Subcultural engagement for the 21st Century...
Barbelith is a new kind of community (find out more)...
You can login or register.

Underground > Film, TV & Theatre >

All this Harry Potter is p*ssing me off

Page: (1)2 3 4

16:17 / 02.11.01

Right what the fuck is going on with this Harry Potter malarkey?
My time in London and the last films I've worked on, drew me to the conclusion that it is 'in' to be reading Harry Potter.
From what I have gleened in my conversations with the 'Fantasy retarded' (as I come to call them and their ilk) is that the stories are third rate Mog and Meg material for the under twelves.
Another thing that gets on my tits is the fact that they appear to nick from 'The Books of Magic' a fine Vertigo title (not my fave, but..), an earlier (or later) reflection of this bespecled character graced 2000AD's pages. I remember reading an article that Neil Gaimen was made aware of a law suit possibly being put together over copyright infringement, but no more since. (Anyone?)
Now the merchandising is getting so thick, I my be strangled by the perverse association between Magick and Materialism (Jihad anyone?)
Now the F*ckers have a Harry Potter, legal tender, coin available. What teh f*ck is going on here. Let alone the 'liquid candy' deal with Cola, how can Britain be proud about this bastard son of Anglo culture.
I mean Terry Pratchet was getting a little tedious but.....
........J K Rowling autobiography...sheesh.

'I was nobody, then I wrote a half arsed book based on other peoples ideas, and suddenly I'm f*cking famous and swimmingly rich. The end'
Next thing she'll be on 'This is your Life', become a national hero and be sent to strike a deal with Isreal and Palestine!!!!!!

LOTR fans out there should be p*ssed also, coz good old 'Arry Pottah is gonna be chocking the promotional life out of this Decembers releases.
Join me in boycotting this abortion of mass consumerism. Vote with ya pockets.

PS if you like Harry Potter may I suggest that a visit to the local Comic Book shop may reveal something of more substance from which you'll get a good read.
PEACE

16:45 / 02.11.01

quote:Originally posted by Wize Dragon:
LOTR fans out there should be p*ssed also, coz good old 'Arry Pottah is gonna be chocking the promotional life out of this Decembers releases.

Highly doubtful. Two very different audiences. And of course, people can see more then one movie a year you know. No, as LotR gets closer I'd imagen a big media blitz. If anyone loses that battle, it'll be Harry Potter. But, I don't think either will.

As for Harry Potter itself. While I'm not a huge fan of fads. One that encourages kids to put down the video games and acctually pick up a book, is not a bad one in my mind. And Gaiman himself, has been accused of basing his carrear on stealing other people's ideas.

Finally, it's children fantasy. Yeah, adults seem to be getting into it. But somehow I fail to see why you're making such a big deal about it.

Ganesh

17:22 / 02.11.01

Travelling north to Edinburgh last weekend, I got talking to the rather mumsy woman sitting next to me. Turns out she was one of the 'child chaperones' on the Harry Potter film; despite signing a gagging clause, she was happy enough to gossip about the various actors. We talked about how fucked up child stars seem, invariably, to become in later life; she claims the kid playing Harry is really pleasant and unaffected. In my best Voice of Doom, I bet her he'd be injecting by twenty-one...

18:11 / 02.11.01

quote:Originally posted by Wize Dragon:
...they appear to nick from 'The Books of Magic' a fine Vertigo title ...if you like Harry Potter may I suggest that a visit to the local Comic Book shop may reveal something of more substance from which you'll get a good read.
PEACE

Rowlings had already written her first Harry Potter material by the time Gaiman’s Books of Magic was published. To paraphrase what Neil said about this very topic, all writers are dipping out of the same pool of ideas.

I like the Potter books. I’m not saying they’re great literature, but they’re fine entertainment.

You might be surprised.

[ 02-11-2001: Message edited by: Chuckling Duck ]

09:40 / 03.11.01

Having worked in many bookstores, and having left the house in the past year, I have to say that Harry Potter is the most all-encompassing merchandising campaign I've ever witnessed. I was a little disgusted that the trading card game items are priced at about a dollar higher per item than any of the other card games.

09:40 / 03.11.01

quote: an earlier (or later) reflection of this bespecled character graced 2000AD's pages

Thats earlier, and LUKE KIRBY, I believe.

and Harry Potter, the book may seem like crap to you, but it's some of the best stuff available for eight to twelve year olds. Try reading some Point Horror, or the endless books about capering twins and you will know the real meaning of Read aloud hell.

The hype, like the war, is always with us, they both just happen to have been drawn to your attention at the moment.

13:41 / 03.11.01

This Harry Potter business is pissing me off a bit too.
Not for any legitimate reason, I haven't read them or anything so might be wrong, but looking at the hype, the plots and characters just seem so .. safe, unadventurous, reassuring .. conservative, for want of a better word.
It just looks like the twee-est bits of Pratchett and some bastardised olde English 'charm' and Disney-esque 'magic' all nicely put together to appeal to middle class sensibilities with nothing unexpected to rock the boat.

All the really good children's books from years past have had some pleasantly deranged, dark or subversive elements hidden just under the surface, ready to make the kids think and/or be scared and give adult readers food for thought as well.

Can't see any of that in evidence in these books.

13:55 / 03.11.01

Hey, Wize Dragon:

You can say "fuck" here without having to censor yourself. No one's going to get offended.

Fuck fuck fuckity fuckery fuck fuck.

I second the notion that kids reading 800-page novels - voluntarily and with great pleasure! - can only be A Good Thing.

14:40 / 03.11.01

Too right. Its entry level fantasy , which can only be a good thing.

And to everone who consist on knokking someting just because it's fashinable to.
"When you write an award winning serise of kids books. Then and oly then will you be able to voice an opion on the validy of other people seris of fantasy books." Or "If you think the books are twee and siplistic, you go and write someting better."

Any moevemt/culture reqires new young blood to survive. The HP fans of today are The Invisibles of tommorow.

BTW "marlakey?"
Please stop using the word.

[ 03-11-2001: Message edited by: Kamakazie Returns ]

Our Lady of The Two Towers

14:53 / 03.11.01

Having voluntarily read all four Harry Potter books I'd say they're great fun, not Tolstoy but then he's Russian, boring and dead, so that's a good thing. And as for the merchanidising, this is all merchandising for the movie as opposed to the books, Rowling pretty much refused every rip-off idea presented to her while she's doing the books (and Harry Potter's been big business for about two years now, since book three) but unfortunatelky has no say in the tat that gets put out to tie-in with the film.

And I intend to build a time machine, to go back in time and shoot the parents of the first wanker to spread the rumour that she was ripping off Books of Magic. She's denied it, Gaiman doesn't believe it and now DC seem to be ripping of Harry Potter last time I looked. Books of Magic is 'Sorcerors Apprentice' with DC Horror comic staples for fucks sake!

Anything that makes kids read instead of shooting up skag is a good thing in my opinion.

16:31 / 03.11.01

quote:Originally posted by Lozt Cause:
And I intend to build a time machine, to go back in time and shoot the parents of the first wanker to spread the rumour that she was ripping off Books of Magic.

Hell, that coulda been me. Do me a favor and shoot me instead of my parents, k? They're good folk. Or just tell me I'm wrong in advance.

Regrettable Juvenilia

18:07 / 03.11.01

I want to hit that little boy in the face.

With a lorry.

Edited to note that I don't really, of course. Violence against children is a terrible thing. And I'm not against Harry Potter per se - I'm just seeing the cute-as-puke child actor's face around a bit too much.

[ 06-11-2001: Message edited by: Flyboy ]

18:32 / 03.11.01

I loved the Harry Potter books. And I definitely didn't expect to. And I am really looking forward to the film. So there.

ONLY NICE THINGS

02:17 / 04.11.01

quote:Originally posted by Kamakazie Returns:
And to everone who consist on knokking someting just because it's fashinable to.
"When you write an award winning serise of kids books. Then and oly then will you be able to voice an opion on the validy of other people seris of fantasy books." Or "If you think the books are twee and siplistic, you go and write someting better."

Oh, please fuck off. That is the twinkiest defence known to man. Did Dorothy Parker's failure to write plays make her worthless as a theatre critic? Or Wilamovitz-Moelendorf's apparent reluctance to bang out an epic poem invalidate his thoughts on Homer?

03:28 / 04.11.01

All my cousins were reading those damn books. I hated those damn books. Then I read those damn books...I now feel like that guy in the green eggs and ham book...I do! I do! I do like Harry Potter.

I hate the way its being commercialised... they're using theme music from (I think) Jurrasic Park on the adverts for it. But it looks amazing so Im gonna go see it. I love the fact that they needed a voice double for the last portion of the movie as the stars voice broke.
PS. Wize Dragon...you sound bitter and jealous. Read the books; then feel free to give a legitamete reason for your view.

07:36 / 04.11.01

Hey Haus.
Creativity is difficlut, its a slog.
Its also a trait of the British media to build someting up and then knock it down again.
On the subject of critics. do we need other people to tell us what is good and what isn't? I dont I can make up my own mind thank you very much.
"Those that can do, those that can't become critis or the 3am girls"
And quoting some obsucure poet (or one Iv'e never heard of anyway) make you look like a Nathan Barley.

07:58 / 04.11.01

Yeah, who is this Homer punk anyway?

08:41 / 04.11.01

He was Nathan Barley's editor for the Minoan editions of his slimly erudite 'Critique of pure raisons'

10:41 / 04.11.01

Originally posted by Doubting Thomas:
who is this Homer punk anyway?

Yellow, three fingered man whose primary source of nutrition is donuts. Works at the Springfield nuclear power plant. Married to Marge. Wrote long epic poetry about Greece, or something.

[Looks at screen. Sees poor quality of pun. Crawls off to die in shame.]

12:41 / 04.11.01

Well as to be expected, lots of fluffy, 'don't rock the boat answers. What a shame on such a site.
Me Bitter, no, just annoyed at the further developments of Materialism in the Western Culture. A F*cking Harry Potter coin. Don't some of you get the picture yet.
Obviously not, instead retreating to the 'liberal' safe view of 'it's good to get the kids reading'. Yeah read I say, but read something that is in fact written well, but that is beside the point.
This is a film for no reason, except for making money, and before your 'liberal' views say 'Well what else do you expect?'. Know that I am tired of money making crap hitting the cinema, and selling Coca Cola to kids. 'Yeah read the book and rot ya body'
As for entry level fantasy, I can appreciate it for the kids but the adults. What has happened to the average reading age. Its not the kids being dumbed down its the adults.
I don't mind success, but I have personal standards of what I consider a success, like humanitarian aid schemes, artistic expression and advancements in science. NOT ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS FOR COMMERCIAL INTERESTS
For the person who dare say that Harry Potter readers are the new Invisbles, I am shocked. Not only to reference a comic book idea in a debate (reality check)but also to put such a link between the to texts. (Didn't Grant lose his letters page due to commercial failings, share holder censorship)
Our society is becoming just a series of Coporate Memes, and this Harry Potter CRAP (cheers cameron, but I was making a point with the *'s) is being used as the sugar in the medicine.
Please take your time to post something, and stay away from cliched reactionary responses, to me sticking my head above the water, and taking that important gasp of air.
PEACE

[ 04-11-2001: Message edited by: Wize Dragon ]

13:51 / 04.11.01

Hey Wize..Are you somebodies fiction suit?...Just a theory.

ONLY NICE THINGS

14:19 / 04.11.01

quote:
And quoting some obsucure poet (or one Iv'e never heard of anyway) make you look like a Nathan Barley.

Actually, one of the points about Nathan Barley is that he has no basis of knowledge to his attempts at culture whatsoever, and is thus battered aimlessly from trend to trend. You know, like the trend for "children's books adults can read as well".

I'm not sure which poet you feel is "obsucure" here - Homer is a bit of a celeb, as is Dorothy Parker, and Wilamovitz wasn't a poet. However, I suspect that if I were attempting only to cite writers you *had* heard of, the selection process would be a touch exacting.

Twart.

However.

One thing that doesn't seem to have occured is that, although the Harry Potter books might encourage children to read (and, not having read them, I can't make judgements about their desirability as reading material for children or adults), will the films remove that need? How much does John Grisham make on book sales and how much on film rights these days?

Jack The Bodiless

15:20 / 04.11.01

Yeah. What he said.

15:29 / 04.11.01

Ammendment:
PLease stop using the word MALARKY
Why? It a word or am I unaware of pro-nazi censorship which has suddenly taken hold.
When you start commenting on words to use and not use, you will find yourself several rungs down the evolutionary ladder of the mind.
Think twice before making stupid statements, or be a politian or TV personality.
PEACE

19:35 / 04.11.01

naaah it just makes you sound like Jamie Oliver

23:08 / 04.11.01

This thread has been the first thing I've encountered that's actually made me want to read Harry Potter. Cheers, Wize.

01:42 / 05.11.01

quote:Originally posted by Wize Dragon:
Ammendment:
PLease stop using the word MALARKY
Why? It a word or am I unaware of pro-nazi censorship which has suddenly taken hold.
When you start commenting on words to use and not use, you will find yourself several rungs down the evolutionary ladder of the mind.
Think twice before making stupid statements, or be a politian or TV personality.
PEACE

I say let hir use the word, if s/he wants to sound like a twit, let hir sound like a twit.

14:30 / 05.11.01

Malarky is an excellent word.

16:42 / 05.11.01

quote:Originally posted by Wize Dragon:
Well as to be expected, lots of fluffy, 'don't rock the boat answers...Please take your time to post something, and stay away from cliched reactionary responses, to me sticking my head above the water, and taking that important gasp of air.

Call me a reactionary if you like, but I still think reading a work is an important first step in criticizing it.

Our Lady of The Two Towers

16:50 / 05.11.01

I just want to say Harry Potter is the new Invisibles just to piss Wise Dragon off.

17:20 / 05.11.01

I have a thought that I am not trying to give a critique of Harry Potter, but rather point out the pointless commecial exercise that we, shaved monkeys, happen to be endorsing
Oh please Mr Capitalist/Share holder, let me slap on the handcuffs and build the prison walls.
Obviously I maybe attempting some radical deconstructive dialogue.
I shall leave the true criticism to Sight and Sound, regarding the celluloid (or waste of..)
Jamie Oliver would love to be able to use the word Malarky with authenticity but he is the current archetypal mockney.

One should note that the director of this wonderful cinematic treat is rathered unsung in the promotion. I wonder why? (monkey for hire)

00:37 / 06.11.01

Try some Potter..You'll like the Potter..all your friends are doing it...Potter is good...Potter is your friend.

04:53 / 06.11.01

(Word assoc Marlakey=Jamie Oliver+overpaid mockney twat)

HP fun intresting not grodbraking lit but Ok nontheless

06:17 / 06.11.01

Grumpy bunny. There's nothing wrong with the Harry Potter film. Let the little people have their fun. I know I'm going to.

reidcourchie

06:46 / 06.11.01

Wize Dragon could you please post a list of films and books it is alright to watch? As I was going to go and see the film but I don't want to add to the corporate destruction of our world and literacy for children?

How is this different from any other film (except encouraging children to read and quite often adults)? And can someone explain how critiques add to the enjoyment of films/books/whatever anyway?

Page: (1)2 3 4