![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
So, more about the weekend, and the Half-Baked Prince
The show that I was selling at was really not great. I mean, it would have been...okay, had I not been forced to pay $300 for two nights at a hotel. That sound you hear is my teeth grinding together.
On Sunday night, I drove up and stayed with![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
lady_branwyn. We stayed up too late talking about writing and other fun things, and then the next morning we went to an appointment I had at a local store where I bought some merchandise. We ate lunch at a marvelous little Thai restaurant and I was insanely happy. We also nearly destroyed some landscaping while trying to get to a Starbuck's.
I absolutely love talking to other fans. There is this peculiar fannish mindset which is just so pleasant to banter with. I had such a great time! We discussed weird feedback, what inspires people to write, and those awful times when you just can't seem to write.
Oh, and we went to see HBP!
A resounding "meh." It has been a while since I read it, but I was still WTFing all over the place, as was Branwyn. It was too bad that there were people directly behind us, because we were cracking up and we both had to restrain ourselves from making inappropriate comments about nearly everything. I was really shocked at the phallic!broom shot of MacLaggen and I was also snickering about McG catching Harry in Ddore's office, stroking his wand.
Ahem.
Anyway, I hated the extra Ginny stuff because I thought it was weird, and I thought the film seemed a bit half-baked, if you'll forgive the pun. The Half-Blood Prince mystery was ineptly handled. Also, the Luna discovering Harry on the train bit was silly and wrong, magically. Her "finite" would have stopped the petrification, but not revealed him, because he was still under the cloak, I think. Or maybe he pulled off the cloak really quickly somehow and I'm just being picky. That said, I adore Luna very much and loved the bits with her.
At this point, Branwyn and I agree that the movies are just illustrated fanfic, and neither of us is really that disappointed by them anymore. I only had a couple scenes that I was really excited about seeing; the AK of Ddore, and the blazing hut/don't call me a coward scene.
The AK was okay. Except...does Ddore really tell Harry to "trust me" in the book? I don't remember that.
The blazing hut scene, quite frankly, sucked. Except for Bella. They are really pushing her as a character; the movies include her every scene, I think. Yeah, we're definitely going to get a big Molly/Bella finish in DH. grah. Anyway, back to the point. "I am the Half-Blood Prince," says Snape. And he says it in such a dull monotone that I leaned over to Branwyn and said, "Can I interest you in some term life insurance..." And we just kept going... "Would you like fries with that..."
GRAH. That would have been such a great scene. And what happened to the Occlumency overtones? And WTF with the Burrow burning crap and the running through a cornfield nonsense? ugh.
Also, anyone who has not read the book has to have been completely mystified by everything.
The one thing I liked--half-dead Ddore conjuring phat phireballs of dhum and just totally making a fire spinning vortex of FLAMING DEATH. Loved. The inferi/zombies were CRAP though. Utter crap. I thought they looked hellastupid.
Lord Branwyn joined us for dinner, and it was so much fun. I was sad that I had to get in the car and go home.
On Sunday night, I drove up and stayed with
lady_branwyn. We stayed up too late talking about writing and other fun things, and then the next morning we went to an appointment I had at a local store where I bought some merchandise. We ate lunch at a marvelous little Thai restaurant and I was insanely happy. We also nearly destroyed some landscaping while trying to get to a Starbuck's.I absolutely love talking to other fans. There is this peculiar fannish mindset which is just so pleasant to banter with. I had such a great time! We discussed weird feedback, what inspires people to write, and those awful times when you just can't seem to write.
Oh, and we went to see HBP!
A resounding "meh." It has been a while since I read it, but I was still WTFing all over the place, as was Branwyn. It was too bad that there were people directly behind us, because we were cracking up and we both had to restrain ourselves from making inappropriate comments about nearly everything. I was really shocked at the phallic!broom shot of MacLaggen and I was also snickering about McG catching Harry in Ddore's office, stroking his wand.
Ahem.
Anyway, I hated the extra Ginny stuff because I thought it was weird, and I thought the film seemed a bit half-baked, if you'll forgive the pun. The Half-Blood Prince mystery was ineptly handled. Also, the Luna discovering Harry on the train bit was silly and wrong, magically. Her "finite" would have stopped the petrification, but not revealed him, because he was still under the cloak, I think. Or maybe he pulled off the cloak really quickly somehow and I'm just being picky. That said, I adore Luna very much and loved the bits with her.
At this point, Branwyn and I agree that the movies are just illustrated fanfic, and neither of us is really that disappointed by them anymore. I only had a couple scenes that I was really excited about seeing; the AK of Ddore, and the blazing hut/don't call me a coward scene.
The AK was okay. Except...does Ddore really tell Harry to "trust me" in the book? I don't remember that.
The blazing hut scene, quite frankly, sucked. Except for Bella. They are really pushing her as a character; the movies include her every scene, I think. Yeah, we're definitely going to get a big Molly/Bella finish in DH. grah. Anyway, back to the point. "I am the Half-Blood Prince," says Snape. And he says it in such a dull monotone that I leaned over to Branwyn and said, "Can I interest you in some term life insurance..." And we just kept going... "Would you like fries with that..."
GRAH. That would have been such a great scene. And what happened to the Occlumency overtones? And WTF with the Burrow burning crap and the running through a cornfield nonsense? ugh.
Also, anyone who has not read the book has to have been completely mystified by everything.
The one thing I liked--half-dead Ddore conjuring phat phireballs of dhum and just totally making a fire spinning vortex of FLAMING DEATH. Loved. The inferi/zombies were CRAP though. Utter crap. I thought they looked hellastupid.
Lord Branwyn joined us for dinner, and it was so much fun. I was sad that I had to get in the car and go home.
no subject
I pretty much had the same thoughts as you. I loved Luna when she was in it, as well as Lavender. I felt much worse for her than Hermione, strangely enough.
I wonder how in the world they are going to cram all the stuff they need in the last two movies so people can understand what's going on. They have left out so much junk that it will make no sense.
I kind of loved sectumsempra, although I wish there was more blood. *evil*
no subject
YES YES YES. I mean, seriously, HE'S IN THE TITLE OF THE MOVIE. WHERE ARE THE DADA CLASSES?!!
heh.
And you're absolutely right--what are the odds that the last two movies will be understandable to the average non-fen? holy cow. I do not envy them the task. *nodnod*
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
Yeah, I love taking pictures at cemeteries. I was supposed to go to a local graveyard with Branwyn, but I forgot my camera. grah and headdesk and curses. Foiled.
no subject
no subject
I totally blanked out about the trailers. I think they were so bad that I blocked them out of my head. lol!!
no subject
I would like this fic to exist, please. What with the fic where Snape owns a yarn store you'd think I would be full up, but insurance salesman!Snape would be awesome on toast.
no subject
no subject
And yes, where the hell was the Half-Blood Prince in the damned movie? As I said to someone else, the few times Rickman was on the screen (and what the hell was with that, anyway?) he was so obviously phoning it in. Oh, so boring. And yes, the Ginny at the Burrow thing made be kind of vomit a bit in the back of my throat.
Kids! Just Say NO to hanger-on-stalker-harem-girl!Ginny!
I love that you talk back to movies, too. My friends always try to get me to shut up with the talking to the screen.
no subject
Glad to be home, let me tell you!!
And yes, where the hell was the Half-Blood Prince in the damned movie?
I'm sure there are non-fen people out there who are still thinking, WTF? That was the worst mystery ever.
Kids! Just Say NO to hanger-on-stalker-harem-girl!Ginny!
YES. The RoR scene? ULTRA-CREEPY.
no subject
no subject
no subject
That's why I've not been disappointed by one yet--I go into it expecting it to be a different entity from the books.
Somehow this lets me squeal over what I don't like and totally ignore what I don't. =D
no subject
hee!! Yes, exactly! After one too many disappointments, I just go in hoping that the one or two key scenes I really want to see will be a) included and b) done well. heh.
Too bad, really, because that DON'T CALL ME COWARD, BEEYOTCH could have been a terrific scene. Rickman is a scenery-chewer extraordinaire, and that would have been awesome!
no subject
That's pretty much how I approach them too, so I don't get disappointed. The downside is, I don't get excited by them either.
The more I think about them, the more I realise that I find the adults in HP much more interesting than the kids, and while there's not much of them in the books, there's even less in the films... so, yes, not much there to really grab me.
no subject
I am absolutely with you on this--I have always loved the adults, and read very little kid!fic. And so the movies, with their complete immersion in HARRY HARRY HARRY (well, I suppose it's natural to do so), just turn me off sometimes. heh.
Listen to the sound of my voice
Imagine you are holding the DVD as though you are going to eat it like a sandwich. Do not eat the DVD, just hold it like a sandwich.
Re: Listen to the sound of my voice
no subject
I hear you. I must admit I have problems keeping fanfiction and canon apart. I wonder how anyone can with so much canon and close-to-canon and not-at-all canon in parallel. Can you still clearly remember which is which?
I loved most of the movie though, and I don't mind the occasional drifting away from the books :)
no subject
Interestingly enough, I can while I'm watching the movie--I get all grumpy and everything while I'm pointing out the differences in my head.
Then later it all blurs together and I have no idea which is correct. ha!!
no subject
Agree on the Ginny weirdness - it was all just a bit awkward and weird. Who the hell ties a guy's shoelaces for him, FFS?
And the Burrow burning - well, yeah. What were they thinking?
I must say though, I enjoyed it more on the second viewing. I aloways seem to - at the first viewing, I spend too much time being offended by the plot changes!
no subject
OMG YES. Horrible effect. I was yawning.
Agree on the Ginny weirdness - it was all just a bit awkward and weird. Who the hell ties a guy's shoelaces for him, FFS?
EXACTLY. Creepy creepy. And it's not like they didn't have a bunch of other things they could have chosen from. I mean, it was already not canon, so why not just go for the gold? Why not have another of the 29583265 Ron/Hermione you've-got-something-on-your-face-so-this-must-be-love moments?
And the Burrow burning - well, yeah. What were they thinking?
I hate that SO MUCH because it RUINS the tension of the attack on the Burrow at the last book! Ridiculous.
I might have to see it again, though at this moment, I don't even want to buy the DVD. Sad, huh?
no subject
Chatting with fen is the best! & mmm, Thai! :D
no subject