘Shut the FUCK-UP!!!!!!! You stupid little bitch. No shit this a miracle. Are you fucking retarded. Get a life, you fag. DICKHEAD’
‘NERD!’
‘Hey…fuck you little guy!’
‘News flash: We. Don’t. Care. About. Your. Opinion.’
‘who gives a fuck about what you think you shit?’
‘Thanks for giving us a play-by-play on the fucking obviously retard…’
‘hey listen up you little red headed shit stain. no one, absolutely no one gives a god damn rats ass what you think about anything. you sound like a god damn moron and dont’ know how to explain how a baby got a cut on the head. go die, your mom would be very pleased
and p.s. she wasn’t buying train tickets you fat sack of shit’
‘Ur a fuk’

As I say I’m fascinated by internet comments and feel they’re a much under-researched sociological phenomenon.

Ron et Sirius… Je trouve que l’on retrouve bien l’effet Azkaban chez ce pauvre maraudeur. En revanche, les couleurs sont miteuses avec le scanner j’ai fait ce que j’ai pu mais… Bon, il faut l’admettre, il me faut un scanner plus performant… Donc sirius, c’est en photo que je le publie…

Who is your favorite actor in the Harry Potter films? It’s a pretty weighted question if you consider the many factors that go into it. You can have a renowned, seasoned actor on screen, such as Emma Thompson, who is portraying a character who simply is not as developed and interesting as the other characters she is playing against. In that way, someone like Tom Felton, who is much younger and inexperienced by comparison, somehow outshines a veteran actor. It ain’t fair – but hey, that’s showbiz, kid!

That said, you heavily favored someone with clear merit, both as an actor and a character – 37% of you voted for Alan Rickman (Severus Snape). It’s difficult to imagine anyone else embodying Snape quite like Rickman. His voice, his look, and his mannerisms all match the description given by the text. This is a prime example of phenomenal casting. No arguments. I don’t care how evil (or good) Snape ends up, it’s actually a pleasure having him on screen. Essentially, Rickman can just stand in front of Hogwarts reading the phone book and I’d probably see the film.

I make no claims to this image - this is someone else's brainchild. And that someone else is awesome...

With a not-too-shabby 19% of the vote is Helena Bonham Carter (Bellatrix Lestrange). Before, I mentioned how I was struggling to hate Bellatrix simply because I adore Carter. She’s just so good at being so awful! It’s worth pointing out, though, that she seems to have made a career out of playing the crazy bitch.

Pulling a five-way tie for 3rd place, with 7% of the vote, we have Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley), Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy), Maggie Smith (Minerva McGonagall), Gary Oldman (Sirius Black), and Richard Harris (the original Albus Dumbledore). A few thoughts:

I raise an eyebrow whenever someone says one of the younger actors is their favorite. My mind immediately goes “fan girls!” and writes off the opinion. Don’t get me wrong – I’m not saying they aren’t talented. You grow up on screen, portraying the same character for most of your life, and you’re bound to be good at it. I’m just floating the opinion that perhaps, just perhaps, they cannot possibly outshine someone more experienced. A plethora of screen time does not a scene-stealing actor make.

Grint is precious. He could not be any more British if he was the Queen of England herself. And Felton I’m just not sure about. I started to buy him as a very strong actor in the sixth film, but I need to see what happens in the seventh before I say anything. He could become very one-note. Lots of people can look troubled and angsty.

Maggie Smith, on the other hand, is a goddess of the screen. I will not argue with this vote – in fact, I question why it wasn’t higher. It’s not easy playing the reservation she portrays. That self-contained attitude takes a lot more work than simply losing your shit on screen.

As for Richard Harris, I’d have to go back to the first film to cast an opinion. Terrible truth – I wouldn’t have noticed the differences between the Dumbledores if everyone hadn’t made such a big deal about it. I just never paid that much attention to the films. And while the match isn’t perfect, they did a pretty good job hiding it. It’s not like the case of the mysteriously switching Darrens in Bewitched.

So you guys do realize you stuck Gary Oldman in the same category as a guy who died before the series was finished, right? Because it’s Gary Oldman, and I don’t know if I need to remind you who that is, but it’s GARY OLDMAN! This vote surprised me. I remain surprised. Surprised and shocked. Shock and awed. Awed. Just awed.

And with a mere 4% of the vote (which amounts to 1 vote each, for those of you scoring at home), we have Ralph Fiennes (Lord Voldemort) and Daniel Radcliff (Harry Potter). Again, a few things…

Ralph Fiennes is one of my favorite actors of all time. I would pay to watch him watch paint dry. And while he’s barely discernable under all that Voldemort makeup, it takes a special actor to pull off what he pulls of as that character. “Hey, listen – we have this part in this film for you. Your job is to play the embodiment of evil. You up for it?” Granted, this is a man who played the embodiment of evil back in the early nineties with Schindler’s List, so I suppose it’s only a few steps from a Nazi to Voldemort (they’re a few very weird steps, but a few steps nonetheless).

Daniel Radcliff – only one vote. Hmmm. For all my lecturing about the young actors outshining the veterans, and how having a good character does not make you a good performer, I’m still surprised so many other actors stole the show from the lead. At the end of the day, he is Harry Potter. And it will be interesting to watch him break away from that role. They always say the challenge for a child actor is to force the world to see them outside their childhood role. Try doing that when you are the face of the most well-known fictional child in recent history. Equus was a good start, I’ll give him that.

I’m not particularly surprised Emma Watson didn’t make this vote. I liked her better when she was a frazzled child. As an unnecessarily attractive teen, she’s kind of blah in the acting department. No offense. I’m sure she’s a lovely person. Just not my cup of tea – and seemingly, no one else’s either.

So there you have it – another Reader Poll down. You may notice the dramatic lack of “poll” in the sidebar. I haven’t come up with a new one yet – it’s getting tricky. Stay tuned. It’s coming.

Después de los “medio alocados” capítulos anteriores (respectivamente hablando, del 9-11), llega el ya #13. Un poco más calmadito, no tan provocador pero igual de interesante para quienes han seguido el pequeño fan-fic. No se pierdan, y pues el tiempo de cambio le anda llegando a nuestro querido Le Blogué, en cuanto a formato, ahí vayan checando los nuevos cambios…

Se acercó cauteloso, tierno en su andar. Sabía que debía tener calma y mostrarse sereno ante ella, si es que quería recuperarla. Cómo explicarle ese erizamiento en la piel con solo sentirla, con solo observar esos cabellos Moviéndose al compás del viento y siguiendo el sonido de las hojas. Pero como decirlo, si ya era tema antiguo, si el destino ya estaba trazado y sentenciado para ambos y ella no querría saber de segundas oportunidades, ¿por qué intentarlo, por que llorarle y sostenerse de sus rodillas pidiendo perdón, suplicarle piedad para un corazón herido… para un corazón herido, para una mente desquiciada?

                Hermione por su parte se sintió algo nerviosa. Observó esa mirada verde apacible, que le dedicaban el recuerdo de una historia de amor, de una querida historia de amor.

                Y quizá eso le obligaba a sentirse incómoda. Recordar esos infinitos abrazos, esos interminables susurros en que se prometía amor, en que se prometía sinceridad y consuelo del bueno… recordaba con solo mirar ese brillo infantil, ese carisma excepcional que solo Harry sabía transmitir, una enseñanza completa, una primera vez de entrega.

                Con solo detener, detener un instante la mirada en esas manos blancas, en esas manos que ella estaba segura que seguían igual de tersas, igual de cálidas y finas… en esas manos de minucioso recorrer, de detallado andar, que cumplieron su labor con dulzura y estremecimientos por doquier.

                Era amor… o quizá no, tal vez era solo un instinto que se siente por el amor pasado, nadie lo sabía; solo se percibía un ambiente de paz mezclada con impaciencia, de locura mezclada con razón… de amor mezclado con recelo. Sólo en esos ojos estaba la respuesta.

                -¿El profesor Snape? -preguntó volviendo en sí Hermione, pensando recién en ese momento para que la querría.

                -Sí… el profesor Snape… -contestó rápidamente Harry mientras se secaba la transpiración de la frente.

                -Bien, voy en seguida… -dijo secándose las lágrimas anteriores y limpiándose la falda del pasto impregnado- …me pregunto qué querrá…

                -Si te dice algo, -dijo Harry, dándole la espalda- te está esperando con Malfoy…

                Hermione no se atrevió a mencionar palabra alguna, ningún sonido diferente a su respiración abrumada salió de sus labios.

                Harry comenzó a avanzar a pasos apresurados delante de Hermione. Se había metido las manos en los bolsillos y la cabeza la había agachado para esconder su melancolía… esa melancolía, esa tristeza que sentía al saber que con sólo nombrar a Draco Malfoy, un efecto pendenciero en la chica de ojos miel se producía de inmediato.

                Hermione seguía los pasos de Harry en silencio, mientras su cabeza no dejaba de tratar de adivinar que querría decirle.

                Finalmente entraron al castillo, ambos con el corazón apretado y la garganta árida. Se dirigieron a la mazmorra del abominable profesor de Pociones, con un dolor que traslucían sus ojos, que traslucían lo esmeralda y lo miel de un amor olvidado. Hermione se disponía a golpear la puerta, cuando Harry le detuvo la mano poniendo la de él encima; apretando con fuerza.

                -Hermione… -dijo en una voz trémula.

                -¿Sí? -preguntó Hermione nerviosa.

                -Te amo -confesó Harry mordiéndose los labios con ternura.

                Hermione se soltó de la mano de Harry y golpeó la puerta con resolución. Una voz agresiva se escuchó desde adentro.

                -Entre señorita Granger, el señor Malfoy y yo la estamos esperando…

                La chica entró de prisa, sin decirle nada más a Harry… a Harry, que después de observarla perderse a través de la puerta, se agarró los cabellos negros desordenados y los tironeó… y lo siguió haciendo, hasta entrar a su sala común y encontrarse con Ginny.

                Ginny lo miró con una sombra en sus ojos… con preocupación. Era sin duda pavor, terror.

                -Quiero hablar contigo Harry… es grave… -dijo la chica poniéndose de pie y soltando los pergaminos que sostenían antes sus manos.

                Harry asintió levemente con la cabeza.

                -Estoy embarazada Harry… vamos a ser padres.

                Harry se sentó en el suelo… rogando que no fuera cierto lo que acababa de escuchar.

-*-

                -Pensé que se demoraría más en llegar señorita Granger… -comentó el profesor en tono acusador- como envié a buscarla con el señor Potter.

                -¿Qué quiere profesor? -preguntó con voz algo violenta.

                Hermione miró de inmediato a Draco. Éste estaba sentado frente al profesor, con una mano que sostenía una pluma y con la otra hacía varios movimientos, que indicaban claramente un estado de nerviosismo. Su mirada gris estaba concentrada en la pluma y sólo cuando Hermione habló, soltó su distracción y se preparó para ver la reacción en Hermione que el profesor tenía que decir… y que él ya la conocía en todo su esplendor.

                -Es muy simple señorita, -comenzó a decir Snape mirándola con severidad y en un tono perfectamente petulante y despectivo-. Tendrá que cumplir un castigo… un castigo muy parecido a la vez anterior.

                -¿Con Malfoy? -interrumpió la chica mirándolo con sorpresa en sus ojos.

                -Obviamente señorita… -contestó poniéndose de pie y acercándose levemente hacia la puerta.

                Draco no hablaba, si su respiración no irrumpiera en el silencio incómodo de la habitación, se creería perfectamente que ya se hubiera marchado.

                -Pueden retirarse… -dijo el profesor abriendo la puerta- luego les diré en qué consiste específicamente, tiene que ser un buen castigo, pues la barbaridad que vi cometiendo… en fin, para que repetir algo de tan mal gusto.

                Draco esbozó una sonrisa coqueta en cuanto escuchó “barbaridad”, y dirigió levemente la mirada a la pluma para dejarla en su puesto original. Hermione fue la primera en salir huyendo de la mirada lujuriosa que le dirigían ciertos ojos grises… que lograban nuevamente su objetivo de ponerla nerviosa y de comenzar a delirar.

                -No podrás escapar de mi Hermione… por mucho que huyas, yo estoy trazado en tu destino como un virus.

                -N o Draco, -dijo volteando en forma desafiante- no es así… yo me encargaré de encontrar una solución… -objetó con seguridad.

                -¿Piensas buscar en la biblioteca? -preguntó Draco en tono burlesco.

                -Supongo, no es mala idea… -contestó Hermione digiriendo sus pasos a las escaleras.

                -Vamos ahora… de inmediato… yo te acompaño.

                -Como quieras, así haremos lo que sea para que todo este maldito hechizo se acabe de una vez por todas.

                Hermione tomo la batuta del camino hacia la biblioteca, segura de que debería existir alguna posibilidad de solución, de que tal vez no había leído por completo ese libro aquella noche… aquella noche, aquella noche, aquella noche.

                -Aquella noche… -dijo finalmente la chica sin darse cuenta que sus pensamientos habían salido de sus labios.

                -¿Aquella noche qué? ¿Cuál de todas?

                -Cierra la boca -contestó la chica.

                -Pues no pienso hacerlo.

                -Si no quieres callarte lo haré yo… ¡¡¡TE ODIO, SIEMPRE ME HACES CAER EN LO MISMO!!!

                Las carcajadas de Draco fueron interrumpidas por el gesto de Hermione de abrir la puerta. Había entrado en la biblioteca, y se sorprendió al ver cenizas regadas por la mesa de la bibliotecaria.

                -¿Qué pasó aquí? -preguntó Hermione con los ojos totalmente dilatados.

                -Se quemó un libro de la Sección Prohibida… -le contestó algo furiosa la señora Prince.

                Hermione volteó para mirar a Draco, quién reía sin preocuparse de disimularlo; con los ojos pidió una explicación.

                -Si… y fue nuestra culpa -afirmó Draco con seguridad.

                -Imposible, imposible, imposible, imposible… -repetía mientras caía al suelo paulatinamente con su espalda afirmada a la muralla.

                -Es mejor que hagas tus espectáculos de llanto en otra parte… –opinó Draco algo divertido.

                Hermione se levantó del suelo en forma que rayaba en lo violento. Se arregló el cabello y salió ante la mirada sorprendida y curiosa de la bibliotecaria. Draco salió detrás de ella en pasos agigantados, para poder alcanzarla. Todo estaba perdido, pensaba Hermione. La única opción de librarse del hechizo de Draco, podría estar en ese libro, en ese libro que extrañamente había desaparecido.

                Sus pasos la dirigieron por pasillos misteriosos, donde ella no tenía plena conciencia del lugar exacto ni de como regresar. Además ahí estaban esos pasos ligeros que le seguían, esa respiración que ya sentía que le estremecían todo su ser, toda su alma… y ella escapaba, escapaba de ese sentir, que ella no quería reconocer como amor; pero que sin embargo lo era… muy en el fondo lo era.

                Draco le seguía, sin tener intenciones de detenerse o desistir de su propósito… del propósito de escuchar una confesión, una resignación por parte de Hermione… quería sentirse triunfador, triunfador de que ella, de que aquella chica testaruda le dijera “TE AMO”, un “Te amo” sincero.

                Finalmente Hermione, se detuvo ante una puerta… que abrió lentamente para tratar de ocultarse de Draco. Pero éste fue más hábil y se interpuso a ese gesto cobarde.

                -¿Por qué me trajiste aquí? -preguntó el chico de ojos sagazmente grises mientras se aseguraba de cerrar bien la puerta a sus espaldas.

                Hermione no entendiendo la pregunta, levantó la vista, donde se pudo ver con claridad unos ojos color miel, hinchados y rojos por el llanto.

                -¿Aquí dónde?

                -Aquí… en la sala de trofeos… -dijo Draco mirando a su alrededor- donde antes… donde antes te dije que le dijeras todo a Potter y que demostraras que eres una Griffindor… ¿lo recuerdas?

                Hermione buscó una esquina, donde con su propio cuerpo se cubrió de un frío que le vino de repente.

                -Sí, lo recuerdo… como no hacerlo.

                Malfoy se acercó sacándose la capa negra y cubriendo a Hermione con ella. Era una situación realmente incómoda.

FLASH BACK DE “GINNY Y HARRY”

                -No puede ser cierto… ¡¡¡¡¡dime que no es cierto!!!! -gritó poniéndose de pie y mirando a Ginny con severidad en sus ojos verdes, no propios de ellos.

                -¡¡¡Qué más quisiera yo!!! ¿Tú crees que esto es lo que quiero para mí? -preguntó de la misma forma- le escribiré a mi madre, ella nos dirá que hacer.

                -¿¿¡¡¡A tu madre!!!?? ¿Acaso estás loca?

                -¿Y qué quieres que haga?, de todos modos se enterara… es mejor que le diga desde antes.

                -Pero, pero… pero, ¿y tus estudios?-dijo Harry tratando de calmarse.

                -No lo sé… supongo que trataremos de hablar con Dumbledore.

                -Ginny… ¿qué esperas de todo esto?, ¿qué me case contigo y vivamos juntos toda la vida?

                -Pues deberías -dijo una voz seca y furiosa.

                Ginny lo miró con perplejidad en sus ojos claros. Su cara estaba totalmente encendida y unas lágrimas comenzaron a asomarse por un rostro antes pecoso y ahora con un poco de acné.

                -RON… RON, LO SIENTO… -dijo Harry aturdido.

“FIN DE FLASH BACK”

                Incomoda por que los recuerdos se venían a la mente sin querer hacerlo, venían sólo porque querían hacerlo… o porque una extraña voz les decía que vinieran a perturbar aún más a dos jóvenes amantes.

                -No entiendo todo esto que está pasando… -dijo Hermione con voz grave- no entiendo al profesor Snape y su castigo, porque no nos dijo qué diablos quiere que hagamos ahora… no te entiendo a ti; y lo peor de todo, es que ya no me entiendo ni a mi misma…

                -Eso es normal -contestó Draco en forma diáfana- todo esto empezó por algo inexplicable.

                -¡Pero es que yo no concibo que tú seas mi verdadero amor! Es imposible, simplemente imposible.

                -Suena lógico.

                Se mantuvieron en silencio durante algunos minutos. Y quizá eso le permitió a Draco a recorrer la sala en un buscar minucioso. Buscaba algo que ni siquiera él sabía lo que era, simplemente un palpitar en el pecho le decía que buscara.

                Finalmente encontró algo… era una tapa y una contratapa de un libro, con solo las hojas primeras y finales.

                -Hermione… ¡¡¡Granger!!! -gritó desesperado al ver a la chica que no se movía- mira lo que encontré.

                -¿Qué encontraste? ¿A Bin Laden?

                -¿A quién? Bueno, sea lo que sea, encontré el libro…

                -¡¡¡De qué libro me estás hablando!!! -gritó algo enojada Hermione y poniéndose de pie con algo de dificultad.

                -El de “hechizos amorosos”… -le respondió Draco extendiendo el brazo para enseñarle mejor el libro.

                -Pero… pero… pero, es imposible, ¿cómo llegó aquí?

                Hermione tomó el libro entre sus manos temblorosas, con lo que pudo constatar de que no estaba completo pero, le faltan hojas.

                -Ya entiendo -susurró Draco débilmente.

                -¿Entiendes qué?

                -Piensa Hermione, piensa…

                -¿SABES? Es mejor que te vayas, y que me dejes pensar en paz… -se excusó la chica indicándole la puerta.

                -¿Por qué? ¿Te pongo nervioso? -dijo volteando y mirándole con locura. -¡¡¡¡Nooooo!!!!

                -¡¡Entonces mírame!! Deja de evadir mi mirada… ¿qué no te das cuenta que solo así puedo decirte… lo que siento, ¿qué no te has dado cuenta?

                Hermione se quedó en silencio… en ese silencio pendenciero y devastador. si, ella se había dado cuenta hace mucho… desde esas veinticuatro horas en el bosque, pero nunca se había atrevido a decir lo que veía en esos ojos grises arrolladores, libidinosos y desenfrenados; por miedo a una burla o a un rechazo.

                -¿Y qué se supone que me están diciendo ahora?-preguntó La chica algo amenazadora.

                -¿Qué no lo adivinas?

                Sí, sí lo adivinaba… y mientras tanto, las manos de Draco comenzaron a pasar sigilosamente por detrás del cuello suave de la chica.

                -¿PERO SERÍA LO QUE ELLA PENSABA?, ¿SERÍA AMOR?

Here we are, at the end of the week 2. You should be finished with about chapter 6, if you are keeping up. If you plan to cram it all in at the end of the month, then you should not have started yet because we haven’t even reached the middle of the month yet.  That won’t be until midnight Thursday.  So, Crammers, PUT THE BOOK DOWN!

Those of us who aren’t trying out for plays, doing  homework, and contemplating our future (me and Amanda, in other words) are just about ready to meet Ron Weasley and his family for the first time!  After our little trip down Diagon Alley, we are ready to head over to Platform 9  3/4.  I am sort of amazed at this point that Harry wasn’t more taken aback by his HUGE fortune.  He has been sleeping in a closet, wearing his cousins cast-off clothing, and going without presents his entire life. I think I would have been tempted to just grab and pile of money and go on quite a shopping spree.  Harry, however, is much more tame than I and manages to take just what he needs. 

I was also noticing how complicated the wizarding money system:  17 of these = 1 of those, and 29 of these = 1 of those.  I think our 1, 5, 10, 20/25 system is much easier on the old brain.  And the young brain for that matter. What does a sickle look like, anyway?  How about a knut?

Could pigs be the next dogs?

As if cats weren’t enough competition. Now we dogs have to worry about cute little pigs elbowing us away from the center stage as man’s best friend. In England, “teacup pigs” are all the rage these days. Even Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley in Harry Potter films) has a couple.

Teacup pigs are miniature pigs, standing only 12 to 16 inches tall and weighing a mere 65 pounds. Click here for a cute Today Show video of the critters. This is a great deal smaller than the potbellied pigs who swept the US by storm a decade ago before people realized they got just way too big.

“It’s about the size of a small spaniel,” breeder Jane Croft explains on Today. “They make fantastic pets. They’re really clean. They’re highly intelligent and just love to be loved. They give so much back to you.”

This is making me all sweaty. I don’t like the looks of this trend. What if it crosses the pond to the US? Could pigs take the place of dogs? I can see those little piggies capitalizing on the success of their less fortunate cousins’ “Pork: The other white meat” campaign. Their ad campaign could simply be “Pigs: The other dogs,” and there goes thousands of years of history of dogs being humans’ favorite companions.

I think I’ll get me a plateful of bacon and try to forget about it.

*** THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS ***

After an eight month delay, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince has made its way into theaters. But will it stand up to the hype? Will it satisfy those who have not read the novel and those who have?

The film’s premise is quite simple: Dumbledore and Harry delve into Voldemort’s past to find out more about him and his weaknesses through memories Dumbledore has collected. Romance plays large part in the film as some of the students of Hogwarts are now older and are starting to feel things that come with adolescence.

The film is quite balanced in the romance and darkness department. There are some instances where the romance is laid on really thick between Ron Weasley and Lavender Brown, and Harry and Ginny Weasley, but the redeeming factor is that those scenes are hilarious to watch not only because they are funny, but because they are quite cheesy. Of course there is an instance or two where the romance is not at all realistic but it is entertaining.

The dark aspects of the film are worth waiting for, especially when Draco Malfoy enters the picture. Tom Felton has convinced me that he is a far better actor than Radcliffe, Grint, and Watson, all of whom are not at their strongest in the film. Felton takes the character of Malfoy and finally morphs him into a character that is not as bland as he was in the previous films. Felton makes him menacing as well as fearful about what task he has to perform for He Who Must Not Be Named. His scenes are well written and directed.

The things to pay attention to most in the film are the memories Dumbledore and Harry examine. Though the memories are brief, they do contain important information on how to defeat the Dark Lord. We find out through the memories that Voldemort dabbled in very dark magic while attending Hogwarts.

Jim Broadbent was cast for the role of Horace Slughorn and his performance is marvelous. Slughorn’s role in the film is to give Harry the full memory he altered and gave to Dumbledore, a memory he modified to hide his shame, as one can deduce. Slughorn loves popular wizards and loves to “collect” them, meaning he likes to have them in his company, along with their pictures on a shelf. Slughorn provides a lot of comedy in the film and Broadbent’s delivery is excellent.

Michael Gambon really shines in his role as the headmaster Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. From the beginning of the film, we learn that Dumbledore really cares for Harry and Gambon makes that apparent in his scenes with Radcliffe. Gambon finally brings the character of Dumbledore to life, more so than the late Richard Harris I would say. The Dumbledore in this film is more cheerful than in previous installments and more frightful as well. There is one scene in particular where I think Gambon shows us that he is Oscar-worthy.  Will the Academy honor his performance? I doubt it.

Alan Rickman’s portrayal of Severus Snape has never been better. In the film, Snape’s loyalties are in question. Whose side is he on? Is he on Dumbledore’s side or Lord Voldemort’s? Rickman is able to show us that he is capable of being on either side. For instance, there’s a scene where an Unbreakable Vow is being administered on him and Draco Malfoy’s mother, Narcissa. Rickman’s facial expressions in that scene convey that Snape is scared and worried that he may fail. In another scene we see Snape informing Dumbledore that he is growing tired of doing what he has been asked to do and Rickman delivers those lines with such conviction that you believe he is sick of doing Dumbledore’s bidding, if we go by the events that took place in Order of the Phoenix.

The Half-Blood Prince is extremely well-made. The cinematography is excellent; the colors used give the film as sense of gloomy darkness, something we have not seen since Prisoner of Azkaban. It reminds me of Zodiac and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

Nicolas Hooper’s score is outstanding. He is perhaps the best composer so far in the series that is able to create dark ambient and frightening music. Hooper also utilized two themes created by John Williams: the theme from the Quidditch match in Prisoner of Azkaban and Hedwig’s Theme, both of which are altered slightly and expanded on. The inclusion of those tracks has angered some people, but I think it is quite delightful. The music played during the scenes featuring Malfoy and Dumbledore stand out the most. They are beautiful pieces. Rumors are floating about that Hooper will not return for the last two films which I think is a grave mistake.

UPDATE: Hooper will not return for the final two installments in the series.

Yates’s direction in the film is superior to what he did in Order of the Phoenix. It seems that he is growing and improving his style. Not only is he able to extract and direct great performances from many cast members, he is showing us that he has an artistic side as well. There are many instances of great camerawork, most notably during a speed-induced fly-in through the streets of London and Diagon Alley.

Overall, I feel that this is the best Harry Potter film to date and fans of the book series and the film series should be satisfied. I can only imagine what the next two installments will be like.

]]> http://cinemagia.wordpress.com/2009/10/05/principe-harry-entre-robert-pattinson-e-rupert-grint/ Mon, 05 Oct 2009 16:16:08 +0000 Tommy Beresford http://cinemagia.wordpress.com/2009/10/05/principe-harry-entre-robert-pattinson-e-rupert-grint/

De acordo com o Globo Online, o astro de “Crepúsculo” Robert Pattinson está sendo cotado para viver o príncipe Harry nos cinemas:

O filme “The spare”, que está em fase de roteirização, vai contar a história do caçula de Charles e Diana – incluindo a trágica morte da mãe e o tempo que passou com o exército no Afeganistão.

Robert Pattinson, Príncipe Harry e Rupert Grint

Segundo o site da revista “Ok’, outro astro teen, o ruivinho Rupert Grint – que vive Ron Weasley da série de filmes “Harry Potter” – também foi sondado para o papel. “The spare” será dirigido por Peter Kosminsky e as gravações começam em 2010.

A nota foi encontrada aqui.

Rupert Grint e Kimberly Nixon em cena de Cherrybomb

Depois de Daniel Radcliffe, é a vez de Rupert Grint, o Ron Weasley na saga Harry Potter, ganhar destaque na imprensa por uma nova incursão interpretativa. Seu novo filme, Cherrybomb, traz o ator em uma cena de sexo com a atriz Kimberley Nixon:

A mesma comoção já havia acontecido com o astro da série, Daniel Radcliffe, quando estreou no teatro com a peça Equus onde apareceu nu.

Não foi só a foto de Grint ser visto na cama com Nixon que fez os admiradores da saga HP tremerem, mas o tema do filme.

Cherrybomb conta a história de três amigos que vivem um final de semana selvagem, regado a bebidas, drogas, pequenos furtos em lojas, sexo e roubo de carros, até que as coisas saem do controle.

Hogwarts, definitivamente, parece ter ficado para trás.

A nota foi encontrada aqui.

We were a month and a bit late, but finally our chance came to watch the sixth installment of this huge money making franchise. “How huge?” I hear you ask. Well…

The film opened to critical acclaim and instant commercial success, breaking the records for biggest midnight opening gross of all time as well as biggest single-day worldwide gross of all time. In five days the film made $394 million, breaking the record for biggest five-day worldwide gross in history. It is also the highest-grossing film of 2009, grossing more than $930 million, which puts the film on the all-time list of 10 highest-grossing films worldwide.

It was directed by David Yates off of… well nothing I’ve seen.

Lead roles come from Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint & Emma Watson off of these indie films:

Not many people watched them.

Appearances were also made by…

Him that plays baddies good:

Her:

The one on the right:

This guy, who’s in everything and has that face.

Sir him:

and… Tim Burton’s wife who just happens to be right and is cast for every role in his films:

What a weirdo.

So a well respected British cast. But what to make of the film?

It was definitely better than I expected. One never really predicts that a film which is this guaranteed to make millions would need to be any good however, expectations were exceeded and the thing that primarily excited me was the visual aspect of the film.

Rolling hills in what looked like Scottish countryside, super imposed into the magic school of Hogwarts.

Fabulous white snowy scenes followed by enthralling games of Quidditch where you felt like a ball might hit you in the face.

The very first scene looked the best; as a sweeping camera quickly sped us through the streets of london, it really is stunning.

As for the script, it was nothing special. For example, the descision to give away a very necessary plot device in having a teacher ask Ron, Harry and Hermione, why it is, that “whenever anything happens, it’s always you three?” to which Ron replies; “Believe me, Professor. I’ve been asking myself that same question for the past six years.” Yes, we would be asking the same thing if we didn’t all realise, it’s a film . That annoyed me.

There was much comedy, including a very humorous bit where Ron is intoxicated by a love potion and he comments on how he thinks the moon is beautiful. Funny guy.

The acting was pretty top notch for the most part. My favourite being Sir Michael Gambon, who as usual delivered in the part of Albus Dumbledore. He’s likeable and just generally very good!

Not all of the acting was good. I was particuarly distressed by Bonnie Wright who played Ginny Weasley. I can see how they were stuck with her, having cast her for a minor role in the earlier films, not knowing she’dbe required for lead roles later on. To be quite honest she hasn’t got the right look for us to believe our protagonist would even think about wanting to be with her and quite frankly she can’t act. For what could potentially be the biggest film of the decade, the production company should have made wiser choices in ensuring their cast was perfect.

Overall this film most definitely held my interest and it looked brilliant. It made me want to watch the next one and ensured that I did not regret spending my time and money on it.