Harry Potter and the Half-Cut movie (Spoiler alert)

(From my blog: www.themightyv.blogspot.com)

I am very glad I am a reader. I get so much out of it. And today, it's a bitter-sweet feeling: I know the truth... and I have seen parts of it on a screen... and what I saw was made of beauty. The life given to the scenery and to some of the characters was sublime...

...But then there are the lies... some of them were unnecessary lies that don't have a logical reason;  some of them didn't really matter; and others were unfair lies, the kind of lies that you feel disrespect you.

Then, there is of course what is not a lie, but an absence of truth:   the once again shattered hope of watching some of the favorite scenes come to life, and the development of heartfelt characters to which one has become so attached they could actually feel like soul mates.

I say this understanding that movies made from books are not going to be just exactly like the book. I understand that time is an issue, and that unimportant events or details can't be crammed into a movie in the period it's been alloted.

Having said that, I want to ask WHY.
WHY would it be important to a screenwriter to change the characters?
Why should Tonks not find Harry in the train? Why would it have to be Luna? Why should Ginny help Harry find the place to hide his book? So that they can kiss? Well, that problem should be very easily solved by respecting the book and having them kiss when they actually do, after a Quidditch match. Time issue, maybe? AHA! Gotcha! if time is an issue then why make up a complete scene at the Burrow during Christmas? That was so weird!!!

These substitutions have made me frown before, when Dobbie was not given credit for finding the Room of Requirements in HP and the Order of the Phoenix, for example. But it became personal when Tonks is absolutely ignored and moved out of the way without the slightest touch of regard. I wanted to see her while she was dimming out of love and life force! Why? because I like Tonks!!! She's my favorite one from the Order!! Her hair is pink!!


Then there is the utter absence of important stuff... people... most of the book here is about Hoarcruxes and the memories about Tom Riddle that Dumbledore provides along with his own thoughts. A lot of understanding of Voldemort and his complexity has been just denied to the movie watchers. Not only that, but it is allowed to see a less intelligent Dumbledore when in the movie he admits to have had just a hint of the use of very scary dark magic in his mind to explain Voldemort and his deeds. Actually, Dumbledore already suspects about the Hoarcruxes and he only gets a confirmation from Slughorn's memory in the Pensieve. See... Dumbledore is not Dumb!!!

And where's the battle? I wanted to see them fight!  I wanted to have some deeper meaning to Dumbledore's death! I wanted to FEEL like somebody loved him and somebody cared enough to fight for him. I so much wanted to see Hagrid in action with his little pink umbrella! That's where I wanted to see Luna and Neville, where they belong: a part of Dumbledore's Army!!! I wanted to see Bill being comforted by his family and his bride to be after being bitten while fighting! Then I wanted everyone to get together for Dumbledore and grief for this humungous lose. And on a very personal note, I really wanted to see (and hear) the merepeople and Firenze, separated from the other centaurs, while they pay their respects. Heck, I wanted to pay my respects! I wanted a ceremony!!!

But when I just got offended (because everything before was just let go with a "well.... what am I gonna do, I'm not a moviemaker in any of its steps" ) was when Harry is left there just watching the bad guys get their way. They make Harry seem like a complete simpleton, walking around, looking up, watching Dumbledore face death and death eaters. I don't think there is a reason based on time, or creative license, or... actually, I can't seem to find a reason at all. In what way would it have hurt the movie to show a frustrated Harry, fighting under his Invisibility Cloak, unable to even let go of his pain by moaning when he sees his beloved mentor in such danger  because he, Dumbledore, had as the book says: "wordlessly immobilized Harry, and the second he had taken to perform the spell had cost him the chance of defending himself".  

I think there is no explanation for changing such an important detail, one that really shapes Harry's character and determination for the very important tasks that are coming to him. One that he will always remember, with fear, with grievance, with hatred and yet, with gratitude to the one that let him be safe.

It is also important because it's Dumbledore's last act. It's different to show a man try to convince a kid that he should die and he shouldn't do anything about it, than to show a man sacrificing his only chance of survival by simply not allowing the kid to do anything for him. I think this was in the story because it was important.

For me, there's really not joy in watching this. And I would actually like to flick someone in the eye for robbing me of it!!

Of course, there are the things that I liked.  I really appreciated Emma Watson's acting. It was a joy to see her being secretly in love! I definitely liked to see her growth as an actress. In previous movies I felt that she "barked" too much. Here, she gave her best performance. It was also great to see the difference between her true longing and suffering, and Lavender's infatuation.

I ABSOLUTELY enjoyed Ron. Your eyes almost pop out of their sockets when you see him first appear on the screen, all grown and buffed, and really, really cute!. Talk about eye candy!!! He's even eye hot fudge sunday!!! Then, he provides the best light action of the movie with his reactions under the spell of the love potion. Ha! funny. Kudos to Rupert Grint! I'm officially a fan!
It's was disappointing  that there was such a great build up in his character, just to be completely left out of the action during the last scene. Why make Ron silent?  That was sad.

Of course it was a relief for the soul to see Daniel Radcliffe again. I miss him every day until a new movie is released. I love Harry!!!

Luna and her lion hat would put a smile on almost everyone's face. The twins' store was vivid and much better than the images I had put in my head. I just wish this scene would have been a bit longer, just to get more of these Weasleys together, before they meet the gloom that is to come. The music as always was the already expected enhancer to each scene. Beautiful!!

All in all, I don't really regret watching the movie; I just won't be compelled to watch it again. I feel it's unfair. I'd much rather read the book, which is already worn in the corners, weak at the binding and marked in the favorite places... but full... oh, so full of truth!!!

I'm too glad to be a reader!

The X-Vile movie. (Spoiler alert)

I am not a movie critic. I am not pretending to be so, and I actually enjoy not being one.

My opinion about a movie is mine, and I don't represent anybody else, nor try to voice the thought of a generation, a gender, or market niche. And I am happy about it because I usually have a very different opinion than the general population. I judge a movie from my own enjoyment -or lack thereof. While a respectful discussion would be fine, I don't want to ever start an argument about my opinion of a flick; I just say what I think, and express my point of view, and say my reasons for thinking that way.

That said, I want to declare that "X-Files: I want to believe", SUCKED.

I had been a fan of the show for some time, and stopped watching it when D.Duchovny left the show. I loved the humor, the tension and even the characters and situations that were never clarified and the coming and going of theories for everything that happened. I did not even care that anything was ever resolved. I just enjoyed the show. From that enjoyment, I was really excited to know that there was going to be another movie. I could never imagine that I would not enjoy something sci-fi, fiction or alien/paranormal related... but for the first time, it happened.

The movie is basically a sleeping aid. It's the second time in my entire life that I sleep at a theater. The first time I took a nap while in a theater, I was 10 years old, suffering from a sugar crash after my birthday party, when my brothers decided to take me to a 9:00 pm show to see Tower's Inferno.

The second time I slept in a theater, was today, watching this Xfiles movie.
For me, it was a glorified episode, longer and slower, more boring than the average Mulder and Scully adventure, and the theme was like ... forced... unnatural.

The best thing in the movie, was Amanda Peet, and I was not even awake to see her die.
The second best thing happened at the beginning of the movie, when the camera shows Fox and Scully looking at each other while the camera closes up on some pictures of Bush and Hoover. Not much happened after that.

Other than that, it's just your most expensive Xfiles episode, not worth to even watch on TV when the only other thing showing in every other channel is rather an infomercial or a senior yoga education program.

Very disappointing! I would have rather stayed home and organize the studio...

S. Colbert inverviews Rush on 7/16/08, after 33 years of not playing on TV.
(SC - Stephen Colbert / GD - Geddy Lee / AL - Alex Lifeson / NP- Neil Peart / Rush: all)


SC Welcome back, everybody. My guests tonight have 24 gold and 14 platinum records.
In today's economy I'm guessing they're considering melting them
down. Please welcome: RUSH

SC - Geddy, Neil, Alex, thak you so much for joinning us.
I just want to remind everybody that this is your first appearance on American television in 33 years.

Rush - Yes
SC - And I just want to apologize I'm sorry it took me so long
to get my show together. But thank you for waiting.

Geddy- Our pleasure

SC As you heard, my director Jimmy is a huge, huge fan. of you guys.
What are your fans called... "rushians"?
Do you guys have a special name for your fans?
GL: Not really, no.
NP: They have their own names.
SC: That's nice, that's very thoughtful of you.

Well, I have questions I want to ask you, but Jimmy's got some
questions he insisted that I asked you also, so I'll start with one of his.

You've been touring for over 30 years, do you ever get tired of being
so awesome and kicking so much ass?

GL- Well that's very nice, no, I think we've gotten used to it.

SC: You got used to it now? ok, great, ok. Here's one of mine:
Your album is called Snakes and Arrows, which are two things that go great
together. And, you're touring right now in support of this album...
Is my show gonna end up on the tour Tshirt? Is it going to be like
Chicago, Boston, The Colbert Report?
Rush: yeah! I think so. Good idea!

SC: OK, here's another Jimmy question. Neil, what's your favorite color?
NP: red
SC: red? ok
All right. Who were your influences when you were starting out?
GL: Well, early days it was bands like The Who and Cream, and John Mayall
and the Bluesbreakers mostly I think English kind of rockers, and through
the years more progressive bands and now it's, you know, so diverse it's hard to really pin them down.

SC: You're known for some sort of long songs.Have you ever written a song so epic, that
by the end of the song, you were actually being influenced by yourselves at the beginning
of the song, because it happened so much earlier in your career?
Rush: (laugh) yeah.
GL: Yeah, that's good.

SC Yeah? ok.Ok.
Here's another Jimmy question:
Will you sign my host? I guess he wants you to sign me. Uhm... Would you mind signing me?
It's for Jimmy.
GL: Where would you like that?
SC: Just do it on my hand, that's fine.
AL: Who should I make it out to?
(mumbles)
NP: I don't wanna see that on E-bay

SC: Neil, how many drums do you have here on your kit, right here?
NP : I haven't counted them, but there's enough.

SC: Neil, is there any chance that you have a drum dependency?
This is an intervention, Neil, that's what you are here. You're back on television the
first time in 30 years, because all this people love you.

NP- I feel it, I feel it. What can I do?
SC: We want to get you down to a snare and maybe a triangle.
NP: Triangle is good.

SP: I've got a last question here from Jimmy.
You are yet to be inducted in the Rock and Roll hall of fame.
Is there any chance your next album is going to be called: "That's Bullshit"?

We've gotta take a break, but will you do a song when we come back?
Jimmy says we have time to do it now.
Ok, ladies and gentleman, Rush.