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Harry Potter and the Boring Woodland Hike
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 (2010)
Directed by David Yates
Written by Steve Kloves
Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint
Director David Yates has taken the Harry Potter franchise a long way from the Sorceror’s Stone. In the opening moments you get just a small taste of what’s ultimately the darkest two and a half hours yet — the Dursleys nervously moving out of their home at 4 Privet Drive because it’s “not safe,” Hermione erasing all traces of her existence with her muggle parents, and the torture and death of one of Hogwarts’ teachers. All this before the credits. What the hell is going on here? It doesn’t feel like all that long ago we were first looking at Diagon Alley.
Most of the old familiar places are nowhere to be found, however. Harry is whisked from Privet Drive to the Weasley Burrow, and the trip proves a lot more difficult than it should be for everyone involved. Death Eaters ruin everything. Another Death Eater attack disrupts a wedding there, and just like that Harry, Hermione and Ron are all but cut off from the wizarding world, their circle of reliable friends shrinking constantly as Voldemort solidifies his stranglehold on their society.
The story is exceptionally tense. The three young wizards are forced out into the world to find and destroy Voldemort’s remaining horcruxes, but they have no clue how to do that. In the book, the first half is bogged down with Harry and company wandering around, discovering clues and backstory by sheer luck most of the time.
Yates and writer Steve Kloves deserve credit for being able to take the first half of the story and inject it with all the fear, hopelessness and confusion that Rowling wanted while conjuring a narrative momentum that the novel lacked. Yates has proven to be an exceptional director for the latter half of the franchise because he’s able to get to the heart of Rowling’s intentions far more capably than she was able to do in the novel. Remember the Ministry of Magic throwdown in Order of the Phoenix? Yates was able to take the worst-written action sequence in all seven novels and make it one of the best scenes in all eight films. That, my friends, is talent not to be overlooked.
It helps that Radcliffe, Watson and Grint have turned into such capable actors. We’ve watched the cast and crew grow to meet the story’s demands, and by this point they’ve nailed everything they’ve been asked to do. Daniel needs to wear a bra so he can play Fleur Delacour pretending to be Harry Potter? Done. Need Radcliffe and Watson to kiss passionately for Ron’s jealous fever-dream, even though it’s (by all accounts) like making sweet love to your sister? No problem. There are a few other difficult sequences that Yates manages to pull off simply by giving enough of a damn about telling a good story, making sure the feel is exactly right. He gets his three young leads to jump right in with him, and the results are quite impressive.
Not quite everything lands, though. The movie is perhaps a little too long, and Ron’s jealousy of Harry and Hermione comes on a little too quickly even though you’re given all the pieces you need to explain it. And even though pains are taken to bring meaningful emotional beats on-screen, there’s still far too much that happens away from the camera. There’s a lot of death and tragedy that don’t have as much weight as they should. Even still, when tragedy is focused on, it’s really effective. I’m not ashamed to admit I teared up in a spot or two.
By the end of this first part, Harry and company have found their way at least. They know what the Deathly Hallows are and why Voldemort is looking for them, they’ve discovered how to destroy the horcruxes, and they’re slowly enabling themselves to put up a defense against Voldemort. The weakest part of the story has already been told. If the craftmanship behind it can make it this good, I can only imagine how kick-ass part two is going to be.
Animated Loop: 13 Species Transformation Marathon
All the Turtles Together on Blu-Ray
Now available on Blu Ray disc is the special Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 25th Anniversary Collector’s Edition Movie Collection (whew!), featuring all three of the original live action Ninja Turtles movies (the first, Turtles II: Secret of the Ooze, and Turtles III: Turtles in Time) as well as the TMNT CGI movie, all in one box. We’ve seen it quoted at many different prices (from about $30.00 on Amazon.com down to about $15.00 in the Previews magalog) so do your homework and do some shopping around before you buy!
[Besides all of that, Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. And our thanks to all of YOU for coming to visit!]
What do you think will be banned next on FurAffinity?
[NSFW] CUBS PORN
Swat Kats on DVD
4 Vote(s)
Swat Cats on DVD
3 Vote(s)
Fur Affinity loses AlertPay account, bans cub porn
6 Vote(s)
KIM KARDASIAN
"Hop" from Universal coming April 2011
5 Vote(s)
Proposal: dump your FurAffinity account for InkBunny. Better UI, cleaner navigation, HTTPS browsing!
FA's New Cub Policy.
Live Like Yogi Bear
Just in time for the much-anticipated (?) Yogi Bear live-action/CGI movie, Insight Editions is releasing Yogi’s first book in hardcover on December 1st. Life is a Pic-a-Nic: Tips and Tricks for the Smarter Than Average Bear was written by Yogi with the assistance of Earl Kress. Here’s the publisher’s description: “For Yogi Bear, the glass is always half full and every day is a gift ripe with opportunities, new friends, and tasty treats. The Tao of Yogi is one of love and tolerance: love thy neighbor, harbor no ill will, and share your gifts, and life will reward you with goodies. Live by these rules and you can’t go wrong. Happiness is Yogi’s message, his reason for being, and Life is a Pic-a-Nic is his manifesto.” You heard it here folks.
c. 2010 Insight Editions
‘Hop’ May Be Cutest Bunny Movie Ever Produced
Universal Pictures just released the teaser trailer for their upcoming Easter family film, and it’s cuter than real furries could ever be at anything.
Check out the trailer, featuring a bunny rocking out to Blur.
We don’t know much about the movie, Hop other than that the rabbit, who is in fact the Easter Bunny, is voiced by Russel Brand. It also stars James Marsden as the live action lead. According to the trailer, Hop is being done by the Despicable Me creators.
Hop hits theaters April 1, 2011.
Can I draw one of your characters?
Guinea Pigs, Badgers, and Foxes
Graphic Universe, an imprint of Lerner Publishing, has two furry-themed graphic novel series that might be of interest to young readers and their parents. Guinea Pig — Pet Shop Private Eye (by Colleen Venable (writer) and Stephanie Yue (artist) tells the story of a guinea pig named Sasspants, who likes to read in her cage. When one of the letters on the front of her cage falls off (leaving “PI”), one of the other animals mistakes this to mean “private investigator” and enlists the help of Sasspants to solve a mystery. Now Sasspants has a new career! Meanwhile there’s Mr. Badger and Mrs. Fox by Brigitte Luciani (writer) and Eve Tharlet (artist). When Mrs. Fox and her daughter Ginger are driven out of their den by a hunter’s dog, they move in with Mrs. Fox’s friend Mr. Badger — which the adults quite enjoy actually. Unfortunately, Ginger and Mr. Badger’s two young sons do not! The series presents woodland adventures while also giving life lessons about growing up in a step-family. Volume 2 of each of these continuing series is out now.
Are there other versions of the Reddit skunk?
Episode 27 – WHY IS IT SO COLD HERE - -30c is not an acceptable temperatue…ever… Well here ya go. I made sure i uploaded it right this time. :> More hilarious news and fun for all the kids….well…maybe not kids….. Listen anyhow and enjoy!
-30c is not an acceptable temperatue…ever…
Well here ya go. I made sure i uploaded it right this time. :>
Click below to listen:
http://www.unfurled.net/episodes/UnFurled_-_Episode_27.mp3Click to download | Open Player in New Window
More hilarious news and fun for all the kids….well…maybe not kids…..
Listen anyhow and enjoy! Episode 27 – WHY IS IT SO COLD HERE - -30c is not an acceptable temperatue…ever… Well here ya go. I made sure i uploaded it right this time. :> More hilarious news and fun for all the kids….well…maybe not kids….. Listen anyhow and enjoy!