PotterCast 120: Kung-Fu Snape Transcript

News Talk (0:00 - 18:55)

Melissa Anelli (MA): Welcome. It is PotterCast number cento venti. That's 120, and we are here again. I am Melissa and I'm here with John and Sue and we're in for another hour-ish, kind of, period of Potter discussion, theories, stuff and other stuff.

John Noe (JN): We're still doing it. (MA: Still doing it.) 120 weeks. We still think it's fun.

Sue Upton (SU): Yay!

MA: We do.

JN: We do this every week.

MA: And so do you, apparently, because you're still listening.

JN: Yes, thank you so much.

SU: Very much.

MA: That's right. So, this week, we have our second edition of Bit By Bit where we talk about another whole chapter. This is not going to be a chapter by chapter kind of thing. (JN: No. We're not calling it that.) Well, it just fits naturally because the second chapter is very much about the articles and Dumbledore. So we really couldn't really separate it up. But our Phoenix Files goes further into the Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix movies. We hear again from our lovely ladies at Scribby 5. We again don't have a Canon Conundrums this week. We've had some scheduling and recording difficulties. So that will wait until next week. And on that note I think it is time, as always, to hear from our lovely friends at the Borders.

SU: Mm-hm.

JN: The Borders! You know, I actually was just at Borders. I bought a cookbook because I sometimes do enjoy cooking. (SU: Mm-hm.) (MA: And burning things.) I don't always burn everything. It was a delicious book about cooking on a wok. That's, like, my favorite kind of cooking. (SU: Really? It was... What?) Yeah. Don't, don't tell my Italian grandparents though (SU: No.) because they would prefer I would enjoy cooking sauce the most, but I love cooking on a stir-fry. Not many Italians, I think, do that. (MA: I do that.) Maybe I'm wrong. (MA: I do that.) You do? (MA: Mm-hm. I cook stir-fry.) Like, we saute things but it's not high heat, oh, my God, spicy, spicy peppers, and (MA: Way to go.) this and that. Well, anyway, I got that book at Borders and i was pleased to walk in there with my thirty percent off coupon, but (MA: No, you didn't.) anyway.

MA: You told me today that you forgot to bring it with you. (laughs)

JN: Will you- now, how does that help anybody?

SU: Yeah.

MA: Because they'll see the woe of what happens when you forget your coupon.

JN: All right, fine, I lied. (MA laughs) I forgot to bring them my coupon and I tried to tell them. I pulled up PotterCast (SU: Uh-huh.) on my phone. And they're like, "Oh, okay. Well, just this once." So they were cool about it. So it was all right.

MA: Okay.

SU: I don't know if I believe that. Because I've tried that and it didn't work, (JN: Oh, well.) but I guess I'm not John Dawlish.

MA: It's an international calling card, don't you know.

JN: Well, you know, all I had to do was flash my John Dawlish smile. (SU laughs) (MA: John Dawlish.) And I said, "Now, which character of the Potter books are you named after, that Borders guy?" (MA: Oh, John.) No, I didn't say that.

MA: All right, all right, all right, all right. Come on.

Borders Ad:

JN: Today’s PotterCast is brought to you by Borders.

SU: Haven’t read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows yet? Don’t worry, Borders is here to help. Pick up your copy of this summer smash hit soon– you won’t be able to hide from the spoilers forever. You can count on Borders to have it in stock and ready to take home tonight, along with the audio book version. Even if you’ve read the book, the Harry Potter fun doesn’t have to end yet! Visit BordersMedia.com or click on the Borders banner at the top of the PotterCast page to find out more.

MA: Did you get it?

JN: I'm dang happy it doesn't have to end yet (SU: No, it doesn't.) or else I don't know what we're doing here.

SU: That's right.

MA: All right, Sue. What's happening this week in the world of Harry Potter news?

SU: Well, we talked about doing Phoenix Files and we have some more news about the Order of the Phoenix movie which is now become the second top grossing Harry Potter movie of the series. (JN: Ooh.) Wow.

MA: Whoa.

JN: What's the first one? Let me guess. First one is Chamber of Secrets. (SU makes buzzer sound) (MA and SU: Nope.) Oh, I know. It's got to be Sorcerer's Stone. (SU: It is.) Woo! (SU: Yes.) That's interesting. Five is second to the First.

SU: I think that first one just came out, there was so much- I just remember, though, how exciting it was when it came out. (MA: Mm-hm.) It was such a big, big huge- I mean, the press splash on it was just everywhere. It was- (JN: I remember.) I do. I remember it. It was just amazing. And it opened, I think, on Thanksgiving weekend, right? (JN: Mm-hm.) It just made huge amounts of money. And it's still- (MA: Huge, gobs.) yeah. But Order of the Phoenix is doing amazingly well over internationally, too. Something like 933 million dollars. (MA: It's crazy!) (JN: Dang!) I know. (laughs) Come on. (JN: That's brilliant.) You know. (laughs)

MA: That's like 400 tickets to the movies. (JN: What?) You know, the movies are so freaking expensive these days, but I'm glad it's doing well. (JN: Oh.) (SU: Yeah.) I'm glad that Harry Potter is gobbling away all the top ten spots on the international gross.

SU: It is, it really is. (JN laughs)

MA: It's Harry Potter, Harry Potter, Harry Potter. (SU: It is. Yeah.) Harry Potter takes over the world!

JN: It's awesome. I predict that the most number one grossing Harry Potter film is the film version of Fantastical Beasts and Creatures and Where to Find Them coming out circa 2012. (SU laughs)

SU: I thought you were going to say 2020. It'll never end. (laughs)

JN: No, no. They won't wait that long.

SU: Yeah.

MA: Oh, dear.

SU: I mean, what are they going to do, follow a hippogriff around, and just, say, he'll wander through? (JN laughs)

JN: It'd be like a National Geographic kind of Animal Planet documentary, (SU laughs) where it's like, (imitating TV announcer) "We follow the hippogriff here in its natural habitat." (SU and MA laugh)

MA: I'd love to see who they cast for Newt Scamander.

SU: Yeah. (laughs)

JN: Yes. (laughs)

SU: It'd be awesome.

JN: It'd be brilliant. I'm sure it would be some awesome, talented, classically trained British actor. (SU laughs)

SU: Well, that way we could get Stephen Fry to do that. That's what they'll finally cast him as. (laughs)

MA: Yeah. Yes. Him, definitely.

JN: Yeah, Patrick Stewart has been waiting for his role.

SU: Oh, that's true. (laughs)

JN: Remember him.

MA: So has Jim Dale.

JN: Captain Picard. (SU laughs)

MA: So has Mr. Jim Dale.

SU: That'd be awesome to have all those guys in there, (JN: Yeah.) the little naturalists. There they are. Oh, man. (JN: They'd make it so.) Okay, there's another piece of news that Lupin, once again, David Thewlis, is gonna- he confirmed that he will be back as Remus Lupin for...

JN: Oh, thank God!

MA: (laughs) Oh, John! We were so worried. (JN laughs)

SU: Yeah. But you know, it was really funny, though, because he- I don't think I ever remember him talking about how when he said he met Jo, and he said that she was happy he was playing the part, and then she said Lupin was her favorite character. (JN: Really?) And I don't know.

JN: I've been hearing that Jo's been saying that to every actor she meets from the movies. (MA laughs) (SU: You think?) Jo's very insecure with these people, she needs to- (SU: Yeah.) No, I'm kidding, of course.

MA: Especially when she met Tony Maudsley.

JN: Tony Maudsley, oh, my God. She- I talked to Tony Maudsley the weekend after the premiere, and he was telling how his conversation with Jo was pretty much how thrilled she was by his interpretation of Grawp, and he couldn't have been prouder, and I don't blame the guy.

SU: Uh-huh. (MA: Yeah, okay.) Speaking of Grawp, we did have a really very good- and John, I know you like this, too. I don't know if, Melissa, you had a chance to see it, but we had another (MA: I have not.) feature about the visual effects that are used in making- (JN gasps) and they talked about Grawp, and how they filmed it, and actually, we learned that Emma Watson was filmed on a machine. Right, John? Or something, they lifted her...

JN: Yeah, it's similar- it actually has lots of similarities to how they filmed the new King Kong movie, and how they had the chick in the little hand rig that looks like looks pretty much like a bright green full scale version of what Grawp's or King Kong's hand would have been like, so they can- the actress can react appropriately in proportion with what this creature's hand's gonna look like. So they have Emma in there doing her thing, and then, of course, they have Mr. 3-D CGI Grawp doing his thing, and they composite it together. And they said that it was a lot of painstaking compositing (SU: I just...) involved in that, so. They did a really good job.

SU: It just seems like that stuff is so meticulous, and it takes forever, because you have to go through each frame in the film, right? When you- (JN: Yeah.) for the colors on certain different effects, and I just- I don't know how they do it. It's just amazing.

JN: It's a lot of talented people, and a lot of time, and it's...thank God they're putting that kind of attention into our Potter movies. (SU: Well.) You couldn't make it without that movie magic, I don't think.

SU: I don't think so. I mean, they've got some amazingly talented people. They got the guy who did Gollum working on it, (JN: Mm-hm.) which is just- Gollum from The Lord of the Rings, who is, (JN: Yeah.) of course, one of the most amazing, I think, still.

JN: I mean, these productions, they're pretty much taking all-star, Harlem Globetrotter-esque (SU: Yeah.) production crews on these things. (MA: Harlem...) They're pulling people from everywhere. (MA: Sorry.) They've got freakin' nine- how many studios did they say they were doing just the effects alone in that article, Sue? I don't remember, but it was quite a few.

SU: Yeah, and then they said, too, that the companies- yeah, it was at least nine or ten- but that are trying to vie for- to work on Half-Blood Prince. (JN: Sure.) Which is, I mean- here are these amazing companies like Motion, Moving Picture Company and Industrial Light and Magic, which is, of course, George Lucas' company, and just these amazing companies. But they're trying to get on the film, and I just think that's amazing. You know? (JN: Totally.) I don't know. Can I ask you this, and this is kind of speculative, it's not really news, but people were asking about, well, what special effects are they going to have in Half-Blood Prince movie?

JN: How about the Inferi? (SU: Yeah, I would think...) That whole big scene is going to be, (MA: The fire.) so awesome.

MA: Even just the boat, you know, getting across in the boat.

JN: Yeah. That whole scene's going to be hella intense. I wouldn't be surprised if they shoot a lot of that stuff first just so they can get that stuff to those guys.

MA: You'll have some stuff in the memories.

SU: Oh, true. That's true. But you know, I was thinking because it's always about this time now that filming has started that we always see the first pictures of Hagrid's hut. And no, we haven't seen them yet.

JN: Ha. Oh, no!

MA: I can't wait to find out what they did to Hagrid's hut.

SU: Yeah.

JN: I want him, by the end of this thing, (SU laughs) he's going to have an outdoor shower and Jacuzzi, and what else could he put in there?

SU: I know, but I was thinking about that, because of Buckbeak, right? If they, if they keep that part in. (JN: Witherwings.) Well, that's right. Witherwings. Sorry. Yeah. Yeah.

JN: Witherwings, hello! Yeah, it's a huge effect. I mean, it's not always as simple as copy and pasting from Prisoner of Azkaban hard drives over here for this, (MA laughs) because they revisit all this stuff, because after that many years, there's so many new ways to do all the things that they did with that stuff that they probably end up redoing a lot of it.

SU: Speaking of Order of the Phoenix, we're still on them. We owe them a- congratulations are in order to all the people at Order of the Phoenix and to Mr. Dan Radcliffe and Emma Watson who were winners at the new National Movie Awards.

JN: Oh, yeah! (MA: Very nice! That's right.) Those were some cute pictures that came out of that, too.

SU: Yes. (MA: Yeah.) We have a lot of...

MA: Evanna Lynch!

SU: Yes! (JN laughs) (MA: Looking sexy.) She was there! Yeah!

MA: Five-inch heels. (laughs) You know?

JN: I swear to God, it's almost embarrassing how much Evanna cheerleaders we are, but (MA: I know.) she is the Potter fan actor in those movies, (MA: She's awesome.) so I don't care, she- we're big cheerleaders. (MA: But Emma looked...) But yeah, she looked great.

MA: Emma looked gorgeous as well. Really starting to look real adult, classy, (JN: Yeah.) you know, superstar kind of look.

JN: Yeah. Leave Emma alone. I saw this- this is what I don't like about all this stuff.

MA: What makes- I just said she looked great!

JN: I'm not talking to you, I'm talking to everybody else in the comments, (MA: Oh. Okay.) who are all like, "Oh, my God. What is that she's wearing?" If you want to talk about celebrities like that, you've got your Perez, and all that other nonsense. (MA: Hm.) But don't bring it here. No one wants to read that crap.

SU: Well, I was thrilled to see- I loved that group shot of the trio, and then there was Matt Lewis, who plays Neville Longbottom, and our- (MA laughs) and lovely Evanna Lynch, who looked great. She had this beautiful blue gown on, (JN: Yeah.) and Bonnie Wright was there, too. Ginny Weasley. I was like, "Yeah!" (JN: Yeah.) That was awesome. I love seeing that. (MA: Right.) You know?

JN: Can I say something controversial?

SU: Yeah.

MA: Oh. By all means. (SU laughs)

JN: Now, in the straightest possible way I can say this, I've got a lovely girlfriend- hello, Bre- I'm sorry if- I have to say, is it just me that Matthew Lewis, was (MA: Is looking pretty hot?) the best looking guy of that bunch?

SU: He...

MA: Where did this come from? He's like bad-ass with a stubbly chin and a leather coat. (SU: Yeah.) What happened?

JN: I know! I think it's so funny, because you've got Rupert and Dan, who you know, aren't bad looking guys, but then you've got Matt, (MA laughs) and then you see him in the movies, and they give him a fat suit, and they give him a goofy haircut, and I wonder how much of that is because they don't want, you know, Neville Longbottom to be the best looking guy of that whole sextet there.

MA: Well, but think of what will happen in the seventh movie when he strides forward and (SU: Oh.) slices a head off a snake. It's going to be- (JN: I know.) (SU: It's going to be so awesome.) and he just looks like that hero. Oh! It's going to be great.

JN: I wonder if they're worried about, like, the audience going like, "Harry who? Ron who? Who's this Neville guy?"

MA: I'm sorry, at the end of Book Seven, I sort of was like, "Harry who? Give me more Neville!" (JN laughs) (SU: Yeah.) Come on! (laughs) (SU: Yeah!) No. (JN: Yeah.) But you know.

JN: They got Matt, who's taller than them now (MA: Yeah. I know!) and- oh, it's funny.

MA: Good for him. Good for him. He's starting to look mature. You know?

SU: Yeah.

JN: Yup. (SU: Oh.) (MA: It's crazy.) Great stuff. It reminds me of the premieres, when they were all walking with- or some of the guys were walking with dates, and who are these random girls walking with these- (laughs) (MA: I know!) It's so funny! (MA: I know!) All of them had dates! Who was Jamie walking with? Jamie had a pretty girl (MA: Jamie had a date.) walking with him, too, didn't he?

MA: Mm-hm, yup. Yup, they all had dates! (JN: It's like, "Aw, they're...) It's like, "Oh, wow, you're that age now." Oh, God.

SU: Yeah.

JN: They're grownups! (MA laughs) What Disney Channel TV film did these girls come from? (SU: Disney Channel.) But they pull them out of somewhere. High School Musical.

MA: You know who had a really beautiful date? Devon Murray.

SU: Yes, (JN: Yes.) his girlfriend is beautiful. Yes, she is.

JN: She kept giving me the eyes, though. (MA: Okay.) I said, "I'm sorry, I'm in a relationship."

MA: Yeah, John. Uh-huh. Yes, all gross and wet and sobby as we looked that day, okay, yeah. (SU laughs)

JN: Hey, some girls think that's a good look, especially on this guy over here.

MA: Okay. Well (JN: No!) before we turn into the Perez, let's move on.

JN: I hate Perez!

MA: Me too. Let's move on.

SU: Can I only mention one thing? This is one thing- I don't know if you want to talk about this now or- but Wrock Chicago, baby! I just- (MA: I know!) I cannot wait!

JN: What happened?

MA: W-r-o-c-k in Chicago. Terminus, which is the Harry Potter conference that we are going to- which, I don't understand why we haven't made a big announcement yet, I think we just forgot (SU: Oh, yes.) (JN: Oh, yeah.) that there's going to be a huge live PotterCast there, Sue is the Head of House there, I think I'm doing something else there, there's a whole bunch of things.

JN: I'm the head of something there, they just haven't informed me yet.

MA: John is the head of (mumbles), and...

JN: I'm going to be the head of something awesome, just watch.

MA: Something awesome, but they are also- you know, not only are they doing these huge things at Terminus, but they're having a whole day of Wizard Rock. (JN: That's so intense.) Twenty-five bands, three stages, every band that you can think of, all the big guys, including The Switchblade Kittens.

SU: I know! They were like the first ones, right?

MA: Who wrote- yeah, the first Harry Potter song, and long ago, and it's the only one they ever did.

SU: Yeah.

JN: Are they going to be playing all three bands at once? How are you going to be able to distinguish the songs?

MA: I think during the days some bands will rotate, but then the headliners at night will just be one big show, I think.

JN: That's going to be so cool. I want to get up there with one of them.

MA: It's like sort of a Woodstock. Hm?

JN: I want to get up there and sing with one of them.

MA: But you've got to come do the Bah-bah-bahs, you've never done them.

JN: I don't know the words!

SU and MA: It's bah-bah-bah!

JN: I'm kidding, of course it's bop-bop-bop.

SU: It's so hard. If I can do it, you can do it, you know what? I'm just saying...

JN: I get stage fright, you guys!

MA: Oh, right!

SU: I love Alex, (MA: Right, Mr. Ham.) that was so much fun. And we were standing right next to Paul from Harry and the Potters. I was in Wizard Rock heaven.

MA: (imitating Sue) Ah! Oh, my God! (laughs)

SU: That was like the coolest thing ever.

JN: I don't know, you guys can ask Bre how many different lyrics I have to the "Get out of the bathroom you're not the boy, you don't belong here" Moaning Myrtles song?

SU: I love that.

MA: (singing) You're really creepy!

JN: I don't know what it is about that song, I sing it all the time, (MA: Oh, I know, that's...) and never the same lyrics once.

SU: They're going to be there! I love them.

MA: Some of you guys- every time we say something about Wizard Rock, some of you guys sort of roll your eyes, and go, "I hate Wizard Rock." We have something that's going to change your mind and I can't say it yet, but (JN: Oh gosh!) we'll say it soon.

JN: It's pretty much crossed me over completely.

MA: Has it really?

JN: I just love that stuff, (MA: Mm-hm.) so to hear Harry Potter versions of that stuff- I hope I didn't just give it away.

MA: Well, anyway, we have an announcement coming in the next few weeks, (JN: Yes.) so keep your eyes pealed!

JN: Keep twiddling those dials.

SU: Can I say something too? Melissa mentioned I'm always very nicely asked to be Head of House, but you know who else is going to be Head of House now? I'm excited to say this. (MA: Who?) Brian from Draco and the Malfoys! Woo hoo! (MA laughs)

JN: Is he the Slytherin guy?

SU: Yes!

MA: No Way!

JN: Oh dear! Oh my gosh!

SU: I'm so excited, I'm dying. I love it, love it.

MA: That's hila- he's perfect, he's like your foil!

SU: I know! Can it get any better? (MA: Oh!) It's perfect! I just about died, it's like, "Yes! Mwah!"

MA: It's- he's like a split personality, because he's supposed to be...

JN: I did, I did have to turn them down.

MA: Yeah, John. (laughs) Sorry, John.

JN: I'm sure Brian will do great in my Stede. (SU laughs)

MA: What is this "in my Stede"? (JN laughs)

SU: Here we go again. Stede...

JN: I love Stede.

MA: All right. Well, that's going to be a great time, that is next- is it August? (SU: Yes, August.) Next August in Chicago. Go to...

SU: August 6th is Wrock Chicago and Terminus2008.org.

MA: It's so great.

JN: Are we going to have a field trip to the bean out there?

MA: I love the bean!

JN: And then the lady who makes the kissy face with the water fountain?

MA: Oh! That was weird.

JN: She's freaky.

MA: There's this fountain in the Millennium Park out in Chicago, and it's really kind of scary. (JN: Yeah.) It's all these little screens making up this one big screen of people, and then they close their mouths- they close their eyes and real water shoots out of their mouths. It's real weird.

JN: It's crazy. (MA: It's freaky.) And we're gonna T.P. Oprah's house, it's gonna be fun.

MA: Don't T.P. Oprah'shouse, you're not going to make it out alive. (SU laughs)

JN: She's got no security, she's just Oprah.

SU: Oh, my God, you're going to get us arrested if that happens, no way John, (MA: No, he's gonna get...) you are forbidden.

JN: Okay.

MA: Sue, he's on his own, he can get himself arrested. (JN: Hey, now...) You and I are gonna go be rocking.

SU: That's right! Woo hoo! (applauds) (JN: All right.) Can't wait!

JN: Well, let's rock on out to the next segment, whatever the hell it is. (SU laughs)

MA: (laughs) Great segue, John, great segue.

SU: (sings) Can can can! Rock rock rock! Can can can!

JN: I'm the king of segues.

MA: (sings) Can can can! Oh I wanna do that again. Okay.

JN: Aw.

SU: Awesome.