Spoiler Alert: Voldemort Cracks the Stone Table and Aslan and Dumbledore are the Same Person

I recently watched Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (this movie's promotional slogan should have been something like "Just when you think it's over...we'll see you this summer to take your money again.") and i was pleasantly surprised. As I have written before, I have not been the biggest fan of the Harry Potter movies when it comes to doing the books justice and including important details. In this one, a few characters that Harry should know very well since they have been important parts of previous books (Bill Weasley and Mundungus Fletcher) had to introduce themselves to Harry as if they had never met so the audience could figure it out.

One thing that really bothered me is that Harry has yet to wear his invisibility cloak in The Deathly Hallows WHEN HE IS THE MOST WANTED FUGITIVE IN THE WIZARDING WORLD. Are we supposed to think Harry Potter, The Chosen One, The Boy Who Lived, the best quiddich seeker of his generation, the kid who defeated a troll at age eleven, a basalisk at age twelve, a swarm of dementors at age thirteen, won the Tri-Wizard Tournament as the fourth seed at age fourteen, and has thwarted the most powerful dark wizard in fifty years time and time again, is stupid enough to walk through the streets of London in broad daylight when he has THE POWER OF INVISIBILITY literally in his back pocket? Please.

A few other moments of note from the movie:

When Xeno Lovegood began telling the story of the three brothers, a black feather floated around for a little bit and then landed in the water. It looks like computer generated feather technology has not progressed all that much since Forrest Gump came out in 1994.

Also during that story, Ron acts shocked and surprised when he hears the word "Twilight". Apparently Mrs. Weasley always told the story taking place at midnight and the time change caught him off guard, but it was funny that they threw in that subtle jab at their sparkling competition on the mainstream fantasy market (One of my biggest fear as a fan of the HP books is that the next generation who sees the movies but does not bother to read the books will think Twilight was better because some of the Harry Potter movies were so terrible).

DOBBY FINALLY PLAYED A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN A MOVIE!!!! I have been waiting for this for a while. They neglected to put him in The Goblet of Fire when he essentially saves Harry, Ron, and Hermione from drowning. I was afraid they had forgotten all about him, but they did let him use his free elf powers to save the day (That's another thing I realized: the death eaters get to use spells that kill and torture and manipulate people while the good guys can only stun and disarm their opponents and hope for the power of magical loopholes to save them when they are outnumbered).

The thing I thought was most interesting about the movie was the very last scene when Voldemort goes to Dumbledore's tomb to retrieve the Elder Wand. Looking at the tomb, which I only saw once before since I did not particularly like the Half-Blood Prince movie, all I could think of was the Stone Table from The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. I always noticed the similarities that Harry Potter has to the Lord of the Rings books and the Narnia books. I read Narnia before I even knew about Harry and now I have to read them again because it has been so long. All of a sudden the arrogance of Voldemort seems eerily similar to that of the White Witch. The same can be said for Aslan and Albus Percival Wulfrick Brian Dumbledore (but with that many names, I could spell out any character). Little does Voldemort know that his action at the Stone Table will be his undoing come July.

Top Ten Best Sports Movies

Here is my list of the best sports movies ever made. I blog a lot about sports and I blog a lot about movies, so I figured I would do something that combine the two. Sports movies are great because they are usually uplifting, even if the characters you cheer for are defeated by their anonymously evil opponents, and they are usually pretty funny even f they are not comedies. Sometimes sports are only a small part of the movie, but it makes he list because that aspect of it makes it a better movie. I tried to include as many different sports as possible, but there have been so many good sports movies made over the years that it was impossible to make everyone happy. Please comment on what you think and enjoy!

10. Whip It

I just saw this movie and I thought it was a lot of fun. Very few movies have been made about roller derby but this one made it seem like a sport that people can have a passion for, and like the other sports that have movies in this countdown, it is an escape for both the fans and the players. This star studded cast featuring Ellen Page, Alia Shawkat, Jimmy Fallon, Andrew Wilson, Kristen Wiig, and first time director Drew Barrymore, shows us how small town misfits can become superstars in the heart of Texas even if their mothers want them to be in beauty pageants instead.

9. Space Jam

This one makes the list because it was one of my favorites as a kid. When I watched it recently though, I realized that there were a lot of great cameo appearances by NBA stars and it combined the greatest basketball player ever (Michael Jordan), the greatest cartoon character ever (Bugs Bunny), and one of the funniest comedic actors ever (Bill Murray) all on the same team. How's that for a fantasy basketball squad?

8. Forrest Gump

I know that the movie is not all about sports, but sports are an important part of the life of Forrest's life. He played college football at the University of Alabama, one of the most storied and prestigious football programs in the country. He also represented the United States as a ping pong champion and one day decided to run across the country for a while, until he had enough. His experience at Alabama, playing for the legendary Bear Bryant and receiving All American honors, was a really big deal, but it didn't seem like anything out of the ordinary to him.

7. The Mighty Ducks

Its a classic tale of taking a group of loveable misfits and turning them into winners. In the same place, you could also have The Bad News Bears or even Glee for that matter, but I particularly like the Ducks. Gordon Bombay, a successful but cynical lawyer is the reluctant coach who has to work with the kids from the loser district because their coach quit as community service after driving drunk (a pretty serious plot twist for a Disney movie). He says in the beginning that he hates hockey and the flashbacks of his past and playing for the coach who he needs to beat all these years later reveals why. Gordon must overcome his fear of failure and get closure on a darker time in his life. I think that more NHL teams should use the “Flying V” formation because it was so effective in this movie. The Mighty Ducks is a really fun one for audiences of all ages.

6. Fever Pitch

On the surface, it is just another romantic comedy with likeable stars like Jimmy Fallon and Drew Barrymore. The setting for this movie is what separates it from other rom-coms though. They could not have been more lucky choosing to film this movie in the 2004 baseball season. It was supposed to end with them falling in love while watching the Red Sox get eliminated once again and waiting until next year. Instead, they fall in love in the midst of the most exciting thing that has ever happened in the history of professional sports (in my humble Sox fan opinion). Its a good movie to watch in April to get pumped for Red Sox season once again. For the record, it does not bother me that Jimmy Fallon is a lifelong New Yorker and not really a Red Sox fan. He isn't the only one who pretends to do that (Alec Baldwin pretended to be a Bostonian in The Departed and on 30 Rock and don't even get me started on Jack Nicholson) and for every New Yorker who plays a Sox fan, there is Denis Leary who plays a New York firefighter on Rescue Me. The cameo appearances by the Red Sox stars and the footage from the games in 2004 make this movie just that much better.

5. Miracle

I was not alive yet when the U.S. Hockey team beat the Soviets in 1980, but I hear about it from my father every Winter Olympics that there will never be a more exciting hockey tournament and the Olympics are a lot less interesting now that they have NHL players in it. While I may not agree with that, Miracle is still a really good movie about that 1980 team. This movie had one of the best locker room pep talks in movie history which was even more entertaining when that little kid recited it on Opening Day for the Red Sox this year.

4. Million Dollar Baby

Not all stories have happy endings. Maggie Fitzgerald worked hard to rise from poverty to become a late blooming boxing star, but her chances were tragically dashed. Winning the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2004, Million Dollar Baby was a masterpiece that brought out the best in Hilary Swank, Morgan Freeman, and director/producer/co-star Clint Eastwood. Eastwood and Swank became each other's family when their biological families ignored their dreams.

3. Rocky

Before Invincible, this was the original story of a Philly underdog getting the opportunity of a lifetime. This movie made Sylvester Stallone into a superstar, and gave Philly fans more to cheer about that their actual teams since it came out in 1976. With five sequels afterward, it is perhaps the most successful sports movie franchise ever. This movie also wins the award for having the best training montage ever. Another thin I like about this movie is that it does not really portray Apollo Creed as evil or malicious. He is just a champion boxer who wants somebody to challenge him. He gives Rocky a chance and Rocky takes full advantage. Creed is cocky and has to give more of an effort than he thought he would in fifteen rounds, but he is not really a villain. Rocky won the Academy Award for Best Picture, which is an achievement that speaks for itself. It is a classic that you do not need to be a boxing fan to appreciate.

2. Remember the Titans

This is one of Denzel Washington's greatest performances. This movie could very easily be number one on the list. Everything about it is great. It is a classic underdog story about the first racially integrated high school football team in Virginia and their quest for the state championship. It has its fair share of comic relief and moments that get you choked up. From the speech Coach Boone gave about Gettysburg to the star linebacker getting in a car crash, Remember the Titans goes through the ups and downs of the season and the triumphs and tragedies.

1. Field of Dreams

“If you build it, he will come.” This line has inspired many a backyard ballpark (or skating rink) over the years. The idea of having a baseball field in your yard is cool enough, but having one where ghosts can fulfill their unfinished dreams is even cooler. Whether it is getting to play in the majors after getting banned, or getting in the one at bat that you never got, getting to play catch with your son and meet your granddaughter, this is a place where dreams can come true. They ask if it is heaven, but it is only Iowa. James Earl Jones' “people will come” monologue is one of the most inspiring in movie history. This movie defined Kevin Costner's career. It is everything anyone could want in s sports movie with the surreal concepts of redemption and living up to your dreams sprinkled in as well. Another great thing about this movie is that his wife and daughter re just as enthusiastic about baseball as he is, which is every guy's dream.

This concludes my list. Feel free to comment and tell me which movies I missed or to argue the order in which I put them.

Harry Potter Remake

Today, I finally saw Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince as I did not get around to viewing it when it was in the theaters. Yet again, i was disappointed with all the details that were left out. I know, I know. Whenever we Harry Potter book purists complain about this, I hear the same "Americans do not have the patience to sit through long epic movies the way they did in the fifties anymore" argument and I am sick of hearing it. If millions of people around the world had the patience to read books of seven, eight or nine hundred pages, I think they would be able to understand that the movie that does it justice would also be long. Most of the people reading these books worldwide were teenagers or younger. As a teenager (for a few more months anyway) I know that we have the shortest attention spans in the world AND IF WE GET THIS EXCITED ABOUT A NINE HUNDRED PAGE BOOK, WE WOULD APPRECIATE THAT THE MOVIE PRODUCTION PEOPLE MAKE THE MOVIE WORTH THE EIGHT BUCKS FOR A TICKET OR THIRTY BUCKS FOR A DVD THE WEEK BEFORE CHRISTMAS. SO DO IT RIGHT!!!!!

In twenty years or so, I think that Hollywood will realize that they could make more money by remaking these movies and I hope that by then they have the sense to do them the right way. In the current Harry Potter movies, they insisted on exclusively using British actors to make it authentic with the book. If they use some A-List American actors and kept more consistency with the actual books, they would seem more authentic to me. For me, growing up in Massachusetts, I knew the stories were in England but in my mind I pictured Harry, Ron and Hermione boarding a train in Boston and heading to a magical school in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.

Here are some of my thoughts of the acting roles in the current movies and my ideas of who would better portray the characters.

Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter- He looks exactly like what the Harry on the cover of the books. I get that. Overall, I thought that he has been okay as Harry but far too often it seems that he is not the main character. He seems like the passive one in most of the movies and he just goes with the flow. Ron and Hermione steal Harry's thunder too much. They do a good job, but the name of the series is Harry Potter not The Ron and Hermione Show. If age did not paly into it, I would rather see Edward Norton as Harry.

Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley- I like the way he plays the part. I used to be jealous of Rupert because we are the same age, we are both redheads, and he is rich, famous, and can get any girl he wants just because he was born on the other side of the pond. Ron is hysterical in the movies and makes for a great down-to-Earth sidekick for The Chosen One and Smartypants Granger. As the movies wore on, I realized that he really was the right guy for the job and right now I would not change the casting. As for me, I would happily settle for playing Arthur Weasley in the remake when I'm in my forties (if I live that long).

Emma Watson as Hermione Granger- Right from the first movie, she has fit the part. Not changing this one either.

Richard Harris and Michael Gambon as Albus Dumbledore- I thought Richard Harris was great as Dumbledore in the first two movies. When he passed away and was replaced by Michael Gambon, I did not like the change at first but it grew on me. By The Order of the Phoenix I realized that they needed a darker colder Dumbledore for darker colder times so the casting worked out. When thinking of who I would cast, only one name crossed my mind as an adequate Dumbledore alternative. Regardless of race, nobody can play old men with sage wisdom better than Morgan Freeman. He would be my headmaster and stoic leader of the Order of the Phoenix if it were up to me.

Alan Rickman as Severus Snape- THIS ROLE WAS CAST PERFECTLY. There is nobody in the world who could pull off Snape the way Rickman has. No way. Hands down. End of story.

Gary Oldman as Sirius Black- I really like the way Oldman plays Sirius. Good job casting on that one.

David Thewlis as Remus Lupin- They got this one all wrong. I do not like the portrayal of this character at all. He does not look or act like the Lupin I read about. ANY ACTOR IN THE WORLD WOULD BE BETTER FOR THIS PART. Personally, I would pick Christopher Walken because he is supposed to be a good guy with a dark secret and despite his good intentions, his terrifying alter ego can be exposed in his voice. Liam Neeson is another possibility.

Matthew Lewis as Neville Longbottom- When I first began pondering this cast, I thought about hypothetically casting Michael Cera in this role but then I realized that Lewis has done a good job and a change in this role is not really necessary. Cera could work as Neville but there is no use fixing something that is not broken. I would like to see Neville's role expanded, however. It seems that he is a big part of some of the movies but does not do a whole lot in others. Throughout the book series, Neville had been a part of a larger circle of friends along with the other Gryffindors but at times was almost as close to Harry as Ron and Hermione. Ginny was also in a similar spot in the books until she and Harry started "snogging".

Other Alternate Castings:

Julie Andrews as Minerva McGonagall

Al Pacino as Mad Eye Moody

Frank Oz as Dobby and Kreacher (and have their role significantly expanded)

Eric Idle as Professor Flitwick

Samuel L. Jackson as Kingsley Shacklebolt

Willem Dafoe as Rufus Scrimgoer

Kevin Spacey as Cornelius Fudge

Danny Devito as Vernon Dursley

Rhea Perlman as Petunia Dursley

Ozzy Osborne or David Bowie as Lord Voldemort

Wayne Knight as Wormtail

Jane Lynch as Professor Umbridge

Angela Lansbury as Professor Trelawney

Michael Richards as Professor Lockhart

Steve Carell as Professor Quirrel

Christopher Plummer as Igor Karkaroff

James Earl Jones as Aragog

Jeffery Tambor as Horace Slughorn

Russell Crowe as Firenze the Centaur

Gene Wilder as Mr. Ollivander

Christian Bale as Barty Crouch Jr.

Michael Palin as Barty Crouch Sr.

Conan O'Brien as Arthur Weasley

Jack Black as Peeves

Okay that's enough. Some of these casting choices are a little ridiculous but this is a story about wizards and witches and magic. It is allowed to be a little over the top. I imagined the characters talking like Monty Python so this list can't be much more ridiculous than that.

Feel free to comment with your own ideas for the different characters. I want to make sure that we, as a human race, get this right the next time around because otherwise future generations will not be able to appreciate this story once books become obsolete.