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Gaffer Tape

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2-Jun-2005
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13-Nov-2019
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Post
#124348
Topic
Harry Potter *Spoilers* (Serious Discussions Only, No Flaming)
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/124348/action/topic#124348
Time
I'm assuming by "bad" they mean "dark." And, yeah, it's probably a stereotypical statement, except that, you're right, no one in the other houses seems to have any kind of inclination to go "bad." And I've never really thought about Quirrell or Lockhart. But if you look at it this way... Riddle seemed to be a bad egg from the beginning, based on Dumbledore's memories. The only difference was he seemed to act really good in school but was hiding his asshole-ness, while the current Slytherins were also jerks from childhood who just don't bother to hide it. Quirrell admits in the last chapter of Philosopher's Stone that he was very different before he met Voldemort that he was "all concerned about right and wrong". That sounds different from your typical Slytherin who seem to be rotten to begin with. And Lockhart, well, I never really considered him evil to begin with. The book really plays him off as an incompetent bumbling idiot more than genuinely malicious. But then again, he was competent and malicious enough to do all the memory charms we didn't actually see, so I guess that counts for something.

And I do hope that in the 7th book, they do something with the Sorting Hat's words. And I hope they give the Slytherins some reason, some common decency that will allow the other houses to want to band together. Maybe you're right. Maybe it is Snape's influence. I'm not entirely sure if I agree with it, though, since their upbringing seems to be an influential factor. Take Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, for example.
Post
#124270
Topic
Harry Potter *Spoilers* (Serious Discussions Only, No Flaming)
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/124270/action/topic#124270
Time
Yeah, I can see how they'd follow Harry, but it still doesn't seem to me they'd wrap this up very well if Hogwarts was entirely out of the picture. And maybe I'm just a nerd like that, but I would be thinking, "They were so close! They need to finish school!" I guess I should have felt the same way about Fred and George, but, to be honest, they really didn't need school. And maybe Ron doesn't either (although he should be figuring out career plans by now), but Harry's dream is to become an auror, and(I'm laboring under the assumption that Harry is going to survive the series) his N.E.W.T.s are going to be important for his future career.

And that's a good Percy analysis as well, the Slytherin-esque behavior you mentioned. I never saw it like that before. To be honest, I always liked Percy in the first four books (I mean, he was especially helpful in the first book if not the friendliest soul, and you can understand his ambition up to that point) and, therefore, I really hope that he will do something to redeem himself by the end of the series. I was slightly disappointed by his one-line appearance in this book, but maybe it's for the best as I don't want to become any more annoyed with him.

Speaking of the Slytherins, though, does it ever annoy anybody besides me that every Slytherin (with the exceptions of Nigellus and Slughorn) seems to be a complete asshole? I mean, I can see understand that bad witches and wizards end up going through Slytherin house with the whole power above everything emphasis, but having every Slytherin be a bullying, bigoted, insulting villain just seems a little too... obvious. "Hmm, how about we put all the good people in these three houses, and then we'll put all the people who suck over here?" If it's that obvious that Slytherin=bad, wouldn't it just make sense to disband the house rather than train them up to wage war against the good guys? No wonder there'll all so bitter. I would be too if I was put in the house where I'm expected to be an ass.
Post
#124234
Topic
Harry Potter *Spoilers* (Serious Discussions Only, No Flaming)
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/124234/action/topic#124234
Time
Good review, ADM. Personally, I loved Order of the Phoenix as well, and I never really minded Harry's temper tantrums. After all that crap from Umbridge, I was ready to throw something as well. And that's probably the reason I liked it so much was because Umbridge actually made me really, really angry, and the whole experience was like being hit with a heavy rubber club. Not only was no one listening to Harry, but if he even tried to say anything, his situation got even worse. In a way, it was kind of like one of those anti-utopian societies.

The appeal of Half-Blood Prince is how Rowling makes these things somewhat ambiguous. In the second chapter, I was shocked at Snape's admissions. Rowling has done great things with that character through the audience. She spends most of the first book trying to convince you he's evil, and then the next four books trying to convince you that he's a complete ass but, at his core, he has his priorities in the right place. Plus, like the other characters in the book (besides Harry), you can't help but believe that Dumbledore has some fail-safe logic to trust Snape. So I did my best to try and convince myself that Dumbledore was right and that Snape was just playing as Voldemort's follower even though the evidence continued to mount to the contrary. I had no doubt that Dumbledore would not survive this book, but I was surprised that it was Snape who cast the finishing blow. I almost expected it to be a joke at the end, some kind of test or trick.

I'm going to read the book again, but, now that I've had a chance to step back and think about it, I don't know if I believe the hype that Half-Blood Prince is the best book. As Part 6 in a 7 part series, it does very well. But as an individual book, it seems to lack an element that ties everything together. You would think it's the Half-Blood Prince element since that's the title of the book, but, if you really think about it, what was really the significance of the whole Half-Blood Prince storyline? It gives us a little more insight into Snape's past, but not nearly as much as Chapter 2 does by itself. The background on Tom Riddle, though, was done very well, and I extremely enjoyed it. However, it isn't until the last 100 pages or so that the plot really starts to come together. Up until then, it just seems to be floating in between the Half-Blood Prince, chasing after Malfoy, and who's dating whom. It's a lot like Philosopher's Stone in that it takes a while for the real plot to get off the ground. I did like how they switched things up a bit by having Snape be the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. The special guest star teacher of the year was getting so cliched that it took me completely by surprise, and I loved it.

But, like I said, it is great as Part 6 of 7. You learn a lot more about Voldemort/Tom Riddle, horcruxes. The relationships between the characters continue to develop, and Dumbledore's death has set the stage for Harry to take matters into his own hands as a hero (which is why I knew Dumbledore would die).

I'm not sure why you put the "especially" after Hermione, ADM. Unless I've forgotten, I don't see any reason why Hermione would drop out as opposed to Harry and Ron. Harry has the only strong reason. But I think he will be at the school for at least some amount of time simply because "Year 7" wouldn't make much sense if he was not in his seventh year at Hogwarts. Plus, I'm dying to see a graduation ceremony. It's bugged me forever wondering what they do to celebrating graduating students. I've had people suggest the Regulus Black theory to me already, but Borgin or Burke is an interesting theory too.

And I agree with your assessment of Harry Potter haters. I should know because I was one once. I let the "too cool for it" opinion as well as parodies shape my opinion of what Harry Potter was like, and, from that perspective, it seemed really stupid. A dorky-looking kid with a lightning-shaped scar does magic tricks and gets himself in all kinds of random little adventures. It didn't sound like very compelling reading. I'm glad I got my nose out of the air and decided to try it.
Post
#124150
Topic
Harry Potter *Spoilers* (Serious Discussions Only, No Flaming)
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/124150/action/topic#124150
Time
Well, Sessler, here's a little something I picked up. Blaise Zabini is mentioned during the sorting in Philosopher's Stone. And, except for that one sentence, his character is not mentioned again until Half-Blood Prince. Just something I noticed when re-reading the first book. I like how Rowling introduces characters, and you don't even know she's doing it, and who might not even do anything for several books. And it doesn't take away from the current story, because it's so off-hand, you don't even realize it until the second time you read. Plus, it shows that she really knows what she's doing and has a lot of the characters and situations in her head from the beginning.
Post
#124085
Topic
Harry Potter *Spoilers* (Serious Discussions Only, No Flaming)
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/124085/action/topic#124085
Time
His best-known novels are The Sound and the Fury (1929), As I Lay Dying (1930), Sanctuary (1931), Light in August (1932), Absalom, Absalom! (1936), The Unvanquished (1938), The Hamlet (1940), Intruder in the Dust (1948), Requiem for a Nun (1951), A Fable (1954; Pulitzer Prize), The Town (1957), The Mansion (1959), and The Reivers (1962; Pulitzer Prize). In addition to novels Faulkner published several volumes of short stories including These 13 (1931), Go Down, Moses (1942), Knight's Gambit (1949), and Big Woods (1955); and collections of essays and poems.

That was from Yahoo! reference. I've only read Light in August and The Unvanquished myself. He's a famous writer from Mississippi. His influences are quite heavy at my school, The University of Mississippi (or "Ole Miss"), and he used the town of Oxford (where the school is located) as the basis for the fictional town he used in most of his books. I'm not sure, but I think you're a little bit younger than me at least, so I'm sure you'll be forced to read him at some point in your academic career. He's a good writer, and his stories are interesting. It's just that this paragraph I'm writing is shorter than a lot of his sentences.
Post
#124026
Topic
Will...er, I mean Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/124026/action/topic#124026
Time
Hey, Warbler, since you seem to be really up on both the book and the original movie, could you answer my question? Is Charlie's father in the book and deceased in the original movie? Or is he in every adaptation? Or is he just in the new movie? Although I am about to watch the original movie in a few minutes, at least let me know for the book.
Post
#123979
Topic
When does ROTS leave cinemas?
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/123979/action/topic#123979
Time
Quote
Originally posted by: TheCassidy
Quote
Originally posted by: fans own the trilogy
Quote
Originally posted by: Jedikev
When does ROTS actually end it's run on the cinemas everywhere??


Not soon enough!


Hater. C'mon - it's a frigging Star Wars movie, and more than likely the last time we will ever get to see a new Star Wars movie in cinemas.


Well, I'm not too sad that it's the last new Star Wars movie in cinemas because, in the interest of good taste, I see no reason to milk this cash cow any further, which is why I'm not too happy with the TV show. I am sad, however, that it will probably be the last time to see a Star Wars movie in a widely-released theatrical experience, because nothing beats that excitement.
Post
#123851
Topic
Will...er, I mean Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/123851/action/topic#123851
Time
By the way, I did see the movie tonight, and I loved it. And the completely identical Oopma-Loompas (which I think is a cool touch) do have something have a primative, tribal, native, "ethnic" feel and history to them.

To be honest, I really can't say if this movie is more accurate to the book than WWATCF, but it did add certain elements, like a backstory for Wonka (I think Sessler mentioned that), and a lot more character traits for the other grandparents. And I did like elements of both those additions. Two of my favorite lines comes from the other grandpa (damn, I can't remember his name) and the completely senile other grandma ("I love grapes!"). My other is how Willy Wonka's flashbacks are almost as campy as the ones from Wayne's World. I love when he comes back from one, and he's just staring off into space when everyone gets his attention. "Sorry, I was having a flashback." Mr. Teavee asks, "Do these... flashbacks happen often?" Wonka responds, "Increasingly... today."

By the way, I have something I'm trying to remember? Charlie's dad, Mr. Bucket, was in this movie. I seem to recall him having an inconsistent history with these adaptations. The way I remember it was he was in the book, but his character was deceased in WWATCF. Is that right?
Post
#123796
Topic
Harry Potter *Spoilers* (Serious Discussions Only, No Flaming)
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/123796/action/topic#123796
Time
Quote
Originally posted by: TheSessler
BTW, what are your thoughts on who R.A.B. is?

I'm almost positive it has to be Regulus Black.


My girlfriend made that observation as well, and I happen to agree. To be honest, I had no idea when I read because I'd forgotten Sirius's brother's first name. But it makes perfect sense.

And to those people who dislike Harry Potter because it's insanely popular... this is a message board devoted to Star Wars for crying out loud! I don't think I need to say anything more than that. And also, simply because they are current (and popular) doesn't mean that someday they won't be regarded as great literature alongside Tolkien's work. I'm not saying it will. I have no idea. It's still just a possibility. Even the most revered works were new at some time, and a lot of them were scoffed at upon their release. And whether or not they are great literature, they are a fascinating read, and the continuity functions 100 times better than Star Wars. ^_^

Post
#123730
Topic
Harry Potter *Spoilers* (Serious Discussions Only, No Flaming)
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/123730/action/topic#123730
Time
Why what? Why is it like crack? I don't know. Why am I 19? Because I was born in 1986. Why do I have a girlfriend? Well, I'd rather not get that personal. Why do plumbers have crack? Well, technically we all do, but plumbers just like to flaunt it. Why are a lot of those MGS responses pro-Potter? Well, to each his own, I suppose, but sometimes (although definitely not always as evidenced by reality TV and the upcoming movie Wedding Crashers) things are popular because they're actually good.

And, ooh, I have to actually pass 250 to get there! I thought I just had to reach it! Yay! I'm ready for the trials!
Post
#123728
Topic
Harry Potter *Spoilers* (Serious Discussions Only, No Flaming)
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/123728/action/topic#123728
Time
Well, aside from the thread creator, it seems a lot of the responses are pro-Potter. I'm 19 years old, and I swear that stuff is like crack (not the plumber kind or even the hot sexy model kind but the addictive drug kind... not that I would know from experience). My girlfriend had been trying to get me to read for a year, but I kept resisting until last summer. And they all kicked ass. I was very surprised to like it that much.

By the way, how many posts do I have to have to escape from Padawan?
Post
#123719
Topic
Will...er, I mean Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/123719/action/topic#123719
Time
Well, I'm planning on going to see it today. I would like if it was a closer adaptation to the book, because just naming the original movie Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, it was just a wink and a nod that it was a vehicle for Gene Wilder. So I was thrilled when I learned that this version was retaining the original title. It seemed like a good sign to me. Of course, then I saw all the teaser trailers and didn't find Charlie in there once and realized that it was probably a vehicle for Johnny Depp, which disappointed me. It doesn't bother my girlfriend and her friends who are big enough Johnny Depp fans that that just makes it better. Well, it's been so long since I've read the book or seen the movie that I'll just have to take it for what it is.