Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 – The End of an Era

Jul 29
2011
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Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 – The End of an EraAttention! Spoilers! If you have not read the book or seen the movie, heed this ADMONITION (warning). Reading on may ruin your experience if you wish to see the movie “unspoiled.”

 

Recently, after years of reading and viewing its ANTECEDENTS (preceding events), I went to see the film of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2. I am, in equal parts, WISTFUL (pensively sad) and ELATED (very happy).

Yes, I am DESPONDENT (mournful) that this seems to be the end of an era. I devoured each book with a VORACIOUS (insatiable, having a huge appetite that cannot be satisfied) appetite, fighting my family, all ZEALOTS (enthusiastic true believers), for our single copy of each book. *Cue LUGUBRIOUS (sad and mournful music). * A whole generation grew up with Harry, Ron, and Hermione, moving from an IDYLLIC (charmingly simple) world to a darker one of AVARICE (greed, covetousness), danger, and evil.

Yet the SAGA (heroic tale) still remains on the page, awaiting the SERENDIPITOUS (accidental but fortunate) discovery by generations to come.

In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, the HALCYON (untroubled golden times of happiness) days of Hogwarts are long over and the final showdown between the forces of good and evil has begun. There are a few WATERSHED (turning points) events in the movie that differ from those of the novel: most notably the manner of the death of Severus Snape. Rather than duplicating his DEMISE (death) in the Shrieking Shack of the novel, the movie has him die in a more UNORTHODOX (not typical) setting, a crystal house that allows Harry the opportunity to eavesdrop and to view Hogwarts burning in the background.

While the saddest part for me is the loss of some of the characters I felt I knew personally, there are some triumphant moments that are VISCERALLY (instinctually, emotionally) satisfying. The attack by the usually AFFABLE (warm and friendly) Mrs. Weasley against the PERNICIOUS (destructive, deadly) and APOPLECTIC (furious, enraged) Bellatrix LeStrange and the IMPLACABLE (not capable of being appeased) strength of Professor McGonagall in the face of the Death Eaters are particularly gratifying.

While the movies are METICULOUSLY (highly detailed) faithful to the novels, it is still impossible to include everything in the films. By necessity, the movies, entertaining as they are, are SUPERFICIAL (lacking in depth). If you COVET (crave) the full SCINTILLATING (brilliantly clever) Harry Potter experience, read the books. JK Rowling is the consummate INNOVATOR (person who introduces something new), and her fantastic but PLAUSIBLE (believable) worlds are best explored in words.

 

Written by Direct Hits in: SAT Vocabulary | Tags: ,

Musical Collaborations –ZENITH (highest point, peak) or NADIR (lowest point, bottom)?

Jul 20
2011
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Musical Collaborations –ZENITH (highest point, peak) or NADIR (lowest point, bottom)?

Lately, it seems, performers of various musical genres are ESCHEWING (avoiding)the usual process of releasing solo songs and are instead collaborating with other artists. These INNOVATORS (those who introduce something new) are attracting new fans by producing music of INCONTROVERTIBLE (indisputable) singularity with great PANACHE (great artistic energy).

 

One of the more LAUDED (praised) duos in recent years is Alicia Keyes and Jay-Z singing “Empire State of Mind”, an ECLECTIC (using a variety of sources) ode to New York that spent five weeks on the 2009 Billboard Magazine Hot 100 List.

 

More recently, Lady Gaga and Beyoncé not only sang but performed together in the SCINTILLATING (brilliantly clever) music video for “Telephone”. Anyone who has seen the video will never forget the charmingly SANGUINE (cheerfully confident) Gaga (strutting through the prison yard wearing glasses made of cigarettes.

 

These collaborations may prove LUCRATIVE (very profitable) without being particularly AESTHETICALLY (artistically) pleasing. Take, for example, “Ebony and Ivory” sung by Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder way back in 1982. This FUTILE (doomed) attempt at a song about racial harmony was filled with INSIPID (unoriginal, overused), corny lyrics and is on several lists as the worst song collaboration of all time – despite its success on the charts. Also on this list of QUIXOTIC (visionary but impractical) collaborations is rapper Nelly and country singer Time McGraw’s “Over and Over”. Though this annoyingly repetitive tune was met with DERISION (jeering contempt), it still somehow ended up on Billboard’s Hot 100 in 2004.

 

DISPARATE (distinctly dissimilar) musicians will continue to work together; in fact Katy Perry and Kanye West are currently at #8 with “E.T”. And while there will always be losers like Ozzy Osbourne and Miss Piggy singing “Born to be Wild”, some ECCENTRIC (unconventional) pairings will work and create great music.

 

Written by Direct Hits in: SAT Vocabulary | Tags: ,

Summer’s Here… Now What?

Jul 07
2011
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Summers Here... Now What?Some of us relish an IDYLLIC (charmingly simple and carefree) summer with nothing we have to do and nowhere we have to go.  We approach each day with ÉLAN (great enthusiasm), excited by the SCINTILLATING (sparkling) possibilities of the unstructured hours ahead.  We are free to indulge our HEDONISM (living for pleasure) in the INEFFABLE (indescribable) pleasures of vacation.

There are those SKEPTICS (doubters), however, who DECRY (express strong disapproval) such VERVE (vigor, energy) for our free time.  RESOLUTELY (unwaveringly) complaining of boredom, they can be OBDURATE (stubborn, obstinate), CHURLISH (ill-tempered), or even VITUPERATIVE (bitterly critical) in rejecting those who welcome adventure and fun.  It is hard to FATHOM (understand) such APATHETIC (indifferent, lacking in interest) souls, who seem to suffer such a PAUCITY (dearth, scarcity) of joy.

But perhaps the outward demeanor of these CAPTIOUS (critical, fault-finding) people BELIES (to give a false impression) their true desire.  Perhaps they are actually COVETING (strongly desiring) our carefree approach to life, regretting that their days are DEVOID (empty) of fun but too DIFFIDENT (shy, lacking in self-confidence) to admit it.  At the least, they might be AMBIVALENT (having mixed feelings)! The next time someone UPBRAIDS (scolds) us for excessive enthusiasm, perhaps we might consider being AMIABLE (warm and friendly) and asking that person to join us.

For, INEXORABLY (inevitably, relentlessly), the EPHEMERAL (fleeting) HALCYON (idyllically calm) days of summer will pass for all of us.  Let us enjoy each and every one!

 

 

 

Written by Direct Hits in: SAT Vocabulary | Tags: ,