sundries

[rm]

I've not yet seen HBP, however, I've just learned the following: Apparently Snape's presence in the sectumsempra scene is almost nonexistent and the "Don't call me a coward" line has been cut. These are, arguably, two of the most critical moments of Snape's characterization in the series and the "Don't call me a coward" thing was intrinsic to everything the books claimed (and ultimately weren't) about. I've never been one to get very cranky about the book/movie differences, but this is a big blow for me.

In my ongoing processing of Torchwood: Children of Earth, I'd like to note the following two petty things: wow, I could listen to Voltaire's Come Sweet Death over and over and over again. It's been my morbid cheer me up song since CoE. Meanwhile, any day now, my tailor will write to tell me my shirts and new suit are done and she's shipping them out. And then a big box will show up at my office containing a three-piece pin-stripe suit. If you're going to wager I'm not going to cry when I open that up (even though my ordering it had nothing to do with Torchwood beyond Ianto Jones has good dress sense), you might as well just burn your money.

We're going to Boston tomorrow and I'm behind on EVERYTHING. More later.

Comments

[afterthree.livejournal.com]

Um, I'm really sorry if you were an unwilling victim of my malfunctioning cuts, by the way. It took me forever to fix it and the /cut tag kept jumping around all over the place. Apologies.

Spoiler Free

[newsbean.livejournal.com]

Yes, the handling of Snape was an enormous disappointment to me. I think the movie was deeply problematic on several levels and will be interested in your thoughts when you have them.

[rm.livejournal.com]

No worries. I don't actually care -- but I have a huge friends list and have gotten flamed for shit like this before, so I'm extra careful now. With book/movie stuff I really don't care. With big emotional stuff we don't know about yet, I prefer to experience it in the moment.

[spybarbie.livejournal.com]

In the end, this film isn't about Snape even though he is The Half-Blood Prince. People don't want to see the "bad" guy, or learn why he made the choices that he made - go in expecting that, and I don't think you'll be too disappointed.

I enjoyed the film, really. I think that it did was it was supposed to do - what Rowling wanted - it tells Harry's story, and labels the other people as either "good" or "bad," with no accounting for the choices life throws in front of some.

[upstart-crow.livejournal.com]

Re: HBP: OH CRAP NO.

[upstart-crow.livejournal.com]

I love Harry Potter, but this aspect of the books (and the films) has always troubled me.

[bodlon.livejournal.com]

Dear Potter film franchise: stop with the suck. Seriously. *sigh* I really liked that part.

Possibly no longer Spoiler Free

[isil-helyanwe.livejournal.com]

I would agree - especially considering the significance of his part in the book. The entire Half-Blood Price plotline is boiled down to about two scenes: Hermione worried about the Potions book and Snape telling he's the Prince, but not explaining its significance.

It's rather on par with PoA and how the Marauders' plotline just dwindled into non-existance without ever being explained.

Re: Possibly no longer Spoiler Free

[rm.livejournal.com]

The films have never respected that there can be a narrative about adults in a YA product.

[meirion.livejournal.com]

I managed to dare to cross the threshold of Charles Tyrwhitt to buy stuff for the first time today. I figure Ianto would have approved. Even if it was only to buy on-sale stuff. Still, I shall look like a proper Oxbridge gentleman on Sunday ;-)

(Still boggled that you might think of me often, hence no reply to previous comment. Do PM me if easier.)

the missing line

[habiliments.livejournal.com]

I think it's a huge blow for the series, also; how do we get to James Albus Severus Potter without the greater presence and history of Snape? How does Harry come to understand just what Snape had to do without that rare moment of emotional nakedness on Snape's part? I suspect there'll be some massive oversimplification where someone explains to Harry what Snape did, and ... it just won't mean as much.

Sigh.

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

Man... I've been really disappointed with the various HP movies, especially Snape. They get a bloody legend like Rickman to play him and they don't even allow him to have character, depth or effing lines.

I think I may need to start getting suits for myself... Ianto continues to inspire me.

Enjoy Boston!

[rm.livejournal.com]

If you're going to use someone so much older than the character -- you have to _use_ them -- which they really haven't. It's so irritating. So so so irritating. The tragedy of the Marauders' generation is that these were young men -- men my age at the end of the series, and it's just lost in the casting and script choices.

[svollga.livejournal.com]

"Don't call me a coward" line has been cut
I've seen it today (hope you won't be angry for this comment being just a little bit spoilery), and was really dissappointed by this fact - more so, because I've noticed the way they highlighted Snape's reaction to being called coward in the scene of Unbreakable Vow, so I was sure they will show it more prominently in the final - and they didn't!

Re: Prisoner of Azkaban:the Movie.

[stardragonca.livejournal.com]

Yes.

[rm.livejournal.com]

I'm fine with spoilers -- everyone else can proceed at their own risk!

[thunderemerald.livejournal.com]

I was hugely disappointed by the treatment of Snape (by the writer/director, NOT by Rickman, who always gives 150% no matter what he's given to work with) -- but it says a lot about my opinion of the movie that the "coward line" was the least of my problems with the movie, and with Snape.

GRRRRR.

[newsbean.livejournal.com]

This is quite true. In this case, it is quite detrimental though. How much of the story really makes sense without Snape being a large component? He should be the major foil here, and the lack of narrative actually leaves the movie a little confusing.

[afterthree.livejournal.com]

The tragedy of the Marauders' generation is that these were young men -- men my age at the end of the series, and it's just lost in the casting and script choices.

Yes. This.

The casting of the older actors as these comparatively young characters has always bothered me, right from that first photograph of James and Lily. It makes the first war feel much farther away, when in reality the time span is less than Harry's age. Some of these wounds should still be fresh, or should at least re-open easier.

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

Couldn't agree more. As I was reading the books (12-22 years old, yeah I'm a baby) my older sisters were the same age as the older character so I could see in my mind what they would sort of look like.

But dude, in the films! They just do not Get It! At all.
The only one that kind of pulled it off was David Thewlis, who managed to create that miasma of disease that Lycanthropy feels like to Lupin. Apparently Alfonso Cuaren [sp?] told Thewlis to play Lupin sick and gay, which I thought was perfect as he (and Tonks) are two of the clearly (at least, imo) marked queer characters in the series. Which is why JKR gave them a Lavender Marriage.

It's just lost in the casting and script choices.

[stardragonca.livejournal.com]

Completely. Rickman could have pulled it off-if they'd told him to do it that way!

[rm.livejournal.com]

I totally agree about THewlis's performance. I never even really read Lupin as queer (as many others hand) until I saw the film, and I was like "ooooh, this is smart."

[laufeyette.livejournal.com]

Snape is a virtual non-presence, which is so disappointing because the scenes he did appear in were bloody fantastic. It's almost like the screenwriter forgets about his storyline altogether, throwing in a single line at the end to explain the title.

I will say that having never been a Malfoy fan, and for his having such a reduced role in the last bunch of films, Tom Felton stole this movie for me. His scenes are by far the most gripping and visually appealing.

[afterthree.livejournal.com]

I agree about Felton. He did very, VERY well in this movie.

[thunderemerald.livejournal.com]

Yes to this. The Marauder-era characters are DEFINED by their ages. They all had to grow up so fast, and so much of their present lives are defined by their past lives, that it's supposed to be shocking when you realize how young they are. Snape fucked up early in life, and has spent every moment since then (a) trying to atone for it with actions, and (b) failing to atone for it with words. Sirius made a mistake born of carelessness, and because he lost most of his life in prison as a result, he spends his "free" years as a grown-up who sort of thinks he's a kid. Remus lost everything when he was barely out of school, and became the Sad Lonely Old Man Whose Friends Have All Died way before his time. All of these play into character types that you usually see in much older people, and the tragedy, as you said, is that they're NOT. So when you cast older, it's not as poignant.

Um... in other words, IAWTC. :)

[thunderemerald.livejournal.com]

Agreed re: Felton. And I have NEVER given two shits about Draco before this movie.

[cruentum.livejournal.com]

I haven't been in HP fandom in way too long but THEY CUT THAT FUCKING LINE?! What the hell. That was like ... THE line. Geez

[norda.livejournal.com]

I'll be e-mailing you in the next few days, but it can wait until after you and Patty get back from Boston.

Enjoy your trip!

[rm.livejournal.com]

I am intrigued... I shall keep my eyes open!

[dskasak.livejournal.com]

Do you think that the lack of Snape's presence in the theater release will be rectified when the movie is released on DVD? I've avoided seeing most of the HP films until they've been released for the home market, as I learned from CoS that it's better to be patient than to rush into the moviehouse and see an "incomplete" film.

[rm.livejournal.com]

No, because I think the films have chosen to tell a story that is divergent from the books, but utlimately in keeping with the story it turns out JKR was really telling based on her choices in Book 7. It's not a story about underdogs and the bullied -- if it were, the movies would include Snape and the books would have ultimately made Snape something other than an aexual stalker.

Hi, I'm slightly bitter, but most of the material people want re: Snape was never shot.

[coyotegoth.livejournal.com]

In a way, they've gotten a bit better about this: Rickman plays up Snape's weariness and sense of obligation, while Snape's snaping with Harry is almost entirely absent.

[julesndairyland.livejournal.com]

Those omissions were just another part in the HUGE divergence that this movie took from the book.
I am still processing this, trying to figure out and assess my need/desire for pure & literal translation from book to screen vs. sell out to the brainless teenie bobber fangirl franchise...

I think my annoyance at 'sell out' may be winning.

[smirnoffmule.livejournal.com]

Literally just walked in from HBP. Aesthetically, I really liked the tower scene... but the set up was a little odd. For one thing there's an enormous stonking clue about Snape's true allegiance which Harry looks a dolt for missing, and then yeah, the scene where Snape leaves with the Death Eaters - really understated, but not in a terribly effective way. All in all, it was a satisfying sit-through, and all the cast gave stonking performances - even Rupert Grint, who I usually hate, was actually funny this time. But yeah, that last scene. Could do better.

[smirnoffmule.livejournal.com]

Tonks, as well as being entirely hot, can also presumably change her gender appearance at will. I think this is a relationship with boundless possibilities. Also, I would really really like to marry her too.

Re: Spoiler Free

[oncomingscone.livejournal.com]

I second that. Looking forward to your response and biting my tongue till then.

[sirenprincess]

I agree wholeheartedly about the importance of "Don't call me a coward." I consider it THE most critical line of the entire book. I was devastated by the escape scene. Alan Rickman could have done such an amazing job with the emotions of that scene, if only they would have let him. I will always see it perfectly in my head.

I was also VERY disappointed by sectumsempra and the entire bathroom scene, but more from a Draco perspective. I think it suffered because of the PG rating. I thought Snape was okay in that scene, but it was everything right after that--the importance of the spell, him realizing what Harry had done, etc that was missing. The entirety of the importance of the half-blood prince was missing. It was a total failure on those parts.

Alan Rickman did do a GREAT job with the scenes they did let him do. His acting saved the movie for me, but it is missing SO much.

I'd be interested in seeing what you have to say after seeing it. My review is on my journal.

SirenPrincess, Robin, one of the blondes from Dragon*Con

[woogledesigns.livejournal.com]

processing of Torchwood

I hate that term. Processing into what?

[woogledesigns.livejournal.com]

Also I kinda liked that Ianto and I had the same dress sense. Now I wear purple shirts and ties alone. Sigh.

[sunnysky.livejournal.com]

i will say, though, with regard to HBP, that i was pleasantly surprised to see Draco's role beefed up a bit, & he actually had, wait for it, depth & characterization!! it's not the most perfect of movies, but i think they got many, many things right. :)