This is the time turner that they sell as a keychain at the park in Universal Studios. It's only $12.95 + S&H and it's very very nice! I took off the key ring, and put it on a big, old, golden chain. For the price; it's just as nice as the noble replica.

SO glad that I finally have one of these

At any rate, the site sells a LOT of merchandise that they sell in the park. . . . I plan on using this as a "Christmas Wish List"

Oh, I have that time turner, it was on my keyring, but unfortunatly the hour glass part of it fell off and now it's just the outside ring. It does make grabbing my keys in my purse super easy though.
Apart from that, I also have the Crookshanks plushie (So cute, and looks enough like a real cat that the other day I scared a live cat into thinking Crookshanks was real...as well as countless guests who have been like "since when did you get a cat?"), and a keychain with the Slytherin symbol on it. I have a friend who makes regular trips to Universal.

Speaking of Universal (thanks for reminding me of it!), I saw on Mugglenet yesterday that they're planning on expanding the park! They're planning a Hogwarts Express Ride and a Gringotts Mine Ride, along with a few park expansions. These are rumors at this point. . . but fairly concrete rumors.

Val, do you have a link or a picture of that Crookshanks plushie? I didn't see it on the Universal site.

Interesting DiGoRyKiRkE and King_Erlian - I understand that everyone has different views of performances and my take on Dumbledore is different from both of you. But I find both of your views really interesting!

I don't think that Tom Baker would have made a good Dumbledore. I like the actor, but I don't think it would have been a good fit.

Richard Harris was wonderful in the role - I thought that his performances were amazing! His Dumbledore showed wisdom, humor, and a genuine affection for not only Harry, but for the other students (the way that he delivers the lines about Neville standing up to his friends in Sorcerer's Stone and the look that he exchanges with Ron in Chamber of Secrets when Hagrid says that "some bloody bird named Errol" caused his delay on being release - two small examples of what I mean). He WAS Dumbledore. And his movements flowed - he walked and moved with purpose.

I know he died so I know they had to recast - but I never liked Michael Gambon in the role. To be fair, part of the problem, for me,was wardrobe - the character went from wearing rich looking robes to wearing robes that looked like he running around in a flimsy nightgown. His movements were really strange looking - prime example would be how he moves when he meets Madame Maxime - he picks up his robe, runs to her and awkwardly kisses her hand - it just looks weird and reenforces the Dumbledore is wearing a nightgown image. Oh, and the ponytail in the beard was strange too. More importantly, I never really got the feeling that he cared about the students. I disliked his performance so much, that when Dumbledore died at the end of Half-Blood Prince - it was kind of an "eh" moment.

So, who would have been a good replacement for Richard Harris? Not really sure. Maybe Ian McKellen?

I agree. Richard Harris was the superior Dumbledore. Also, I've read interviews with Michael Gambon where he mentions that he didn't even like the character of Dumbledore, let alone the Harry Potter books.

Val, do you have a link or a picture of that Crookshanks plushie? I didn't see it on the Universal site.

Yup! http://www.universalorlando.com/Merchan ... Plush.html

He looks just the same in RL, except even more cuddly and angry And he's really nice to hold on to, feels very cat like.

What a great stuffed toy, Laura! It really does look lifelike, and I can totally believe that it startled a real cat!!!

I agree. Richard Harris was the superior Dumbledore. Also, I've read interviews with Michael Gambon where he mentions that he didn't even like the character of Dumbledore, let alone the Harry Potter books.

wow - I've not read many interviews and none with Gambon. I know most actors take roles primarily for money (same reason most of us take any kind of job), but you like to think that actors either like the character, like the story, or think that telling the story is important (I can't imagine an actor would enjoy portraying Hitler, but might agree to do so to help tell a WWII story)

Sad that he feels that way about such a good character.

Gambon mentioned in an interview that he took the role only because his grandchildren said they'd never forgive/talk to him if he didn't.

I'm curious. Which scenes or chapters from the series (both film and book) are your favorites?

Most of my favorite scenes have to do with Dumbledore, Hermione, Snape, and McGonagall. My favorite chapter in the whole series is "King's Cross," followed by "The Prince's Tale." (Though I'll admit I enjoy the last fourth or so of The Deathly Hallows, everything from the point they come back to Hogwarts on.)

How about the rest of you?

I'm so glad that this thread has been dug up out of the high past again

I don't know why, but my favourite chapters of the entire series are the first few chapters of The Half Blood Prince. It just feels so "homey" to see Harry relaxing at the Weasley's household, it's neat to see Snape interacting with Bellatrix and Narcissa, and it's nice to see Dumbledore and Harry's visit to Slughorn.

I love book and film McGonagall. . . Maggie Smith was the perfect person to cast in that role! I love Harry's career counseling with her in book 5, while Umbridge sits behind them and degrades them both . It's one of the funniest scenes in the book, in my opinion.

I also really enjoy "The Prince's Tale," just because it explains a lot, and it completely and totally changes your opinion of Snape.

Movie-wise. . . it would be difficult for me to pick a favourite scene. My favourite films are DH1, DH2, HBP and PoA, so it'd probably be something from one of those.

So more or less. . . . . . . . . I love it all.

You enjoyed the HBP movie? I thought it was a beautiful mess. The book was miles better and made more sense. Also, it wasn't just a snog-fest with a little Voldemort, some Inferi and one dead wizard.

I tend to agree. HBP, the book, was more about teamwork and acceptance in relationships than the snogfest of the film. Besides, like most of the later movies some parts were left out. They have Bill and Fleur, the GOF Beauxbatons champion, getting married in DH Part 1, but they don't show they were engaged to be married in HBP and Ginny and Mrs Weasley's opposition to it, let alone the marvellous bit at the hospital wing at the end of HBP. This is where the characters sort out what happened, and where Fleur states why she should marry Bill. Or the angsty relationship of Tonks and Remus which even in the film DH incurred Voldemort's wrath.

Gambon mentioned in an interview that he took the role only because his grandchildren said they'd never forgive/talk to him if he didn't.

That was Richard Harris' reason for undertaking the role. Yes, he did give a good performance, but it is also not difficult to see in COS the film that he was in pain and mortally ill. I thought it showed how much courage he had to finish that film.

Ha. It seems you're correct. Gambon is the sort to take bits and pieces of other people's comments and mess with interviewers (that was his style).

It's a six hundred page book that got crammed down into a two hour movie. . . and it's not the best adaptation (the earlier films are much closer to their respective books) but I feel like it is a better film. Is it close to the book? Eh, "closish" and indeed, some of my favourite scenes did get chopped, but as a whole, the film has a steady plotline, a good "drive" and a lot of the themes that the book featured.

I am much more critical of DH1 and DH2 as adaptations, because they got 5 hours to tell a 750 page story, and still messed up quite a bit (even though, as I said, I enjoy them as films).

But by far, OOTP is the worst movie adaptation in my opinion. Most of this is due to two reasons. One, it was (until recently) my favourite book of the series. Two, it is almost 1000 pages, and cramming that into a 2 hour film would be challenging for any screen-writer.

1000 pages? Here in Australia it's closer to 750 pages in length. I actually think OotP is the best out of the HP movies. Yes, it removed a good chunk but some of that was flab that was (unlike every other HP book) completely unnecessary and dull. Also, some scenes were huge let-downs from the book. For example, I thought the scene with Harry and Draco in the bathroom was deeply disturbing (book) but the movie was just blah. And most infamous of all, they stuffed up Dumbledore's scene. That really hurt my opinion of the movie. Such a powerful moment in the book. I just think it was a very inconsistent movie. PS and CoS, on the other hand, were slaves to the books and therefore more pedestrian, but also more consistent. I loved PoA movie, even though the book and the movie are two very different things. I don't know, maybe that's just me. I didn't grow with with Hogwarts, as I did with Narnia (CoS had just been released when I first started reading them).