Mistah Pottah!

Well, I did the fantasy section, so, it'd be flat out dishonest to leave ol' Harry out, wouldn't it?


Harry Potter Octology

The films-

Tricky to comment on these, even though I've actually seen them, they aren't my generation's thing, y'know?

I think they were nice little flicks, but, I'm not of the generation that loves them, that will remember them forever as their Star Wars, their Superman.

I couldn't remember every single side character from even the b-string, much less the c-string, I don't own any merchandise, and I didn't read the books, it wasn't my deal.
I know the films superficially, but, the phenomenon passed me by.
But, that comes with the territory of being a mortal, aging, carbon based lifeform rooted to time.

Although...people older than me are into 'em, so...what do I know?

So, quickie rundown...

Sorcerer's Stone

Cute.
Like some of the fluffier fantasy books I read as a really young kid.
Needed external goading to continue.

Chamber of Secrets

Okay, so now, they start to up the ante a bit.
The kids could actually die from some of this shit.
Now I'm interested.

Prisoner of Azkaban

We turn a corner right about here.
The kids are getting big, and the good guys and bad guys start to get a bit blurry.
The tapestry gets richer.
Rowling gets points for pacing these out so well.

Goblet of Fire

The kids are hormonal, and death enters the Potterverse in a big way.
Now we're into Empire Strikes Back territory.
Hooked now, gotta see the rest.

Order of the Phoenix

The bureaucracy of the magic school turn out to be well meaning, but incompetent schmucks, Harry gets a spanking for defending himself, and has to join the titular club of Voldemort-believers to try to sort things out, while Voldemort starts abandoning subtlety, and playing his hand as the shitty cocksuckamuthafucka he is.
Things are really complicated now.
Now it's fully interesting at an adult level.

Also, Voldemort and Dumbledore have a magic battle that'd make the final sword battles in Jedi blush.

Half Blood Prince

The one where Dumbledore dies.
Also, the kids start to unlock some secrets important to killing Voldemort.
Things are really getting dark at this point.

Deathly Hallows Part 1

Things are flat out dire, Voldemort has essentially turned the magic school into Nazi occupied France, and the race for his Horcruxes (objects with bits of his soul inside, with which, he can resurrect) is on.

Deathly Hallows Part 2

The final battle.
Lots of good people die, everything ends bittersweet, much like Return Of The King.
Yeah, good wins, but everyone's got PTSD, and the innocent sweetness of "Sorcerer's Stone", is out the window.
Except for their kids.

The history-

Well...let's just try to remember some milestones...

Everyone going ape-shit over the release of the novel of "Goblet Of Fire", got the whole deal on my radar...

Ate the "Bernie Botts", jellybeans just for the novelty of the flavors.
I actually liked the grass one.
I'd like a bag of just those.
Wonder if they're going to last past this whole Harry Potter thing....be cool if they did.

We lost Richard Harris along the way. :(

There was a slight kerfuffle when Rowling outed Dumbledore, but...jeez, just 30 years ago, something like that woulda gotten the books ripped off the shelves, and maybe even her publicly hanged.
The world has changed.
Not fast enough for my liking, but it's interesting how this whole thing fluttered by with only mild comment.

Although, speaking of that, organized religion did poke its nose in, like it always does.
Saying the books advocated witchcraft, all that usual bullshit.
Hey, goofballs, witches ain't real.
Cut it out.
Remember when it was Dungeon & Dragons?
I do. Those of us who can, were like "here we go again".
Oh, well, at least all they can do now, is look silly on TV.
Used to be, they could burn you like yard waste.
We've come a long way.

Man, that decade flew by, didn't it?
Decades used to go slow, but I'm old enough now where time goes faster.
Freaky seeing those kids grow up onscreen.
Freaky knowing the teenagers watching the last one where the toddling little babies that saw the first one.

Makes me wish I'd gotten 8 fucking Star Wars-es-es.
Y'know, consistently good ones with the original cast
Little jealous there.

Hmm, yeah, that's my take away, this was the only film series I can think of, with 7 sequels, that was planned out, and retained a consistent quality.
I think that's an unprecedented achievement.

Kinda makes me sad though, that a lotta the Potter fans only had um..."Twilight", to segue into...
*Dismayed head shake*

So, I guess the 00's were the Harry Potter decade.
Hey, why not?
I can think of worse things to remember it for in the blink of an eye.


Up next, Heroes Of Vidya Games.