harry potter – NZ Film Freak

Vecna vs Voldemort & The Boys Who Lived

Harry Potter vs Stranger Things - voldemort, vecna, harry potter and will byers

I am OBSESSED with Stranger Things, and have been hanging on every episode of Season 5. (How they can drag these out is just cruel!)

I have noticed, however, some bold similarities between Season 5 of Stranger Things, and Harry Potter...

Before you attack me, please rest assured that I love both Stranger Things and Harry Potter equally. I am not accusing anyone of copying anyone. But I feel I must address this. Just as my dad felt the need to address the similarities between Star Wars and Harry Potter…

Or, perhaps Stranger Things is designed for Gen Z, Harry Potter is for the Millennials, and Star Wars for Boomers. Perhaps these cross-overs are simply reinventions for the newer generations, and comparisons shouldn’t really be drawn between them.

Nevertheless, here it is! The official NZ Film Freak list, highlighting the similarities of Stranger Things and Harry Potter.

Why? Because I can’t stop thinking about Stranger Things, so I must write about it to occupy myself until the finale.

The antagonists’ names are similar
Vecna and Voldemort / Henry Creel and Tom Riddle
The antagonists have a similar look
They both have long fingers/fingernails, bald heads, and no noses
Both heroes are magical
Harry is a wizard, Will is labeled The Sorcerer
Both heroes acquire their powers by mistake
Harry and Will both inherit their arch enemy’s powers – Harry is a horcrux made by Voldemort, Will becomes like a radio receiver of Vecna after the attack.
Harry and Will were their enemies’ first obsessions
They were also both kids when they are first attacked.
Both heroes ‘feel’ when their antagonist is nearby
Harry’s burning scar, and Will’s prickly neck
Both boys are ordinary until…
Harry and Will are nothing special, until destiny finds them

Missed any? Add them in the comment section below!

Top 20: Best Mums in Movies

I was thinking about the actresses who always get cast as the motherly characters in movies, and the same names kept coming up. So I decided to put together a list of the best mum characters in the movies and the eight actresses who play them.

(I probably should have done this around Mother’s Day but I forgot.)

Dianne Wiest

“Why are you hiding back there? You don’t have to hide from me – I’m Peg Boggs, your local Avon representative and I’m as harmless as cherry pie…” – Peg Boggs
Dianne Wiest has been cast as the mother in Edward Scissorhands, the Avon Lady named Peg who takes Edward Scissorhands in and looks after him. She is encouraging and positive.

“Phew. You smell like garlic.” – Lucy Emerson
She’s also Lucy in vampire movie The Lost Boys, where she is not only the mother to her two boys, but is also good friends with them.

“Yeah. He’s a good man. Ooh, he’s got a gift. Comes from heaven above, I swear… But he’s still just a man.” – Dianne Booker
Finally, she plays a mum in The Horse Whisperer. Dianne is a farmer’s wife and is highly family-orientated. She doesn’t beat around the bush and says it as it is.

Julie Walters

“So young and so pedantic… One glass. You can tell God I forced you.” – Dame Eve
Julie Walters has played a motherly role in Driving Lessons as the ‘mentor’ of sorts named Evie. She is blunt and protective with a brilliant sense of humour.

“Not my daughter, you bitch!” – Mrs. Molly Weasley
Walters also played the protective Mrs. Weasley in the Harry Potter series, she’s equally fierce and strict as she is warm and loving.

Toni Collette

“That’s a long time to be ‘nowhere’.” – Pam
Toni Collette is a personal favourite of mine – she just seems so lovely. She plays the quiet and unsure mother in The Way, Way Back named Pam who learns to listen to her son and put him first. I love the final scene in that film.

“Look at my face; I was not thinking anything bad about you.” –Lynn Sear
She’s also the mother called Lynn in The Sixth Sense. After losing her mum she is in a vulnerable place while trying to work out what is bothering her son.

“For better or for worse, we are your family.” – Sheryl Hoover
My absolute favourite of Collette’s is Sheryl in Little Miss Sunshine. She is struggling to keep the family together, but stays strong and selfless in the toughest of circumstances.

Allison Janney

“Courage sometimes skips a generation. Thank you for bringing it back to our family.” – Charlotte Phelan
Allison Janney surprisingly doesn’t have any children in real life, but she can play the warmest and trusting of characters on screen. Janney plays the mother, Charlotte, in The Help who struggles to stand up for what is right, but encourages her daughter to do so.

“Off the wagon again!” –Betty Thompson
She is certainly not the best mother in The Way, Way Back called Betty. She drinks and swears and isn’t the kindest to her children. But ultimately, she’s whacky and hilarious.

“Well, I’m a nail technician and I think we both ought to just stick to what we know.” –Bren MacGuff
Janney plays Bren in Juno, who is possibly the best step-mum in the movies. She supports her 16-year-old step-daughter who reveals she’s pregnant and gets right on to making a plan with her.

Melissa McCarthy

“What kind of man takes a kid to a bar and a racetrack?” –Maggie Bronstein
Melissa McCarthy plays is a brilliantly hard-working mum called Maggie in St. Vincent. Struggling to make ends-meet she does a great job of raising her son, and makes fun of difficult situations. Particularly where Bill Murray’s character is concerned.

“They’re just looking at my smock, it tends to catch the light.” –Deanna
Her most recent is Life of the Party. Oh my goodness what a cool mum character. Deanna wants to feed every one and give solid advice to everyone. She’s widely accepted when she goes back to university and is looked up to by the younger students.

Sandra Bullock

“What it means, is, is that, we want to know if you would like to become part of this family.” –Leigh Anne
Sandra Bullock’s character Leigh Anne in The Blind Side makes me cry even though I’ve only seen the trailer and not the movie. But it shows a generous and honest motherly character, despite the very cringe storyline.

Ryan Stone.jpg “I have a bad feeling about this mission”. – Ryan Stone
Bullock is also a mother in Gravity called Ryan, where it takes everything in her being to come to terms with the sudden death of her daughter. As an astronaut, the lack of gravity represents her lack of control over the tragedy and her feeling of not feeling ‘down-to-earth’ or ‘grounded’ anymore. So sad.

Juliette Binoche

“Well, it’s not cinnamon, it’s a special kind of chili pepper… Mm-hm. It’ll give you a lift.” –Vianne Rocher
Juliette Binoche plays Vianne in Chocolat. She’s possibly the most fashionable and understanding mother in the movie world. Vianne travels around France helping people mend their psychological distress with chocolate. She lost her beloved mother and feels obliged to follow her tradition of moving with the north wind with her restless young daughter in tow.

Emily Blunt
While she doesn’t have the same vibe as the others on this list, I think Emily Blunt will become the go-to mother figure of future films.

“I have shot and buried three vagrants in the past year! So I don’t care what hobo sob story you’ve got. I get a dozen a week, pal. It cuts no cash for me.” – Sara
Blunt plays a single mother called Sara in Looper. She becomes aware early on that her son, Cid, has particular strong powers whereby he can manipulate objects. However, he uses his powers for evil in the future so Bruce Willis’s character comes from the future to kill Sara’s son. Sara is extremely protective and is well prepared for anyone threatening Cid.

“I need that shoe to have a child.” – The Baker’s Wife
Into the Woods is a musical with a medley of fairytale characters thrown together in the same film. Emily Blunt’s character is the Baker’s wife and she can only have a child if she finds a slipper as pure as gold. I personally think it’s a load of poppycock. But Blunt plays the part of an aspiring mother well.

“Who are we if we can’t protect them? We have to protect them.” –Evelyn Abbott
A Quiet Place is one of Emily Blunt’s most recent films where she plays Evelyn Abbott, a mother who is protecting her children in the most unforgiving of environments. No one can make a sound because the monsters hunt via sound and they will find you and kill you. She does everything in her power to protect her children and teach them how to survive. I love how she can still make her children laugh though (in a quiet way).

“Mary Poppins, it is wonderful to see you!” – Micheal Banks
“Yes, it is, isn’t it?” –Mary Poppins
Mary Poppins Returns is coming soon, and it stars Emily Blunt as the leading role. Mary Poppins is the idealistic mother figure, even though she’s a nanny rather than a mum. But she’s dependable and fun for sure. It comes out in December 2018 so I’m excited to see how well Blunt does.

While my mum doesn’t act in movies, I would like to say that she is the best mum who could be portrayed by any of the above actors… Particularly Dianne Wiest or maybe Julie Walters…

Top 10: Best Dads in Movies

Happy Father’s Day to the UK and USA readers!

In celebration of all the dads out there, here is a post about the best father characters on the big screen.

Keep an eye-out for a post about the best mums in movies too.

“Yeah sure you have – your old D-A-D! You know I’ll always be there to love you and support you no matter what kind of pickle you’re in… Obviously.” –Mac MacGuff
Mac is played by JK Simmons in Juno. He is the epitome of a calm and supportive dad, especially since his 16-year-old daughter just told him she’s pregnant. He goes with her to meet the adoptive parents and remains level-headed.

“I admire that honesty, Natalie, that’s a noble quality. Never lose that, because it often disappears with age, or entering politics.” –Daniel Hillard/Mrs. Doubtfire
Daniel Hillard/Mrs. Doubtfire is of course played by the brilliant Robin Williams in the comedy Mrs. Doubtfire. After Daniel and his wife begin the divorce proceedings, he finds that he isn’t seeing his three young children enough, so he disguises himself as an older woman named Mrs. Doubtfire who is hired to be the children’s nanny. Just goes to show how far this father will go to see his kids.
Chris Gardner.jpg “Hey. Don’t ever let somebody tell you… You can’t do something. Not even me. All right?” –Chris Gardner
Based on a true story, Chris (Will Smith) in the movie The Pursuit of Happyness is down on his luck. He loses everything, but he works hard in order to get his life back on track for his young son. He makes sure that despite his downfall, he keeps his son happy and inspired.
“Probably just as well. He would have told it wrong anyway. All the facts and none of the flavour.” –Ed Bloom
Ed (Albert Finney) in Big Fish is the the storytelling father who is philosophical and entertaining with a fantastic sense of humour. He’s been everywhere and done everything, with everyone admiring him along the way. His son, however, doesn’t appreciate his anecdotes and goes on a journey to discover the truth behind the tales.

“I used to think a wedding was a simple affair. Boy and girl meet, they fall in love, he buys a ring, she buys a dress, they say I do. I was wrong.” –George Banks
George (Steve Martin) is the Father of the Bride, and he shells out a lot of money to ensure his daughter has the perfect wedding. While I’ve written about the controversy of this film before (George was manipulated by his daughter in my opinion), it does show the love George has for his daughter; he’d do anything for her and doesn’t expect anything in return.

“Now Harry, you must know all about muggles. Tell me, what exactly is the function of a rubber duck?” –Arthur Weasley
Arthur Weasley is played by Mark Williams in the Harry Potter films. He and his on-screen wife Molly Weasley are often referred to as the perfect parents. They’re fierce, protective but inclusive, warm and family orientated too. Arthur is the more laid back one out of the pair, and is completely fascinated by everything muggle-related.

“I love you. I’ve always loved you.” –Lee Abbott
A recent ‘dad-goals’ father figure on the big screen is Lee (John Krasinski) in A Quiet Place. In a more basic ‘survival of the fittest’ kind of world, he sacrifices a lot to protect his children. He teaches his son to be brave by day, and works hard on a device to improve his deaf daughter’s hearing by night.

“If you let my daughter go now, that’ll be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you. But if you don’t: I will look for you. I will find you. And I will kill you.” –Bryan Mills
While it is comedic that Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) has had the worst luck over the years with multiple Taken films, you can’t deny his bravery and perseverance to find his daughter.

good will hunting robin williams.jpg “You’re not perfect, sport, and let me save you the suspense: this girl you’ve met, she’s not perfect either. But the question is whether or not you’re perfect for each other.” – Sean
While Robin Williams’s character Sean is Will Hunting’s psychologist rather than his dad in Good Will Hunting, you can’t deny that in the absence of Hunting’s father, Sean makes a darn father figure in his place. He listens, he’s patient and he’s loyal.

“Is everything all right? It sounds like you’re having sex in here, which I know can’t be true due to the fact that you have a homosexual boyfriend.” –Dill
Dill is the father to Emma Stone’s character who is played by the amazing Stanely Tucci in the film Easy A. It is one of my favourite films, and Tucci’s remarkably understanding and laid-back character is brilliant.

While my dad isn’t in the movies, he is the best dad in real life. Happy Father’s Day, Cage!

Why I Love the Harry Potter Franchise

“Merlin’s beard! You must be Harry Potter!”

Harry Potter has been a name I have been familiar with since the age of six. My uncle in Scotland rang my mum to ask if she had heard of a series that’s rising in popularity, a series about a magical boy with glasses. She hadn’t. None of us had really, not down here in New Zealand where we were simply surrounded by Ringers (Lord of the Rings fans).

Despite the first Harry Potter book being released in 1997, we got our first copy from my uncle in 2000. But it wasn’t until my eighth birthday that I really became familiar with Harry Potter, as I was gifted the VHS of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. I remember being so excited that I tried to watch it before school, and I couldn’t wait to get back home to finish it.

That’s when I knew, yes, it was that day when I released that I would grow up, not to become a Gleek (Glee fan), nor a Twi-hard (Twilight fan), nor a Trekkie (Star Trek fan) or a fully fledged Whovian (Dr. Who fan). No. I was destined to be a Potterhead.

Despite never receiving my Hogwarts acceptance letter by Owl Mail on my 11th birthday, I still retained my love for the magical world and my increasing boredom with the muggle world.

THE DETAILED WORLD OF HARRY POTTER

I’ve read the Harry Potter books, and continue to reread them. I’ve watched every Harry Potter film and continue to re-watch them. I find them to be the perfect form of escapism; it’s easy to get lost in a world when it is so well thought through and detailed.

The dialogue

But what really keeps me hooked, is the language. It’s authentic and entertaining to say the least.

“…by behaving like a babbling, bumbling band of baboons!” – Professor McGonagall

The language incapsulates emotion in the magical world.

“What’s got your wand in a knot?” – Hermione

At other times, it’s enlightening:

“Happiness can be found in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.” – Dumbledore

The magical language is not just reserved for spells, it’s a part of everyday dialogue for the characters without alienating the audience. Which, as naff as you may think it is to make up wizarding words, is pretty clever.

The names

Even down to the character names; they perfectly suit their personalities. They give a hint to their characteristics immediately: Rita Skeeter, Argus Filch, Snape, Draco Malfoy, Luna Lovegood, Rubeus Hagrid… They all ‘conjure up’ accurate assumptions to the characters’ personalities.

The house names have the same incredible representations and familiarities to the personalities of its members too:

Hufflepuff: A fluffy name. Makes me think of air-heads and kind, friendly students
Slytherin: Sly, sneaky, mean and untrustworthy students
Ravenclaw: Wise, clever and knowledgeable students
Gryffindor: Brave leaders, helpful and courageous students

The creatures and magical objects

All the different bits and bobs of the wizarding world like Butterbeers and remembralls and time-turners.

Or creatures like Hippocrates (who are vain part-horse, part-bird creatures) and thestrals (who are skeletal, leathery, winged horses that can only be seen by witches and wizards who have witnessed death), along with cruel merpeople (mermaids), cheeky pixies, dangerous trolls and friendly ghouls.

Spells and potions

The spells and potions at Hogwarts are unfathomable. How much thought has gone into make them so unquestionably natural and perfectly believable?

Polyjuice potion, amortentia (love potion), Felix Felicis (liquid luck)… The list goes on.

“By your age, he could turn a whistle into a watch and have it sing you the time.” – Alastor Mad-Eye Moody

All of these things have created a watertight world, which has attracted a mass of Potterheads. I think it’s at the very least, an environment to gain inspiration for budding writers, and a safe place for dizzy daydreamers.

Considering it all began in a small cafe called The Elephant House in Edinburgh – where I have visited in order to be inspired by a multi-million pound story idea – Harry Potter is not just about the boy who lived. But about JK Rowling – a single mother who was grieving the loss of her own mum while living on benefits. She’s the woman who made it.

POTTERMORE

Did you know there is a place on the internet just for Potterheads? It’s called Pottermore. The website will sort you into a house, work out your Patronus Charm, and a wand will choose you. For example:

I was placed in the house of Hufflepuff, which I think was well-suited because it’s for kind and gentle people who are a bit dim and not particularly brave. Of course, there are exceptions to the rule like Cedric Diggory and Nymphadora Tonks who are both brave Hufflepuffers.

“EXPECTO PATRONUM!” (Translates to English as “I AWAIT A GUARDIAN!”)
My Patronus Charm is of a St. Bernard dog:
Despite its large and intimidating size, the St. Bernard is known to be kind, loving, and gentle. Great with families and very loyal, the St. Bernard will always be by your side. They are quick to protect family members who may be in danger and often act as a guardian for those around them. Strong and powerful due to their size, the St. Bernard will fight off Dementors and stand by you, come what may.

I believe this to be ill-suited because I think I should have had a horse, like Ginny Weasley’s Patronus.

The wand that chose me is made of alder wood with a Unicorn hair core, it’s 11 ¼” long and has a surprisingly swishy flexibility.
“Alder is an unyielding wood, yet I have discovered that its ideal owner is not stubborn or obstinate, but often helpful, considerate and most likeable.”

Of course if you’re not a massive Potterhead, you can always enjoy the memes it has produced. I recommend following @HogwartsLogic on Twitter and Facebook.

There has been an extraordinary amount of Harry Potter-inspired gifs and memes, which will make you giggle.

And a few ‘dad jokes’ too.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them

Director: David Yates
Writer: J. K. Rowling
Released: November 2016
Starring: Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything), Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Ezra Miller (The Perks of Being a Wallflower), Samantha Morton, Jon Voight, Carmen Ejogo, Ron Perlman and Colin Farrell (In Bruges).
—

After 20 minutes of watching this Harry Potter spin-off, I realised it was not going to get any better.

A story of a man (Eddie Redmayne) who was expelled from Hogwarts goes to America to save and conserve magical beasts that have been wrongly accused of being dangerous within the magical community.

Unfortunately, this gets out of hand and his magical beasts escape into New York city and interact with Muggles – or as the Americans call them, No-maj. (Non-magical people.)

I had hyped myself up to see it because I had recently had a Harry Potter movie binge-watch, and had read one of the Potter books. So I thought, to be a real Harry Potter fan, I really ought to see Fantastic Beasts before it ‘disapparated’ from the cinemas.

Unfortunately, it was everything I feared and less:

A desperate clutch at straws to keep Harry Potter cool. Only this time, rather than a down to Earth, scary, gothic English classic, it was drenched in melodrama, and dripping with cringe-worthy, unrealistic American dialogue.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them behind the scenes I am aware it was based in New York. But it was too clean, too cheesey, theatrical and lame.

I think it was a business decision to change the tone of the Harry Potter franchise. Perhaps to draw in the American audience. But, as an English Harry Potter film fan, I certainly felt alienated. I don’t enjoy the faff and bright colours of Hollywood in a supernatural movie. The movie just seemed made of plastic. You could tell every scene was filmed on a stage – I kept waiting to see the edge of the cardboard walls when the camera panned.

David Tennant who plays The Doctor I thought some of the characters had jumped out of an old Doctor Who episode. (You’ll know what I mean if you’ve seen the David Tennant Doctor Who episode ‘Daleks in Manhattan’.)

Finally: What. the. hell. Why did Johnny Depp make an appearance at the end? Did anyone else get confused by this? Maybe the set design lacked in realism because all the budget was spent on Mr. Depp’s two-second appearance. So ridiculous.

If I hadn’t of spent so much on a cinema ticket, I would have walked out.

But maybe the book is better.

Jodie’s rating: 3/10

Remembering David Bowie and Alan Rickman

Alan Rickman and David Bowie together

Two legends gone at the age of 69. I am so shocked and gutted. They are English artists who both died of cancer within four days of each other.

David Robert Jones (8 January 1947 – 10 January 2016)
For me, Heroes will forever encapsulate David Bowie’s genius. It is a song I can’t get bored of, featured in films such as Moulin Rouge and The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

Though nothing, will keep us together
We could steal time,
just for one day
We can be Heroes, for ever and ever
What d’you say?

And of course, Space Oddity sets the tone perfectly for The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.

David Bowie in The Prestige film However, let’s not forget the remarkable on-screen work he’s done. I may be neglecting to mention the most well-known performances he’s done, but my personal favourites include his portrayal of Nikola Tesla in The Prestige and him featuring as a more brash version of himself in Ricky Gervais’ show, Extras.

Check out his hilarious interview about being on the show:

Alan Sidney Patrick Rickman (21 February 1946 – 14 January 2016)
Alan Rickman in Harry Potter Alan Rickman will forever be known to my generation as the fantastical almost-villain everybody loves to love, Professor Snape in the Harry Potter movies.

“I can teach you how to bewitch the mind and ensnare the senses. I can tell you how to bottle fame, brew glory, and even put a stopper in death.” – Snape

I will also remember him from a film I watched years and years ago called Perfume: The Story of a Murderer.

A fantastically well-spoken performer (who was forever impersonated on chat shows), whose voice will forever be associated with Absolem the blue caterpillar in Burton’s Alice in Wonderland. Thankfully he completed the second instalment to the Alice in Wonderland series, Alice Through the Looking Glass.

Tom Hiddleston and Benedict Cumberbatch are two of many celebrities who impersonate Alan Rickman regularly, but Family Guy might just take the cake:

I figured your legendary statuses would prevent you guys from passing away somehow… Rest in peace you glorious human beings.

Jodie.

David Bowie riding lightning tiger PS. I can only hope that David Bowie will forever be remembered as a majestic guy who rode a tiger made of lightning.

What Are You Like, Rosamund Pike?

I wanted to make a quick post regarding the fantastic English actress, Rosamund Pike. [EDIT: it’s not a quick post at all. I lied.]

I had one idea in my head about who she is, naively based on her characters in Made in Dagenham and The World’s End, but since seeing Gone Girl my image of her has been completely crushed.

Haven’t seen Gone Girl? Read my review here.

It’s like listening to an amazing song and having an idea of who the singer looks like, and what they are like in person. But then you find their photo, then you watch an interview… And then your whole perception of who you think they are is SCREWED.

Lisa - Made in Dagenham film In an interview I watched, Pike talks about how she was so happy to be given the chance to prove she wasn’t a fragile English girl who was “afraid to get her hands dirty.”

Rosamund Pike is clearly willing to push the boundaries in her career. So, good on those directors – like David Fincher – who give actors like her a chance to break out of their mold. That must be difficult to do.

I wonder if actors like Jack Black find a variation of jobs hard to come by. Or perhaps, like Ricky Gervais, they’re not looking for variation.

Gervais says he doesn’t believe actors should feel the pressure to be versatile. Gervais plays the same character in every film and tv show, and he thinks that’s perfectly fine for an actor to do. He reckons actors should do what they’re good at.

What’s Up, Shia LaBeouf?
From the outside, this change in [our perceived] celebrity’s identity seems jarring, as though they are acting out. Which, in LaBeouf’s case at least, perhaps is true..?

Or at least he went about his change of image in a more confronting way than Pike.

He was part of the Disney franchise, and now he’s doing everything he can to detach himself from that brand – getting into all kinds of nonsense, and taking all sorts of controversial jobs.

I wonder if this identity whiplash is common with actors. I can’t find the YouTube video now, but I’ve heard psychologists talk about actors (particularly after Philip Seymour Hoffman and Robin Williams died) being a troubled people who want to escape themselves. As though acting is a way to distance themselves from themselves.

So, maybe changing directions in their career is a chance to show the public that we don’t really know them at all – which of course, we don’t. It must screw with you a bit, having a distinct public image to compete with.

Just thought it was interesting, how easily actors can change our perception of them, as Daniel Radcliffe and Anne Hathaway have.
We do have clear ideas of who these celebrities are, and I think actors are in a prime spot to frequently distort that based on what acting roles they take – intentionally or not.

Now, before this turns into an essay, let’s not forget: they are only human beings pretending to be other people for money!

Sorry, this was originally about Rosamund Pike but I got carried away. Also, I just really wanted a rhyming title… What are you like, Rosamund Pike. Ha.

Jodie.

Movies About Time Travel

I do love time travel. It can be matched up to any theme; romance, action, a light-hearted chick-flick, drama, thriller, comedy… It’s so versatile, yet remains so interesting. It is a theme that explores freedom, risk and responsibility.

But be careful! There are many of us who will be happy to point out the inconsistent, nitty-gritty details when making a story based around time travel.

These are just a few movies that are worth a look if you’re into time travel:

Back to the Future I
Back to the Future II
Back to the Future III
My favourite trilogy of all time. Creative, exciting, relatable and fun. It explores many aspects of time travel – to the future, to the past – and how fragile it can be.

The Time Traveller’s Wife
A romantic film, yet with the time travelling theme. Very well intertwined! I feel like time travelling and not being able to take your clothes would be an unfortunate likelihood. So in that respect, someone’s put a bit of thought into the logistics.
Also, Rachel McAdams… She’s incredible.

About Time
A light hearted and cheeky take on the hereditary time travelling gift. It has a brilliant cast including Rachel McAdams (again) and Bill Nighy. I like how it’s about ordinary people with time travel ability.

The Butterfly Effect
A haunting tale of all the things that could go wrong when time travelling. An ultimate thriller, although very creepy indeed. It has a cringe-worthy feel that reminds me of Requiem for a Dream. Probably not a ‘fun’ film, but certainly an incredibly well-made film.

Looper
Although the storyline was a little disappointing, the creativity of the time travel theme was refreshing. We were seeing a gangster and under-handed use of time travel. It has an action twist to the sci-fi subject.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
My second favourite Harry Potter movie. Purely for the time travelling, I have to admit. But it’s a great story.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
This is my favourite Harry Potter film. They ‘aparated’ (a magical method of transportation) all over the country. Although, I guess that’s not technically time travel.

Midnight In Paris
No watch, no Tardis. Yet, at midnight every night a 1920s vehicle would pick Gil up and take him back in time. This was a beautiful film, harnessing everybody’s fantasies and bringing them to life.

Hmm. Maybe one day we’ll have time travel!

Jodie.
PS. Where are the female time travellers at?

Twilight Saga VS Roswell TV series

Wow! So guess what I’ve been watching and totally thought it was extremely similar to a certain film series…

That’s right! After watching the Twilight Saga films which were written by Stephanie Meyer during 2005-2008 (which has created multi-millions in recent years) I realised that it is rather similar to the Roswell series which debuted in 1999 with the final episode airing in 2002.

Let me explain further. I am no “twi-hard”, nor am I a “twilight hater”. I do not enjoy the storyline, the actors or characters within the Twilight films. However, I do watch them because I enjoy the fantasy element and the behind the scenes of how the films were made – as I believe they are made rather well.

I have also enjoyed the Roswell series… Or at least the first series when the storyline is introduced. I have recently returned to the Roswell DVDs I own (post-Twilight) and the similarities are staggering.

Not only are both series set highschool, but their characters have a remarkable likeness. Bella and Liz are both smart, biology-loving, emotion-lacking highschoolers who stumble upon a ‘being’ previously thought to be fictional.

It was quite a shock after I watched Roswell and realised that Twilight is not such a unique idea after all…

For example:

Roswell’s protagonist: Elizabeth (Liz) Parker
Twilight’s protagonist: Isabella (Bella) Swan

Both brown hair brown eyed.
Both enjoy science.
Both meet their freaky boyfriends in BIOLOGY CLASS.

Bella_Swan_in_Eclipse — Bella (Kristen Stewart)

Liz (Shiri Appleby)

Freaky alien boyfriend: Max Evans
Freaky vampire boyfriend: Edward Cullen

Both monotone, intense and emotionless.
Both have brown hair and brown eyes.

The-four-aliens-roswell-36975_485_606 — Max (Jason Behr)

Max Evans has a blonde ‘sister’ named Isabel Evans
Edward Cullen has a blonde ‘sister’ named Rosalie Hale. Both have a chilly disposition against the protagonist. Both are sassy, strong and take care of their looks.

Both have a family or clan of similar beings.

Vampire clan of teenagers Edward, Alice, Rosalie, Emmett and Jasper
Alien family of teenagers Max, Michael and Isabel
All of whom are not believed to be blood related and each have individual powers.

315px-Newmoon_cullens — Twilight characters

So, what am I saying? I am saying that there are similarities. I’m saying that a lot of money has been made out of something that is not wholly original. I’m not saying Twilight is bad. Just unoriginal. Which is a little disappointing considering the amount of money that has been made from it.

But will there be original work anymore? Really.
I mean Harry Potter is remarkably like Star Wars. I’m sure you can think of more.
But perhaps I’ll blog about that one another day.

Is this worth getting worked up about? Or should we just enjoy it?
Just because you can’t be first at something, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it. Otherwise you’ll never do anything. (Wise words… Thanks Dad.)

Hmmmm…

Jodie.

Jodie’s take on the first of the Twilight films:

Twilight

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 [SPOILER]

[SPOILER]

Director: David Yates
Writer: J.K Rowling
Released: 2011
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Helena Bonham Carter, Robbie Coltrane, Warwick Davis, Ralph Fiennes, Michael Gambon, John Hurt, Jason Isaacs, Gary Oldman, Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, David Thewlis, Julie Walters
—

Not a moment to rest! This really is a second part, as in, it can’t really stand alone. If you consider it as a film separate to the first, you may feel exhausted by the constant running and relentless fighting. However, it really is more that that.

It is the final of a ten year long series and the conclusion to the first Deathly Hallows. It’s less mystery and more confrontation. We discover who really is on the bad side and who was betrayed by who.

harrypotter4

Wow! So it really is the end. No more questions and a whole lot of wand-throwing and Star Wars-like action!

The final scene is cringe-worthy… I really don’t think it was necessary to show the next generation of the three characters. The best ending would have been where Harry, Hermione and Ron walk away from the ruins of Hogworts… not the barely-old-enough-to-have-children threesome back at the station… It’s too unbelievable – a little facial hair and older clothing doesn’t add ten years, I’m afraid.

dh2-epilogue1 Also, the part where Harry dies and goes to a heaven-like state did not quite sit quite right with me either. Or perhaps I’m just not into the sappy, sentimental shenanigans…. However, I am not disappointed. Because it is the second of two parts; not an isolated film.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I Helena Bonham-Carter’s performance made it exponentially awesome – as per usual – playing Bellatrix who is a manically dangerous but feminine killer. So cool. This film is just as dark as the previous, but more of an action than a mystery with the equally fantastic cast and crew who have created another whopper. Technically incredible, of course.

It’s an end of an era, and for the people who were young enough and old enough to grow up with these characters I’m sure you’ll feel a weird sadness now that the series has ended, too.

A great finale, nevertheless.

Jodie’s rating: 7/10

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1

Director: David Yates
Writer: J.K Rowling
Released: 2010
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Helena Bonham Carter, Maggie Smith, Robbie Coltrane, Warwick Davis, Ralph Fiennes, Michael Gambon, Brendan Gleeson, Richard Griffiths, John Hurt, Jason Isaacs, Alan Rickman, Fiona Shaw, Timothy Spall, Imelda Staunton, David Thewlis, Julie Walters
—

What a fantastic film! But of course I would say that; it’s based around time travel. So if you enjoyed the Prisoner of Azkaban, you’ll enjoy this.

Every Potter film before this has been increasingly dark – this is no exception – it is evil and horrific as we continue our ten year journey with Harry potter in order to defeat Lord Voldemort and we are almost at the final fight.

Harry-Potter-and-the-Deathly-Hallows-a

This film is getting closer and closer to the muggle world as the famous three have more dealings with people outside of Hogworts. Despite it’s scary themes and shocking circumstances, it certainly doesn’t lack its tension-diffusing humour.

Particularly within the first chapter where everybody who’s helping to protect Harry takes Polyjuice potion enabling everyone in the room to look identical to Harry – a very clever and interesting behind-the-scenes piece regarding how they did this scene on the double disc version.

There are sudden deaths which may be disappointing for some fans, but the challenges and interdependence you discover between the main characters makes the story deeper and less about Harry. It’s a journey of discovery in more ways than geographically. As we flit from place to place we meet more and more people, unable of who to trust.

Ron-and-Hermione-Deathly-Hallows-Part1-romione-15280646-1350-939 I’m still not convinced about the unorthodox chemistry between Harry and Ron’s sister, Ginny. No matter how many movies, it just doesn’t work for me… However, Ron and Hermione have a more realistic relationship including somewhat hilarious disagreements.

Not long ago I reminisced and watched the first Potter film. It was then that I realised how far we had come technology-wise and this series has documented it.

HarryPotter_DH_Animated_Scene Deathly Hallows has spectacular audio and music as well as flawlessly creepy flashbacks. My favourite scene is when Hermione tells the story of the Deathly Hallows and the relevance of the Elder Wand, Resurrection Stone and Invisibility Cloak. It is so cool – like you’re in the room listening to harry-potter-and-the-deathly-hallows-part-1-373-8756 it, it’s the atmosphere of the film that makes it so real.

This is my favourite film of the series. By far. It is the mystery and the huge journey we go on emotionally and geographically, yet somehow it doesn’t seem so far fetched. A very exciting, yet occasionally humourous watch!

Jodie’s rating: 9/10

Sherlock Holmes – A Game of Shadows

Director: Guy Ritchie
Writers: Kieran Mulroney and Michele Mulroney
Released: 2011
Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, Noomi Rapace, Stephen Fry
—

Well, it’s all peaches and gravy in this corner. (Unlike NZ’s major film critic, Kate Rodger, with her surprising 2/5 rating) However, I thought this film was a fantastic sequel to the flawless first Sherlock Holmes‘ film!

What I liked in particular was the continuity between the two films, unlike the Twilight Saga and Harry Potter series which are all directed by different people each time, subsequently creating very different looks per film. I think that the continuity was mistaken as the Sherlock movies being “exactly the same”, but I strongly disagree as it keeps a regular tone.

Oh. My God. The COOLEST scene EVER was when Holmes and Watson were running through a dark forest being shot at, and it was all in slow motion with close ups of the bullets shattering tree trunks and bombs blowing up soil which was so pin-sharp I could see a bit of dirt fall in Robert Downey Junior’s eye!

I did think this scene looked an awful lot like the running-through-forest scene of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1…

Sherlock Holmes forest scene:

Harry Potter forest scene:

The major difference between this Holmes film and the last is the absolute hilarity of the second! It became like a black comedy/action film. My favourite parts being when Sherlock Holmes creates lycra-like suits with various patterns such as a wooden print or the same pattern as a chair which allows him to literally blend into the furniture around the house.

A Game of Shadows showed the relation to James Bond films, due to the amount of ammunition and shooting scenes, which became a tad boring after a while. I think some of it could have been cut to make the 2.5hr movie a tad leaner.

You see a lot of the world in this film too. From London to France to Switzerland – you see the whole kit and caboodle – way cool. Way cool.

Guy Ritchie’s style was clearly carried through to the sequel. Everything we loved, such as the slow motion and pre-planned fights Holmes talks us through. Love it.

Not to give anything specific away, but the fate of a certain character was disappointing, and I don’t think it should have panned out the way it did. It goes against the genre’s structure. But, at least it’s original.

Fantastic film – just like the first!! How the ratings are so low, I really do not know.

Jodie’s rating: 9.5/10