Comments on: Please click on this article, it features a picture from the new Harry Potter film

By: nickws

nickws — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 17:44:28 +0000

a fourteen-year long exercise with a now 31-year-old playing a 17-year-old

Heh, I’m not a fan of & have never consumed either movies or books, but I know that the books came out circa ‘97, the first movie ‘01, and that Daniel Radcliffe is not 31. No googling required, just a little non-Pedro mathematical skilz.

By: John Surname

John Surname — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 12:46:53 +0000

Thanks Jeremy, your response proved my point.

By: Idlaviv

Idlaviv — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 06:31:10 +0000

I was very surprised when I saw that Schembri didn’t pen it.

By: Pedro

Pedro — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 06:29:02 +0000

I think she addresses why she doesn’t like Harry Potter faithfully enough. She says it’s been a fourteen-year long exercise with a now 31-year-old playing a 17-year-old, and Rowling’s final book is being milked out.

It’s sort of like way back when and moviegoers were expected to believe a bunch of 60-somethings were still in command of the starship Enterprise.

I agree with Surname. Jeremy’s acting all precious because someone dared knock his hero.

By: kyneton

kyneton — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 06:08:34 +0000

Well the article was about the spell Harry has over his audience not an analysis of the stories as they relate to humanities complexities. Harry Potter is like the literary equivalent of McDonalds. Okay maybe once a year but shouldnt be a great part of your diet. J.K. Rowling is a huge hypocrite. She used to come out publicly with her stance against children playing video games instead of reading books, and used to say this would damage education standards and the like. But all this changed when they started making Harry Potter themed video games for the current console generations which then sold like hotcakes. She never makes those kinds of statements publicly anymore. Clearly she is just in it for $$$. These films are just expolitative no matter how you look at them. Theyre like the equivalent of some EA sports franchises with yearly updates. No gameplay changes, mostly cosmetic graphical upgrades. Personally I cant stand the damn films and yes I have seen most, and think they just lack any redeeming cinematic features at all. They just grind on with no real appreciation of pacing or subtle characterisation. The filmakers know they dont have to really bother with anything resembling good film making, as they success of the franchise is basically assured due to the mindless nature of the cinema going public, who proceed to the cinema like lemmings after release date. A bad review of a Potter film seems hardly to even matter, to anyone. Its all about the Box Office return.

By: skeptic

skeptic — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 05:25:54 +0000

A couple of things:

1. earlier I wrote that I read this article on the tram – this is clearly incorrect because the piece is not in the print edition. I must have read it on line and then when I saw this post confused which article I read and where. mea culpa.

2. I’d disagree with Surname’s claim that Right from the headline it was pretty clear about what kind of piece it was going to be because
a) the link from the home page says Boy wizard lost his spell years ago,

b)and again at the start of the article saysThe magic went out of the boy wizard many years ago, writes Bryony Gordon.

From this I assumed, wrongly, that it would be a critical analysis of the film franchise that was once good but has now “lost its spell”. But it would appear the author doesn’t like and never did like the films.

By: Jeremy Sear

Jeremy Sear — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 05:10:56 +0000

“I feel your dislike of this article has more to do with the fact it takes the piss out of adult fans. Like you.”

Thanks, John, but no – I don’t see myself in her criticism at all. Come to think of it, I do see a little bit of you in her, though.

By: GavinM

GavinM — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 05:01:08 +0000

Oops should of course read “bitter and twisted” — no ants in sight I don’t think…

By: GavinM

GavinM — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 04:59:36 +0000

Reading the article I get the impression that poor Bryony is rather a bitter ant twisted individual with no small amount of jealousy towards J.K. Rowling thrown in, I can’t help but wonder if she is a wannabe writer who had a book rejected at some stage.

By: John Surname

John Surname — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 04:31:52 +0000

“That’s what this piece implied it was going to do – and then didn’t.”

No it didn’t. Right from the headline it was pretty clear about what kind of piece it was going to be. I feel your dislike of this article has more to do with the fact it takes the piss out of adult fans. Like you.