Once again I must ask too much of you, Harry...

So because of my fantastical obsession with all things Harry Potter, I am currently running on four hours of sleep after working from 9-5 today. BUT I did get to see the midnight premiere of the Half-Blood Prince movie! I'm one of those people who compares everything to the book, so this movie did not quite live up to my expectations. Now, I think it was good just as a movie, but still, it's based on a book for crying out loud! They changed too many IMPORTANT things that they didn't have to change. Also don't read this if you don't want to hear any spoilers.

Things I did not like/were changed too much:
1. The Burrow was destroyed?! Um, don't remember THAT in the book. Kinda important considering the Burrow is like headquarters and a safehaven in book 7.
2. Harry is not lurking underneath everyone's feet while Dumbledore is killed. He is petrified by Dumbledore so that Harry is not released from the curse until Dumbledore dies. So by the movie standards he could still be alive.
3. The Death Eaters don't just walk in and out of Hogwarts. The DA and the Order put up a heck of a fight in the book.
4. Ginny and Harry. Or maybe its that I just don't like Bonnie whatever her name is. They played up too much romance.
5. Ok at the end Dumbledore's wand was sitting on his desk. YOU DO NOT LEAVE THE ELDER WAND JUST FLOATING AROUND! It has to be buried with him for the 7th movie. ugh.

Things I liked:
1. I thought Jim Broadbent was a really good Slughorn. A little less annoying than I pictured him in the book, but I still thought he did a good job.
2. The kids who played young Tom Riddle. Creepy, but he was absolutely perfect. And haunting.
3. They did keep the scene in the cave pretty accurate. I love how the whole cave was giant quartz. And the inferi were so gross!
4. I also really liked Narcissa Malfoy. I think they stayed true to the book on her character. She isn't all bad but she cares about Draco. I would have liked to see Jason Isaacs (Lucius Malfoy). I REALLY like him.
5. Rupert Grint.

Overall I say, as a movie, it's good. As to following the book, not so much.

I have been changed...for gooooood.

Well it is official. I saw Wicked. I went last Sunday for my birthday (July 5th, I'm 20 ahhh!). And you know what, I did not want to love this show. When it came out like in 8th grade I was obsessed. Like I was dying to see the show and I had the cast recording playing 24/7. Now everybody likes it, so I guess I was trying to be all "I'm different" (cool, huh?). Well, too bad because it was AMAZING. Absolutely amazing. So I've got this big long review to give and I just want to throw out a disclaimer that I do not claim to know anything about acting/singing/dancing/musical writing technique AT ALL! This is just my personal opinion!

Ok let's start with the actors

Helene Yorke and Marcie Dodd

Helene Yorke (Glinda)- Um, love her. I actually had heard her before seeing Wicked on some Youtube videos, so I already knew she would be phenomenal. She was SO FUNNY! Helene's comedic timing was impeccable and she made Glinda so flighty and carefree, but could be serious when needed. Her singing started off a little rough in "No One Mourns the Wicked" when she went into some high soprano notes. Then again it was the last show in an 8 show week! But when she belted, look out! Loved it. Also, I got to meet her at the stage door. Well, first somehow I met her mom (random) who was there to see her. Helene was so kind and I'm always impressed when an actor is willing to talk, sign autographs and take pictures after a show even when I'm sure they are exhausted. We talked about the Battery's Down, Andrew's Blog, and her visit to New York City. More than I ever expected!

Marcie Dodd (Elphaba)- Funny story, my program had a slip that said Carrie Manokalos, Elphaba's standby, was on that night in Marcie's place. Well, my mom and brother did not have the slips. It wasn't until after the show that I realized it was Marcie and not her standby! Awesome, awesome, awesome, awesome, awesome. She came straight off of doing Elphaba on Broadway too. Her voice was a little nasally at points, but her belt was fantastic! This girl brought me to tears over and over again.

Wizard (Tom McGowan)-He was good. Actually he was in the Disney Channel movie Heavyweights with Ben Stiller. He was the camp counselor guy.

Fiyero (Colin Donnell)- He was really cute! And a good singer.

Olivia with Fiyero (Colin Donnell)

Nessa (Kristine Reese)- She reminded me of Dana Steingold in her looks and her voice. I was really excited that Nessa sings more in the show than on the cd and I was actually surprised by the role she plays in the show.

One thing that stuck out to me was the orchestra. They were so good! I know that they don't have to sound like the cd, but usually I can hear mistakes or the tempo is like light speed but I didn't notice anything.

Ummm, look at how much stuff they brought in just to go around the stage!

The set was also really cool. I heard that it was scaled down for the tour, but it was freaking awesome! They brought in practicaly the whole stage, and some animatronics across the proscenium. There were clocks everywhere (did I miss that symbolism?). How on earth do they move that stuff?

I'm glad that I was surprised by the story because I thought I knew the whole plot from the soundtrack. There were some plot holes, but I don't think people are really paying attention to that. Like if Elphaba loved Fiyero, how did she not recognize him as the scarecrow? She had him trapped in her dungeon but didn't recognize him til later? Also, Nessa all the sudden just decided to be the Wicked Witch of the East? I kinda missed where that was coming from. Sometimes the pacing was weird, like they would sing 3 songs in a row and then talk for 20 minutes.

LOVED IT. If you have the chance to see it ever in your whole life...you should.

Harry Potter...The Musical?

OH MY, this is RICH! I heard some rumors about a Harry Potter Musical and I just thought it would be blasphemous to wizards everywhere. But THIS is fantastic! I would definitely pay money to see this on stage somewhere.

Outtakes

Really me and Olivia enjoyed messing around with the camera more than anything else!

Can I have a small concession?

Hey everyone! Here is my first ever VLOG (video blog)! So please don't be too harsh. Also this was the first time I've edited anything on imovie so don't expect quality film here. Basically, this video chronicles me, olivia, barr and will's adventure at the DRIVE-IN movie! It was an experience, for sure. Also me an olivia just had fun in Target filming the in between little parts. Enjoy!

Revolutionary Road

Last night I watched the movie Revolutionary Road starring Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio. I really just want to tell the world how I feel about this movie! First of all, I watched it mainly because Kate Winslet is in it and she's my favorite actress. Also, I've read the book so I was prepared for how depressing and bleak it was going to be.

This movie was fantastically crafted. The acting was impeccable, the camera angles/lighting/cinematography was awesome (like I know much about that!), and the screenplay was very well written.

Ok, now on to what I really want to say. These kinds of movies always make me so sad (obvi) because these people, not just the characters but the filmmakers and actors, live hopeless lives without the Lord! Basically the whole movie is about how this couple thought they were special and feel they have wasted their lives by settling down in suburbia. So they realize that they are not different from anyone else and everyone really comes to bad ends. As I watched the behind the scenes featurette the director, Sam Mendes, said that 90-95% of people today live in the "hopeless emptiness" of life because they don't have the courage to do what they really want to. I just wonder if Mendes really feels truly satisfied at the end of the day? I'm sure that all those people really love what they're doing and they worked really hard to get where they are, but that can't escape "hopeless emptiness". It really saddens me how many people realize that they are missing out on something huge in life, but just can't figure out what it is.

I feel like the characters in the movie sometimes, too. Sure, there are about a thousand things that I might really be happy doing that I don't have the courage to pursue. But I really have to stop myself because the Lord doesn't necessarily want me doing those things, He wants me working for his plan. Which I will be happy doing!...if only I could figure out what that is!

I really enjoy this quote because it calms my fears about my future and my past:
"We spend most of our lives trying to make things happen for ourselves...But life is not reduced to what you give or know or achieve. Nor is it reduced to your mistakes, your failures or your sin. Life isn't even defined by whom you love. Rather it is defined by the God who loves you. In other words, you are not the central character-not even of your own life's story. This is not meant to demeant you; it is meant to set you free."

No. Words.

This is Tracey...