Ding Dong the Voldy is dead

Alright, boys and girls, gather around to hear how I finally (nearly two years later) watched the last Harry Potter movie, and how my life might as well be over now. 

I have been a Harry Potter fan since about the same time I learned how to breath. (Exaggeration). At first, HP wasn't the overly obsessed about life addiction that it is now. It was Lord of The Rings ALL THE WAY!! All the way to the Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone premier, that is.

LOTR has, and will always be, one of my big obsessions and I adore it dearly. But, HP just reached me on a different level, I guess you could say. I never lost my love for LOTR, but my soul obsession switched to Harry Potter with the opening music.

First, I have to explain my vast obsession, and relationship, with the books and movies.

I'm not one of those fans who just likes it for the movies, first off. I have read the books so many times that I have parts of them memorized. The books, in my mind, are far better then the movies, for the simple reason that they are more vast and details. They are longer, have more fillers, and give you the chance to really escape into the world. The books are brilliant, something I will read to my daughter, and she will have to read when she is old enough.

Now after saying that, oddly enough, I'm not a actual big fan of the writing style or the author herself. Yes, she created a masterpiece and it was amazing and made millions. But, that doesn't take away from the fact that lots of her writing, I feel, is a rip off of other fantasy novels and series. Sorry if this steps on your little toes :( but its kind of a known fact among chronic fantasy readers like myself. I'm not saying she can't write, she totes magotes (sorry if your to lame to not understand that) can write! I'm just saying that if you have read enough, or know enough, then you can see that she skimmed off other authors. Yes, most authors are inspired by others and follow their hero's writing style, but this is slightly different.

Story for another entry, my friends.

When I was little, not as little as I wish I could admit, I used to play HP with my sisters. We had wands that were usually made from something that didn't look AT ALL like a wand. I used to make fake Hogwarts acceptance letters and show them to my friends to try and convince them it was real and I was going. Looking back, that is probably something I shouldn't share. But, at least you can see my sisters and I always had a deep love for HP.

Anyway, I saw all the movies in theater, typically back to back on the release night. I cried in almost every, single one, even if there wasn't anything sad. (Don't ask). The later in the series it got, the more obsessed I became. Finally, it all came down to the last two movies and that's when I realized that I was one of the most obsessive Harry Potter fans in the world.

When the Deathly Hallows Part 1 came out, I saw it a few times in theaters. It was amazing, of course. 

One day I was making an AMAZING homemade pizza, just took it out of the oven, and it smelled like it was going to be a taste explosion the second I took a bite. However, at that same moment, my (now ex) husband, He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named, came into the kitchen to see if I wanted to go see HP again with him and a few buddies, but we had to leave right then. Apparently, they didn't want to see it without a chick, that way it looked like I drug them all there and they weren't actual fans. (fucking losers). Needless to say, the pizza sat on the stove, spoiling, as I ran out the door to eat popcorn and watch my hearts desires on the big screen.

Well, about half way threw, I got sick. I tried with everything in me to make it threw the movie, but soon the popcorn became to much and the vomit was a strong indication that I needed to leave. That was the night I was rushed to the hospital, later to literally be diagnosed with pregnancy. Six months later, I was about to have a little half-blood baby (He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named is obviously not a wizard), and the premier of the FINAL HARRY POTTER was looming. My lovely daughter decided to welcome herself into the world right when the movie was due to premier. But, I couldn't be angry. Ok, maybe just a bit. I watched all the Harry Potter movies while in the hospital, from start to almost finish. It was awesome, and my little Evelynn (Who I wish was named something HP, it would only be fitting) was born to my favorite movies.

Now, I never got the chance to see the last movie in theaters, because right after having a kid isn't the best time for shit like that. Over time I decided I wasn't ready to watch it, because then it would truly be over. I never finished the last chapter in the book, either. So, naturally it made sense not to watch the movie. When it came out on DVD I even bought it, knowing I wouldn't watch it. I never even removed it from the packaging till about eight months after I purchased it. When I was surfing the web, if they even still used that phrase, I would avoid ANY and ALL pictures, memes or anything to do with the final movie and chapter.

Slightly ridiculous, I know. Shit like this pissed me off...

So, why, after nearly two years, did I decide to watch the final movie?

I have no fucking clue. That's how I like to keep things, random as shit. But, I guess the time was just right. I had seen it on the movie channel a few times and finally decided to record it (my dvd copy is in storage) and wait till the perfect time to start it. A few times I almost pressed play, but decided to wait because I would rather watch a full season of Downtown Abby in one afternoon, and it could wait. Then I decided I should wait till I didn't have my Evelynn, so I wouldn't be disturbed. However, as I sat watching Spongebob with her, I realized that I wouldn't rather watch it with anyone else, then my little Harry Potter baby.

I knew it was the right choice, when the very first scene had her full attention. When she saw Voldy grab the Elder Wand and hold it up she said rather loud,

"Uhhhhh oh, mommy!!!!"

Greatest daughter ever.

So, now I have seen it all.

Actually, no. I haven't. I turned it off when "19 years later" popped up and I am yet to read the final chapter. I mean, yes, any idiot can figure out what happens, couples and all that. But, at least I know I have a tiny bit more to look forward to. So pathetic, but at least I can admit it.

All in all, I think the movie was great and I adored it. It moved So fucking fast though, I felt like it was over before my mind could comprehend that I was actually watching it. Saying that, I cried non stop from opening shot of Severus in the Hogwarts window, till the breaking of the Elder Wand.

Now, lets recap.

First of all, lets just break my fucking heart from the very start with this shit...

Thanks for the reminder.

 I have to say that I was really in love with how Ollivander reused his original line, and although most probably didn't care or notice, a true fan did and probably shares in my feelings. When in the first movie, a much healthier wand maker tells young Harry that "The wand chooses the Wizard, Mr. Potter" it was a line I loved. Then to see him, near death, at the end of it all, say the line again to sum up a VERY important part of the whole plot (That is the understanding of wands) was brilliant.

GOOSEBUMPS!

Next, real fast, I must say that Helen Bonham Carter did a fucking kick ass job in this movie. When she was acting like Hermione, trying to act like Bellatrix, it was great. She really did pull it off. The face expressions and way of movement where very "Hermione" of her.

If you can't see what I'm talking about, go away!

I hated how fast the scene with Aberforth went, I felt like it was just there to show us the character and that Dumbledore has family, then it moved on. I wish there was more to it, I think that actor did an amazing job and it would have been cool to have that moment with the Dumbledore family. But, whatever, Hollywood!

There was so much kick ass in this scene, I can't even decide where to begin!

When Harry shows himself to Severus in the Great Hall, I got chills. I don't even like Harry that much, but when he let some of his anger go on Snap, it was great. Then, the greatest part of all, when everyone stormed the great hall and Professor McGonagall kicked some royal ass and we hear the original score for the first movie playing FINALLY. She made me smile, not just then, but also when she used the spell Piertotum Locomotor to awaken the schools guards and then says, 

"I've always wanted to use that spell!" with a childish little grin and giggle. I love her <3

So, onward to more depressing shit! Like the scene with my dear, dear Severus Snap. Its funny, I always had a split opinion of him, when my sister, Beth, always loved him.

Looking back now, I realized she was really on to something there :) and I was right to finally realize that I loved this character and he was my favorite (Sorry, "Won-Won")

I have a GIANT opinion on his character and I honestly feel like he is one of the biggest, most essential and important characters in the whole book. More so then Ron and Hermione. 

This is why...

Severus was literally the man holding everything together. He lost everything, had to hide everything, had to be someone that he didn't want to be, all for a boy who he loved like his own son. To protect him, to help him, because he never stopped loving Lilly. He was tough on Harry, yes, but if you truly read the books and understand why he was the way he was, you probably agree with me. Everything he did was for Harry, because Harry was all he had left of Lilly, all he had left in the world, the only thing he loved.

Not only was he strong enough to lie to the strongest, darkest wizard in the known universe, but he also willingly became one of the most hated men in the Harry Potter world. I personally don't blame him for hating the parts of Harry that are similar to his father, James. If I had loved someone, been best friends with them, and then had to watch them turn to a Draco-like dick head of a jock, have a baby with him that you wish was your own, and then see her die for that baby, I would probably hate when Harry acted like James as well.

Wouldn't you?

So, when Harry saw everything Severus did for him in the pensive, I lost my fucking mind and couldn't stop crying long enough to exhale.

There are NO..FUCKING...WORDS!!!!!

Beyond this, there are a few more deaths that just killed me. Wow, no pun intended, that was horrible!

I wish the scene where you see the honorable fallen was a bit longer, I think they rushed past it and that't is kind of messed up. We have been with the characters for years and years, seen them grow and change. So, when all we see it five seconds and then its moved on, it doesn't do them justice and doesn't let the reality that this "Child's story" has turned into a dark, passionate, story about characters that anyone can relate to and their whole lives stories. We barely get the chance to say goodbye to the long loved characters. No, I'm not saying they needed to be more morbid, but I think a final send of to the characters loved by millions would have been nice.

Hell, if you hadn't read the books, you could have easily missed which twin had been killed.

So, basically, that is all. The Ron and Hermione kiss wasn't nearly the climactic moment that I had been waiting for, for nearly thirteen fucking years. That's right, 2001 -2013 for me! But, keeping in mind, I haven't seen the last part of the movie, so I might be swayed after I finally see how they grew up.

I can only hope that somehow, in some way, this isn't REALLY the ending of the Harry Potter era. With fan-fiction not dying down in the slightest, and even producing legit books like the James Potter series written by Norman Lippert ( Read them online, here. ). Even if there are never more books by Rowling herself, I am sure that we will eventually have a Hogwarts school that isn't an amusement park. That my kids will grown up being HP nerds, same as I. That the movies will be, eventually, re-released in theaters and that the Harry Potter Era will truly never end.

And now, I shall leave you with just this...

TINA OUT!

Nice blog, to bad there's nothing here...

After procrastinating for two weeks on writing my first blog entry, I finally decided to get with it. Great way to start things off, right? Procrastination is my downfall.So, in the last few weeks I have really come to terms with why I love being a nerd so damn much. The questions people ask, the looks I get, the amazing answers I get when I ask people simple nerd questions, the endless growing network of comic nerds, computer geeks, gamers, and countless other nerds. It all makes me proud to call myself a nerd, and makes me ever more proud when someone else refers to me as a nerd. It warms my little, cold heart :)

The world of Nerdom is becoming a fad, almost. With ten tons of TV shows, conventions and movies, its becoming almost normal to be a nerd. Which, of course, means BANDWAGON WANNABES! There is nothing a true nerd hates more then a poser, especially us true female nerds who take pride in our rare existence and vast knowledge of all things from Stan Smith to solving Rubik's cube faster then you can imagine.

Time for a visual aid!!

This pisses me the FUUUCK off! But, lets not just blame the "whores with glasses" because the posers come in many shapes and sizes. How about, for instance, the "OMG! I love Star Wars" chick who has never even seen the movies. That is almost more annoying to me then the chicks doing it for looks and attention. I have seen so many girls say they love Star Wars, comics, RPG's, and yet when they are asked about any of it, its extremely clear that they wouldn't know the difference between Anakin Skywalker  and Eric O’Grady. Go ahead, buy a Darth Vader hipster shirt, think your fooling people, but when a nerd debate starts, I 
will laugh as you fall on your face and break your overly priced poser glasses.

Oh, now the best part is that its not just girls to blame for being posers and bandwagon nerds. Men, oh men, you do it all to often and I have proof. Its called my dating life, that's my proof. I would say 4 out of every 5 guys that hit on me or asks me out use my extremely overbearing love for Harry Potter, Star Wars and superheros as a way into my heart, and by "heart" I mean PANTS! I don't care if you are a die hard nerd or not (although, it is preferred) if I like you, I like you. If you lie about being a nerd because you think a nerd is to stupid to figure out your game, your a freaking dumb-ass. I just love (sarcasm) how guys try and explain how they are not "really nerds" but try and point out any almost nerd tendencies they have. Calm down, boys! There is plenty of Tina to go around. (So not true, actually)

But, now that I have ranted about the posers, lets not forget the fact that there are many breeds of  REAL nerd chicks, and not all can tell you what powers Miss Marvel has, or who Anakin's father is, but they are nerds. Some can solve a Rubik's cube at super human speed, or are working for NASA as age 24. Some can list and describe ever good fantasy or scifi novel written in the past fifty years. So, we might not all be multi-talented nerds, but we are all nerds! You have book worms, comic nerds, gamer girls, computer geeks, science nerds, and I'm probably missing a few.

As annoying as being a true nerd can be at times, its also so very, very rewarding!
Since the Star Wars franchise was bought by Disney, I have received numerous emails, messages and in person questions about what I know and how its going to be. To that, for now, I can only say no good will come of this...
                                        

There is nothing better then having a conversation about the many comic movies that have been made and which ones are best, which ones are true to the comics, and which are a disgrace to watch. When I hear people say crazy and inaccurate things about my beloved obsessions, I can't help but laugh and correct them, or rather inform them for the greater good.

A few weeks back I was having a nerd convo with a friend of mine. I was telling her that my sister would rather die then admit she didn't know who Anakin's dad was. My friend, dear sweet (book nerd) friend, says with so much confidence...
"His dad is Darth Vader, right?"
...and to that, I laughed for about five minutes! She is not a movie or comic nerd, so the mistake is not only hilarious, but completely understandable considering she hasn't watched the movies or read the books. We both look back on that and laugh as I make fun of her relentlessly :) 
Same friend, oddly enough, was watching A New Hope with me and her son. When Darth Vader appeared on screen, his first appearance in the movie which has always been a moment of breath taking awe to me, he asks...
"Is that an Angry Pig?" 
...and at the very moment I cringed and had to stop myself from cursing those stupid fucking Angry Bird games for making the youth of today think that the Sith Lord is a angry piggy. Not five minutes later, the same little boy, asked me what something was in the movie, see exhibit A.
                             EXHIBIT A: Sad, sad remake Jabba

                                       


To his question, I had but one answer:
"Its what we call a unnecessary digital remastered additional scene that a man called George Lucas decided was a 'good idea' and nearly ruined the greatest trilogy ever created. Also, destroying my imagine of Jabba almost more so then the whole Yoda fiasco." See exhibit B.

                          EXHIBIT B: The Real Jabba    
                              

That is my opinion. Deal with it!

Besides getting to correct people on nerd things, I also adore the looks of amazement that I get, mostly from nerdy guys, when they realized that I'm not the poser chick that we previously discussed! When I walk into a comic shop and know exactly what I'm looking for, and can even talk about the newest changes and series, I get looks that make me feel like a Greek Goddess who was just seen by a mortal. Its a fucking awesome thing.

Most recently I found out that people love when you put your nerd passion on display for the world to see. So, I did my tip jar at work Tina Style, and got more tips then normal.

Lets take a moment to admire my glorious handy work :)

 

I'm officially on my way to the Jedi Academy! FUCKING WIN!

So, being a nerd has its ups and its downs. Its annoyances and its rewards. But, at the end of the day, the world of Nerdom rules all and we, plain and simple, rule the fucking world!

I'm not claiming to be the know-it-all female nerd. I actually consider myself a lower lever nerd, and I know there are some amazing, kick ass chicks out there that could educate me on all nerdy matters. So, if you want to read this and then bitch about how I don't know my shit, feel free. You are an idiot, because its a blog. Online. An ONLINE BLOG! Which is my opinions and thoughts and feelings and all that shit no one really cares about.

I'm going to use this blog to talk about my favorite shows, movies, comics, books and document my many nerd experiences with cosplay, comic cons and my new passion which is Role Playing Games.

If you don't like what I write, move along! Nothing to see here!

If you do like what I write, you are probably extremely bored. But, awesome, non the less!

So, for now, my pets, I am done writing. Mostly because I want to finish watching Being Human and its more important then boring you with my writing.

TINA OUT!