So with the saga finally ending after 7 books, 8 films and just over 14 years I felt that this needed to be commemorated in the only way I know how- watching the movies, all of them, back to back- that's from the start to end credits without a break. It seemed the only logical way to me.
Hold up, surely I'll will need a toilet break/food etc? Indeed I will and that's where the credits come in. From when those credits start rolling until I need to change the film over should give me 5-7 minutes to sort myself out and get ready for the next film. I'll just have to make sure I don't drink too much at the start and will have some snacks by my side to keep me company.
Cue the live(ish) updates and this should make for an interesting (and rather long) post (quite probably with some SPOILERS for the first 7 films- you should have seen them all by now anyway):
THE END: And so my challenge has been completed and for some reason I have the urge to go and watch the final film now. Shame I still have to wait for a week. I leave you with one final pointless fact: the official Hogwarts school motto is Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus. A very important rule that you should carry through life with you always... Never tickle a sleeping dragon. Cheers for reading and I'll see you all in the cinemas.
16h 53m: Mini review- Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part I [2010]. The first part of the final book did the job of setting up the second one and did it well. Rating: B-
16h 41m: And just like that it's all over. That wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be although my back is a wee bit stiff. 12 minutes of credits for those who are interested. Typical my longest break and it's at the end!
16h 37m: O now he is the stuff of legends. Bye bye mini man.
16h 31m: Isn't Dobby a legend! Why don't they just send 10 elves against Voldemort. It would be a guaranteed win.
16h 20m: Like the animation sketch scenes that recount the tale of the deathly hallows.
16h 16m: Ron is bringing some good comedy now that he is back.
16h 13m: Pointless fact: The Weasley twins aren't actually redheads which means that they had to die their hair ginger for 10 years. Haha.
16h 00m: This film feels very different from all of the other and not just because it's not set in Hogwarts. More like a quest.
15h 49m: Dumbledore loves being cryptic. 'I open at the close'. Why didn't he just leave them a set of numbered instructions.
15h 43m: Think Ron is having a midlife crisis.
15h 35m: Pointless fact: M Night Shyamalan was interested in directing the first part of Deathly Hallows. Thank go he didn't, I'm sure he would have ruined it/added a few too many plot twists at the end.
15h 23m: The freaky cat plates are back. That woman is obsessed.
15h 12m: Aww Umbridge is still alive. Damn.
15h 01m: Damn wedding crashers always know how to ruin a good party.
14h 55m: Dumbledore sure did leave some crap in his will.
14h 42m: Instead of flying, why didn't they just teleport Harry? Voldemort Vs Potter Rd 6. Potter breaks Voldemort's borrowed wand. Half win. 3.5-1.5 Potter
14h 38m: Pointless fact: Final Dumbledore goodbye fact. He was outed by Rowling after she read through the script for the film and found a line where Dumbledore mentioned a girl he had a crush on when younger. Rowling then informed the writers that he was gay.
14h 25m: Mini review- Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince [2009]. Starting to realise that Harry Potter has done a lot in his 6 school years. Number 3 on my list of best Potter films so far. Could have been better if it had that final battle scene. Rating: C+
14h 16m: Down to the final one then and only a 9 minute break.
14h 08m: Ciao Mr D. RIP x Lived to the ripe old age of 115.
14h 05m: What annoys me more than stuff not in the book being shown then (see 13h 19m), them cutting out the massive battle scene at the end of the book aargh. First time I watched it was such a massive anticlimax. Can just about understand why though, they didn't want to repeat themselves in the final film now did they.
13h 58m: I'm sure a straw would have been much easier than half a shell for drinking out of.
13h 48m: It's horcrux time! Da da da da, da da, da da.
13h 41m: Aragog has definitely shrunk in size since the last time I saw him.
13h 33m: Seems Malfoy is feeling the strain and Harry is facing attempted murder charges until Snape shows up to save the day.
13h 30m: Hermione and Ron get together. O wait no they don't... young love!
13h 19m: NOT IN THE BOOK! NOT ON THE BOOK! (When deatheaters visit the Weasley house at Christmas) This only annoys me slightly. You will find out later what annoys me more.
13h 09m: Hermione "She only likes you because your the chosen one." Harry "But I am the chosen one." SMACK. Best moment so far. Haha
13h 05m: Your getting with the wrong wench Ron, geesz sort it out! Granger over Lavender Brown any day!
12h 57m: Harry likes Ginny. Harry likes Ginny (and Hermione just worked it out). Ron likes Hermione. Ron likes Hermione.
12h 48m: Quidditch returns for the first time at Hogwarts since the second movie. It's been a while and I'm glad it's back.
12h 43m: Tom Riddle from the orphanage is in fact Ralph Fiennes' (aka Voldemort) nephew.
12h 38m: Pointless fact: Three owls play Hedwig: Gizmo, Ook and Sprout, but mainly Gizmo.
12h 15m: The continuity between all the films is rather shocking. The Weasley's house is in a different location every time.
12h 07m: Seems Harry Potter has turned into a train fanatic- "I enjoy riding on the trains". O and for those who were wondering- cheese. It's a cheese sandwich.
12h 02m: Mini review- Harry Potter and The Order Of The Phoenix [2007]. Now the biggest problem with this one is that it has crammed so much into such a short space of time. Large chunks of the story are missing and it all feels too rushed. I liked the way in which the scenes were broken up with newspaper cuts. Can't fault the sets but it didn't quite work. On a par with the The Chamber Of Secrets. Rating: C+
11h 53m: "We've got one thing that Voldemort doesn't have. Something worth fighting for". Gag. On the home stretch. Only 2 left. I feel like a sandwich (not literally, I'm just hungry). 9 minutes to make it- I think I can manage that.
11h 47m: When Voldemort possesses Harry, Radcliffe was not a fan of contacts so he had his eyes changed by CGI instead. Finally Fudge gets it, Voldemort is ack. Talk about banging your head against a brick wall.
11h 45m: And the bell strikes. Voldemort Vs Potter Rd 5. Sparks fly but Potter just cowers in the corner while Dumbledore has all the fun. Tied 3-1.5 Potter.
11h 42m: Two things to note, Lucius has the coolest wand holder and Sirius has left the land of the living.
11h 35m: Into the Department of Mysteries we go which was the first completely computer-generated set used. Building the set would have been too expensive as an estimated 15000 crystal balls would have been needed- it woulda got messy! Welcome to the party Helena Bonham Carter aka Bellatrix Lestrange.
11h 29m: Sayonara Umbridge. Centaur's come to the rescue again. This makes me happy :D
11h 24m: Now there's another way to get out of exams- fireworks. Damn you hindsight why didn't I have any fireworks in my exams!!!
11h 09m: Pointless factoid: Grint owns an ice cream truck, not really sure why. [Insert generic kiddy fiddler joke here if you want.]
10h 53m: Potter finally gets his jig on with Cho. Ron: "How was it?" Harry: "Wet" Hehe. Merry Christmas!!!
10h 44m: Seems like more money was spent on this movie than the others. Lots of impressive detailed sets and better visuals too.
10h 35m: Good news for me. Despite being the longest book in the series, this is the shortest film at 2 hours and 18 minutes.
10h 25m: And what is her obsession with cats?
10h 12m: Who else finds Umbridge exceptionally annoying?
9h 58m: Kreacher. Such a happy house elf. Not in the original script but drafted in on Rowling's demands due to his importance in future films.
9h 48m: Mini review- Harry Potter and The Goblet Of Fire [2006]. I think this slots into 2nd place behind The Prisoner of Azkaban. More action and CGI but not quite up to the top spot. Rating: B-
9h 35m: Ended on a bit of a bummer. 13 minutes of credits, time to stretch the legs. 3 more to go!
9h 29m: Hot off the press Lord Voldemort is back!!!
9h 21m: Volemort Vs Potter Rd 4. 1 death for Voldemort and he returns to power. Voldemort wins. 3-1.5 to Potter.
9h 17m: Biggest shock of the series so far Lucius Malfoy is a deatheater. Wowzers.
9h 13m: Voldemort in person returns to the screen after 2 films missing and the first proper death. So long happy go lucky potter films, hello dark and disturbing ones.
8h 58m: Ooo I'm past the halfway stage. Go me!
8h 46m: He's gone bloody swimming with them now. Surely wizards have some magical thing they can do to their eyes to make them see properly. O yeh contact lenses.
8h 42m: Who takes a bath with their glasses on?
8h 29m: The troubling times of asking a girl out to a dance. All of a sudden it's as if they're at high school and in the real world. "All of a sudden she was walking by. You know how I like it when they walk" HA classic Ron.
8h 20m: Pointless fact time: Professor Flitwick (Warwick Davis) also played an Ewok in the Star Wars films.
8h 05m: Why is it that all the main characters need a haircut?
8h 01m: Another lover's tiff this time between Harry and Ronald (seems whenever someone is angry with Ron he's called Ronald).
7h 51m: Potter's gone and got himself into the Triwizard tournament. Can't he have just one year without anything interesting happening to him?
7h 38m: There seems to be some sort of firey goblet. Wonder what that does?
7h 33m: Krum. Krum. Krum. Central character and yet he only gets 2 lines and 20 words in the whole film.
7h 15m: Easy peasy. Mini review- Harry Potter and The Prisoner Of Azkaban [2004]. As I said was my favourite books and in fact also my favourite of the films so far. Starting to move away from merely a kids story to a darker undertone. Acting improves again, as does the graphics and the plot. Rating: B
7h 04m: Last 40 mins of that film flew by. Yes 11 minutes of credits, lets see if I can make some soup in that time for my dinner!
6h 59m: Time for another pointless fact. Did you know that Michael Jackson pitched to do musical version of Harry Potter but Rowling shot him down fearing it would impact negatively on the film franchise.
6h 47m: Now ain't that clever, subtly putting a very quiet ticking sound in the soundtrack for parts of the time travel scenes.
6h 33m: Best scenes of the trilogy so far in and after the Shrieking Shack! Revelations and a bit of action to boot.
6h 21m: Hermoine throws her punch at Draco. Haha. Followed by a lover's tiff between Ron and her.
6h 05m: The director sure loves showing the changing of the seasons in this film not quite sure why.
5h 53m: Forgot to mention, we have a new Dumbledore. (Richard Harris ,who died 2 weeks after the end of filming the second movie is replaced by Michael Gambon)
5h 35m: Hermione grabbing for Ronald's hand, the tension is growing! And that's not all that's growing nudge nudge wink wink.
5h 25m: Music has got a lot funkier and varied in this film.
5h 12m: I think one of my favourite characters is now Ernie the bus driver or perhaps Tom the innkeepers aid. What lads!
5h 10m: The 3rd and shortest film so far at 2 hours and 16 minutes and also my favourite of all the books. Lets see how it goes.
5h 02m: Mini review- Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets [2002] Better than the first- a lot funnier with more action and the acting was vastly improved. A better storyline as well. Rating: C+
5h 00m: Turns out there was a post credits scene, never knew that. Lockhart babbling the Potter theme tune.
4h 51m: Let's all clap Hagrid, corny finish! 9 minute credit break, O yeh!
4h 47m: And the first sign of something brewing between Ron and Hermione. Awkward moment. Also if all it takes to get exams cancelled is a couple of near deaths, I don't think the students of Hogwarts are going to be that busy over the next 5 years
4h 45m: I get the feeling that Mr Malfoy might not be one of the good guys...
4h 37m: Ding ding Potter Vs Voldemort Rd 3. Lasting the full distance, I'm giving it on points to Potter. (Voldemort gets a half for running it close). 3-0.5.
4h 30m: Ginny opened the Chamber of secrets and Tom Marvolo Riddle is Lord Voldemort... say what!?! (Marvolo is a funny middle name, wonder how long it took for Rowling to make the anagram work?)
4h 19m: Another pointless fact: Shirley Henderson (Moaning Myrtle) is the oldest actress (37 years old) to play a Hogwart's student.
4h 12m: I wanted more action and I'm getting it. A car chase with spiders- nice!
4h 03m: Pointless fact: Robbie Coltrane's 6'10" body double for Hagrid is former England rugby international, Martin Bayfield.
3h 47m: Quite possibly the worst cat costume around. The costume people should have been fired for that, it just looks so so fake.
3h 37m: Aww poor Fawkes the phoenix. There is never a good time to self-combust.
3h 21m: For someone who just broke their arm, Harry sure can put a lot of weight on it!
3h 17m: Best insult so far from Malfoy to Harry- "Alright there scar head!" Ooo. O no he didn't!!!
3h 03m: Forgot to mention earlier that fourteen Ford Anglias were destroyed to create the scene where Harry and Ron crash into the Whomping Willow, how did they get through so many?
2h 53m: I think I've laughed more in the first 25 minutes of this film than I did during the whole of the last.
2h 45m: Pointless fact: Did you know that Spielberg nearly ended up directing the Harry Potter movies... as animated features!
2h 29m: Radcliffe's voice has broken and we welcome Dobby the self flagellating house elf to the mixture.
2h 26m: Mini review- Harry Potter and The Philosopher's Stone [2001] Mildly entertaining with great music composed by John Williams but too much chit chat and not enough action. And the acting was atrocious. Rating: C
2h 18m: 8 minutes of credits get through now... break time!
2h 12m: Cheeeeesey moment to the max as the 3 friends are reunited.
2h 05m: Potter Vs Voldemort Rd 2. (Voldemort still has a nose!) 2-0 Potter. Win by TKO
1h 58m: During the wizards chess game what would have happened if Harry, Hermione or Ron had to destroy one of their massive opposing statues?
1h 44m: The first Potter/Voldemort meeting. 1-0 thanks to a certain centaur.
1h 38m: Pointless fact: Did you know that Robbie Coltrane (Hagrid) was the very first person to be cast for the Harry Potter movies. Well you do now.
1h 17m: After receiving a particularly broom-shaped package the kids seem dumbfounded as to what it could be... hmm. Just discovered that people play muggle quidditch in real life! People are strange aren't they.
1h 00m: Woo 1 hour done... only a few more to go!
0h 55m: It's not just Radcliffe, all the kid actors are appalling at acting.
0h 45m: It feels a bit like a lecture in all things Potter so far. Every line is a who's who of characters or a what's what of objects.
0h 36m: Haha they all look way to young, especially Watson.
0h 32m: The famous 9 3/4 platform at King's Cross but actually filmed on platforms 4 and 5.
0h 21m: Damn this Radcliffe guy cannot act.
0h 13m: Just a thought, if anyone ends up reading this while I'm still doing the challenge please keep me sane by leaving comments either below this post or on the sites Twitter page @ FAbFilms
0h 8m: I've just been working out how long this is going to take- 17 hours and 32 minutes. Hmm first investment needed during the first credit break... a better cushion!
0h 0m: In The Beginning...
The time is 1PM and my insane plan is under way. Wish me luck!
