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Why is all media so boring right now
Feb. 12th, 2023 08:09 amI was rewatching a Harry Potter movie yesterday, because I was having one of those bleh days when new or remotely challenging content was just too hard and because the Inescapable Discourse from Hell keeps putting Potterverse back on my brain every time I come online, does anyone know a blocker that works on mobile, asking for a friend. I knew I wouldn’t like it, because I’ve never liked the movies, but apparently my single viewing of HBP all those years ago wasn’t enough to impress on me just how incoherent it is both as an adaptation of the book and as a film in its own right. Why does the Weasley house catch fire? Why do all the characters act like weakly characterised fanfic versions of their book selves? Why is Snape completely fine with Harry slicing Malfoy to bloody ribbons? Why does the whole bezoar thing get reduced to Harry just magically knowing how to save Ron with a rare potions ingredient he’s never used before that Slughorn just happens to have on his person? It’s so dumb. I have no idea how movie-only fans even know what’s going on. There’s so much I can only follow because I have the books memorised - all this essential detail that they just slashed, without any corresponding adjustment to the major plot points that depend on it.
Anyway, this video essay does a pretty good job articulating a lot of what’s wrong with the characterisation, specifically with the trio, specifically with Ron. Critical post-mortems are always fun, but not as fun as an actually decent adaptation would have been.
In general I’m still not having a lot of luck finding media that holds my attention. Currently on the backburner are a book about women in the French Resistance during WWII and a grand thematic overview of WWI, which are both excellent from what I’ve read so far, but I just don’t have the energy to keep going at the moment. I started Francis Kilvert’s journals expecting a relaxing meander through the life of a Victorian country clergyman, but I failed to osmose beforehand that the guy is a creep with brazen paedophilic leanings. I’d love to go back in time and unread those first few pages on the charms of breastfeeding mothers and little girls from Sunday school, but I’ll have to settle for DNFing the rest with prejudice.
I think I might try rereading The Silmarillion next. It’s been ages, and since I have Rings of Power on the brain anyway, I might as well refresh myself on Tolkien lore.
Anyway, this video essay does a pretty good job articulating a lot of what’s wrong with the characterisation, specifically with the trio, specifically with Ron. Critical post-mortems are always fun, but not as fun as an actually decent adaptation would have been.
In general I’m still not having a lot of luck finding media that holds my attention. Currently on the backburner are a book about women in the French Resistance during WWII and a grand thematic overview of WWI, which are both excellent from what I’ve read so far, but I just don’t have the energy to keep going at the moment. I started Francis Kilvert’s journals expecting a relaxing meander through the life of a Victorian country clergyman, but I failed to osmose beforehand that the guy is a creep with brazen paedophilic leanings. I’d love to go back in time and unread those first few pages on the charms of breastfeeding mothers and little girls from Sunday school, but I’ll have to settle for DNFing the rest with prejudice.
I think I might try rereading The Silmarillion next. It’s been ages, and since I have Rings of Power on the brain anyway, I might as well refresh myself on Tolkien lore.
