My Hero

So in light of recent events (my dad's house getting robbed a week before christmas and my mum having to go to hospital) I need some cheering up. So today I am dedicating this post to my hero: Peter Jackson.

Jackson is a fellow kiwi who has used his incredible talent to not only bring amazing films to life but to also put New Zealand on the map. Before Lord of the Rings many people thought my country was either a part of Australia or located near England. Now they know I'm from the land of hobbits and wizards.

I have seen every one of Jackson's films. I can safely say that I am his number one fan. For Christmas one year my dad bought me every book associated with the Lord of the Rings films. I managed to write three essays on Jackson in University, and I even flew down to Wellington in 2003 to go the Return of the King premiere, and got to meet many of the lead actors. I may also own the one ring and Arwen's pendant...and quite possibly have had a cat named Strider, and I might have nicknamed a car Shadowfax...

Anyways, Peter Jackson is my hero. He came from a small town in beautiful NZ called Pukerua Bay, which is in the South of the North Island. He was born on Halloween, which couldn't be more perfect for a man who began his film career with splatter films like Bad Taste and Braindead. And then he managed to become a king of Hollywood. He has used ingenuity, integrity and originality to create some incredible films. I am still to this day in awe of Heavenly Creatures. He was able to bring this horrific true story to life by not horrifying the audience, but rather by bringing to light the imagination behind the two young girls who would commit a horrible act. The visuals are absolutely stunning and Kate Winslet and Melanie Lynskey and incredible for two so young at the time.

In Forgotten Silver Jackson managed to anger many kiwis. His mocumentary was so brilliantly done people actually believed it was true, that Jackson had in fact discovered a New Zealand film pioneer whose films had long been lost. What I really loved about this film is the message behind it, that New Zealand has some amazing talent in our very own backyard which we tend to ignore. He didn't know it at the time, but he was about to become New Zealand's golden boy.

Jackson's resume before The Lord of the Rings is actually quite small. It was a surprise to many that a director so unknown at the time would be given the command of such a beloved series. He quickly proved himself though, and I don't think anyone could have bought those films to life they way he did. Those were the films that really made me sit up and see Jackson for the director he is. I remember seeing the first one and loving it so much I went and saw it another 11 times.

Now here's where I admit a flaw in my hero. I was not a big fan of King Kong. I understood why he made it, it was the film that made him want to be a filmmaker, just as Lord of the Rings did for me. However I think the story got lost and I didn't find myself as enthralled in it as I'd hoped I would be. Andy Serkis was incredible as Kong though (and is amazing as Caesar in Rise of the Planet of the Apes) and the graphics were great.

Jackson went on to produce District 9 which completely blew me away. I wasn't sure what to expect in that film but I wasn't anticipating the strong and original story or incredible characters and cast. It's a great film and if you haven't seen it go out immediately and rent/buy it.

The Lovely Bones was a shoot that wasn't easy by the sounds of it. Jackson had to replace Ryan Gosling during the shoot (for reasons unknown) and the role went to Mark Wahlberg. I was really impressed with Wahlberg's acting in his role as the father of Susie. It is a very delicate story and could have been told in all the wrong ways but I appreciated how Jackson never made us feel too uncomfortable but bought the emotion through.

It's been a few years since Jackson has directed. He produced Tin Tin with Spielberg, which I have yet to see. The graphics look incredible though, as is to be expected with those two at the helm. Then we got the wonderful news (after the sad news of Guillermo Del Toro's departure) that Jackson would be directing The Hobbit films. I love Del Toro's work, but no one can tell these stories like Jackson can. I wait with the rest of the world in anticipation for December 2012 when the first film will be released.

So that's my hero's journey so far. I can't wait to see what projects he works on in the future. I can only hope that one day my dreams will come true and I will get to work with him.

The End's not near, it's here

When Harry Potter first came to screens worldwide in 2001 I had no interest in seeing it. To my sixteen year old mind it was a blatant rip off of Lord of the Rings, of which I am a huge fan. I didn't really know anything about it except that it had a wizard that looked like Gandalf and some kid in dorky glasses.

My younger brother was a huge fan however and convinced me to read it. The first two times I tried I never made it past the first few pages. There was always something better to read. But then I tried a third time. And so begins the story of how I became a Potter fan.

What I love most about the books is its ability to take me back into childhood imagination. I remember my brother once saying to me when I began reading it that he would love to go back and be able to read it for the first time. After finishing the series I understood what he meant. JK Rowling takes you on a journey where you come to know the characters as though they were real enough to reach out and touch. It's not always the most easy read though. Through the series beloved characters are killed, and we learn things about our fictional friends we sometimes don't want to know. In a sense Rowling's books are more in touch with reality than any other series I've read before. In life loved ones die, people let you down. Harry learns this most of all.

Last Thursday my brother, father and I went to the movies and watched Harry Potter together for the last time. It had a been a tradition for us these past few years since I'd returned home, just as it had been a tradition for us to watch each Lord of the Rings film on it's opening night and again on Christmas Eve. I was both excited and a little sad as I sat down with my 3D glasses and overpriced ice cream waiting for the film to commence. Was I really ready to say goodbye? Either way I had no choice, eleven years had flown by quickly and the end was there before me.

The film starts right where we left off, with Voldermort taking the Elder wand. From there we burst into action as Harry, Ron and Hermione figure out where the rest of the horcruxes are and how to destroy them. I will not say anything about the film's plot in case you have not seen the film. What I will say though is that this was by far the most enjoyable Harry Potter film yet. I don't know if that's because knowing it was the end I latched myself more onto the story than before, or perhaps it was because David Yates has found the perfect balance between literature and film, taking out only what could be spared. The graphics have improved greatly from the last films, I particularly loved the dragon. The fight scenes are incredible and the mise en scene is spectacular.

I would not recommend this latest film for a young audience, there is a lot of violence and some scenes are quite scary. For those who have followed the story from the very start though I think you will be very happy. The end of the film, just like the end of the book is quite a treat. I am going to miss my Potter friends. It's been a great journey and I am glad I finally got on board to enjoy it while it was still playing out. However if there's one thing Rowling has taught me it's that I can return to my imagination at anytime, and that's where I'll find these incredible characters. And just as Dumbledore says, just because it's happening in your head doesn't mean it's not real.