Denise Roper's Blog, page 24
October 17, 2010
This Is War: A Harry Potter Tribute
There are 32 days left until Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part One, and I intend to update this blog as often as possible while counting down the days. I like how the song lyrics describe the images used in this fan video.
Updated! Harry Potter Film Wizardry: Christian Imagery in Deathly Hallows, R/Hr Moments, & More!
The new book Harry Potter Film Wizardry is scheduled for release on October 19, 2010, but I was very fortunate to get a sneak peek at it today. 
Harry Potter's Page has a detailed review here: http://www.harrypotterspage.com/2010/10/16/hpps-review-of-harry-potter-film-wizardry/
I have to say that I agree with Dijares's review: you just can't get enough of this book. It's really beautiful and filled with fascinating facts.
I loved the Foreward by Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson. Rupert gave us one of the best quotes I have ever read regarding his character, Ron Weasley:
"But the truth is that Ron is my hero. He's always there for his friends–sometimes belligerently, but there nevertheless. He's also the comic relief in stressful situations; the funny guy with a great one-liner. And no matter how scared he may be, he will put aside his fears to support and protect the people he loves. To me, that represents true courage."
I absolutely love this quote. Here's another one that I like, mainly because it's about my favorite couple, Ron and Hermione.
"I love the humor in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and I think it is the funniest of all the films. I particularly enjoy the romantic interplay between Ron and Hermione, who cannot acknowledge that they are in love and do everything possible to make each other jealous. " –David Heyman, Producer
I'm glad to know that Heyman is a R/Hr shipper. 
Fans who love this couple, you'll be glad to know that this book has a photo of yet another Ron and Hermione movie moment that wasn't in the novel. In the picture on page 144, Ron and Hermione are squatting down to gather stones on the very pebbly shore of a lake. The two of them are very close together and are looking at each other while picking up small rocks. Ron's facial expression is priceless here: he's giving her a very adoring look, not unlike the "piano scene" in Grimmauld Place. It's a very cute moment. On page 149 there's a full-color photo of Hermione dancing with Viktor Krum at Bill and Fleur's wedding while a jealous Ron watches them.
On page 159 there's a new photo of Ron and Hermione running hand in hand, trying to escape the fiendfyre in the Room of Requirement. They are dripping wet, presumably after their adventure in the Chamber of Secrets.
Then there's the much-anticipated Christian Imagery in the Godric's Hollow scenes. On page 154 there's a photo of the tomb of James and Lily Potter with the quote from 1 Corinthians 15:26, "THE LAST ENEMY THAT SHALL BE DESTROYED IS DEATH." Cross-shaped grave markers are visible both in a storyboard and in a new photo of a tearful Harry and Hermione at the tomb. The nearby church's visible stained-glass window is huge and depicts five human figures. The central figure is of a crowned, bearded man–Christ the King! He is flanked by two men on each side of him, one of whom is holding a scroll, another with an object marked with a dove descending (a symbol of the Holy Spirit!). All four of these men have a winged angel hovering above their heads. My assumption is that this is a depiction of the four Gospel authors: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. I am so thrilled about this detail of the set design. Bravo, WB! Then on page 155 there's the first published photo of Kendra and Ariana Dumbledore's grave, which is inscribed with "WHERE YOUR TREASURE IS THERE WILL YOUR HEART BE ALSO" from Matthew 6:21, a quotation from Christ's Sermon on the Mount. Update: I also wanted to mention that the stained-glass window was done in the Gothic style and had a small quatrefoil at the top containing the letters IHS. I have seen this design in Catholic Churches before, and knew that IHS was an abbreviation for Jesus. This webpage was very helpful to me in deciphering the meaning of the quatrefoil design containing the letters IHS: http://fisheaters.com/symbols.html Here are some quotes from that page:
Quatrefoil: ubiquitous in Gothic architecture, the quatrefoil symbolizes the four evangelists, as do the Winged Man (Matthew), Lion (Mark), Ox (Luke), and Eagle (John) — the four beasts of Ezeckiel and the Apocalypse.
IHS: dating from the 8th c., this is an abbreviation for "IHESUS," the way Christ's Name was spelled in the Middle Ages (despite popular belief, the monogram stands neither for "Iesus Hominum Salvator" –"Jesus Saviour of Men" — nor for "In His Service.") Popularized by St. Bernardine of Siena, the monogram was later used by St. Ignatius of Loyola as a symbol for the Jesuit Order.
"I'm not pushing any belief system here, although there is a lot of Christian imagery in the books." –J. K. Rowling on Oprah, broadcast 10/01/10.
Jo went on to say that it was "undeniable" and "very clear" in Hallows. I think the film will portray this imagery with great clarity indeed. If you would like to read an in-depth analysis of the Christian imagery in the novels, please read my book, The Lord of the Hallows: Christian Symbolism and Themes in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter, which is available from www.outskirtspress.com/thelordofthehallows. And please tell other Harry Potter fans about this blog, which will be updated quite frequently in the upcoming weeks.
October 16, 2010
New Deathly Hallows TV Spot
Here's the latest Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows television ad, which features a great deal of footage from the latest Deathly Hallows Part One movie trailer. Most of the new clips are at the end of the commercial.
Harry Potter Film Wizardry: Christian Imagery in Deathly Hallows, R/Hr Moments, & More!
The new book Harry Potter Film Wizardry is scheduled for release on October 19, 2010, but I was very fortunate to get a sneak peek at it today.
Harry Potter's Page has a detailed review here: http://www.harrypotterspage.com/2010/10/16/hpps-review-of-harry-potter-film-wizardry/
I have to say that I agree with Dijares's review: you just can't get enough of this book. It's really beautiful and filled with fascinating facts.
I loved the Foreward by Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson. Rupert gave us one of the best quotes I have ever read regarding his character, Ron Weasley:
"But the truth is that Ron is my hero. He's always there for his friends–sometimes belligerently, but there nevertheless. He's also the comic relief in stressful situations; the funny guy with a great one-liner. And no matter how scared he may be, he will put aside his fears to support and protect the people he loves. To me, that represents true courage."
I absolutely love this quote. Here's another one that I like, mainly because it's about my favorite couple, Ron and Hermione.
"I love the humor in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and I think it is the funniest of all the films. I particularly enjoy the romantic interplay between Ron and Hermione, who cannot acknowledge that they are in love and do everything possible to make each other jealous. " –David Heyman, Producer
I'm glad to know that Heyman is a R/Hr shipper. Fans who love this couple, you'll be glad to know that this book has a photo of yet another Ron and Hermione movie moment that wasn't in the novel. In the picture on page 144, Ron and Hermione are squatting down to gather stones on the very pebbly shore of a lake. The two of them are very close together and are looking at each other while picking up small rocks. Ron's facial expression is priceless here: he's giving her a very adoring look, not unlike the "piano scene" in Grimmauld Place. It's a very cute moment. On page 149 there's a full-color photo of Hermione dancing with Viktor Krum at Bill and Fleur's wedding while a jealous Ron watches them. On page 159 there's a new photo of Ron and Hermione running hand in hand, trying to escape the fiendfyre in the Room of Requirement. They are dripping wet, presumably after their adventure in the Chamber of Secrets.
Then there's the much-anticipated Christian Imagery in the Godric's Hollow scenes. On page 154 there's a photo of the tomb of James and Lily Potter with the quote from 1 Corinthians 15:26, "THE LAST ENEMY THAT SHALL BE DESTROYED IS DEATH." Cross-shaped grave markers are visible both in a storyboard and in a new photo of a tearful Harry and Hermione at the tomb. The nearby church's visible stained-glass window is huge and depicts five human figures. The central figure is of a crowned, bearded man–Christ the King! He is flanked by two men on each side of him, one of whom is holding a scroll, another with an object marked with a dove descending (a symbol of the Holy Spirit!). All four of these men have a winged angel hovering above their heads. My assumption is that this is a depiction of the four Gospel authors: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. I am so thrilled about this detail of the set design. Bravo, WB! Then on page 155 there's the first published photo of Kendra and Ariana Dumbledore's grave, which is inscribed with "WHERE YOUR TREASURE IS THERE WILL YOUR HEART BE ALSO" from Matthew 6:21, a quotation from Christ's Sermon on the Mount. Update: I also wanted to mention that the stained-glass window was done in the Gothic style and had a small quatrefoil at the top containing the letters IHS. I have seen this design in Catholic Churches before, and knew that IHS was an abbreviation for Jesus. This webpage was very helpful to me in deciphering the meaning of the quatrefoil design containing the letters IHS: http://fisheaters.com/symbols.html Here are some quotes from that page:
Quatrefoil: ubiquitous in Gothic architecture, the quatrefoil symbolizes the four evangelists, as do the Winged Man (Matthew), Lion (Mark), Ox (Luke), and Eagle (John) — the four beasts of Ezeckiel and the Apocalypse.
IHS: dating from the 8th c., this is an abbreviation for "IHESUS," the way Christ's Name was spelled in the Middle Ages (despite popular belief, the monogram stands neither for "Iesus Hominum Salvator" –"Jesus Saviour of Men" — nor for "In His Service.") Popularized by St. Bernardine of Siena, the monogram was later used by St. Ignatius of Loyola as a symbol for the Jesuit Order.
"I'm not pushing any belief system here, although there is a lot of Christian imagery in the books." –J. K. Rowling on Oprah, broadcast 10/01/10.
Jo went on to say that it was "undeniable" and "very clear" in Hallows. I think the film will portray this imagery with great clarity indeed. If you would like to read an in-depth analysis of the Christian imagery in the novels, please read my book, The Lord of the Hallows: Christian Symbolism and Themes in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter, which is available from www.outskirtspress.com/thelordofthehallows. And please tell other Harry Potter fans about this blog, which will be updated quite frequently in the upcoming weeks.
October 15, 2010
Biblical Quotation in Deathly Hallows Video Game Trailer
The trailer for the new Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part One video game has just been released, and I'm not ashamed to admit that I applauded with delight when I watched the trailer for the first time. Listen carefully and you will hear that the very first words Harry speaks in the new game trailer are from 1 Corinthians 15:26, "The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death." In addition to this Biblical quotation, look for the the cross-shaped grave marker and the Christian church with the stained glass windows that can be seen when Harry and Hermione are visiting Godric's Hollow. EA Games got that part right!
The game looks really exciting and will probably be a lot of fun to play. I think the musical score also added to the overall thrill of watching this game trailer. Like the last few Harry Potter video games, this one features the talents of some of the film's actors to provide voices for the game's characters, and a great effort has been made to create animated characters that resemble their cinematic counterparts. Bravo!
October 14, 2010
A New Ron T-Shirt, a First Look at Hermione's Parents, and Movie Magic
Hot Topic has this awesome Ron Weasley T-shirt available with all of the other new Deathly Hallows movie tie-in merchandise at http://search.hottopic.com/search?p=Q&srid=S9%2d1&lbc=hottopic&ts=custom&w=harry%20potter&uid=55818748&log=no&method=and&af=tab%3aproducts%20tab%3aproducts&isort=score&view=grid&tab=merch&srt=40. I want the Ron T-shirt and so many other items from this site. Click the link to see them!
This is one of the best Ron T-shirt designs I've seen so far.
The Sword of Gryffindor letter opener is cool too. You just never know when you might need something like that to kill a basilisk, destroy a Horcrux, or slice open those dreadful missives from your bill collectors.
Movie Hermione has a new set of parents! A new behind-the-scenes photo of Hermione and director David Yates gives us a first look at the actors who portray Hermione's parents. Mr. and Mrs. Granger, who are seated on the sofa, don't look anything like the Muggle couple we saw in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
Mr. Weasley, conversing with the Grangers in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Hmm, Hermione's dad has ginger hair.
After looking at these photos, I think movie Hermione must have had piano lessons as a child. The Grangers have a piano in their home, and in the photo above, Hermione is playing the piano at Number 12 Gimmauld Place. I just love the way Ron is looking at her in this scene. I sense a cute R/Hr moment will be inserted here.
The latest issue of Movie Magic has quite a few interesting captions on the cover:
Movie Magic's Deathly Hallows issue.
Feel free to discuss any of this information in the comments section. I have a feeling this blog will be updated quite a lot in the next month!
October 13, 2010
New Deathly Hallows T-Shirts; Vote for Your Favorite HP Poster; 3-D Harry Potter Movies on Blue-Ray
Yesterday, I discovered these new Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows T-shirt designs. The first one is my favorite and it is available from Hot Topic:
This one is also nice and is available from the official Warner Brothers Harry Potter online store:
The Deathly Hallows movie poster of Ron and Hermione that I recently blogged about is one of the posters featured in MTV's Hollywood Crush survey, "MULTIPLE CHOICE: Which New 'Deathly Hallows' Poster Is Your Favorite?" You know which one I chose! Follow the link and cast your vote. I wish WB would use the new Ron/Hermione poster as a T-shirt design. I'd buy one!
Finally, Variety is reporting that both Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince will be released in 3-D on Blue-Ray discs. This isn't surprising because both films had theatrical releases in IMAX 3-D, so they have already been converted to the 3-D format. I had the pleasure of viewing Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix in IMAX 3-D, and even though it had only about 20 minutes of 3-D footage, it was very well done. You can read what HP Supporters had to say about the Blue-Ray 3-D Harry Potter films here:
http://hpsupporters.com/index.php?subaction=showcomments&id=1287039850&archive=&start_from=&ucat=&
Perhaps this is a consolation for fans who were disappointed by the fact that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part One will not be released in 3-D on November 19, 2010. As for me, I am perfectly content to see it in 2-D next month.
October 11, 2010
New Ron/Hermione Deathly Hallows Posters and Photos
Trust No One. Wasn't that the tagline from the X-Files?
Hermione is wearing her red dress from Bill & Fleur's wedding in this photo.
Character poster of Hermione
Character poster of Ron
Behind-the-scenes moment: The Trio asleep at Gimmauld Place. Did the R/Hr hand-holding scene in the novel make it into the film?
Hermione is dancing with Viktor Krum and Ron is jealous. It didn't happen this way in the book!
Ron and Hermione inside the tent.
Little Hugo Weasley looks just like Mummy and Daddy.
The Ron/Hermione fans have been waiting over ten years for them to get together. I hope these last two films do not disappoint us. What pic spam shall I blog next? Harry? Harry/Ginny? Snape? Draco? Leave your answer in the comments.
October 10, 2010
My review of "Looking for the King: An Inklings Novel"
Today I finished reading David C. Downing's Looking for the King: An Inklings Novel and I gave it a 5-star review at goodreads.com. This is the synopsis of the novel:
"It is 1940, and American Tom McCord, a 23-year-old aspiring doctoral candidate, is in England researching the historical evidence for the legendary King Arthur. There he meets perky and intuitive Laura Hartman, a fellow American staying with her aunt in Oxford, and the two of them team up for an even more ambitious and dangerous quest. Aided by the Inklings-that illustrious circle of scholars and writers made famous by its two most prolific members, C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien-Tom and Laura begin to suspect that the fabled Spear of Destiny, the lance that pierced the side of Christ on the cross, is hidden somewhere in England. Tom discovers that Laura has been having mysterious dreams, which seem to be related to the subject of his research, and, though doubtful of her visions, he hires her as an assistant. Heeding the insights and advice of the Inklings, while becoming aware of being shadowed by powerful and secretive foes who would claim the spear as their own, Tom and Laura end up on a thrilling treasure hunt that crisscrosses the English countryside and leads beyond a search for the elusive relics of Camelot into the depths of the human heart and soul. Weaving his fast-paced narrative with actual quotes from the works of the Inklings, author David Downing offers a vivid portrait of Oxford and draws a welcome glimpse into the personalities and ideas of Lewis and Tolkien, while never losing sight of his action-packed adventure story and its two very appealing main characters."–synopsis at goodreads.com
I enjoyed this book for many reasons: the Spear of Destiny plot was intriguing, the original main characters (Tom and Laura) are likeable and interesting, and the most importantly, the Inklings dialogue was based on quotations from their published works, letters, and biographies. When reading this book I felt that I had actually met C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, and Charles Williams. Hugo Dyson's appearance in the novel is brief, but nearly all of his lines were really hilarious. I also enjoyed the cameo appearance by Tolkien's daughter Priscilla. Downing's detailed descriptions effectively captured the atmosphere of wartime England in 1940. He made so many references to places of interest to seekers of the "historical" Grail Hallows that I was compelled to search online for photos of the places he described in such fascinating detail. One such location, for example, is the cave of the Knights Templar at Royston. I was also very interested by the Celtic Cross at Gosforth and it's link to the Spear of Destiny legend.
Look at the bottom of the fourth drawing for the figures of a crucified man, a figure holding a spear, and a figure collecting the blood. Is this ancient stone carving a link to the Spear of Destiny legend? Another interesting place that we visit in this novel is the Abbey of Malmesbury which has a stained glass window designed by Edward Burne-Jones that is described in detail.
The first figure is of St. George, and the second is of the devout king, St. Ethelbert. The third figure is supposed to be St. Longinus the Ceturion with the Spear of Destiny. Downing gives his readers a convincing story of how the legendary spear may have been hidden in England and how the lance that Hitler obtained from Austria's Hofburg Museum in the Second World War was probably not the true Spear of Destiny.
There are many wonderful Inklings moments in this novel. At the suggestion of C. S. Lewis, Tom McCord attends a lecture on the Holy Grail legends given by Charles Williams at Oxford. After the brilliant lecture, Tom has a conversation with Williams:
"I can't say I'm a believer," said Tom. "It all seems like wish-fulfillment and hocus-pocus to me."
Laura winced, but Williams didn't seem to mind the comment at all. "Fair enough," he said. "It is only the arrogant or the insecure who claim to know about such things, unless perhaps you are a genuine mystic. For the rest of us, all we can do is choose what to believe." (page 58)
The line "all we can do is choose what to believe" really stood out for me. I recently blogged here about how "making the choice to believe" is a theme in Rowling's Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and C. S. Lewis's The Silver Chair. This line introduces the reader one of the story's most important character arcs: Tom McCord's journey from agnosticism to faith.
Another favorite moment of mine is when Tom is allowed to attend an Inklings meeting at the famous pub, The Eagle and Child (a. k. a. the "Bird and Baby"). The conversation turns to the "dying god" story of various mythologies–the Egyptian Osiris and the Norse Balder to name two examples– and the role of such mythologies in C. S. Lewis's conversion to Christianity. Tolkien explains, "We believe that the great and universal myth, the dying god who sacrifices himself for the people, shows everyone's inborn awareness of the need for redemption. As we understand it, the Incarnation was the pivotal point in which myth became history." (page 144) During this conversation Tom "felt himself outnumbered, a whole tableful of believers, and every one of them a formidable intellect." (page 145) Tom's main obstacle in making the "choice to believe" at this point in the story seems to be the problem of evil. If God is all-good and all-powerful, why does so much pain and suffering exist? Lewis helps Tom to understand that if God intervened every time someone did an evil act or had an evil thought, God would be taking away the Free Will of humanity.
There are also numerous references to the published works of the Inklings authors as well as hints of "future" publications. An example is when Lewis says, "We're hoping that Tollers will favor us with the latest installment of his 'new Hobbit'." (page 150) The new Hobbit of course, would be published about 15 years later as The Lord of the Rings. I loved that the characters of Bilbo, Frodo, Sam, and Strider are all mentioned in the novel. Lewis also alludes to the series of novels that he is about to write when he says that he has been sheltering war evacuee children at his home: "They're charming creatures, though they don't know how to entertain themselves. I was thinking that there might be a story in that–children sent away from London who have a series of adventures in the country. I started something a few months ago." (page 251) The story that Lewis was referring to, of course, would be the first book of The Chronicles of Narnia.
Another part of the story that I loved was Tom and Laura's visit to Tolkien's house. Apparently "Tolkien" (the fictional character in the novel) is quite the expert on the various legends of the Spear of Destiny, and his vast knowledge helps Tom and Laura to understand all of the unsolved mysteries of their quest. (pages 163-170) I loved this part because Professor Tolkien recounts the history of the Holy Lance in great detail, and I could definitely identify with the good professor in this scene. Much of what he says in this chapter I had discovered myself from researching the history of Spear of Destiny for my book, The Lord of the Hallows. (Visit www.outskirtspress.com/thelordofthehallows for more information.)
I won't spoil the climax of the novel's main action, but the climax of the story's spiritual dimension is Tom's conversation with Lewis, in which they return to their discussion of the problem of evil. Lewis says, "If some amoral brute created the world, he also created our minds. And how can we trust moral judgments given to us by this same amoral brute? If you reject God because there is so much evil in the universe, you need to explain where you obtained your standard for discerning good and evil." (pages 211-212) Lewis offers further proof of God's existence in humanity's "homesickness for heaven," and then he quotes St. Augustine: Our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee. "If the Christian view is right, we are all exiles from paradise." (page 214) Tom then realizes that his entire quest may not have been his own, but the will of Another. He prays for the first time in the novel and by doing so, Tom makes his choice to believe. Initially, Tom went on a quest for the historical King Arthur, but did not find him. He found faith in the King of Kings instead.
This novel is a must-read for Inklings fans and is available from the publisher, Ignatius Press, at http://www.ignatius.com/Products/LFK-H/looking-for-the-king.aspx?src=iinsight. You can also find a listing of Dr. David Downing's scholarly books on C. S. Lewis and a few short, but very positive reviews of Looking for the King at the publisher's site. This novel was truly a delight. Please let me know if this review was helpful to you in the comments section. Thanks!
October 5, 2010
Harry Potter Set Reports and More Lord of the Hallows News
Various Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows set reports were released online today. Follow the links below for some mild spoilers and several new interviews with director David Yates and the cast.
Here's the report from The Leaky Cauldron:
Here's the MuggleNet set report:
http://www.mugglenet.com/movies/movie7/part1setreport.shtml
Here's Snitch Seeker's report:
MovieWeb has lots of exclusive interviews with the Deathly Hallows cast and crew:
http://www.movieweb.com/news/NEdM7NOfVCO8hf
And here's Collider's report:
http://www.collider.com/2010/10/05/set-visit-harry-potter-and-the-deathly-hallows-set-visit/
I mentioned in my previous blog post that Jo Templeton of Baton Rouge's Town Favorites magazine did an interview with me about The Lord of the Hallows. Here it is: http://www.townfavorites.com/TFjournal6.htm. Thanks Jo, for writing such a nice article about me and my book. 
