My Geeky Trivia

By Geeky Gem

For the final week of my current trivia run, I thought I would touch upon a series of films that I hold close to my heart as do many other people. It has become one of the biggest franchises to grace the world of movies, had it not been for the huge success of the original book we would not have these wonderful movies with us today. I am of course talking about Harry Potter, do you really think I could not do this as a subject matter. They have to be among some of favourite books and the movies are there to make that rich world come to life. Without further ado here is some Harry Potter trivia. I hope you enjoy this and will welcome Hmsbeefnuts back next week with open arms.

Philosophers Stone

The hut used for Hagrid’s home has since been torn down for fear that fan’s of the movie would swamp it.

The Tabby Cat that Professor McGonagall turned into ran away but came back two days later.

Chamber of Secrets

Hugh Grant was originally cast as Gilderoy Lockhart.

Fourteen Ford Anglia’s where made for the scene where Harry and Ron crash into the Whomping Willow.

Prisoner of Azkaban

The cast were told that all the sweets in Honeydukes were covered in lacquer, when in fact they weren’t they just didn’t want sweets to go missing during takes.

The director Alfonso Cuaron had never read the book or seen the first two movies when he took the job.

Goblet of Fire

There was at least one full size dragoon that was built on set, it even breathed fire.

When the contestants enter the area for the third task the girls from Beauxbatons are dancing the Macarena.

Order of the Phoenix

The radish earrings that Luna is wearing were actually made by Evanna Lynch.

Padfoot, Sirius Black’s canine form, was played by a Scottish Deerhound named Cleod.

Half-blood Prince

Jessie Cave beat over 7000 girls to get the role of Lavender Brown, Ron’s love interest from the book.

Mr Weasley’s shed of Muggle artefacts contains, among other things, two Remington Noiseless Portable Typewriters and an HP Laserjet 4.

Deathly Hollows Part 1

This movie was originally to be released in 3-D, this idea was scrapped just weeks before the movie came out, due to the difficulty of converting the film into the format.

There were 40 versions of Slytherin’s locket made for the scene in which Harry and Ron try to destroy it.

Deathly Hollows Part 2

Most of this movie takes place of the course of a single day from the raid on Gringotts to the Battle of Hogwarts.

For the scene at Gringotts over 210,000 coins were made for inside the vault.

And there we have an epic journey that barely scratches the surface of Harry Potter trivia that is out there. Well that would appear to be the end of my four week run, next week Hmsbeefnuts will be back with his own brand of trivia and I will be putting my feet up and mocking him.

Fullmetal Alchemist

By Geeky Gem

As some of you may know I read comics, which I enjoy very much, but I also read Manga. Manga is a Japanese graphic novel that can go on for a number of volumes. I have read a few different ones but again thanks to a few friends I got pointed in the direction of one they thought I might like.

 

Fullmetal Alchemist is written and illustrated by Hiromu Arakawa, the world of Fullmetal Alchemist is styled on the European industrial revolution. It is set in the fictional universe where alchemy is one of the most advanced scientific techniques known to man, the story follows the brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric, who want to restore their bodies after a disastrous failed attempt to bring their mother back to life through alchemy.

 

 

 

The manga was released in August 2001 and ran until June 2010 in that time 27 volumes were published. It also spawned two anime shows, one that loosely follows the tale set out in manga and the other that follows the story very closely. Fullmetal Alchemist (from here on in shall be refered to as FMA), has also had a movie, to bridge the story from the first anime and tie it up nicely, there are video games, a soundtrack and even a collectible card game.

 

 I havent finished reading them all just yet, but what I have read so far I really enjoyed. The story is fast paced and never gives up, the fight scenes are fantastic and yes they can run over 5 or 6 pages but they are brilliantly drawn and I never feel like I am reading a manga. To be honest I can read a whole volume in one go, that’s how much I can get lost in the story. The characters are rich and you really are backing Ed and Al all the time. The supporting cast of characters must not be forgotten. Winry Rockbell and her Granny are the only people that keep Ed and Al grounded thought the story as they search for the fabled Philosopher’s Stone in order to restore what was taking from them.

 

 

 

I just can’t put the manga’s down and I cant wait to get to the end of story, the anime is brilliant as well but I will leave that untill another time I don’t want to spoil you with that now. If you have never read a manga before but are willing to give it a try then I suggest you try this one. It is fantastic.