eeshaKHARE
Junior Kavitha Aravindhan has attended the Harry Potter Convention and she listens to “wizard rock.” She says the best thing about Harry Potter is “the world it has created all on its own, where people can dream and be themselves.The fandom is an amazing place and being a part of it is an experience I wouldn’t trade away for anything. I love Harry Potter because it has it has brought people together on taught valuable lessons.” Aravindhan says that Rowling has inspired her to become an author. Senior William Chiu has been a diehard Harry Potter fan for ten years. The reason Chiu keeps coming back to these books is because “of its overarching themes. The Harry Potter books teach us to be brave in the face of adversity, to be courageous in what we try to accomplish, to value friends as they are the ones who will always be there for us and that love conquers over evil.” Harry Potter has been involved in sophomore Patrick Smith’s life ever since he was six years old, when his grandmother read them to him during the summer. Smith says that he loves the books and movies because “they offer a sense of escape from stress and life situations. I just love the way that the reader has to be totally involved in reading
We only come for Hermione You’d think that the hottest hero on the silver screen would be the one with iron abs that could suck blood and turn into a werewolf in the Twilight saga, or the guy who nonchalantly takes out an entire mob of thugs using only a ballpoint pen in the
because every nuance such as complex characters, twisted plots, tiny items, contribute to the greater understanding of the book.” For ten years, junior Zia Syed is such a fan that despite being bullied in middle school for his Harry Potter obsession, he says, “It’s a commitment that I don’t regret making. I’ll never stop reading these books. I wouldn’t miss the opening night for anything. If people mess with Harry Potter, they’re messing with the moral code that people who read Harry Potter adopt; the moral code of right vs. wrong, honesty, etc. We’ll stand up to them, we always have.” Sophomore Aishwarya Borkar has been a Harry Potter fan for the past seven years; however, Borkar hates the movies. She offers a new perspective, saying, “If the movie producers waited until all the books released, then they would have been able to make sure all the important details to make the story flow were present. The movies just don’t go into as much depth and don’t do the books justice.”
Bourne trilogy. Yet this Nov. 19, it turns out that the bigshot hero is the one that holds the record for number of faints in a single reel. I’ve read the books, and they are good. But the movies? That’s an entirely different story. Literally. Yes, the main plot is the same, and yes, Harry kills Voldemort, but the scripts have been extremely unfaithful to the books. From movies one to four, whole scenes were deleted, which really ticked off those who read the novels. It is understanable that movie adaptations of novels cut considerable amounts of the original book to fit the story into a 120 minute time frame. But the Harry Potter and his friends still have trouble taming their hormones after puberty. These awkward teen situations are hastily squeezed in, resulting in a rushed and confusing film filled with “what just happened?” moments. So what about the Deathly Hallows? The big finale? On the bright side, having two parts allows room for more story development, and we can expect superb acting
from the entire cast. On the downside, it is directed by David Yates; his feature-length films just never seem to work out. So far, the Yate installations of the Potter saga (5 and 6) have been disappointing. So why Warner Bros. is continually asking him to come back and direct? Another question is whether the story should be split into two parts. Although two would allow for more time, it seems that there is no effective way to create an ending in the middle of the plot, and then pick up again later in a second film. This could lead to a frustrating “to-be-continued” scene like the one in The Matrix Reloaded. Originally, the movie and its sequel were meant to be one. But because of the abrupt ending, no one could pick up on the next film. So what do you think? A box-office knockout? Or just another flick filled with emotional, wizard drama-queens? I’m going to see it just because I’m one of those guys who has to finish a series no matter how bad it is (And yes, I admit, I go to see Emma Watson.) But I’ll be attending with low expectations.
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY DANIELLE LERNER
by