Random literature survey

Oh God, it's so long, and yet so irresistible. ( Book meme from kabale. )

More thoughts on GoF after the A&E special

We've been handed concrete proof that it's not Ralph Fiennes' fault Voldemort wasn't sufficiently, deliciously, sensuously evil. My father and I caught 45 minutes' worth of A&E's hour-long "Goblet of Fire" special (which ran more like a summary of the film with occasional commentary on the actors), and towards the end Ralph Fiennes appeared onscreen to give some sound bites on his character. ( Cut for vague spoilers. )

It was wondrous. If he'd done that in the movie instead of playing it up so synn was tempted to cry "I feel pretty!" it would have been so much more creepy and affecting.

Jason Isaacs was on, too. Everyone who watched this show when it first aired last week (I didn't want to watch before the movie came out, and a good thing too, since they showed just about every scene) already knows this, but he was great as usual when talking about how much fun it is to play Lucius. I don't remember his words exactly, but it went something like, "I don't get to go out like this much in the daytime" -- stroking his blond wig -- "but when I put on these long, gorgeous robes and pick up that snake-headed cane I get to be so...unpleasant." And grins.

Daniel Radcliffe got most of the interviewing time, naturally, and I must say I was impressed that he was so articulate. It isn't just the British vs. American ability to be well-spoken. He seems like a bright kid and from what Mike Newell & David Heyman (producer) were saying he's also managed to remain unaffected by all the attention slavering fangirls heap upon him. He was quite adorable when he said that he thought the part about trying to ask a girl to the Ball in the Hogwarts courtyard and getting nothing but cold stares reminded him of his own schooldays and was the most true-to-life scene in the movie. Also, unlike Emma Watson, who in her interview suffered from the same restless eyebrows that plague her on celluloid, he looked comfortable as he talked and had very natural facial expressions while he did so, lending credence to someone's (I forget whose) very recent post suggesting that DR is being coached to act as blandly as possible in order to maximize audience sympathy (on the premise that any pronounced emotional reaction would alienate a percentage of the viewers).

On an unrelated note, when is the casting director going to wake up and give David Heyman a part in his own movie? That man would rival David Tennant for a fan following, I think. Unless it's just that with the five o'clock shadow and slightly graying dark hair he reminds me of a high school English teacher everyone had a crush on and his voice and accent resemble Sebastian Roché's. Anyway.