Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Hoggy Hogwarts . . .

Now I've been made to feel slightly that I am simply a sheep following a pop culture mass hysteria, but to those nay-sayers, I say this: Baaa!!!!!

Yes, I admit freely that I am a nerd. I've read Lord of the Rings and its accompanying appendices and The Silmarillion (i draw the line at speaking elvish, though; i haven't crossed over that much) multiple times, so I'm well acquainted with the workings and history of Middle Earth. I am one of a few among a rising generation who still knows exactly who Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner are and why they are geek-culturally significant. I quote Star Wars freely and engage in discussions about background information concerning the real lines David Prowse spoke when the audience was hearing, "No, I am your father" in The Empire Strikes Back. And yes. I read and love Harry Potter. So that means I watch the Harry Potter movies. So when my roommate wants to see Half-Blood Prince at midnight opening night, I will gladly go. Call me a nerd. I can take it. But just because it's popular doesn't mean it's not any good.

Among the group of girls that I was with last night (four of the five morris sisters; i felt like a giant), there were mixed reviews and feelings of the movie as we stepped out into the nearly-3-am-air. I had grave objections to one scene in particular that was totally pointless. Not only was it not in the book, but it had absolutely no bearing on anything that happened in the movie at any time. I am not a purist when it comes to movie adaptations. If it were a straight shot from the book, I would be bored. In fact, there was an extra story added into one of the character's dialog that was most definitely never in the book, but I thought it was a wonderful addition and a great example of what movie writing can be. However, I was very unhappy with this superfluous scene. Yes, we know Death Eaters are on the loose and are hunting down the good guys and destroying everything in their wake. You didn't need to include that scene for us to know that in the movie already. And yes, there were a couple other things in the movie that I didn't necessarily love, but they were mere pittances in comparison.

So I don't care who calls me a nerd for going to see it in the first place and I don't care what purists and negative critics think of my opinion, but aside from that one scene, I really enjoyed it. The number of things I enjoyed about the movie were far and away more numerous than the things that I wasn't happy with. So there. I liked Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. So go see it. Just please ignore said scene. Believe me, if you've read the books even half-heartedly, you'll know which scene I mean when you watch it.

-Me

"I take the view, and always have, that if you cannot say what you are going to say in twenty minutes you ought to go away and write a book about it." -Lord Brabazon