We’re only going to talk about one movie today. One single picture that has to do with kids and wizards and owls and spells and potions and lightning …and that damp, misty weather that produces vibrant imaginations, spectacular lawns, and luminous skin.
But first – how about those 2011 Emmy nods?? I won’t add to the ubiquitous raft of commentary on this; suffice it to say I couldn’t be happier about Ty Burrell, Timothy Olyphant, Loretta Devine, John Slattery, and Melissa McCarthy. How about you? Were you pleased with the nominations? (We’ll talk more about this next week and find out what you really think).
Now back to movies. Specifically Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II. Now I saw HP and the DH: Part 1, and thought it was pretty much like the other HPs. Which is to say, they are gorgeous breathtaking fun and totally engrossing, if completely indistinguishable from one another. Obviously that’s just me. And I have been to all of them and each one was equally evocative and adrenaline-charged. Plus, each seemed to follow a similar formula where they start out expositive-ly and I get all settled in and comfy enjoying the actors and the acting and Hogwarts, until halfway through when things start popping out of nowhere and they scare the living daylights out of me. I’ve spent the last hour of every Harry Potter film with my hands extremely close to my face in case things go wrong, which they invariably do. Nor have I read the books, so I’m hard-pressed to assign villain to movie. Still, the word is that this final Harry Potter does indeed deliver the ultimate resolution that readers are craving. I’ll certainly see it, although maybe not this weekend. By the way, if you do feel like catching something else there’s a brand new Winnie The Pooh (with voices from Craig Ferguson, among others) and of course Horrible Bosses - which is expected to catch lots of the disgruntled HP fans facing sold-out shows. Nor should you worry about getting in to see it at all – this film will easily be the summer’s most popular, and will likely run forever. It’s been pretty cool to watch Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson grow up and each has already struck out on their own with major new projects which should help minimize any child star syndromes. Similarly, Alan Rickman, Robbie Coltrane, Maggie Smith and Ralph Fiennes can now each buy several Caribbean Islands with Potter paychecks alone, before moving back into highbrow English fare. Leave it to the Brits to create America’s most popular moviegoing franchise.
Earlier this week we asked you which summer concerts you’re most excited about (in that poll Taylor Swift was the clear winner) and so now you have a brand new set of performers from which to choose. Have a great weekend… (if you do manage to see Harry Potter, please let us know what you think!)
Today’s poll:
1) Kenny Chesney
1) Bon Jovi
2) Katy Perry
3) Keith Urban
My son and I went to see HP DH 2 at 12:05 this morning…YES! Im crazy the one and only time since the HP movies began that we have attended the midnight showtime. It was packed in 3 of the 4 theaters a small town theater we found & bought our tickets. This last movie in the series of movies we both thought was the best we have seen and enjoyed all of the HP movies but hands down the last HP DH 2 is the best! I do not think anyone will be disappointed with the last movie in the HP series. HP DH 2 from beginning to end is a wild ride of adventure and imagination that you have come to expect from JK Rollings and all the HP movies. Be prepared for a wide array of emotions in watching the movie to hit you as you watch all the main characters and all the favorite characters that if you are a part of the HP generation have grown up with literally and feel like you know each one. It was a bit sad to see the movie come to an end not wanting to say goodbye for me a bittersweet moment in my reality that my son who attended HP DH 2 the last movie and who I had shared the HP adventure with from the beginning at ten is now 18 like many of the main characters they have grown up and each including my son have and will move on to different projects and make there own paths in life. But at least for a time we all shared in the great adventure and in the world of Harry Potter gifted to us by JK Rollings that brought all our imaginations to life.