Meanderings of an opera obsessed mind...

Oh, and just managed to get a Pottermore account before the early registration period ended. I'm not as hyped up about Pottermore as my other Potter-minded friends but it's nice to get an early look at what exactly the whole thing is going to be about. *ponders*

14th July 2011.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 is finally here! And I'll be watching it in a couple of hours. =) Review and spoilers possibly to follow in another post if I can find the time!

I have tickets for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2!!!

Bought them yesterday ($130 for each...more expensive than usual because it's in 3D. Pity there's no 2D version available here...) after I found out that you could buy them in advance.

14th July, here I come! =DDD

"I think Alan Rickman gives what is quite possibly the film performance of his career. He is stunning in the film, really." - Daniel Radcliffe on AR's performance in Deathly Hallows - Part 2. 

Why thank you for saying that, Daniel Radcliffe...now you've just made me want the 14th of July to come even more quickly...

About 3 weeks until I leave for London...the tension and excitement is beginning to build up!

And also three weeks until HP7 Part 2 comes out! Only one thing is on my mind regarding that film...SNAPE.

[Error: unknown template qotd]
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1. Despite being the HP fan that I am, I have never watched any HP film twice when it was out at the cinema...and this time, I loved the film so much that I saw it a second time.

Hurrah, I have finally watched HP7 Part 1 (just over a month after it was released everywhere else but never mind...) and yes, it was worth the wait. Also, it's clear that though there's yet another wait for the next and final part, the producers have done well to decide to split the film into two since this means that I think 95 percent of the book is going to be included in the films. Kudos to them.

It's strange but since we had to have dinner before watching the film at 9.45pm, a group of four (all in their late 20s and apparently American educated) at the table next to us was coincidentally talking about the latest HP film. They obviously hadn't seen the film as we had but neither did it appear that they had read the books either. Then they were going on about how they heard that the film was apparently slow, etc (apparently because J.K. Rowling had made too much money by the time she wrote the last book) and that the gang should make out with each other already, that the actors were getting much too old...I was soon wondering why the bloody hell they decided to watch it then. And hey, yes...the film I admit is much slower than the others but the BOOK was slow as well. Read the damn books for the God's sake! And it has to be slow otherwise you wouldn't understand a thing. *rolls eyes*

Anyways back to the film. Yes, first thing's first...the pace is slow but if you think the pace is slow here, you obviously haven't watched a Merchant Ivory film which can be unbearably slow at times. Which is a good thing since slow-paced films are usually like works of art and I quickly got the impression that the filmmakers were really focused on telling a good story (courtesy of J.K. Rowling, of course) rather than attempt to be all flashy and say how bloody fantastic they are with CGI and special effects. What really got my attention was also the music composed by Alexandre Desplat whose music is usually heard in very cinematic films like Girl with a Pearl Earring and The Painted Veil; another indication that the filmmakers want to make a big final effort to make the last two films not merely the finale of the series but pieces of cinematic art which stand apart from the other six films.

Ron as usual got the audience laughing while I couldn't help grinning to myself when I saw the Patronus in the Forest of Dean. Snape! Yes, definitely not enough Snape/Rickman in this film but that's understandable. I loved the bit where the camera focused on his face for so long when Charity Burbage begs him to help her; you can see the inner turmoil working away in his mind. We'll definitely see more of him in the next one (inevitable really seeing how central he will be in the plot). And I have to admit I nearly cried when Dobby died...and I usually found him annoying in the second film. Now that's quite something. Goodness knows how I'll react when Snape gets killed...*shudders to think of herself sobbing in the cinema with everyone staring at her in disbelief* Ooh, and it was nice seeing Jason Issac's Lucius Malfoy back again though he looked unkempt and rather pathetic (poor fellow). Oh, and yes...the old Gellert Grindelwald. I can't believe I didn't recognise him in the trailer. It was only when I saw him onscreen in the cinema that I said: 'Now, wait a minute. I know that face!' and sure enough, he was Michael Byrne (Major Nairn) from the Sharpe series with Sean Bean and Hugh Fraser. What a coincidence...media crossovers everywhere.

Ah, I can't wait for the second part! *hopes very much that July 2011 will come ASAP*

Bought two books online today despite my awful experience of having to wait for my last book to come by bloody effing ship (which I think is ridiculous). Thankfully they weren't so expensive this time and I made quite sure that the books would be delivered to me within 14 working days. I must say though that most British booksellers are amazingly fast in shipping them off soon after the order is sent to them...I believe they sent them off only 4-5 hours after I requested them O.O

As to what these two books are about; well, one's about Welsh National Opera (the first opera company that TA sang with) and I believe it's really the ONLY book written about the company and the other is about the TV series (and my new obsession) Agatha Christie's Poirot.

I read somewhere recently that there's a new film coming out later this year about King George VI (who is the current Queen's father) and guess who's playing him...Colin Firth. Hurrah...it's nice to see Firth doing roles we don't usually associate him with; first the gay English professor in A Single Man and now the stammering and nervous George VI. I think I'll also give this film a go when it comes out in the cinemas later...and talking about cinemas, I simply can't wait until HP7 Part 1 comes out!

HURRAH! HP6 DVD is coming out in the US on December 8th...which means that HK will be getting them soon as well!!! =D

I'm sorry...I just found this hilariously funny. Just refreshing my mind of all the rather interesting Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows fan art on dA (because yes, I'm such a Snape supporter) and came across this. If you haven't read the 7th book or know the main gist of the book, don't click any further and just as a precaution, I'll put this under a LJ cut.

( Spoilers! )