SW LONDON — “Is that what the kids are calling it these days?”
That used to be my stock answer to things I didn’t understand. I thought of it as a knowing wink to the way that old people talk. But as my own age has been rising faster recently than East Coast temperatures, it has become less funny and more fact.
And there’s an issue with people in business staying relevant. I take that bit seriously. And there’s almost nothing that isn’t relevant.
So this week I set out to work my way entirely through my children’s Harry Potter film collection. There are 7… plus one in the theatre. If I can get through them all then I’ll go see number 7.5 in the cinema.
Why?
I’ve never been good at science fiction. I couldn’t read JRR Tolkien or even CS Lewis. I wish I could have, but no.
However, in Britain, H. Potter is not only a major export, it has employed all our great actors, boosted boarding school enrolments and driven tourists to run into walls at train stations.
That’s something that cannot be ignored.
Problem is I am three nights in and not yet finished Harry Potter 1.
It could be a long week.
/df
Still only part way through number 3. Not making great progress. They are LONG.
But I did like this quote:
“It is not our abilities that show what we truly are… It is our choices.”
Prof Dumbledore
It was Richard Harris, so must have been HP2 that the quote comes from.
I think maybe 4 is the best so far. Certainly the dance made me think of every teenage experience in my life. They aren’t half gorey though, are they? Worse than Jaws which I wasn’t allowed to see until I was 18.
Oh, read the books. The movies are fun, but the books are fun-er. Ummm, well, you know what I mean. And maybe you’re weren’t into fantasy or sci-fi, but did you read Hamilton’s mythology? Shakespeare? Ancient Mariner? Billy Budd? If so, you’ll discover similar threads of enduring themes woven throughout the Potter books, which is why they connect with people, young and, well, older than young. What a lovely way to spend a summer’s evening!
Interesting the response from this post. It’s quite a ways off subject but it has outted many HP fans and lead to some interesting conversations.
I have almost finished. Like 6 too. The Half-Blood Prince. Am reviewing 7 again now and will see last in cinema again with eldest child and HP-fan this weekend. I hope.
Interesting that for all the flash, dragons and sorcery it’s still the quirky human bits and relationship stuff that makes it interesting.
/df