Calavera Diablos
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Draws grown men wearing underpants outside their trousers
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Post by Calavera Diablos on Jun 13, 2004 18:55:51 GMT -5
Cally, I thought of you during the transformation scene, because I was thinking about how much you'd hate it Isn't there a sort of intermediate form between wolf and person that werewolves are able to take in some mythologies? Maybe we could rationalise it that way Yup, there is a Demi-Human form that Werewolves can take. I just expected the Weres in the HP Universe to be more like a larger wolf. Since they had gone with the Demi-Human wolf look, I guess props to them for making him look really freaky? I expected a half-man half-wolf to be a little more muscular and capable of walking on both hind and four legs. Those arms! Guh! Later I started cracking up with a friend because Lupin's wolf form looked like it was bald in some scenes. I loved the talking heads... but I have no idea where they came from? That just leads me to my final post-post-film observation: overwhelmingly, I loved that all kinds of crazy stuff was going on in every single scene, but the kids were so matter-of-fact about it. Pair of headless horsemen running through study hall? Seen it. *yawn* Talking shrunken heads? Annoying, but ignoreable. There was just so much in every shot, so much that made me feel... an overwhelming sense of wonder, of fantasy, that I didn't feel in the Columbus films. It made me fall in love with the films again. I loved seeing the ghosts and the crashing through the window scenes! Everytime I saw that, I looked over at Fox and was like "Damn ghosts..." I'd imagine that you'd become used to their presence in the castle, but every now and then they'd surprise you and you'd be more annoyed than anything. Kind of like having rambunctious cats or little kids running around in an office. I loved seeing the one Gryffindor boy freak out when he passed through a ghost. I felt the same way about the shrunken heads. I was surprised, but they didn't really bother me that much. I kind of forgot about them. I remember someone talking about Sir Cadogen, I got really hyper and excited when I saw him! He's got to be my favourite extra character. I was dissapointed later because I expected to see more of him in the film, using really silly riddles and brandishing his sword at students and the like. I liked the Whomping Willow's revamp. Earlier, it looked like a really ugly tree with bulbous tumors or insect nests, but in this film it actually resembled a willow. It had long, entwining root-like branches, like a cypress. I thought that was cool. Wait, wasn't there a knot on the tree you had to prod that would make it stop hitting you enough to sneak in the passageway under it? I think that was in the book, but it wasn't in the movie. I thought the sexy saxophone music for DragQueen!Snape was hilarious. As Fox would say "Look at me with my sexy red handbag! You like my stuffed vulture, eh big boy?" After seeing the movie, Fox and I wandered around the mall for awhile and I found this great short sleeve button up shirt. It's dark gray and resembles a Prison uniform; it has "Sirius Black" over the right breast pocket, his number (complete with rune symbols) on the left and "Azkaban" on the back in faded white block letters. I've been wearing the shirt almost every day now (I am the biggest geek in the entire universe).
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S.S Tigress
Slytherin Alumni
Shots in the dark from empty guns, never heard by anyone
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Post by S.S Tigress on Jun 13, 2004 22:29:38 GMT -5
About those heads...where the hell did they come from? anyone read any interviews or anything like that? Also, why are the heads Jamaican? They could be french, spanish, american, chinese, russian...*thinks* oh Russian that would be cool! (sorry now I'm rambling...)
Oh ya, Sphi that freeze frame at the end is ugly and a horrible way to end it. It looked as if Cauron went and said, "Right, last shot everyone. *pause* I'm out of ideas soo....we'll just end it like that(points to Daniel; who is posing the way he was told to freeze after doing the last scene) and call it a day."
Oh and I have a headache and am exhausted...good night everyone!
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Post by nancy on Jun 14, 2004 10:33:20 GMT -5
The heads! The heads are not Jamaican! And they could never be Russian! Those heads are traiditional Mexican for Dia de Muertos, in November. They're made of sugar (and lately there are also some made of chocolate.) And it's just that, a head made of sugar which are put in altars for the Day of the Dead. Or they can be eaten, but they really do have way too much sugar. Took me a week to finish a small one last year... Anyway, you can find them with person's names, and they represent that person, or without names, and really small, or big, they come in many sizes. So yeah, they're not Jamaican, or Russian. They're part of an age old tradition in Mexico, which we still remember and don't go to school on (at least not in secondary... still gotta see about prep because last year it was a weekend :. And you put those and write a calavera (poem making fun of death ;D Go Mexicans!) and put them side by side in the altar, along with food, candles, and papier mache.... Oh and a picture of the dead person. Cuaron put them there 'cause he's proud of his culture. I'll probably watch it again today (half price movie tickets rock) and I'll watch out for any other hints at being mexican, and I'll tell you guys all about it in a huge rant. Umm, by the way, that's mostly just a theory. The only proof I have of it is that the WB's Inside the Movies said so, before I even watched the movie, and I forgot about it, and now I was watching TV and it came on and said that... I did read your whole post silver.
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Calavera Diablos
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Draws grown men wearing underpants outside their trousers
Posts: 1,547
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Post by Calavera Diablos on Jun 14, 2004 11:58:44 GMT -5
Er, I doubt that. These are the sugar skulls that are made for the Day of the Dead. That shrunken head thing didn't exactly look very edible or made out of sugar or chocolate. Certain tribes like the Jivaros in the Amazon do actually keep the tradition alive. Everyone pretty much thought they were Jamacian since the head on the KnightBus sounded like a stereotypical Rastafarian.
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Post by nancy on Jun 14, 2004 13:15:15 GMT -5
Oh... so you're not talking about the same heads I am. I swear, in Hogsmeade, the Sweet Shop, there are the edible sugar skulls. I'll go watch it again today, anyway. They're there. I'm sure they are. And if they're not then I'm really going crazy.
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Post by Sphi on Jun 14, 2004 23:06:51 GMT -5
Yeah, Nicky, you're right. In Honeydukes, there are the sugar skulls. I remember reading an article a long time ago about Cuaron adding bits of funky Mexican culture to the movie. I also recently read that in the Hogwarts courtyard, there were apparently statues of eagles eating snakes, just like on the Mexican flag. I didn't actually pay attention to it in the movie, but if you think about it, there were statues in the courtyard.
I loved seeing the ghosts and the crashing through the window scenes! Everytime I saw that, I looked over at Fox and was like "Damn ghosts..." I'd imagine that you'd become used to their presence in the castle, but every now and then they'd surprise you and you'd be more annoyed than anything. Kind of like having rambunctious cats or little kids running around in an office. I loved seeing the one Gryffindor boy freak out when he passed through a ghost.
Me too! I loved the ghosts in this movie. They weren't overdone or antyhing; they were just sorta in the background but they were still very cool. I loved how the glass shattered but it was really still intact. How awesome was that?! And it was the Headless Hunt, too.
I thought the sexy saxophone music for DragQueen!Snape was hilarious. As Fox would say "Look at me with my sexy red handbag! You like my stuffed vulture, eh big boy?"
That part was weird. Lupin just turned around and put on a swing record for some reason. Cuaron is one funky guy. Brilliant, though.
Speaking of Lupin...you know how several of us just kept complaining about the moustache before the movie came out? Yeah, well, after seeing the movie, I don't mind the moustache at all. I thought David Thewlis' acting more than made up for the appearance. In fact, I think the fact that Sirius and Remus didn't look gorgeous and perfect ("bishonen", some might say : was more realistic. I think someone said earlier that she thought Sirius should look more handsome, but I prefer it this way. (And really, they weren't even that bad-looking anyways.) You really get to see the depth of these characters rather than a perfect appearance, so you get to love them for who they are, if that makes sense. It definitely worked for me. I love the characters of Sirius and Lupin even more now, which makes me even sadder because of what will happen in OotP...
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Post by nancy on Jun 15, 2004 10:25:05 GMT -5
Right, about the phonograph, it didn't occur to me the first time I watched it, but yesterday it did... How does it work in Hogwarts? Not that I mind it much but... yeah. Yeah, in Honeydukes, when he's going up there's this shelves and it's hard to see what's inside, but I'm pretty sure it's heads. And then when they're going outside there's a skeleton with a head like that, with a hat. Yeah, what happens in OotP's really sad... I'm a bit jealous of the ones who haven't read the books and don't know what'll happen.
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Post by Sphi on Jun 15, 2004 13:13:17 GMT -5
Hmm, interesting. I wouldn't call it jealousy, but I did find myself wondering what people who haven't read the books think of the movie. My sister said she didn't know what happens in PoA, but she does know what happens in OotP (the big thing, anyways). She said that she really liked the movie, even though she was rather confused about the Marauder thing. But then that goes back to my previous point. I guess I'm going in circles.
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Calavera Diablos
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Draws grown men wearing underpants outside their trousers
Posts: 1,547
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Post by Calavera Diablos on Jun 15, 2004 19:57:46 GMT -5
Speaking of Lupin...you know how several of us just kept complaining about the moustache before the movie came out? Yeah, well, after seeing the movie, I don't mind the moustache at all. I thought David Thewlis' acting more than made up for the appearance. In fact, I think the fact that Sirius and Remus didn't look gorgeous and perfect ("bishonen", some might say : was more realistic. I think someone said earlier that she thought Sirius should look more handsome, but I prefer it this way. (And really, they weren't even that bad-looking anyways.) You really get to see the depth of these characters rather than a perfect appearance, so you get to love them for who they are, if that makes sense. It definitely worked for me. I love the characters of Sirius and Lupin even more now, which makes me even sadder because of what will happen in OotP... *snickers* Er, yeah. I'm thankful that the acting was top notch (even if Lupin was mildly ugly...) I guess that Cuaron can make up for it during the Flashbacks if he's still on task for book 5's adaptation. Give us fangirls something to squeal about. A bit of LeatherPants! Sirius and J.CrewModel! Lupin.
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Post by Ritsu on Jun 17, 2004 5:53:39 GMT -5
Thanks Rubes and Sphi for calming me down about Sirius I knew Gary Oldman would do an awesome job. And whoever said he/she was expecting Sirius to be more attractive: try spending 12 years in a prison where creatures try to suck all the happiness in you and drive you to madness, always with that thirst for revenge, and that melancholy that was knowing that you were accused to have done the one thing you would never do... add that a little bit of loss and loneliness, and I think you'll come to the conclusion that with 12 years living so disturbed, no one could remain attractive. And that's the sort of thing that makes me like him so much (not the un-attractive-because-of-melancholy part)... the fact that he once had it all, true friends, a home, a wonderful future ahead of him but suddenly lost it all and realised that there were more things in life than study and jerk around with James, because all that could be lost with a single spell. And spending 12 years locked in a prison, innocent, with everything that could still belong to him and make him happy running freely outside... I don't know, I think he's such a complex character, I love characters like that. Obviously.
I still haven't seen it... more than a month yet for it to premiere in Portugal. But my mother's boss told her he could get her the movie next week or so, because you know, he gets DVDs from blackmarket and stuff like that. I'm actually doing something I'd never do to get HP. But I'm seeing it in the movies as well, and I'm going to buy the DVD when it comes out. As well.
Thing is, I downloaded the Making Of the other day, and I was thrilled. Firstly I was mad at Cuaron for deleting the Marauders part, but, at least from what I saw of the thing, the movie has so much in it, so much "juice", that one barely misses it. It made me much more eager to see it... it's like I've always said, and like En also mentioned. The thing like, the heads floating around the hall and the kids not stopping to stare in awe like they did in Columbus' movies... I mean, they're supposed to see that everyday. They didn't show much of Sirius/Gary Oldman, I suppose they were trying to keep that mysterious... the only thing he said was "I'm after Potter" But I saw this bit from the Schrieking Shack who made me cry...whimpy, I know but.. Sirius.. When he was saying something like "I did my waiting... 12 years... in Azkaban prison" Damn it was so perfect.
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Post by Sphi on Jun 17, 2004 13:39:08 GMT -5
Hehe. I'm glad you're handling it well, Rita I think he's such a complex character, I love characters like that. Obviously.
But I saw this bit from the Schrieking Shack who made me cry...whimpy, I know but.. Sirius.. When he was saying something like "I did my waiting... 12 years... in Azkaban prison" Damn it was so perfect. Totally agree. I really loved the part in the Shrieking Shack. The attitude Sirius takes on in there is perfect, like you said. He has this desire for vengeance, but he's still in touch with his past (i.e., his "playful" side and his friendship with Lupin). And of course, he also still has a bit of insanity left in him. Twelve years in Azkaban can do that to you.Firstly I was mad at Cuaron for deleting the Marauders part, but, at least from what I saw of the thing, the movie has so much in it, so much "juice", that one barely misses it. It made me much more eager to see it... it's like I've always said, and like En also mentioned. The thing like, the heads floating around the hall and the kids not stopping to stare in awe like they did in Columbus' movies... I mean, they're supposed to see that everyday. Yep! Like En wrote, PoA really sucks you into their world because of this sense of (everyday) wonder. It's great.
And another thing, when Malfoy was pining over his "injury", who was the girl going, "oh you poor thing", Pansy maybe?
Oh! I wanted to mention that, too. Yeah, that is Pansy Parkinson, and she's adorable! I thank Cuaron so very much for making her cute (maybe she looks a little young, but eh) and even a little dark (she's got this fierce bob and a really cutting look...sweet). Someone's finally showing Slytherins in a better light! (Yeah, Draco was a whiny little girl--far from fanfic Draco--but his acting is still good.)
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S.S Tigress
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Shots in the dark from empty guns, never heard by anyone
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Post by S.S Tigress on Jun 18, 2004 21:49:38 GMT -5
Going far back, and just to clarify; I was talking about the talking head on the Knight bus, as Calavera was pointing out. Not the Honeydukes ones. I don't think the Day of The Dead heads were talking in steryotypical rastafarian accents...right?
Sphi, was Pansy the girl who made the boggart into a jack-in-the-box in DADA?
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Post by Sphi on Jun 19, 2004 12:16:50 GMT -5
Yeah, you guys were talking about different heads. The Dia de los Muertos skulls are Mexican, and the shrunken head on the Knight Bus was definitely Jamaican.
Um, no, that Boggart girl wasn't Pansy. Pansy was the one cooing over Draco's injury in the Great Hall. You can also see her, apparently, in the background at some parts, although I never paid attention to that while I was watching. *must go see movie again*
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S.S Tigress
Slytherin Alumni
Shots in the dark from empty guns, never heard by anyone
Posts: 1,345
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Post by S.S Tigress on Jun 20, 2004 12:46:13 GMT -5
*must go see movie again* I'm with ya on that one...along with "Two Brothers" and "The Notebook" on Friday... ;D
On the map by the way; my brother saw the movie finally and he hasn't read the book. He also felt that the Maurader's Map had something to it that was takened out. So it's not just the HP Book fanatics who are iffy on that.
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Post by Sphi on Jun 20, 2004 19:19:15 GMT -5
The two tigers look so cute! I wonder how they trained them so well. ...I still have to see Shrek 2.
Yeah, my sister didn't really get it either. But personally, since I've already read the books, I didn't think the lack of explanation was too bad. That's why it feels like Cuaron made this movie more for the fans of the book than just for movie-goers, in my opinion.
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