Leaving Hogwarts and the Half-Blood Prince

HARRY POTTER AND the half-blood prince

book 2004   movie 2009   first read 2004   first watch 2009

A sixth-in-a-row return to the school of witchcraft and wizardry, where love is in the air and each laugh is followed by a sob.

Benvenuti to Cannes 2014 | 8½

Yesterday was the first day of Cannes and it was the first time I saw a film with the intriguing title of 8½.

I'm not talking about that blending mode or the amount of films Fellini had made up until 1963 - or am I? 8½ premiered at the Cannes Film Festival that year and it became an instant success. 41 years after its release, it was honored by being selected for the official poster of the festival and it became one of the two films I decided to watch in order to forget I wasn't attending the festival. 8½ is a strange film that plays with your perception of reality and the world of dreams and also is fully aware of its sexiness as a black-and-white Italian film. Never again have the screens of our cinemas experienced such stylishness and they perhaps never will. Marcello Mastroianni strolls the hotel hallways, Dolce Vita beaches and film sets in a film set like a God who just so happens to pay us peasants a visit while also maintaining an oddly fragile flavor in his character. Obviously (question mark?) he represents director Fellini himself, who - according to film bibles - directed himself out of an existential crisis with this film. Fellini blends the oddity and dreaminess of La Strada with the hedonism from La Dolce Vita into some of the most delicious, intriguing cinematic mush I have tasted yet. (Or did I just say that because those are the Fellini films I have seen?). Beside the clever script, abstract imagery and intellectually stimulating dialogue, it's also, surprisingly, the sound that makes 8½ stand out in cinematic history. Whether it's the buzz from the door, the clicking of polished heels on marble or that all-Italian beach swoosh, the sound of this film sweeps you away and draws you in at the same time. 

I think I know what the title stands for now: the 8½th heaven.

8½

1963 • Italy • Italian/ English/ French/ German

director Frederico Fellini

authors Frederico Fellini, Ennio Flaiano, Tullio Pinelli, Brunello Rondi

★ Marcello Mastroianni, Claudia Cardinale, Anouk Aimee

FINAL FRAME

„What is this flash of joy that's giving me new life?“

Leaving Hogwarts and the Order of the Phoenix

HARRY POTTER AND the order of the phoenix

book 2003    movie 2007   first read 2003    first watch 2007

A fifth-in-a-row return to the school of wizardry and witchcraft, where I realize the upside of growing up and that Professor Umbridge is really Goebbels.

Big League Blogathon | Field of Dreams

What makes a life truly worth living? Few people living a privileged first world life - and I'm not talking about the top 10.000 - are satisfied by simply existing. Most of us, if not all of us, want to be remembered in some way, go down in history you may say. We want to be someone, to fulfill some sort of purpose in our life, a reason for a different future than one lacking a past that included us. 

Field of Dreams is a movie about this strange human struggle for validation and how people often have very different views on what makes a life worth living. In the middle of the attention, there's hippie-turned-farmer Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner) who has built up an idyllic existence with his born-and-bred country girl wife Annie (Amy Madigan) and their daughter Karin. One day he hears a voice telling him to build a baseball field in his back yard, which he does - and as if things couldn't become stranger, the ghosts of old baseball players start appearing on the field. Confused, Ray goes on a quest to find his all-time favorite author Terrence Mann (James Earl Jones) to help him understand the messages he's receiving and the purpose of his Field of Dreams. Terrence Mann was an activist writer back in the 60s and 70s and so certainly lived a life worth living in many ways, however he retreated from the public when he felt people weren't listening to him anymore.

Leaving Hogwarts and the Goblet of Fire

HARRY POTTER AND the goblet of fire

book 2002     movie 2005     first read 2003?     first watch 2005

A fourth-in-a-row return to the school of wizardry and witchcraft, where I marvel at the fast pace, cleverly constructed plot and the connections to North By Northwest.

ZOOM IN.

Leaving Hogwarts and the Prisoner of Azkaban

HARRY POTTER AND the prisoner of Azkaban

book 1999      movie 2004      first read 2002?     first watch 2004

A third-in-a-row return to the school of wizardry and witchcraft, where I swoon over Alfonso Cuarón's directing style, Daniel Radcliffe's improved acting skills and how Hermione's hair looks from behind.

ZOOM IN.

Also known as "The One Everybody Loves", Prisoner of Azkaban marks the point at which the Harry Potter film adaptions became a force to be reckoned with. Changing out director Chris Columbus, who had approached the previous two films from a traditional "children's movie" perspective, with the darker and more stylized mind of Alfonso Cuarón, stepped up the game quite a bit. It also helps that the three leads have grown into better actors and that their characters are able to develop in a more interesting, nuanced way. Finally, Prisoner of Azkaban connects another two Brilliant Brits to the series with Gary Oldman as Sirius Black and David Thewlis as Professor Lupin.

Leaving Hogwarts and the Chamber of Secrets

HARRY POTTER AND the chamber of secrets

book 1998     movie 2002      first read 2005?      first watch 2003?

A return to the school of wizardry and witchcraft, where I pay my accolades to Hermione's last truly geeky year, sleek-hair Malfoy, Ron's first wand and the old Dumbledore.

ZOOM IN.

Once hooked by the magical world of Harry Potter, I never considered actually reading The Chamber of Secrets as preferred to just watching the movie. It was out there, so why not just slip it in the DVD player (easier said than done, but my birthday wasn't far away). I was young, I was stupid. So when I finally did go back and read the book, about two years after watching the film, I was surprised to find so many new aspects of the story in the book. Whether my surprise was caused by the bigger similarity between the first book and its film or whether I was just too inexperienced to know that things do get lost in translation, I'll never know. The scene that left its biggest impression on me then was definitely Sir Nick's ghost party, which I didn't see coming at all. Speaking of that, the ghosts were rather neglected in the Harry Potter films, am I right (Peeves, anyone)? Still, I do love them.

Leaving Hogwarts and the Sorcerer's Stone

HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S/ PHILOSOPHER'S STONE
book 1997 movie 2001 first read in 2003? first seen in 2003? 

Sometimes, the most unlikely things turn out to take the most important places in your life, don't they? 
Today, Harry Potter is a synonym for childhood to me - but for a long part of same childhood, it was just 'That boring-looking boys' movie'. It took someone's unsuspecting goodwill to get the book anywhere near me and an intense feeling of boredom for me to wipe the dust off its cover one or two years later. The rest is history. 

When other people turn up James Brown's "I Feel Good", I'll be listening to "Hedwig's Theme". Instead of the Tower Bridge, the highlight of my sightseeing tour in London was Platform 9 3/4. My visit of the Harry Potter Studio Tour in the UK will make out a whole chapter in my self-biography. Basically, I think this is all some kind of mistake and my invitation letter for Hogwarts got lost in the mail. This is why an afresh revisitation of the series seemed like the perfect way to both celebrate and grieve for my leaving/ finishing high school. So the next 8 months, right until my graduation prom in July, I'm going to take a look back at the 7 books and 8 films that make out such a huge part of my girlhood. The title of the series, obviously borrowed from my favourite theme from the soundtrack(s), is not supposed to symbolize any sort of abandon or moving-on from the Harry Potter universe. On the contrary, it signifies the parallels between the world of Harry, Ron and Hermione and my own life. As I'm on my way to end a very important chapter of my life, I once more look to them for inspiration.

Two Fantastic Tales from Germany and Japan

Join me as I make for a journey through time, space and the history of the cinematic fantasy genre...

Okay, maybe that introduction was a bit ambitious. What I am going to do is share two of my favorite fantasy films with you - two movies that share something essential, but couldn't be more different from each other. 

My Heroes: Scott Pilgrim (or whatever)

I met Scott about a year ago, when I was on my summer holidays in Denmark. It was a hot summer night and stuff, at least for me - he was chilling up in Toronto. Chilling as in "it was cold". My initial plan of the night certainly didn't include Scott, but then again I didn't know him before that night - how could I have known that he would win me over in a second? My telly-companion that night wasn't as enchanted by Scott, however. Every other minute a sigh or differently disapproving sound escaped from her lips until she finally left me alone. Alone with Scott.

Always a Good Time for Classic Good vs. Evil: Percy Jackson on Screen and Page

Don't be fooled by the teenage boy on the poster/ cover - this is more than a series for middle school youngsters. Or Greek mythology scholars.

Rick Riordan:
Percy Jackson & the Olympians
(The Lightning Thief, The Sea of Monsters, The Titan's Curse, The Battle of the Labyrinth, The Last Olympian)

The Lightning Thief (2010) by Chris Columbus
Sea of Monsters (2013) by Thor Freudenthal

I always dread the moment I start reading a new series of books or start watching a new tv show. It's different to read single books or watch a single movie every other night. The thing about series - on screen and page - is their addictiveness. Human beings are fragile, we're emotional animals and easy to trap that way. We can get addicted to all sorts of things, mainly referred to as drugs, such as stimulating herbs and chemicals, sports, all the stuff that is put into micro-wave pizza. And yes, we can also get addicted to the arts of reading books and watching movies. With the breakthrough of internet platforms, especially tumblr, these addictions might have increased, but perhaps they've just become more visible. Staying up all night to finish reading The Hunger Games or watching season 2 of Game of Thrones has never been cooler. Geeks, ahem: we, are everywhere.

The SONSOFBITCHES snubbed Harry Potter!

Wait a minute - did you just see me choosing the film series that won the Michael Balcon Award for Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema in 2011, the film series that was nominated for a total of 12 Academy Awards - the film series that is loved, even worshipped by thousands of people all over the world - for the worst snub ever?

Yeah, I guess so.

Because, although Harry Potter collected many a metallic statue over the 10 years it "lasted", I don't think that it has been getting all the attention it really deserves. Yes, Harry Potter has an enormous fan base, yes, the critical response has been primarily positive over the years, and yes, it didn't get snubbed as in "ignored".

Not in The United Kingdom, that is.

What's always been a thorn in my side - or has been since I started keeping an eye on awards and generally got "involved" with movies - is the Academy Award snubbing. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. I wish I could say that their actions and choices are despicable and that I'm not going to support or pay any attention to their little (or big) games anymore. But no, I agree with a lot of their choices, have been watching the ceremony three years in a row and have been trying to catch up on new and old nominees and winners. This research has proven that the Academy Awards might not be as big or as great as they think they are, but they're a great parameter for film history - historically and currently.

That being said, sometimes I really ask myself whether they actually watch the movies. 12 nominees for 8 films, mainly in the art department, could be approvable if one of the films had actually won an award one of these times. But no, Harry Potter is ignored, and ignored - and even with the final movie, no award for the overall achievement. Talk about disappointing. 

Praise The Hobbit

USA/ New Zealand, 2012

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Directed by Peter Jackson

Written by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson, Guillermo del Toro

★ Too many great people to choose three of them

                

What has not been said about The Hobbit yet, I wonder? 

With all the praise (along with a tiny dash of criticism) wandering around the media and blogosphere, is there at all any way to defend your action of writing a review on this movie? Shouldn't we highlight lesser known arthaus gems that could change the world?

The Cate Blanchett Essentials, #4 / 5

Read more about The Cate Blanchett Essentials

The Gift (2000) Sam Raimi

IMDB: 6.7 - RT: 56% / 56%

Why I selected this film as one of the Cate Blanchett Essentials

„Many people have recommended it for Cate's great performance (though this probably counts for all of these films), and... that's it, I think. I also like the title. My only fear is Katie Holmes, whom I've never liked in anything.“