Actually with only a couple changes the First HP book and movie were just about spot on. True they left out Snape's Challenge but other then that, only minor differences between the two, the second book and movie were good too, it was the third movie that took a left turn and never looked back.

River

A long time ago I was listening to Placid Domingo about one of the operas being made into a movie.

Don't run when I say that. This bears on what happens to books, stage plays, musicals and movies.

Domingo observed that when he sang on the stage that the audience wasn't close. To get emotion or action across to the audience the gestures have to be broad and sweeping. The voice and projection of it had to be big and overdone because a lone figure on the stage or in front of a chorus.

In the movie of that same opera, the gestures had to be small because the cameras were close and a single face would fill a movie screen. Big broad gestures and overly dramatic faces didn't work on the screen.

A movie screen is intimate in its closeness both to present drama and emotion to the audience.

Any book or stage play must change when moving from the stage to the movie screen. The actors can't move as broadly and emotion is seen in a glance or a simple gesture.

I'm gonna be on my lonesome here, but I actually rather liked Interstellar. Admittedly, they could have cut about half an hour out of the film, but the visuals were gorgeous. However, if this movie is not your cup of tea and you absolutely must see something in theatres, I highly recommend Big Hero 6. It's Pixar, what more do you need to know?

Major Spoilers: The ending of Interstellar? Yes, he does succeed. Yes, it is a paradox. And both Plan A and Plan B succeed. Still, watch 2001, then go watch Interstellar. There's a lot of interplay going on there.

Paolo wrote: Thu Nov 13, 2014 4:27 pm Those damn racing rabbits pulling the sled in the first one did me in.

They were in the third too. A flying can of napalm too. (Dragon would have looked good saying "I love the smell of napalm in the evening", while burning down the Lake-town :-p). Weren't dragons supposed to have fire breath, like a gas fire?

BossTamsin (imported) wrote: Mon Nov 17, 2014 8:30 am I'm gonna be on my lonesome here, but I actually rather liked Interstellar. Admittedly, they could have cut about half an hour out of the film, but the visuals were gorgeous. However, if this movie is not your cup of tea and you absolutely must see something in theatres, I highly recommend Big Hero 6. It's Pixar, what more do you need to know?

Major Spoilers: The ending of Interstellar? Yes, he does succeed. Yes, it is a paradox. And both Plan A and Plan B succeed. Still, watch 2001, then go watch Interstellar. There's a lot of interplay going on there.

Got my sons to watch 2001 with me one night, I think it was John who said, "That was a waist of 3 hours that I could have been doing something constructive like picking my nose." Patt agreed.

I think I will pass on this one, or wait for the blue notes.

River

I'm glad more than "me" was bored to tears with 2001. The story moved like a glacier.

Its been one of my mental burdens for years. (ha, ha, ha, ha, giggle, smirk)

"2001" was painful to watch, yes. "2010" was only somewhat better.

Paolo wrote: Mon Dec 15, 2014 6:28 pm "2001" was painful to watch, yes. "2010" was only somewhat better.

Reminds me of the neighbor on the corner. His art gallery is called "2001: A Space" - his building number is 2001. It is painful to go through and look at it....

That's at least three of us that thought 2001 was a boring piece of crap. Interstellar was only a little better.

fhunter wrote: Tue Nov 11, 2014 4:19 pm Sooo... movie? or wait for torrent edition and go for Hobbit now (how in the world did they make a small book into 3 part movie????)?

By actively misreading the very nice little book about confidence and risk-taking as a boring political allegory of enormous scale and by ignoring the middle-class hero of the real book (Bilbo Baggins) and focusing on the pretentious, aristocratic buffoon of Peter Jackson's libido (Thorin Oakenshield).