Today, I'm off to watch the final Harry Potter at the movies. Again.I've been a devoted follower from just before book 4 was published. A friend passed me the first 3 books so I could see what the fuss was about, and by the time book 4 hit the shelves, I was among the faithful, waiting in line to buy it on release day.
After that, every time a new book was released, I reread the books before it to be ready (though by the last couple of books, I only read from book 5 in preparation since I'd read the first ones so many times by then).
When the first movie came out, I was there, watching in wonder as J.K. Rowlings's world was brought to screen. Again, when each new movie came out, in preparation I'd rewatched the ones before it *and* reread the book in question. Safe to say I've read these books and seen these movies a lot.
So I'm really sad to be at the very final place in the series. A few weeks ago, perhaps out of altruism, perhaps because I couldn't let go, I got my mother hooked on the series. She'd seen the first movie at the cinemas with me, and had seen the second one on TV at some point. She didn't have a whole lot of interest going forwards, but I convinced her it would be worth it.
On five nights (not in a row, we had a night or two break in between) I took my Harry DVDs over to her house, cooked her dinner and watched a movie (from 3 onwards). Last night we watched 7.1 - just in time since Harry 7.2 must be close to not playing anymore. In fact, it has stopped at our local cinemas, so we're having to travel to a bigger multiplex today.
I saw 7.2 the first time with DH (another huge Harry fan), but today, I will generously share the experience with my mother. Or one might say I'll be using her as my excuse to indulge again. Either way it's a win. :)Have you ever been obsessed with a series - either books or movies? Not wanting it to end? Or are you reading a series now that you're scared will end one day? Tell me about it and make me feel normal!
I always come late to a trend. If we're talking visual, I got hooked on Buffy badly when a friend we [ahem] both know introduced the series to my daughter. Can't tell you how many times I've watched those series 1 through 7 episodes. I was pretty devastated when Spike sacrificed himself. ( sob and yay! ) And how relieved I was when I heard from the original source of my obsession that he makes a return in Angel.
ReplyDeleteBut of course, then I got hooked again!
Hope you and your mum have a gorgeous time today, Rachel. I love, love, loved the Harry Potter books, but I've only seen the first movie. My sister and my niece are on a crusade to rectify that particular oversight in my education, though.
ReplyDeleteI remember waiting with baited breath for each of the Lord of the Rings movies (and now there's going to be the Hobbit! Yay!). And a TV series I'm completely addicted to and that I hope runs forever is New Tricks.
So... are you feeling normal yet? :-)
Rachel, my DH and I finally saw The Deathly Hallows Pt 2 last night. Like you, we had to travel further afield to see it. So worth it! I'm sure you will love it. Exciting, emotional, just wonderful. And, like all good final chapter, all the ends tied up in a satisfying manner.
ReplyDeleteThere's a scene right at the end when Harry, Hermione and Ron stand holding hands, and you can't help but wonder how the young actors are feeling at the end of this amazing era.
I loved the books, loved the movies and, as a romance fan, also liked the thread of romance that carried through the story.
Robbie - I apologise and gloat at the same time about introducing you and your daughter to Buffy. ;) Yes, that was another series that I was devastated to leave. Then came the dvds and now I never have to leave it completely.
ReplyDeleteYES about Spike! Love, love, love Spike. :)
Michelle, we've spoken before about you loving the Harry Potter books then not seeing the movies. Glad your sister and niece will fix that!
ReplyDeleteOh, yes, the Lord of the Rings was the same. When that first came out, it was the same time the Harry movies were starting and I remember each year getting one of each. Sigh. Happy times.
Kandy, glad you got to see it, even if you had to travel further afield. Yep, I've had the same thoughts about the actors - but speaking of the end, that was probably the only time in the whole 8 movies that I thought they should have stuck closer to the book.
ReplyDeleteWon't do any spoilers for others, but the book's ending totally rocked and made a bit more sense than a couple of elements of the movie ending. But after 8 movies, if that's the only time I didn't agree, then they've done a fabulous job!
Hope you and your Mum enjoy the movie, Rachel.
ReplyDeleteI'm not into series. I find it's an annoying marketing push. So I'm not going to help you feel normal - although maybe it's me that's abnormal! :-)
Cath
Catherine, sometimes I feel exactly the same way - I think the story has already been told, and to create a series out of it is spreading things too thin and it's just for sales. But when it's done well -- like Harry! -- I'm a total sucker for them.
ReplyDeleteWhat about TV series? Have you ever really got into one of them?
Oh my gosh Rachel, we sound so alike in our obsession regarding the HP series. I got hooked onto it when the 3rd book was released. I remember my dad went to Oz and asked me what did i want him to bring back for me, and being the book worm that i was i told him to get me the first three books of the HP series. Since the moment i finished reading the 1st book, i was eternally hooked. I have read the series so many times that my paperbacks are starting to fall apart at the seams. Tears still spring up whenever i read the endings in books 5,6, and 7.
ReplyDeleteAs for the movies i'm sorry to say but i found that the movies did not do justice to the books. I found that some important facts in the books were lost in translation. Never the less i still watched every single movie and have my own HP DVD collection.
Sonali, how very cool that we've had similar paths with Harry!
ReplyDeleteAgree that some stuff got lost in translation with the movies, but that doesn't worry me, since I've read the books and can fill in the blanks. I see the movies more as companions to the books.
I think when I get the DVD of this final movie, I'll read book 7 again first, then watch it. Fun!
Rachel I feel bad to say I kinda lost interest in the HP movies.
ReplyDeleteI do love a good series though, have a bit of a thing for JR Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood and I'm almost finished season 3 of True Blood, and then there's Being Human... Oh and I do love all the Terminator movies -- Terminator 2 would have to be one of my all time favourite movies... and when is the next Avatar movie coming out??
Shutting up now BWG
Mel, if we all had the same tastes, we wouldn't have variety in books and movies available! I love that different people like different things - for eg, I'm the opposite to you in the BDB series. I liked one, but after that I got bored. Vive la difference! :)
ReplyDelete*sigh* Am such an avid HP fan! but am not going to get to see the last movie on the big screen. You'll just have to go again for me, Rach.
ReplyDeleteAw, Anita, I feel your pain. But the good news is, once it's out on DVD, you can have a Harry-a-thon. We're considering how many days our first Harry-a-thon will go over. Eg., do we watch one movie a night for 8 nights? Or 4 movies a day on a weekend? Decisions, decisions!
ReplyDeleteI'm right there with your about Harry Potter, Rachel! I adore it! And I've re-watched all the movies we have on DVD at least once. I confess I haven't seen the last movie yet... and I've resigned myself to snatching up the DVD as soon as it hits the shop shelf!
ReplyDeleteI'm also a died-in-the-wool Firefly fan, too, and we raced out to get Serenity the movie as soon as it reached the shelves!
Might be time to have encore viewings...
(happy sigh)
:)
Sharon
Sharon, I'm totally with you about Firefly! Did you see the episode of Castle where Rick Castle (Nathan Fillion) dresses up like Cap'n Mal for Halloween? Classic!
ReplyDeleteIf you do get the chance to see HP7.2 at the cinemas before it goes, grab it. The final battle was on such a large scale that it's fabulous on the big screen.
Hi Rachel
ReplyDeleteI never really 'got' Harry Potter :(( But like Robyn I had a mad Buffy and Angel crush, and watched TV for 24 hrs once during a Buffy Fest (sad really)And dare I admit that I love Start Trek! Adore the last movie and can't wait for the next one (who would have thought Spock could be sexy??)
Great post!
Helen, I love Buffy! I have all 7 series on DVD and can understand the need to do a 24hr Buffy Fest. I liked Angel, but was never into it as much as Buffy.
ReplyDeleteStar Trek is something I keep meaning to come back to. One of my sisters was really into it when we were growing up - maybe I should talk to her about it and make a plan to immerse myself.
Hi Rachel,
ReplyDeletePlease don't throw me out of here but I can't get what HP is about! My daugher has the DVD's and the books. She goes on a binge at a time. And I quickly exit the room. Maybe too much magic for me?
And yet if Vampire Diaries is on, I will stop whatever I'm doing to watch it!
Rachel, I did see that Castle episode! You are so right - CLASSIC! LOL
ReplyDeleteI too am absolutely hooked on HP and saw HP7.2 at the theater twice. I'd have seen it probably six times if I could have justified the child care.
ReplyDeleteI reread all the books this year and just loved them all over.
Sharing them with my daughter has been the most fun ever. She's six, so we've only read the first three, but she loves, loves, loves them. We've had Harry Potter parties and her dad has made her a wand. We play Harry Potter trivia in the car all the time. It's just so much fun.
But one thing that makes me sad is that she'll never have the experience of watching any of the movies in the theater. But maybe there'll be a revival at some point and we can do that.
I haven't read all the HP books yet (they're on my TBR pile), but I'm addicted to the Chrestomanci series by Diana Wynne Jones, which is also all about kids and magic. Love, love, love those books and reread them often. In fact, I just finished Conrad's Fate yesterday. I'm also totally addicted to Buffy and Firefly -- sounds like I'm in good company there!
ReplyDeleteHarry Potter was definitely one of the series I wished would never end. And one time I marathoned Lord of the Rings for about five nights in a row, but I don't watch/read enough series to really flail horribly when they end. Though I was sad when I read the last Barbara Michaels book I needed to buy to have all of her books.
ReplyDeleteHey, Marlena!!!! You need to email me -- michelle AT michelle - douglas . com (close up the spaces) . :-) You won a copy of The Cattleman, The Baby and Me from my Sunday smooch earlier in the month. :-)
ReplyDeleteLOL, Rach -- I'm feeling everybody's pain at the ending of the HP movies.
Nas, as long as there is one HP obsessive in your house, I'm happy. ;)
ReplyDeleteEmily, how fabulous that you can share your Harry love with your daughter.
ReplyDeleteYou know, your point about her not experiencing them in the cinema might not be as bad as you think - with the 'media rooms' being more common and TVs getting bigger all the time, I have to think that soonish the technology will be affordable for most of us. I'm hoping one day for a huge flat screen on a wall with surround sound, so it will be like going to the movies so I can see heaps of movies again that were good on the big screen. Or is that just wishful thinking?
Emily (the other one!) - it'll be interesting to see what you think of the Harry books when you get to them. As some commenters above have shown, not everyone likes them. For your own enjoyment, I hope you're one of the ones who loves them. :)
ReplyDeleteYep, lots of Buffy and Firefly fans here!
Marlena, a Lord of the Rings marathon would be great! I saw them all at the cinemas, and have watched them again at my sister's (she has all the special edition DVDs) but I haven't done a marathon. Perhaps that's what I'll do to get me over losing Harry.
ReplyDeleteOh, the Barbara Michaels books - I read Crocodile on the Sandbank and loved it, but that's the only one. Perhaps I should get some more...