Johnny Depp - Toxic To Harry Potter?

Before I go any further, I just want to say that this post, for some people, might have triggers so if you feel uncomfortable about reading this post, please don't read. I want you to stay safe physically, mentally and emotionally. 

That's why am going to insert a page-break here so, if you do want to read about Johnny Depp, his involvement in Fantastic Beasts, the allegations and me trying to figure out how I feel about this, carry on reading. If not, please don't read. 

#re3 - Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them

I have been in two minds over whether I should get this on audiobook or not when it was announced. On the one hand, IT'S AN AUDIOBOOK! With Eddie Redmayne (aka Newt Scamander in the Fantastic Beasts movie) narrating it! But on the other, it's not really adding anything new to this. And I have other reasons, which I will go into later.

But, when Midas PR (people who I chat with for Audible credits - they are very kind and lovely people) gave me an extra two credits a month or so bad by mistake, they said I could keep them and use them for any audiobooks that catch my eye. So, I used one of the credits on this (even though I have a ton of audiobooks I really should be listening to instead). And after the drama of trying to get this onto my iPod (don't ask! It was a nightmare and only with the help of Audible.co.uk's Twitter did I figure it out as this has never happened with any of my other audiobooks!)

In this updated version of the Harry Potter textbook, we discover the magical beasts that live in the Wizarding world that was referenced or we have seen in both Harry Potter books/movies and the Fantastic Beasts movie. Because this is updated, we have a new foreword from Newt himself (with information/hints linking to the Fantastic Beasts movie) and addition of six new beasts (why these have been added have been explained in the foreword).

Now, as a Harry Potter fan and as someone who has read and reread this over the years, what i found so enjoyable is how in-depth this "textbook" goes. Plus, it was cool to go back and go "oh! That was in the movie!" and compare to my old edition of Fantastic Beasts.

There was a bit of drama before Christmas when the movie was released and no bookseller could get a copy as publishers in UK/US were publishing the new, updated version in time for DVD release and Comic Relief (which donates a percentage of money towards this charity as well as the Lumos Foundation). So, while it's a bit of the pricy side for a under two hour audiobook, knowing that some of that money is going to good causes makes me feel warm, fuzzy inside and glad the world isn't such a dark place (have you not seen the news the past week?!)

And as for the new six beasts... I only spotted three to my knowledge. Might have to go back when I have an afternoon free and listen to this with my now "out of date" copy in hand and compare...

Fantastic Beasts Audiobook Press Release

As you guys know, I don't often put press releases up on the blog. It's for a mix of reasons. Main reason is it doesn't appeal to me. And I want to put stuff on here that excites me in one form or another.

Now, as you guys know, I am a bit of a Harry Potter nerd (though I have met Melinda Salisbury and she's a bigger Potterhead than me!) so hearing this excites me greatly. Plus, with me going through a audiobook binge at the moment, this news comes at the perfect time! So, POTTER!!!

Book Review - Fantastic Beasts: Original Screenplay

Another "I Read This Before Christmas 2016 so I can't Count this as one of my British Book Challenge 2017" books. Oh well... I can imagine Michelle from Tales of Yesterday (and person in charge of BBC 2017!) going "ANDREW!!!".

But look, I wouldn't be a good Harry Potter if I didn't read this. Though I admit I felt icky watching the film over the casting of [insert actor name here] to play [insert character name here] but of events that happened last year. Yes, I saw the film and yes, I still feel unsure on if I did the right thing seeing the film and supporting [insert actor's name here]. But I wanted to see if I could separate the actor from his work... Am in two minds over if I can do this or not (seeing as I wasn't a huge fan of the actor before the news broke last year so... not sure...)

I'm not going to review the movie. Because I can't 100% remember it. I did like the movie, but there were problems, which I will touch upon further down.

Set in 1920s New York (set several decades before Harry Potter), we follow Newt Scamander as he entered New York. It was only meant to be a brief stop. But when his case is misplaced and some of his fantastic beasts escaped, Newt has to stay and find them.

But something dark is stalking the streets of New York City... and it didn't escape from Newt's case...

Comparing this to the Cursed Child script, I think I preferred reading this screenplay script more (and while I enjoyed watching this, I think I prefer watching Cursed Child more, though there are huge problems with the story with both. Both aren't prefect, let me make that clear. NEITHER OF THESE ARE PERFECT).

Let's get this out of the way: this does feel like a first-time scriptwriter writing a script. Yes, I know that this is JK Rowling's first script (she admits that she asked a lot of questions to Steve Kloves who wrote all bar one of the Harry Potter films) but the plot felt predictable. We've seen this plot before. (I watched a video review where the movie was compared to the X-Men movies [link to that video review is here]). There were elements that were meant to shock or surprise us but these kinda feel flat. To most readers and viewers, these reveals could be seen coming a mile away.

Also, there's the romantic. Well, one romantic. Newt and Tina Goldstein. This felt awkward and it didn't ring true. I know this is the first in a five movie series so we have time for character and emotional development but this felt off. Now, canon-wise, fans know they get together, but it felt false somehow. And this is problematic because at the same time as we have that romance, we have another romanic playing out which is Tina's sister, Queenie, and the Muggle/No-Maj (really dislike this term), Jacob. Now, Queenie and Jacob's relationship, I was totally on board with. Watching their relationship on film and reading it in script, I was shipping them SO DAMN HARD! So, why did I feel like this with Queenie and Jacob, but felt out-of-sorts with Newt's and Tina's.

And Graves. Oh, the ending of Graves. I think that needs to explained more as it's left unfinished. And we have no idea if we are going to return to this in later movies or not. But yes, there were things that need tying up.

EDIT: Another thing that has occurred to me after I wrote this review and put in my scheduled (working about a week or two ahead of self at time of writing) is that this script is exactly like the movie. There is no deleted scenes or extended scenes that were edited down. We got no extras. What you read is what you saw.

However, saying that, I really liked this. This felt like a Harry Potter work. This felt like a JK Rowling story, and I missed this. I struggle with JK Rowling writing as Robert Galbraith (so much so, I have decide not to continue reading the series) and Cursed Child caused problems with canon. But watching this and reading this, it felt like I had truly returned to this world (I felt like this at the start of Cursed Child, but that feel left me very quickly while reading).

I like how we are now exploring the wizarding world. Yes, there has be problems with this with Pottermore and some of the information they have revealed, but this felt more inline with what we learnt within the Harry Potter novels.

While I wasn't in board with Newt and Tina's relationship, I did like their characters. I like Newt's awkwardness and I grew to like Tina (but I did struggle with her. She was a hard character to like). Jacob and Queenie I adored. I didn't realise that I would love them as quickly as I did. Queenie took me completely by surprise but I ADORE her! And Jacob is us - a non-magic discovering the world and I liked him very very quickly.

The character I thought I would like but didn't was Madam Picquery, the head of MACUSA (Magical Congress of the United States of America). I don't know why but I always thought I would warm to her but watching her character, I didn't click with her like I hoped. But Picquery isn't Fudge and that I liked. I liked that we had a strong character in charge and I hope we are going to see more of her in future films.

The characters I liked hugely. The Niffler especially. I think everyone is in love with the Niffler. I was given a Funko Pop of the Niffler for Christmas. But I found the beasts we did see fascinating. I want to know more about them (highly unlikely that we will see them in next few movies but a TV Series would be awesome!)

Oh, before I sign off, this is written as a screenplay. It's in script form (like Cursed Child) and it is exactly like the movie. But I liked reading this as a screenplay. It added texture and, plus, I have never read a novelisation of a movie which felt right or true to the movie. Give me the screenplay from now on!

This is a mixed bag but I think I will continue reading the screenplays of future JK Rowling scripts/movie in this series. Or I might start reading more screenplays in future. It's an intriguing medium to read and I would like to dip my toe into this world more often in the coming months/years...

Book Review - Inside The Magic

I don't think I make it a secret on this blog that I love Harry Potter. Nor do I hide the fact that I love reading making of movies/TV shows books (a few publishers know of my love and I thank them deeply for allowing me the pleasure of reading these delights. I have three awaiting my attention with one I have bought coming into my possession the next few days...)

So, when I saw this in my local Asda, I couldn't resist. I was curious over the new movie (I own the screenplay but not read it - I plan to read it after seeing the movie. Which, by now, I have seen but need time to process and I will talk about it once I have read the screenplay. I am doing the opposite of what I did with the Cursed Child so shhh...!) and I love behind the scenes information. And... I mean, POTTER!!!

This is a behind-the-scenes book revealing most (not all, but most) of the film-making of Fantastic Beasts, with character profiles (and small interviews with the actors), props and sets, information about New York, MACUSA and The Blind Pig, the characters within Newt's case and other titbits.

I am a little torn on this. Now, I love these types of books so, yes, this book can't go too much into depth because of spoilers. And, because this is an adult companion, it is more aimed for movie-goers and people who like this type of books (aka me). I loved the photos and the details. The amount of text is aimed more for an adult audience but I don't see why teens or children with a higher reading level can't read it.

However, there are problems. This isn't perfect. This does feel a bit like a whistle-stop tour of how the movie was made. Again, this is something I see in most "making of [insert film here]". Actually, compared to most of them, this has more information. So, for that, I will let slide, but it still felt like we were skimming...

But the main issue, the thing that tainted this book for me, was a small line. A sentence of 8 words. I know... I know... this is stupid to say, but I am going to state it. On one of the pages, linked to costume design, we have a small photograph of the actor Gemma Chan (you will know her from the Channel 4 show, Humans). She isn't an important character - her character has one sentence in the movie (and she is one of the few speaking characters in the movie who isn't white unless I am misremembered...), but we see her in character. The line that accompanies this photo is "Gemma Chan plays an exotic witch visiting MACUSA".

Why, OH WHY, is it that when a non-white character/actor (who isn't really important to the story) is in movie/TV show/radio/etc, they are described as "exotic"? It's a lazy writing, a throw-away remark which could and can be seen as a racist term. In this instant, the term devalues her character. She, to my knowledge, is a foreign representative visiting MACUSA to take part in a wizarding equivalent on United Nations. Her character even has a name - I checked! Madam Ya Zhou. So, why isn't her character name or the term "foreign representative" used? Why isn't it "Gemma Chan plays a foreign representative witch visiting MACUSA"? Or "Gemma Chan playing Madam Ya Zhou"? The term "exotic" should never have been used - it's cheap, lazy, sloppy writing.

*deep breath*

So, book overall. While it's one of the better "making of [insert movie name here]" books, it does have some faults.