COS Puppet Theatre and some Behind-the-Scenes COS pics

Haggridd <jkusalavagemd@yahoo.com> jkusalavagemd at yahoo.com
Tue Jan 7 03:01:16 UTC 2003


--- In HPFGU-Movie at yahoogroups.com, "heiditandy" <heidit at n...> wrote:

> 
> Since this is the movie list, though, let me make this post fully on
> topic by asking a question - those of you who came to the HP series 
and
> the fandom through the books - do you consider the films to be
> canonical, and if so, why?
> 
Heidi, I have posted before my deeply felt opinion that the movies, 
however entertaining, are not and cannot be canon.  They are 
derivative works, collaborative works in which JKR has not had 
complete creative control.  True, Columbus has tried to be faithful 
to the books-- though what that last scene in CoS was supposed to be 
is beyond me-- but all the creative choices that are absolutely 
necessary in order to make a three hour movies out of  books that 
would film for far longer if filmed page by page and word for word, 
perforce produce  different works from the books upon which they are 
based.

Even so, Columbus has shifted words from one character in the book to 
another, which profoundly changes our perceptions of each character 
and their respective personalities, and have had plot implications as 
well. The net effect of these dialogue changes have been to "simpify" 
the personalties into two-dimensional "types", which are not at all 
the rich complexities of character to be found in the book.

On the simple level of facts:  what is located where?  do the Malfoys 
sell dark magical objects in Knockturn Alley or not? was the snake 
from Brazil or from Burma? was it an Irish fellow or a Geek who gave 
Hagrid his "pet"?  which is true and which is not?  If the movies are 
canon, then we have ourselves a heresy forming, with two antithetical 
truths.  I see no practical alternative to havcing the books prevail 
in case of conflict, and if this be the case, the books are canon and 
the movies not.  Q.E.D.

Hagridd
"Beta Readers do it to perfection."







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