Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was released on November 16, 2001. 9 years, 7 months and 29 days later, we finally reached the end of one of the most successful franchises in history. 3528 days may not seem like a long time but for die hard fans of the series, the wait was excruciating. It was especially hard for people like me who never read the books and didn’t know how it all ended.
Which is why this year’s All Time Best Movie Moment is the long awaited final confrontation between Harry Potter and Voldemort.
This moment is also my favorite individual shot of the year. Cutting to that epic wide shot was brilliant.
There aren’t many endings that live up to impossibly high expectations like Harry Potter. The entire film felt like one giant ending and what an ending it was.
But it was that one moment. The moment when Harry finally faced off against his nemesis.
It was a moment I’ll never forget. Watching those two fight made after such a struggle made me realize how much I’ll miss waiting for the next film to be released.
10 years is a long time to wait for a resolution. A cinematic moment like that doesn’t come along too often.
Like many obsessed Harry Potter fans out there, I’ve been watching all the movies over again in preparation for the epic 8th and final installment this month. My girlfriend had yet to see any of them and it’s been great to watch the 7 films with someone who had only read the first book.
I’m actually a little jealous of that. Waiting years in between movies is tough when you are a fan but new fans can discover the series without the excruciating wait now. It’s like someone discovering Lost right now without having to ponder all the mysteries over the summer months in between seasons.
When Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 is released it will be the first film she will see in theaters… Then it hit me… It will be mine as well! How have I never seen a Harry Potter movie on the big screen? Admittedly, I’ve never read the books. I’m a Harry Potter: The Movie fan. I discovered this story one movie at a time. Each time a new film was released, the series got better. I honestly think if I ranked the films it would probably be in order of release.
When the first film emerged, I wasn’t really that interested in it. I ended up skipping it completely. It wasn’t the second was released on video that I discovered the series. I remember renting them together. I watched them back to back with my family and I was extremely disappointed that I had to wait to see The Prisoner of Azkaban. Except I didn’t see it in theaters either.
For some reason, this series has always been a ‘wait for video’ franchise for me. That’s kind of unacceptable isn’t it? What kind of a die hard Harry Potter fan consciously skips the theatrical release and waits EVEN LONGER to find out what happens? (That’s actually the one advantage I have over fans of the books. I really don’t have any clue how this whole thing ends. I’m sure Harry Potter triumphs in the end but how and at what cost are a mystery.)
… There’s no sense lingering on the past now. One by one the films were released and I became a bigger and bigger fan of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry. I can’t think of a better way to say goodbye than clearing my schedule for the incredible climax to one of the biggest franchise of all time across ANY medium.
Truthfully, it kind of makes me sad. I’ve complained about the long wait in between films like many others but what will we all do when there aren’t any new films on the horizon? All of the sudden, the long waits make sense. It’s the anticipation of events like this that makes me a die hard film fan… I can’t shake it. How can I call myself a die hard fan when I’ve never waited in line to see the film AT THE MOVIES!?
I like to think I’ve saved the best for last. How can I miss this? It’s not everyday, a hugely successful 8 film franchise comes to an end. It will be a bitter sweet farewell to characters we’ve come to love and a world we never saw coming.
Once my video collection is complete, it will be pretty amazing to start from the beginning again and watch the series from start to finish. I think I may always regret missing all but one on the silver screen. Still, it’s been one hell of a ride… At home…
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