It’s That Time of Year!

It’s the holiday season again!  (I swear this year has flown by sooooo fast!)  No matter how stressful this time of year can be, I always get happy little feelings in my heart when I see Christmas lights, hear Christmas music, or eat holiday treats.

There are certain things that I HAVE to do every year around this time, and the list keeps growing every year.  And I don’t mean things like shopping or sending out cards (which, I will admit I almost never get around to doing….the card part, that is).  Here are the things on my holiday to do list in no particular order:

1.  Watch Miracle on 34th Street.  I adore Natalie Wood with every fiber of my being and Edmund Gwenn is the best damn Santa ever captured on film (sorry Tim Allen).

2.  Read the Harry Potter books.  This tradition dates back to the 2001 holiday season.  I had just read the books (only the first 4 were out) back in October when I was in London, and I came home demanding that my sister read them too.  We had a contest over break to see who could read them the fastest (which wasn’t really fair because I had already read them recently, so I could go much faster).  My sister has a head start this year and is already on the 2nd book.  I need to get started!

3.  Listen to the Mariah Carey and *NSYNC holiday CDs.  I am not embarrassed to admit that these are the two best Christmas CDs ever.

4.  Watch Love Actually.  I actually just watched this last night and will probably have to watch it again before Christmas.  This movie………aaahhhh…….this movie is so dear to my heart.  Every time I watch it, I cry in a different place.  Last night it was when Carl said Merry Christmas to Sarah, during the whole school concert, and all of Jamie and Aurelia’s stuff at the end.

5.  Eat Butterfinger bells.  I don’t like regular Butterfingers because all the orange middle stuff gets stuck in my teeth, (ick) but the bells have the perfect consistency of chocolate and Butterfinger-y parts.

6.  Read Let it Snow.  This is a relatively recent addition to the list, but I have no doubts I will do it every year.  I am holding out as long as I can….but I am pretty sure I will read it either tomorrow or Tuesday.

So, what are the things that you have to do every December??

Jen

Cutest Photo Ever?

Just thought I would share with you an adorable photo of the first time Rupert and Dan met nine years ago.

If we could only hear what they were saying...

From The LA Times via Leaky

Jen

P.S.  Is Rupert wearing a Weasley sweater???

Why I Loved Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

I love all the Harry Potter movies, but usually they have to grow on me before I feel this way.  I remember after I saw the fifth movie I sat in shock, staring at the screen shouting “What the *#%& was that?  How could they leave out EVERYTHING!!”  Luckily I was in an empty theater with my sister at a special screening, so it was okay to shout those things.  But after I saw it a second time I was able to approach it with more of an open mind and enjoy myself.

I assumed it would be the same way with movie 6, but I was so, so wrong.  I loved it!  I truly truly loved it!!!  It was the best movie of the series by far and has worked its way into my top ten favorite movies.  I can’t quite figure out  why my reaction was so dramatically different than normal, but I have tried to come up with a few reasons.  My thoughts that follow contain spoilers for the movie and the book.

I already knew the Gaunts and Dumbledore’s funeral were cut out of the movie.  If I had been blindsided by this while watching the movie, I would have been very upset.

After I thought about it, I was really happy they didn’t include Dumbledore’s funeral in the movie.  It is one of my favorite scenes in any of the books.  I can recall it more vividly in my mind than just about any other part.  I remember Hagrid being comforted by Grawp, all of the characters from previous books showing up to pay their respects, Hermione silently crying while Ron comforted her.  It is so special and perfect that no amount of skillful moviemaking could capture it.  Let’s face it, if they had done it, they wouldn’t have done it right.  It would never have lived up to my expectations and so I am happy that I still have the pure form of his funeral from the books without a pale imitation movie version.  I feel like Dumbledore’s funeral is something that the fans of the books can cherish as their own without having to share it with the “movie fans” who would never have appreciated it the way we do.

Also, the Dumbledore from the films is not the same as OUR Dumbledore from the books.  He is Harry’s mentor and professor, but not his friend.  This is not due to any particular writing, acting, or directing…….there is just not enough time to establish the grandfather/friendly Dumbledore that we know from the books.  The impact of his death is not felt the same way in the movie as it was for the characters in the books.

One thing that I loved about the movie that hasn’t really been present in any of the other movies is kind of hard to describe.  Some of my favorite moments in the Harry Potter books are the “walking in between classes/conversations in the halls/discussions during class/hanging in they Gryffindor common room” scenes.  The only time the other movies include these scenes is when they involve PLOT PLOT PLOT (oh things are getting bad, Voldy is getting stronger, blah blah blah).  There are hints of it in movie 5 (the trio laughing in front of the fire after Harry kisses Cho), but movie 6 has so many great scenes like that!!!!!!  After 5 movies of nothing but action, battles, and climactic scenes, I was willing to lose some big stuff in order to gain these fun little glimpses into Hogwarts.  I thought all three actors did an excellent job of portraying the trio and I truly bought that they were best friends.  This was definitely worth losing the battle at Hogwarts.

Speaking of the Battle of Hogwarts, yes it’s too bad that it wasn’t included, but in the book we didn’t even get to see it.  We only saw the aftermath, and the only really important thing was Bill’s condition, and oh yeah, that’s right, Bill isn’t in the movies (grrrrr) so it was kind of unnecessary.  Plus, it sounds like they are really going to do the Battle of Hogwarts justice in movie 7 so I am okay with that.

I am to the point of just rambling now, but I just wanted to quickly point out some things that I loved!

1.  Young Tom Riddles you were awesome!!!  Totally gave me the heebie-jeebies.

2.  Oh Rupert, you were amazing…..hilarious and clueless and wonderful!

3.  I liked the way Harry protected Ginny at the attack on the Burrow.  He really stepped up and looked like a grown up.

4.  I loved the hospital scene with Ron and Hermione……….pitch perfect!  Bravo Emma!!!

5.  I adored how they played the scene with Harry touching the Ring/Horcrux.  There is a moment when you can tell that Dumbledore realizes Harry is a Horcrux.  Nice foreshadowing.  Bravo Mr. Gambon!  I tip my hat to you!

6.  Thanks for not cutting out Fred and George!!!!!!!!!!

7.  Felix Felicis was phenomenal!  Oh Dan, you make me laugh!

Phew!  That post really exhausted me!  I hope everybody else liked the movie, or will grow to like it in time.

Jen

I Now Pronounce You…Mr. and Mrs. Rainbow Brite

Since I have been hearing a lot about weddings lately (congrats Jessi and Amber!!!) I thought this post about nerdy wedding cake toppers was very interesting.  I especially like the Stargate one and the incredibly dapper Frankenstein and his bride.  It got me thinking about who I might choose to represent me on top of my wedding cake.

My first choice would probably be Rainbow Brite.  She is spunky, cute, and her colorful wardrobe would liven up any cake.  She also has a belt that can produce rainbows and a very snarky horse……what more could you want?  But the problem is that there isn’t a “Mr. Rainbow Brite.”  There is Chris, the fellow saver-of-the-world that she meets in the classic movie Rainbow Brite and the Star Stealer.  They meet, they fight, they hate each other…..which totally means they are in LOVE!  But, I just don’t think he is important enough to warrant a spot atop the cake.

I think what I will have to do is hope that my future husband will be just as nerdy as I am and he will have his own ideas for a cake topper to represent him.  I would definitely approve of a Storm Trooper, a Lord of the Rings character, or any 80s cartoon icon.  This blending of tastes option is represented nicely in the picture of the Transformer getting married to Smurfette.

Opposites Attract

But, I could go a totally different route and have my second choice……….Ron and Hermione.  That would actually be pretty awesome.  Very recognizable and quite dear to my heart.  And it would definitely be Ron and Hermione and NOT Harry and Ginny, since most of you know how I feel about Ginny (shudder).

So, now that I have rambled……who would you pick to be on top of your wedding cake???

Jen

New (To Me At Least) Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince Posters

Meg Cabot recently showed me some new HP6 posters.  Maybe you’ve seen them before, but I had not.  I have mixed feelings.

This one = cool

Hello, new love interest I've been predicting since Book 2! (Ok, to be fair, who didn't call that?)

This is so not how I imagined Lavender. She reminds me too much of Moaning Myrtle

Oh, Luna...

I think Hermione's angst looks are pretty good. The scene with the birds should be awesome.

Ominous...

Can someone PLEASE tell me who besides Ron is in this? I feel so stupid!

Only a few more weeks!!

- Jill

Report on the Harry Potter Exhibit in Chicago

As I said in the previous post, I just moved back to Iowa after living in the Chicago suburbs for a year and a half.  So what did I do during my first weekend back in Iowa………….I went back to Chicago of course!!!

I went to say one last goodbye to my co-workers (full of lots of tears) and also to go to the Harry Potter exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry.  Abby and I bought our tickets ages ago, so I wasn’t going to miss this no matter how tired I was from moving.

Well, the one really disappointing part of the exhibit was that I was not allowed to take pictures.  I had a mini hissy fit when I saw the giant sign proclaiming that there was no photography.  I had promised a lot of people (including my fellow nerdgirls) that I would take pictures so that they could see what it was like, but alas, I failed them.  I honestly can’t think of any reason why we weren’t allowed to take photos except that they wanted to move us through the exhibit pretty fast.  Here is a site that does have a lot of pictures because Leaky is special and can do whatever they want.  There is also a very detailed description of the exhibit here.

After that tremendous downfall, I really did enjoy the exhibit.  The beginning part is pretty cheesy, so be prepared.  All of the staff members talk in varying degrees of fake British accents and give somewhat painful pep talks to the crowds waiting to cram inside.  But after the initial cheesiness, the awesomeness begins.

The only pic we could take because it was outside the exhibit.

You are ushered into a room with video screens that show clips from all six movies (that’s right, I said six).  The montages are great and the music swells at just the right time and it totally gave me goosebumps.  Then the doors fly open and you are standing right in front of the Hogwarts Express.  That’s when I knew that I was going to be in for something great.

The exhibit itself is very “look but don’t touch,” but that was fine by me.  It is composed of costumes and props from all of the movies.  Some of the highlights include Yule Ball attire of all the major characters (hello screaming Twilight fans!), Ron’s trunk from school, Kreacher, Buckbeak, Umbridge’s office, and Oliver Wood’s quidditch robes (oh how I miss him).  There were three interactive parts of the tour.  You could shoot a quaffle, pull up a screaming mandrake, or sit in Hagrid’s chair (very uncomfortable).

I loved looking at all of the different props, but especially the costumes.  It was just really cool thinking that I was standing feet away from something that Alan Rickman or Emma Thompson had worn.  And yes, I know that makes me a giant nerd, but I don’t care.

I would recommend going to the exhibit for anyone who loves the movies because the rest of the museum is so awesome that it is completely worth the price of the ticket.  The exhibit doesn’t take very long, but make sure you allow a whole day to explore the rest of the museum.  But I will say that the exhibit is ONLY about the movies…….if someone is a fan of the books and hasn’t seen the movies, it probably wouldn’t mean much to them.

So if you are going to be in Chicago from now to September you should go and check it out.  We bought our tickets way early, but they were still selling tickets for it that morning, so I don’t think you have to worry about it selling out.

Jen

I Love people–especially Harry Potter people.

Gonna keep this short—While at Terminus last August, I went to a discussion with the cast and crew of Harvy Putter and the Ridiculous Premise and absolutely loved them and the work they showed so far. Here is the first released trailer:

I cannot get enough of the Lotionsmaster.

Go to their website to see more vids—the spoof of Equus is a must-see.

ngtamber

Attention All Harry Potter Fans!

This is just a real quick post about an amazing, wonderful, spectacular book that came out on Tuesday.  Harry, A History by Melissa Anelli is a book that every HP fan needs to get their hands on.  I don’t care if you buy it, check it out from a library, read it in a bookstore, or steal it (well, I kind of care if you steal it) but you must read this book.  The book is about how the Harry Potter fandom (the websites, wrock bands, fanfiction, and conferences, etc.) have evolved over the last ten years.

Now, I will admit that I have only read the foreward so far because I just bought it today.  But the forward is by Ms. J.K. Rowling herself, so that should tell you enough right there.  Also, I heard Melissa read the first chapter at Terminus and if the rest of the book is anything like chapter one, it will be incredible.  The book is getting great reviews and even got a starred review in Kirkus.  As a librarian, I know that they don’t give those starred reviews to just any book.  Kirkus is not afraid to say when a book is a piece of crap, so getting a starred review from them is pretty awesome.

After reading the foreward I got goosebumps all over and teared up a little bit.  I am so excited to read this book because I have been right there with Melissa on so many stops of her fan journey (Phoenix Rising, the first stop on the PotterCast tour in Chicago, Terminus).  I just know that it is going to be a one of a kind reading experience for me, as it will be for anyone who has been part of the fandom.

You can find the book in any bookstore or on Amazon.  Melissa also has a website where she shares tidbits from her interview with Jo that didn’t make it to the book (umm, yeah she got to interview Ms. Rowling for the book, did I forget to mention that?).

I will probably post again after I finish the book, but I thought I would let you all know now since it just came out and I KNOW it will be great even though I haven’t read it.

Jen

I Just Had To Share

Hey guys,

So I was just over at youtube, and I saw this pop up at the side of a video I was watching.  Wondering what this was all about I took a peek and almost died from trying not to bust a gut.  Apparently a new Twilight TV promo was aired a couple of days ago during Gossip Girl (which, sadly I do not watch, but I think because I have read most of the books, the TV show does not hold me so well).  I didn’t watch the promo…or did I and I just didn’t realize I did (very possible)…and apparently we see Kristen Stewart in her underpants.  Everyone seems to think this is a huge deal.  Not because we see her underpants, but because the angle it was shot with made Kristen’s rear end look really big (I didn’t think it was that bad though).  Bad camera angles are just out to get us.  Earlier today I saw a picture taken of me during Halloween and my legs looked freakin’ huge.  My legs are not huge like that.  I blame it on the camera angle, as I have been working out pretty diligently for a while and refuse to believe I look that bad in real life. 

But anyways, I thought I’d share the video, not because I want you all to cringe at the panty shot, but because whoever made this video did a REALLY GOOD JOB!  I thought it was brilliant how they included shots from HP5.  Enjoy!

<3, lindsayF

New Longer HBP Trailer!!!

So the International trailer for Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince just came out online today.  I have watched it a couple times and here are my thoughts:

1.  Michael Gambon does not make me hate him.  I think I am going to like him in this movie.

2.  Draco looks very dashing, like he should have looked the whole time.

3.  At first I thought Ron and Hermione were kissing halfway through and I started freaking out!  No, no no, that cannot happen until movie 7!!!  What are they think–oh wait a minute…..whoops, I think that was Lavender.  I’m okay now.

4.  I love the split second scene that shows Snape walking, no wait stalking, by the tables with his entourage.

5.  I am a big fan of the scene at the end with Hermione and Harry.  Although I think it is slightly out of character for Harry in book 6, I still thought it was funny and for once Emma Watson appeared to NOT be on the verge of tears.

So watch the trailer and see what you think about it.

Jen

P.S.  It totally snowed here today.  Not real-stick-to-the-ground type snow, but snow nonetheless.