Order of the Phoenix

[erilyn]

I saw OOTP first thing this morning with iibnf and no-lj R. Which was made more challenging by Greater Union a) not opening the box office in time, and in fact they made the by-then-reasonably-sized queue go buy tickets at the candy bar instead, and b) the lights not being dimmed in the cinema once the film actually started, and didn't go off until about twenty minutes in (I think a patron found the switches or something).

But it was a pretty kid-free screening (not too many people overall, though one chattering pair), and we had yum cha afterwards, then iibnf and I went to hassle tapedeck at work. After attempting to get her fired, we went back to iibnf's place where we watched Goblet of Fire until her power went out, and I left thinking it was a good two hours later than it actually was (gotta get my watch fixed), leaving the dvd at her place (since, no power).

I like it better than the book. They left out a lot of the stuff from the book that annoyed me (like the mirror that Sirius gave to Harry, and the constant grinding misery of Sirius's life at Grimmauld Place (what, killing him off wasn't enough?)), and a lot of the stuff that they left out that annoyed people by it's absence I didn't notice, since I don't think I've ever re-read the book. I would have liked Neville's connection to the prophecy kept in, perhaps ahead of Kreacher since that subplot (which annoyed me, so yay to absence) went nowhere.

I thought Umbridge was suitably heinous and creepy. The magical fights were visually cool.

Sirius and Lupin continued to give me a married vibe, especially that shot (which got shown again and again) of Harry running to hug Sirius, and Lupin's standing next to him. Harry Has Two Uncles, indeed.

Luna was fucking awesome, and Ginny kicks ass. Her reducto spell is actually a Weapon of Mass Destruction.

Single creepiest moment in the movie: Snape "appearing" in the Potter family portrait. ARGH, CREEPY UNCLE SEVERUS!!!

I think I put this ahead of Goblet of Fire in terms of the movies, I'd need to rewatch PoA to decide which one I like more.

I don't know if I've ever re-read OOTP or HBP, so I'm going to aim to do that before Saturday.

Tis sad that this is the closest thing I have to a HP icon.

Comments

[livian-silver.livejournal.com]

My comments on the film.

Well, having seen it at GU in the city and them stuffing us into cinema 3, one in the bowels of the cinema and small, crap, no big screen and no digital sound, my initial thoughts were "is that it?"

Some bits were super cool, but there was a lot they should have not cut out, and apparently this is the shortest film. Longest book turned into shortest film - well that was a stupid idea right there. And the director wanted to chop Kreacher - he is integral to the story!!!

And to make the taste in my mouth worse, this director is doing the next one, and he is so excited about doing number 7. So i guess those will be movies with spots where it looks like they went cheap on props, and decided not to have sound in the background to save cash. This is a billion dollar cash cow for f sake!

This film failed me.

[erilyn.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry you were so disappointed in it, it's probably one of those things where I benefited by not being as invested in it.

[legally-blonde.livejournal.com]

I think not reading the book before the movie is one of the best things to do - I didn't notice a lot of stuff that annoyed other people since it'd been so long since I'd read it.

And I think I may like the movie better than the book, too - there were several things I liked how it was done in the movie rather than the book :)

[erilyn.livejournal.com]

Yes, I definitely try to avoid re-reading books if I know I'm gonna be seeing the movie soon, did the same thing with the LOTR films.

The movie is still dark, without being the unrelenting misery that is the atmosphere of the book, I found.

[woolly-socks.livejournal.com]

and a lot of the stuff that they left out that annoyed people by it's absence

This is why I never reread the book before I see the film. It just sets you up to be annoyed about what they cut.

I thought Umbridge was suitably heinous and creepy. The magical fights were visually cool.

Yes. And YES.

Wasn't Luna fantastic?! She was perfectly like Luna in the book.

And Ginny is my hero. I've been a Harry/Ginny shipper since the dawn of time, I was so happy when they finally got together. And I like the actress who plays her in the films, though she didn't get to do much in this one.

Re: Neville, I've wondered a lot since the book came out how much Neville will have to do with the final battle. I was thinking a lot, but word on the street is that JKR works quite closely with the screenwriters when it comes to cutting/leaving in stuff that is important for later books. Hmmmm.

I need to see it again to decide if I like it more than the previous two, but it is possible.

Final word: thank GOD they cut Harry's hair. And Ron's. And Fred and George's.

[erilyn.livejournal.com]

I don't know, I think Harry needs a bit more hair, to balance his neck out. That could just be me though.

This is why I never reread the book before I see the film.

Oh yes, which is why I didn't re-read LOTR once I knew they were making the movies. I remembered enough to be able to fill in the gaps and get some of the references, but not enough that I was nitpicking a lot.

I'm not that particular about the canon ships, I just want it to be written well whoever it is.

Luna = love ♥

[woolly-socks.livejournal.com]

I don't know, I think Harry needs a bit more hair, to balance his neck out. That could just be me though.

A happy medium, maybe? I just really didn't like the big shaggy mop. But then I am a hair-nazi, when it comes to boys, anyway. Long = bad.

I'm not that particular about the canon ships, I just want it to be written well whoever it is.

It's all about the canon, for me. I wouldn't touch the fic with a bargepole. But yeah, well-written helps.