We finally got to see it! If you haven't seen HP or LOTR yet, see HP first. There really is no comparison. HP is a fluffy kids movie. LOTR is a gripping adults movie. HP felt longer than LOTR, even though it's shorter.
What a whiner I am :-)
--Nat
By the time you sit down and finish the popcorn the movie is over making you sad that you have to wait another 12 months for it to continue on with the story. HP is not in the same class as LOTR or Narnia though it does seem to be awfully popular. It's a pity that neither Tolkien or Lewis saw financial success as Rowling has in such a short amount of time.
I definitely agree that it's a shame Lewis and Tolkien didn't become megazillionaires the way Rowling has. Instead their heirs are the ones rolling in it. It seems like all-too-often the heirs to a literary estate turn out to be obstructionist dicks or sell-out whores. Very few seem to tastefully embrace the modern world of movies and merchandise.
I really enjoyed HP the book, but didn't enjoy HP the movie. Very odd. I'm not whining that they changed the book to make the movie--they changed bugger all as far as I could tell. I'm whining that the movie just wasn't very exciting or interesting. A bad movie is a bad movie, regardless of whether it's based on a book or not.
Remaining on our "to see" list: Vanilla Skies (heard that it's like Sixth Sense and Fight Club in that there are surprises and buried clues that make it worth repeated viewing, even though it has Tom Cruise in it) and Beautiful Mind (ok, I admit it, I have a hard-on for Russell Crowe).
--Nat
Finally, Something I Can Agree With
chaoticset on 2002-01-06T20:56:17
Who doesn't?(ok, I admit it, I have a hard-on for Russell Crowe)._Fight Club_ is on my list of things to see, but I haven't gotten around to it yet. If I hear a few more good things about it, I may be inclined to purchase the DVD instead of renting.
Re:Finally, Something I Can Agree With
gnat on 2002-01-06T22:51:48
Fight Club was really good. We're yet to rent the DVD to listen to the director's commentary, but it's definitely on our todo list. There were so many clues and background details we missed, I know we'll enjoy hearing the inside facts.Along the same lines, I've been hearing good things about Memento. And not just it's got "that hot black leather chick from The Matrix"
:-) I haven't seen it yet, but friends with similar taste to me have seen it and recommended it, so I guess it's also on the list. --Nat
Re:Finally, Something I Can Agree With
chaoticset on 2002-01-06T23:03:27
Perhaps I'll go purchase _Fight Club_ with the last little bit of holiday cash, then.Allow me to whole-heartedly recommend _Memento_ as well. Watched it twice in a row when I rented it; then I put it on while I slept. Lots of movies try to trick you; this one succeeds. I normally know exactly where a film is heading, but this thing had me fooled from start.
The thing with _Memento_ is that it's a little too experimental for some. You'll know in the first few minutes whether you can stand it or not. (Bring a pad; take notes.
;) ) Re:Finally, Something I Can Agree With
Matts on 2002-01-07T13:15:27
Get Memento. Twists yer mind.People unclear on the concept
delegatrix on 2002-01-07T13:54:06
About half way through Memento, the main character's car window smashes. The next scene, it's fine, since it hasn't been broken yet. My mother turned to me in the theater and asked "How did he get his car fixed so fast?"Re:People unclear on the concept
pudge on 2002-01-07T13:58:31
Please no spoilers... Re:Finally, Something I Can Agree With
pudge on 2002-01-07T13:38:26
Wow, I wanted to see Memento BEFORE I knew the chick from Matrix was in it. Now... I gotta go see it tonight! ;) Re:Finally, Something I Can Agree With
ziggy on 2002-01-07T14:11:38
Her name is Trinity. Trin-i-ty.Joey Pants is in Memento as well. If Lawrence Fishburne were in the cast, it would have been a veritable Matrix reunion.
:-) (No, Bill the Little Buddha isn't in Memento, thankfully.)
Laurence "Don't Call Me Larry" Fishburne
chaoticset on 2002-01-13T06:09:09
Actually, its Carrie-Anne Moss.I wonder if he ever calls himself Joe "Don't Call Me Joey Pants" Pantoliano?
;) Re:Laurence "Don't Call Me Larry" Fishburne
pudge on 2002-01-14T15:44:54
Actually, "its" is "it's".;) Re:Finally, Something I Can Agree With
jjohn on 2002-01-07T02:49:17
pudge and I saw _Fight Club_ in *twice* while it was in the theaters. It was that much fun.
Oh wait, I'm not supposed to talk about Fight Club.
Nevermind.Re:HP vs LOTR
pudge on 2002-01-07T13:29:13
I thought that the Lewis estate was handled by his heirs well, at least for many years.Re:HP vs LOTR
jmm on 2002-01-07T15:06:49
HP is a kids book, whereas LOTR and Narnia have a lot more to offer adults.
I'd say that LOTR is an adult book that appeals to (some) kids; while HP is a kids book that appeals to (some) adults. The HP movie lost some of the adult appeal; but it did a good job of matching "right" visual images to the scenes and characters. It also did a good job of retaining the feel of the book.
My kids, especially Katrina, spent hours criticising the things that failed to duplicate the holy scriptures of the book. I think that they've gotten over the shock now. This was the first time they'd seen a movie where they'd previously read the book, so they didn't realize the necessary difference between the two media. There were no such complaints about LOTR. (Of course, Katrina has only read The Hobbit and not LOTR - she was an infant back when Jordan was getting LOTR as a bedtime book for a couple of years, and she's been too enthused about Anne McCaffrey's dragon books to get LOTR until now.)
