ALMOST A Moment To Celebrate...

Several things happened today to brighten my week. In order of the delight that ensued, they were...

1) Yes! I have at last been able to move ahead with MoN-203 "Mane-of-Night And The Wayward Child"! Waiting in for phone calls certainly helps, even if you don't get the "call-backs" you're expecting.

2) My letter to the local paper, sent before CLAN actually got started, has attracted serious journalistic attention! All of a sudden, things are very definitely on the turn!

3) It looked as though I had, at last, been able to return the laptop to my armoury, after getting it back online and updating everything. However...

...the laptop isn't quite operating at 100%. Bugger.

And now I'm wilting again, falling asleep at the keyboard. I'm done for today, I think.

The D11 Experience: Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince

At The Movies: Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince. I very nearly didn't go to see this, annoyed as I was by JK Rowling's decision to give this disgrace of a government £1 million of the fans' money. I relented, wanting to get away from CLAN...

If this had been a film of a book of mine, I would have been disgusted. For 95% of its substantial running time, it adheres fairly well to the book, better perhaps than the last two - but when it comes to the most momentous moment in the series to date, it just gives up. The death of Dumbledore (yeah, like that's a spoiler for ANYONE) is truncated to some scowling and half-glimpsed flashes - such a shitty end for Michael Gambon's best performance in the role, after finally exorcising the (pardon me for this) ghost of his predecessor - the rampage of the Deatheaters through Hogwarts is cut from a life-and-death battle on the heroes' doorstep to Helena Bonham-Carter blowing out some windows, kicking goblets of tables, and setting fire to Hagrid's cottage, with no indication of any consequences for the resident, and Dumbledores doesn't even get a funeral. Hey, even Darth Vader got a cremation...

This bargain basement ending just isn't good enough - why did they even bother leaving in the character of Fenrir Greyback?. The public had to wait an extra seven months for this movie, and for what? Yes, Draco has a decent part to play for once, and Tom Felton does a good job in the role, and Michael Gambon deserves praise, but when Harry says how he feels Dumbledore's death might have been for nothing, you have to agree.

The Verdict... A wasted opportunity. Starts well enough, and looks to put "Goblet" and "Order" in the shade - right up until the half-hearted end. MUST TRY HARDER! 8/10 for most of the movie, 5/10 for the last twenty minutes. Average - 6.5/10

That I got rained on for. About as good an ending as Star Trek V...