PotterCast 134: Rawffle! Transcript

News Talk (0:00 - 18:04)

Melissa Anelli (MA): Going strong, it's PotterCast Number 134! Welcome, guys.

Sue Upton (SU): Yay! (applauds)

John Noe (JN): Woo hoo hoo!

SU: Hello!

MA: Welcome, welcome, welcome. I am Melissa, I am here with Sue and John, and we are in for yet another week of awesome Harry Potter news, theories, discussions, da da da da, and stuff from Jo Rowling, and da da da da, other stuff.

SU: Who? What's her name? (MA: So.) Jo Rowling? (laughs)

MA: (whispers) Jo Rowling.

JN: Sounds like bowling.

MA: Rowling like bowling.

JN: Not like Row-ling.

MA: Not like Row-ling. (laughs) Welcome. I'm happy to be back!

SU: Yay!

JN: We're happy to have you back!

MA: I've missed you guys, and I know it's been on and off, on and off, on and off, but I'm here now, finally.

JN: Forever, and ever, and ever, and ever, amen.

MA: Forever, and ever, and ever, and ever amen. So with that, let's hear what's happening in this week's Harry Potter news.

SU: Oh, news.

JN: Right after- no, wait, nevermind. (SU laughs)

MA: Right after nothing.

SU: After nothing.

MA: We don't have an ad this week, guys. (laughs)

JN: Right after this break, for Fred doing the Hampster Dance song. (sings) Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo...

SU: (sings) "Because we can can can!" You know what, we should play the can can can music! You know why?

MA: (sings) "Because we can can can can can can can..."

JN: Yay. Why?

SU: Because Emma Watson...

MA: No, I love (SU: Oh, okay.) that the end of last week's show, how you guys had the Alan Rickman in Sweeney Todd music.

SU: Oh. (JN: Yes.) Wasn't it great? (laughs)

MA: That was wonderful. (JN and MA hum)

SU: I listen to that music all the time. I finally saw the movie. It was fabulous.

MA: Yeah, I liked it, but I didn't love it.

SU: Yeah?

JN: Uh oh.

MA: I thought it should've been funnier, weirdly enough. (laughs)

JN: Funnier?

MA: Funnier! (SU: Yeah.) That show, I know it's about a murderer and everything, (SU: But it is funny.) but it's funny.

JN: (laughs) There's nothing funny about that show.

MA: No, it actually is really funny. (laughs) And I think they kinda- well, anyways, this is not the Sweeney Todd podcast. So, (SU laughs) welcome to PotterCast 134. We have our news (SU: Mm-hm!) coming to you from the Suze. (JN: Hooray for Suze!) So what's happening this week?

SU: I wanna sing, "Can can can!" You know why? Because we finally heard today from Miss Emma Watson, who said she's doing her first scene with Slughorn, and they're doing Slughorn's dinner party! Yes! Yes!

MA: Ooh. The Slug Club.

SU: I know! I'm excited. Well, I don't know, she said she was eating- I don't know, their little- if I say it, I'll say the word wrong. Prof...

JN: Some kind of donut, I think?

SU: (laughs) I don't know, I think they're like cream puffs. (JN: Oh.) She wrote it on her site that today, January tenth, was the first day. So that's really cool, that they're doing that. If that's the scene, then, maybe it's the Christmas Party scene, I was thinking that's what it is, (JN: Maybe.) as opposed to the Slug Club. I don't know. Well, no, but I was just excited 'cause I love the Christmas Party scene in the book. First of all there's Luna, who's hysterical talking about the Rotfang Conspiracy, and you're seeing Snape and all that.

MA: The Rotfang Conspiracy. That's one of my favorite things about Luna ever. (JN: What is it?) The Rotfang Conspiracy. (SU: Yeah!) What is it? That the Ministry (SU: The Aurors!) is spreading lies through toothcare or something? It's so funny. I can't remember the exact words.

SU: It had to do with gum disease, right? Something in gum disease?

MA: Yeah. (SU laughs)

JN: Oh, my God, you're right!

MA: The Rotfang Conspiracy. Oh, God.

SU: So I hope they put little quirky things (MA: They better...) like that in.

JN: No doubt.

MA: That's the kind of stuff I'm hoping that they keep. I know that we talk about this everytime there's a new film, but when you don't keep that stuff, you've taken an essential something out of J.K. Rowling's work. Everybody, everybody...

JN: A little humor?

MA: Yeah. And the first thing people say when they say why they fell in love with Harry Potter was it's humor. (JN: Yeah.) Everybody, everybody, without fail, "It was funny, it was funny, it was funny, it was funny, it was funny."

JN: That's okay. For every clever joke that Jo writes, we'll have it replaced by Alan Rickman hitting somebody on the head with a book.

SU: (laughs) John and I talked about that last week, Melly. We're trying to predict how many times Rupert's going to get whacked on the head this movie.

JN: We'll throw the laughs back in there, it's okay. (SU laughs)

MA: Or him running up to somebody and getting right up in their face, (SU: Yeah.) which he does in Sweeney Todd, too.

JN: Yeah. That was Filch, wasn't it?

MA: No, he does it in Sweeney Todd, too! If you guys haven't seen Sweeney Todd, Alan Rickman and Timothy Spall play characters who are very much like- (JN and SU laugh) (SU: Yes, they do.) (JN: I love it!) Timothy Spall kind of waits on the Alan Rickman character, which is pretty much- you're watching a preview of Half-Blood Prince. (JN and SU: Yeah.) So funny.

JN: I've seen Timothy Spall in three movies in the past couple of weeks. (SU: Uh huh?) Potteragain, and Sweeney Todd, and then Enchanted. And he makes the same faces at every character. Makes me laugh so hard at this guy, such creepy looking characters he's always playing. It's so funny.

SU: Yeah.

MA: Well, Alan- I gotta say, Alan Rickman, fine actor though he has been, he was doing Snape in Sweeney Todd. It was just Snape with a different person sitting in front of it. It was...

JN: You think?

SU: Really?

MA: Yeah. Watch it, you'll see, it's...

JN: I've seen it twice.

SU: Hm.

MA: It's so- it's just Snape! (JN: Yeah.) Does that little creepy like (imitates Alan Rickman). And then he gets mad.

JN: Well, the funny thing is, it's Snape crushing on some sixteen-year-old girl, which (SU: Yeah.) could make Hermione-Snape fans a little...

MA: Well, I mean, (SU: No, no.) plot elements of Sweeney Todd aside. (All laugh)

JN: That's screwed up!

MA: I wasn't talking about that, John. Thank you for bringing it down...

JN: (imitating Judge Turpin) My ward.

MA: To the lowest common denominator once again. (SU laughs) I've missed you so. (laughs)

JN: Come on, Snape, find somebody your own age!

MA: Okay, (SU: Oh, my goodness.) what else happened?

SU: So, let's see, well, continuing on with our Half-Blood Prince news, Helen McCrory is also set to begin filming as Narcissa. (JN: Right.) She'll be in scenes with Mr. Rickman, and Helena Bonham Carter should be back soon, too.

JN: Oh, I cannot wait to see that. I forgot all about that effect, (SU: Yeah.) with the fire and the Unbreakable Vow. (SU: Yes.) I'm gonna try to make that one now instead.

SU: (laughs) That'd be awesome! Do it. I can't wait for that scene.

MA: What are you trying to make now?

JN: What's that, Melissa?

MA: What are you making?

JN: Remember when they hold hands (MA: The fiery snake.) and the fire wraps around their hand?

MA: You're doing that? You're making the effect?

JN: I think I am, yeah. I've got a new class now I've just started, where we're actually doing a lot more pyro effects.

MA: When are we going to start seeing some of these on Leaky?

JN: When they're polished (laughs) (MA: At least just to show people.) enough for me to not shudder at, but it should be soon. I graduate in March, so...

SU: Speaking of visual effects, the short lists are being announced for the Academy Awards, and for the first time...

MA: (laughs) If there is an Academy Awards.

SU: Yeah, yeah. Well, although...

JN: There's not going to be an Academy Awards.

SU: Well, I don't...

MA: They cancelled the Golden Globes.

SU: Yeah, well, yeah.

JN: It's going to be so weird. They were talking about doing some kind of a telecast announcement of the winners, or something.

SU: That's what they're going to do for the...

JN: They're talking about doing a clip show for an hour there, too. (MA: A clip show.) A clip show?

MA: No, you can't even do a clip show, because it has writer's work in there.

JN: Well, I guess they can't have the Guild writers write the sequence of clips.

MA: I know this is not technically our topic, (SU: Yeah.) but (JN: Entertainment world.) (SU: Mm-hm.) it's really gross what they're doing. It's...

JN: Who's they? Specify "they."

MA: The producers. The producers. (JN: Okay.) The producers and the non-writers. And I know I say this from a biased perspective, but come on! Give them a little tiny percentage of the DVD stuff that they wrote! (JN: Yeah.) Anyway, (JN: It's a very complicated issue, but there's...) if you're not familiar with the issue, it's complicated. But basically, it's reconfiguring contracts in order to allow, now, for the new developments in the entertainment industry, such as the proliferation of DVD sales. (SU: Mm-hm.) Which they got nothing of before, and which harkens back to the earlier times, when nobody thought that VHS would be anything worth (JN: Yeah.) making a contract negotiation about, and so didn't. (laughs) You know? (JN: Yeah.) And so they're trying to fix that now, and it's just a mess. It just keeps going on, and on, and on, and it could affect Harry Potter.

SU: Yes, it could.

MA: I don't know how. Well, Kloves, is he in the union?

JN: Well, a lot of it- what they're worried about now is rights to get paid fairly for things that go online and other new media. (MA: Mm-hm.) And right now, they don't get anything for anything that's ever seen online. Anytime you go to any of the big networks, and watch your favorite TV show for free, and they have commercials, none of those unions are getting paid anything, any of that revenue that come in there. (MA: Hmm.) And if the future is that kind of new media, then these guys really need to sort that out. And it's the writers now, but you know what? It's the Screen Actors Guild's contracts that come up over the summer, so it's all tied together.

SU: You know what I'd really like to have in an interview, though, is with Mr. Kloves. That would be our PotterCast. Come on here.

MA: I here he's doing Seven. Do we know that for sure?

SU: No, that was just someone's personal blog speculation. I think that's...

MA: Oh, okay. I'm going to put money on it though. (SU: Well...) When you've done five of six, do the last one.

JN: Yeah.

SU: Yeah, that makes sense. But what that blog also said- there was a blog out there, now, that said he's going to direct it, too. And I think that's...

MA: No, no.

JN: Wait, that Kloves is going to direct it? What?

SU: Yeah, that's why I pretty much said- (MA: Well...) yeah, that's what it said. (MA: Huh.) I was like, "Uh huh."

MA: What do you guys- I'm gonna- I'm pretty sure they've chosen the director.

JN: Yeah, it's that guy who directed Pan's Labyrinth (MA: No.) and that Orphanage movie that's coming out.

SU: Not del Toro.

MA: No, John.

JN: What? What's wrong with him? He's awesome!

MA: He is awesome, but there was an uproar on our site when the rumor came around.

JN: Why? It was just the people who didn't like Alfonso.

MA: I know, and just because they're best friends. (laughs)

SU: Yeah.

JN: They must have the exact same style and everything. (SU: Yeah. I...) Probably the same person. (MA laughs)

SU: I wouldn't be surprised if Mr. Yates does the film. That would be my guess. I don't know. What do you think, Melissa?

MA: I don't know. Three films? Well, okay, I think that the announcement for Seven...I think there's going to be some element of surprise to it, (SU: Really?) but yeah. That either it's a director we've seen before, or Yates comes back for number three, or maybe it is Kloves. Maybe he decided to finally direct one. Writers become directors a lot.

SU: Well, he...

JN: Yeah, I wouldn't be overly surprised if it was Columbus.

MA: Neither would I.

SU: Yeah. I wouldn't be surprised. I would hope he...

JN: A darker-toned Columbus.

SU: Yeah.

MA: Yeah, but there's never been a darker Columbus.

SU: Yeah.

JN: Has he- has anyone ever said, "Columbus, do it darker?" (MA laughs) People hire Columbus, they know what movie they're getting. (SU and MA laugh) (MA: I love how...) Do you think this guy has any versatility to him?

MA: I love, though, how, John, you just cut to the core of the matter. What if somebody just said to him, "Hey, Columbus, do it darker."

JN: Yeah, come on.

SU: Well, but he hasn't shown that in his other body of work. I'm not saying he's not capable of it, I just- he hasn't really exhibited that in his other...

MA: Yeah, it's more a sentimental thing.

JN: I mean, just because the directors have their niche, doesn't mean they can't direct out of it. (SU: No, I...) These guys all go to film school. They take- they have assignments where they do specific...

MA: I'm not really worried about dark for Seven. I'm worried about those small moments, those small moments that are so crucial to the larger story. Harry coming to the knowledge about Hallows and Horcruxes. (SU and JN: Yeah.) Harry becoming the leader that he is. The realization of the Expelliarmus has to be clear. (JN laughs) (SU: Yeah.) I know, you're laughing because your big Expelliarmus thing...

JN: "Maybe I'll just disarm him again."

MA: Yeah, and you were right!

SU: Yeah.

JN: (laughs) I know! I love it.

MA: (laughs) I hate you.

SU: I don't know. That'd be really interesting if Kloves did it. He has directed other films, and so I don't know.

JN: I don't care. As long as Stuart Craig is on for all seven, I'm cool with that.

SU: Yeah, but you know what? They did not get nominated for the short list of Visual Effects for this film, and I was pretty disappointed.

JN: That, I just don't understand.

SU: No. We're short- Order of the Phoenix is short listed for Best Make-Up but not for Visual Effects. Now, maybe Art Direction. Maybe they'll put them in for Art Direction. That hasn't been released, but I don't know, I was just- (JN: I don't get it.) I don't either, I don't understand. There must be some sort of political thing I just don't understand. I don't understand a lot of the awards shows either, but you know.

JN: I think there's just a bias against these movies.

SU: I think there is. There's a stigma like, "Oh, well, if it's family entertainment, or something that's massly popular..." Because you get Spiderman, and those kind of things get- but they don't get acting nominations. You don't see- it's rare, (MA: Yeah.) like when Lord of the Rings swept. (JN: Yeah.) That was popular, as well as being (MA: Right.) well done, but (JN: Yeah.) that's a rarity.

JN: I mean, that's a huge argument that many people take, that what is the most successful in America doesn't necessarily make a good cinema. (SU: Yeah.) Then it's this stiffy, snooty-nosed view of, "We think this is good, contrary to what the country thinks." (SU: Right.) I don't know, they distinguish the difference between what's a high selling, big budget movie, and what is art. (SU: Yeah.) But I think that these films have come such a long way, (SU: Oh, incredibly.) and they've put so much effort into this. To just brush them off as, you know, "It's just this big machine now, this Potter thing." You know, they're not art anymore- I think that's total crap. That pisses me off.

SU: I couldn't agree with you more, but you know what? I do think they're visually stunning, and I saw one the other day. I saw one on my friend's, who has a Blu-ray DVD! (JN: Oh!) (MA: Aw man!) Ohh, let me tell you, sweet.

JN: I wants it. I wants it.

MA: Oh, I wants it, too!

SU: Well, Warner Bros. is only going to be making those movies from now on in Blu-ray.

MA: I know!

JN: Thank God I didn't buy anything.

MA: That's a big deal. That is a huge deal. They have just cut the HD- they must've been marketing. They must've been fighting for that for a long time to get Blu-ray exclusives (JN: Yeah.) from Warner Bros. Because there's this fight, and everybody thought that HD- (SU: Mm-hm.) not everybody, but a lot of people thought that maybe HD would edge out, but that was a serious blow.

JN: Yeah. (SU: Right.) Well, here's the thing, is that number one, Blu-ray is a better format than HD, if by no other reason than it holds more capacity than HD. (MA: Oh.) If you have a DVD, and you have an HD DVD holds three times more, the Blu-ray holds five times more data, (MA: Wow.) so there's more flexibility, and there's a higher capacity disk. You got Microsoft backing the HD-DVD for the most part, and the XBox 360s and things and all that out there are some of the biggest things pushing that format. But then when you have an announcement from Warner Bros., like, "We're done with you, HD DVD. We're going Blu-ray," then all your other big studios look at that, and right now, there's a lot of speculation about Universal and Paramount, (SU: Oh, right. Right.) and what are they gonna do? Because apparently, Universal's already on the fence, pushing towards Blu-ray, and Paramount has an escape clause in their contracts to do both, where if it looks like the trend is leaning towards Blu-ray, they'll jump out of HD, and they'll move to Blu-ray. And if that happens, if those three studios go to Blu-ray, it is all the hell over. (laughs) (SU: Oh, yeah.) It's "Go buy your Blu-ray players now" at this point, because...

MA: Aren't PS3s Blu-ray?

JN: PS3 are, yeah, because that's Sony, and Sony is backing Blu-ray.

MA: Yeah, it's just continuing. It's just continuing and continuing.

SU: It's amazing (JN: Yeah.) (MA: Well...) But I was just really...

MA: Anyway, anything else? Well, oh, okay, yeah, there are a couple of small updates in the Lexicon matter. You guys remember that J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. sued RDR Books, which is trying to publish a version of the Harry Potter Lexicon. Just a change in dates really. We'll hear more about this soon. Originally, the suit was going to be submitted on the seventh. That's changed to the fifteenth. For all the details, you can check out the news. (SU: Mm-hm.) (JN: Yeah.) There's really not much more than that. It's been a lot of...

JN: For more discussion on that, if everybody's curious about that, there are some threads happening in the Leaky Lounge, (MA: Yeah.) in, ironically, the PotterCast area.

MA: Yeah, I'm not sure why. (laughs)

JN: I don't know, I guess people decided, "Well, let's do it here." (MA and SU laugh) Just people talking about the case in general and the possible impact the judgment will have on the fandom. Very interesting conversations happening there.

MA: Yeah, a lot of crack legal analysis going on in there. It's really interesting to watch. (SU: Yeah.) All right, well, what do we got this week?

JN: We got a crazy week, because, in other random fandom news, Melissa has finished writing her book.

SU: Woo!

MA: Oh, my God, no, no... (sighs)

JN: Which is why she is with us now. She is not even twenty-four hours away from the keyboard at this point.

MA: Not even twelve.

JN: Yeah, so us Leaky folks are having a fun little get together at the Big Apple place.

MA: (laughs) The Big Apple place.

JN: And we will be celebrating having that thing done, so you'll probably...

MA: It's not done! it's not done@ it has to be edited, (JN: Okay, fine, the first draft done.) and I feel like I'm gonna vomit all the time. There's a draft done. Guys, I wish I could explain this feeling. It's not like, "Yay, I'm done." It's not like, "Boo, I'm done." It's like a mix.

JN: Well, what happened was that you met Hott Cheryl at Heathrow Airport, (SU laughs) and then she got on the plane (MA: Shut up.) and took it to her New York office. (SU: Uh-huh.) (MA: Anyway, anyway...) But it'll be fun. We're going to have staff over, and we're going talk more, and probably get in peoples face with the microphone, and make them talk canon, even though they're probably just wanting to have fun. So it'll be amusing for me, at any rate.

MA: Well, we'll see. See how amusing it is for me when I hear the outcome. (JN laughs) All right, on to the show.

JN: On to the party!