PotterCast #14: Transcript
Part 1 (0:00 - 33:58)
Melissa Anelli (MA): Hey, welcome to PotterCast 14 - we know it's a little late, we apologize - we've just had to take some time for the holiday of Thanksgiving here in America. I've been hanging out with uh - I, I mean - my family. Sue's off with her son, and John, um, well he's had so many turkey burritos that he hasn't woken up yet. So, this week's show, it's a bit of an accident. We were recording PotterCast 14 - the originally planned PotterCast 14 - and we got into a discussion about Goblet of Fire. And now we've all had time to see the movie multiple times, let it sink in... we've - we've had time to - sort of - really organize our thoughts about it in this discussion. We came out and we thought that it's something you'd like to hear. So, we're abandoning our usual format, and this is the entirety of the Podcast. A real, regular PotterCast will be coming out earlier next week - I'd say Tuesday. But until then, we hope you'll enjoy this. Thanks again everybody who came out for the November 12th New York City Podcast - we had a wonderful time. And, as you might have noticed from our the last Leaky Mug, we are going to be doing another live Podcast - this time in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday, July 29th as part of the Lumos 2006 convention. For more information on how to go to that convention, visit Lumos2006.org or you can go to PotterCast.com where we will keep you updated as soon as we get more info - but we've got seven months until then, so - until that time - until it becomes final, sit back and enjoy.
Sue Upton (SU): Hello, and we are back, everyone, with the ever lovely, Melissa Anelli.
MA: Hello!
SU: And who's that guy over there?
John Noe (JN): Hey...
MA: I don't know.
JN: It's - it's John again.
SU: John Noe! Yay!
JN: I'm still here...
SU: Yay!
JN: ...still here!
MA: You're all still in my living room.
JN: Yep.
SU: That's right, we haven't left! (laughs) Hahahahaha.
MA: I miss you guys!
JN: Aww, we miss being there, we miss you.
SU: Yeah.
MA: We had so much fun. That was like the craziest weekend - just one of the best weekends I've ever had.
JN: Totally.
SU: I - I have new appreciation for you, Melissa. You are now the most fearless woman in the world... (MA laughs) After driving with you through New York City.
JN: I - I think -
SU: She is awesome!
JN: I think that would make us the most fearless people.
MA: Whoo!
SU: I think so! (Laughs)
MA: You guys are my captives.
(SU laughs)
JN: So I was pretty hyped up on - uh - Dramamine and all kinds of other motion sickness, medication... While I was in her car...
MA: That wasn't insulting at all.
JN: Just so I can - eh, well (laughs) - you definitely got the job done. I guess I'm just a baby about it, that's all.
MA: Without a scratch, Mister Ohio? Or Florida, wherever you're from?
JN: Not a scratch.
SU: I tell you though - I mean, it was just like in the movie, man - d'you notice she's she's just like, you know - like the taxi driver - woah, get outta my way, we're coming through! Podcast to do! (MA laughs; audible whisper) She rocks!
MA: It was a Ministry of Magic car.
SU: That's it! That's it!
(MA and SU laughing)
MA: Special dispensation from Jo.
SU: That's it.
(MA and SU continue laughing)
SU: You were on a roll in it!
MA: So, so - we've got alot to discuss - um - that went on -
SU: Yes.
MA: - that went on outside the Podcast.
JN: Oh yeah.
MA: So we managed to somehow secure tickets to the after-party of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire -
(SU squeaks)
MA: - to New York.
SU: Yes! (Laughs)
MA: So when the Podcast was over, we weren't going to go, but the boys understood. And when the Podcast was over, me, Sue, John, and my friend Cheryl... shot uptown -
SU: (Laughing) Yes, we did!
JN: A hundred blocks!
(SU laughs)
MA: To Synod Hall, which is this - this old, converted church that they use for space - and, let me tell you, looking at you guys as we walked into that party, was just...one of the highlights...
(JN chuckles)
MA: ...of my life.
(SU stammers)
MA: Let's see you guys talk about it.
(SU sighs)
JN: Go ahead, Sue, you go first.
SU: Oh man, I just, you know, we saw those people standing there, and like - no way... I think the first person we saw was like - maybe David Heyman or somebody. I'm like, oh my God, he's right there! And what - you know the best part of all - is when we walked by the Triwizard Cup. It was right there! Ohh...
JN: They brought the cup and... the goblet - the goblet was outside.
SU: Oh, that's right, that's right. Ohh...
JN: They brought the goblet outside - that was - it looked to be full size. Probably was -
SU: Huge!
JN: - one of the props -
SU: Yeah.
JN: - of the movie.
SU: Should we tell them, John, what we did? (Laughs)
JN: We did a little - uh - Harry, Cedric, on the count to three, grab the cup, outside and all...
SU: Together! It was great!
(MA laughing uncontrollably)
JN: And guess who played Cedric?
SU: The weepy one! Ooh, ooh, me, me... me!
(JN laughing)
SU: It was great...Oh, man.
MA: And I heard David Heyman gave you a look?
(SU and MA laughing)
MA: (Laughing) Why'd he do that? (SU laughing) He's like - who were they?
JN: I thought he wondered if we were gonna just take it and run off with the... goblet - it was our concern.
MA: Run for it! So, then, when we got there - we only stayed for about half an hour, because when we got there, everything was sort of breaking down. They - they were done with the big - the party in the big hall, which was converted into - there were like sheets of silver material floating from chandeliers, and it was... It was gorgeous.
SU: Wasn't it, though?
MA: And then we went downstairs where there was a disco going on...
JN: Mmhmm.
MA: ...and people had sort of dispersed, a bit more sort of calmer. And what I liked about being able to go there right after this, was that - um - we got to go over and say "thank you" to everybody who got onto the Podcast earlier.
JN: Yeah.
MA: As hard as it was to hear them. But they did take the time to say hello to the fans; I thought it was really cool of them.
SU: They were very cool - Robert Pattinson was very cool - he asked me "Did they hear it?" He - he made a point to ask me, to make sure everyone heard him when he called. I said, "Yes, they loved it!", and that was just... oh... you know it's hard to concentrate when he's so good-looking, you know.
(All laugh)
MA: It hurts! He's so good-looking, it's just - it hurts.
SU: He's such a cool dude, though. I mean - he's just there - ohh...
MA: For some reason, outside of the film, pictures of him come out... badly. (SU sighs) He looks so great on the film, but then these premiere pictures and stuff - he just - he looks sort of spacey, in - in his pictures. But in person, you just, oh God, it's so hard not to swoon.
JN: I don't have much trouble.
MA: I - I know, John.
(MA laughs and JN chuckles)
MA: But - but, you know what, this has absolutely nothing to do with Harry Potter, but I have to do it. There was one person in that room who could have pulled me away from - from Cedric, do you hear me, from Robert Pattinson.
SU: Mmhmm.
MA: And, it happened when my mom brought Jesse Martin over.
(SU takes a deep breath)
MA: Oh, Jesse Martin. Let me - like - he's in Rent, he's also in Law & Order, but I've known him since he was in Rent, and - a very long time ago... God, it was like nine years ago. He gave me - as a thank you for being a fan... for being a - a fan - his watch that the Rent producers gave him. And, so, I -
SU: Wow!
MA: We see each other like once every three years, when we run into each other at a mutual friend's... whatever, you know, so I haven't seen him in a long time, and I've seen the movie, and I just wanted to hug - he gives hugs like nothing else. I mean, when you've gotten a hug from Jesse Martin, you know what it's like to be hugged. And just - he was just standing there - and we got this big, big gigantic... hug. And it made me very happy.
SU: It was so awesome to watch you. I mean, I didn't want to go up and talk to him because I was, like, too shy. But - you two were just, he, he was really excited to see you, you know! It was just - like - this really cool, special moment. And I just - you were great, Melissa, you just looked awesome.
MA: I have a nice picture of him from that -
SU: Good.
MA: My mom was standing by with the camera -
SU: Your mom rocks!
MA: (unintelligible)
SU: She's the coolest, I've gotta tell ya. She's rockin'!
MA: And, um, no, he's - he's wonderful. And that hasn't got anything to do with Harry Potter, but go see Rent! Oh, actually... well no, we can't talk about that yet. But we might have something - some sort of news on - on that front.
SU: Ooh!
MA: Very soon.
SU: Cool. So John -
MA: So -
SU: What part did you like - in the... in the party?
JN: What part do I like... Well...
(SU chuckles)
JN: Just kinda getting my bearings in there was just - just figuring out - "Okay, we're in a small, little church basement with maybe... you know, forty really important people from this movie that we sit and write news about all the time.
SU: Right.
JN: That took a while to acclimate (chuckles) myself to that situation. Just looking around it was so funny because they had set up these big monitors for the kids to play the "Goblet of Fire" video game. Which I found to be to be highly amusing (chuckles) because a lot of the people there could basically pick themselves-on the video game-to play as.
SU: (laughing) Right, yeah.
JN: It was, you know where else-
MA:Emma standing there playing Hermione.
JN: Yeah. (Laughs) My little sister did just buy that video game recently, and I have to say I've played Hermione all day yesterday. (MA laughs) I don't know why, I just figured you know, she was as good enough as anybody.
SU: Well, she's pretty smart though. That-that game is hard, I'm still not-
JN: That game is cool.
SU: It's great, I'm having a good time with it too.
MA: Well Sue, I'm-I'm personally very excited to hear you talk about one of your experiences at this party.
SU: Oh my God. You know, I-I try not be an idiot blabbering fool, 'cause I've met famous people before, but dudes-
JN: Well you have to tell the whole story though Sue, back all the way to when this started.
SU: Well, ok, everyone, I-I got to meet Jason Isaacs who plays Lucius Malfoy who is just-
MA: Yay!
SU: Yay!
SU: We love you! And he was awesome again, even though he only had a few lines, he was so good, I mean he can just, you know. Give that little curl to his lip that cast with the wig and the hair and the cane and he just rocks.
(JN chuckles)
MA: Let's not forget the cane.
SU: Oh the cane, oh, that thing rocks. So, ok I really wanted to meet him obviously, after the premiere I thought "You know what, I'm not going to be able to get to see him," and I was feelin" all down and John and I were like "We gotta go, we gotta get to the podcast" and I couldn't get in the line to the bathroom is was too long, and I'm like ok. So we start going down the stairs and God love you John-
JN: Yeah.
SU: He's like "Sue! (All laugh) He's here!" (JN laughs) And there he was at the bottom of the steps, just like magic you know, I felt like I was in like a movie.
JN: It was, it was so much like that, it was just (SU laughs) "Do you want and autograph?" And I just-I-Sue was walking down the stairs and he looked up, there was a definate moment there. Sue-Sue stumbles down the stairs,
(SU laughs)
SU: But I didn't break my neck.
JN: And she falls on her heels, yeah "Jason!" I'm screaming down the halls, "I love you!" The idiot that I am and oh, he was so cool and I flung my arms around his neck and-
MA: (laughing) Oh my God!
SU: "Thank you, the fandom loves you and mwuah!" planted a big one right on him and he was so cool about it, oh my God, he just could not have been nicer.
JN: And the thing was, when you go into the movie they take away your cameras!
SU: Oh yes, yes.
JN: So we were like "Oh, we need a picture of this!" and so all we had was Sue's camera phone.
SU: Right.
JN: So that's why one of the pictures - Is that the one that's on the web now?
SU: Yes, yes, it is.
JN: Did you get it off your phone? Well I guess it turned out okay.
SU: Oh it came out great! Oh my God, it's like the magic moment, you know I'm like yeah.
MA: Well we talking about that briefly at the podcast, but what I really want to talk about is what happened at the party.
SU: (laughs) Well, he was there, in the party I came around the corner, and he was like in the back, I saw him the back they had like this big candy bar I dunno, something there, and I thought "My God he's there," but I didn't want to go bother him, so he'd already seen me like twice that night already, and I though "Oh no, he'll think I'm like so stalker wacko." But then he just came around and he's just like "Hello again."
(JN and SU laugh)
JN: Oh man.
SU: Oh, man. I don't even know how long we talking. I dunno.
MA: Be we stood there talking to him about his role in movie five, I mean he knew about it but we sort of explained in fruther detail about the head of the bad guys at the end of book five and he was very excited about that.
JN: He spoiled your mom.
MA: He did!
JN: He told her the end of book five. As much as it sucks for your mom, she can forever tell everybody, "Yeah, you heard about the end of book five right? Oh yeah, Jason Isaacs told me about it."
MA: She was walking by right at the moment and he goes, "Oh yeah, and Sirius dies," and my mom goes, (gasps) "Jason! You just spoiled it!" and he goes, "No, no Snape, Snape, what's Snape's first name?"
SU: So funny.
MA: "It was Albus, it was Albus!" Oh my gosh, I felt so bad, but my mom, she'll just see the movies, I can't get her to read the books.
JN: She read the first 120 pages of book four, and then watched the movie, and realized they did those first 120 pages in about twenty-five seconds so she's like "What the hell am I doing with this book?"
MA: (laughing) She was so annoyed!
JN: So she gave up after that point.
MA: She's like "That's it, what did I have to read those 120 pages for, they did it in a second!" Okay mom.
JN: Yeah. (laughs)
MA: I love my mother. Um, so yeah, then we started talking about the West Wing and like American politics.
SU: I talked to him forever, and y'all drifted off and I'm still talking to him! You know what, it's so hard, I thought, "Please God, don't let me make an ass out of myself this time," 'cause you know I'm trying to sound like intelligent, but then he looks straight at you with those blue eyes, and I'm like, "Ohh." I just, I couldn't think!
(JN and SU laugh)
SU: Yeah, I actually, I had know I made an ass out of myself, I know I did. But I thanked him for being so cool, and he just, oh.
MA: Well he did say that the next, the next morning he was gonna be listening to that podcast. We told him that we all said hello to him, and said that he was gonna be listening to it jogging, and we'd know who he was because he was the guy who's head was actually inflating as he was running down the river. He said, "That guy, that guy, you'll see me," he said. Um, and then he was also saying that he was said that he was in prison the whole time, in book six.
SU: Yeah. He's in prison, he won't get to be in the film unless he's-
JN: Get some random shot of Azkaban (SU laughs) like meanwhile in Azkaban Prison, and-
SU: There he is, rattling the cage.
MA: He's whistling. He's got a harmonica.
JN: I'm so bored.
MA: (singing) Nobody knows the trouble I've seen.
SU: Oh, but do you think they'll let him have his cane in Azkaban? I dunno.
MA: (laughing) I don't think so.
JN: Minus the wand part.
SU: Yeah, that's true.
MA: Wrapping his hand around it as if he still got it. You know, like a phantom limb.
SU: Let me out! Let me out!
MA: What else happened at the party, guys?
SU: We met Dan Radcliffe who was gracious to us. That was very...
MA: Yeah. He was really tired. I think he was finally at the end of his Goblet press stuff, he was (deep breath).
JN: How could you not be tired after a day like that?
SU: Right.
MA: Yeah... God, there was so much.
SU: There were so many people. Well, it was also cool though, just talking to them. I mean, Emma Watson was very nice. I shook her hand. I just thought she was... she has flawless skin in real life.
MA: She does!
SU: It’s just not fair. But she’s really cool. I just couldn’t believe I was there, you know? And then we went upstairs and it was still that shimmering, beautiful stuff. I saw the big...like...ice. It was like this big sculpture of, I don’t know if it was Hogwarts or what. I wanted to go over there and swipe some of the shrimp that was left, but I could tell the security guards are like, “Don’t you go girl.”
JN: It’s just going to get thrown out anyway.
MA: Yeah, that’s true.
JN: You should of gone over there and swiped it.
SU: It was so great. It was awesome. Thank you, Melissa. It was just...
MA: It was a beautiful party.
SU: It was just great. We worked so hard and it felt like, you know, it was just awesome. I kept wanting to remember every single detail for everybody, you know. Try to remember the color shoes people were wearing...
JN: Yeah, cause people don’t really want pictures. We took one picture of the whole place that’s online, and it is the one of the three of us with Dan.
SU: Right.
MA: Oh, there’ll be more. They’re allowed to go up and everything. The concern from Warner Brothers at the end of the night was that they told the kids that they were off duty, and they feel like taking pictures is a “duty,” but...
JN: Well, talking to simps like us is “on duty.”
MA: Well, it’s not... They understand that... It’s when a Warner Brothers person doesn’t sort of know what Leaky is. They understand that NOTHING gets posted on the internet without... Something like that, if you’re at a press event that’s one thing. But when you are at something that’s “private,” and you take a picture with them, you have to get permission. Always ask permission. We show them the picture. If they don’t like the picture of themselves, it doesn’t go anywhere. Do you know what I mean? You have to respect that. And it’s only when people don’t understand... Most Warner Brothers people understand without questioning that we are going to respect that. People can’t be so familiar with the sites that they know us in person and say, “Oh, don’t worry about them. They wouldn’t do anything bad.”
SU: You know, I did receive a compliment that they appreciated, from several cast members as well as Warner Brothers, how professional and how much they appreciate the way we approach things on our site, all of us, all the readers, everything.
MA: That’s always wonderful. There are a couple of publicists that you do not want to tick off ever. There a couple of publicists over there that you just, just, don’t ever get them mad. When those people come over to you to say thank you, it’s just a wonderful thing. Dan Radcliffe’s dad: I have not met him once where he hasn’t said to me thank you for all the work you do...
JN: Aww.
MA: ...especially about not putting that stupid story about Dan’s hairdresser.
SU: There’s so much rubbish out there though.
MA: I don’t get the stuff.
SU: You know, I wouldn’t want to post it ‘cause I don’t read that stuff. I don’t read that trash. So, anyway...
MA: Even if, in some strange alternate universe, it was true, it’s not news.
SU: I know!
MA: He can date whomever he wants. So, anyway... It’s nice to be in that situation and have people come over and thank you.
SU: I know. It was incredible. It was an incredible moment. The whole night was just... from the movie, just everything.
MA: It was so funny. I get there and everyone was just, “Oh yeah, I know your mother. Oh I talked to your mother earlier. Your mom’s a great lady.” She made herself known over the three hours. She was so funny. Dan Radcliffe! Well, she went up to Dan Radcliffe, and she introduced herself and he said, “My God, you look just like her. You have the same mouth.” And my mom goes, “Yeah, in more ways than one.”
(all laugh)
JN: She made Dan laugh.
MA: And I think someone else said the same thing. I think Jesse said the same thing, that we look alike.
SU: He’s got a great smile.
MA: He’s got a great everything.
JN: Whoa...
MA: He’s a sweet, sweet, sweet person. He really is. And I got to see him at the Rent premiere.
SU: Oh, that’s right. You got to go to that too.
MA: I was just overwhelmed by all the craziness that was going on that night because it was all sort of crazy. But this isn’t a Rent podcast so let’s not.
SU: Yeah, but it was just an incredible weekend, wasn’t it?
MA: It really was wonderful. So guys, how many times have you seen the film?
SU: I’ve seen it twice.
JN: Oh don’t embarrass me. I haven’t gotten to see it again.
MA: I’m on three. ‘Cause I got to go with Jamie and Matt the other night. Oh it was so much fun!
SU: Oh yes, will you tell us a little about that?
MA: Which was so much fun! Oh my gosh it was so much fun. They said to me the, when I was covering the Apple Con event, they said "We really want to see the movie in IMAX," and I said "Well, it's sold out," and I said "But I'll go talk to the theater." When I went to the TLC IMAX screening, I asked the theater about it and, you know, they could not think of something to do for us first, they, of course, we'll get you seat, we'll get you popcorn, we'll get you - you know, the whole thing. Um, and so when we got there (laughs) - when we got there, they could walk around the streets of New York City and they're ok, they'll get a little bit recognized, but they won't be, it's not bad. Soon as wee show up at the movie theater people are giving them the eye, so we left Matt's family outside and...sure, clearly 'cause these are moviegoer. So we left Matt's family outside and we went upstairs, and I found a manager and said...you know the other manager knows were coming I have these kids here from the Harry Potter movies we need to get them inside the theater before they start getting recognized, and he looked at me, "They're in the Harry Potter movies?" I turned him around, I pointed and said...They are in the Harry Potter movies, and he looked at them and went..."Hhhhhh...Oh...OK...we're going upstairs now," and run upstairs. It was so funny, people just did not believe me when I said I was standing here with these Harry Potter kids, so they brought us in, they were so nice..security they had a guy standing behind us in the movie the whole time to see if we needed anything. He just you turn around and order a popcorn and he will go get it...
JN: Dude, I would love that.
MA: It was hilarious...
JN: I would love that service everyday.
MA: It was so funny 'cause they were just really excited to see the movie in IMAX, the dragon sequence particularly in IMAX, you know there kids..so we went down and I did a little trivia contest and the answers to the trivia questions was Neville and the answer to the other Trivia question was Crabbe and so when...
SU: Ohh good.
MA: The two people came down and said you know were out of stickers were out of posters or whatever, but we don't have something really to give you but you wanna meet the people who play Crabbe and Neville and nobody quite got it, there was this big like murmur, what the, was she nuts, what is she talking about...
SU: Yeah!
MA: And I said so Jamie and Matt why don't you come down here and there was still this murmur and then when people saw them get up and start coming down the isle the place went up..it was crazy and it was so much fun to see.
SU: Ohhh..how cool!
MA: Yeah, because these are all fans how genuinely...
SU: Right.
MA: They had no idea they were coming so there not trying to get signature for eBay or anything..
SU: Right.
MA: They were their just to see the movie and enjoy and they were so gracious, signed as many autographs as they could but we really sort of had to be a little mean and say like to get them back to their seats you know because people started coming over right away and so I had to be that person that was like, no no no last one, last one guys the movies going to start we gotta go, you know, and then to get them out the theater they posted security right next to our seats to get them out of the theater, brought them right to the elevator and shot us out the side of the movie theater, though they did pose for pictures inside, as many autographs as they could.
JN: Those are some cool kids!
SU: Yeah!!
MA: They really are and wait until you see the video that I'm going to put together from this weekend..
SU: Ohhh, good.
MA: We had a lot of fun with them.....a lot and I had the video camera on the wrong setting. We were going to video when they did the little intro into the theater but it just didn't work. But we have stuff from outside.
SU: That'll be great, just so cool. Those pictures looked good they look so happy and people just seem so thrilled to meet them at the Applecon thing and I just..you know Jamie was really nice, that was the first time I got to meet him...this week and I just thought he was a really cool guy.
MA: Jamie's my babe, I love him.
SU: Yeah.
MA: So guys..movie, let's talk about the movie.
SU: Wow!
MA: Now that's you've had some time to sort of think on it and sink it in. I mean I've got stuff, what do you guys have?
SU: Well, I think it's still, you know I try to write down my thoughts and then after I saw it again last night, I, I, ya know, I want to re-edit what I thought but I still think that it's the best of the movies I have seen so far.
MA: Uhmmmmm.
SU: And it's just, the sequence of the two tasks especially the first two tasks took my breath away I was just amazed at the models, the amount of work that went into especially the thing that sticks with me are the cinamatography and the effects just because I'm a film person and this appeals to me and you know the tallons on the dragon matched, you know when she clancked into the shingles I kept watching that how perfectly they matched so from the film point of view that was just phenominal, just to see it, ya know this huge dragon, just amazed me, I don't know it was better than I hoped and it was and in some ways it was disappointing to me and but I still give it tree butterbeer caps out of four..that my rating. There you go.
(laughs)
MA: I have some stuff after thinking about it for awhile, there are some things they did so wonderfully and it's still the best, I feel absolutely it's the best movie of the four and it deserves what's happening and it deserves what's going on...but..I mean what the heck was up with certain things...for instance...ok... Ron I appreciate that he tried to warn Harry of the dragons..
SU: Yeah.
MA: But the Ron that we know in the books would see those dragons and forgot everything about whatever they were fighting about and run and tell him himself, he would put himself in peril to tell him Oh my gosh you are facing things that eat you for dinner he didn't, he didn't know in the books and it was seeing the dragons that made him realize that his friendship was more important than any stupid feelings he was having so that he went through the securist route to know wouldn't work..It's just a little weak.
JN: Yeah... they obviously just kind of said hey maybe we can use this to further and basically quicken the..there little fight, you know.
MA: But you know, it would have been fine without it they were fighting there was no reason to do any of that you just have the tasks then you happen to have that scene where he's like o gosh you clearly did not put your name in the Goblet of Fire ... you know.
JN: Yeah.
MA: It made no sense when Hermione was like "Boys", that didn't make sense to me because she says that in the books because there being like stupid about each other or something over their in the common room scene there really not..
JN: No.
SU: Yeah, there were some things that were missing, we saw a picture...did we see them sitting on the couch the three of them together, was that not in the movie, did we miss that.
MA: Yeah. Not in the movie...
JN: Fireplace..
SU: Or fireplace, that's it.
JN: The video of that scene being shot has even been on some special, special shows. But uh, not in actual finished film form, still have no idea what's going on. We happen to hear some of the lines, just record this bits elsewhere.
MA: I have have to say as much as the movie is clearly scripted and intended to hint toward a Ron/Hermione romance and if you read the books and watch the movies you know that's going to happen in the course of the story...
SU: Uh huh.
MA: They focused alot on Harry/Hermione and I don't know if it's just that the way Emma looks at Dan is different than the way she looks at Rupert. I'm not sure what it is but she...she focuses on him in the movie. Hey listen, I'm happy for the Harry/Hermione shippers they have something to make fan videos out of it's fantastic for them it's great...
JN: (laughs) Yeah, fan videos.
MA: Yeah, fan videos...
SU: Yeah.
MA: But if they are trying to hint toward a Ron/Hermione romance, they're doing it in the script, they're not doing it in the actions between the actors and they're not even fully doing it in the script. I mean it's obvious but it's not well crafted it's not, it doesn't have all the, um, the all the pull that a romance storyline would, but then again they may be holding back a little bit because it hasn't happened yet in the book. It's probably going to happen in seven and they might only want to use the last two films to sort of ramp that up.
SU: That could be.
JN: Yeah, I could see that.
SU: So John, what do you rank it if you have to give it stars, what do you, how do you feel?
JN: Well I think we said a little while back that this was my favorite book, the Goblet of Fire, Goblet was my favorite book and I think the film certainly did not disappoint. I wish I've had more time to get out and see it again, 'cause, you know unfortunately my stupid movie theater down here in Florida Keys decided that there not going to get it yet...so...
SU: Ohhh.
JN: I have no idea what's taken them, so I might have to take a drive up to Miami or something.
MA: John lives in the only place in the country that is not playing Goblet of Fire.
(all laugh)
JN: No.
SU: It's like playing every half hour where I was living...every half hour.
(all laugh)
MA: I could walk two feet down the block and run into a theater.
JN: Yeah, that's, but no....
MA: Geez man, what are they doing in Florida.
JN: Just such an incredible movie, such an incredible movie.
MA: What's your biggest grip in the movie?
JN: I've got a couple, I've got a couple of grips, but you know it's been a few days now since I've been thinking about um and isn't not a huge issue, I mean I guess the over all thing was just...you know, my little message to all of you people that I know are listening to this show, now your movie just broke alot more box office records, made a bunch of money this first weekend, you know the audience it has now, you know what it's capable of doing. Explain to me why we can't make Lord of the Rings feature films....
SU: Exactly!
JN: Lengths out of these things because all that's going to happen, is someone is going to come along 15 years later and say look at all this source material, we could do this again, we could make freakin, freakin TV mini-series...
MA: Uh huh.
JN: They can make it like Smallville form or something and, or they're gonna do, or they'er gonna come back and make the movies again, make them Lord of the Ring film length and they'll put that much more into it and then those movies will be acclaimed as the real Harry Potter movies because they'll have more from the Harry Potter books. I mean change that now, you've got the next few books, book five is much longer than book four, you know it's the book that the fandom has now concentrated on and are more worried about then and they were worried about the fourth film, about how that's going to turn into a movie.
MA: I'm actually...
JN: As awesome as movie four was, my overall grip is just so much action, just boom, boom, boom, the time and the excuse will be is how much we had to cram in the what time we had but you are the people that decide how much time you have and if it's not going to be enough time to create the movie that you think could be created, you know, I don't know, I don't know....
MA: I don't know, I don't know, you can't say they have an unlimited time pallet, if that movie was a half hour longer I would have been bored out of my ass..
JN: Oh, you, come on!
MA: No I would, I would it was I thought it was a little too fast paced, I know in the beginning I said it didn't feel fast paced, but now I've seen it three times and I do feel like a couple of little things were rushed but, which could have been solved in maybe a couple of seconds of those transitions your talking about. I'm not talking about an extra ten minutes but I think this also speaks to Mike Newell as a film maker, his films are like this, his films, they, they...not all of them, I think he has more of an interest in just getting the story out, getting the story out instead of Cuarón's approach was a little bit more emotional um...three is a much more emotional film than four even though the last scene of four are...ok here's a big gripe, a big gripe that I have with this movie. The lines that Jo wrote for Cedric's funeral are her best most powerful most consise lines in the entire series, why did they change them!! I'm not a purist, I'm not one of those people who says you can't change anything but those lines were perfect, were true to the character and are some of the most lasting lines we have instead we have. Instead we have Dumbledore waffling on for five minutes about Cedric Diggory and all these things we was, that I don't know that he was, I didn't learn in the movie that he was. I knew that he was kind and hot and good looking and nice to Harry and sits around on benches and laughs and is popular...
JN: Hmm.
MA: ...And a little bit modest. You know, they tried to play up that he was modest, even if at times it seems that he wasn't. But those words were so beautiful and fitting, and perfectly suited for the film. Why, why?
JN: Yeah.
SU: That ties into what my big gripe is, and kind of ties in to what John was saying. You can take an extra ten minutes and develop the characters a little bit more with dialogue, and that is the biggest flaw I have with this. My complaint about these films is that so many of the characters are just reduced to mere background figures.
MA: Yeah.
SU: They're just- I hate the way that the adult characters are just shunted into the background. And I just, I can't stand it. I mean, I thank God that Maggie Smith had more to say this film.
JN: Mmmhmm.
SU: But I was just appalled at... Filch did not have any lines, and what is the deal with Snape? Was Snape in the movie? Oh, yes that's right, he was in the background. Lurking around in the back, all the time.
MA: Oh, no. I loved Snape in the movie. That one scene with him smacking the kids was out of character, but funny and I'll accept it. But the rest of it? I thought he showed up at the right moments. I thought he gave the right amount of menace, and that scene with him in front of the Pensieve, and he says let things unfold... All I could think was had they read book six? Did they know what was going to happen? I thought that was fascinating.
SU: I just think that he should have been in it more, though. I just thought that he had more lines and all the other adults needed more lines. I thought they could have added- Filch didn't say one word in this movie.
MA: Yeah, but Filch, you know... I could live with a quieter Filch.
SU: I know. He's a secondary character, but I'm just saying, you know. I thought Brendan Gleeson was phenomenal.
MA: (Whispers) Yes, he was great.
SU: Even though he was- He was so good. Although, his... (Laughs) I thought that little flask thing, was that a head? I could not tell. On the...
MA: I think it was a head. I think it was a skeleton head or something.
SU: Did it not remind you all of a PEZ dispenser? (MA Laughs) You know? It did to me.
JN: Yeah.
SU: I don't know. Maybe it was just me. I just thought that is what it looked like.
MA: They did a lot of development on Neville.
JN: Yeah.