Movies are not Books (very slight PoA movie spoilers towards end)

[annemehr]

Hey, a post I can respond to without having seen the movie yet!

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at yahoogroups.com, eloiseherisson at a... wrote:
> I'm one of those people who has a problem with film adaptations of
books.  
> Books reign sovereign, they are the *real* version of the story and
I hate  
> alterations.

Annemehr:
I have similar thoughts.  The books *are* the real deal. Movies have
to be different, because they're movies, though some of the changes
seem just wrong to me.  That said, I do enjoy watching the HP movies.
 I think it's because, for the scenes that work, I very much enjoy
seeing them literally fleshed out. Some of the magic of the books is
really there.

<huge snip of things I agree with, or 'cos I haven't seen PoA yet>


> BTW, there was a reference in this Week's _Big Issue_ to Warner having  
> confirmed that there will be an entirly new cast for OoP. Is that
right? Please  
> tell me it's not.
>  
> ~Eloise

Annemehr:
Can't tell you one way or the other, I'm afraid (note to self: check
Leaky).

I can't say I ever had much confidence that they would successfully
film the whole series.  From the beginning, they haven't taken the
time to flesh out some aspects that I'm sure will be important later
on -- the nature of Harry's scar most importantly.

In PS/SS, Harry nearly died in his struggle with Quirrell. Why? All he
was doing was hanging on to Quirrell's arm; yet Dumbledore said "the
effort involved nearly killed you."  I think it was the pain in his
scar, and perhaps some additional effect of it weakening him, that did
it.  But there was no effort made (or perhaps no good way) to show
that in the first movie.  For all a non-reader knows, all Harry gets
is a twinge. This is one thing I imagine may cause problems later on.

There is also the fact that it would indeed be a major feat to hold
the cast of main characters together for seven movies.  The teens,
especially, should do what seems best for themselves, and I for one
have no idea whether that would be staying on or leaving.

Finally, Jo makes no apology for the fact that her story is going to
go wherever it goes, even if only six readers are left at the end (me
and five others, then). I wonder if WB is going to have a problem
keeping to even the spirit of the books?  Are some viewers and
reviewers going to balk at that quill of Umbridge's?

Annemehr