Posting from my phone to say I am at the movies! D is at home with his grandparents while E and I leave the house together for the first time in a month.

Ratatouille was sold out, so we're seeing HPOOP instead.

I got back from seeing Live Free and I really really liked it. It was just the kind of summer action movie I want to see. Nice explosions, good fight scenes, and characters that are easy on the eyes. I liked the PK stuff that was going on with one of the characters. I only had one moment where I was really thrown out of my disbelief - that was when John went off the plane and on to the ramp. Up until that point I'd been thinking - he should be hurt more! --but by the time I was thinking -- broken legs, broken ankles, road rash. But I got right back into it. My only other quibble was with Lucy, she really seemed like both her parents' and really like John's kid. When she told Gabriel let's take it outside, I really felt that she was backing that up because she had some kind of skill and not just bravado (in my head world she knows krav), but I wanted her to do a bit more to save herself. Although I realize they wanted Matt to finish his hero's journey. But I just wish that Lucy had fought a bit more.

interesting review of HP movie:

[link]

Thanks le nubian, that's an excellent, thoughtful review.

Really nails down Yates strengths as a director and Radcliffe's acting.

Also...

and the backgrounds are shadowy compared to similar scenes in Chris Columbus' early installments, which were often overlit in the manner of a mid-60s live-action Disney adventure.

Snap! But so accurate in identifying one of Columbus' main weaknesses in the early movies.

The spelling errors were a bit distracting. Especially "Lula Lovegood"

Especially "Lula Lovegood"

Particularly since the writer had it correct as Luna on the first instance.

falling asleep watching Persona while high

That's perfect.

We saw Ratatouille today, which was, as previously reported, delightful.

Hey Cor!

I just found out that my introduction has been discovered and kicked about on a Tom Waits forum. Mildly nerve wracking.

Reaction is mixed, though the positive reviews seem genuinely intrigued and enthusiastic and the dislikes are wondering if the whole book is like the intro, or is more directly focused on the record. (Which it is.)

Well, I saw HPatOoP today. I liked it much more than the last one, almost as much as the third one. I guess HP movies are the opposite of the Star Trek movies. HP odd numbered ones are the better ones.

I haven't read the books so I judge them as movies. I agree with so much that has already been said so I'll just add a few odd thoughts I had. First, there were 3 trailers for fantasy films before the main show. I said to myself "I blame Peter Jackson for this" but I'll probubly see at least 1 or 2 of them when they come out.

While some of you were marveling at Radcliffe's hottness, I was laughing to myself at the fact that all of the young cast have gotten taller than him. By film seven he will be wee Harry Potter the-little-wizard-that-could!

It took me so long to catch up that that is all the coherence I have left. More, hopefully, intelligent thoughts tommorow.

Was the girl who played Luna from some previously unknown British branch of the Fanning clan? She was scary good.

I also have to say that the producers lucked out big time with Daniel Radcliffe -- of the three kids, he's the only one I can really see having an acting career after this is over. (After a looooong period where he does only stage work just to give the audiences time to disconnect him with Harry Potter.)