movie spoilers ahoy

[fox]

1.  AUGH SIRIUS!  AND REMUS!  Actually, it wasn't quite as gutting as I remember it being in the book.  With the book, I recall it being several minutes before I could turn the page.  And I put the thing on the shelf when I was done and haven't been able to re-read it since then.  This -- they made a valiant effort, complete with the soundtrack giving way completely to the score and the Another Adult character holding back the Young Hero from running after the Fallen One, etc. etc. ... pretty much, they did everything except have Sirius actually say "Fly, you fools" (someone would also have had to remind him that Dumbledore is the Gandalf figure here), but it didn't have quite the same impact.  ALL THE SAME, though, AUGH!

2.  It's a nice touch, how when the centaurs come over the rise in the forest, Umbridge gets behind the kids.  Quite the anti-Snape, isn't she.  Given the relative importance of the characters, I suggest this tells us more about Snape than it does about her -- and that's all I'm going to say about that.  (It's not speculation if you've been right all along.)

3.  Speaking of Snape, this is a true conversation that took place after we had ice cream:

jgesteve:  And by the way?  Young Snape was kind of hot.
darthfox:  OLD Snape was kind of hot!  Where the hell have you BEEN for the past five films?!
fafou:  I don't know about that, man.
darthfox:  You, you get a pass.
fafou:  No, I can see the attraction of Alan Rickman.  Just not as Snape.  What else has he been in?
darthfox:  ...
darthfox:  ...
darthfox:  ...

I had to sit down, y'all.  sanj and neotoma and ellen_fremedon and jgesteve reminded her of some of Alan Rickman's resume, and the next sentence out of her mouth was "Oh, that's right, he was in Die Hard!  I'd forgotten."  I damn near wept.