The Harry Potter Phenomenon.....

[RedBrian84]

....is drawing to a close (at least in the films and books, not the theme park. Rowling is a clever rich bint), the trailer for the new film(s) is now out.

 

Where does everyone on here stand with it? Are you glad it's coming to a close, and by next July it'll be off our screens for good, or are you a fan and are really looking forward to the finales?

 

It's been a phenomenon and no mistake, whatever your personal opinion of it. Personally I enjoy the films and the books. The films have mirrored the books in the sense that they were very 'kiddie' to begin with and as the main trio have grown up, so have the storylines.

 

The films have generally been watchable but not as good as the books (as in most cases really), but these two final films really need to be something special in order to go out with a bang in my opinion.

 

The two-film split is an obvious money spinner, although it really would have been a challenge to put the final book into one film and not risk ruining it. From reading the book it promises to be a belter though, plenty of death and destruction and flying brooms and hormones to go with it.

 

Just interested to know people's thoughts?

[Joe Le Taxi]

They always miss and distort things in the films. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. I do like it though.

 

[Charles Penrose]

I've read all of them but it wasn't really by choice at the time. I started reading them to my little brother in the days after my mum died, and they were an excellent distraction for him to be honest. At that time the first four were out. They were never something I would have picked up and read myself but they are very well written with well thought out plots. If i'm honest had my brother told me to fuck off after the first few i'd have carried on regardless.

[Trumo]

I've never read the books or seen the films. It just doesn't interest me. My brother, however, has all the books and has seen all the films. He even has spin-off books!

[RedBrian84]

The trailer depicts it as the finale to the 'motion picture event of a generation'. Pretty hard to argue with that really; seems as though the films and books have been around for a fair old chunk of my lifetime, I was 14 when the first book was published and I wasn't really into it at that point, it took my little brother to convince me to read books one and two and I was reasonably impressed. I'm used to much heavier fare, usually historical fiction, but i was pleasantly surprised by the storyline, the ideas and the themes of the series. I've enjoyed all of the films, not least because the cast list reads like a who's who of British acting. The main characters have grown into their roles (so much so it may be hard for them to ever leave them behind as far as their careers are concerned) and have got better in their acting duties.

 

Alan Rickman is the scene and film stealer for me whenever he's on screen. He's brilliant.

 

I really hope these two films do the books and the series justice; it would be a real shame to end on a bum note.

[Lee909]

films generaly ruin books,Lord of the rings was not bad nothing on the books though.

One of the reasons im glad Druss was never made into a film

[Thants]

Never read the books as they're, you know, for kids. I did however unfortunately watch 1 & 2 films which were very dreadful. The 3rd was pretty good and dark but havent bothered with the rest.

[Karl_b]

I don't have a problem with the books albeit I'll never read them as it just doesn't appeal to me; they've gotten plenty of kids reading who may not otherwise have done so too. The films seem pretty decent entertainment although I've not seen one all the way through.

 

They hype amuses me, with adults dressed as Harry Potter outside Waterstones at midnight to queue for the book, seems a bit odd to me. I absolutely cannot stand JK Rowling however, ever since she was on Jonathan Ross and pretty much proclaimed herself as the greatest author that ever lived. I believe she said something along the lines of '...nobody has ever written a fantasy story of this magnitude before.' Yeah, because Tolkein didn't create a whole universe and language or anything like that did he?

[melons]

They always miss and distort things in the films. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. I do like it though.

 

 

you know, you're lucky you're barely pubescent to get away with that picture.

 

 

 

Loved the books, not so sure on the films although they are well done. I think the best thing is leaving a substantial amount of time between reading the book and watching the film or your waiting for bits to show that clearly they haven't got time for in a film.

 

Where are they splitting this film into the two sections? As they leave school?

 

I would prefer like i did with matrix, to leave the film and watch it the day before the last one comes out, however the number of people putting out spoilers will be too much to miss, so may aswell go and see it.

[RedBrian84]

you know, you're lucky you're barely pubescent to get away with that picture.

 

 

 

Loved the books, not so sure on the films although they are well done. I think the best thing is leaving a substantial amount of time between reading the book and watching the film or your waiting for bits to show that clearly they haven't got time for in a film.

 

Where are they splitting this film into the two sections? As they leave school?

 

I would prefer like i did with matrix, to leave the film and watch it the day before the last one comes out, however the number of people putting out spoilers will be too much to miss, so may aswell go and see it.

 

I'm not too sure about this to be honest. Hogwarts is under the control of Voldermort and his lot for much of the book and it looks as though the film is following suit. The most logical place from what I can see would be where Harry learns about the Deathly Hallows.

[melons]

I'm not too sure about this to be honest. Hogwarts is under the control of Voldermort and his lot for much of the book and it looks as though the film is following suit. The most logical place from what I can see would be where Harry learns about the Deathly Hallows.

 

Surely that would make the latter film a hell of allot longer then the first?

 

(it's been years since i read it, mind)

[RedBrian84]

Surely that would make the latter film a hell of allot longer then the first?

 

(it's been years since i read it, mind)

 

True, true. I was thinking of a sort of cliffhanger, or 'what we have to do next' kind of scene. I'm at a loss, it's been years since I read it myself! Can't find any info on it as yet either.

[Joe Le Taxi]

you know, you're lucky you're barely pubescent to get away with that picture.

 

 

 

Loved the books, not so sure on the films although they are well done. I think the best thing is leaving a substantial amount of time between reading the book and watching the film or your waiting for bits to show that clearly they haven't got time for in a film.

 

Where are they splitting this film into the two sections? As they leave school?

 

I would prefer like i did with matrix, to leave the film and watch it the day before the last one comes out, however the number of people putting out spoilers will be too much to miss, so may aswell go and see it.

 

I fancied her since the first film...

 

I have known for quite some time I am going to hell. Might as well make it interesting.

[Faustus]

I read the first four books when I was younger to see what all the fuss was about and realised that they weren't really my cup of tea so I haven't checked any of the other ones out since then, nor do I have any desire to.

 

To be honest though, I think anything that gets kids into reading is great, so I suppose I've got a great deal of respect for JK Rowling in that sense.

 

I think it's a bit weird though when you see adults who are seriously into it though!

[RedBrian84]

I read the first four books when I was younger to see what all the fuss was about and realised that they weren't really my cup of tea so I haven't checked any of the other ones out since then, nor do I have any desire to.

 

To be honest though, I think anything that gets kids into reading is great, so I suppose I've got a great deal of respect for JK Rowling in that sense.

 

I think it's a bit weird though when you see adults who are seriously into it though!

 

Fully agree mate, fully agree. Speaking as a teacher the amount of kids who scoff at reading for pleasure is unbelievable.

 

Rowling is definitely deserving of any praise coming her way in that regard.

[RedKnight]

Read three of the books and seen all of the films, they're decent fantasy films and if kids like them then who are we to judge? Like Faustus said, anything that gets children reading on their own terms can't be that bad.

[Section_31]

Rowling strikes me as a Peter Kay figure, someone whose lauded as a breath of fresh air but who has in fact merely taken snippets of countless other peoples' material and repackaged it in a simple to use format. Just as Kay is basically every northern comic since time immemorial rebranded, so is the Harry Potter series like virtually dozens of children's fantasy books I was subjected to in school.

[Elmyn Noos]

I'd stick my wand in that Hermione's quiditch.

[Whelan]

I really enjoyed reading them! In fact I would go as far as saying I loved reading them.

 

Books are not for children if they are enjoyed by adults, they are just good books!

 

Most males of a certain age, bang on and on about a two fucking robots (one who is obviously a gaybot), a seven foot carpet, a virgin in a white blouse, a seven foot talking black dildo, an adopted princess with no tits, and a load of midgets dressed up as teddy bears!

 

Technically I would say Start Wars is a kids film! Still fucking love it though.

 

The whole series, is reminiscent of childhood and plays to that side of adulthood rather than being specifically for children!

 

The Gruffello books are for children, in much the same way as Andy McNab books are for rapists!

[Lee909]

Will the books be read in 40/50 years time?, that is the big question as wether they are truely great books or a season that came out at the right time.

I have not read them myself,watched the interview on Jonathn Ross were she said few peoplw would understand what it was like finishing such a long series of books"

As good as they are or not i cant see how they can be anywere near as in depth as Tolkien, or if you only want to use books based for kids and adults the fiction that runs with Games Workshops Warhammer 40,000

 

but as has been said anything that gets kids reading can only be a good thing

[Whelan]

The Lord of the Rings are fucking terribly written books! The imagination is what has carried them along all these years, fucking three pages to essentially say 'Hi i'm Legolas!' and 'Hi i'm Gimli!'

 

Nobody is claiming that they are 'Great Books' they clearly aren't, but they are very very entertaining!

 

And far more thought provoking and intelligent than anything that Dan fucking Brown has ever written! (I say written, copy and pasted would be more apt)

[RedBrian84]

The Lord of the Rings are fucking terribly written books! The imagination is what has carried them along all these years, fucking three pages to essentially say 'Hi i'm Legolas!' and 'Hi i'm Gimli!'

 

Nobody is claiming that they are 'Great Books' they clearly aren't, but they are very very entertaining!

 

And far more thought provoking and intelligent than anything that Dan fucking Brown has ever written! (I say written, copy and pasted would be more apt)

 

I wouldn't call the LOTR books "terribly written", more they are not conventionally written. Ultimately they were written by a linguist rather than a literary scholar and Tolkien intended the books to read more as a history rather than a piece of fiction. And after all, the man was Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford, he knew his onions.

[Whelan]

I wouldn't call the LOTR books "terribly written", more they are not conventionally written. Ultimately they were written by a linguist rather than a literary scholar and Tolkien intended the books to read more as a history rather than a piece of fiction. And after all, the man was Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford, he knew his onions.

 

Hmmm, not sure I agree, I think you have a point about the linguist, that probably does explain the style, never knew that about him!

But I think his Professorship is irrelevant in a literary capacity really.

 

And I am not sure what his knowlege of root vegetables has to do with anything!

 

I mean, who the fuck breaks into song when you have just met someone! I would have just stood there, mute with embarrassment thinking 'What the fuck! I only said hello, welcome to Rohieran and he burst into fucking song!'

 

The pointy eared poof!

[Sparky]

A million times more palatable than the fucking Twilight phenomenon...

[Lee909]

Tolkien lord of the rings was written as he wanted to develop a mythology like Beowulf or King Arthur.

England has no myth of our own they are rehashes of other nations myths.

Tolkien created languages and a history the lord of the rings is just the most famous of them thats all.

Its a history book really,all be it a made up one.

would it get past a publisher these days probaly not,its not a easy read,but the story and amount of work it contains are out of this world.

Lord of the rings has sold 150ml copies,the hobbit another 100ml,Tolkien was also very good firends with the Britains and Irelands fantasy writer C.S Lewis.

The words C.S Lewis used to describe the book "here are beauties which pierce like swords or burn like cold iron. Here is a book which will break your heart."

If anyone doesnt know C.S Lewis is the author of The Chronicles of Narnia