Scraps Of Life

Unbelievable

I can hardly believe I'm actually writing the following:

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban was horrid. Well, maybe not completely horrid, but the rushed pace, the chopped scenes, and the absolute fabrications in some parts made it an unbelievably painful viewing experience for this viewer. And not just me, I might add--the lady sitting on the other side of V made the same comments: choppy, not good, etc.

As soon as the movie opened with Harry practicing a spell under the covers and not working on a paper, I knew there would be trouble, then Uncle Vernon appearing repeatedly, and finally the scene ended with nary a mention of Harry's Birthday...sigh, but that was only the beginning. Marge's sudden appearance and the same-day blowing up, the talking head on the Knight Bus, and the single night at the Leaky Cauldron, all were so incredibly rushed that I was left dizzy. I truly feel for those who haven't read the book and were a bit befuddled.

Nonetheless, I tried to reassure myself that once they got to Hogwart's, things were bound to improve. Well, maybe. The chior was a bit of a surprise, and the Shakespeare a little out of sorts I believe, and since WHEN did the Griffyndor and Slytherin tables sit side by side? Previous movies have shown them miles apart. And the first dormitory scene, with the candy? I would much rather have traded this fabrication for McGonnagal's post-Divination Transfiguration class. We see so little of Maggie Smith that one wonders was she ill during the entirety of filming?

And the students. Yes, yes, I understand about allowing the characters to grow up, but does adolescence HAVE to bring about slovenly appearance? The untucked shirts, askance ties, and sloppiness of the third years was rather appalling. And speaking of appearance--was that Flitwick directing the chior in an earlier scene?? If so, what happened to his beard, his white hair, his wizened appearance? Strange indeed. And when did the Pink Lady become the Fat Lady? Confounding!

While I know that JKR undoubtably had input into this film, and budget and time limitations being what they must, was it really necessary to leave out some darling parts? I was so looking forward to the brightly colored shoes of Rosmerta, or Crookshanks stilling the Whomping Willow. Why, Lupin didn't even explain to Harry who Wormtail, Moony, Padfoot and Prongs were. This is crucial information about James at school, and why the stage patronus was what it was.

Now, I did rather enjoy the work on the Monster Book of Monsters--it was quite cute and almost cuddly looking--and I suppose I can understand (but only just) the presence of a single Hippogryph when there were originally four. The time-turner sequence was well done for the most part, although Hermione's own interferences and then having the nerve to shush Harry, a bit out of character, and not in the book. The two bits added of her (and don't get me wrong, I enjoy her character as much as Harry's) which then necessatated Buckbeak rescuing then from Werewolf Lupin (which was a fine scene in and of itself) could have been sacrificed in the intrest of scenes that were actually a PART of the published manuscript.

A few more worlds and I'll cease:
*When Harry rides Buckbeak and sits up straight, throwing his arms out to his sides...I fully expected "I'm king of the world" to come shooting out of his trap. How corny can we get please?
*Quidditch anyone? There was no Oliver Wood, we didn't get to meet Cho Chang or Cedric--who are very important in the next book--nor did we get to see Harry's first real patronus aimed at the faux-dementors. And what of the Quidditch cup? They won this year yet we saw none of it.
*The ending still of Harry's motion-blurred face: ugh. Daniel is handsome in his own right, but that was so out of place for the tone the movie chose to take it's indescribable how anticlimactic the ending was.

Yes, I will be buying the DVD when it comes out (presumably in time for the holidays) in the hope that the extended "director's cut" version of the movie is not so rushed, not so chopped in its execution. Truly, it felt as if the entire movie, once shot, had been fed to the Monster Book of Monsters and the remaining pieces patched together with a roll of Spellotape.

I only hope that when Goblet of Fire is released that it does not received the same hacked treatment as Azkaban.

Haven't got time...

For the pain. Yup, finally, the last two mornings I've been able to wake up, sit up in bed, and do so without my first thought being "damn I need a painkiller."

Seems my sacroilliac joint is finally healing up. This is good because I was more than tired of being a walking pharmacy, not to mention not being able to sit upright for very long. There's only so much you can do in a recliner.

Another good thing is that now I don't have to dread sitting in the movie theatre for 2+ hours to se HP3.

Finito!

Yes, the cake was completed on scheduled and delivered with nary a hitch...I jsut could post because I was in a hitch: or my hip was at least. The sciatic pinching that was supposed to be gone came back with a vengeance after the bending and stooping involved with assembling the cake. Oh well, such is life.

But onto the important thing! The finished product!

Thanks to supreme impatience on my part I had the half-used disposable camera developed immediately upon my return to town AND paid the extra $4 for the cd so I wouldn't have to try and deal with my scanner. Unfortunately the dispoalcam did not take an incredible picture--you can barely see the scrollwork around the tiers--it nonetheless accomplished its mission: photographic evidence of an intact cake upon my departure.

I would like to point out that the flowers were also arranged by moi as the florist had been long gone, as was I almost until a bridesmaid(?) snagged me on my way out the door and directed me to the flowers. It was fun, though, getting to arrange the garland around the base of the cake.

I suppose it's time I admit something: I am addicted to weddings. It's true...and as far as addictions go its pretty mild. I just love being involved in weddings, seeing them all come together. The warm, glowy feeling of the happy couple, the funny things the kids do. Sigh....I really should look into wedding planning. I wonder how one would go about that at this stage in the game???