Let it never be inferred that I am not an equal opportunist.
Seems as though my beloved ferociously disagrees with my take on the most recent Harry Potter film, and wanted an opportunity to decry my idiocy from the rooftops. How could I deny her the chance?
So please take a look after the jump at Lady Hatter's reasoning as to why I am wrong...and feel free to take a side. We're good like that.
My husband and I have very different taste in films. I should stress this: very different taste. I love light-hearted, joyful, magical films. He loves films that are so depressing they make you want to kill yourself. However, we usually agree and what is good and what is bad, even if it’s not our kind of movie.
This weekend though, we disagreed… and he’s wrong.
It’s no secret that I have an affinity for bad movies. A quick glance at my DVD collection will reveal some truly horrendous titles. However, I’m fully able to recognize and admit if a film I love is crap. HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS is NOT one of those films. I love this movie because it is good. Period. It’s not a guilty pleasure; just a good movie.
I saw this film twice within the first 24-hours of it’s release, and it only got better on the second viewing. I was utterly shocked when Hatter started picking it apart as soon at the bar afterward. And after writing his evil review, he’s lucky he wasn’t banished to the couch.
My blood really boiled when he said: “if they shaved ten seconds off every long establishing shot, they could have made the movie shorter or incorporated more storylines.” Now at this, the editor in me really wanted to slug him.
For those of you who don’t know, Hatter is a great lover of music. One of his favourite songs is "Gimme Shelter" by The Rolling Stones: Now, wouldn’t that song be so much better if they lowered the volume on the instruments so we could hear the lyrics better? What if they cut out all the guitars solos so there’d be more time for another verse?
In my opinion, film is visual music, with different pacing and movements forming the tone of the story. THE DEATHLY HALLOWS was beautiful music, and the best film in the Harry Potter series (so far).
I don’t want to go into too much detail about what I loved about the movie, as I fear many of the readers here have not yet seen the it based on Hatters misguided review. Yes, there are a couple moments that I could have lived without (silver body-paint), but overall this is a very good representation of the book.
As for Hatter’s complaint that the film doesn’t stand alone… I don’t think anyone went into this film expecting it to end with some sort of conclusion. This is not a full installment of the series: it’s only part one (it’s right there in the title).
Yes, you’ve been told half a story…get over it.
It’s just the first half of a story - and a very good first half at that.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Another State of Mind (Lady Hatter Weighs in on Potter)
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28 comments:
Great writing, Lady Hatter, and I agree with you!
By the way, I love both joyful and depressing films.
Totally don't agree with Lady Hatter on HP and Deathly Hallows. I think Maddie nailed pretty good why it doesn't stand on its own two feet!
But you are an insanely good writer! I can't even tell how much I enjoyed this post. As you have undertsood I was a huge fan of yours before this and even more so now.
I wish you would consider doing a weekly column on the Dark of the Matinee. If you don't like the company you are always welcome to Deny Everything (its not really a regular filmblog, more of a self promoting ranting place and clip holder) you are definitively the one writer I would do an exception for and have as a guest blogger because I normally want all the attention myself.
You tell him, Lady Hatter! Send him to that couch!
@ Lesya... Both joyful and depressing? You're the middle ground our relationship is looking for!
@ Joel... Keep the fanmail coming, perhaps she'll get behind a keyboard more often. Or perhaps I just need to antagonize her more by disagreeing with her on films she likes.
@ Nick... Don't help.
But the couch is like camping.
Wait Mad, if I read your comment right are you trying to recruit Lesya into some demented menage trois!? Run Lesya Run!
Oh and well said Lady Hatter (you can assume my following movements involve some variation of snapping, you go girlfriending, and the like) but unfortunately I'm (once again) stuck in the dire realm of middle of the road between the two extremes this film seems to have inspired.
LH, you gotta straighten this chap out. He's out of control.
Joyful is not this movie, though. This movie is fucking depressing. Which makes Mad Hatter's hatred all the more baffling.
Hello lady hatter! He..he.. I have my fair share of 'bad' movies on my dvd shelf too, but I totally agree this one doesn't belong in the guilty pleasure list! I don't know if it's the best of the series, but certainly not the worst.
Ahahaha... I love how you rip Hatter on his beloved Stones' song... I'm sure he was up in arms when he read that :D
VERY entertaining read, I echo everyone here, you're a gifted writer... you should definitely blog more often ;) (Of course this is not to say your hubby isn't a stellar writer himself).
BOOOOOOOOO!
Hatter - I gotta say, she makes a VERY convincing argument. From her appearance on your podcasts, I know she can clearly articulate why a bad movie is bad, even when she likes it and thus must also be able to articulate why she likes good movies and I think this proves it. I think it was a good movie. I think you both should listen to the Frankly My Dear podcast about HP7 because they do a good job discussing it. Hint, hint, do a special episode too!
Oooops. I meant to boo the other Harry Potter review. I take back this boo. I thought it was great.
@ Cheshire... Perhaps I'll complete the effect by turning our couch throw into an imprmptu lean-to.
@ Univarn... getting in touch with your inner Switzerland?
@ Simon... She's been trying to straighten me out for eight years, it ain't taking.
@ Ruth... You should have been there when she pulled the same 'ruined song' comment on "Sweet Child O' Mine" in the car on Saturday night. You're right though, she ius a very gifted writer, perhaps all this positive feedback will get her writing around here more often.
@ Jess... I'll have to double-back on the Frankly episode since I listened to their feedback and top five but skipped over the Potter chapter since I hadn't seen it yet.
I'm sure I'll get her back in the guest chair sooner or later: I'm open to suggestions, what sort of special episode are you looking for?
Gimme Shelter kicks ass.
Think I'll just leave it at that.
Hatter: Maybe Jess is referring to Matinee cast 18 about step it up 3D?
I was referring to the Step Up 3D episode, but perhaps about Harry Potter - though maybe that should wait until the second half comes out. Plan ahead to make Lady Hatter guest for that one. Definitely have her back before that, make her defend a bad movie again. I liked that.
I haven't seen Harry Potter yet but I can already tell that Mad Hatter's insolence must be punished! Why is he not allowing more Lady Hatter on this blog, I cannot comprehend. ]
The couch!
I echo everyone else in praising Lady Hatter's side of the argument, even though reading this does make me insanely jealous. If there were one thing I could change about my husband (that is such a loaded phrase) it would be to give him a passion for film that matches mine, so we could have posting wars on my blog when we disagree about movies.
@ Aiden... Here, here!
@ Jess & Joel... I'll keep that idea in mind for part 2, though highly doubt I'll be as dissatisfied with pt. 2 as I was with pt. 1
@ Castor... No couch for me so far. Know what's funny, I've offered here space on this blog many-a-time. She says that writing for her feels like a chore. But rest assured gang - whenever she wants to, she's welcome to express herself in this space.
@ Rachel... Gotta love the jealousy. And don't forget - I cook too!
Hatter: I know and its no fun when you both probably will love the two films combined. Its better when opinions are opposite.
I love the Drama Queen attitude. Can't help to think its really funny when she elbows herself into the discussion like she did in the Matinee cast where you discussed back to the future.
Oh, I remember well Hatter. But I can't complain too much. My husband is currently building me a new kitchen from scratch.
BTW, it is super foggy/misty here today. I got freaked out driving to work this morning. Thought you'd get a laugh out of that.
LOL, you guys~~~
Lady Hatter just whooped Hatter's butt. It made for a good short read. ;P
Her Rolling Stones statement has a point... I think.
I just want to know... Lady Hatter has seen all the movies, right? And Mad Hatter hasn't?
@ Rachel... I meanwhile am all thumbs where tools are concerned (I'm wicked-good at putting together IKEA furniture though!).
Hope the monsters in the fog played nice for you.
@ Amy... Actually I've seen every movie many times and read every book at least twice. I'm very well versed in this whole lexicon and still find this installment...lacking...as it stands.
The Lady wins this round in my eyes. You got served...
@ Fletch... Booo!
Listened to The LAMBcast last night where y'all were discussing this and it doesn't sound like you were all that nuts about it either.
My overall assessment of the film is probably pretty similar to yours, but I'm firmly in the "not rating this is a total cop out" camp. Did you abstain from rating Kill Bill (just pretend TDOTM was around back then). If it's released in theaters, it's a complete film worthy of rating; if you wish to dock it points for being an incomplete story, so be it.
if DOTM was around back then, KILL BILL v.1 would have scored quite high. (and if memory serves, last years when I did my decade list It made the top five of 2003).
the difference is that KBv1 ends. Even though it couldn't be whittled down to a proper runtime, it still had a natural breaking point...giving each volume structure.
Harry doesn't end...it just...stops.
They aren't telling me two stories...they're charging me double to hear one long story.
Long story short - WB never should have cut this in half.
I vehemently disagree. The films are called Kill Bill; Volume One does not end with Bill dying or any semblance thereof. It ends after a semi-climactic battle, all the while telling an altogether incomplete story...which is the same exact thing HP does. I'm curious to hear what others might think about this comparison - I don't see how they could be any more similar.
@ Fletch... That The Bride doesn't actually get to kill Bill in the first volume doesn't hold back the first film. (And by extension, the fact that Harry & Co haven't found/dealt with The deathly Hallows isn't what holds back HP7.1)
The KB story isn't over by the end of vol. 1, but with its more peak-and-valley story, it comes across like a natural place to stop. Harry on the other hand is a long, slow incline. By stopping it mid climb, you completely disrupt the audience's journey.
Oh, and KB also has much more leeway with the fact that it clocks in a full half-hour shorter.
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