Saturday, November 20, 2010

5 Scenes that I would have liked to see in Deathly Hallows part 1

If you haven't seen Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1, you may not want to read this, as I talk about what is and isn't in the film. If you haven't read the book, you'll be confused.

5. Phineas Nigellus in the beaded bag

4. Harry stealing and eventually burying Mad-Eye Moody's magical eye

3. Harry, Ron, and Hermione listening to their friends on Potterwatch radio

2. Dudley's heartfelt goodbye with Harry

1. Harry telling off Lupin at Grimmauld place

To make room for some or all of these scenes I could have gone without the Harry-Hermione dance. It was a little weird and didn't really go with the flow of the movie. I didn't hate it, but I could have gone without it.

What do you think? What scenes did you want or did you not like?

Friday, November 19, 2010

The Half that is more whole than what a whole would have been: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 Review

About 12 hours ago I got home after a great night at the Movie. The Movie that millions have waited for. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 1. This movie wasn't a whole movie, but it was a whole half.

Part 1 will please the most fans of the books since Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets in its true-ness to the books. It was exceedingly true to the books, it was more naturally adapted than some of the recent Harry Potter films, and it was very well paced. This is mostly to do with the wise decision that Warner Bros. made to split Hallows into two films. WB's decision was good for them (more $$$) and good for fans (fewer fans angry about what they left out).

The pace of this film is what made me really happy. In the past 3 films the plot just seemed rushed and I was disappointed about certain things that were missing (especially the key plot points that are now plot holes.) In the Hallows book, the first half is mostly fearful, figuring-out-what-to-do-next camping. It is a little slow and anxious feeling. I believe that the filmmakers did an excellent job creating this feeling and pace onscreen. They really set the tone for the film right at the beginning with Voldemort and his disregard for life. He is really evil.

The acting was phenomenal. Rupert Grint gave us an outstanding emotional performance of Ron. Radcliffe is excellent and Watson is completely rid of her trying-too-hard facial expressions. The amount of care and effort is definitely visible. Also, while watching the credits I got to realize how many top-notch actors this franchise has, all of which are British (of course).

The cinematography is amazing. This film was very beautiful and the scenes were very visually pleasing. New composer for Harry Potter Alexandre Desplat's score is superb. The only thing I wish would have been included was some more of Hedwig's theme from John Williams' original score. There was a little, but I would have like a little more. Other than that little detail, I loved Desplat's work. (I'm listening to it as I type this.)

There are a few scenes from the book I wish would have been included, but I will wait until my next post to divulge.

As a story, it was incomplete. But since that is what the filmmakers were intending, I'm fine with it. It was much better than the split between Pirates of the Caribbean 2 & 3 as the film was just better. For those people who haven't read the books and are casual fans of the films, this one might be a little tough to follow. That is because it isn't shallow or flaky, it is pure plot meat. Mmm....meat. To the die hard fans, you will be pleased.

Part 1 runs 146 minutes and is rated PG-13. Definitely not a kid's movie. I give it 10 ramheads out of 10.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

New Harry Potter 7 Movie Posters!

Yo. So I was just sitting here listening to some Relient K and I saw online that they have more new posters for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1. I decided to change them a bit and make them [better]. Here are the 2 I decided to play with (mine are on the left):

Sunday, September 26, 2010

She took a giant s*** on my face. Literally.

-Literally?

-Well, no, not literally. That's disgusting.

The Indy flick gone mainstream (500) Days of Summer (2009) features many of these hilarious, random lines. There are a lot of things going for this movie.

First off, the film has a lot of acting talent. Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel are both excellent and perfect for the roles.

The film really has no plot. It is kind of like Up in the Air in that way. In a lot of ways. This film is real. Well, no. Not really. But it does have to do with real (in the movie) characters that are not idealistic or extraordinary. This film is not like most films. It isn't what you'd expect. The characters aren't what you'd expect.

I was actually a little confused with some of the happenings. The characters aren't predictable. They are just like us; they are human. This is what makes this film something different and something special. It is brilliantly written.

There was this really funny scene that reminded me of a scene from Spiderman 3. It was really cheesy and awesome. I like cheesy and awesome in ways like this.

(500) Days of Summer runs 95 minutes and is rated PG-13. (I would definitely abide by the 13-year-old-and-up rule). I give it a pleasantly surprising 8 ramheads out of 10.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Not many movies really require use of your brain...this one does.

The Matrix (1999) is the brain-racking story about how machines took over the world, and are creating a virtual world [The Matrix] that tricks the imprisoned humans' minds. Neo (Keanu Reeves) gets called over to the real world (out of the Matrix) because it is thought he is the chosen one. Only through him can the war between the machines and the humans end. That is, if he is really the chosen one...

This film is a major thinker with an incredibly complex, inventive story. The most recent film I can think of that compares to it is Inception. If you have not yet seen this piece of filmographic history, I suggest you buy it now. (You can get the trilogy at Walmart for like $13).

The acting is spectacular. The music is good. The effects are awesome (even with today's standards).

This film is in my top ten best films ever. It changed the way films were being made. It changed the way films were being watched. It definitely is a work of art.

The Matrix runs 136 minutes and is rated R. This is not a film you should show to your kids. I give it 10 ramheads out of 10.