ohhhh hi.

I haven't dropped off the face of the planet don't worry! I'm here! At camp! having fun! Getting dressed up in wild costumes, singing at the top of my lungs and getting covered in paint, glue and who knows what else. 


It's a really amazing time, something that can't be described unless you've been to camp and have experienced it yourself. It's odd having been here for so long. This is my 4th year and in ways it makes me feel old. I have watched so many of our campers grow up, but I myself have also grown up. In 2008 I scared some other counsellors, my energy, while still high, has toned down considerably. There is another staff member who has been here longer than I, and he has commented on more than one occasion how incredible it has been for him to see me mature into the young lady that I am. It was a very heart-warming thing to hear.


Anyways I just wanted to drop a line, tell you all that I was still having fun! 
It's less than 2 weeks until I leave camp and I'm not sure what to think. 

*SPOILERS* Deathly Hallows Part 2

Hey ladies!

The Experience

A little over two weeks ago it was July 14^th and we were all very excited. We straightened our ties and pulled on our robes. We gathered some Berty Bott’s Every Flavour Beans, a few acid pops and some gummy snakes. We double checked that we did, indeed, have our wands and our wits (read: tickets) about us (CONSTANT VIGILANCE). We headed to the theatre. We were so excited and we just couldn’t hide it.

We watched Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 at midnight.

(AND IT WAS TOTALLY AWESOME!!!)

Before Deathly Hallows Part 2, I had never been to a midnight showing but I’ve got to say that I’m so entirely grateful that we went and all our plans were made good for this movie. Seeing the movie with so many fans, all of whom were was invested as I was, was an absolutely fabulous experience. People cheering when they saw us walk down the line because we were dressed up! Others running up and demanding pictures (and ogling my dark mark :P)! Everyone talking about all their own Potter experiences and all the sheer excitement everywhere! All of it was fantastic!

The Movie

I have to admit here that I had pretty much jumped the gun of my first viewing experience by the time I got to the theatre at midnight. I’d seen so many clips that every five minutes I was having snaps of recognition from each one. This along with the soundtrack, which I’d gotten a few days before, took most shock that I could have had away from my experience of the movie.

The movie started with Lily’s Theme, as expected, and its crescendo at the title. Can I just say that I love how absolutely woven in this piece was? It was one thing to say that when I only had the soundtrack and to say I understood it but seeing how it was placed in the film just made my appreciation grow. I don’t think many people who simply watch the film understand that the grand majority of the events in this film take place because of Lily Potter, who was never alive or a featured character in any of the films. The survival of the original killing curse, every one of Snape’s actions, Harry’s sacrifice and survival in the Forbidden Forest are all very directly related to her and while the images and dialogue of the movie may not always make this explicitly apparent it is nice to see that she is given the main theme of the movie and is mentioned by music in almost every significant event.

Another overall mention about the movie has to be the 3D aspect which I quite enjoyed. I must particularly mention the cart ride through Gringotts where it was almost like being on a roller coaster and when bits of Voldemort were almost hitting me in the face. Those, along with the titles flying past at the very beginning were the most prominent (read: immediately noticeable) uses of 3D. That being said, I really enjoyed it because it wasn’t obvious. Instead of popping things out at you, this movie tended to fall back into the screen to give depth. On the whole, I liked the 3D but I don’t think the movie would be any less for having missed the extra D.

To finish up my more techy analysis I’ve got to talk about one particular scene that bugged me; the chamber of secrets. I actually was kind of super happy after seeing this that the movie people had seen to put it in and the kiss was totally cute! There were no up-in-your-business romantic shots and nothing too flashy, just a lovely snog and a super cute laugh afterwards. Bonus: Unlike any of the other kissed in all of the movies, these two actually managed to look like they WANTED to kiss each other! *cough*HarryandGinny*hurls*cough* Anyways, what I really wanted to talk about in this scene was that, despite all the spectacular special effects in the rest of the film, I could definitely tell that this scene had been shot with a green screen. ARGH! So frustrating! Being a Slytherin, I happen to really enjoy Chamber of Secrets (the book) and in that movie they used an actual set. This difference in this movie is apparent and disappointing.

Ugh, disgust part two right now. The scene where Voldemort hugs Draco... someone on the internet did something really disturbing with that and it completely squicked me out. It’s just... wrong. That being said, I really liked the play between the Malfoys in this scene even if I don’t think it’s quite the right place for it to happen. Draco looks all sexy in his defiance of his father and never responds to the man. Good choices there. It’s a little disappointing to me considering how I appreciated the Malfoys’ loyalty to family in the book but seeing Draco and Narcissa, at least, show that in the film is still gratifying.

I loved the scene at King’s Cross. That was literally as I pictured it except with real people instead of the characters that exist in my head. I’ve got to say it was really strange seeing Dan during that scene because he literally looked like Dan and not the Harry Potter that I’m used to seeing. I rather enjoyed that. I also rather enjoyed his denims which did quite lovely things for his assets, if you know what I mean.

Neville is completely kick-ass in this movie! “Yeah! You and who’s army!?” Woot! His slow motion wake-up in the Great Hall had everyone in stitches at the midnight showing. The leap and kill of Nagini? Sheer epic! I’m not sure what I think of his sweater though... Ah well, there are more important things.

“NOT MY DAUGHTER YOU BITCH!” *everyone cheers*

Also, Maggie Smith (aka Prof. McGonagall) had some killer funnies in setting up Hogwarts defences. BOOM!

There was one part of this movie I was really worried about and that was The Prince’s Tale. I really wanted the movie to do justice to this chapter in the book even if I wasn’t sure how they would do it. They did. When I talked about the soundtrack before watching the movie, the end of the track Severus and Lily stood out to me and I knew there would be a lot of emotion there but I was in no way prepared for Alan Rickman’s performance. That man deserves some kind of recognition. The way he just breaks apart when he sees Lily’s body had me in uncontrollable tears. *sobs* Absolutely brilliant.

On the subject of Snape, his death was rather gruesome. Every time Nagini bit him I was cringing into my seat. That being said, I really liked the “Look at me” and Lily’s theme in that scene and I didn’t totally disapprove of the change in venue. I’m not sure how this change was supposed to make it “more dramatic” or whatever explanation the movie people gave but I did appreciate that there was no need for uneducated (read: uneducated in terms of this fandom) people to lean over to their friend and whisper “Hey, ain’t that the place where the weird screaming poster guy was all ‘It wasn’t me! It was the ratman!’?” I was glad that didn’t happen.

One more thing about Snape... HE IS NOT HARRY’S FATHER!! I couldn’t even wrap my head around the fact that people who had just seen the movie and not read the books were all up and clinging to the notion that The Prince’s Tale somehow explained that Snape was Harry’s father. Just no. No... NO!!! This is a definite indication of the simplistic expectations people have of movies. It is, in fact, possible for there to be a romantic subplot between two characters that don’t end up together. Surprise! I can’t believe these people missed EVERY SINGLE TIME someone said “He looks just like his father” and how Snape was persuaded to help protect Harry when he heard “He has his mother’s eyes”. As if the man would need convincing if that was his own son! What is wrong with people today?! Gah! If you’re looking for a fatherhood revelation you’re looking in the wrong fandom. Try Star Wars. Kthxbai

The Room of Requirement. *pants* So hot... Literally! My favourite part of this was not, as I had expected it to be, Draco clinging onto Harry as they flew towards the door (thought I did really enjoy that part :P). Instead my favourite part was Goyle saying “Go on, Draco. Don’t be a prat. Do him!” I didn’t realize until a second time watching it that he had actually said “Do him!” instead of “Do it!” but I laughed so hard when I had that revelation. Oh Goyle... You were supposed to live but there can’t be a much better way to go than after a line like that, haha!

Here comes my one moment of “OMG HOW COULD YOU!!” and it’s definitely when Daniel breaks the Elder Wand before fixing his holly wand. WHAT!?!? I mean WHAT!??! I guess they would just say that Harry would use Draco’s wand instead but I always had a very strong notion that Harry would return the hawthorn wand when he was finished with it and it just irks me so badly that it doesn’t seem to be the case here. The wand chooses the wizard, this much has always been clear to us, so it should follow that the holly wand really is the best fit for Harry especially considering it has grown with him and “understands him”. Gah! *pulls out hair* Wands are so important! I don’t like it when things with wands are messed up!

When “19 Years Later” popped up on the screen during the midnight showing the entire theatre groaned and/or giggled. It was total jokes. I will say that they did a good job on the make-up the second time around. I definitely thought they looked the right age. I rather liked the older looking Daniel Radcliffe and the older Rupert with his beer belly was perfect! What was up with Tom’s Asian beard though? That was weird. Also, Albus Severus had a ferret! A ferret! That made me immensely happy.

Conclusion

Basically, I love Harry Potter and the fact that the last movie is out and there will be no more midnights is not going to stop that anytime soon.

Keep calm and carry a wand,

Dina