Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Wizards and Vampires: The HP6 and Twilight Trailers

Last night I had a mini freak-out conniption when, just as I was about to shut down my laptop for the night, I saw that the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince trailer had finally been released. Take a look:



First off, I think it looks incredibly dark and my hopes are rising that this film will actually live up to the awesomeness of the book. They found, once again, the perfect kid to cast as Tom Riddle. He has already given me nightmares. I was totally digging Dumbledore's polka-dot scarf thingy, too. But the best parts, to me, were the Harry and Dumbledore voice-overs at the very end. Chills! Now we just have to wait four more months.

A few of you have written me about the movie Twilight that is coming out in December, based upon the best-selling series by author Stephanie Meyer. I had never even heard of these books, and then was shocked to learn that they are quickly approaching Harry Potter status in both sales and levels of crazy fandom. Then an Entertainment Weekly issue arrived a few weeks ago with the two leads from Twilight on the cover, so I realized I couldn't be left out of the phenomenon any longer. The first book is on its way to my house as I type this.

I'm sure the books are great and I'm excited to read them... in fact, I sat next to a woman my age on the bus yesterday who was holding one of the books in the series, and I asked her what she thought and she replied, "I really didn't think I would be that into them, but they are really good!" However, I gotta say, I'm not feeling the movie trailer quite as much. Yes, I am happy that the main vampire kid, played by the same guy who played Cedric in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, can take over for Shia LaBeouf on my Inappropriate Celebrity Crushes list. But the fact that he is so damn pale in the movie is not helping... and something about the acting just seems off to me, especially with the girl playing Bella. I'm hoping after I read the book my opinion will change. But I know I'll see it no matter what.



For those of you who have read the book, is the trailer worrying you or making you excited to see the movie? The majority of fans, according to this article, seem to be hating on the Entertainment Weekly cover, if nothing else...

- e

13 comments:

Spenzer said...

I thought the HP trailer was cool. But I'm not getting my hopes up yet. I loved the Phoenix Trailer too back then and the movie turned out really crappy, so I wasn't happy with Yates directing this one too. He already ruined Sirius's death and ... I don't know. His movies always seem to lack the "magic", they're more Summer Blockbusters in winter and don't pay attention to the Potter Universe. Well, I try to stay positive ;) And vampires are sooo late 90's :D *yawn*

Spenzer

Mellis said...

At Comic Con, there were 6,500 people packed into a hall just to see the Twilight panel. I haven't read the books, but most of the fans there were young teenage girls, who, by the way, can scream very loudly!! While I thought Kristen Stewart was okay as Bella, and Rob Pattison was a good Edward, the the rest of the actors were really WEAK. As a side note, the books apparently have very little profanity, sexual situations and graphic violence, which I thought was cool considering their audience and the fact that they're about vampires.

Ernie said...

HBP is my favorite of the HP books, so I can't wait for this movie!

Dreyesbo said...

The trailer was okay. Too much focused on Riddle, but well, it's just the teaser, I hope the theatrical will be released soon.

About Twilight... I don't know why it is reaching HP status. I haven't read it, and perhaps it is uneducated for me to critique it when I haven't, but I am not interested in the premise. As mellis said its demographic is young teenage girls (I'm obviously NOT so in that demographic), unlike HP's who include my 8 year old brother, my mother, and of course, me.

Anonymous said...

I could care less about Twilight.

But I am VERY excited for HP!

Here is a fun fact for you...
Young Voldemort is played by Hero Fiennes-Tiffin, the 10-year-old nephew of Ralph Fiennes who has played Lord Voldemort.

Anonymous said...

Also, thought you might enjoy this. If you have never been to this website it is hilarious. They humorously mock the badly dressed.

Here is when they discussed the EW Twilight cover.

http://gofugyourself.celebuzz.com/go_fug_yourself/2008/07/fug_the_cover_the_twilight_cas.html

Lydia said...

I read Twilight, and although it did keep me reading, it is not an incredibly well-written book. It is definitely for a "younger" audience. I did feel a little ashamed reading it as a 29 year-old.

I have a feeling that the movie will be filled with poor acting.

I am, however, stoked about the Half Blood Prince!

Anonymous said...

I adore the books -- they're a little old school, jane austen-but-a-touch-dirtier style romance with fantasy, set in my home state. totally for teens, but still really fun as long as you think the idea of a vampire and a girl falling in love can be a bit realistic. the trailer, however, IS a bit disappointing...

but the HP one is not! little riddle is so creepy, i love it. he puts his uncle to shame in the creepy department.

Dreyesbo said...

@harveygirl: Indeed. Voldemort, as played by Ralph Fiennes, seems like your typical evil guy trying to take over the world. I hope this movie stablishes Voldemort as the sociopath he is set to be. As a matter of fact, this boy creeps me out more than the filmic adult Voldemort who apparently only knows to yell "Crucio!", and "Avada Kedavra", and nothing else.

Anonymous said...

First of all, LOVE the HBP trailer. I'm really excited for the movie. I'm sure I will cry rivers.

As for Twilight, I read all of the books, including the fourth installment which came out this weekend. And I have to say, as a 29-year-old woman.....I loved them. I didn't take Stephenie Meyer's writing so seriously that I couldn't enjoy the story she was telling. So as long as you don't expect some masterpiece, she is a very visual writer. The first two books are a little whiney in places, but it's worth it to get to the last two in my humble opinion. (And you should DEFINITELY check out The Host, her adult novel about alien body snatching. It's great.) All of the trailers for Twilight have me completely freaked out. All of the Harry Potter movies have been such great adaptations, and I just don't think the Twilight movie will measure up. Hopefully it will do well at the box office, so they can make the rest of the series without Catherine Hardwicke. Anyway, happy reading!

maikib said...

have you finished the twilight series? my sister got me into them when i was in hawaii-- i read all four in a week! i liked them for the most part... but they're no hp (and bella is the most annoying protagonist i've read...).

Amanda said...

I just finished Twilight and had been so excited to see the trailer. Now I am way disappointed. The guy who plays Edward isn't a fraction as hot as they make him sound in the book. Big bummer. The books are just okay to me, yet I can't stop reading them so there is something to be said there, I suppose. I'm still excited to see it on the big screen and to read the rest of the series. I'm interested to know what you think about them.

Anonymous said...

My daughter in law gave me the first book Twilight to read. It took a little while, but once I read it I couldn't wait to read the rest. I'm in my 50's and I thought they were great reading. Sometimes it's just fun to imagine something outrageous. I liked that the book was fairly clean and not profane. I think Stephenie Meyer has a knack for drawing a person into her imagination.