I’m feeling a bit fed up with the world in general this evening – having not finished work till 7 on Saturday night and having to be back for 8am on Monday morning I’m wondering what on earth happened to the idea of a weekend (it doesn’t help that I don’t get paid until the end of the week and am feeling the pinch). Today has gone by in a blur and I’ve still got so much to do, when I need to be at work keeps changing so I can’t make plans (sulking because a projected theatre trip on Tuesday is going to have to be ditched) and the Scottish one might as well be in Scotland for all the time I’m getting to spend with him.
Christmas – and in retail terms it’s full on Christmas now – is not the easiest time in my line of work, it gets very hard to carry on being nice to people day in day out. I’m frankly dreading the coming week when we’ll be shorthanded and there’s a lot (A LOT) to do – what I want to do is stay on bed and read ‘Dr Thorne’ for Decembers Trollope classics circuit because obviously that sounds a lot nicer than earning a living, but now it’s time to stop grumbling, grit my teeth, keep my mouth shut and get on with it. After all Christmas comes but once a year.To cheer me up (or conceivably just to keep me quiet) the Scottish one took me to see the first part of ‘Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows’ this morning. I’m an unashamed Potter fan; I’ve loved the books and the films and will be just a little bit sad when the last film comes out and I know that’s the end of it all. I climbed on the Harry Potter bandwagon back in 1998 when I was working in a bookshop and everybody kept recommending ‘Philosophers Stone’. Eventually I gave in and read it, bought the second one 24 hours later and then had to wait a couple of months for book 3 to come out which was the first one that had a bit of an event attached to it. After that it became a bit of a tradition between me and an English teaching friend to get the books at midnight on the day of release and to go and see the films.
Say what you will about J.K Rowling (and I have only good things to say about her) the fuss and fun over those book releases created some really happy memories. Before it happened it would have been hard to credit that much excitement over a book release, it’s also hard to imagine it happening again anytime soon so I’m glad to have been part of it.
My Potter books are well read – they’re perfect for retiring under the duvet with when colds or flu strike and generally when I feel in need of something familiar, absorbing, and easy to read. (Anyone surprised now that I didn’t take to ‘Hawksmoor’?) The films are much the same – perfect Sunday viewing even given the increasing darkness of the story and this one was a cracker. I cried 3 times - when the owl died, when the elf died, and when Hermione makes her parents forget they have a daughter (an emotional episode of Home and Away will set me off though if that gives a guide to how susceptible I am to tears). The best thing about this film though – the mounting and believable tension all the way through, and that it makes a pretty good stab at showing how complicated life is even when you’re not being chased by a demonic wizard, oh and quite a nice bit of animation too. So really my weekend’s been okay.
I'm with you regarding Harry Potter and I felt teary at the same three scenes. Although I felt the film to be a little bit long in some parts, I really enjoyed it. I can't wait for the final film but will be sad to say to goodbye.
ReplyDeleteWe've read/seen them all as well. Glad to read your take on the movie. I've been a little nervous that it would be too darkly done (if that makes sense). I don't always imagine things as scary when I read them as the moviemakers can make them on the big screen, and I tend to be a tad chicken (never mind that I HATE snakes and this one has a pretty big one). It does sort of feel like the "end of an era." If you cried, I'm sure I'll need to take tissues for my dh (he is our resident crier).
ReplyDeleteHope you have a better week than anticipated. It is a crazy time of year for those in retail and my hat is off to you!
Chasingbawa it will be sad won't it. I spent quite a bit of the film wondering when it would finish, partly because I hadn't been able to work it out when I read the book and partly because I really wanted the loo by the time the credits rolled.
ReplyDeleteWhenever I watch a film from a book I've liked I always think it could be better, but I thought they did a good job on this one and it was pretty good.
Susan - it's a 12a which is about right. There were some scaryish moments and the snake is nasty. There were some really small kids in the cinema which made me wonder what their parents were thinking. It's not a terrifying film but it's not for the under fives either.
I'm afraid I'm not a Harry P fan at all - we were really bored over the weekend but not bored enough to go and see it. But I'm glad it made a break for you - it's not pleasant having such a short weekend - I worked 11 day fortnights for 2.5 years and that 1 day off was never enough
ReplyDeleteI went and saw it on Saturday at the IMAX in Times Square. Very good! I find the acting generally so dire that it never makes me cry, but I did enjoy this one more than I have the others. The animation was spectacular, and as usual, the adult actors outdid themselves (though the 'kids' are now adults too really). I do wish that the three leads put a bit more oomph into their acting and didn't speak like someone was holding a gun to their heads, but even I have to admit that their acting had improved this time around. I'm looking forward to the next installment!
ReplyDeleteI feel you about weekends rushing by - I am so tired all the time these days and getting up at 6am for work every day doesn't help.
Verity - short weekends are a pain, I never feel like I've caught up with myself and I know that feelings only going to get worse over the next few weeks and then january will hit, everything stops and I can't slow down. One year I'll work it out properly.
ReplyDeleteBooksnob. I agree about the acting but I've loved the hype about it all which is after all what got me out the house and into the cinema. Have you got thanksgiving plans? And will you be home for christmas or are the holdays to short? Hoping you get a break and some sleep and a lot of fun whatever happens.
Oh, I'm an unashamed HP fan too, and I'm going to see this Weds. Sounds like I'm in for a treat!
ReplyDeleteI took my daughters to see the HP film yesterday and we thoroughly enjoyed it. I think JK Rowling is a gifted writer and I've enjoyed all the books.
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