Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part Two [incl. SPOILERS] v.3

[wandrider]

I'm going to have to try so hard to avoid the Snape stuff, there's loads of stuff on that question list I want the answers to and don't mind being spoiled about but I'm kind of hoping to save the Snape stuff til when I see the film so I'm shocked and surprised by it, it'll be more emotional that way. But I can't have it both ways so I'll either have to disappear and be unspoilt about everything or give in to it all, arrrgh the dilemma!

Can 'just' the reactions to this DH2 screening be posted on the No Spoiler thread as a kind of ratings system?

Example:

For those that went to the DH2 screening or those that have read in detail about the DH2 screening please answer the following:

1) In the DH2 screening what number rating would you give it overall from 1-10 with 10 being the best?

2) Did the Snape scenes fulfill your wishes for the DH2 movie screening rating from 1-10?

3) Did King's Cross fulfill your wishes for the DH2 movie screening rating from 1-10?

4) Did the final duel between HP & TR-LV fulfill your wishes for the DH2 movie screening rating from 1-10?

Etc. ...more questions beyond these four...

Could something like this be done in the No Spoiler thread?

Or, do a Spoiler Free poll similar to this?

Or, do a Spoiler Free thread with just this topic?

[Wimsey]

Originally Posted by boushh

But the purpose of the doe was to get the sword. So showing him cast the doe in the forest without showing that he had the sword and was helping Harry get to it is pointless.

Oh, I agree: you show him with the sword and casting the Doe.

Originally Posted by boushh

I'm also not a fan of completely hand holding the audience through every single step. The people who are dumb and not paying attention can just deal with it, as far as I'm concerned.

Intelligence and attention span have little to do with it. People have a lot of other things going on in their lives, and they've been using their brains & memories for a lot of other things since November. Remember, the vast majority of the people buying tickets are not so into Harry Potter that they do things like buy the books or the DVDs/BRs. If they want the world to remember this as a great movie, then they must impress that portion of the audience.

The key thing to remember is that they are paying the movie-makers to tell a story coherently. I do not know that "the customer is always right": but I do know that making the audience work as little as possible is the key to good communication!


In the past, the most-telling reviews have turned up on Ain't It Cool News by people who either have not read the book, or who have but do not remember it well. Those have always done a much better job of informing us how the films will be generally received. AICN never posted a screening review for DH1 of any sort: but hopefully we'll get one this time. If so, then we'll have an idea about how much the film is making the audience work. (And if it is making the audience work, then hopefully there is time to amend it!)

[silver ink pot]

Originally Posted by SopophorousBean

I'm going to have to try so hard to avoid the Snape stuff, there's loads of stuff on that question list I want the answers to and don't mind being spoiled about but I'm kind of hoping to save the Snape stuff til when I see the film so I'm shocked and surprised by it, it'll be more emotional that way. But I can't have it both ways so I'll either have to disappear and be unspoilt about everything or give in to it all, arrrgh the dilemma!

You should run from this thread right now, because I promise you we will be talking about Snape later!

There's another thread for non-spoilers.
http://www.cosforums.com/showthread.php?t=126816&page=3

Over there you can just pretend this showing never happened. No dilemma.

[boushh]

Originally Posted by Wimsey

Intelligence and attention span have little to do with it. People have a lot of other things going on in their lives, and they've been using their brains & memories for a lot of other things since November. Remember, the vast majority of the people buying tickets are not so into Harry Potter that they do things like buy the books or the DVDs/BRs. If they want the world to remember this as a great movie, then they must impress that portion of the audience.

IMO, if one is going to see a movie that is within a series then one should refresh their memory before going to see the next movie. I agree with you to a degree, but I don't think everything needs to be re-explained or re-introduced.

The key thing to remember is that they are paying the movie-makers to tell a story coherently. I do not know that "the customer is always right": but I do know that making the audience work as little as possible is the key to good communication!

A coherent story, yes. I just don't think hand holding is the always the way to do it. This series is too big. If one is going to see the last film in the series (which is also a two part film in itself) and hasn't refreshed their memory, then they are going to expect to perhaps not remember one or two things. I think the viewer has as much of a responsibility as the film maker. And IMO one also needs to remember there is a DVD coming out and they seem to be trying to promote it. People will have access to the first part of this film.

In the past, the most-telling reviews have turned up on Ain't It Cool News by people who either have not read the book, or who have but do not remember it well. Those have always done a much better job of informing us how the films will be generally received. AICN never posted a screening review for DH1 of any sort: but hopefully we'll get one this time. If so, then we'll have an idea about how much the film is making the audience work. (And if it is making the audience work, then hopefully there is time to amend it!)

Of course one doesn't want to confuse the audience that has not read the books. I think you and I may just differ on the degree of which the film makers should work on reminding the audience of some of the details.

[SopophorousBean]

Originally Posted by silver ink pot

You should run from this thread right now, because I promise you we will be talking about Snape later!

There's another thread for non-spoilers.
http://www.cosforums.com/showthread.php?t=126816&page=3

Over there you can just pretend this showing never happened. No dilemma.

I will bear that advice in mind I'm sure I won't be able to stay out of this thread, and I feel I've read and seen too much to live in the non-spoiler thread. Because I'll watch all the clips and look at all the pictures so I already know so much.

For those who aren't sure about how spoiled they want to be, last year Snitchseeker gave a spoiler free review as well (and put all the info filled with spoilers in spoiler tags) whereas I remember Mugglenet had a lot of the info/spoilers on their home page (which is how I accidentally read some stuff I didn't want to at the time, by going on their site) so that may be a good place to start once the reviews have come in. Link incase I didn't explain that very well! - link to part 1 test screening on snitchseeker

[HPFanNewbie]

Originally Posted by SopophorousBean

I will bear that advice in mind I'm sure I won't be able to stay out of this thread, and I feel I've read and seen too much to live in the non-spoiler thread. Because I'll watch all the clips and look at all the pictures so I already know so much.

For those who aren't sure about how spoiled they want to be, last year Snitchseeker gave a spoiler free review as well (and put all the info filled with spoilers in spoiler tags) whereas I remember Mugglenet had a lot of the info/spoilers on their home page (which is how I accidentally read some stuff I didn't want to at the time, by going on their site) so that may be a good place to start once the reviews have come in. Link incase I didn't explain that very well! - link to part 1 test screening on snitchseeker

I am the same way as you, I don't mind big spoiled. However, I am still on the fence about how much I want to go into the second film knowing about TPT. I am sure I will end up reading it all by the end of the night though, LOL.

[potions_mistres]

Originally Posted by HPFanNewbie

I am the same way as you, I don't mind big spoiled. However, I am still on the fence about how much I want to go into the second film knowing about TPT. I am sure I will end up reading it all by the end of the night though, LOL.

I want to at least know if it TPT will disappoint me or not. I'd hate to be enjoying the film, and then be terribly disappointed by TPT so much so that I wouldn't enjoy the rest of the movie. Same thin for Snape's death scene...

[HPFanNewbie]

Originally Posted by potions_mistres

I want to at least know if it TPT will disappoint me or not. I'd hate to be enjoying the film, and then be terribly disappointed by TPT so much so that I wouldn't enjoy the rest of the movie. Same thin for Snape's death scene...

That is true. But I do think Snapes death scene will be done well based on what I read from a set report. Alan Rickman really is incredible, and I don't think they could have found a better actor to play Snape.

[potions_mistres]

Originally Posted by HPFanNewbie

That is true. But I do think Snapes death scene will be done well based on what I read from a set report. Alan Rickman really is incredible, and I don't think they could have found a better actor to play Snape.

Alan Rickman is fantastic... however, Snape's role has been severely neglected in the films... I only hope they give him the screen time he deserves.

[Wimsey]

Originally Posted by boushh

IMO, if one is going to see a movie that is within a series then one should refresh their memory before going to see the next movie. I agree with you to a degree, but I don't think everything needs to be re-explained or re-introduced.

We know that people do not do this: in 6 prior HP sequels, the prior HP films have failed to even dent the weekly rental charts. As it takes only 10's of thousands of rentals to do that, we know that a big chunk of the 10's of millions of people who see the film in the major markets are going blind. "Should" here is purely hypothetical - I, for one, disagree as I think that if I plunk down $$$ for a movie ticket, then I should get everything I need with those $$$ just like any other film - the filmmakers need to focus on the practical and the real.

Ultimately, it is Chekhov's Rule forward and backwards: the guns put up early in this film need to be fired by the end, and the guns fired late in the film have to be put up earlier in the film.

Originally Posted by boushh

Of course one doesn't want to confuse the audience that has not read the books. I think you and I may just differ on the degree of which the film makers should work on reminding the audience of some of the details.

My criterion is, how important is the detail? Some details are "fluff": for example, when Rowling showed us an 18 month Harry zipping around on a broom, then we got a nice little "fluffy" detail that explained something from the first books if you remembered how easily Harry learned to fly. If you didn't, then it was no skin off of anybody's nose: you didn't appreciate the point, but the point really was window dressing on a wall holding an important gun or two.

Other details are critical to understanding the story and/or plot(s). Those are the details on which you cannot take chances. Rowling herself didn't: she reintroduced the important details every book, and often reminded the readers part-way through the books.


The question then becomes, is the Doe a Chekhovian Gun? If so, then it needs to be introduced in this film. I think that the Doe very well might be a such a gun. A Prince's Tale has the very real potential to be incredibly poignant, and the fact that Snape's Patronus is forever a "symbol" of Lily, and that this symbol of Lily guided Harry to the destruction of a Horcrux, could greatly amp up that poignancy. If the audience does not shown this, then a lot of work could go for naught. The filmmakers cannot control what the audience remembers from the prior film, but they have full control over what is shown in this film: and that's what people will remember when they leave the theater.

[AnotherD]

Originally Posted by Sacred_Memories

Isn't the movie probably nearing the end now? OMG! We should be getting news within the hour!

I'm guessing it might be a bit more than an hour from now--if the movie started by 3 and there were remarks by someone involved with the movie beforehand it probably hasnt ended quite yet. Plus, ya gotta give people time to get home and collect their thoughts.

Wait, mugglenet's just twittered that the movie ended!

[ArryGrotter]

Next will be the Q+A session with the film makers and then surveys. Some might leave early though. And since Mugglenet seems to have their phone back, I suppose that means they left?

[HPFanNewbie]

Over!!! I am throwing all other thoughts of avoiding TPT spoilers out the window! I just want to hear all about it now that it is officially done being screened!!!! So much for trying to have a little self control huh? lol

[boushh]

Originally Posted by Wimsey

We know that people do not do this: in 6 prior HP sequels, the prior HP films have failed to even dent the weekly rental charts. As it takes only 10's of thousands of rentals to do that, we know that a big chunk of the 10's of millions of people who see the film in the major markets are going blind. "Should" here is purely hypothetical - I, for one, disagree as I think that if I plunk down $$$ for a movie ticket, then I should get everything I need with those $$$ just like any other film - the filmmakers need to focus on the practical and the real.

These films aren't just like any other film. And we can't say that no one will rent or buy the film and watch it. Obviously some people do.

Other details are critical to understanding the story and/or plot(s). Those are the details on which you cannot take chances. Rowling herself didn't: she reintroduced the important details every book, and often reminded the readers part-way through the books.

I agree with this.

The question then becomes, is the Doe a Chekhovian Gun? If so, then it needs to be introduced in this film. I think that the Doe very well might be a such a gun. A Prince's Tale has the very real potential to be incredibly poignant, and the fact that Snape's Patronus is forever a "symbol" of Lily, and that this symbol of Lily guided Harry to the destruction of a Horcrux, could greatly amp up that poignancy. If the audience does not shown this, then a lot of work could go for naught. The filmmakers cannot control what the audience remembers from the prior film, but they have full control over what is shown in this film: and that's what people will remember when they leave the theater.

I agree with you on this point. I never said that I didn't.

[Sacred_Memories]

Is it just me or do they seem rather...unenthusiastic?

[chunky_monkey]

Originally Posted by Sacred_Memories

Is it just me or do they seem rather...unenthusiastic?

Mugglenet's tweets? How can you even tell?

Gabrielle wrote that she'd be starting to answer questions between 7 and 8 CST, that's in an hour and a half right?

Edit: "Just saw Deathly Hallows... PART 2!! Lots of info coming on @MuggleNet and @MuggleCast over the next day." That sounds enthusiastic to me. That was tweeted by Andrew Sims.

[dreyesbo]

Originally Posted by Sacred_Memories

Is it just me or do they seem rather...unenthusiastic?

It does seem that way, but I remember that Andrew's video review of DH I, after the premiere was quite unenthusiastic as well, but afterwards he said he loved it.

[SopophorousBean]

Mugglenet twitter says their coverage will be spoiler free because 'they've seen stuff nobody wants spoiled' interesting!

[chunky_monkey]

I think I'm just going to sit here refreshing these sites all day. So much for homework...last semester I ended up falling behind in my work because of all this Harry Potter news and excitement.

[AllStar87]

Also they said it was 2 hours in length