A Very Harry Halloween

Yes, Harry Potter isn't exclusively for Halloween, but seeing as it's all about wizards and witches and magic and monsters, we find that we always want to watch Harry Potter a little more during Halloween time. I say 'a little more' because Aaron and I are self-confessed Harry Potter addicts...we watch one of the movies at least once every three or four weeks. So, in honor of Harry and Halloween, here is a list of things I love about Harry Potter (although more so about the HP movies for this post.)

The Books:
Probably one of the reasons that I've read the books and watched the movies so much is because part of me wishes that I could live in their magical world. It just seems like so much fun. And after reading about the characters for seven books, I was pretty sad that it was all over. It's like when you move away from friends and you wonder how they're doing and wish I could still hang out with them. I haven't read all the books recently, since we don't yet own them, except for the seventh. But that will change. Soon. And once that does, I'm sure I will blog again.

The Movies:
1. I loved the old Dumbledore. He was exactly like how I pictured him when I first read the books. I was sad that he died and they had to replace him, but I've slowly learned to appreciate the new actor playing Dumbledore. I also feel that he is a bit more active than the first one, which is more appropriate for the later books/movies.
2. I love Ron's lines. They always give him the best lines. My favorite line from all of the movies is on Harry Potter and Sorceror's Stone, when they're on the train to Hogwarts for the first time and the lady from the treat cart comes by.
"Anything from the trolley, dear?"
Ron looks at this little wad of food wrapped in plastic sitting in his hand and says, meekly, "No thanks, I'm all set."
Haha! I love this line because it reminds me of all the times I went on family outings and there was delicious and expensive food to buy, but no, my mom had always packed us food to take along with us. Food like peanut butter sandwiches that were inevitably a little smushed.

3. Voldemort: He is seriously cool. Normally I'm not one for villains like my brother Kurt is, but I love Voldemort. He is actually almost attractive to me, in an evil, noseless sort of way. I think Ralph Fiennes is an awesome actor and I never would have picked him to be a bad guy. My favorite Voldemort scene is at the end of the fifth movie, when he fights Dumbledore. After seeing that action, how could you not love him?4. I think the various directors have done a good job at recreating the magic world of Harry Potter. I love it when they go to Diagon Alley and to the Ministry of Magic and the Quidditch World Cup. But most of all, I love Hogwarts. The moving stairs, the enchanted ceiling, the moving pictures, and all the secrets it contains. I hope that when they open up Harry Potter Land in Florida next year that it will capture the magical feeling that the movies have.
5. I think, for the most part, the actors in Harry Potter were perfectly cast. Sure, the kids weren't great actors in the first couple of movies, but they've gotten much better, and they just fit exactly what I pictured. I mean seriously, isn't Hagrid perfect? And Snape? And Peter Pettigrew. He actually LOOKS like a rat.
6. I love the music that was composed for these movies. That's probably one of the things that helps it feel so magical and spooky at times. Especially the music in the third movie, it's very eerie.

So here's what I have to say about the movies: Don't read the book right before you watch the movie, because you will, no doubt, be disappointed. You will remember the book very well and be upset that everything is happening out of order and that they're leaving so much stuff out. And here is the new trailer for Harry Potter 6, and they have added a scene that wasn't in the book at all, which may disappoint some people, but I just take the movies for movies, not adaptations from a book. But overall, it still looks great, and we only have to wait until next July! Sheesh.