to think that the Harry Potter are timeless literature and the films are woefully miscast?

[LRDtheFeministDragon]

Inflammatory title to draw you in. I hope. I just fancied some HP chat.

I'm re-watching the films at the moment. Is it me or is there something old-ladyish about Alan Rickman's mouth? I realize I am thinking about this far too hard, and I know it's practically forbidden to speak ill of him on MN. But every time I see those films, I'm disappointed again that he just isn't as sexy as his voice.

I also think the Burrow looks all wrong to me. I love what they do with the reeds in the scene where Bellatrix taunts Harry and he and Ginny run after her. But I imagined the Burrow being rural and farmland-ish, with an overgrown garden around it - not plonked down in the middle of a marsh. Am I right?

What's your favourite bit of the films/books?

Casting of Madam Rosmerta gets on my tits. She was just wrong and I don't know why. She seemed too stage schooly or something

Oh, what didn't you like about the marsh scene, maryz? (Pleased to know your children are properly indoctrinated ).

I do think it contributes enormously to the 'Ginny is wetter than a wet thing', though. She dashes off after him; he ends up protecting her.

suffolk - yeah, I know, but, but ...

Hagrid works so perfectly. Couldn't they, I don't know, have made Alan Rickman shed a stone few pounds or done something less awful with his hair?

Ginny struggles to achieve a single facial expression through all seven films. Had she had botox or something? Junior botox?

Just re watching the film and re-reading the books with dd. I hate the way so much of the interesting and supporting details are missed in the films. And that they change so many bits that really they don't NEED to.
BUT still love the films as a stand alone.
Characters that worked for me in the film
Hermione
Ron (actually I loved all the weasleys, aside from Ginny on whom I will have to suspend judgement as we are only up to GOF so far and I can't remember the books before the films iyswim, I actually liked her in the last 3films though.)
Hagrid
Luna
Umbridge
Voldemort
Snape (though agree he is lacking something as the films go on)
McGonagall
Dobby
Bellatrix
Sirius
Lupin

None of the others really stood out either way except the Malfoys and the Dursleys, who were all shite.

Rainicorn- the tour is amazing isn't it? Literally breathtaking in parts. Despite being huge HP fans, we hadn't even planned our visit. Dd went and won a talent show thingy and the prize was tickets for my group of students I was accompanying to England.

I can also take or leave Dobby tbh.

The bits that always make me cry are: when Dumbledore gives Neville the points for standing up against his friends and when McGonagall and then Madame Pomfrey and then the whole school, hold their wands up when Dumbledore dies. But nothing as much as when JK says that thing about there always being a home at Hogwarts. I literally sob. Every bloody time.

Ian McKellen should have been Dumbledore . I don't know if he was ever considered but I suspect him being gandalf would be a factor .

I think the actress playing Ginny can act - there's a few nice bits between her and Hermione that work in the films, and in the books there's not so much of that.

I think she's badly scripted, partly.

Apparently Peter O'Toole was going to replace Harris but insuring him for the 6 films proved too expensive.

I wouldn't have thought of him but he definitely would have been better than Gambon.

I was never that bothered by Dobby until I saw the film adaptations.

When Hedwig dies in the book on the otherhand, oh there were tears

I LOVE GAMBON.

Hate Hedwig's death. UNNECESSARY.

Mmm, ok, maryz.

I do find it sort of pointless. Especially when the house seems to be fine by the start of the next film, not burnt to the ground. I don't mind a little bit of deliberately scary. But I wonder why they wrote it in.

I'm not a Dobby fan either.

I think some of the continuity between the films is confusing. Flitwick seemed to be old with a beard in the first film and later change to younger with dark hair. Hagrid's hut seems to change too, it's not on the side of a cliff to start with and then later on it is.

Why is insuring him expensive?

The mandrakes are brilliant.

And I'd probably even opt for bestiality if one of the centaurs asked nicely.

From OotP onwards, I'm pretty sure the directors hadn't actually bothered reading the book.

Not sure LRD perhaps his age at the time coupled with health issues? Probably health issues.

Ah, I see, didn't know about health. Thanks.

drank - you are utterly filthy.

Sadly, I bet I can find you something on the subject.

maryz - YY, Hedwig dying in the books was so sad. I found that much sadder than Dobby, book or film.

Maryz - Perhaps not!

drank, here, just for you. www.google.co.uk/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=harry+potter+fanfic+centaurs&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&gfe_rd=cr&ei=VLjeU7bzMM7H8ge5pICYAQ