Prisoner of Azkaban snippet

[quesarah]

Dude, this cast rocks. I'm looking forward to seeing the film. :)

"Among the adults returning in their roles are sinister Professor Snape (Alan Rickman), loveable giant Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane) and protective Professor McGonagall (Maggie Smith). Michael Gambon takes over the role of wise headmaster Dumbledore from the late Richard Harris.

Continuing the tradition of using the best of Britain's acting corps, new faces in "Azkaban" include Emma Thompson (Professor Trelawney), David Thewlis (Professor Lupin) and Gary Oldman (Sirius Black)."

Comments

[ewokgirl.livejournal.com]

I'm still not convinced that Gary Oldman is the right person to play Sirius Black. I love Gary Oldman, but I really pictured someone darker and more intimidating in that role.

I'm really excited about Emma Thompson as Prof. Trelawney, though. That is fabulous!

[biogeekgrrl.livejournal.com]

Gary can be dark and intimidating; I just don't know if he's the right kind of dark and intimidating. What I mean is Gary will probably turn in a fantastic performance as a sort of over the top Sirius, but I imagine the character as being a little bit gritty and realistic.

And Emma! Whee! I have high hopes for her Prof. Trelawney.

[gonzo21.livejournal.com]

I still haven't seen the second movie. Is it any good?

[biogeekgrrl.livejournal.com]

It's okay; not engrossing. Ther's lots of stuff that could and should have been edited to make a better film. (I have a major aversion to Chris Columbus' directing.)

I'm hoping for better things as the 3rd film has a different director, faster pacing, and a more charged plot.

But mostly, Emma Thompson just makes me happy. The prospect of Emma Thompson as Professor Trelawney makes me giggle.

[gonzo21.livejournal.com]

Funny you should mention the direction. There was an article in the Scotsman this morning about the directors of Harry Potter, and how it could all have been done so much better.

Did you know that JKRowlings first choice for director was actually Terry Gilliam? Which, would have made for a quite different first couple of movies.

But yes, I've heard that this third film does benefit significantly from having a different director, and from managing to break free from a direct scene by scene transliteration of the novel.

[biogeekgrrl.livejournal.com]

Did you know that JKRowlings first choice for director was actually Terry Gilliam? Which, would have made for a quite different first couple of movies.

Now that would've been really interesting. I wish I had a portal that would let me see those movies.

[gonzo21.livejournal.com]

Mhmm, very interesting indeed. Except with the budget of the film being what it was, I shudder to think what sort of numbers Gilliam could have racked up with his penchant for horrific budget-overspends :)

Apaprently Spielberg was on the cards for Azkeban, which, very pleased he didn't get it.

Oh, and Mike Newell, director of 4 weddings and a funeral, has apparently been confirmed as the director of the next Potter movie. So the tendency towards using dependable boring conservative directors seems to be set.

And off on a tangent, how's your weekend been so far?

[biogeekgrrl.livejournal.com]

Oh, and Mike Newell, director of 4 weddings and a funeral, has apparently been confirmed as the director of the next Potter movie.

::sigh::

I s'pose it could be worse. Although it could be much, much better. Why are the studio execs so set on playing it safe?

[gonzo21.livejournal.com]

Because it's far less important to make good movies and a lot of money, than it is to absolutely avoid the risk of ever ever losing a single penny because they have shareholders to report to and the merest sign of weakness means they'll be out of there.

Apparently the same thing is happening in the book world too, publishers are only prepared to publish things that they already know will sell.

[biogeekgrrl.livejournal.com]

One could argue the same thing is happening in the music industry, too.

Of course, my geekiness contemplated that sort of categorization and then loped off on a tangent about how our little monkey brains like to find patterns and define groups; and how that is a terribly useful skill in the wild, not to mention in developing wee primate younguns; and then some bits of information T's told me about language and cognitive ability came burbling up; and how the hell did I get here from Harry Potter anyway?

Clearly, I need a vacation. ::sigh::

[gonzo21.livejournal.com]

So it's happening to films, television, books, music... I was speaking to an architect the other day, and he reckoned nobody really wanted to build anything exciting and different anymore, they were all afraid of standing out from the pack...

Could we, as societies, be reacting to all of the fear and loathign around us, by becoming basically more promitive, and retreating to these monkey-brain pattern-defining group dynamics that you mention?

Which will make it even more difficult for the people who don't quite fit in.

[biogeekgrrl.livejournal.com]

It's the politics of fear: the world is a scary place (or so we are daily told) so we react in the way that nature and evolution programmed us; we retreat to our groups of "same" and regard any interlopers or "others" as potentially hostile.

When my government makes a decision that I feel is remarkably stupid, I simply picture them as a group of chimpanzees in the forest and their behavior immediately makes more sense.

Of course, the chimps are handsomer.

[gonzo21.livejournal.com]

~Imagines picturing the house of commons as a forest~

Shit. You're right. That works! That works terrifyingly well!

This scares me. It shouldn't. But it does.

[biogeekgrrl.livejournal.com]

Shit. You're right. That works! That works terrifyingly well!

*nods sagely*

This scares me. It shouldn't. But it does.

We're all just gibbering monkeys, Sime. Let it neither frighten nor comfort you; it simply is.

[gonzo21.livejournal.com]

But. But. But.

We should be better than that.

[biogeekgrrl.livejournal.com]

As individuals, I agree. As a species, I'm not sure we'll ever really transcend our baser impulses and instincts. I don't think that negates any individual accomplishments. It just sets the baseline.