The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and the Works of JK Rowling

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  • BondJasonBond006BondJasonBond006 on fb and ajb
    edited November 2016 Posts: 9,020
    Cool a Harry Potter thread, didn't even know...

    Found these things yesterday at my local comic book store...

    Finally, the socks fitting to my underwear :D
    full.jpg
  • M_BaljeM_Balje Amsterdam, Netherlands
    edited November 2016 Posts: 4,416
    Jared Harris possible playing Dumbledore (Dutch: Perkamentus)

    http://www.darkhorizons.com/jared-harris-on-dumbledore-casting-possibility/
    Jared Harris On Dumbledore Casting Possibility
    By Garth Franklin Friday, November 25th 2016 11:42 am

    Even before “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” opened, it was confirmed that both Dumbledore and the dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald will feature as more significant characters in the sequel and subsequent films.

    Johnny Depp’s casting as Grindlewald was announced pre-release, but the casting of a younger Dumbledore has yet to be announced with only ‘several poeple in mind’ according to the producers. Due to the storyline we expect the actor to be close to Depp’s age and so in their late forties or fifties.

    One actor fans have been lobbying for is Jared Harris, the veteran “Mad Men” and “Fringe” thesp who pops up in numerous films from “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” to “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows” to “Certain Women” to this week’s “Allied”.

    Harris of course has a key connection to the Potter franchise – his late father Richard Harris played Dumbledore in the first two “Harry Potter” films so this, you could say, is his birthright.

    Speaking with The Standard in the U.K., Harris opened up about the possibility and suggests Warner Bros. is seriously considering him for the role and fans shouldn’t lobby too hard as these things can backfire:

    “They’re obviously thinking about it. I haven’t heard anything and I don’t expect to. It’s not up to me. Having seen [fan campaigns] before I find that [film bosses] don’t like to have their hands forced. These campaigns almost always go in a different direction.”

    The film is currently targeting a July production start next year ahead of a late 2018 release.
  • edited April 2017 Posts: 5,774
    Well, the play "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" has won almost all the Olivier Awards it's been nominated for, including Best New Play, best Actor in a Play, and best Actor and Best Actress in a supporting role, plus other technical awards.

    https://thestage.co.uk/news/2017/olivier-awards-2017-the-winners-in-full/

    Not bad, not bad at all. But in that list, the one that makes this Whovian jump with joy is the fact that Billie Piper won the Olivier for Best Actress. That made my day !

    cheerleader_by_cookiemagik-e1e1be.gifcheerleader_by_cookiemagik-e1e1be.gifcheerleader_by_cookiemagik-e1e1be.gifcheerleader_by_cookiemagik-e1e1be.gif
  • Posts: 12,506
    Gerard wrote: »
    Well, the play "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" has won almost all the Olivier Awards it's been nominated for, including Best New Play, best Actor in a Play, and best Actor and Best Actress in a supporting role, plus other technical awards.

    https://thestage.co.uk/news/2017/olivier-awards-2017-the-winners-in-full/

    Not bad, not bad at all. But in that list, the one that makes this Whovian jump with joy is the fact that Billie Piper won the Olivier for Best Actress. That made my day !

    cheerleader_by_cookiemagik-e1e1be.gifcheerleader_by_cookiemagik-e1e1be.gifcheerleader_by_cookiemagik-e1e1be.gifcheerleader_by_cookiemagik-e1e1be.gif

    Like many others I will most likely not get to see this paly? However? Do you think their is the possibility of it being given the movie treatment at somepoint in the future?
  • Red_SnowRed_Snow Australia
    Posts: 2,494
    Jude Law has been casted as young Dumbledore.

    https://pottermore.com/news/jude-law-cast-as-albus-dumbledore-in-next-fantastic-beasts-film

    Really surprised by this, I was really hoping it would be Jared Harris.
  • doubleoegodoubleoego #LightWork
    Posts: 11,139
    Oh wow. I was hoping for Jared Harris too but I'm not mad at Law's casting. Interestingly enough I was watching Prisoner of Azkaban last night; arguably the best Potter film.
  • Posts: 6,432
    Red_Snow wrote: »
    Jude Law has been casted as young Dumbledore.

    https://pottermore.com/news/jude-law-cast-as-albus-dumbledore-in-next-fantastic-beasts-film

    Really surprised by this, I was really hoping it would be Jared Harris.

    Hate this casting Jaded Harris should have got the gig.
  • doubleoegodoubleoego #LightWork
    Posts: 11,139
    Jaded? Yes, I can imagine Jared may be feeling that way ;)
  • ShardlakeShardlake Leeds, West Yorkshire, England
    edited April 2017 Posts: 4,043
    Quite impressed with this bit of casting, Jared would have been interesting and yes fans would have lost it but Law is no slouch.

    Continuing the trend of casting talented actors and not big movie stars like the Potter films, Depp is the only time this universe has gone big before, hope it pays off.

    Hoping Depp delivers, his tease was intriguing in the first film, more worried about him than Law who I think will be fine.
  • Posts: 12,506
    Never would have seen that casting decision coming? Look forward to seeing what he will bring to the role?
  • Posts: 6,432
    doubleoego wrote: »
    Jaded? Yes, I can imagine Jared may be feeling that way ;)
    Dam predictive text :) Jared's dad was certainly jaded most of the time.
  • M_BaljeM_Balje Amsterdam, Netherlands
    Posts: 4,416
    Callum Turner Scores “Fantastic Beasts 2” Role

    http://www.darkhorizons.com/callum-turner-scores-fantastic-beasts-2-role/
    By Garth Franklin Friday, April 21st 2017 12:50 pm
    “Green Room” actor Callum Turner is in talks to play the brother of Eddie Redmayne’s Newt Scamander in the next installment of “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” at Warner Bros. Pictures.

    Plot details are unknown at this time other than the film being set in Paris and boasting a script once again by J.K. Rowling herself. The second of a proposed five film series, the action takes place in an increasingly dark time for the Wizarding World.

    Jude Law is on board to play young Dumbledore, and Johnny Depp is attached to play Grindelwald. David Yates is returning to direct with filming to begin this Summer.

    Source: Variety
  • M_BaljeM_Balje Amsterdam, Netherlands
    edited July 2017 Posts: 4,416
    http://www.darkhorizons.com/fantastic-beasts-sequel-begins-production/
    “Fantastic Beasts” Sequel Begins Production
    By Garth Franklin Monday, July 3rd 2017 8:57 am

    Though it still has yet to score a title, the follow-up to the $814 million worldwide grossing “Harry Potter” prequel spin-off film “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” has now begun filming in the United Kingdom.

    Returnees include Eddie Redmayne as Newt Scamander, Johnny Depp as the dark wizard Gellert Grindewald, Ezra Miller as Credence, and Zoe Kravitz as Leta Lestrange. Also onboard are the previously announced Jude Law as a young Albus Dumbledore, and Callum Turner as Newt’s Auror brother Theseus Scamander.

    Joining them are Claudia Kim as a young woman who is an attraction at a wizarding circus, William Nadylam as a wizard named Yusuf Kama, Olafur Darri Olafsson as circus operator Skender, Ingvar Sigurdsson as a bounty hunter, and Kevin Guthrie as Abernathy who is the head of the U.S. Magical Congress.

    J.K. Rowling once again penned the screenplay which opens in 1927, several months after events of the first film. Grindewald has escaped custody and is gathering more followers to his cause. This time, it’s down to his former friend Albus Dumbledore to stop him with the help of former student Scamander.

    The film is the second in a proposed five-part film series with David Yates once again returning to direct. The majority of the film’s action will reportedly take place around London and Paris.

    Shooting will take place primarily at Leavesden Studios with the movie slated to open November 16th 2018.

    Claudia Kim. Korean. Playing in The Avengers 2 (2015)
    William Nadylam. French.
    Olafur Darri Olafsson. Iceland-American. Playing in BFG (Dutch: GVR) from Spielberg.
    Ingvar Sigurdsson. Iceland. You can see him in Everest (2015)

    Kevin Guthrie is already seen in previous movie and returns.
  • Posts: 12,506
    Really enjoyed Fantastic Beasts more than I thought I would! Hopefully more of the same to follow in the future?!!!
  • GoldenGunGoldenGun Per ora e per il momento che verrà
    Posts: 6,759
    Rewatched the whole series recently. Had a blast doing it. As it goes I would rank them as follows:

    1. Order of the Phoenix
    2. Prisoner of Azkaban
    3. Half-Blood Prince
    4. Chamber of Secrets
    5. Deathly Hallows Part 2
    6. Goblet of Fire
    7. Deathly Hallows Part 1
    8. Philosopher's Stone

    Enjoyed them all really.

    Up to Fantastic Beasts. Should I have high expectations?
  • doubleoegodoubleoego #LightWork
    Posts: 11,139
    Given how great the Potter movies are ordinarily I would say there should be high hopes for fantastic Beasts but, the film is OK at best. Hopefully the sequel will be much better.

    I'm a huge fan of all 8 movies but the first 3 are my favourites simply because there's a timeless wonderment to all the magic that's on display and being experienced. I personally feel a lot of the magic and spells got lazy and lacklustre as the films went on and as enjoyable as the films are, the fun factor really diminished but I suppose that's appropriate given the events that were transpiring. On a side note, McGonagal (sp?) was wasted post Chamber of Secrets.

    My ranking:

    PoA
    CoS
    PS
    GoF
    OoTp
    HbP
    Dh2
    Dh1
  • Mendes4LyfeMendes4Lyfe The long road ahead
    Posts: 7,969
    1. GoF
    2. CoS
    3. PS
    4. PoA
    5. OotP
    6. HbP
    7. DHp.1
    8. DHp.2
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    1. GoF
    2. CoS
    3. PS
    4. PoA
    5. OotP
    6. HbP
    7. DHp.1
    8. DHp.2

    @Mendes4Lyfe, that's not too far off from my own ranking. It's been a while since I revisited all the movies in marathon, but if I had to rank them now I'd probably go:

    1.) CoS
    2.) PS
    3.) PoA
    4.) GoF
    5.) DH Pt. 2
    6.) HBP
    7.) DH Pt. 1
    8.) OotP

    No other director captured the feeling and look of Hogwarts in my eyes like Chris Columbus and his team. Watching those first two films as a kid, some of the first films and books I became obsessed with, will always be an unforgettable experience and a lot of my fondest cinema memories are seeing those in the theater as a wide-eyed boy and just being taken aback by it all. The early films captured that sense of awe and genuine magic beautifully, and I think over time the series lost that not only with the more mature plots as Harry grew (nothing to do about that, but the effect is there), but also in the art direction that made the characters dress more like regular kids and that made Hogwarts less grand and striking. This could also just be my experience watching them while growing up because I was more susceptible to the wonder as a kid, but PS and CoS are the gold standard Potter films when it comes to the look and feeling of it all for me. The amazing sets, the John Williams scores that are the music of my childhood, those rousing moments as a boy rises to the occasion with his friends, and effects that still hold up beautifully.

    PoA is really where things started moving away from the Columbus style of things, and in some ways that's regrettable. Richard Harris, a dazzling Dumbledore, was replaced by Gambon and I think that is the biggest failure of the series; Harry's mentor just doesn't feel the same after that, and is more bumbling and oafish than wise. PoA was also the last film Williams scored, and the effect is much like what happened when John Barry left Bond; that sound of Potter died.

    I still enjoy all the films, but those first three are unbeatable for me. Funnily enough I like you used to have GoF as my favorite for quite a long time, as I loved the premise as a kid of Harry put in this scary tournament with other students. The world of Potter opened up and felt scary in a fascinating and intriguing way. When I read the book I wanted to be in that exciting place myself, and loved how grown up Harry's struggles were; in GoF is where he really starts to go from a boy to an adult and faces bigger responsibilities that prepare him for Voldemort, including his confrontation with death and sacrifice. The movie is probably the starkest of the early films, to fit the plot, and the jarring nature of the darkness and violence in comparison to the others at the time was quite interesting and showed that the series had moved on and was going some place new with real finality. I remember really being stuck by that as I was watching it in the theaters, from that chilling opening to the very end. The movie had more consequences, and was a big deal.

    Few things in my life have had as great an effect and impact as the Potter books and films. The films were some of the first that made me passionate about movies and their power, and the books got me reading from a young age as I was entranced in what I was experiencing on the page. I still remember the day the last book came out; I had drug my dad to a long waiting line for the midnight release at a bookstore closest to my house, and I cracked open the thing and got reading with a little flashlight on the way home in pitch black. I spent so many restless nights not putting it down and I remember the night I finished it, curled up in my chair at home late into the night as tears kept rolling with each new twist and turn until the very end.

    I count myself very fortunate to grow up at the perfect time to experience the Potter films in their glory from beginning to end. I was around the same age as the young cast minus a couple years, so I grew up with them as the films were made and that really added a sense of power to it all. It's a crowning achievement of the series that they were able to keep the wider cast on board for all of it, and the movies are as much time capsules of little lives as they are adventure films. There's nothing else like it out there.
  • Posts: 7,500
    I was very disappointed with Beasts I have to say. Found the story to be surprisingly weak considering who wrote it. The shots at cosy romance were ok I guess, but they came across as a bit clichéed and forced. And although the animals were cute, that isn't enough to make a good movie in itself. Hope they will improve with the sequel.
  • Mendes4LyfeMendes4Lyfe The long road ahead
    Posts: 7,969
    1. GoF
    2. CoS
    3. PS
    4. PoA
    5. OotP
    6. HbP
    7. DHp.1
    8. DHp.2

    @Mendes4Lyfe, that's not too far off from my own ranking. It's been a while since I revisited all the movies in marathon, but if I had to rank them now I'd probably go:

    1.) CoS
    2.) PS
    3.) PoA
    4.) GoF
    5.) DH Pt. 2
    6.) HBP
    7.) DH Pt. 1
    8.) OotP

    No other director captured the feeling and look of Hogwarts in my eyes like Chris Columbus and his team. Watching those first two films as a kid, some of the first films and books I became obsessed with, will always be an unforgettable experience and a lot of my fondest cinema memories are seeing those in the theater as a wide-eyed boy and just being taken aback by it all. The early films captured that sense of awe and genuine magic beautifully, and I think over time the series lost that not only with the more mature plots as Harry grew (nothing to do about that, but the effect is there), but also in the art direction that made the characters dress more like regular kids and that made Hogwarts less grand and striking. This could also just be my experience watching them while growing up because I was more susceptible to the wonder as a kid, but PS and CoS are the gold standard Potter films when it comes to the look and feeling of it all for me. The amazing sets, the John Williams scores that are the music of my childhood, those rousing moments as a boy rises to the occasion with his friends, and effects that still hold up beautifully.

    PoA is really where things started moving away from the Columbus style of things, and in some ways that's regrettable. Richard Harris, a dazzling Dumbledore, was replaced by Gambon and I think that is the biggest failure of the series; Harry's mentor just doesn't feel the same after that, and is more bumbling and oafish than wise. PoA was also the last film Williams scored, and the effect is much like what happened when John Barry left Bond; that sound of Potter died.

    I still enjoy all the films, but those first three are unbeatable for me. Funnily enough I like you used to have GoF as my favorite for quite a long time, as I loved the premise as a kid of Harry put in this scary tournament with other students. The world of Potter opened up and felt scary in a fascinating and intriguing way. When I read the book I wanted to be in that exciting place myself, and loved how grown up Harry's struggles were; in GoF is where he really starts to go from a boy to an adult and faces bigger responsibilities that prepare him for Voldemort, including his confrontation with death and sacrifice. The movie is probably the starkest of the early films, to fit the plot, and the jarring nature of the darkness and violence in comparison to the others at the time was quite interesting and showed that the series had moved on and was going some place new with real finality. I remember really being stuck by that as I was watching it in the theaters, from that chilling opening to the very end. The movie had more consequences, and was a big deal.

    Few things in my life have had as great an effect and impact as the Potter books and films. The films were some of the first that made me passionate about movies and their power, and the books got me reading from a young age as I was entranced in what I was experiencing on the page. I still remember the day the last book came out; I had drug my dad to a long waiting line for the midnight release at a bookstore closest to my house, and I cracked open the thing and got reading with a little flashlight on the way home in pitch black. I spent so many restless nights not putting it down and I remember the night I finished it, curled up in my chair at home late into the night as tears kept rolling with each new twist and turn until the very end.

    I count myself very fortunate to grow up at the perfect time to experience the Potter films in their glory from beginning to end. I was around the same age as the young cast minus a couple years, so I grew up with them as the films were made and that really added a sense of power to it all. It's a crowning achievement of the series that they were able to keep the wider cast on board for all of it, and the movies are as much time capsules of little lives as they are adventure films. There's nothing else like it out there.

    Good thoughts, @0BradyM0Bondfanatic7. CoS was always my favourite for years, however I watched the fis recently and now find those first two do drag more than I remember. I think that GoS was very much a course correction after the slightly too dark PoA which got carried away with itself and its horror theme. I think they were a bit self conscious that Harry Potter was becoming a kiddie franchise. Understandable as the books do move to a more mature tone as they go on, but I think moments during the later films where they are do lose that sense of the magic. Look no further for an example of that than How OotP, HbP and DH start. The opening shots and introductions were always bleak and foreboding and I think this is actually a mistep when it comes to adapting the novels faithfully.

    But my main problem with the later Potter films isn't one of tone but of structure and pacing. PS, CoS, PoA and GoF all have a definite structure with significant build up to the main drama. Think of Mr Weasley warning Harry not to go looking for Sirius Black or Mcgonagall telling the class about the Chamber of Secrets. These scenes build up anticipation which is what makes those films so enjoyable for me. From OotP onwards stuff just kinda happens. Why were there Dementors at the start of OotP, and who is that old woman who comes to take them home? In order to know, you have to read the books. Because they dropped any scenes with exposition at the start, the film becomes one long montage, or a highlights package. Goblet of Fire is the last film where the school year at Hogwarts that has a definite structure. It felt like the end of an era. Plus it was the last time the whole cast still felt like kids, being a few years older than the characters they were portraying.
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    @Mendes4Lyfe, I largely agree there. The first two Potters are very much slow burns, but I like them because their length makes them feel like real journeys. Columbus and his team really knew how to make each film feel like an actual school year that followed the ups and downs of the characters. When Halloween or Christmas or spring came, it felt like a big deal because you believed you were watching a massive journey through the seasons take place.

    The later films don't really have the impact or that fine structure, you're right. The reason OotP is my least favorite beyond it just being the weakest in my mind is the simple fact that they took the longest Potter book and made it the shortest film. What? No wonder it comes off as the least fine-tuned of all the other films irrespective of narrative.

    I agree that the early films did structure and pacing much better, almost like mysteries. Each film plants a suggestion in the mind of the viewer, like Quarrel's weird behavior in PS and how the movie foreshadows the fake-out with Snape and everything else, in CoS the mystery of what is causing the students to petrify and who is the student doing it, and in PoA the ambiguity of Sirius Black and if he's really good or bad and who the hero on the lake is that saves Harry (before he knows it's himself). Those three had such great teases, and in GoB you can even count the cruel machinations of Voldemort in arranging the game to his bidding to get Harry in his clutches. And they all have great payoff too. The teases in OotF and HBP, of the prophecy and the identity of the prince, just don't hit as hard and I think what makes the early films so impactful is that you are seeing actual kids face danger and death and come out of it; it's just more powerful in that way. As they get older the risk just doesn't feel as large in comparison, not that that's a bad thing. It had to happen.

    But I think the story of Rowling's ultimately worked best in the early years, as there was just something special about kids facing these situations and not adults. Harry, Ron and Hermione, barely double digits in age, were the unlikeliest heroes imaginable, and that's part of what makes the adventures stirring. As a kid I felt empowered in an, "I can do that too" spirit because I saw an awkward and unsure kid, a clownish bumbler and a brainiac navigate their differences and come together for a common cause. And in the end I think that's why the series is still so powerful for kids everywhere who come across them; Rowling's work and the films paint a very accessible world that invites you in, and because the kids are often the same relative ages of the kids in the books, they feel more involved in the action in a visceral way. Much of my distaste of school as a kid was the realization that it was nothing like Hogwarts and never could be.

    What is it about GoF that makes it your favorite, by the way? I'll share why I like CoS later, but have to go for a bit.
  • Mendes4LyfeMendes4Lyfe The long road ahead
    Posts: 7,969
    @Mendes4Lyfe, I largely agree there. The first two Potters are very much slow burns, but I like them because their length makes them feel like real journeys. Columbus and his team really knew how to make each film feel like an actual school year that followed the ups and downs of the characters. When Halloween or Christmas or spring came, it felt like a big deal because you believed you were watching a massive journey through the seasons take place.

    The later films don't really have the impact or that fine structure, you're right. The reason OotP is my least favorite beyond it just being the weakest in my mind is the simple fact that they took the longest Potter book and made it the shortest film. What? No wonder it comes off as the least fine-tuned of all the other films irrespective of narrative.

    I agree that the early films did structure and pacing much better, almost like mysteries. Each film plants a suggestion in the mind of the viewer, like Quarrel's weird behavior in PS and how the movie foreshadows the fake-out with Snape and everything else, in CoS the mystery of what is causing the students to petrify and who is the student doing it, and in PoA the ambiguity of Sirius Black and if he's really good or bad and who the hero on the lake is that saves Harry (before he knows it's himself). Those three had such great teases, and in GoB you can even count the cruel machinations of Voldemort in arranging the game to his bidding to get Harry in his clutches. And they all have great payoff too. The teases in OotF and HBP, of the prophecy and the identity of the prince, just don't hit as hard and I think what makes the early films so impactful is that you are seeing actual kids face danger and death and come out of it; it's just more powerful in that way. As they get older the risk just doesn't feel as large in comparison, not that that's a bad thing. It had to happen.

    But I think the story of Rowling's ultimately worked best in the early years, as there was just something special about kids facing these situations and not adults. Harry, Ron and Hermione, barely double digits in age, were the unlikeliest heroes imaginable, and that's part of what makes the adventures stirring. As a kid I felt empowered in an, "I can do that too" spirit because I saw an awkward and unsure kid, a clownish bumbler and a brainiac navigate their differences and come together for a common cause. And in the end I think that's why the series is still so powerful for kids everywhere who come across them; Rowling's work and the films paint a very accessible world that invites you in, and because the kids are often the same relative ages of the kids in the books, they feel more involved in the action in a visceral way. Much of my distaste of school as a kid was the realization that it was nothing like Hogwarts and never could be.

    What is it about GoF that makes it your favorite, by the way? I'll share why I like CoS later, but have to go for a bit.

    Well, I think the first two do seem slightly clunky on reflection, and the tone is slightly too lighthearted, especially PS. I think all the child actors got a lot better by the fourth film, and they get a lot more to do given the onset of hormones creating these interesting dynamics. First Ron falls out with Harry, then with Hermione. That stuff was handled really well, as well as the boys trying to find dates for the ball. Its like a fourth event in the tournament for Harry. The budget was also increased with this one, we go to more places and the finale is both spectular and chilling. Otherall I think GoF just finds the best balance. Its like the last of the somewhat light hearted adventures before the real dark stuff happens with Yates. Like Hermione says at the end "everything is going to changing now, isn't it?"
  • doubleoegodoubleoego #LightWork
    Posts: 11,139
    1. GoF
    2. CoS
    3. PS
    4. PoA
    5. OotP
    6. HbP
    7. DHp.1
    8. DHp.2

    @Mendes4Lyfe, that's not too far off from my own ranking. It's been a while since I revisited all the movies in marathon, but if I had to rank them now I'd probably go:

    1.) CoS
    2.) PS
    3.) PoA
    4.) GoF
    5.) DH Pt. 2
    6.) HBP
    7.) DH Pt. 1
    8.) OotP

    No other director captured the feeling and look of Hogwarts in my eyes like Chris Columbus and his team. Watching those first two films as a kid, some of the first films and books I became obsessed with, will always be an unforgettable experience and a lot of my fondest cinema memories are seeing those in the theater as a wide-eyed boy and just being taken aback by it all. The early films captured that sense of awe and genuine magic beautifully, and I think over time the series lost that not only with the more mature plots as Harry grew (nothing to do about that, but the effect is there), but also in the art direction that made the characters dress more like regular kids and that made Hogwarts less grand and striking. This could also just be my experience watching them while growing up because I was more susceptible to the wonder as a kid, but PS and CoS are the gold standard Potter films when it comes to the look and feeling of it all for me. The amazing sets, the John Williams scores that are the music of my childhood, those rousing moments as a boy rises to the occasion with his friends, and effects that still hold up beautifully.

    PoA is really where things started moving away from the Columbus style of things, and in some ways that's regrettable. Richard Harris, a dazzling Dumbledore, was replaced by Gambon and I think that is the biggest failure of the series; Harry's mentor just doesn't feel the same after that, and is more bumbling and oafish than wise. PoA was also the last film Williams scored, and the effect is much like what happened when John Barry left Bond; that sound of Potter died.

    I still enjoy all the films, but those first three are unbeatable for me. Funnily enough I like you used to have GoF as my favorite for quite a long time, as I loved the premise as a kid of Harry put in this scary tournament with other students. The world of Potter opened up and felt scary in a fascinating and intriguing way. When I read the book I wanted to be in that exciting place myself, and loved how grown up Harry's struggles were; in GoF is where he really starts to go from a boy to an adult and faces bigger responsibilities that prepare him for Voldemort, including his confrontation with death and sacrifice. The movie is probably the starkest of the early films, to fit the plot, and the jarring nature of the darkness and violence in comparison to the others at the time was quite interesting and showed that the series had moved on and was going some place new with real finality. I remember really being stuck by that as I was watching it in the theaters, from that chilling opening to the very end. The movie had more consequences, and was a big deal.

    Few things in my life have had as great an effect and impact as the Potter books and films. The films were some of the first that made me passionate about movies and their power, and the books got me reading from a young age as I was entranced in what I was experiencing on the page. I still remember the day the last book came out; I had drug my dad to a long waiting line for the midnight release at a bookstore closest to my house, and I cracked open the thing and got reading with a little flashlight on the way home in pitch black. I spent so many restless nights not putting it down and I remember the night I finished it, curled up in my chair at home late into the night as tears kept rolling with each new twist and turn until the very end.

    I count myself very fortunate to grow up at the perfect time to experience the Potter films in their glory from beginning to end. I was around the same age as the young cast minus a couple years, so I grew up with them as the films were made and that really added a sense of power to it all. It's a crowning achievement of the series that they were able to keep the wider cast on board for all of it, and the movies are as much time capsules of little lives as they are adventure films. There's nothing else like it out there.

    Your rankings, specifically the first 3 films are similar to mine and everything you said, is exactly how I feel. Spot on. The first 3 films are unbeatable and pure magic and wonderment. The first 2 films are in a league of their own when it comes down to the total package of awe, the fantastical, the fun and Williams' music.

    I don't want to risk repeating what you've said but I definitely quote it for truth and reaffirmation. In full agreement with you there, mate.
  • RC7RC7
    Posts: 10,512
    PS is marvellous. It's my personal favourite. Like SW before it, Williams elevated an already special film.
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    @Mendes4Lyfe, I largely agree there. The first two Potters are very much slow burns, but I like them because their length makes them feel like real journeys. Columbus and his team really knew how to make each film feel like an actual school year that followed the ups and downs of the characters. When Halloween or Christmas or spring came, it felt like a big deal because you believed you were watching a massive journey through the seasons take place.

    The later films don't really have the impact or that fine structure, you're right. The reason OotP is my least favorite beyond it just being the weakest in my mind is the simple fact that they took the longest Potter book and made it the shortest film. What? No wonder it comes off as the least fine-tuned of all the other films irrespective of narrative.

    I agree that the early films did structure and pacing much better, almost like mysteries. Each film plants a suggestion in the mind of the viewer, like Quarrel's weird behavior in PS and how the movie foreshadows the fake-out with Snape and everything else, in CoS the mystery of what is causing the students to petrify and who is the student doing it, and in PoA the ambiguity of Sirius Black and if he's really good or bad and who the hero on the lake is that saves Harry (before he knows it's himself). Those three had such great teases, and in GoB you can even count the cruel machinations of Voldemort in arranging the game to his bidding to get Harry in his clutches. And they all have great payoff too. The teases in OotF and HBP, of the prophecy and the identity of the prince, just don't hit as hard and I think what makes the early films so impactful is that you are seeing actual kids face danger and death and come out of it; it's just more powerful in that way. As they get older the risk just doesn't feel as large in comparison, not that that's a bad thing. It had to happen.

    But I think the story of Rowling's ultimately worked best in the early years, as there was just something special about kids facing these situations and not adults. Harry, Ron and Hermione, barely double digits in age, were the unlikeliest heroes imaginable, and that's part of what makes the adventures stirring. As a kid I felt empowered in an, "I can do that too" spirit because I saw an awkward and unsure kid, a clownish bumbler and a brainiac navigate their differences and come together for a common cause. And in the end I think that's why the series is still so powerful for kids everywhere who come across them; Rowling's work and the films paint a very accessible world that invites you in, and because the kids are often the same relative ages of the kids in the books, they feel more involved in the action in a visceral way. Much of my distaste of school as a kid was the realization that it was nothing like Hogwarts and never could be.

    What is it about GoF that makes it your favorite, by the way? I'll share why I like CoS later, but have to go for a bit.

    Well, I think the first two do seem slightly clunky on reflection, and the tone is slightly too lighthearted, especially PS. I think all the child actors got a lot better by the fourth film, and they get a lot more to do given the onset of hormones creating these interesting dynamics. First Ron falls out with Harry, then with Hermione. That stuff was handled really well, as well as the boys trying to find dates for the ball. Its like a fourth event in the tournament for Harry. The budget was also increased with this one, we go to more places and the finale is both spectular and chilling. Otherall I think GoF just finds the best balance. Its like the last of the somewhat light hearted adventures before the real dark stuff happens with Yates. Like Hermione says at the end "everything is going to changing now, isn't it?"

    @Mendes4Lyfe, GoF really is the one that changes everything, right down to the line Hermione says that underscores that. It's the first time that we witness the death of the good side and not the bad, where the characters do fall out and struggle with their hormones more, and where Harry really has to step up to face the trials in a way he hadn't before.

    CoS always comes to my mind as a favorite much like why I love the early early Bond films; there's such a richness to it, from its sets to the music, adventure, danger, all of it. As a kid my most anticipated moments for the films each time I watched a new one was seeing the Quidditch matches, and CoS for me has the best with Harry and Malfoy dynamically flying through the field (and under it) in pursuit of the snitch, then the added danger of the bludger on top of it. So thrilling. I think it's the film that does the seasons the best too, right there with PS, and it has such a great atmosphere because of it.

    When I play the film back in my head it just becomes so apparent to me how well it's made, and how much there is to it. How the characters are introduced and threats teased, how it amps up the danger for the second year from the first, and there's so many "iconic" moments for the series in there. The race to Hogwarts, the Quidditch match, the escape from the woods and spiders, and of course that amazing final battle that is just mind blowing and probably my favorite finale hands down of all of them for the great lead up and execution. As a kid I was just so taken by it all, and the first time I saw it was at a showing in the theater that didn't let out until midnight. I was so full of energy, so stunned.

    CoS very much marks the end of a lot of that Potter feeling, of scope and rich adventure. And of course it's also my favorite Williams score, with "Reunion of Friends" alone being a track that is the music of my childhood. It makes the ending with Hagrid all the more powerful, and I even get goosebumps on my arms just playing the notes in my head.
  • doubleoegodoubleoego #LightWork
    Posts: 11,139
    Columbus' work on the Potter films is criminally underrated and although I've already listed my rankings in order of favourites; I'm actually leaning towards CoS arguably being the best of all 8 films.

    Have you guys watched the films' (the first 2 at least that I'm aware of) extended editions?

    This was an agreeable read:

    https://www.theodysseyonline.com/chamber-secrets-harry-potter-film
  • RC7RC7
    Posts: 10,512
    doubleoego wrote: »
    Columbus' work on the Potter films is criminally underrated and although I've already listed my rankings in order of favourites; I'm actually leaning towards CoS arguably being the best of all 8 films.

    Have you guys watched the films' (the first 2 at least that I'm aware of) extended editions?

    This was an agreeable read:

    https://www.theodysseyonline.com/chamber-secrets-harry-potter-film

    Completely agree with you. Columbus did an incredible job. There's a reality to his films that was eschewed in favour of more elaborate CGI further down the line, but his work was still just as magical, if not more so for me.
  • Fire_and_Ice_ReturnsFire_and_Ice_Returns I am trying to get away from this mountan!
    Posts: 23,105
    The first four films are superior to the last four IMO, the series started to lack magic no pun intended after Goblet of Fire.
  • doubleoegodoubleoego #LightWork
    Posts: 11,139
    RC7 wrote: »
    doubleoego wrote: »
    Columbus' work on the Potter films is criminally underrated and although I've already listed my rankings in order of favourites; I'm actually leaning towards CoS arguably being the best of all 8 films.

    Have you guys watched the films' (the first 2 at least that I'm aware of) extended editions?

    This was an agreeable read:

    https://www.theodysseyonline.com/chamber-secrets-harry-potter-film

    Completely agree with you. Columbus did an incredible job. There's a reality to his films that was eschewed in favour of more elaborate CGI further down the line, but his work was still just as magical, if not more so for me.

    In full agreement. The world he created definitely felt unique and profoundly special without ever going into ott territory. I also think he perfectly bridged the innocence and ligh heartedness with darker elements perfectly with CoS. I'm going to Have to do a marathon soon.
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