PoA MOVIE DISCUSSION.

[Carol]

zanooda wrote:
> 
> In the books shrunken heads are considered Dark Objects. They are sold in Knockturn Alley, and in HBP one such head was confiscated (as a Dark Object!!) from Crabbe (or Goyle?) when he attempted to bring it to school. So I would agree with Carol - I can't imagine those horrors hanging (and talking!!!!) at the Three Broomsticks or on the Knight Bus, sorry :-). 
> 
> Next, Tom the Barman certainly couldn't change this much in just two years :-), so this is also not something that "could" be in the book. What was the point of changing him? What was the point of changing Flitwick? Just to show how original he (Cuaron, not Flitwick :-)) was, I suppose :-). 

Carol responds:
Agreed on all counts.
> 
> As for the toy trains - I didn't notice them much, somehow :-). They are OK, Carol, I guess. I don't think they are *really* electrical ... :-).

Carol responds:

I agree that they're probably not electrical, but how is a filmgoer who hasn't read the books supposed to know that? It looks as if Wizards use candles (and Lumos) for lighting but electricity for (seemingly) electric trains and Victrolas, both Muggle inventions. The vintage "electric" train, the adult Wizard's clothes (with notable exceptions, such as DD and McGonagall) seems to date from approximately the same era, early twentieth century. (Snape's clothing looks vaguely like that of a nineteenth-century cleric). Essentially, the Witches and Wizards look like out-of-date Muggles with wands. The kids' modern Muggle clothes (I can't tell 1990s fashions from 2000s, but they wouldn't look out of place in a shopping mall today) don't fit with anything in either the books or the earlier filmas. Maybe the idea was to help young viewers relate to the Wizarding kids, but that was never a problem regardless of how HRH and their contemporaries dressed.

Again, I can live with the school uniforms, with Hermione in a pleated skirt and the boys in trousers (I'd say "pants," but that word has the wrong connotation for British listees) during non-school hours, but to suddenly introduce modern Muggle clothing for kids who didn't wear them in previous films, especially kids like Draco whose parents look down on Muggles, is just annoying. To me, that is. I realize that not everyone shares my views and that you can't argue feelings or emotional reactions.

Carol, who enjoyed rewatching PoA even though the same old flaws (IMO), gaps, and inconsistencies jumped out at her yet again this time around