MuggleCast 217 Transcript
Show Intro
[Intro music begins]
Andrew: This week’s episode is brought to you by Audible.com. Audible is the leading provider of audiobooks with more than 75,000 downloadable titles across all types of literature, including fiction, non-fiction and periodicals. For a free audiobook of your choice, go to AudiblePodcast.com/MuggleCast.
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[“Hedwig’s Theme” plays]
David Heyman: Hello, this is David Heyman and I’m the producer of the Harry Potter films, and this is MuggleCast.
[Show music begins]
Micah: Because it’s our final episode [pauses] of the year, this is MuggleCast Episode 217 for December 26th, 2010.
[Show music continues]
Andrew: Welcome to MuggleCast Episode 217! It’s our final episode of the year 2010.
Eric: You had me there for a moment. You were, like, “It’s our final episode…”
Andrew: Of ever.
Eric: “…of the year.”
Andrew: No, just…
Eric: Yeah.
Andrew: …the year. We had our – we’re coming off our awesome year-in-review show, we had a great time. Thanks to everyone who tuned in on Ustream to watch us record it live or if you’ve listened now, I bet you wish you were voting in those polls because we – there was some fierce competition going on in the live voting that we did. It was a lot of fun, so…
Eric: Yeah.
Andrew: …thanks to everyone who participated and helped us out with that. It’s Micah, Eric, Richard and I this week. Richard, you’re buried in, aren’t you? Isn’t the whole country of England under ten feet of snow right now?
Richard: England and Scotland, Andrew, I’d like to remind you.
Andrew: [in a bad Scottish accent] Oh, and Scotland!
Eric: So, Great Britain collectively.
Richard: Yes, exactly. There is about a foot and a half of snow barricading my door which can’t be opened at the moment.
Andrew: And that’s the only reason you’re on MuggleCast, because you’re snowed in.
Richard: I have nothing better to do.
[Andrew laughs]
Micah: That’s not an excuse. Don’t you have windows?
[Eric and Richard laugh]
Richard: I’m on the third floor, all right? I would die if I climbed out.
Andrew: All right, so we have lots – this is going to be a big mailbag show, this episode because we’ve been getting so much e-mail.
Micah: Well, this is just one of those shows. It’s the end of the year where you go and you clean out the…
Andrew: Right.
Micah: …mailbox and…
Andrew: It’s spring – it’s winter cleaning. So, let’s get started. I’m Andrew Sims.
Eric: I’m Eric Scull.
Micah: I’m Micah Tannenbaum.
Richard: And I’m Richard Reid.
[Show music continues]
Andrew: Micah, what is in the news as we approach the new year? It’s kind of a slow time since everyone is not working.
Micah: Speak for yourself.
[Andrew laughs]
Richard: Yeah, I’m still working.
Andrew: [laughs] Oh, oh.
Micah: We can’t all be on vacation in New Jersey, Andrew.
Andrew: I am not vacationing, I am working.
Micah: Yeah, I don’t think I’d choose New Jersey, but…
Andrew: I am working right now.
Micah: Are you?
Andrew: Well, MuggleCast.
Micah: Oh, yeah.
Andrew: This is work.
Micah: You’re right.
Andrew: I’m sweating bullets.
Micah: I’m sorry.
Andrew: [laughs] Go ahead.
News: Holidays in the Wizarding World theme park
Micah: Well, you posted earlier this week that there are some changes that are happening down in Orlando at the Wizarding World. It’s getting into the holiday spirit, some things that are being added to different buildings and inside different stores. And this is something that we thought may have happened a little bit earlier, maybe even with Halloween given the nature of the Potter books, but they seem to be doing a little bit for Christmas. And…
Andrew: Yeah, luckily.
Micah: …one of our site visitors sent in a recap with some photos, so people can check it out on MuggleNet.
Andrew: Yeah, MuggleNet visitor/reader Hilary who we have all met before, especially this past summer. Yeah, she took lots of pictures for us which we really appreciated. And what’s interesting is that these are all specifically approved – all this decor is specifically approved by J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. So in a way, it’s sort of like a new look at what holiday decorations look like in the wizarding world, the book version. So…
Micah: So, these are all approved by her.
Andrew: Right, so J.K. Rowling looks at each one and is, like, [poorly imitating J.K. Rowling] “Oh yes, yes, I like this. I like this.”
Eric: See, the thing that’s so interesting is that noticeably absent from the park is a Christmas tree.
Andrew: Yes.
Eric: And this is what was touched on in Hilary’s review because well, she noticed this too and actually asked one of the staffers. Apparently, they said that they just didn’t get it approved fast enough. [laughs] They said, really, there just wasn’t time. We had to go forward with what was approved and they didn’t approve it in time. Why do you think this is? It seems like a Christmas tree would be the first thing that J.K. Rowling would approve because the Christmas trees at Hogwarts, as we see in the films, are always so decorative. Was there some kind of hesitation here or – what’s going on?
Andrew: I think there they probably just had some discrepancies, they weren’t maybe – some design issues, that Universal came to them first and then Jo was, like, “Oh no, change this because of this and this.” And then Universal changed it and then Jo again was, like, “Oh, I don’t know. I don’t know.” And so – it probably just kept going back and forth like that, and – but they said definitely next year there will be a tree.
Eric: Yeah, by all means.
Andrew: And I wrote in the news post maybe it will look like the one in the Sorcerer’s Stone film. Everybody probably kind of remembers what that looks like. It looks…
Eric: Yeah, you put a little picture. [laughs]
Andrew: Yeah, there’s a picture on MuggleNet. It’s a lot of gold ornaments. Very tall tree. Very, very, very tall tree, star on the top. I’m not sure what the particular ornaments were but I imagine they want to do something like that, so…
Eric: Well, I was just shocked that they didn’t decorate sooner, you know? Because it’s been open – the park has been open for six months now. And they didn’t decorate for Harry’s birthday, they didn’t decorate for Halloween. Halloween is arguably a bigger holiday than Christmas in the books. Christmas in the books, a lot of people are away from Hogwarts and Halloween is when Harry’s parents were killed, it’s – Halloween is when all this action happens in the books, so – they didn’t decorate!
Andrew: I think Universal is still getting their…
Micah: Act together.
Andrew: Yeah, their act together with the park. I mean, it just opened so they’re…
Micah: I agree with that though. I think though to not have the foresight to plan these things in the park. And I mean, they knew it was going to be successful when it opened and they knew that they could potentially have people return for events like this, you know? If you’re dressing up the park for Halloween or Christmas…
Andrew: Yeah. But they didn’t…
Micah: …or other events. It’s poor planning.
Andrew: No, no, I disagree. They didn’t need to bring people back over the holidays because people were just coming this year just because it was the grand opening. This whole – people are still coming to the park for the first time. They don’t need to be bringing people back right now but they will in future years, I’m sure. Anyway, what else is going on in the news?
News: Deathly Hallows – Part 1 Box Office Results
Micah: Well, Deathly Hallows is still out in theaters and it probably will be [laughs] for quite a while. But as of December 12th, the grand total stood at $778 million worldwide. The movie surprisingly hasn’t done very well domestically. It’s done extremely well and it has remained number one for a number of weeks overseas. And I think a large part of that had to do with the fact that it was still opening up in a number of markets throughout the end of November. But it’s going to be interesting to see how far this film will climb. Right now on the Box Office Mojo website it’s at number 31 all-time, so it’ll move its way into the top 25 I think without a problem just because those differences in millions of dollars are not that drastically different. So – but we all thought when this film first opened that with that huge opening weekend that it had, it was going to move its way into the top ten. I’m not so sure about that anymore.
Andrew: Well yeah, you thought it would move into the top ten, not everyone.
Micah: No, if you actually read the comments on the site, everybody says, “Oh, it’s going to break a billion dollars. It’s going to shatter Avatar‘s record. It’s going to make its way to the top ten.”
Andrew: Oh, come on! It wasn’t going to shatter Avatar‘s record.
Micah: Well, I know that.
Andrew: Come on.
Micah: [laughs] But I’m saying – [laughs] you’re putting the blame on me! I’m…
Andrew: Oh.
Micah: …saying go look at the comments from the first post.
Andrew: I don’t read the comments. I just – because I know I’ll get inaccurate information like that.
Micah: You shouldn’t admit that on the show.
Andrew: [laughs] I’m just kidding.
Micah: But I mean, that is still a considerable amount of money. [laughs]
Andrew: Oh, yeah.
Micah: There is no question about it and it will keep going up probably into the new year.
Andrew: At a much slower rate though. I mean…
Micah: Very much, yeah. Very much slower.
Andrew: Maybe the holidays will help a little bit as well. Families going to see it, extra downtime because people are off work, you know?
Micah: Yeah, I thought that also though with the Thanksgiving holiday, but that didn’t really help…
[Eric laughs]
Andrew: Hmmm.
Micah: …them that much.
Eric: It’s…
Andrew: Well, Potter is different because everybody goes – everybody wants to go as soon as it opens, I guess. You know?
Eric: Right, so they returned – well, it’s also – could it – what’s hurting it? Really? Is it that it’s Part 1 and Part 2? Are people unsure?
Andrew: Nothing is hurting it, but I think – well, I think what is hurting it is I think there is growing animosity towards it from non-fans. People are just, like, “Oh, when is this franchise going to end already?”
Eric: But that’s always been there.
Andrew: “We’re already on 7?”
Eric: That’s always been there.
Andrew: Yeah, but now more than ever because now there are seven films out, so…
Eric: Well, I’ve got to tell you, I’m already like that about Twilight. [laughs] So…
[Everyone laughs]
Andrew: Well…
Eric: They got, what, two more films? Come on, really?
Andrew: Well, you’re just not a TwiHard. But see, people are saying that about Harry Potter too and not because – I mean, some people who just aren’t in the loop just are, like, “Wow, what the hell?”
Micah: Yeah, and I’m looking at it now. It’s got $783.9 million, so that’s probably the additional domestic total from this week and then they’ll add in the foreign totals probably some time tonight or tomorrow. And it should move up into the twenties, I would think. We’ve mentioned on the show before, Prisoner of Azkaban is the only Potter film that’s not in the top 25 in terms of highest grossing films of all time.
Andrew: And before we move on, we want to remind everyone that this episode is brought to you by Squarespace.com, the fast and easy way to create and manage a high-quality website or blog. Create a website that’s uniquely you to display your photos from Flickr, a blog you’ve been thinking about starting, or the tweets and RSS feeds you like the most, all in the design and colors of your choice. Whatever you want to communicate, you can say it easily and with style with Squarespace. They also have an iPhone app which makes it easy to update your site while you’re on-the-go. Try it all out today for free. Visit Squarespace.com and sign up for a free trial. Then choose a design template to get started. No credit card needed. Just give it a try to build your website. Then if you decide to purchase, enter code “Muggle” to receive 10% off for six months. That’s Squarespace.com, offer code “Muggle”. We thank Squarespace for their support of MuggleCast.
This week’s episode is also brought to you by Audible.com, the internet’s leading provider of audiobooks with more than 75,000 downloadable titles across all types of literature and featuring audio versions of many New York Times bestsellers. For listeners of MuggleCast, Audible is offering a free audiobook to give you a chance to try out their service. One audiobook to consider is The Hunger Games, a thrilling young adult novel that’s actually part of a great trilogy. Nearly all the hosts of MuggleCast have read it and we all really, highly recommend it. So, for a free audiobook of your choice, such as The Hunger Games, go to AudiblePodcast.com/MuggleCast. That’s AudiblePodcast.com/MuggleCast.
News: Deathly Hallows – Part 2 Teaser Trailer in January?
Micah: Well, final bit of news for this show and for this year, looking forward into 2011, we got a bit of a rumor in the “Tips” box today that the teaser trailer for Deathly Hallows – Part 2 may be due out on January 24th.
Andrew: [gasps] Ahhh! Yeah, so we tend to be skeptical when we get these rumors but I asked the guy who provided the information with – if he could share more info and what he was saying – I’m trying to – I’m trusting him. So, it’s definitely not official, it’s not confirmed. We also looked at movies that are coming out in January to see what film the trailer could be attached to, but nothing really stood out. So, it’s just a rumor for now. We like to post these because one, it gets people excited, and two, usually they are around – they tend to be accurate. So, unless Warner Bros. makes a big change, I expect we could see a trailer at the end of January or the beginning of February.
Richard: Movie trailers make me very nervous.
Eric: Why is that?
Andrew: Why? Because…
Richard: Because as MuggleNet server administrator, that means I really sweat that week.
[Andrew and Eric laugh]
Andrew: Yeah.
Eric: Awww, is MuggleNet vulnerable to hits?
Andrew: High traffic.
Micah: Well…
Eric: Yeah.
Micah: …what happens is we can’t even get the trailer onto the site because…
Andrew: Right, to…
Micah: …people crash the site before we even make the post.
Eric: Well, it sounds like we need a better server. We’ve only been doing this 11 – 13 years. [laughs]
[Richard laughs]
Andrew: I think you just insulted our server admin. Well, we’ll keep everyone updated on that.
Micah: Yeah.
Andrew: But for now, it’s a big, big rumor.
Micah: Speaking of that though, just maybe we can talk about this for a minute. The weekend that Deathly Hallows – Part 2 is released or I guess during the week in the summertime, looking at some of the other movies that are going to be coming out that week, I don’t really think that any of them are going to have a chance…
Andrew: Well…
Micah: …to take away from sales.
Andrew: Right, but what happens is when Harry Potter – when Warner Bros. schedules a date for Harry Potter, no other studio tries to put one of their big films near it because they know they are not – because they know Harry Potter would hurt them. So, the films that have audiences that studios think would not be interested in Harry Potter, they put their films there.
Micah: Yeah. I mean, I think though from a kids’ standpoint, and I know really this movie is not a kids movie at this point because of some of the violence that’s going to take place, but you look at Winnie the Pooh. I mean, that’s going to get absolutely crucified [laughs] by Deathly Hallows.
Eric: I don’t know about that.
Andrew: When does it come out?
Micah: The same day.
Eric: Well, Winnie the Pooh has…
Andrew: See…
Eric: I think that would detract – Winnie the Pooh has a huge following of adults really, I think.
Andrew: Well, if it’s really good – I’m actually surprised, yeah. Because Winnie the Pooh – I don’t know. I would see Winnie the Pooh.
[Richard laughs]
Andrew: Maybe the next weekend, not the same weekend. I don’t know. That’s weird. That is strange. Maybe they’ll move it, who knows? We’ll see. Anything else going on? Is this the final big news story of 2010?
Micah: It is. And it’s fitting, isn’t it? I mean…
Andrew: Yeah.
Micah: It’s forward looking. We talked at the end of last episode about stories to look forward to in 2011. And I mean, right now there aren’t too many other than the finale.
When Will The Harry Potter Encyclopedia Be Published?
Eric: Well okay, guys, do you think 2011 is going to be the year that J.K. Rowling writes a second tweet on Twitter?
[Richard laughs]
Eric: Or how many…
Micah: Well, she has done a second tweet. It was the same as the first one.
Eric: Right, right. Well…
Andrew: I’m sure – I think last year at the end of 2009 we speculated that maybe J.K. Rowling will make a big announcement, but of course it never happened. [laughs]
Eric: So, why didn’t it happen?
Andrew: So, we can sit here…
Eric: What is she doing?
Andrew: We can…
Eric: I expected even more news articles about what she’s doing now, you know?
Andrew: Yeah, like rumors or – if somebody was smart, if one of those tabloids was smart, they would spark a rumor. I mean, that would get tons of press.
Richard: They’re too afraid to. She might sue them now.
[Eric laughs]
Andrew: Oh, maybe. [laughs]
Richard: [laughs] She tends to win, I think, so…
Eric: That’s a good point.
Micah: Well – I mean, what about the encyclopedia? We talk about it a lot, but what’s the reality of it actually being published next year? I mean, we don’t know where she’s at with it.
Eric: Well, I…
Micah: We assume that she’s been writing.
Eric: And she calls it an encyclopedia which worries me because I’m always thinking it’s like the untold stories as opposed to what the Lexicon did which breaks everything out. So, will it be like a behind-the-scenes thing, or what’s the deal with that? What kind of book do you think it will be when she writes it?
Andrew: I think it will be primarily info – you know how we’ve always heard she has boxes and boxes…
Eric: Of notes.
Andrew: …of notes.
Eric: Yeah.
Andrew: Yeah, so I think it’s going to be all of that.
Eric: Cool.
Andrew: I think if it was redundant information, stuff we’ve already learned through the books – there may be some of that, but I think the primary focus and the big sell is that it’s going to be all this stuff that – yeah…
Eric: But – so essentially it’s already written, so why isn’t it out yet?
Andrew: Because they – [laughs] I can’t tell you why!
Eric: I’m asking you, Andrew Sims!
Andrew: I’m sure – well, I…
[Eric laughs]
Andrew: I bet she’s not in a rush to release it. I mean, really, what is the rush to get it out? And two, I think they want to make – put really – they want to make it perfect. They only want to put out one of these, so…
Eric: Do they…
Andrew: …make it as perfect as possible.
Eric: That’s true.
Andrew: And it will be a good sell.
Eric: Do they want people like us to be asking, “What’s J.K. Rowling up to?” [laughs] right about now?
Andrew: Yeah. I – yeah.
Micah: Well, people want to know. I mean, [laughs] it’s funny sometimes the e-mails that we get about, “What’s J.K. Rowling up to? Why hasn’t she updated her Twitter? Why hasn’t she updated her website?” It’s not like we know.
[Eric laughs]
Micah: If we knew… [laughs]
Andrew: We’d post it! [laughs]
Micah: Yeah, exactly.
Eric: Yeah.
Micah: But I would go out on a limb – and I could be completely off here, but I would say that if it were to be released, it will be released in July of 2011, if she’s going to do it next year.
Andrew: See, I was going to say that it wouldn’t be released…
Eric: Yeah, maybe Christmas.
Andrew: …because why would they release it when the movie is coming out? I don’t think they want the attention…
Eric: Well, they did that for – Movie 5…
Andrew: …from the movie to be hurt.
Eric: …and Book 7 were like two weeks apart.
Andrew: Yeah, but that just sort of had to be because W.B. had to put it in the summer and J.K. Rowling – they love the book and movie releases to be summer. But I don’t think it’s as much of a priority for a – well – I mean, look at Beedle the Bard. That was released in the wintertime.
Richard: I don’t think we’ll see the book in the next two years, personally.
Andrew: Two years? Oh, come on.
Richard: I think she’s enjoying having a Potter-free time at the moment working on some other material.
Andrew: Well, she’s had a Potter-free time for three years now! [laughs]
[Richard laughs]
Eric: It’s true. It really has been three years, though, which is – I mean, occasionally she’ll show up on the red carpet in places but she doesn’t really say anything and just looks nice.
Richard: That’s true, but I guess with all the media attention the films are getting, Potter is still in the public domain. I think she’ll wait until it subsides a bit, and then release it and get everyone excited all over again.
Andrew: Do you think every time a new movie comes out, she’s, like, “Oh, I’m so exhausted! I need at least another five years before I can write Potter.”
Richard: [laughs] I think she’s thinking what we’re thinking, “Oh God, not another one!”
Eric: But still…
[Andrew laughs]
Eric: …she was working…
Micah: Can’t you go over and talk to her though, Richard?
Richard: Sorry?
Micah: Can’t you just walk down the street and talk to her?
Richard: Well, I could but I’m snowed in, remember?
[Eric laughs]
Andrew: Oh.
Eric: Otherwise you would right now! [laughs]
Richard: Yeah, exactly.
Micah: How close is she?
Richard: Oh, about 150 miles.
Eric: Miles?
Micah: So, you could drive there?
Richard: Yeah, I could drive there.
Micah: If your car wasn’t snowed in.
[Eric laughs]
Richard: If my car wasn’t snowed in, yeah. It’s a bit of Scotland that I’ve been to quite a lot. It’s the capital, Edinburgh.
Micah: We should work on that.
Andrew: [laughs] Yeah, okay. All right, so that does it for news and our impromptu discussion about when the hell the encyclopedia will be…
Eric: Yeah.
Andrew: …released. [laughs]
Eric: I thought it was a good transition into the mailbag because people are asking via e-mail.
Andrew: Oh yeah, definitely. Yep. And so yeah, like we mentioned at the beginning of the show, it’s going to be a mailbag show. We’ve got lots of e-mails to catch up on as well as some tweets too, because we asked people when – or we asked, “So, anything – burning question that you would like to ask us?” And also, finally we have the e-mails from the weird places people listen to MuggleCast. We did that – we asked for that a few episodes ago and now we have time for them, so it’s all good. Richard, can you read that first e-mail please, from Elizabeth?
Muggle Mail: Correct Pronunciation of “Desplat”
Richard: Okay, this is Elizabeth who’s 17 from Utah, and she’s writing in to say to us that:
“I did a little bit of research and if I’m not mistaken, his name is pronounced ‘Des-plah’ not ‘Des-plat’. Remember, the ‘t’ is usually silent in French words when it’s at the very end. For example, Voldemort is pronounced ‘Vol-de-more’.”
Andrew: Ahh, that’s true. Yes, there was a big debate about this on Episode 216. Jamie called me out and I still stand by “Des-plat”. [laughs]
[Micah laughs]
Andrew: But Elizabeth raises a good point. Vol-de-more, Vol-de-mort, Des-plah, Des-plat, so…
Micah: Well, I really just think it’s a matter of Americanizing his name because…
Andrew: Yeah.
Micah: …if you look at a lot of other French people, what happens is their last names – or even their first names – we take it and we Americanize it so that it sounds right to us even though it’s not really right, overall. But…
Eric: Yeah.
Micah: …I think that’s what the media call him though, to be honest. Don’t they call him “Des-plat” when you hear his name on television and in other places?
Andrew: I don’t know!
Eric: When have you heard his name on television?
Micah: Never, [laughs] but that’s not the point.
[Andrew and Richard laugh]
Eric: Oh. Then yes, I agree with you, Micah.
Micah: So, she’s saying it’s “Day-plah”.
Eric: “Day-plah”.
Richard: I think the “s” is silent as well, yeah.
Muggle Mail: Nursery in Godric’s Hollow
Andrew: Next e-mail comes from Allie, 23, of Pittsburgh:
“Hey guys, I have a question about the movie, specifically the Godric’s Hollow scene and I’m pretty sure you haven’t talked about it before. So, when Harry and Bathilda are upstairs and Bathilda turns into Nagini, they bust through a wall and it’s a nursery. I thought it was Harry’s nursery and it’s like a flashback or something, but it’s still there. Maybe I just need to see it again to get it, but I’m looking to you to help me with it for now. Thanks for the help. You guys are awesome, best podcast out there. I once tried to get my own together and it got nowhere, so now I just argue with you guys while I listen to it. Thanks, Allie.”
So – oh, and she has a contribution to the weirdest places to listen to MuggleCast. She says:
“I’ve been listening to some of the latest shows as I sit and clean all alone in a vet office while my boss is away. How’s that for a weird spot? I expect to get through a lot over the next few days.”
So, what – Eric, do you know what that nursery was?
Eric: Yeah, it’s – I have tried to think about this too because it’s weird to me, but it’s really just a nursery of the adjacent house, of the house adjacent to Bathilda Bagshot’s. So, the snake tackles Harry, he goes through the wall, literally into the other building, the other house that is attached to Bathilda’s. However, there’s a few things that don’t make sense and somebody said to me, and I completely agree. Why is the nursery so, she said, “surgically clean”? Because it is, it’s a very bright white in the nursery. It feels like a medical room, doesn’t it? I mean, it’s – so I think they could have done something in the set dressing to convey that a little better because it does look like – it’s a child’s room and given that this is Harry’s birthplace, it kind of feels a little weird and out of place without explanation.
Micah: I thought it was a tie back to what happened all those years ago when Voldemort first killed his parents because here is Harry essentially going up against Voldemort again, albeit in a different form, in a Horcrux form. He returns to Godric’s Hollow and he is facing him again in the very same place that his parents were killed all those years ago. So, I thought that was kind of what David Yates was getting at, David Heyman was getting at. But you’re right, it’s just this complete bright space that comes out of nowhere and it doesn’t seem to fit in with the rest…
Eric: Right.
Micah: …of what’s going on in the film.
Eric: Maybe it was easier for them to show the snake against the white light as opposed to the dark. But that’s my other problem with it, is that Bathilda’s house is rotting away. The floorboards and there are flies, and – granted that is because something just died in there. But to have the next house over be so clean and so almost like renovated is completely – it’s off-putting, it just didn’t make sense. This reader thought it was possibly a flashback and that makes sense to me how you could make that distinction.
Micah: Well, I don’t think it would be a – I don’t think it’s a flashback. I think it’s kind of a nod to…
Eric: No, it’s very much happening in that moment. But…
Micah: Right. And it could also just be a complete contrast between what’s going on in the wizarding world versus what’s going on in the real world where people have absolutely no idea of what’s really happening. The point being that here is this perfectly normal household sitting next to a house where all these terrible things are happening.
Andrew: Yeah.
Eric: That’s a really good point.
Andrew: Yeah, I think it shows a sharp contrast.
Micah: But it was also, I think, in a way a nod towards what happened to Harry. I mean, that’s what I initially thought of, right back from Sorcerer’s Stone.
Andrew: Eric, can you take the next e-mail?
Muggle Mail: The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore/Albert Speer
Eric: Yep. This one comes from Carolyn from Santa Barbara. She says:
“Hey guys, I was writing in because I found an interesting connection between J.K.R.’s title for Dumbledore’s biography by Rita Skeeter and a biography written about someone in Hitler’s inner circle. I work in my college’s Interlibrary Loan department where we borrow books from other libraries to help out students who need research that our own library doesn’t carry. I was processing a bunch of books on World War II and came across a book titled, ‘The Life and Lies of Albert Speer’, released in 1997.
For those of you who don’t know, Speer was a German architect who became part of Hitler’s circle just before World War II. He designed many buildings in Germany before and during the war, and was part of the Nuremberg trials. Witnesses say that at the trial, he was one of the few people who spoke honestly about his role in the war and made no attempt to shirk his own guilt. In this book, the author talks about how Speer should have been given the death sentence but wasn’t because the jury felt that he tried to stop Hitler towards the end of the war. In the author’s mind, people were idiots for thinking that Speer was unknowledgeable about the concentration camps. Speer was sentenced to twenty years at the Nuremberg prison, calling to mind Grindelwald’s imprisonment there. Speer was released in 1966 after serving his sentence. For the rest of his life, he made steady contributions to Jewish charities, much like Dumbledore championed hard for Muggle-borns.
Sorry about the long e-mail. I was just curious as to your thoughts on the connection not only between Speer and Dumbledore, but also Speer and Grindelwald. Do you think J.K.R. got the idea of the title from this book? I wish I could ask her. Love the show! Thanks.”
This is fascinating.
Andrew: Yeah, I would say this must have been an influence.
Micah: Let’s call her. Richard, would you go down the street…
[Andrew laughs]
Micah: …and ring the doorbell?
Eric: Richard, Richard, brave the snow, man.
Richard: Sure. BRB.
[Everyone laughs]
Andrew: But no, particularly about this Speer being honest in his – one of the people – what was the quote? “One of the few people who spoke honestly about his role in the war and made no attempt to shirk his own guilt.” I mean, in a way it’s sort of like these people who Rita interviewed being allegedly honest.
Eric: Yeah. The other thing too, Dumbledore really – I feel like – well, he didn’t really come clean until he had to. But when he did, when Harry asked him or whatever, he said, “Yes, I feel like I was responsible for my sister’s death, I really was into these Hallows, I thought I could bring her back, and I made a terrible mistake in regards to Grindelwald.” And I think that this reader – this writer, Carolyn, has made some really compelling connections between Dumbledore and this Albert Speer, not to mention the similarity of the first names.
Andrew: So, one of these questions we’ll have to keep in mind…
Eric: Yeah, very, very cool.
Andrew: …for our…
Micah: When Richard’s able to dig her out of the snow.
Andrew: Or when we interview her…
Micah: Yeah, that too.
Andrew: …in the year 2050. Micah, can you take the next e-mail?
Muggle Mail: Alan Rickman in Deathly Hallows – Part 1
Micah: Sure. The next e-mail comes from Stephanie, 33, of Montreal, and she’s writing in about Alan Rickman. She says:
“Hi guys, big fan of the show. I loved the ‘Deathly Hallows – Part 1’ review with all your references…”
Oh, sorry.
“…all your differences of opinion. However, I’m surprised nobody mentioned the amazing acting job done by Alan Rickman in Malfoy Manor when the Muggle Studies teacher was pleading with him to help her. His expression conveyed a hint of guilt and sadness when she was killed, while at the same time trying to keep up appearances for Voldemort. His performance was so powerful and even more impressive because he didn’t speak at all! Beautiful performance! That scene blew me away. Thanks for reading!”
Andrew: Yeah, he’s one of those people that I think haven’t read the books, right?
Richard: Yeah, I get that…
Andrew: Hasn’t he said that?
Richard: …impression too.
Andrew: Yeah. I think his excuse was, like, “I don’t want to be spoiled,” [laughs] or something like that.
Micah: With Alan Rickman, I thought he had a stipulation before taking the part that he needed to know if this character lived or died. I swear that that was…
Andrew: Well…
Eric: Well, I thought…
Andrew: …we know that Jo told him something…
Eric: Yeah.
Andrew: …that he couldn’t reveal.
Richard: I think it was – was it not to do with him being in love with Lily?
Andrew: Yeah, that’s what everyone thinks. He hasn’t said it yet. Or no, no, Jo did reveal that. But Alan is still being all quiet because I guess he doesn’t know…
Eric: Well, I think what it is…
Andrew: …that Jo [laughs] has revealed it.
Eric: Isn’t he the one – he has read, I think, all the books but he won’t talk about his role in Potter because he doesn’t want to spoil people who didn’t read, children who didn’t read. Is this another actor that I’m not thinking of?
Andrew: Nope. No, no, that’s exactly right. That’s why he wouldn’t spoil the secret, so – but anyway – I mean, yeah. He did an excellent job in this film and like I have said, the Malfoy Manor scenes were some of my favorites in this because – partially, because of Snape. Snape.
Eric: Yeah. Just an example that we have these great British actors who are essentially just overlooked. Well, not overlooked, but there are so many of them and so when they do get the screen to focus on them, they shine.
Muggle Mail: Deathly Hallows at the Academy Awards
Richard: The next e-mail comes from Ian, who’s 16, from Newburgh, Indiana, and he says:
“Hey guys, I just wanted to say some some stuff about your predictions about ‘Harry Potter”s chances at the Academy Awards in the next couple of years. Now that the Best Picture list is at ten, it’s safe to assume that one or both ‘Deathly Hallows’ films will be at least get nominated. However, neither has even a slightest chance of winning. You’ve got to think about how the Academy works. They like dry, artsy movies that most people have never heard of that cover historical events, modern hot topics, and emotional dramas that showcase the return of a previously washed up actor or director.”
Harsh!
“‘Harry Potter’ is going to be like ‘The Dark Knight’ or ‘District 9’: wonderful movies that aren’t recognized because they feature aliens and clowns. So yeah, this year the contenders will be ‘Black Swan’, ‘The King’s Speech’, and ‘The Fighter’. The other two in the top five will be ‘127 Hours’ and maybe ‘True Grit’. The other five movies will simply be included to round out the top ten, but ‘Harry POtter’ will never win Best Picture. Sure, ‘Lord of the Rings’ won, but it got three movies consistently nominated for several awards and was the end of a sweeping, epic trilogy that were each three hours long and featured ensemble casts, and even that was a stretch. It kind of sucks, but it’s kind of how the Academy system works. They’re old, pretentious people who are stuck in tradition. It’s best to not get upset over the award snubs, they aren’t really a huge deal. But hey, it’ll probably win some BAFTAs!”
Andrew: Yeah. I mean, it…
Richard: That was harsher than my first review of Deathly Hallows!
Eric: I completely agree. I completely agree. We found – this guy from, what did you say, Newburgh, Indiana? [laughs] Whose – I think it’s Newburgh.
Micah: Or Newburgh here, as we call it.
Eric: Yeah, yeah.
Richard: Oh, sorry. [laughs]
Eric: No, no, I think you did everybody in Indiana a favor there.
Micah: “Des-plat”.
[Richard laughs]
Eric: You did them a favor. But yeah, this guy is harsh, man.
Richard: There is a town next to me called Newburgh. [laughs]
Eric: He has lost faith in the Academy. What do you guys think?
Richard: I think he’s right, I think he is spot on.
Andrew: I think he’s right too, particularly with the “artsy” comment. Harry Potter isn’t artsy and they do pick artsy films. I mean, look at Slumdog Millionaire, how that cleaned up a couple of years ago.
Eric: Look at what David Yates is doing. David Yates – I feel like Deathly Hallows feels similar to how Slumdog did. Sure you don’t have the harsh tone, the drama part of it, for instance, but I still feel like David Yates is making quality adult films. I don’t think just because – it’s like what…
Micah: Well, I think…
Eric: People credit…
Micah: What it comes down to – I think what it always comes back to though is that there’s not enough character development throughout the course of these films because you have so many of them. And it’s not like you can single out Ralph Fiennes for Voldemort without looking at him throughout the entire series. The same thing with Alan Rickman. The same thing, really, with the trio as a whole. And I think you’ve brought this up before on the show, Eric. It’s about character development a lot of the time as well. And when you’re in a two-and-a-half hour movie, let’s say some of these other films that are listed, you get to know a lot more about the characters whereas that’s not always the case in Harry Potter.
Eric: Well, it’s true. However, I feel like a lot of people credit Alfonso Cuaron with really making the best film. A lot of people still say that Prisoner of Azkaban is their favorite film because it’s so adult and it’s so like a real film. It plays – the cinematography. And I feel like it’s an insult for David Yates not to get that same credit because even the three and eventually four films that he has done – the three we’ve seen have changed so much in terms of – all of them feel different, all of them play differently. We had the montages in “5” and the interesting camera angles in “6”. And in “7” there’s just an insane amount of mood. And to not be recognized for his work by the American audience where the films, I feel, are the most popular – or that the series, maybe even – I feel like it’s an insult and maybe that’s the way the Academy works.
Andrew: Well, at least we know that W.B. is trying to get it promoted. I mean, they have a site called WarnerBros2010.com…
[Eric laughs]
MuggleCast 217 Transcript (continued)
Muggle Mail: Ministry of Magic Break-in and Kreacher in Deathly Hallows – Part 1
Andrew: …and it’s a “For Your Consideration” site, so people in the Academy can go out and see screenings of it, and they can get more information about the film. And there’s also a “For Your Consideration” flyer, so they are trying. They are trying. Next e-mail comes from Zach, 16, of Lewistown. He writes:
“Something that may make a good discussion or to think among yourselves would be how in the movie they just went and did it, and showed no preparation.”
I think he’s writing concerning the – or yeah, yeah.
“In the book, they spend days preparing. Also, Kreacher. I don’t remember whether or not Harry gave the fake locket to Kreacher. I need to watch the movie again, only saw it once. However, there is no change whatsoever in Kreacher which I believe is important. In the book, Kreacher changes completely towards the trio and he is almost like Dobby in a way, trying to please him.”
So, yeah. And that was one of my favorite things too and maybe we’ll see that in Part 2, Kreacher’s shift in attitude.
Richard: I don’t think so. I just think they didn’t add reprieves in for a lot characters. Kreacher was one of them, Pettigrew was another one. I just think they didn’t have time to add it in, so they left it out.
Eric: Yeah. I think with Kreacher, though, it’s so upsetting when they try and go back to Grimmauld Place after the Ministry, and they can’t because that guy has taken hold and now he goes there. There’s that moment in the book where Harry is, like, “Oh man, Kreacher and I were just turning over a new leaf, and now I have to leave him and I can’t even explain to him that I’m leaving him.” How would they have translated that to the film? It just seems like – it’s an emotional moment, of course, in the books where he feels bad, but it just doesn’t seem like – it would have slowed the movie down, I think.
Micah: Yeah, did he give him the locket? I know he dangles it out in front of him.
Eric: Yeah, I don’t know.
Richard: He did give him it. Oh, in the films, oh.
Micah: In the films, yeah. Well, I agree with what you guys are saying and I think that if we were doing the review show again, this would be something that we included that was left out. But I agree with what Zach is saying, the Ministry scene developed very quickly. It was one of those things where they just kind of talked about it, “Okay, we need to infiltrate the Ministry.”
Eric: And then they did.
Micah: And then the next scene, they’re outside…
Eric: Well actually, that’s…
Micah: …on the streets of London, so…
Eric: Yeah. That’s something I feel about the book though. I would defend that to the end that in the book they have these long periods of planning to get into the Ministry. It’s weeks and weeks and weeks and weeks.
Micah: Well, think of what you’re infiltrating. It’s like infiltrating the White House.
Eric: Okay, fine. Fair point. Except the fact of the matter is when they go into the Ministry, everything happens so quickly that they have to improvise and none of their planning actually winds up with them being that successful. It’s all about – especially in Gringotts maybe later on. But it just felt like even in the Ministry, everything that was happening had nothing to do with how much they prepared. It was just all – who they meet up with at what junction and who they were able to impose themselves as. I guess – didn’t they choose, in the book, who they were going to impersonate? Who specifically? Or – so that’s an important distinction.
Micah: But it was from weeks of studying. That was the whole point.
Andrew: Yeah, and that’s just one of those things. There’s not time to see that.
Micah: Oh yeah.
Andrew: It would have been nice…
Micah: You can’t develop that, no. There is no way.
Andrew: It would have been nice to see the build-up because that would have been some nice tension-building, like, “Oh my gosh! Will all this planning be worth it?” But yeah, that’s one of those easy things that I think gets cut very early on, like, “Okay…”
Eric: Yeah.
Andrew: “…we do not need all this planning.” [laughs]
Eric: I mean, in the film…
Micah: And I’ll say this right now, I’ll say this right now. If Kreacher does not run into the final battle with a frying pan in his hand, I will rate the movie a notch lower before it even comes out.
[Andrew and Richard laugh]
Eric: Yeah.
Micah: Because that’s just one of the greatest scenes to read…
Richard: Yeah.
Micah: …in Deathly Hallows, with him just leading the charge of house-elves.
Richard: My other favorite scene…
Micah: I don’t know.
Richard: …is from McGonagall shouting, “Charge!” and all the tables come running after her…
Eric: Yeah. yeah.
Richard: …that she’s transformed…
Eric: That has to be pretty cool.
Andrew: There is something like that in the film, where McGonagall…
Richard: There better be.
Andrew: …takes charge.
Micah: How do you know this?
Eric: Andrew can confirm.
Andrew: I may – if I was a betting man, I may or may not have seen it with my own two eyes.
Micah: What about Kreacher?
Eric: But it’s not about tables?
Andrew: No.
Eric: He wouldn’t have seen Kreacher.
Andrew: Well, at least not the thing that I was witnessing.
Eric: Anyway, can I get the next one?
Andrew: Yeah, go for it.
Muggle Mail: Hedwig’s Death
Eric: All right. Next e-mail comes from Katelyn, 16, of Melbourne, Australia. She says:
Hey guys, I loved your discussions on the movie and wanted to share my thoughts on Hedwig’s death. This is probably a bit late to write in. In the movie, Hedwig’s death is noble, better for her. But generally any change upsets me and this time I have a reason: J.K. Rowling said ages ago that Hedwig died because it was Harry’s last childhood possession. Hedwig needed to die helplessly like in the book to show that Harry was entering the big bad world. It’s scary, brutal and unfair, and no one can do anything about it. I love Hedwig, but I think her death should have been as Jo had written it. I love you all and have a merry Christmas. Love, Katelyn.
Andrew: I think she brings up a valid point but I think this one had just as much emotion attached to it.
Eric: Yeah, Hedwig – I mean, Harry has that thing where he’s, like, “Oh my God!, that’s my bird. My freaking bird is dead.”
Andrew: Yeah.
Eric: But so many people – that’s the other thing. Films have been spread out over – sure the books were too, but if you read them really fast – so many people have been dying in the Harry Potter films, even up to this point. The movie is centered around the death of Cedric in “4”, it’s leading up to it. And the movie is centered around Sirius’ death in Movie 5 and Dumbledore’s death in Movie 6. There is this huge, epic death in the last three films that anybody watching these movies – it just seems like – for Hedwig to be Harry’s last possession that’s dead, it’s true but it just does not have the same impact that it does in the books.
Micah: Yeah, I don’t know that it wouldn’t have had the same impact on screen if Hedwig was cooped up in her cage.
Eric: We show Hedwig – Hedwig actually is more of an impact, I would argue, because Hedwig is behaving heroically. And – whereas in the book she just kind of pecks Harry when he doesn’t feed her right, so…
Micah: No, what I’m saying though is if they had shot it like the book and she was in her cage, and she gets hit with the spell, would that have had the same impact on people as her flying in front and taking the curse, and falling out of the sky?
Eric: That’s true. Because you can’t really show…
Micah: Because remember in the book, Harry basically lights the cage on fire and…
Eric: To prevent it from…
Micah: Yeah. So, it’s definitely drastically different than in the book. I’m just wondering if it’s going to have the same impact on people. I don’t know. I thought the way it was in the movie – I’m not saying it’s better than the book, I’m just saying it served more of a purpose, I thought, for the audience seeing it that way.
Andrew: I don’t know, I’m on the fence about it. I think both were really great. Micah, can you take the next e-mail?
Muggle Mail: Daniel Radcliffe’s Acting
Micah: Yeah. Next e-mail comes from Giulia?
Eric: Oh!
Micah: I hope.
Eric: That’s a nice way to spell “Julia”.
Micah: If that’s really her name, [laughs] if I’m not messing it up.
Eric: [laughs] Well, what would it be? Goo-lia? [laughs]
Micah: No, I think it’s “Julia” – I hope anyway – 14, from Brisbane, Australia, and she says:
“Everyone has been saying that Dan’s acting…”
Oh, this one is for you, Richard.
“…wasn’t up to scratch for ‘Deathly Hallows – Part 1’. Dan’s acting has been consistent throughout all of the films. There really has been no change. In ‘Deathly Hallows’ there was no really big emotional scenes for him, apart from Dobby’s death which he did really well. People have been backing him into a corner with this film because he didn’t need to do anything different. In this film, he didn’t go through the same dramatic emotional changes as Ron and Hermione. Rupert and Emma’s characters showed a huge amount of growth in this film. There were many emotion-filled scenes which were strongly based around their characters. These were scenes that they hadn’t faced before in the previous films, so they really were challenging themselves with their acting. This is why they were the standout actors. There was nothing wrong with Dan’s acting in the film. It’s just that Harry didn’t emotionally grow as much in this film as Ron and Hermione. Dan didn’t need to challenge himself because Harry didn’t face those emotional challenges.”
Eric: That’s a good point actually, that Harry has some character development – actually a lot of it coming – but it’s at the end when he has to choose – well, at the beginning of the next film, I presume, when he has to choose Hallows or Horcruxes which was a big deal in the books. But also at the end when he is choosing life over death – when he has to go face Voldemort. That I feel is going to be really big for Dan and Dan’s got a challenge because he has to make it look not cheesy. I feel like it is in the book but I think whenever you’re showing the hero’s journey, he has to really show – his heroism has to show and so I feel like Dan will have a good challenge in Part 2.
Micah: I mean, I agree with some of what she’s saying because if you look at Hermione having to wipe her parents’ memories away – talking on the character side of things, this is something that she’s never had to experience before. Ron leaving his family and the potential for things to happen to them like you saw what happened with George.
Richard: Yeah. I mean, I kind of agree but I mean, Dan’s character did change a lot in this film too. I mean, he had the scene near the start when he felt really guilty when Moody has died and he started blaming himself for it. Then he had the big fight with Ron and then going to his parents’ graves. I mean, there’s plenty of opportunities for Dan to show emotion and his character to change. I just think those two did it better.
Micah: Yeah. I mean – but does – see, I don’t know because I think part of her argument doesn’t work because Harry has gone through so much more than Hermione and Ron ever will, in terms of losing people that are close to him and sort of the maturing at a much faster rate. You can debate about Hermione but if you’re saying that he’s done a great acting job in that sense, up until this point, then it doesn’t make sense to say now it’s been consistent.
Richard: Yeah, I think I agree with you. I mean, it’s almost like in the films Dan’s sort of accepted his per-fate in the past and he sort of went, “Yeah, all right, fine. It’s going to happen,” when the other two are actually genuinely worried.
Eric: I don’t know. I just think she’s saying that maybe this was just a movie for the Ron and Hermione character, that it just seems like we forget – there is nothing that we really point out Dan’s acting as being – because we’re so focused on all the good things we have about Rupert and Emma. So, she’s not saying that Dan – she’s saying Dan doesn’t necessarily stand out but it doesn’t mean he’s bad.
Richard: I don’t want anymore hate mail, so… [laughs]
Eric: No, no, no, that’s fine, that’s fine. I mean, and some people who genuinely don’t like Dan as Harry like with the dancing and the – people mention the dancing scene. I love that scene but that’s just me. And people really think it’s cheesy and that that kind of aspect that Dan brings to Harry is – some people don’t like. But that’s okay, that’s okay, that’s why we have these podcasts.
Micah: Yeah, but – I mean, if you’re saying that a lot of people have been saying that his acting wasn’t up to scratch, then…
Eric: I think she means us. I really think she means us.
[Micah and Richard laugh]
Micah: But then – the very next section says, “But his acting has been consistent throughout all the films.” But…
Eric: I agree with that, though. I agree with that, “Consistent”.
Andrew: I do, too.
Micah: You really…
Andrew: He really has. I mean…
Micah: The, “He was their friend,” line, that was good?
Eric: Shut up, Micah!
Andrew: Well, listen, there’s only so much you can do with some writing, with that kind of writing. “Harry…”
Micah: You could cut it.
Andrew: Well, but Alfonso wanted it.
Eric: Yeah, but Cuaron didn’t, and so…
Andrew: Actually, I thought it was okay. I didn’t mind it that much. [imitating Daniel Radcliffe] “He was their friend!”
Eric: It is important that he was their friend. [laughs] That’s about the only backstory we have in that freaking movie. [laughs] So yeah, I think it’s an incredibly important line.
Muggle Mail: Casting of Young Severus Snape
Andrew: All right, the final e-mail today is from Brooke, 18, of Milford, Michigan:
“I was wondering if you guys could share your thoughts on ‘Part 2’ of the final movie coming next summer. I have not been able to find any info about someone cast as young Severus Snape. Could this be normal that this is not listed anywhere, or could they have cut this storyline out? What do you think the chances are that they did leave that out? Snape’s storyline, to me, is one of Rowling’s shining moments and it would be insulting to the series to end the films with a lingering question of Snape’s alliance, or even worse, the thought that he really is evil. Do you believe there is going to be anything else missing that the fans should brace themselves for? Looking forward to hearing your thoughts! Love you all! Brooke.”
Richard: Well, I think they will include that bit because they did include the doe finding the sword, which we know came from Snape, so it would seem a little silly to introduce that without telling you why.
Micah: Well, if it’s any consolation, they have cast a young Lily Evans. So, if they cast her, I think they will eventually cast a young Severus Snape…
Eric: Ahh, nice catch.
Micah: …if they haven’t already – let me take a look here…
Eric: Well, it was only just revealed that – the actress who will be playing Helena Ravenclaw was fairly big news recently. They are still announcing these castings who will play – and that – we know Harry meets Helena Ravenclaw, who is the Grey Lady, at the end in the Battle of Hogwarts which is the same time he finds out about the backstory. So, a lot of these actors and actresses, maybe they were told to keep silent and things like that. News is still coming out about casting for this film even though they finished filming it six months ago.
Micah: Right. No, I think that that’s important to recognize and sometimes we don’t get those pieces of information until late in the game. But right now I don’t see anything else on our casting page for Snape, other than Alan Rickman.
Eric: Well, who’s playing young Lily?
Andrew: They tend to not even want to announce these for some reason. I don’t know…
Micah: Ellie Darcey-Alden.
Eric: There we go, so…
Micah: So, she has been cast.
Listener Tweet: Favorite Books and Movies
Andrew: I love her. So, that’s it for e-mails. We have some tweets now and then we’ll get to the weird places people listen to MuggleCast. First one, from Merina2 or just from Merina:
“As a relatively new listener, I would love to know what each of the host’s favorite books and movies of the series are.”
I guess it’s good to update everyone [laughs] every once in a while. Personally for me, Order of the Phoenix is my favorite book and Part 2 is my favorite film.
Eric: I think that for me…
Micah: Even though it’s not out yet?
Andrew: Right, but I just know it’s going to be my favorite, so…
[Micah laughs]
Eric: Oh, you can’t say that.
Andrew: …why even bother pretending…
Eric: Come on.
Andrew: No, I really do think it’s going to be my favorite. I don’t think – from everything we’ve seen, I just – nothing will be able to match it.
Eric: Okay, but so far, what has been your favorite film? Because I’m curious now.
Andrew: Sorcerer’s Stone.
Eric: Wow, [laughs] so the movies have only gotten worse for you.
[Everyone laughs]
Andrew: No, actually, I would say Part 1 is right up there, but…
Micah: Yeah. That’s cool.
Andrew: Yeah, I don’t want to say until Part 2 comes out, so…
Eric: Well, I feel like too many people don’t credit the first few movies as being good because they’re so young. But…
Andrew: Well, I think now more than ever it’s sort of sentimental and it’s good because they’re so whimsical and you’re learning everything for the first time, and they’re learning everything for the first time.
Eric: Yeah, yeah. My book is Prisoner of Azkaban and my movie is Deathly Hallows – Part 1.
Micah: Yeah, my favorite book, definitely Prisoner of Azkaban and then, movie – well, I probably can’t say Part 1 after the way I reviewed it. I have to see it again, but probably Half-Blood Prince for right now.
Richard: Yeah, I think both my book and movie are the same, it’s Order of the Phoenix.
Eric: Interesting!
Andrew: Yeah, I really wanted to enjoy the movie version of Order of the Phoenix, but I just – I couldn’t…
Richard: I really liked it, actually. I loved it.
Listener Tweet: Dobby Dropping the Chandelier
Andrew: Okay, next tweet from Felicia Grogan:
“Was wondering why Dobby had to manually unscrew the chandelier instead of just snapping his fingers to drop it.”
Eric: More drama.
Andrew: Yeah…
Eric: And he gets to have that line.
Andrew: …it’s funnier to see him up there.
Micah: It’s funnier.
Andrew: Yeah, exactly. Yeah.
Eric: Plus maybe – I don’t know. I just thought it showed knowledge of the place he used to be a house-elf for, you know? That he knows exactly where the screw is. He can’t – he doesn’t need to stand fifty feet away and drop it. It’s more dramatic, you know?
Listener Tweet: Casting the Characters
Andrew: Yeah, it’s funny seeing him up there trying to figure it out and everyone is looking up at him, and the audience laughs. Next tweet from Crissy:
“Who would you cast for the trio if you could go back ten years? Or any other characters?”
Eric: What do you mean? Like if you could prevent certain actors from being cast?
Andrew: No, if you could have cast Harry Potter, who would you have used?
Eric: I would cast myself.
[Andrew and Richard laugh]
Andrew: Of course. Yeah, I guess that’s an easy question, right? We all would want to be Harry Potter so we could be the richest…
[Eric laughs]
Andrew: …young adult actor in the world. [laughs] Do you guys remember Haley Joel Osment? That was a big contender for…
Richard: Yeah.
Andrew: …Harry Potter?
Richard: Yeah.
Andrew: And see the other thing is…
Eric: It’s come out now that Steven Spielberg was going to do an animated version of Harry Potter.
Andrew: He was – yeah, they were in talks.
Eric: So, Haley Joel would have provided the voice of Harry, so that’s important.
Andrew: Well, but Jo has always said that it has to be an all-British cast, so…
Eric: Which was a good choice, yeah.
Andrew: Yeah.
Eric: It’s more authentic.
Andrew: So – I mean, I’m not really up on British actors, to be honest.
Micah: Yeah, I don’t know.
Eric: No, I don’t know many that they haven’t included.
Andrew: Yeah. I mean, they have gotten such a wide array of people. But I would like to say, the one British actor I’m a big fan of, she’s in all the Bond movies. She’s Bond’s – she plays Q, I think.
Eric: Judi Dench? M?
Micah: No, it’s…
Richard: Judi Dench.
Andrew: M. [laughs]
Micah: Yeah. [laughs]
Richard: Yeah, M.
Andrew: Z? T? No, yeah…
[Eric laughs]
Andrew: …Judi Dench. I was really hoping to see her. I thought she may have been the woman who would play…
Richard: McGonagall?
Andrew: Well yeah, McGonagall would have been great or the Grey Lady. I think she would have been great for that too.
Eric: Yeah, maybe. Except the Grey Lady was quite young when she died but I feel like Judi Dench – the actress who plays Madam Hooch reminds me of Judi Dench a lot.
Richard: Oh, Zoe Wanamaker.
Eric: Yeah, I have to consciously remind myself that that’s not Judi Dench when I’m watching it because…
Richard: They look very similar.
Eric: They do, they do.
Micah: What about Sean Connery as Dumbledore?
[Richard laughs]
Eric: Yeah, except he’s retired from acting. Yeah, yeah, that’s…
Micah: Well, this is ten years ago!
[Eric laughs]
Micah: He wouldn’t…
Eric: That’s a good point.
Micah: …be retired then.
Eric: It’s before League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, so… [laughs]
Micah: Or he could have been a good Death Eater probably.
Listener Tweet: “Don’t Let It Be July” for Deathly Hallows – Part 2?
Andrew: Next is from Steven R:
“I’d like to hear what you’re expecting for 2011…”
Which – actually, we kind of answered already.
“…and whether Sims is thinking ‘Don’t Let It Be July’ again for ‘DH Part 2′”?
If everybody remembers, before Book 7 came out I made a wizard rock song called “Don’t Let It Be July” and it was to the tune of “Bye Bye Bye” by N Sync, and it was, like, “Don’t let it be July!” So, I guess it will kind of apply again to this summer. [laughs] Maybe I should retune it or just replay it on the show. But yeah, it’s…
Micah: I don’t know. I mean – yeah, we talked about it a little bit before but what else is there really, besides the movie? I mean…
Andrew: The DVD!
Micah: Oh, the DVD?
Andrew: Two DVDs in one year!
Eric: Well, “3” and “4”…
Micah: Probably some more…
Eric: …”5″ and “6”…
Micah: …Ultimate Editions?
Eric: Yeah.
Andrew: Yeah, some more Ultimate Editions and maybe an encyclopedia if we’re very, very lucky. [laughs]
Micah: Another really well-programmed video game, I’m sure.
[Richard laughs]
Andrew: Oh yes, that too.
Eric: Oh, come on.
Micah: Electronic Arts.
[Eric laughs]
Andrew: And I’m sure some other side books like there were this year.
Micah: Maybe some LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7?
[Andrew laughs]
Eric: Maybe.
Listener Tweet: Malfoy Family Reunion in Deathly Hallows – Part 2?
Andrew: Oh yeah, yeah, because I mean, that was a big hit so you would think they’re going to do “5-7”. Yeah, so hopefully we can look forward to that. All right, final tweet is from Jessie:
“Do you think we’ll see the Malfoy family reunite at the end of ‘DH Part 2’? It’s a brief but powerful moment in the book.”
Eric: Don’t we have to because of Narcissa Malfoy’s role in the second part of the book?
Richard: They could cut that out though.
Eric: Well, that’s significant though. That’s extremely significant where Harry is supposed to be dead, she sees him breathing and asks how Draco is, if Draco is alive. And he says yes, and then she tells the Dark Lord that Harry is dead, so – that is the key reason that Harry even survives is because of Narcissa Malfoy. So yeah, I feel like the Malfoys were paid attention to in Part 1 enough that it will have a payoff in Part 2.
Andrew: They were pretty well-featured in Part 1 as well. I mean, in Malfoy Manor they were very, very prominent, so I think that’s a good sign for Part 2.
Richard: Well, just the fact that they’ve… [unintelligible] …characters, I wouldn’t be surprised if they got rid of this one as well. I hope they don’t but I wouldn’t be surprised.
Micah: Well, didn’t Jason Isaacs say in an interview that there’s a different ending for his character?
Andrew: Yeah, he said he asked the filmmakers if they could make an adjustment, so – but I asked David Barron on set about that and I’m not allowed to reveal his answer until we’re posting the set report, so I’ll just leave it at that. But don’t get too excited…
Micah: We could speculate.
Andrew: …that’s what I’m saying. [laughs] I’ll just say don’t get too excited. [laughs]
Eric: Well, I know Jason cares about his character a lot, so – I mean, Jason had a – there is an article about this we posted recently about the trials that he went through to create the Lucius character. The blond wig was basically Jason Isaacs’ idea because they were going to have sort of a well-dressed, short black-haired male. And everything from the wig onward, and probably the cane, came out of the collaboration between the actor and the – because he was passionate about the books, so – I think even in the books he’s not described quite like he is in the movie. But the movie, I feel, is so iconic, the Lucius Malfoy character.
Weird Places People Listen to MuggleCast
Andrew: Okay, so to wrap up the show, what we’ve been promising for so long: weird places people listen to MuggleCast. This first one comes from Becci, 19, of Brentwood, England:
“Hey guys, I was listening to MuggleCast 213 yesterday and you were chatting about odd places to have listened to MuggleCast. Giggling away to myself about this on the tube, I got off and realized it was a perfect opportunity to write in. I made my boyfriend take a picture of me listening to MuggleCast at Wembley Stadium at an England football match last night.”
She has a link to the photo here.
“I mean, we lost to France but hey, I’ve got the full ‘Deathly Hallows – Part 1’ podcast review show to look forward too, as well as the film itself! Keep up the amazing work!”
And look at that picture. But thank you, Becci, for sending in that photo.
Eric: Yeah.
Andrew: And we hope you – that is a weird place.
Eric: At a sporting event.
Andrew: Who listens to it…
Eric: There we go.
Andrew: …at at stadiums…
Eric: Look at that.
Andrew: …you know? Yeah. Next one comes from Sarah, 16, of Massachusetts:
“Hey MuggleCast, love the show! I’ve been on a ‘Harry Potter’ obsession since the movie release has been getting close. Anyway, I’m just responding to the unique locations thing, so my unique location is every week I volunteer at the library. It is so boring. Ever since I discovered MuggleCast I have been sneaking listening to episodes of the podcast while I am putting away books by myself in the back corner. Thank you for saving me from dying of boredom. XOXO Sarah.”
Eric: Well, there will always be books to put away just like there will always be episodes of MuggleCast to listen to. Isn’t that right, Andrew?
Andrew: Yes, that’s right. Where you can listen in the back corner, like this one.
Eric: Next one from Milauni – or “Melanie”? Either Milauni or “Melanie”, aged 14, from South Brunswick, New Jersey. Is that near you, Andrew?
Andrew: No. [laughs]
Eric:
“Hey guys, I am a huge fan of MuggleCast and lately I’ve been listening to you in the bathroom while I shower. Other times are a bit odd. Countless times, I’ve listened to your podcast, and slipped and fallen in the shower because I was laughing so hard, and my mom would come running up the stairs to see if I was okay, only to hear the shower running still and me cackling. Just thought these little incidents would put a small smile on your faces. Thanks so much and keep up the supermegafoxyawesomehot work.”
Wow.
[Richard laughs]
Eric: [continues]
“Love you guys!”
[laughs] In the shower.
Micah: And final submission comes from Silke – or “Silky”? Probably “Silky,” 23, of Austria, and they say:
“I started listening to MuggleCast when I was 19 and still lived in New York. When I was not quite 21, I moved to Europe and I’m still listening to you guys at the age of 23. I don’t know how many listeners you have from foreign countries, but I guess Austria is quite odd. Hearing an American voice every now and then makes me feel at home, so thanks!”
Eric: Austria.
Micah: So, they chose places as countries instead of in the bathroom or shower or supermarket. [laughs]
Andrew: Thank you everyone for sending in those kind, weird locations. I’m a big podcast listener myself and I’m trying to think of weird – I mean, I’m always listening on planes, trains, automobiles, before I go to bed, just during the day randomly, while I’m doing the dishes, I guess – I don’t know if that’s considered a weird place.
Eric: Yeah, you mentioned that.
Andrew: Yeah.
Eric: Only depends on what you’re washing, I guess. Dishes.
Andrew: No, no, because usually it takes, like, 20 minutes so it’s a good thing to listen to because you don’t need – it’s one of those things – you don’t – podcasts are great for when you can’t sit in front of a T.V…
Eric: Right.
Andrew: …to get your entertainment, so you’re sort of mobile. So yeah…
Eric: And it’s interesting that this girl had been listening to us for – I guess she said four years. She’s in Austria now. To think of our podcast as providing this wholesome American entertainment with our American voices being like home to her is – it makes me feel really good.
Chicken Soup for the MuggleCast Soul
Andrew: And finally today, Chicken Soup for the MuggleCast Soul. This comes from Courtney:
“I’m writing in to you guys for the first time today even though I’ve been a listener for years. I guess I have never really had the need to before. I just listen to the show as it comes and love every part of it. MuggleCast is a part of my life, that sounds strange to say but it’s true. It’s one of those things that make you happy regardless of the other troubles in the day. MuggleCast has brought me something that I am so thankful for: one of my best friends, Valeria. We knew each other before but when we found out that we both listened to MuggleCast, we became best friends. For us it was great, we had someone who we could talk about ‘Harry Potter’ with all the time. We would talk about the latest episodes on the bus rides to school and at lunch, and fantasize about going to Infinitus. We did end up going to Infinitus together over the summer and had some of the best times of our lives, including meeting you guys. I can’t truly explain how much her friendship and this show mean to me. Coming up on December 12th…”
Which of course has now past.
“…is an important date, Valeria’s 17th birthday. I was wondering if you could please wish her a happy birthday. I know it would mean so much to her. Thank you guys for your show. It’s a wonderfully entertaining thing to listen too.”
So, Happy Birthday Valeria! And sorry, I told your friend Courtney we were going to read this on the last episode but it was my mistake. I made a mistake, so there you go. Happy Birthday!
Richard: Happy Birthday!
Micah: Happy Birthday!
Eric: Happy Birthday Valeria!
Show Close
Andrew: And with that, we’ve come to the end of our final show of 2010. We want to remind you to visit MuggleCast.com because you’ll find all the information you would like to learn about this show. You can click on “Contact” right at the top to fill out the feedback form and you can send us an e-mail, and maybe we’ll read it just like we did multiple times today for several people who e-mailed in. We also have links on the right side to subscribe and review us
on iTunes, follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook. And by doing all three of those things, you’ll be kept up-to-date on the latest episodes, when we’re recording the next episodes, lots more. And when the new episodes are out. And lots more can be found on MuggleCast.com, including something we don’t plug enough: the Wall of Fame. If you look towards the bottom of the right sidebar, you’ll see the Wall of Fame area. In there you can click the link and see a full page of what we and our listeners find to be the best episodes.
Eric: Yes.
Andrew: And I think we have fifteen or twenty here. We haven’t updated it recently. We should add a new one, at least one for 2010. We don’t have any but we should.
Eric: Well, very much our David Heyman interview in 200. He may have a film or two that are coming out in 2011 to look forward to…
Andrew: Ahh, yes.
Eric: …even if you just want to follow him. So, I would check the interview for that. That was in Episode 200, our landmark episode.
[Show music begins]
Andrew: So visit MuggleCast.com for everything MuggleCast and we thank everyone for listening to another year. It’s weird to think we have now been through five or six full years of MuggleCast. We were in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010. Yeah, so six years. No, but – I mean, we’ve been in…
Eric: ’05 to ’06, ’06 to ’07, ’07 to ’08, ’08 to ’09, and ’09 to ‘e10. Yeah, five years.
Andrew: No. But I mean… [laughs]
Eric: Oh.
Andrew: Not…
Eric: Calendar years?
Micah: We have spent…
Andrew: …six full years.
Micah: Yes, we have spent…
Eric: Yeah.
Micah: …six – or we will have spent six.
Andrew: Yeah, we have spent. Thank you.
Eric: All right. I’m sorry, I just…
Micah: But…
Eric: …didn’t understand that.
Andrew: Yeah, sorry.
Micah: No…
Eric: I get it now.
Micah: …it’s been a lot of fun, so…
Andrew: More to come in 2011. Thanks everyone for listening! I’m Andrew Sims.
Micah: I’m Micah Tannenbaum.
Eric: I’m Eric Scull.
Richard: And I’m Richard Reid.
Andrew: We will see you…
Eric: Happy New Year!
Andrew: …in the new year! Happy New Year! La-de-da!
[Show music continues]