Christmas at the Burrow

Aah, the holidays at the Weasley home. Full of pumpkin pasties, knitted initial sweaters, and loads of Weasley goodness.

It also reminds me that Harry Potter movies are best viewed DURING. THE. HOLIDAYS.

Not July.

Prof. H

All Growned Up

Emma Watson in the new issue of Italian Vogue is looking positively radiant. In the pulled out quote above, Watson says:

"People have the strange sensation of knowing me intimately because they've seen me transform from a child to a woman, though it's only been on the screen."

Indeed, I think there's a general sense of protectiveness regarding the trio, whom we've seen grow up before our eyes. It helps, too, that none of them have pulled a Lindsay/Paris/Miley.

Prof. H

(A reluctant "thanks" to my terrible Italian teacher back in high school. I guess I learned something after all)

More Leaked HBP Script

Click here for yet another "leaked script" excerpt. Whether these are real or not, I don't have the wherewithal to verify. But damn! They sure sound good.

Dan Radcliffe on Conan O'Brien

Of the actors who play the trio in the Harry Potter series, none is more effusive, clever, or appealing than Dan Radcliffe. He's grown into a handsome and intelligent young man, as well as a fine actor. Whoever did the casting for The Sorcerer's Stone should be given an award. As we all know, casting an 11 year old and projecting him ten years down the line is a gamble. Dan could have gone all sorts of bad (same for Rupert and Emma). Thank Merlin he (and they) didn't. This clip is proof:

Twilight Sneak Peak from Penelope Movie

Enjoy,
V.

Breaking Dawn Review

OK so I'm finally done. I know, I know. What took me so long! Well...I actually finished the book about a week and a half ago but I had to stew over what I was going to write. So here goes...

I thought the book was pretty darn good. I felt like there were a few anticlimactic scenes, like at the end with all the talk of fighting but no actual smack down. But overall the book was everything I hoped it would be. No one important died and Bella got to be a vampire and a mother all in one shot. Oh! Did I mention her and Edward live happily ever after. WooHoo!!

Here's the best and the worst according to me:

Best:
#1 Had to be that Bella turned out to have a supernatural power. So on top of the fact that post-bitten Bella was now beautiful, hand/eye coordinated, and in total control of herself (an amazing feat already being a newborn Vampire)she is now SUPER COOL VAMPIRE, Mrs. Cullen.

#2 The whole twist of Bella being pregnant and having an awesomely sweet and talented baby. (I didn't see the whole pregnancy thing coming).

Worst:
#1 Now here's where I have to get down and dirty...What's up with too many pages being dedicated to talk, talk, talk and no action at the end with the Volturi Coven. Was it just me or was Aro past being diplomatic and on his way to being obnoxious.

#2 The completely pointless story side line when Alice lead Bella to J Jenks. What was that all about? Then the lame excuse of "Oh, I had to make sure you thought I was really gone" from Alice. It just wasn't convincing enough to make the reader go through it.

So those are my opinions in a nut shell. Hope those of you that read the book liked it as much as I did.

V.

Leaked Script: UPDATED

We live in an age of instant information, camera phones that rival spy gear, and a vast, vast blogosphere. In such an atmosphere, will Warner Bros be able to keep a lid on The Half Blood Prince, a film that's already completed?

Nope.

And as a fan irked by the delay, I welcome any and all leaks. WB pushes back my movie, so I get my kicks when I can.

That said, the first of the leaks has begun. Click here for a leaked scene script from the eight-months-away-movie. The fans of the romance in the book will enjoy this. Four words: Ginny, Dean, Ron, Hermione.

And a fifth. Squee.

Prof. H

UPDATE:

And there's more...scripts from a quidditch scene, the attack of the Burrow, and a Slughorn pensieve memory here.

Meme Time: UPDATED

Hoping Jedi J and V will join me on this one taken from artist Lauren Bergholm's blog.

So, name the characters you would:

- Bake cupcakes for:
- Trust with the keys to my car:
- Put thumbtacks on the chair thereof:
- Have a crush on:
- Pack up and leave if they moved next door:
- Vote for President:
- Pick as my partner in a buddy movie:
- Pair up:
- Vote off the island and into the volcano:

Easy, peezy. I'd bake cupcakes for Crabbe and Goyle, because they'd love them so. I'd trust my car keys to Arthur Weasley. When I get the car back, that sucker's gonna fly! Put thumbtacks on Umbridge's seat (Jo should have killed HER off). Have a mad, crazy crush on Ron Weasley. Squee. Pack up and leave if Mundungus Fletcher moved in next door. Harry for President! Movie buddy partner: Hermione Granger. Brainy types at the movies are great. I'd pair up Tonks and Charlie. Sorry, Lupin. Never was a fan of that pairing. Finally, Draco gets voted off the island and tossed into a volcano for being an insufferable git.

Prof H.

I'd bake cupcakes for the Jedi younglings from Attack of the Clones because they are so cute and I have a soft spot for younglings. I would trust my car keys to Chewbacca, I might even end up with a smoother ride and maybe even capable of outer space travel. I will put thumbtacks on Palpatine's throne (I would say I hate him but hate leads to suffering). I have and always will have a massive crush on Han! I would move in an instant if Jabba moved in next door. I would vote for Mon Motha or Bail Organa for President. I would pick Han as my buddy because I love him so. I would pair up Yoda and Yaddle because I want to know what they heck they are and I think baby Yodas will be cute. And the most obvious, I would vote off Jar Jar because he is easily tricked into giving Palpatine exactly what he wanted.

Jedi J


My turn...
I would bake cupcakes for Jacob because I know HE is one of the few that would be able to enjoy them. I would trust Edward with the keys to my car because he can drive it like a race car driver and not even break a sweat (damn those reflex skills). Thumbtacks for James because he tried to bite Bella. Uh, Uh, NOT COOL! I have to admit I have a bit of a crush on Jacob. I would pack up and leave in a heartbeat if the Volturi moved in next door. Carlisle for President. I can totally see myself wearing a "VOTE FOR CARLISLE" pin. Buddy for the movies, Alice. Although, she might spoil the ending for me. I would have paired up Jacob and Leah because they had that love/hate thing going on. Voting off Victoria and sending her into the blistering depths of hell where she shall burn for all eternity...J/K. But she does end up getting what she deserves. Good ending Eclipse.

V.

Jedi J Sends Her Sympathies (and makes a Twilight announcement?)

Dear Professor H,

I am sorry to hear that your movie will not be released until next year. If Master Lucas ever did that to me I would have the same reaction that you did, maybe even worse (having to explain to youngling sitters that I will not need their services after I had booked them so far in advanced).

I want you to know that some good will come of this horrible deed that the WB has done to us all. Sorry V, for stepping onto your turf, but I wanted everyone to know that Twilight will be taking Harry Potter's date now that it is vacated. No more waiting until December. November 21 is now the day you can go see the movie.

As for me, I was so exhausted getting my classroom ready at the Jedi Academy for my younglings that I could not go see Clone Wars. As soon as I go see it I will let you know what I think about it.

My sympathies,

Jedi J

Even More Healing (Of the Potential Snogging Kind)

Ah, WB, your transparent attempt at appeasing us with photos is...working:)



I may have uttered a feeble little squee at that one. Then...behold...



Ah, Rupert, making everything better again.

Prof. H

Let the Healing Begin

So, in what I assume is an effort to assuage fans, WB has released several new photos from the now delayed Half Blood Prince flick. These can be viewed here.

A sampling:



Ginny: So you decided this with...without m-m-me?
Harry: Frankly, kid, you were barely in the other films.
Hermione: And I won't be upstaged!
Ginny: What about that random kid? And that one? And that one?
Slughorn: Alas, what's done is done Ginevra. You've been voted off the island. Pack your trunk and your pygmy puff, and be gone.



McGonagall: What is it, Severus?
Snape: A gift from the WB, with their condolences for the death of our November premiere.
Hermione (in the background): Merlin, that thing is fugly. And really, I can SEE the strings holding it up!
Ron (in the background): Hollywood gits.
Harry (in the background): Seriously, mate.



Harry: Sup, Sluggie.
Slughorn: What's with the flashy jacket and tie, Harry m'boy?
Harry: Pimpin' ain't easy, Slug.
Slughorn: Loved you in Equus.
Harry: (Shudder)

You Fail, WB!

Photo by ~oddman~exe

My heart. 'Tis broken into a thousand pieces. I think I may have to build a few horcruxes just to put myself together. Alas, Warner Bros. has pushed The Half Blood Prince movie back from its November 2008 release to July 2009.

Epic fail, WB. Epic fail.

Also, no fair. V. gets her Twilight movie. Jedi J gets her Clone Wars flick. What do I get? All I want is my fair share. All I want is what's coming to me (to quote Peanuts' Sally).

Epic. Fail.


Prof H

Getting Me One of Those, ASAP

Photo by Fegie


In the meantime, as we wait for V. to finish Breaking Dawn....

Muggle scientists are close to fashioning a kind of invisibility cloak of their own, The Daily Prophet is reporting.

Could be dead useful for after-curfew snogging. Tee to the Hee:)

More news at 11:00.

Prof. H

Just a BD update

I got the book Breaking Dawn and I'm reading it full steam ahead. OMG! That's all I can say. OMG!

I'm not done reading it but so far it's freaking intense. I don't want to spoil it for anyone that might not have started reading it yet so I won't say anything major. With all that's going on with Bella I can't help but drift more and more toward team Jacob with every chapter I finish. I don't know. I just don't know.

I'll blog all about it when I'm done.

V.

The Gamer in Me

I know I'm a bit late to this party (considering The Half Blood Prince video game will be out a in a few months), but I just started playing the Order of the Phoenix videogame on the Wii.

I'll admit, I'm not much of a gamer. My husband watches me play and gets so immensely frustrated with my lack of hand-eye coordination that he leaves the room, or takes over the controller. This videogame ineptitude has not been alleviated by OoTP videogame, but I charge on, dammit!

The Wii controller is your "wand," which makes gameplay fun, though not always accurate. Harry tends to wave his arm around like an insane person under my control. Tiny footsteps tell you where to go, which is good for a spatially challenged person like me. And the best part--if you Reparo a bunch of things, you reveal mini making-of featurettes. Lots of Rupert Grint interviews (squee!). That alone motivates me to go on.

The game is not really challenging, which again, fine for me, but serious gamers will probably get bored Reparo-ing half the castle. Also, Hermione spends much of the game urging you to "Get to the library," while Ron incessantly tells you to "Check your map!" No worries. You can always throw benches at them when they get really annoying.

Here's a preview featuring the cut scenes. The graphics are quite good, and Hermione, especially is, creepily, Emma Watson to a T:

I thought I could wait

Ok, so the cheap-o in me had to Pre-order Breaking Dawn through Amazon.com for like half the price. But I have to tell you this wait is excruciating!!!! What was I thinking!!!!

I was at Barnes & Noble yesterday and I was this () close to buying a copy just to start reading it already. I called Amazon.com to get a better feel for when to expect the book and they assured me that it's supposed to come in tomorrow. FINALLY!!! On top of all this my sister was at my house yesterday and I practically fainted when I saw she was more then half-way through the book. She tried to talk about it but I just pinched my ears and told her not to say a thing. I want to be totally surprised when I read it. I'm almost fanatical about this book. What's wrong with me?

V.