Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince--SPOILERS!!!

[Buttmunch]

Re: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

I watched OotP again the other day and started listening to this (HBP) again at work. Jim Dale does an amazing job. I've listened to a lot of audiobooks over the past few months and Dale is still the best with his vocalizations that are distinct for every character. Its really gotten me excited for this film again. Hopefully it isn't as bad as the early reviews of it were. They've had almost another year to improve it anyway.

But it still amazes me we haven't gotten any 1:6 figures from this gold mine. I'm assuming the kid's heights have been a big problem for most companies from doing it, but now that they are fully grown I don't see that as an excuse any more. Heck, Sideshow still has that underused Hobbit body lying around. At least NECA's 7" figures have been fairly decent.

 

[Darth Caedus]

Re: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

I watched OotP again the other day and started listening to this (HBP) again at work. Jim Dale does an amazing job. I've listened to a lot of audiobooks over the past few months and Dale is still the best with his vocalizations that are distinct for every character. Its really gotten me excited for this film again. Hopefully it isn't as bad as the early reviews of it were. They've had almost another year to improve it anyway.

But it still amazes me we haven't gotten any 1:6 figures from this gold mine. I'm assuming the kid's heights have been a big problem for most companies from doing it, but now that they are fully grown I don't see that as an excuse any more. Heck, Sideshow still has that underused Hobbit body lying around. At least NECA's 7" figures have been fairly decent.

Yea, Jim Dale does an AMAZING job of doing all those voices for those books. I think I remember reading that for OotP, he did over 75 distinct and different voices. That's just amazing. I don't know of Stephen Fry does that for the UK version, but Dale is great.

I would SOOOOOOOO buy the 1:6 line for HP. I would get a Dumbledore/Snape/Voldemort/Harry/Dobby and I guess that's it. I wouldn't be a completinist, but those would be awesome

 

[Buttmunch]

Re: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

75! Wow!

Yeah, Dumbledore (Harris preferably), Snape, Lucius Malfoy, and Voldemort would all be musts. I guess I'd have to get a Harry to go with them though

Who am I kidding, I'd be a completist.

EDIT: I just looked Dale up on wikipedia and he has 146 different voices just in Deathly Hallows!

 

[Darth Caedus]

Re: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

75! Wow!

Yeah, Dumbledore (Harris preferably), Snape, Lucius Malfoy, and Voldemort would all be musts. I guess I'd have to get a Harry to go with them though

Who am I kidding, I'd be a completist.

EDIT: I just looked Dale up on wikipedia and he has 146 different voices just in Deathly Hallows!

That's freaking disgusting....he was great on Pushing Daisies.

 

[Entropy]

Re: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

Dale is very good but the Stephen Fry versions are superior imo. Yes he does different voices.

And as far as Sorcerer vs Philosopher's stone, the Philosopher's Stone actually is something of lore and Sorcerer's Stone was just made up for the US version b/c, yes, Sorcerer is more exciting and "magical" than Philosopher which becomes confused with boring thinkers and scholars like Socrates and Plato.

 

[Buttmunch]

Re: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

I hadn't realized NECA finally released the Year 2 Harry and Richard Harris Dumbledore 2 pack! I just ordered mine off of ebay so I should be up-to-date on NECA Potter figures by the end of the week (also have the Bellatrix/Malfoy wave coming)! I'm glad to finally get a decent Harris Dumbledore. He was the perfect Dumbledore. I've never been able to stand Gabon after Harris gave such a perfect performance, although Gabon seems to be improving with each film. He better have his act together for HBP. I still can't stand his yelling at Harry in GoF after Harry's name comes out of the Goblet. So unlike Dumbledore. So unlike the softspoken Harris from the previous films. And what is up with the rubber band in the beard?

I imagine the Dumbledore figures will only raise in price in the next few weeks as the film gets closer.


And any idea if the Fry audiobooks are available/playable anywhere in the states? I have a hard time believing anyone could be better than Dale.

 

[Darth Caedus]

Re: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

I hadn't realized NECA finally released the Year 2 Harry and Richard Harris Dumbledore 2 pack! I just ordered mine off of ebay so I should be up-to-date on NECA Potter figures by the end of the week (also have the Bellatrix/Malfoy wave coming)! I'm glad to finally get a decent Harris Dumbledore. He was the perfect Dumbledore. I've never been able to stand Gabon after Harris gave such a perfect performance, although Gabon seems to be improving with each film. He better have his act together for HBP. I still can't stand his yelling at Harry in GoF after Harry's name comes out of the Goblet. So unlike Dumbledore. So unlike the softspoken Harris from the previous films. And what is up with the rubber band in the beard?

I imagine the Dumbledore figures will only raise in price in the next few weeks as the film gets closer.


And any idea if the Fry audiobooks are available/playable anywhere in the states? I have a hard time believing anyone could be better than Dale.

Yea, Harris was pretty much 110% what I thought he would be from the books. As for the Fry audiobooks, try ebay, if not, I think you might have to download them

 

[Buttmunch]

Re: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

Yeah, Harris was one of the most perfect casting choices ever. Rickman is also perfect as Snape as was Kenneth Branagh as Lockhart. Luckily they haven't had to replace anyone besides Harris and that was unavoidable. Nothing bugs me more than switching actors in the middle of a series.

I'm going to see if by any chance my library has any of the Fry versions or if its just the Dale ones before I resort to ebay or anywhere else. Its more out of curiousity than anything.

 

[Entropy]

Re: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

I listened to the first two Dale versions then heard Fry for PoA and switched. I went back and listened to the Dale ones and they are nice, but Stephen Fry is the best. JKR thinks so as well.

But you may not like him as, by design, he isn't as flamboyant as Dale who sometimes gets in the way of the story.

JKR: What I really enjoy about your reading is, the accents aren't intrusive. I don't feel as though you're in any sense giving us a sort of virtuoso performance of, "These are as many accents as I can do," or different voices. You don't form a big barrier between the listener and the story, I feel.

https://www.mugglenet.com/jkr/interviews/bbc4.shtml

 

[Buttmunch]

Re: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

I don't think Dale gets in the way of the story, but adds to it. He really performs the book, not reading it. And I really like that. It gives the characters life. So many other readers simply read and don't give much emotion or different voices to the characters, which can be really confusing when two characters are talking back and forth with eachother. That said, I really am curious to check out Fry's work. I suppose he is reading the English text instead of the American one right? (ie Philospher's stone and other English phrases that were changed in the American texts?)

I also heard this is getting an equivalent of a PG-13 (12a) rating in England, but it is only PG here in the states.

 

[Darth Caedus]

Re: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

I don't think Dale gets in the way of the story, but adds to it. He really performs the book, not reading it. And I really like that. It gives the characters life. So many other readers simply read and don't give much emotion or different voices to the characters, which can be really confusing when two characters are talking back and forth with eachother. That said, I really am curious to check out Fry's work. I suppose he is reading the English text instead of the American one right? (ie Philospher's stone and other English phrases that were changed in the American texts?)

I also heard this is getting an equivalent of a PG-13 (12a) rating in England, but it is only PG here in the states.

Yea, for Dale, it almost seems like someone is recording a play with a little bit of narration inbetween the lines of dialogue. I only wish that other audiobooks were as good as these.

 

[Buttmunch]

Re: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

Yea, for Dale, it almost seems like someone is recording a play with a little bit of narration inbetween the lines of dialogue. I only wish that other audiobooks were as good as these.

Exactly! It is very much like a play with narration. He certainly brings the book to life. I love the fact you can identify the characters before the book names who is talking (ie you know when it is Hagrid or Snape before they are identified). If more audiobooks were like this they would be a lot more popular.

Anyone know if Dale has read any other books outside of the Harry Potter series? I'd probably listen to anything he read if he reads them like he does the Potter series.

 

[Entropy]

Re: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

Meh. I'm with JK on this one. While he has distinct character voices as well, his Hermione in particular is praised in the JK Rowling interview, I think Fry gives the books a more mature reading. His pacing in particular is better.

Though Dale is brilliant and perfect on Pushing Daisies.

And yes, Fry reads the better, un-Americanized versions.

 

[Buttmunch]

Re: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

Tickets just went up for sale at my local theater! Start watching yours! This is one of two films this year that my theater has an email alert for when tickets go on sale (the other being Twilight: New Moon).

 

[pixletwin]

Re: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

Which theater Brant?

 

[Buttmunch]

Re: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

Which theater Brant?

Jordan Commons and the rest of the Megaplex theaters. My favorite by far!

 

[KitFisto]

Re: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

I am looking forward to this film.

 

[pixletwin]

Re: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

Jordan Commons and the rest of the Megaplex theaters. My favorite by far!

Awesome. I am going to pick up some too.

 

[KitFisto]

Re: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

Awesome. I am going to pick up some too.

Well Pix, you like Potter so you're not a totally lost cause.

 

[pixletwin]

Re: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince