Been getting annoyed, yet somehow still effected, by the stories about "how have the actors of Harry Potter grown and changed from the first film..." Typically, I selfishly considered that question about my own life. I've seen all the films, I've read all the books. How have I changed in these, what..10 years? How do my Harry Potter movie going experiences define my life. Where's the CNN article about that?
To limit this blog entry I'll keep the focus on the movies alone, and leave the book releases, fanfiction, message boards, fansites, chatrooms, roleplay sites, cosplay, etc etc out of it, because I wouldn't even know where to begin or end.
When Sorcerer's Stone came out I was in eighth grade and from what I can remember (I'll just say that once now, but presume it would come in front of every sentence in this entry) there was no midnight release. I'd have read my first HP book two years ago, and yes I was an obsessed fan who crafted Ravenclaw robes out of my purple bed sheets, a prefect badge out of tinfoil, and a wand from a stick in my backyard. And no, I was not popular. There wasn't quite the mass marketing of HP in the world yet, and I had to make due. Katy Thoman, my best friend and I were dropped off at the theater by one of our moms. I remember being amazed. It was the first book I'd ever read that had been made into a movie in such a way and I couldn't believe how everything I so vividly imagined in my head was now projecting on my hometown movie screen.
Chamber of Secrets-Prisoner of Azkaban I also saw with Katy at that same movie theater. For Chamber of Secrets I made myself a shirt with fabric paint. It had a snake up the side of the arm in silver, said "SLYTHERIN PRIDE" on the front and "HISSSS" on the back (clever). This was before Hot Topic had mass marketed screen prints with Tom Felton's face. I felt, as though this denouncement of support for "our hero" was some great act of rebellion and throughly was disappointed that no one seemed to notice.
Honestly, I can't remember Goblet of Fire---what happened there? Did I see it in theaters? Didn't I see it? I may have been obliviated.
When "Order of the Phoenix" came out...I went all out. Because Deathly Hallows the book was coming out around that same time, it was "the end" for me then, not now. I bought kneehighs with Kristen and scoured thrift stores for grey vests and black shirts. Here's the geekiest part---I bought a pattern for wizard robes and had them custom made for me by one of my grandma's friends....trimmed in green lining. Well, I wasn't impressed by the cheesy robes that felt like Halloween costumes that I could otherwise have. I was at the midnight release with Alex and Mel who were also dressed. up. We were surely stoned, and feeling impressively sexy. Well, Mel and I, who had perfected the schoolgirl stance in pictures with our wands pointed like Charlies Angel's guns.
I saw "Half Blood Prince" with Justin and his brother in King of Prussia IMAX. Enough said.
I saw "Deathly Hallows pt. 1" with Emily in some theater between Philly and Bethlehem. We went to vegan treats for the day and bought boxes of cheese cakes to take into the theater. Before the movie we played air hockey for what must have been an hour. I don't know why I remember that.
And last night I saw DH pt 2 with Kristen and her friends. I wasn't dressed up but I was there. There were tons of teenagers dressed up in schoolgirl outfits and as characters. The movie sold out 9 theaters. I couldn't help but feel like every teenager there was using the midnight showing as a social event, and should have somehow been HP fan carded. I don't know if there's a word for this feeling (pretension, insanity), but anyone who has every been FAN of a band etc and hear some casual listener try and tell you some common piece of trivia knows what this annoyance feels like.
When I was sitting in the movie theater with Katy, ten years ago, I remember talking about how we'd be seeing the seventh movie when we were in our twenties. And how we'd laughed, as if that was something that was also part of the fantasy, that couldn't actually weave its way into real life. So how do I feel? Surely better looking, and probably a bit smarter. But at the end of movie all I was really thinking about was getting out of the parking lot before everyone else. I guess I can't exactly gleen any insight from these experiences, other than to say that they happened. With different people in different places. If I could, I'd go back because everything is better in the beginning than it is in the end. And now I'm finally old and its over but everything else is exactly the same.
To limit this blog entry I'll keep the focus on the movies alone, and leave the book releases, fanfiction, message boards, fansites, chatrooms, roleplay sites, cosplay, etc etc out of it, because I wouldn't even know where to begin or end.
When Sorcerer's Stone came out I was in eighth grade and from what I can remember (I'll just say that once now, but presume it would come in front of every sentence in this entry) there was no midnight release. I'd have read my first HP book two years ago, and yes I was an obsessed fan who crafted Ravenclaw robes out of my purple bed sheets, a prefect badge out of tinfoil, and a wand from a stick in my backyard. And no, I was not popular. There wasn't quite the mass marketing of HP in the world yet, and I had to make due. Katy Thoman, my best friend and I were dropped off at the theater by one of our moms. I remember being amazed. It was the first book I'd ever read that had been made into a movie in such a way and I couldn't believe how everything I so vividly imagined in my head was now projecting on my hometown movie screen.
Chamber of Secrets-Prisoner of Azkaban I also saw with Katy at that same movie theater. For Chamber of Secrets I made myself a shirt with fabric paint. It had a snake up the side of the arm in silver, said "SLYTHERIN PRIDE" on the front and "HISSSS" on the back (clever). This was before Hot Topic had mass marketed screen prints with Tom Felton's face. I felt, as though this denouncement of support for "our hero" was some great act of rebellion and throughly was disappointed that no one seemed to notice.
Honestly, I can't remember Goblet of Fire---what happened there? Did I see it in theaters? Didn't I see it? I may have been obliviated.
When "Order of the Phoenix" came out...I went all out. Because Deathly Hallows the book was coming out around that same time, it was "the end" for me then, not now. I bought kneehighs with Kristen and scoured thrift stores for grey vests and black shirts. Here's the geekiest part---I bought a pattern for wizard robes and had them custom made for me by one of my grandma's friends....trimmed in green lining. Well, I wasn't impressed by the cheesy robes that felt like Halloween costumes that I could otherwise have. I was at the midnight release with Alex and Mel who were also dressed. up. We were surely stoned, and feeling impressively sexy. Well, Mel and I, who had perfected the schoolgirl stance in pictures with our wands pointed like Charlies Angel's guns.
I saw "Half Blood Prince" with Justin and his brother in King of Prussia IMAX. Enough said.
I saw "Deathly Hallows pt. 1" with Emily in some theater between Philly and Bethlehem. We went to vegan treats for the day and bought boxes of cheese cakes to take into the theater. Before the movie we played air hockey for what must have been an hour. I don't know why I remember that.
And last night I saw DH pt 2 with Kristen and her friends. I wasn't dressed up but I was there. There were tons of teenagers dressed up in schoolgirl outfits and as characters. The movie sold out 9 theaters. I couldn't help but feel like every teenager there was using the midnight showing as a social event, and should have somehow been HP fan carded. I don't know if there's a word for this feeling (pretension, insanity), but anyone who has every been FAN of a band etc and hear some casual listener try and tell you some common piece of trivia knows what this annoyance feels like.
When I was sitting in the movie theater with Katy, ten years ago, I remember talking about how we'd be seeing the seventh movie when we were in our twenties. And how we'd laughed, as if that was something that was also part of the fantasy, that couldn't actually weave its way into real life. So how do I feel? Surely better looking, and probably a bit smarter. But at the end of movie all I was really thinking about was getting out of the parking lot before everyone else. I guess I can't exactly gleen any insight from these experiences, other than to say that they happened. With different people in different places. If I could, I'd go back because everything is better in the beginning than it is in the end. And now I'm finally old and its over but everything else is exactly the same.
Favorite HP Character: Remus Lupin
Favorite Book: Prisoner of Azkaban
Favorite Movie: Deathly Hallows Pt. 2
House: Ravenclaw
Favorite Canon Couple: Snape and Lily
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