SPOILERS FOR ALL THE POTTER MOVIES. In this cast, my brother Victor and I discuss the Harry Potter movies, after having just finished them.
At one point, we talk about some funny pictures, and I tell you to click a link in the description. This is that link: http://memj0123.tumblr.com/post/51168489654/h-u-m-o-u-r-leahtardis
My Sword Is Unbelievably Dull 
When you were talking about the fifth movie, you said that they just flew into the Ministry of London but they were actually flying into the Ministry of Magic.
That would be what I meant.
Alright, big Harry Potter fan over here, so wall of text incoming. I apologize in advance.
-I also love Artemis Fowl. The character interaction in that series makes for some fantastic humor.
-The later books are less formulaic. 4 and 6 both start elsewhere and the last 4 all have Harry being brought away from the Dursleys earlier.
-I would very much agree that you’re supposed to age with the book, though when I reread book 2, I realized that it was actually quite dark, because of the petrifications going on, and Harry hearing those voices (“Let me rip you. Let me tear you. Let me kill you”), not to mention most of the school turning against him.
-Twilight is a movie series that, for the most part, you can just laugh at how bad it is and enjoy it for that.
-The world building matters a lot more in the later books rather than the movies, since the movies have to cut out a lot.
-The magic does have rules, and most of these things, in my opinion, can be explained. The problem is probably that they aren’t explained in the movies.
-The 3rd movie is very divisive among fans. Many love this film, but some, like me, don’t. To me, they just threw too many things from the book out of the window (Harry can all of a sudden use magic outside school, they’re no longer wearing uniforms, etc.), and, to me, they didn’t explain how Sirius was innocent very well at the end. That explanation took a couple of chapters in the book, and was made into a few quick lines in the movie. That bothered me. It was a good movie, but not a good adaptation of the book, and PoA is my favorite book in the series.
-Sirius does show up often throughout the story. Since Sirius is an animagus, he can turn into a dog. He sees this dog both right before he comes onto the Knight Bus and at the quidditch match when the dementors knock Harry off his broom. Harry seeing this dog is why he’s spooked in the book when Trelawny (the divination professor) talks about this dog as an omen of death. Sirius also shows up less subtly when he breaks into Hogwarts and everyone freaks out about it.
-Yes, the time turner stuff is great, and it was probably the first story I encountered that really did time travel effectively.
-I love you referring to them as “The FIre Nation” and “The Ice Bitches.”
-Cedric didn’t have a big role in the fourth book, but it was a little bigger than in the movie.
-4th movie: meh
-The thing I really liked about the 5th movie is that they found fantastic actors to play the new characters. The ones that played Umbridge, Luna Lovegood, and Bellatrix were all spot on in my opinion.
-I think the big purpose of Dumbledore’s Army was that it developed Harry’s character. He was very reluctant to take the position of leader at first, and he grew into it.
-The reason it probably didn’t feel unified is that the 5th book is the longest (over 800 pages), and so there’s all these side stories going on that’s tough to cram into one movie.
-The reason they couldn’t just go to the ministry in the 7th book is A) The ministry is overrun by death eaters and B) Harry is “Undesirable #1” (aka he’s going to be taken in by the ministry if he’s seen) and Ron and Hermione would also be taken in for various reasons. These things aren’t true in the 5th book.
-For the scene where Lucius is asking for the prophecy, Harry doesn’t know the significance of it yet, so they’re trying to be diplomatic to make it seem like it isn’t important. They reason they don’t kill is that their orders are to take Harry to Voldemort alive. Also, summoning charms can be blocked.
-The reason that the order knew they were all there is explained in the book.
-The death eaters attacking Ron’s place in movie 6 was added and was not in the book.
-Except for the killing curse, every curse has a countercurse, and every potion has an antidote. Magic does have rules, they just aren’t thoroughly explained in the movies.
-As I said on twitter the other day, many people don’t like the 6th film. The reason is that many elements of the plot from the books were, to some fans, pushed aside in favor of romance subplots and teenage drama. In particular, the mystery of the potions book by the half-blood prince, flashbacks to Tom Riddle’s life, and the explanation of horcruxes takes up a lot more of the book, and so much of that is lost in the film. As for me, I really liked the 6th one. It had a lot of very funny moments and developed some characters really well. not to mention how well they did Dumbledore’s death.
-I’d say that the luck potion scenes is Dan Radcliffe’s (who plays Harry) best acting in the whole series.
-The problem with the 7th one is that, since it’s part 1, it’s almost a whole movie of exposition and buildup, and waiting 6 months for part 2 when it first came out was unbearable.
-Yes, I really liked the dance scene between Harry and Hermione (also not in the book).
-Interesting, because the 4th movie was when they started to consider splitting them into 2 parts. They eventually decided against it (apart from the last one, of course).
-Yes, Molly killing Bellatrix is such a great payoff, and a big part of that is because her calling Bellatrix a bitch is pretty much the only time any curse words ever occur in the books, so it just adds that extra bit to make it one of the most memorable parts of that final battle.
-Wait, Snape killed Dumbledore? That spoiler’s only everywhere. (fun fact: before book 7’s release, one of the theories going around was that Dumbledore was, in fact, not actually dead, and it even spread around enough to the point that Rowling actually debunked it in an interview before the 7th book came out).
-The character that you’re trying to think of is Dobby the house elf, who died at the end of part 1. His death was particularly emotional to fans because A) he played a bigger role in the books, especially the 4th one, and B) his death came so out of left field. I read a lot of speculation on what would happen in book 7, and I don’t think I saw anyone seriously predict that Dobby would die.
-That tumblr post is fantastic. Also, the hug between Draco and Voldemort there is so awkward, it’s great.
-A lot of people LOVE Snape, and Alan Rickman was spot on in portraying him.
-The biggest problem I had with the last film is the killing of Voldemort, because I felt that him just disintegrating is so anticlimactic. Their final showdown in the book is done SO much better in my opinion.
-Shouldn’t come as a surprise to you that pottercast is the name of one of the most popular Harry Potter podcasts out there. It’s what I first thought of when I saw the title.
Thanks for reading this whole thing (if you did). It was interesting to hear your thoughts, especially since you hadn’t read the books.
Thanks for confirming a bunch of stuff, and I enjoy hearing what’s different about the books. Didn’t think to check if the name Pottercast was taken >_< I checked before with Disneycast and it wasn't, this time I was just following the same naming convention. Probably shoulda considered that.
Wait, you did stuff on Disney?
*searches*
Hey, look at that, you did! Time to go listen to those…
Seconded RTH, he/she pretty much summs all the important things abou HP and differences between books and movies. I am pretty big fan myself (proud Potterhead) from the first book a agree with RTH.
It was nice hearing brony talk about another thing besides MLP.
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THANKS for mentioning FMAB! It’s so awesome. Also, Father in brotherhood is basically Voldemort. Looking to be immortal. Laughing at humans. Friendship conquers all in both.
OH MY GAWD YOU READ ARTEMIS FOWL!
*sorry I’m fangirling a bit, I love that series, but it’s not as well-known*
(the following is more prominent in the book, don’t read if you don’t want spoilers)
Harry’s flaws: a bit obsessive (especially about Malfoy being evil and Snape out to get him), and narcissistic (especially towards the end) but that’s because since day 1 he’s been told he was special (***which is funny because that’s what Dumbledore wanted to avoid but it only kinda works), not very bright, doesn’t think things through, not that forgiving, over estimates himself, angsty, jealous, doesn’t like to address his own flaws
***I find it kinda funny that when Dumbledore visits the Dursley’s in one of the books (don’t remember which) he calls out on Petunia Dursley for not caring for Harry like her own as instructed. He then says that the special treatment they gave Dudley was mistreatment, which they don’t get but we know it’s what probably caused him to be spoiled. Dudley treatment at home is similar to Harry’s treatment in the Wizard World later as they both are treated like special people who others follow and are generally given special exceptions and grand gifts and praise. Yet at the end of the book during Harry’s last summer there he stays shut up in his room. It then that Dudley tries to be nice to Harry (this transformation may have begun after Harry saves him from the dementors) by making him tea (which was initially mistaken as a prank because by the time Harry found it outside his door it was cold and he stepped in it) and Dudley tells him that he’s “not a waste of space” and is all around more pleasant. He’s trying to make amends for all those years. Harry on the other hand progressively gets more self-centered and usually ends up never mentioning that he had a wrong opinion of people like Snape, Malfoy, his Dad, etc. ***
The reason Molly Weasley was the one to kill Bellatrix was because she was a bamf, and the whole “Not my daughter you bitch” thing was supposed to be because she had already lost one kid to her (one of the twins).
Also, I try not to be a raging fangirl, but the final battle was bs. The final fight in the book took place in the great hall and everyone was there to witness it, not the stupid lazer light show with that stupid bridge crap. That was one scene I really looked forward to, I guess that’s what reading the books does to you.
Please do Gravity Falls!
I thoroughly enjoyed this podcast, please make more if you feel like it! ^u^
I am a massive potterhead, there where so many things that I just went no, but a fair few where I want yeah I guess
Only thing I have to comment is… she did give the time turner back to the ministry of magic, it’s pretty clear in the book, but not so clear in the movies
Actually, as it’s often the case, most things are a lot better and much more detailed in the books, however the movies are still really awesome, and definitely not a bad interpretation of the books
…. also the dance is important in the books because they get a hell lot of clues as to what is going on during the whole thing
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If you read the 5th book you will be even more pissed at the MOVIE. The 5th movie is the worst.
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Ron had a RAT not a mouse..
but you guys are funny
I first read the books in the end of third grade. By the end of fourth grade (roughly 17 months later)I had finished the series (along with many other books).
I hated the twilight series… I saw the first movie a few years ago and I hated it. I read the first book… to this day, I think it it’s a piece of shit.
Something I didn’t like about Harry Potter was the fact that the magic wasn’t consistent. Something was necessary for one plot then it is never mentioned again(the time turner) and some things could have been used instead of introducing some new thing.
And yeah, I do agree that the movie was terrible compared to the book.
The books were better than the movies.
1. Dobby was a house elf.
2. In fairy tail, honestly each arc has a lot of climax scenes
3. Fullmetal alchemist (anime in general) is freaking awesome
4. Do I have something else to comment on? Nope? Ok.
5. Oh, wait. Can you make videos about fullmetal alchemist and/or sailor moon and/or fairy tail?