Which Upcoming Movie Scene Absolutely, Positively *HAS* To Be Right for You?

[Jesta Hijinx]

No: HPFGUIDX 61178

Hi all:

I know we're counting down till shutdown, and launch of reading...

But I wanted to throw this out there real quick.

I was thinking of this while over at the exciting local laundromat, on my 
re-read of GoF today:

We talked some about "most vivid scenes" and "most moving scenes".  I have a 
slightly different spin on the scene theme, because of how some scenes in 
literature hit me.

It's historically been true that almost no movie is ever as good as the book 
it was made from.  :-)  The two media are just so different; I write, or try 
to, as my avocation, and writing a screenplay is *vastly* different from 
writing a novel if you understand the media.  (We'll ignore for a sec all 
the other garbage like writing for indies or mass appeal...)

HOWEVER :-):  there are some scenes in great books that are vivid overall 
that just cry out to me to be shown on screen.  Prime *screaming* example 
from HP:  any of the Quidditch games.  I couldn't believe some of my friends 
were fussing about the CGi on the stadium; I was just whooping like a little 
kid over actually getting to see the players *fly*, in 3-D, and see Wood do 
flips and blocks in mid-air.  I was less than enamored of the Potter-Malfoy 
podracing episode in CoS :-( and couldn't believe that the makers had 
actually responded to some viewers' complaints to 'slow it down' - it's 
supposed to be lightning fast, da**it!  :-)  (But then I watch hockey.)  
Reading about Quidditch kind of allows some visualization of the balls and 
such - it is *nothing* next to seeing all the players in motion at once.

So I was reading GoF, like I said, and I came across three of the scenes 
that, for me, just *have* to be nailed or I will be disappointed in the 
movie - I'd like others to think of theirs if they have them:

1)  The World Cup Quidditch Match.  This *has* to be blinding speed and full 
of dizzying aerobatics and near misses to work for me (the final aerial 
dogfight scene in 'Top Gun' is what I think of, with players spiralling 
upside down and people chasing the chasers at every second).  Among other 
things, I think the early part of GoF can be cut *much shorter* than many 
readers are thinking based sheerly on page length - a whole bunch of that, 
flipping between my "screenwriter template" and my "novelist template", can 
be "told" visually - that is, shown on panning shots or graphic art.  But 
the Quidditch Match itself has got to be absolutely dizzying - we should 
only catch understandable snippets through, anturally, the Omnioculars view 
the Trio has.

2)  *THE DRAGONS*.  i was reading this scene, and yeah - it's vivid as is.  
But I know that to work for me, those four dragons have each got to move 
uniquely and as if they were alive; their colors must be vivid, and I must 
get a strong sense of their power and fury.  Especially Harry's little 
Hungarian Horntail (side note:  got my nails done today - color I picked was 
O*P*I's 'Hungary for my Honey' in honor of HP and his Hungarian Horntail 
challenger):  that dragon comes across to me as a descendant or the magical 
mutation from a stegosaurus, with the spiked tail and lizard-like frame - 
the dragons have *got* to be right, and when we see them for the first time, 
it's got to be in such a way that it just sends chills down the arms of the 
viewer.

3)  "Accio Firebolt".  This is one that gives me shudders - the mounting 
curve of excitement from when Moody/Crouch Jr. gives Harry the key to work 
smarter, not harder; the feeling of "I think he's got it!" when he finally 
summons that dictionary at 2 a.m. (I note JKR didn't have Harry practice 
summoning the broom right then).  Then all the nerves the next day, then the 
feeling of dread and "can i do it" - the wonderful thrill I get when I even 
*read* "ACCIO FIREBOLT!" - the crowd going wild when they realize that the 
youngest has the most elegant solution - high concept, low tech - a 
relatively simple Summoning Charm and relying on oodles of natural talent - 
because Harry knows himself and he *doesn't really know dragons - and the 
sense of instant confidence and being in his natural element he gets as soon 
as he kicks off from the ground and goes for the golden egg - it's just like 
a big Snitch, after all, and he's a wonderful Seeker.  I can see Krum on the 
ground sort of smacking himself in the head and going "Now why didn't *I* 
think of that".  I simply *love* to watch good problem-solvers get it right 
on the page - I so love the moment when a lightbulb goes on for me, and I 
love it when that is well conveyed in books and movies.

So those are mine.  :-)

Felinia

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