Referendum on the Director

[remusjlupin1980]

--- In HPFGU-Movie at y..., "cindysphynx" <cindysphynx at h...> wrote:
> Chris Columbus is directing CoS.  So far as I know, he has not 
signed 
> on officially to direct PoA or GoF.  So it is still an open 
question.
> 
> And that is my question.  If you were the producer of PoA and GoF, 
> and the only information you had to go on was his work in PS/SS, 
> would you hire Columbus for PoA, GoF, both, or neither?
> 
> My own answer is that I would probably give Columbus his walking 
> papers and hire someone else, although I think it is a close 
> question.   My reasons are:
> 
> 1.  I'm not fond of the idea of splitting GoF into two movies.  I 
> just don't think it can work.
> 
> 2.  I think he made far too many mistakes in PS/SS.  We've beaten 
> this to death of course, but for me, the glaring blunders include 
the 
> coaching of Emma Watson, Snape's sprint to the front of the class 
for 
> his potions speech, the boring opening sequence, having all of the 
> kids do a "Home Alone" scream in the troll Great Hall scene and 
again 
> when they confront Fluffy.
> 
> 3.  I think he showed an inability to combine scenes to save time 
> that could be spent better elsewhere.  For instance, do we need 
> several Mirror of Erised scenes, or could all of it have been 
> accomplished in one scene?  Can't we combine the hut on the rock 
with 
> Privet Drive, both to save time and to enhance continuity?
> 
> 4.  He is not very good at deciding what to keep and what to cut, 
> which will be critical in the next two films.  Keeping Norbert and 
> the Troll wasn't wise given the important things that were 
deleted.  
> If JKR "wouldn't let him" cut certain things, then we need a 
director 
> who can be a bit more persuasive.
> 
> 5.  He made the soundtrack too loud.  There's just no excuse for 
that.
> 
> 6.  His mastery of special effects techniques is questionable.  
When 
> a character (Peeves) is cut not because the story requires it but 
> because the special effects were poor, I think the director has to 
> take responsibility.  I'm not even going to mention the centaur.
> 
> 7.  My biggest overall gripe about the movie was the lack of 
> continuity.  Since PoA and GoF are much bigger books, I would think 
> the continuity problems will be much more pronounced if Columbus 
also 
> brings them to the screen.  In other words, if he can't do PS/SS as 
a 
> movie that stands up on its own merits without knowledge of the 
> books, then how can he possibly do it with books that are hundreds 
of 
> pages longer?
> 
> That said, it is still definitely a close question.  The movie 
could 
> have been badly botched, and it wasn't.  It was, after all, a smash 
> success.  But given that for PoA and GoF, we are starting with good 
> stories, a proven cast (for the ones who return), and established 
set 
> design and costume design, I think we need someone who is more 
adept 
> at telling a story with continuity.  So Mr. Columbus gets a gold 
> watch and free tickets to PoA and GoF from me, but not the 
directing 
> nod.
> 
> Cindy (who doesn't mean to be overly harsh, but it is always harsh 
> when you fire someone)