This is for my horde (not plural, because only three people make up a horde haha) of fans who have been waiting me to update my blog for ages.
2-in-1 Harry Potter Review (Screw spoiler alerts. You should have read/watched this by now)
The Book
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows touched my trembling hands on July 21st at 9am and I managed to finish it (in between taking care of Cojie, cooking dinner, cleaning the house, etc.) by 3am the next day. Thus concludes my morning gloat.
First, I have to say that I cannot give a completely objective review of the book because Rowling gave me what I wanted. What did I want? For Ron and Hermione to get together. And there was a moment between these two neurotic wizards (reminiscent, if I may say, to Chandler and Monica of Friends fame) in almost every chapter before the wonderful (albeit anti-climactic) kiss. And if only for page 625, I would give Rowling another P1,305.
Having said that, I must say that I was quite disappointed with the predictability of this one. All the Potter books have shocked me till the very end. I remember reading Goblet of Fire and by the fifth to the last page, I was still wondering if Harry could avenge Cedric Diggory by a chance meeting with Voldemort in the Leaky Cauldron or something. But it was a major cliffhanger that made me hurl the book across the room after I finished it.
Some predictable conclusions: Snape is actually good. Check. Harry ends up with Ginny. Check. Harry is a horcrux. Check.. Harry has to die for the horcrux within him to be destroyed. Check. Snape was protective of Harry because he was in love with Harry’s mother, Lily. Check.
I’m also not too crazy of the “Nineteen Years Later” chapter. It was too teleserye-like for me, the kind that GMA’s and ABS-CBN’s writers would conjure up. (Haha, pick on your own before anyone else does). I would have preferred a “three months after” epilogue, so we’d know if Harry managed to go back to Hogwarts, how the Ministry of Magic was revived to its old glory, or how Ron and Hermione (them again, of course) proceeded after the great war.
I do have to say that I was quite amused with the Deathly Hallows story, of the Peverell brothers and the items they got from Death, and how this translates into the symbol worn by Xenophilius Lovegood. It was a kind of tip-of-the-hat to Dan Brown, another one of my favorite writers, and symbology and stuff.
But if you’re looking for closure, you will get it. I would have preferred if Harry had died a hero instead of drowning into melancholic married life with three kids and a witch of a wife who was great at destructive spells. But Rowling must be a traditionalist — or must be happily married — so I’ll forgive her.
The Movie
My oh my. I think I said those words too many times when I saw Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
Let’s get this out of the way: the movie was crap compared to the book. I hate it when they cut out important parts, especially the fact that Ron entered the Gryffindor Quidditch team for the first time in Book 5. And they also didn’t include the character Firenze (the centaur) in this movie.
But special effects, of course, were great. The war at the ministry was a feast to the eyes (and hell to the ears) and you couldn’t ask for a better British cast: Gary Oldman, Helena Bonham Carter, David Thewlis, Brendan Gleeson, Michael Gambon, Emma Thompson, Maggie Smith, Ralph Fiennes! Throw in Rowan Atkinson and it’s the BAFTAs!
For Movies 6 and 7, I hope they find roles for Ewan McGregor and Gillian Anderson. Ewan can play James Potter. Gillian can play Narcisa Malfoy. I dunno. I just want them in there somewhere.
Back to “my oh my”. The boys are all grown up! Dan Radcliffe has an air of Tom Cruise about him (before he went jumping-on-sofas insane) and his acting has improved greatly in this one. The Phelps twins who plays Fred and George look like Ewan McGregor clones — but taller! Matthew Lewis who plays Neville Longbottom looked a bit like David Schwimmer to me.
And then there’s the actor playing Ron Weasley, Rupert Grint. I’ve thought for ages which Hollywood hottie I could attach him to — a little like Matt Damon, but not really — but this boy is unique. He’s barely out of his teens but he has the chest and the shoulders of a man! But his smile has remained boyish and innocent, perfect for the (still) girly charms of Emma Watson who plays Hermione Granger.
I don’t watch the movies so I can translate the books to something more visual because the movies always fail to do that. I really the see the films to watch these guys grow up.
This Week, I Made Two of My Friends Cry
It’s not something to be proud of, but I did. Well actually, I am quite proud. Because what I told them was the truth. And what I told them is what any good friend would have told them in their situation.
Simply put, both girlfriends had love problems over a guy whose principles they didn’t share. And I told them (in separate occasions) that they shouldn’t bend their own principles just to keep this guy a bit longer, only to realize that it’s been months and years and the guy still doesn’t agree with you.
The most painful thing to do is to let go of something —- someone —- familiar because it rocks the status quo. Having a boyfriend is great — I miss it like hell. But how far will you go to have or keep a relationship? Must you give up your beliefs in the process? Is there a person in this world worth giving up your soul to?
There is none. So don’t.
Then they started to cry. And now I owe them some chocolate….
Rampa Night at Greenbelt 3
Extra Rice and I hung out at Greenbelt 3 last Friday, outside Starbucks after chickening out (yet again) from going to Temple Bar and looking for guys. She was in a shiny black blouse reminiscent of the Star Awards (wahahaha!) and I was in an orange F&H tee which was cut too low to reveal my…. Well actually, the weight loss has sucked my boobs in. So the tee was just showing an almost flat chest.
As I’ve said, we didn’t go to Temple Bar anymore because we’re too chicken. So instead we got iced coffee and mint tea, parked our asses outside Starbucks and insulted the people around us.
Café Havana which sits beside Starbucks is inhabited by only three species: foreigners, transvestites and matronas. My God, you should have seen them, especially the matronas. They wore tube tops and short skirts like they were in their twenties. Unfortunately for one of them, her receding hairline could not be covered by make up. Sad.
Then there were the transvestites, with their short skirts and revealing blouses —- yes, revealing. Revealing their fake, rock hard boobs that don’t seem to move.
Is it sad that the guys went to their table and not to ours? That’s okay. The guys that approached them were foreigners, who apparently had no trouble with pretty girls sporting penises.
But we did spot two very good looking guys. Extremely good-looking, good-looking by all standards, magazine-worthy-good-looking guys! Alas, we were too busy hurling insults at the passersby to lift a finger to say hi.
There was also an overweight woman wearing a brown tubetop smoking a cigarette every five minutes. I wonder if she’s still alive.
Thus, I convinced Extra Rice that Tomas Morato was a lot better.
