Can someone PLEASE help? I am stuck in the library. I cannot get the book off the top of the shelf. I have tried moving the table and the bookcases. I can only step onto the table. Can someone please explain in detail hoew to do it. Thanks.

The more interesting question is how does one get the book off the shelve and into the movie version? The condensed movie version seems to be moving on inertia from previous movies, sometimes on automatic, sometimes with brilliant wit...but there seems to be choatic rush and confusion that is boiling beneath the seemingly tranquil scene of Hogwarts. There is a horrendous rush of questions and brush bys that leave the audience frustrated with many questions. The obligatory appearances of characters for readers of the novels sake...seem to drain the movie of some of its vitality. But the ending is fascinating because it delivers an unusual perspective and contrast between adult responsibility and juvenile talent and ability something not usually found in children's movies. Personally, I'm getting a little tired with Harry Potter movies as the magic seems to have ironically lost some of its magic. Instead I'm actually looking forward to seeing Stardust, Enchanted, and The Golden Compass being released later this year.

The best part of this movie was when it cut from the thestral eating raw meat to Ron eating toast

I near fell out of my seat

I thought that the movie had several problems. The first problem, I think, is really a problem with the book. The book is darker and grimmer. There were no "light" moments. It's also, imo, a transitional book. It's primarily there to move the story along, and doesn't stand up as well as an independent story.

The second problem, I think, is a failure of the director to really bring anything new to the story. Other than the Dolores Umbridge character, whom I thought was very well played, there was very little in terms of vision or look, or tone that had not already been done, and done better. As far as I'm concerned, Alfonso Cuaron set the standard, and it hasn't been reached here.

It's possible that it would be very difficult to alter too much, what with issues of continuity, but wouldn't you just love to see Tim Burton, or Pedro Almodovar, or Guillermo del Toro have a crack at it?

Not having read any of the books first-hand and/or completely, I enjoyed this film. This isn't a kid's movie. This is a solid PG-13 movie with the notion of fascism rubbed right in your face, with individual rights and liberties being taken away by those in charge through the fear of an enemy, even though it's unclear who the enemy is. Now, whether you believe it harkens back to an earlier version of fascism or possibly a very current one, it adds meaning to the film.

It also has more realistic scenes between the students and their mentors, especially those between Harry and Sirious Black. I'll agree that it's a transition film in that it's leading towards something even darker, but the last three films have all gotten incrementally darker, and this one seemed to be pretty seamless to me. The entire production crew, including director, screenwriter, composer, etc. is new, and they're just about to start making the next film with the same director but some more changes in the other credits.

Although the showdown ending did provide quite a bit of suspense and excitement, it suffered a bit from what has plagued most all of the endings in that they seemed difficult to grasp all the details and what they mean. Plus none of them are actually "endings". Even so, I found the overall presentation smooth, but as I said, don't expect a kiddie flick.

yea well i think the movie was crap cause they cut most of the story from the book out,also the book was the longest one of the potter series but the movie was the shortest and could have been three times longger.

ps. i like the books better

I think that for those that have read the books and seen the movies also like the books better. However, I think Pix was telling me one day that the movies are just adaptations of the novels, they aren’t trying to purposely follow the book, detail by detail. I did see the 5th movie a while back and I liked it quite a bit and I might even like it more than the 3rd movie, which I also loved. Yeah, they left out a lot of stuff but they still had one heck of a movie with great direction and great special effects. Plus they did a great job of casting this film, the choices for Luna Lovegood, Dolores Umbridge and Bellatrix Lestrange are perfect.

quote:

FragileKidA
"Forum Moderator"
Jedi
Posted 09 November 2007 11:47 AM Hide Post
I think that for those that have read the books and seen the movies also like the books better. However, I think Pix was telling me one day that the movies are just adaptations of the novels, they aren’t trying to purposely follow the book, detail by detail. I did see the 5th movie a while back and I liked it quite a bit and I might even like it more than the 3rd movie, which I also loved. Yeah, they left out a lot of stuff but they still had one heck of a movie with great direction and great special effects. Plus they did a great job of casting this film, the choices for Luna Lovegood, Dolores Umbridge and Bellatrix Lestrange are perfect.

It's really important for the appreciation of the creative arts to have an awareness of th adaptations from book to movies. There is a whole field of discussion about adaptations and the various arguments about what the purpose of adaptations are for. Sometimes it's about money. Sometimes it's about the art. Sometimes it's about the director and producers interest in taking the idea of a book and making into something of their own. It's impossible to visually capture on film what a reader's imagination has developed from the written page. There is usually too much in a book or novel, unless it's a novella or short story to adapt into a screenplay. The mindfields and the possible disasters are so numerous in adaptations. In many cases, it's almost better to just experience the two creative art forms separately and then judge them in regards to both their successes as books or movies and then appreciate the sometimes necessary differences in the two outcomes in writing and film.

I don’t know, I also agree that the books are superior to the films but it is cool to see the films for many reasons. One is that Rowling is very much involved with the films. She writes off on the screenplay and has a lot to do with casting and other matters. So when you see the films you get to see what she would have thought characters act and look like. I know that she has commented on being consulted when it comes to the films and it is always better when you adapt a book to a film and the writer is still alive.

I can understand how someone would only want to watch the movies or only want to read the books. I just have few “real” complaints when it comes to the films. Sometimes I do wish that they would have left more in or added more but I know that in the end they are simply adaptations. And even still, they are pretty solid films on their own.

quote:

FragileKidA
"Forum Moderator"
Jedi
Posted 09 November 2007 03:27 PM Hide Post
I don’t know, I also agree that the books are superior to the films but it is cool to see the films for many reasons. One is that Rowling is very much involved with the films. She writes off on the screenplay and has a lot to do with casting and other matters. So when you see the films you get to see what she would have thought characters act and look like. I know that she has commented on being consulted when it comes to the films and it is always better when you adapt a book to a film and the writer is still alive.

I can understand how someone would only want to watch the movies or only want to read the books. I just have few “real” complaints when it comes to the films. Sometimes I do wish that they would have left more in or added more but I know that in the end they are simply adaptations. And even still, they are pretty solid films on their own.

I'm a product of the 60 and 70 generation when multi-media started coming into its own. I don't have a favorite medium. I love movies. I read a lot of paperbacks as a youth, a few comics. I didn't get into music until later. I can't still get into opera. However, my personal blend of balanced written and film production was ultimately translated into PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK (1975) by Australian director Peter Weir, the movie adapted from the book with very little changes in dialogue or plot, brought to visual, active experiential life in 1975 to become my favorite movie of all time.

well FragileKidA has a good point but the order of the phenoix is the only one im dissapointed with but i sure hope the rest are longer.

quote:

yea well i think the movie was crap cause they cut most of the story from the book out,also the book was the longest one of the potter series but the movie was the shortest and could have been three times longer.

I disagree with that quite a bit. Only a hack of a filmmaker would ever try to put the Quidditch or House-Elf plot into the movie, because it would totally disjoint the plot.

In a book, you can change the mood many times. The length and detail of Rowlings narrative makes it easy for us (as readers) to handle a switch between a relatively light-hearted plot (like the "Weasley is our king" story), to the more emotionally complex arc that Harry was going through. In a film, that cannot be done. Order Of The Phoenix was about Harry's life getting worse and the world that was once vibrant and joyful turning on him. They had to go dark, and they couldn't go away from that. They HAD to ditch a lot of the stuff Rowling put into that book.

I loved the movie. It was much better then the first two films, and it was almost on par with Goblet of Fire (which I only had one problem with; they went out of their way to make Harry look more incompetent then he was in the book). I think the focused on the important pieces and cut the right stuff from the book.

And as much as I do love the books, anyone who wants to see everything from them is woefully misguided. Rowling was painstakingly detailed about everything in the universe, and she crammed a helluva lot into a small space. You shouldn't expect (or even want) them to attempt half of the smaller arcs and plots.

That’s all well said, SK13. Welcome to the forums and feel free to post more often.

I also really like the books and take the movies at what they’re worth. And as good as the books are, the films are just fine.

well yea but in the next movie they NEED to have the bits with the new teachers cause then u wouldnt get why ron and hermione hate each other and the scenes where harry starts loving ginny or it would be wered why he alof a sudden
hates the boy she was snoghin(gag)

quote:

Originally posted by team tardis:
well yea but in the next movie they NEED to have the bits with the new teachers cause then u wouldnt get why ron and hermione hate each other and the scenes where harry starts loving ginny or it would be wered why he alof a sudden
hates the boy she was snoghin(gag)

I'm not sure if they're even going to do the Dean/Ginny thing. They avoided Ginny's love life all-together in Order Of The Phoenix, so I'd guess that they are going to improvise much of the Ginny/Harry stuff in the Half-Blood Prince.

As for the Ron/Hermoine stuff, they've already cast actors for Lavender Brown and Horace Slughorn. It looks very much like they aren't going to leave that stuff out.

Anyone know where I can get a walkthrogh for OOOTP for PSP?

well thats good and a relef and i hope the deathly hallows is good cause the battle in the order of the pheniox was crap i have to say but they definetly cant ruine the big battle at the end of the last two movies. and they have to be better than order of the pheniox

I saw this back in the summer at the IMAX theatre with the ending in 3D. IMAX and 3D was what made the film be less the disappointment that it turned out to be. I wonder if there will be a director's cut with more scenes. Anyone know?

The two-disc edition of the DVD has 16 minutes of extra footage.

I'm not sure why everyone hoped it would be longer. It was a 123 minute long movie - it sure as hell wasn't short. Given the darker nature of the movie, they had a lot more to lose by running it too long. The book itself went on way too long.

listen if it wasnt for the books nobody would have ever thought of any movies called harry potter would they and the first book is the shortest but the order of the pheniox is the longest one BUT the first movie was longer than the order of the pheniox.