so long since my last update ... i even wrote half an entry ... but it wasn't perfect enough to make it

Hell Week OVER!!! (LS182 Paper, Marketing Midterm-bad, LS182-def bad, Marketing Presentation-hate grp projects)

ok now that the academic complaining is over ... on to the long overdue HARRY POTTER - POA REVIEW (disclaimer: my opinions so if you don't agree - tell me or just plain get over it!)

i went on opening day (hence the overdue part) ... every screen was either sold out WAY early or at least by 30mins b4 the show. there were sooo many people! i was SO excited!

unfortunately, the movie itself did not live up to my expectations. it was a joyride along the way, and because of my hp dedication i even convinced myself i "loved" it afterwards.

BUT ... the more i think about it now, the more BITTER i am! it was 80% fluff and 20% substance (maybe why some dumbass ppl think it's the best hp movie ever - i enjoy fluff too, but NOT at the dispense of substance).

to be fair. it was NOT a BAD movie. at least, not taken by itself. it was creative and pretty funny. SOME of the added features and sceneries had favorable effects. the special effects were pretty cool too. of course, the best thing for me is the improved acting by the kids and the expected brilliant performances by the adults. dan radcliffe still seems somewhat awkward, but emma watson got a lot better. i love rupert almost as much as i love ron, which is a lot, and i even enjoyed the new dumbledore. emma thompson is the BEST!

BUT (yes there always is one) - in their attempt to "make something of their own", the director and crew fail to realize this movie IS A PART OF A BELOVED SERIES.

first of all, what's wrong w/staying faithful to the book?! THERE'S A REASON HP IS SO POPULAR; CUZ THE BOOKS WERE THAT GOOD! THERE SHOULDN'T BE SHAME IN FOLLOWING THE BOOK FOR THE MOVIE!!!

ok i understand it's a movie, and not everything can make it from the book to the big screen. i'm ok with that - EXCEPT MANY CHANGES OR ADDITIONS WERE TOTALLY UNNECESSARY AND SOME STUFF THEY CUT OUT TOTALLY COULD'VE BEEN INCLUDED!

to illustrate, i summed up my 3 main problems/disappointments w/the movie:

1) it SHOULDN'T be so disconnected from the first 2 films. i think perhaps i would've liked this better had it been more consistent w/the first two (or i guess if it were the first or only hp movie made), but NOooo they changed BOTH the substance and the look of the hp world.

the above criticism is best seen from the scenery - HOGWARTS LOOKS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT! (walk to hagrid's hut, clock tower) - sure they were pretty (again, FLUFF), but since the set was already established in the first 2 films, i felt really displaced with the change. it didn't add anything to the movie other than buff up the director's ego (i read in a magazine he wanted to change a lot of things at first but toned down after realizing he needed to "serve the movies and not his own ego"). well i think he should've toned it down some more!

how am i to ever watch a hp marathon now, it would be so incoherent ... damn cuaron - damn you to HELL!

2) the change of scenery wasn't all bad i s'pose - the flight on buckbeak was quite magnificent - BUT! for all the time this STUPID CUARON was willing to allot to harry flying on BB, he couldn't spare just 30 SECONDS to EXPLAIN THE MARAUDER MAP AND THE RELATIONSHIPS OF PRONGS, PADFOOT, MOONY, AND WORMTAIL?!?!?! WTF WTF WTF!!!

ok shit i accidentally just erased a HUGE chunck of what i wrote (DAMMIT!) ... i think it went something to the effect of CUARON IS STUPID - he adds all this stuff, but it's NOT cuz he's a good director, it's juss cuz he's too DUMB and INCOMPETENT to HANDLE THE ORIGINAL. i mean anyone can come up with crazy wild ideas (such as cuaron and his add a graveyard to hogwarts plan), but it takes talent to know to restrain yourself and to serve the work and not your own ambition! cuaron failed miserably in his self restraint.

i mean cmon! the shrunken head got more screen time than ginny or even crookshanks!!!

3) *this part got erased too (i'm SUCH a klutz; i wanted to copy it so i won't lose the work; instead i accidentally pasted smthg in it's place; fudge!)*

luckily this was a big problem for me, so i remember pretty well. the misplacement of the FIREBOLT impacted 3 major issues. first it was the CRAPPIEST ending of any hp film. what a cope out! so LAME! aside from the obvious, the lack of the firebolt in its rightful place undermined the tension between the trio throughout the year. ron and herm FOUGHT CONSTANTLY, and b/c of the firebolt, harry was mad at herm too. yet one could hardly see these internal conflicts from this movie. and finally, the introduction of this broom at the end evaded the fact gryff WON THE QUIDDITCH CUP! i mean it may not be THAT important, but at least it was more so than some stupid "hogwarts choir"! at least worth a mention!!!

* ok back to the original *

4) ok yeah i know i said 3 main problems - this is just some other things i was bothered by: * didn't feel magical * ron did not have a big role and he is NOT COWARDLY! * hermione gets all the good lines (esp RON'S good lines!) * tom of the leaky cauldron is a hunchback?! what? * draco is not THAT whimpy * ron would NEVER agree w/snape (outloud)! he stuck up for herm!(yeah i'm sticking up for ron big time) * harry does magic way BEFORE he blows up aunt marge (ie "lumos" instead of flashlight like in book) - inconsistency WITHIN the movie * who's that skinny kid w/draco who's not goyle(or crabbe)? and who's that chubby black kid who's not dean thomas? * using the "immobilus" charm on the whomping willow ... HAS CUARON EVEN READ THE BK (i mean i'm seriously beginning to believe the cliff notes rumor!) ... if that charm would work, hermione could've done it! made the tree much less intriguing and magical (used to NOT explain the marauders' relationships/past) * lack of crookshanks (possibly b/c they used the "immobilus" to NOT mention marauders' past) *

... i'll stop there - i guess i had more problems w/this movie than i expected ... like i said, maybe i'm juss a kid at heart, but i liked the magical 1st two movies better. i don't mind a movie being dark. in fact, it was not at all what bothered me in this movie. it's all the other changes that were just too much. (btw this movie was NOT SCARY AT ALL - and this is coming from the biggest wimp ever - trelawney's prediction was prolly the creepiest moment of the entire film)

i don't think the director deserved all those praises for changing the hp universe the way he did. just cuz he DARED to make it different does NOT make him a genius. after all there is a very thin line between a courageous man and a fool.

i'm kinda glad in a way this movie is not doing so well (mixed with sadness cuz it's hp), but it's not cuz i'm not a loyal fan, more like i want a msg sent to WB to be careful about the next movie. i'll probably get the dvd tho ... i hope the next movie would be better ...

PS. My theory on the performance of this movie: it COULD have done so much better. the 3rd book was so many hp fans' favorite! (including myself) this explains the big opening weekend (i wasn't surprised it surpassed SS).

many people did love this movie, but these same ppl didn't hate the first two (prolly juss thought it was so-so). on the other hand, fans like me hated or were EXTREMELY disappointed by it. (and we tended to love the first two, esp in comparison) thus, the huge drop in box office is very much predictable for me (i don't buy the summer competition; the other movies haven't done that well. and the other 2 hp's had LOTR to compete with). people who loved this movie prolly went to see it again, but all those ppl who hated it stopped going (whereas all these ppl prolly went multiple times for the first 2 movies).

seems the reactions for this film were: "this was the best!" or "this was disappointing", or "this was crap" ...

<sigh> wow i wonder how many ppl would actually read this  man, i was SO hyped for this ... i sooo wanted to love it ... reality is sad

* Edit * YUP! OFFICIALLY PULLED MY FIRST ACADEMIC ALL NIGHTER  

what's sad is it actually got WORSE from there! and it's only 11!!! this day has already been bad+horrible+bizzar/twilightzone ...

first ... all nighter pulled (NO SLEEP; can you imagine that! it's ME! me who gets like 8 hrs every frickin day!!!) - already pissy pissy mood - paper is a bunch of CRAP!

then ... go to 8am class - brought the WRONG reader AND FORGOT TO BRING A PEN!

the only thing i had was my palm, which i used to scribble notes on (yeah can you imagine how that is. graffiti is NOT efficient! i caught like every 10 words)

perhaps it was cuz i was half asleep and bent over my palm trying to take notes faster ... obviously the professor thought i was a problem child and PICKED ON ME!

tried to answer but my throat suddenly got all stuffed up, and he kept repeting "I CAN'T HEAR YOU" even tho he was like standing right next to me (yeah i didn't even know what was coming outta my mouth; it was like "grritahsh")

yeah found out my paper is officially CRAP (cuz i guess i juss didn't understand the exact point the guy is trying to make ... ppl should write shorter stuff and get to the point fast! don't blubber for 15 pages and write about the main point for like 2 paragraphs - ok exaggerating, it was like 2 pages but still)

after getting on my prof's bad side and having an embarrassing class session ... went home cuz i REALLY need rest!

AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT, MY FRICKIN DEADBOLT WOULDN'T BUDGE ... i spent 10 mins trying to twist my key and it just wasn't opening! i was missing my bed so much standing outside our apt door - so close yet so farrr!

so finally i gave up and went to find our apt manager, had to wait for them to finish washing hair etc etc (long story). so anyway, as i think "this day can't get any worse", it DOES ...

when the guy FINALLY finishes everything and comes w/me, i'm like ok lemme try my key again - and WHAT'D YOU KNOW, THE LOCK TURNS THE SECOND I PUT MY KEY IN!!! WHAT THE F*CK!!!! IS GOD JUST PLAYING A REALLY REALLY CRUEL JOKE ON ME OR WHAT?!?!?!? I STILL CAN'T FIGURE IT OUT - IT WAS DEFINITELY LIKE JAMMED AND NOT TURNING (and i'm SURE i had the right door cuz my key worked on the knob)

yeah so apart from being kinda freaked out at the 180 my LOCK pulled on me (seriously literally everyTHING is against me today!), i made a total food of myself. our apartment's already been having key trouble for the past week. now on top of that i prolly just rang the "PSYCHO" alert on myself.

now my internet is being really SLOW too >/

yeah ain't life grand

ok and now i'm so upset i can't fall asleep ... i have class in an hr anyway ... bugger  - it'll be my best record yet ... no sleep in over 24 hrs (yeah i know this isn't so much for most college students, but again, this is me!)

ok ok ok ... CHILL ... HARRY POTTER 3 MORE DAYS!!!!!!!! the only thg keeping me going rt now ...

i hate myself! WHY do i ALWAYS procrastinate!!! and see?! i'm STILL procrastinating right now, even as i am hating myself for it!  sad sad ...

3:30 in the morning ... been trying to START my paper for the past 5 hrs! yeah ... it's due 8am ... i think i'm gonna die ... or pull my first academically related all nighter ... or both ... am i even making sense? I CAN'T DO IT! I JUST CAN'T!!!

anyway, easy to see summer school has started. yup, i had my 2 days of break  moved sunday (i really like my new place; you ppl still in/near berkeley, come visit!) ... still really tired and sore from it. i really hate summer school ... so much work crammed into such a short period.

and the wolves LOST  it's pretty official. the lakers will win it all ... GODDAMMIT!!! as if it wasn't a bad enough day already (&#$@&#*^

ok no more excuses ... really need to just type that first sentence ... maybe that'll get the ball rolling

5/11 - Econ Quiz
5/13 - Econ problem set
5/18 - Econ Final (this class is hopeless for me so BLAH!)
5/19 - Legal Studies 141 (24hr take home) Final
5/21 - Legal Studies 161 Final

5/24 - First Day Summer Classes (yea wtf?)

AND i just realized i won't have more than 5 days of break until christmas!!! (nooooo!)

that being said, i think i deserve some compensation  

So here's my WISH list:

1) let me do well on finals (ok econ's hopeless, but how bout the other ones )

2) let the spurs beat the lakers! (pleeeeeease, or at least let SOMEONE beat the lakers ... but preferably the spurs )

3) let me find a good internship (if not then a high paying job would be much appreciated)

4) let the third HARRY POTTER film be really really REALLY good! (anyone up for opening night? )

5) let me find a way to move all my stuff (TWICE!)

6) let the olympics entertain me (almost forgot about that!)

* note * the even numbered ones seem MUCH more LIKELY ...

* there's prolly more; i'm just too lazy  (please let me be less lazy?)

* note #2 * i'm only writing all this to avoid studying for my quiz (who gives a quiz on the last day of class?! esp when the last midterm was only the week before! )

it's SUCH a nice day (well the weather's been really nice the entire week come to think of it; only i was too sleep-deprived to notice)

yesterday was a BAD day  i had this huge desire to vent on here, but i controlled myself as xanga isn't suppose to be for venting only ... or is it  . whatever i'll vent about yesterday anyway (but at least i'm doing this while i'm in a good mood!). i get up at 6:30, with only 4 hrs of sleep and wrote my paper ... finished at 12:40 (when the class starts) ... got to class late (obviously, but as it turns out there are a lot of my kind in that class). THEN ... off to take my rhetoric FINAL. it was pretty easy (::knocks on wood::). then i realized in my rush to leave and turn in the paper, i forgot to program friends (cuz i planned on watching the sneak peak for troy)! so since i did finish my final early, i went home (this is a big feat as i leave farrrrr from campus; i've never gone home in the middle of the day!) to set my vcr. when i got home tho, i found my housemate had ALREADY programed it. so that was a waste of time, energy, and anxiety. then on my way back to school (i was late to my ls161 class for the FIRST TIME!), i realized i FORGOT the troy tickets (i had it in my purse too! but i switched bags while i was home ... ).

so basically for an already SUPER SUCKY day, the last straw came when i waited in line for troy (which starts at 8!) at 5 (yes  there are a lot of "hard-core ppl here) and STILL DIDN'T GET IN (#(@&#$^(@&$^  because of SUPERB'S STUPIDITY and frickin LINE-CUTTERS. we were not that far from the beginning of the line and people just kept coming. that was 2+ hours of waiting for NOTHING  . the biggest hoot is those IDIOT SUPERB PEOPLE. they were rude, kept moving the line (from one side of the stree to the other, yes , which offered some people a better chance to cut), didn't believe us when we were like well we were here at 5, and finally their JOKE OF A "SLOGAN" (which i saw as a sign later) - "in order to prevent cutting, we ask you to make sure all your friends are here by 6:45 so they can receive the stamp/voucher" ( again ). is it just me or does that just spell "MAKE SURE ALL THE CUTTING HAPPENS BEFORE 6:45!!!" what's EVEN MORE DUMB is for such a big movie opening they didn't even start ticketing EARLIER cuz they didn't want to confuse THE CUTTERS who would think 6:45 is the time to be there (pretty much one of em's exact words)! ARE THESE PEOPLE FRICKIN RETARDS?!?!?! WHY THE F*CK ARE THEY EVEN AT CAL?! DUMBASSES I KNOW THEY'RE NOT GONNA SUCCEED IN LIFE WITH THAT LOGIC AND THOSE ATTITUDES!!!

now that that's over with =P it really IS a NICE day =) i got my RA training exceptions request approved, i caught up on sleep ... i'm a very happy camper right now ... but if only i can get my revenge for the troy thg ...