Leaving Hogwarts, the Deathly Hallows and This Blog

Almost four years ago (in another life, we would have celebrated this October), I went to blogger.com and hit the button 'create your own blog'. I was a teenager with a strong passion for (Indian) cinema in search of a virtual playground. A place that would be mine to design, maintain and fill with thoughts on film and eventually other parts of pop culture. It was a struggle to get the word out there - do you remember the way Harry, Hermione and Ron met in The Sorcerer's Stone? For Ron and Harry, there was an instant bond and a relaxed bro relationship formed immediately. Meanwhile, Hermione had to struggle to make friends, and it took a while until the trio formed and became as kick-ass as they were in The Deathly Hallows. This is what I feel like blogging was for me. But here I am with 100 official followers and many articles that I feel proud re-reading. The blog has been the creator of many things I would never have imagined joining or that I never even knew of. Tumblr, Twitter, me writing for a German Bollywood magazine and the online pop culture mag The Artifice ... and last but not least, me joining the podcasting world. Which has now become my favorite output and playground for my cinematic passion.

For me, the best thing about blogging has always, always been the community. I would never have met all these wonderful people, most of which live thousands of miles away from me, without this blog. I have never met any of you in person but I have talked to some of you on podcasts, and through Facebook and Twitter I follow your lives and you follow mine. It's like a virtual Marauder's Map, somehow. I wish I could explain how important all of you have become to me, how much fun you insert into my everyday life and how a nice comment used to save my day. Though the latter was probably somewhat unhealthy and is another reason I'm stopping the blogging thing (for now). In some place of my brain, there is an unsatisfiable hunger for achievement, recognition, fame. A piece of this is wonderful and I believe that competitiveness is healthier than lazy satisfaction. But I would like to use this energy in another way for a while, channel it into several different directions and try other things. Finishing my A levels and leaving for a gap year in Alaska seems like the right place to start.

If I'm not at home I'm somewhere else in the world.

I want to watch more movies without knowing what they're about. I want to enjoy them without thinking about the next blog post, the next marathon, the next update of my 100 Favorites. Meanwhile, this does NOT mean I'll cut off commenting on or philosophizing about film. You will always be able to read my mini reviews (including the Blind Spot series and possibly texts for other blogathons) on Letterboxd, my movies reviews and editorials in ISHQ and my articles on pop culture (including film) at The Artifice. You will be able to read my comments on your own blogs now and then, and especially, you will be able to hear me discuss cinema in various podcasts. Across the Universe: The Chicks With Accents Podcast is one of my proudest achievements so far, and my co-hosts Sofia and Nikhat have become very dear to me. Please stay with us in this chaotic thing called life - I'm sure we're not turning off our microphones any time soon.

It's like I've achieved my goal with this blog - I have made friends (mutual ones, I hope), written my teenage heart out while I've grown up to be a crazier and funnier person than I was when I started this. (Seriously, the Mette before the blog was kind of a bore). I've grown out of my Hermione fixation - realizing she's a bit of a caricature was part of my maturing process (from lame book geek to, ahem, cool geek). The fact that it has turned into an Emma Watson fixation doesn't lessen than achievement. Seriously, who doesn't want to save the world, stand by the F-word (feminism), study and work hard and look fabulous while doing that, and at the same time admit to have flaws? Sorry about that. What I was trying to say is: I have found the Deathly Hallows. I have conquered Voldemort and okay, I guess I have grown into a nerd since I'm comparing my mile stones to a fantasy novel series. But you know what - this is what makes me happy. I'm happy. I have never been this happy in my life!

Promise I won't take it too seriously, but I've got to start somewhere.

Many more mile stones are ahead of me, of us (*gollum* - trying to be less egotistical since I realize I have written a lot about myself here) and who knows, perhaps I will return to blogging some time. Or maybe I'm going to finally write some more articles on The Artifice. Maybe we will gain some more listeners on our podcast. Maybe I will invent the next Facebook (this is the most likely of all these suggestions). At any rate, I will choose what makes me happy. A lot of people dislike the closing scene of The Deathly Hallows - the trio has grown older and seemingly more boring. I am one of the people that disagree; we don't know what's going on in Harry's, Ron's or Hermione's lives, but hey, they look happy. They're doing their jobs, building their own families, perhaps traveling the world. The war is over, life continues. This is not what I call boring. This is what I call pretty cool.
(And yes, I'm not mentioning the fact that Ginny doesn't look like the awesome Quidditch player she's supposed to be).

Thank you for four wonderful years of reading my tipsy scribblings, for the loveliest digital conversations and for an enlightening cinematic and cultural journey that I'm sure is never-ending. Take care and don't forget me, as I surely won't forget you. Keep up the fun on all the social media, 'cause this is definitely not the end of any of my accounts on those.

"Her fingers hadn't itched to write a blog post for nine-teen weeks. All was well".

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.

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.

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.

FABULOUS FILMIC FASHION: THE WOMAN IN BLACK

Featuring Matt Smith's favorite suit and no glasses.

Costumes designed by Keith Madden (no one you should know), The Woman in Black is a hauntingly beautiful and slightly scary horror movie based on the novel by Suzanna Hill. It's not a movie that'll creep into your dreams and make you want to not fall asleep, but it holds up for an entertaining and as I said very pretty view. People who thought that there was nobody attractive in the Harry Potter series will have to reconsider their arguments - although admittedly, Daniel Radcliffe is short - as the Victorian suits make the best out of who's wearing them. There's not much variety in the costume department and the characters rarely change clothes, but what we do get to see is certainly worth a mention. Or a post.

The three sisters that are seen at the beginning of the movie wear typical adult clothes as was the tradition at that time (I do know this much about historical fashion). Of course theirs are a bit "cuter" than the real adult dresses, a tad shorter and paired with hair bows. Interestingly, the girls' hair is open instead of braided, which I reckon would be unusual, but perhaps they were just playing and didn't want braids. By the way, I love what Photoshop made me do to this picture.

 

Daniel Radcliffe wears a very posh suit throughout the whole movie, which as I said makes him look more handsome than he usually does look. The upswept sleeves add an interesting contrast to the otherwise very tight and formal wear, so I loved the scenes were he just relaxed and y'know, chilled in that suit. With an axe.

But the suit is definitely most beautiful when complete. I like the way the tie is somehow above the collar - and of course the watch-chain (I think it must be a watch). Very classy. And Daniel Radcliffe definitely is the type for sideburns. The whole outfit also set his character apart from the villagers, who wore more used and practical clothes, so it was part of what defined his character. Perhaps the movie should've been named "The Man in Black". I mean, you seldom ever see The Woman herself, much less than in the TV movie from the 80s. Which, by the way, isn't wort a watch - except in case you can't resist seeing the guy who played Harry Potter's father play the same character the guy who played Harry Potter plays in this movie.

That's that, I hope you all have a wonderful, fashionable weekend and that you're not all too disappointed with my irregular blogging habits at the moment. There's just a lot of other things on my mind and on my schedule. At least I've started watching more movies again. And the secret plan with two of my favourite fellow bloggers is starting to take shape.

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. 

My Childhood Heroes, Part I: Hermione Granger

Welcome to the latest strawberry feature of this blog, where I will talk about the heroes and idols of my childhood and take a look at how they have inspired me and made me the person I am now.
Most of them are female, but the word "heroine" makes me think of either a glamorous actress or a drug, so I'm not going to use it in this feature.
This is also going to be quite personal, which some people might like, while others might not.

The first hero that will step in to the spotlight in this feature, is perhaps the greatest one, and also the one that has had the greatest influence on me: Hermione Granger from the HARRY POTTER series.

When I read the Harry Potter books, I thought Hermione was a lot like me, but I didn't like how her looks were described - she didn't seem very beautiful, and as every little girl, my idols had to be not only smart and admirable, but also pretty.
The one person who really brought Hermione to life for me then, and who also became one of my teenage idols, was Emma Watson. Right after seeing the second film (which was the first one I saw, strangely), I went my mum and asked her to cut my hair Hermione-style. So I ran around with straight bangs - and looked like an idiot.
Anyways, as Hermione changed looks after the second film, I did too, and inspired by Emma Watson's personal style, I grew interested in fashion too.

But to get back to the first films (and books); Hermione was quite snotty and bigheaded at the beginning - and I just admired that. The way she seemingly didn't care if anybody was harassing her, I was really jealous of that.
Then, when she locked herself in the bathroom because she was sad, I was close to crying. Though I always had a few close friends when I was smaller, I was more of an introvert because of various things, and the fact that I was always the best in my class wasn't helpful.
But then I found that Harry, Ron and Hermione - they all were very close friends, and they weren't in some big gang or something. So even their friendship became a role model for me, and made me realize that having a few really good friends is so much better than having many meh-friends.

Hermione also inspired me to take interest in school though it wasn't "cool", and though sometimes it was really boring because it was so easy. I also learned, especially through the third film/ book, that I couldn't do everything and say yes to everything. Just because you're smart it doesn't mean your energy isn't used up at some point.

Whenever I sat down and read for hours, and the thought crossed my mind that this was just too nerdy, thinking of Hermione reminded me that being nerdy wasn't something bad - it was okay, maybe it was even cool. Then, with the years I stopped reading that much and started watching movies, but it was still the same thing, and I still sometimes think of Hermione when I feel nerdy. Like right now, blogging... blogging about movies, analyzing movies - let's face it, it's nerdy!
But non-nerdy people are actually quite often jealous of us. And that's not just something I say to make me feel good, it's true, there are people who have told me this.

There are so many things that make Hermione one of my greatest heroes, that I'm not able to express them without writing a whole book about it. But there's one last thing I would like to mention at last: remember in one of the last books, when somebody asks Hermione what she wants to do when she's done with school? And you expect her to say something about a post in the ministry - but she says she wants to help people, maybe expand that Elf-organisation.

And that's when I truly realized that you should do what you want to and what you love, not what people expect you to.