An Evening With John Williams At The Drafthouse

This past Sunday the Alamo Drafthouse DFW put on a special event, An Evening With John Williams. There were two films that night, HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN and INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE, and before each film was a 30 minute set of music played by the Richardson Symphony. The orchestra didn't play music from every John Williams score, though that would be a wonderful night of music to experience, but they picked six pieces including SUPERMAN, JAWS, RAIDERS, HARRY POTTER medley, E.T., and STAR WARS.

In true Alamo fashion, there were drink specials during each show. Harry Potter had delicious adult and kid friendly "Butterbeer" milkshakes, and Indiana Jones had a sweet, yet tart mixed drink aptly named, "The Ah….Venice." Unlike most symphony performances, the theater opted to leave the lights all the way up during their set. No film scenes or pictures on the screen, just us and the music. At first I was afraid the lights would take away from letting myself be immersed into the performances, but I soon found out that it doesn't matter, music will grab hold of you in any light.

As the symphony played each piece, a little-kid-type smile crept over my face and all the movies began to play through my mind. Superman flying through the air; the tense anticipation as the Jaws was about to attack; Indiana Jones running from the boulder; Harry, Ron, and Hermione staring into the distance at the end of film six. And then, when they started playing E.T., I had a response that I wasn't ready for.

Clay Couturiaux, the conductor and music director, prefaced this piece with a story about how John Williams was having trouble creating music for the end of E.T. Spielberg told Williams to create whatever he wanted, and Spielberg would cut the film to fit the music. After hearing that story, it makes sense how emotional the finale of E.T. is. I never saw it in theatres, but we had the VHS at home, and I literally watched the film so much I wore out our copy. There would only be a certain number of scenes I would watch: Elliot and the Reese's Pieces, Drew Barrymore screaming when she sees ET, and of course, the bike flying sequence. When the music swelled and the orchestra played through the finale, I became overrun with emotions. I was instantly transported back to my living room floor, eyes focused on the screen, watching ET say goodbye to Elliot. All of this was running through my head, and I found myself pushing back tears. Had the theatre been dark, I would have been sobbing like a baby, but I held it together as best I could. Once the piece was over, I realized I hadn't been breathing either, so I gasped for air as I joined the audience with applause.

This is what I love about movies and music...the reaction it can cause. I know music plays a major role in film making. It's easy to search the web on think pieces about music toying with the audiences' emotions too much to get the right emotional reaction. Williams' score for ET definitely was written to pull those emotions out from you when you watch the film. But what I was shocked at was the visceral reaction I had from JUST the music. I haven't seen E.T. is over 20 years, but my childhood connection to it was stronger than I realized.

The rest of the set was equally fantastic, and it was a treat to hear the Imperial March from STAR WARS live. The audience at both screenings gave standing ovations at the end of the performances. Seeing both of the films on the big screen made me equally as giddy. I hadn't seen AZAKABAN since it was released in theatres, and I had never seen CRUSADE on the big screen before. Couturaux stated that he was surprised what an instant hit this was, "The players and the audience thoroughly enjoyed the experience. As we were leaving, many audience members shared requests for future performances." James Wallace, the creative programmer for The Alamo Drafthouse, was surprised no one fainted with how awesome the performance was. He hints that there could be more collaborations between RSO and Alamo: 

This was really an experiment that proved to be extremely successful. It's always a gamble doing something like this - bringing in a 40-piece ensemble to perform in the theater and all that goes into making an event of its complexity happen. We obviously hoped and thought people would show up but if people don't, think about how awkward that could be; a skilled group of players playing for only a few people! But that was not the case at all considering that we had not one but two SOLD OUT shows in our biggest house not to mention one of the greatest responses to any event we've put on. So, all that to say, no plans right now but we'll definitely be doing another event with the RSO in the near future...only bigger, better and more awesome!

As someone who doesn't get out to the symphony as much as I would like, this was a real treat to experience. And I very much look forward to future events like this one.

If you want more information about the RSO, please visit their website here! And you can always find out about more events at Alamo DFW here!

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J.K. Rowling Makes All of Our Harry Potter Dreams Come True!

It's not over folks! Today, Warner Bros. announced that they are once again pairing with author extraordinaire, J.K. Rowling, to adapt one of the Hogwarts' textbooks, Fantastical Beasts and Where to Find Them. Rowling herself will pen the film, and states that it will neither be a prequel or sequel, just a new series that will take place in the world we all came to know and love over the years. 

The film will follow the book's author, Newt Scamander, and will take place 70 years before the Harry Potter series even begins. Rowling released the book back in 2001, and 80% of sales went to the charity Comic Relief. The other question on my mind is will the other textbook she wrote, Quidditch Through the Ages, be part of this series or will it become its own?

Check the full release after the break, courtesy of The Film Stage.

WHEN HARRY LEFT HOGWARTS: a documentary special attached to DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 2 Blu-Ray

Yes, it's true.  I cannot let this series go.  It's sad sometimes  to think that there isn't another movie or book coming out from this world anytime soon.  Plus! I have still not been to Harry Potter World in Orlando (hoping to remedy that in the Spring). 

However, to tide us Potter-nerds over, Target is offering an exclusive 4-disc set of PART 2 that will include a 48 minute documentary about the making of the final films. 


Check it out after the break:

The First Annual WDYMS Annual Summer Report Of The Summer

So another summer season has come and gone full of CGI and questionable acting.  There were some true stinkers, but there was tons of great stuff as well. So here we present our top movies of summer 2011.

Bias: Comparing Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows and Transformers: Dark of The Moon

The Boy Who Lived Isn't Perfect!

About a month ago, the final entry in the Michael Bay's Transformers saga was released to the world, and as expected, people completely hated it.  Obviously, after the atrocity of TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN, critics especially had a reason to be skeptical whether the third chapter would be any good.  When it came out, the results were not so stellar.  Like Jonesy and I said, DARK OF THE MOON was a big disappointment of a movie, even though it got some brownie points for trying to reach a lot of higher than its predecessor.  From the get go, people were ready to pounce on this movie no matter how good it could have been.  And since I'm the one with a Decepticon tattoo, I can admit when things I like aren't that great.

Now with HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 2, there was the culmination of over a decade and a generation's worth of people lining up to finish up the franchise. There was a lot of emotion going into these final parts. What I found interesting was the decision of having the last book be split into two for the purpose of putting as much of the book as director David Yates could and having the final battle be the most epic thing ever.  And yet, after I left the movie, I couldn't help but feel underwhelmed by the overall experience.

Then  I started really thinking about DEATHLY HALLOWS, and a few of the things began to bother me, especially during the Battle of Hogwarts sequences, and I realized they were the same issues I had with TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON. Yet the more I read around on the Internet, the more I saw people dismissing if not out right praising those same faults in DH while completely shitting on DOTM.  The point here is not to say necessarily that DOTM is a misunderstood movie, or that Harry Potter was worse, but more that it's interesting that the "fanboy/fangirl" aspect really clouds people's judgement.  A lot of people, who are better writers than myself, fall into this category, but I can admit when something I'm very fond of has major problems.


(Please know there are totes spoilers after the break.)

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 2 review: She said

Directed by David Yates

Written by Steve Kloves

Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint

Synopsis: Harry, Ron and Hermione final journey to search and destroy Voldemort's remaining Horcruxes in hopes of defeating the Dark Lord once and for all.

Update: The Almost Annual Summer Bet

A couple months ago, we posted about our Almost Annual Summer Bet details.  Well, with one movie in the bag, TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON, we have the week one results.

( Originally when we set our terms, both movies were being released on a Friday.  However, as we all know, Transformers was moved up two days earlier.  So, we decided that the winner would be the biggest gross after 7 days. )

After 7 days in the theatre, Transformers has made a whopping $188,588,858....damn.  And that's only the 6th best gross for a movie after the first 7 days.  Oh man, do my Harry Potter fans need to come out in droves to help me win this.  Movies 6 and 7 each take spots 10 and 11 respectively on this same list, so there is hope for me.   Only time will tell.  

But seriously...I HAVE TO WIN THIS!

TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON is now in 3D IMAX and theaters.

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 2 will be released July 15th, 2011.  

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Harry Potter Clip for today...Snape vs. Harry

Be prepared for a a plethora of clips to hit over the next week.  With only nine days away, we're treated to another clip from HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 2.  Prepared for your excitement to exponentially grow even more:



HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 2 will be released July 15, 2011.

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Harry Potter movie clip!

With HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 2 being two very long weeks away, we're treated to an awesome clip from the movie.  Here the trio are inside Bellatrix's Gringotts vault...looks exciting!!!!





HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 2 will be released July 15, 2011.

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Harry Potter Fangirl Conundrum

Nooooooo!

In a few short weeks, one of the most successful franchises in movie history will come to a close. As it's predecessors before, HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 2 will make a crap ton of money worldwide. But I'm not here to talk about the obvious success the movie will have. This movie will be a bitter-sweet moment for millions of fans worldwide...including this fan. It's ending, for real, which is an almost impossible concept to wrap my mind around.

Beyond the books and movies....Pottermore

Even though the Harry Potter books has a defined ending, like any curious/crazed fanbase, many of us have always been curious about other parts of the world or secondary characters that we loved but their histories were never explored.  Of course, there is always the fanfiction to turn to in which to fulfill those desires, but those can get tiresome.  Last week, Rowling announced a new project called 'Pottermore'.  The details of the project were hush-hush, and the internet exploded with rumors and speculations about what this project is.  An eighth book, even though she said she would probably never publish one? An online game?  A Harry Potter encyclopedia?

In a YouTube announcement yesterday, Rowling announced that Pottermore will have the books available in e-book format.  The website initially be accessible to a million fans from all over the world who will help work out the kinks and help adapt the site before it goes live for everyone else in October.  The site will also have a "gaming aspect" where the fans can walk through the books, get sorted into houses, shop at Diagon Alley, and relive their favorite moments from the series.

However, the biggest, and in my humble opinion, most badass part of this project is Rowling will release extra tidbits from the world that she's kept under wraps:

"I will be sharing additional information I have been hoarding about the world of Harry Potter," Rowling says. She has already written at least 18,000 words of new material for the site, "which will grow and grow and grow."  That "additional information" will include facts about the series' characters, back stories, games, interactive features and a store. 

We get even more information about our favorite characters??  Excellent!

So just when we all thought all would be said and done this July, now the crazed-obessive fans, including myself, will have another world to explore and take up our time.  This announcement thoroughly excites me because it helps me keep the world alive for just a bit longer, or until I can persuade everyone I know to read the books every year with me.

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Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows (Part 1)

Directed by: David Yates
Written by: Steve Kloves and R.K. Rowling
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint and Alan Rickman
Synopsis: With Voldemort rising to power, Harry, Ron, and Hermoine go searching for
the Horcruxes, artifcats infused with Voldemort's soul, in an attempt to finally stop him.

Javi-So what did you think of the movie?

Jonesy- This movie is the Potter’s fan dream! Since the filmmakers broke it up into two movies, they’re able to put so much detail, and spend the time to delve into scenes that they’ve never been able to do with any of the other movies. The books are so rich, full of story and characters, and situations that they have always had to cut out a lot of it. Even though I would love a five hour Harry Potter movie, most people aren’t willing to sit that long.

Javi- I agree there’s a lot of details that you couldn’t have done with any of the other movies, but because of the fact you haven’t been able to do that before, I feel there’s a lot of plotlines that were just mentioned almost too briefly. For example, there was Bill Weasley, who is one of Ron’s older brothers, who has never been introduced in the movies, and there is a lot of back-story to him in previous Harry Potter books. If they would have introduced him in a previous movie, that would have made his character more cohesive, but he was shoved in here very messily. I would almost forgive David Yates for that if it weren’t his 3^rd Harry Potter movie. But I do agree it’s better paced, and that allows for more character exploration.

Jonesy- I can understand what you mean with saying there’re random characters that seem thrown in.　 And in reading the 7^th book, there are a lot of people and ideas that get mentioned, and they seem to come out of nowhere. There are little hints here and there like the Invisibility Cloak, which we’ve seen throughout the series, but you never understand the weight of it until this the final movie. As an outsider, I can completely understand that the movie could be hard to follow,　which could be one of the downfalls of the movies.　
Javi- Some might argue that Doby the elf’s appearance in the movie is random. He just pops up in this movie after being absent for so long. I don’t agree, but I just don’t think that everyone watching this movie is a Harry Potter novice.　
 　
Jonesy- I will say that I give credit to the writer, Steve Kloves. He has worked with Rowling since the first movie to make sure that if someone just watches the movies, there will be a coherent story line and have the same catharsis at the end, but with the books, obviously, you would get more of the details.
Javi- With looking back at all of the movies, I start to get a bit frustrated with Harry Potter in general.　 I feel, to an extent, you’re always playing “Pokemon” in this world. You always have to catch that one magical artifact. Then I remember reading from a film site (sorry that I can’t remember which one) that said the reason most people, who aren’t the super, hardcore fans to the Harry Potter world, are drawn to both Prisoner of Azkaban and Half Blood Prince movies because of the great character moments that occur, and there’s not such a huge focus on a magical year-long quest that has to be completed by the end of the school year. This movie has an even balance of searching for the Horcruxes and character moments. Now, it had the potential to mess it all up and just focus on the quest of finding the Horcruxes, but it doesn’t, and I like it.　 The middle scenes where they’re running through the forest had the potential to suck. I’ll admit that I was bored through most of those camping scenes, which you have said is a common complaint, but I appreciated seeing the characters just interact with each other. It made it more endearing seeing their relationships/friendships grow. You get nostalgic thinking of them in the first movie and thinking of their development through the years. And I’m glad that they managed to get those scenes right even though they didn’t move the plot along as much.
　
Jonesy- I agree with the Pokemon statement because that’s the same problem I had with the first two books; they go to school, there’s a problem, they solve the problem, and defeat a form of Voldemort and then they go home. I agree that the middle parts of the movie can get a bit tedious, but I think that’s the point David Yates was going for; they’re fugitives on the run, and they have no time for awesome adventure each day. They might go weeks without knowing what to do or where they’re going. That sense of frustration is really well represented here. You get to see them in their highest points and their lowest points, and it made us care about them more than we did already.
　
Javi- I will say I don’t agree with your perception about them being fugitives because I never felt the weight of their situation. I remember the book gave me such a sense of paranoia, despair, and restlessness, and I didn’t feel that way during the movie.

Jonesy- The tone seemed more of being on the run than living in fear.

Javi- I didn’t feel they were in any danger. There was one scene with the Snatchers, but that was not enough to make me feel tense. I just didn’t get the feeling of their world being turned upside down and growing darker. I did enjoy the scenes where they had the radio that called out the name of the missing people during their cross-country trek, that was very artsy touch and I really appreciated it.　
Jonesy- There was a few characters that only had a few lines that I cannot wait to see in the next one, like Neville and the Carrow siblings, two of the Death Eaters that take over teaching jobs at Hogwarts. A lot of the characters that weren’t focused on in the first part will be amazing in the second.

Javi- I will say I wish they had shown something of Snape being the Headmaster just a little bit.

Jonesy- That would’ve been nice to flash to Hogwarts once or twice, but they wanted to keep him a bit mysterious

Javi- I will say I’m disappointed there was nothing that showed the conflict within Draco Malfoy in this one.　 If we’re separating the book and movie and if we think of how Malfoy was dealt with as a very conflicted guy in movie six, then it’s a shame that they chose to just show him hanging out with mommy and daddy. He needed more face time.　　

Jonesy- I’m so glad they showed Hermoine leaving her parents. It was talked about in the book in passing but not shown explicitly like that. It was brilliant.

Javi- It sets such a tragic tone from the beginning.
　　
Jonesy- I cannot say enough about this movie. I absolutely loved it, and I know I’m being totally biased being a fan of the books for so long. This is my favorite movie in the series, until, I’m sure, July comes around. Both parts together will make a great ending to the series.
　
Javi- My initial reaction was to be really annoyed with this movie. It wasn’t until I thought about it more that I was able to get over my frustrations with the middle parts and find the subtleties, so I ended up liking it better after thinking about it. Not sure how I would rank it with the others because I can only think of it as a part of a whole; otherwise, part one would be horrible.

Jonesy- Last note: they split the movie at a perfect point, and they left enough time to flesh out how it needs to, and the audience is just drooling and cannot wait for the next one. Go see it!