In Support of Amy Adams

I've heard a lot of confusion since the casting of Amy Adams as Lois Lane. At first I was a bit shocked, too, but I've come to decide that this is actually a brilliant move. Amy Adams seems like an odd fit, to many, for Zack Snyder's Superman: Man of Steel, because she's generally seen as sweet, bubbly, and cute. Her early claims to fame being Junebug (where she's a naive, young, pregnant wife) and Enchanted, certainly explain where this perception comes from.

I'm here to let you know that Amy Adams can be tough like Lois and to explain why her cute nature may actually help the character.

Now, Henry Cavill (drool) as Kal El is perhaps the best casting I could have hoped for. I was rooting for him in the 2006 Singer Superman Returns, when he was too young for the role. Thank God he didn't get it then, as that movie turned out to be a major disappointment. 

When you cast a character who is solely a love interest, chemistry is one of the most important factors. I'm sure that part of this decision was making sure that whoever was cast as Lois has chemistry with Cavill.

My next point of reference is The Fighter. If you've seen it, you'll know what I mean. If you haven't seen it, it's streaming on Netflix. Stop waiting and go watch it! Amy Adams plays Charlene, a tough Lowell girl, a bartender, a college dropout, and someone not afraid to speak up. Not only does she beat the snot out of one of Mickey Ward's sisters in a hair-pulling, punch-throwing brawl. She shoots whiskey and she talks back with sharp wit.

Alice: I've heard a lot about you.
Charlene: Really? I've heard a lot about you too.
Alice: What's that supposed to mean?
Charlene: Same thing you meant.

The World has seen Amy Adams be tough. It was believable. She was nominated for an Oscar for it! (Best Supporting Actress).

My final argument is that she shouldn't look and sound tough. Why? Johnny Depp was so much better in the first Pirates movie than the second because Jack was written as a hero and played as a freak. In Pirates 2 he was written as a freak, played as a freak and it was just too much. If Lois is written as a sexy, tough cookie who takes crap from no one, cast as a sharp-featured woman and cast with a cold, sharp voice, her character will be 100% bitch.

Amy Adams will be able to take tough, sarcastic, often snappy lines and deliver them with a sweet face and voice so that she's delightful and fun. It's called playing opposites. Face it, Lois Lane is the toughest superhero love interest to make likable.  She's not very warm, she's not a nurturer, and it would be a betrayal of her character to make her show more than subtle hints of vulnerability over the course of the film. Amy Adams is a talented actress who can play that vulnerability so that the script doesn't have to hit us over the head with it. Her presence will soften her hard edges naturally.

Lois will still be a strong, formidable woman, but Amy Adams will make us understand why Clark loves her, too.

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Anime Day #2: Beck (Mongolian Chop Squad)

"I was made to hit in America"

Beck (Mongolian Chop Squad) was an accidental find. A friend bought it for us for Christmas without knowing anything about it aside from the reviews on Amazon. Amazon ratings didn't fail him. This is an incredibly enjoyable show, though the ending leaves much to be desire-- namely a whole second series.

Beck tells the story of Koyuki, a 14 year old boy who grows into a man over the course of the series. The series spans two years of his life as he discovers rock music, learns to play the guitar, and joins a destined band. The show is about rock and roll and about the band, but at its core it really is a coming of age story.

What my husband and I enjoyed most about this show was the way that it handled adolescent romances. So many animes sexualize 14-year-old characters in a way that is intended to arouse adults. It's a problem I have with a lot of otherwise great shows. This problem stems partly from targeting an adolescent audience, but for adult viewers it tends to be disturbing.

Koyuki's sexual awakening is done in a way that almost desexualizes it. The emphasis of these scenes is on the awkward, the mysterious, and the new. You remember what it was like to be fourteen-- not just the memories, but the emotional quality.

As for the disappointing ending, I won't spoil much except to say that the finale is done with B-roll and still frames and rushes a whole season's worth of plot in one episode. I get the feeling like they ran out of money and wanted to end it. Still, there is supposed to be a movie soon that should wrap it up, so the series is definitely worth a watch.

Last word of advice-- even for Sub-Purists, get the Dub or you'll have to listen to awkward Engrish singing. The American actors have prettier voices, too.

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My Husband vs The Dog

This blog post stemmed from an amazing conversation I had the other night. You see, the dog, a 30lb Terrier Mutt, has decided that I'm his and shows his offense whenever my husband hugs me in front of him. It's getting a bit ridiculous. We had a mock conversation with the dog about why he was never going to win this contest. Aside from the obvious ;) here are the results.

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Amano Weaponry: Making Cecil Harvey's Sword

My cosplay group (Anna Heim, Ryan Brown, my husband, and I) decided last year at AWA after the contest that this year we were going to do Final Fantasy IV. The decision was pretty easy-- Amano does well, Anna does Amano well, and we all fit the characters. Anna wanted a chance to do Rydia with crazy Amano Fro hair. Rosa and Cecil were a perfect pair for my husband and I, and Ryan could be the dark, brooding, awesome Kain. 

We've been collecting ideas and materials and methods for months. I have finished Kain's spear, Rydia's whip, and by the end of September I will have made the armour for the men as well as Rosa's bow and an awesome mask/helm for Kain.

Cecil's sword went through a few incarnations. Here is how I made the final product. See the Amano art below for reference.

The first sword was the holy sword from the strategy guide, complete with feathered knuckle-guard. It just wasn't working out, though, and while trying to perfect it, I broke it. Then I blacked out and She Hulk must have come to trash it because next thing I knew it was in the trash in shards.

Attempt two flowed much more smoothly.

Materials

• 1 Dowel
• Oak Tag
• Tape (Clear)
• Resin Epoxy
• Sculpi Clay
• Foam Balls (Wal-Mart)
• Superglue
• Krylon Metallic Red Spray Paint
• Purple, silver, and Gold metallic acrylic Paints, white, red, and dark purple acrylic or guache
• Red and Purple Embroidery Floss and assorted beads.
• Sandpaper, knives, patience
• Suede lace

Roll out sculpi like a big snake and coil it around a dowel. Wiggle the dowel around a bit to make sure there's a tiny bit of extra space before sliding the dowel out. The coil will collapse a bit in the oven, so make sure you have a bit more space. You can always superglue in the handle to keep it fixed to the dowel when its finished.

Make sure the coil is at least as long as a one-handed grip. Bake at 275 for 15 minutes. Let fully cool and then put it on the end of the dowel. Twist the tip of the dowel into a foam ball until you have a slot for it to slide in. Don't just push or the ball will break. Superglue the ball on securely.

That should be what it looks like.

Next you need to make some paper pieces. Carefully cut symmetrical shapes out of oak tag for the hilt and the other weird blade add-ons at the base (I called them the eye and the talon). Use gentle exacto scoring to create sharp creases where you need them. Match up symmetrical shapes and glue the edges. Shove the end of a pen or a small paintbrush inside to expand and make slightly 3D shapes.

You'll want to make 11 inch long, NARROW right triangles (4 of them) that are less than an inch wide to attach to the dowel as the thick, tapered part of the blade. Use clear tape-- these will be coated  in epoxy. Carve a pointed tip on the dowel and sand it smooth. This is a thrusting sword (and an Amano replica) and so the long, thin end will be round while the bottom is bladed and defensive.

When you have the forms of the sword made, it's time to coat it in epoxy. This will take a couple of days because full dry time is nearly 24 hours and you want to do it in two stages so you don't end up coated with epoxy with your sword stuck to a table.

Mix 50/50 epoxy and hardener and use a dowel segment or paint stick to spread it. The mixture will get smoother when it settles, but it will also drip. Do it thin and perhaps do two coats over two days instead of thick. Drips will be a pain to sand. The neater everything is early on, the easier it will be to touch-up later.

Coat everything, but only do half at a time so you have something to hold. Make sure you spread a drop cloth because epoxy is permanent and will ruin whatever it lands on. When it dries completely it will be hard and awesome. Make sure you get the handle as well as the foam ball, so that you make sure those are sturdy. 2 coats here would be advisable if you think the person wielding it will whip it around wildly.

After some sanding, it's time to start the basic painting. I started with my red. I wanted it to look organic, glossy, like fresh blood. Then I painted the areas that are everything but blade with a silver acrylic. You'll notice this goes around the blade in weird patterns. I marked what was not red as a base coat. I then masked my sword and sprayed the purple handle.

I then wrapped the handle with a thin suede lace to give texture to the gold spiral in the art and the pommel with embroidery floss to continue the spiral. I glued those down and painted them gold.

Hand-painting was the next step. I painted a lot of things to match the art and there's not much benefit for me going in to detail here. I'll say that I did a lot of layers, a lot of blending, and made sure to paint shadows on the borders of various colors to give depth and create a better division between areas.

I spray coated it in a thin layer of clear-coat when I was done. Here is the final product. I wouldn't hit anything with it, but it's sturdy enough to flourish for the camera and falls in line with AWA's rules for weapons.

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Anime Day #1: Basilisk

"To the one I love, prepare to die."

This was my AWA DVD purchase last year. I bought it at a booth for $30 for the whole series on one of those value disks. It spans 24 episodes with graphic violence and sexuality, but if you're an adult, it's a great watch. It takes place in the 17th Century AD in Japan and tells the story of star-crossed lovers who are the future leaders of two long-feuding ninja clans.

There has been a no hostilities pact for decades that has allowed these two lovers to grow close and their impending betrothal could be the thing that finally unites the clans, but just before this can take place, a Shugun who cannot decide between two heirs decides to use this rivalry to gamble. Each clan is named the champion of a prospective heir. The pact is dissolved and a bloodbath ensues.

These ninjas have super-powers, which sometimes appear to be directly proportionate to the size of their eyebrows. It's a BEAUTIFUL anime with great fights and lots of suspense and deception. Surprisingly, there is very little fan service. All of the fan service of a normal anime seems concentrated on ONE character, who happens to be the tom boy.

It's perfectly paced and the romance between Oboro and Gennosuke is well developed. The ending is absolutely perfect and beautiful.

You can find it dubbed on Amazon on DVD and even cheaper on Blu Ray.

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Anime Day

Once a week until AWA (last weekend of September) I'm going to be posting a feature on an Anime that I've watched. There will be some reviews, some previews, and some critiques and comparisons. Look for these posts on Thursdays, all the way through to the night before the con.

I will be at Anime Weekend Atlanta in costume (plans include Eden of the East for casual day and Final Fantasy IV for the contest (see how I made Cecil's sword in an upcoming post)). There will also be an ad for my book in the AWA con program.

Now, to make this post valuable, some good news. The bastardization of Akira that was going to set it in New York with a white-washed cast has been canceled! Hooray! Rejoice!

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Love and Blood

We've published another story from my husband's Bite-Sized fiction collection. The Kindle version of Love and Blood is now available, the Nook version coming soon.

Buy it here.

Check out a free wallpaper of Carly Strickland's cover art below the jump.

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Artist Wanted: Harry Potter Fan Comic

Previously posted at DeviantArt

I'm looking to run a web comic, but I need an artist because I do recognize my own shortcomings. The idea is to do a Harry Potter fan comic that centers around the Department of Magical Law Enforcement about 6 years after the end of book 7. Harry would be the boss by then and he, Ron and Hermione would NOT be the focus. The ministry would be trying to round up a handful of at-large Death Eaters and Neville would probably be the character I go back to the most, though George, Savage, and a couple of other Aurors would have plots. 


I have a really cool idea for who could be the big antagonist and how that plot would finally come to fruition.

Here is what I need:


EDIT: I've decided now that I'd rather not have a regular artist, but a handful of them. It lessens the commitment. I've amended my needs below.

An artist who can commit to meeting deadlines to have pages ready for once a week postings (we'd probably gather ten by launch, post 5, and then always be 5 ahead for safety). The pages would be standard comic layout (with speech bubbles, narration boxes, and anywhere from full-page spreads to multi-panel pages, depending on pacing and action). 
Artists willing to work on a string of pages. Pages will be either 6 panels, 3 panels, or one panel. There will be fights, romance, and probably some talkiness.
+Expressions and distinct looks are important: I want to be able to write a range of drama and comedy and I want the characters to be able to change clothes, so having them distinguishable without iconic costumes is important.
+Reliability: Able to complete the pages agreed on in an timely manner
+Reliability: I really would hate to have to fire an artist and find someone else because I can't count on them to draw 4 or 5 pages a month.

Here is what I can offer:
I'm a writer.
I'm a web designer. I can host the comic, too.
I can color (so if part of the deal for getting a great penciler/inker is that I have to color the strips, I'm so in)

The plan:
This would be FAN FICTION and so it would NOT make any money. However, our Deviant Art accounts and other sites would be linked. I can easily post your portfolio, social media links, etc. JK Rowling is cool with Fanfiction as long as we don't profit or interfere with her money, so we're going to stick to doing this for fun and publicity. We'll never publish a trade and we'll never put paid ads on the site.

If you're interested, send me links to some recent work. I'd really love to do this project and I already have quite a few plans for plot.

Coloring Example

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Movie Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2

There are a few things in Deathly Hallows Part 2 that bothered me, but overall they do not stop the movie from being an amazing adaptation of the book. It's a well-paced, action packed movie that takes place almost entirely on the one day of the Battle of Hogwarts and the Gringott's break in.

Some of the events are reordered, the events around Neville's sorting hat discovery are expanded a bit into greater action sequences, and the investigation to find Hepzibah Smith's cup is definitely rewritten (and the backstory is cut), but it's all done in a way that serves the plot and ensures that the events are clear to movie fans who have not read the books.

Kloves knew which moments to keep to avoid fan mutiny (like Molly's famous line). He also added in a few moments for the fans-- and here is where I'm bothered. A character in the book who had an implied bite from Fenrir but was not killed ended up dead and Kloves inserted a non-canon ship for the sake of fans-- one that I'm convinced would be a disaster, even if I adore these two characters. 

One other thing made me raise an eyebrow. "At the close" (which will mean nothing to non-book fans and therefore be spoiler-free) Harry mentions makes a reference to Teddy, a new character that was never mentioned or introduced or lead up to in either of the Deathly Hallows movies. It's especially jarring as the timeline of the last book, as indicated by the seemingly cold weather, seems to be condensed down. There was no room for a pregnancy there and Teddy's father never told Harry "I'm a dad" at any point. I'd have rather they left him out than make people who didn't read the books go "when did that happen?" The fact that these are my only complaints about the movie, however, proves how amazing of a job Yates, Kloves, and the whole team did.

Every shot was like a painting. The sets were all monumental. The costumes were well designed. As usual, Luna's blonde hair and pastel dress among the sea of brunettes in black robes makes her the focal point of every shot she's in.

Deaths were handled with respect and an appropriate level of performance. There were quite a few tears in the theater and the girl behind me probably just needed a whole box of tissues. The top performances of the film were Ala Rickman as Severus Snape (Stop crying, Alan Rickman, you're breaking my heart!), Ralph Fiennes as Voldemort (he never stoops to just playing angry and evil. There are levels of panic and vulnerability in his villian that made him captivating to watch), and Kelly MacDonald as Helena Ravenclaw.

As for the epilogue. I read that they reshot it with less makeup, trusting the audience to trust that 19 years later statement. The makeup I had seen on the first shoot was too old. 19 years after Harry is 18 is 37, not 50. I'm glad they fixed it. The whole scene was very nicely handled and trimmed down to the essentials. Little Hugo was absolutely adorable!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Part 2) was a great adaptation and a wonderfully entertaining movie for fans and casual followers.

Oh, yeah, and the 3D was the best 3D I have ever seen in a live action film. It wasn't at all distracting. If you feel like paying the extra money for Harry Potter-shaped Real 3D glasses, go for it!

@Nimbuschick: "I enjoyed seeing all of our favorite canon characters back, like Nigel & random black kid from divination."

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Dear Netflix

I have to chime in on the trending topic, though I don't have time to do it eloquently as I have to be at work and then roller derby, so I won't be home for the next 14 hours...

Dear Netflix Users Who Are Complaining,

Netflix didn't pull a bait and switch on you. If you really believe that, then know that the movie studios pulled a bait and switch on Netflix. Netflix contracts for rights to rent content run out this year and the studios, who thought Netflix was a wild idea when they signed those contracts, have decided that Netflix is a great idea-- and they wish they owned it.

So Netflix is being charged exorbitant rates for content they had the rights to, content you're used to seeing, content their business revolves around. They have to pass on the cost or it would destroy them. Meanwhile many of those studios are starting their own copycats (like Hulu, etc) and the ones who aren't, still know that the films have a higher value to Netflix now that they're established and need them. They're holding the entire company ransom for higher payout.

Here we are, complaining about $5 a month. If you actually use the 2-disc plan actively, then you're saving WAY more than that, still, by not renting from Blockbuster or BUYING DVDs. I've saved HUNDREDS by not buying DVDs, and thousands by not having cable. I stream Netflix, so I still save over $40 a month, not having TV.

And the truth is, this is NOT the same service that started off at $14.99 with streaming. There are more convenient ways to stream since I signed up (Ps3 to my TV!) and WAY WAY WAY more movies and TV shows. The insta-queue used to have a lot of indies and maybe one out of every 6 big releases. Now the majority of movies you can think of are instant or will be 6 months after DVD release.

Get over it. Prices go up everywhere. This is not their fault or their nefarious plan. Netflix is a business and cannot operate in the red.

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10 Worst Cast Characters in Harry Potter Films

When you're casting an already loved world, you have to be careful to be faithful so as not to anger fans. This list was harder to make than I thought it would be. The casting directors actually did a really great job with most of this series. 50% of this list is stretching to make a 10 to counterpoint my Best Cast list. I LOVE some of these actors, even if I think they don't match the book. I think most of my gripes are with the Prisoner of Azkaban. None of these castings were bad from a talent standpoint. This is really about embodying the character that Rowling created in a physical sense.

Very few of these castings make detrimental changes to the story itself. Really, for the majority of this list, it's all about the look. This list is far more superficial than I thought it would be and it only really matters for a handful of characters. I actually had to strain my brain to think of 12. I guess my real beef with the movies are the plot omissions and the random action sequences added in that take away time from things that shouldn't have been cut. Fiona Weir (casting) did a pretty good job.

10 Worst Cast Characters in Harry Potter Films

10 & 9. Oliver and James Phelps as the Weasley Twins
Do not get me wrong: the Phelps twins give a great performance. I just find it annoying that the movie castings made half of fandom forget that the Weasley twins are not tall and lanky in the books. Rowling specifically states that Bill, Percy, and Ron are tall and thin and that Charlie, Fred, and George are short and stocky. I guess it's easy to forget that when you have a couple of tall, weedy brunettes playing them for eight movies.

At least hair dye can fix the brunette problem. I just find it hard to believe, as awesome as these guys are (I followed them on Twitter for a while and they seemed really genuine and funny) that they couldn't find talented twins who weren't so dang lanky.

8. Sir Michael Gambon as Dumbledore
There were a lot of people pushing for Sir Peter O'Toole to replace Sir Richard Harris after his death. I guess you have to be knighted to play Dumbledore? What bothers me about Michael Gambon's performances is that he immediately took the whimsy out of it.

Also, I don't think Gambon cares about the role. I mean at all. When asked if he'd read the books, Gambon said  there was “No point in reading the books because you’re playing with [screenwriter] Steve Kloves’words.” When he first signed on for the role he was quoted telling an interviewer 

"I just play him as myself, I don’t ease myself into any role really. I stick a beard on and play me. Every part I play is just a variant of my own personality. No real character actor, of course, just me."

While I can't find the quote for you, I remember reading a couple years back that Gambon thought Dumbledore was a what-you-see-is-what-you-get character. He obviously has no respect for what he is playing and it shows in his performance. Dumbledore is wise, temperate, compassionate, quirky, and yet powerful. If you read the books you know that he also carries a lot of guilt over his friend Grindewald and that he burdens himself with Voldemort as well. If you watch Gambon you get that he's old, smart, and yells an awful lot. I think that a good  Dumbledore would save yelling for 1 (and only one) moment over the span of the whole series.

Michael Gambon is a great actor. I liked him in Layer Cake. I just don't think he gives a damn about Harry Potter. He's collecting a paycheck and it shows. Seeing how I adore Harry Potter, how I've made a lot of great friends through the common interest, and how many of my pre-college achievements were made because of my involvement in the Library because of Potter... it does make me pretty mad that he can be so disrespectful of the material that so many millions love.

7. Stanislav Ianevski as Viktor Krum
Viktor Krum is supposed to be tall, awkward on his feet, with a hawk-like appearance. He is supposed to have a big, hook nose. I feel like the casting director read that he's Bulgarian and that girls are jealous of Hermione for dating him and then just threw away the rest of it.

Ianevski is broad-shouldered and very conventionally good-looking. He's no Viktor Krum.

6.  Robbie Jarvis as Young James Potter
James and Harry are supposed to be nearly identical, except for the eyes. With so little face time in the film, why couldn't they go on a D-Rad look-alike hunt? The guy would barely have to be able to act and they could coach the accent for the one, weirdly edited line he had anyway. Why did they just cast a skinny kid with obviously brown hair when they could have easily found a closer likeness?

5. Bill Nighy as Rufus Scrimgeour
I really do adore Bill Nighy. He's amazing. But he's no Scrimgeour. Scrimgeour is supposed to look like a lion and Bill Nighy most certainly does not. Were Sean Connery and Sir Christopher Lee not available?

4. Dave Legeno as Fenrir Greyback
This one is really bad. A werewolf who is at least a generation older than Remus, and they cast an actor who is the same age but looking younger for his age? Why did they cast a wrestler? They should have a creepy, skinny, crazy-looking older man. I understand that werewolves and wizards may age slower, but then why does Remus look fifty?!?

3. Helen McCrory as Narcissa Malfoy
This is one of those castings that I think changes the character. Narcissa is supposed to be blonde, blonde, blonde, and very delicate and sharp-featured. She's supposed to be young and beautiful, suggesting that she was a prissy, rich, young bride. Instead they cast the woman they wanted to use as Bellatrix. WRONG! And they didn't even make her totally blonde!

Rumors circulated that Naomi Watts got the role. She would have been perfect! Narcissa is supposed to be the sister who looks the least like her siblings. She's the little Black family princess. Why did they cast Helen McRory? Why are all of the adults in this series at least 10 years too old?

2. David Thewlis as Remus Lupin
I'm going to settle this once and for all. Harry's parents were 21 when they died. It says so in The Deathly Hallows and they could have asked JK Rowling if they were curious. That means that in Deathly Hallows, Remus, Snape, and Peter should have been 37. David Thewlis is 48.

Remus was supposed to have sandy hair (that slightly obscured the fact that he was going prematurely grey) and be in his mid thirties for this series. They cast a man in his (then) mid-forties with dark hair. Now he just looks like he's going seriously grey.

*bang head on desk* They messed up the whole generation. I guess my problem really extends far beyond Remus here.

1. Gary Oldman as Sirius Black
I love Gary Oldman. He's a great actor. Now that this disclaimer is out of the way... WHAT? WHAT! WHY? Sirius is supposed to be the good-looking bad boy. A tall, good-looking bad boy. Gary Oldman is 5'9" (below average height for a caucasian male) with a weak chin and is 5 years older than even David Thewlis.

MissVarlou on DeviantArt

Ok, so prison aged him. Did prison shrink him?

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Jeremy's Mother is a Vampire

Jeremy's Mother is a Vampire is a short story by Kyle Strickland (the husband). It is being sold now for the Kindle and Nook. Jeremy's Mother is a Vampire is also going to be included in a later collection of vampire short stories alongside full illustrations by Carly Strickland. This collection, Say No to Sparkles will be available in the early spring of 2012.

Check out some of the illustrations below the jump, courtesy of Carly Strickland's site.

Click to enlarge:

Sign up for email updates at Matter Deep Publishing to be notified when Say No to Sparkles is released.

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10 Best Cast Characters in the Harry Potter Movies

Another casting countdown. Over the years I've griped and cheered about casting in the adaptation of my favourite book series. Now, as it is coming to an end and we've met all the cast there is to see, I finally put my thoughts on paper... well... on paper if any of you decide to print this post.

The 10 Best Cast Characters in the Harry Potter Movies

(And don't tell me I forgot Alan Rickman. As fabulous as he is, he's wayyyy too old for the role)

10. Sir Richard Harris as Dumbledore

It's really sad that the knighted actor only got to complete 2 films (and he had a double for the second in many places) because he was the perfect Dumbledore. Harris had a sort of whimsy in his Dumbledore-- fitting of a man who likes ten pin bowling and wears purple robes-- and a respect for the character.

He was pressured into accepting the role by his granddaughter, and I'm glad for it. Richard Harris lost his life in 2002 to Hodgkin's Disease at the age of 72.

9. Jason Isaacs as Lucius Malfoy

When they first cast Isaacs, I had a "whaaaat?" moment, because I forgot about things like hair dye. Once I saw him in the costume, I was sold. Isaacs has the sharp nose and the cold blue eyes, but most importantly, he has a silky, sophisticated, menace about everything he does. Isaacs is one of those actors who will always be remembered for his villians.

8. Ralph Fiennes as Voldemort

It seems like an odd choice to cast a man with a larger-than-normal nose as the one character in the book who doesn't have a nose, but CG can do wondrous things these days. Ralph Fiennes was a brilliant choice for the big bad Voldemort because he is a smart, dedicated actor who knows not to take a role in a "children's movie" lightly.

I clearly remember a post Order of the Phoenix interview where Fiennes discussed the particular madness of a man as evil as Voldemort. It would be easy to just play evil, menacing, snarly man. It would be boring. Ralph Fiennes is a great Voldemort for the same reason that Heath Ledger was a brilliant joker. He broke up his script and found strikingly different levels. He snapped between calm and calculating, maniacal and gleeful, and screaming rage like a true psychopath.

Nearly anyone could shave their head and don the makeup to look like Voldemort. His snake nose and bald head are pretty iconic. Fiennes knew that to act like Voldemort, he couldn't just tale the role lightly. He had to embrace it.

7. Julie Walters as Mrs. Weasley

Julie Walters has crinkled brown eyes that show genuine warmth with every smile. She screams motherly affection. And she's a real ginger!

Of course, Molly Weasley is the mother of six rowdy boys, and Julie Walters has the right presence to believably keep six boys and Ginny Weasley in line. When she snaps to scolding, we all turn our heads to check for our mothers. When she fawns over Harry, we all can almost imagine the smell of that dinner in the oven.

Presence. Sincerity. Warmth. Julie Walters is a perfect Molly Weasley.

6. Brendan Gleeson as Mad-Eye Moody

Brendan Gleeson kind of reminds me of one of those dogs with the muscly shoulders. He looks like a pug or a pitbull. Maybe he's capable of warmth and affection, but he's much better at scowling and scaring off cats. 

The same goes for Mad-Eye Moody.

Gleeson is a revered, talented actor. Like Ralph Fiennes, he didn't say "Kid movie!" and slack off. He's committed to making sure that Mad-Eye is the same gonzo, paranoid guy he is in the books. He looks the part and he plays it well.

5. Natalia Tena as Nymphadora Tonks

The right age, the right look, and my God, her voice is wicked cool.

4. Robbie Coltrane as Rubeus Hagrid

He's like a big furry teddy bear. Robbie Coltrane is another one of those actors who has a genuine soul that exudes warmth. Sure, I've seen him play mean and menacing, but he's so lovable as the simple half-giant.

Coltrane has been with the series for all eight movies, but he never seems tired of the role. He has kept up his commitment to the character. It's a good thing. I think he'd have to look over his shoulder for an angry Dianne Rowling if he butchered her favourite character. I think Hagrid might not have survived the Battle of Hogwarts if JK Rowling hadn't feared that very same thing.

3. Dame Maggie Smith as Minerva McGonagall

The fact that she has been Knighted should tell you that her acting ability is not in question. Maggie Smith has a tendency to be cast as stern women (I first saw her as a strict nun in Sister Act). She continued the type with the no-nonsense McGonagall.

It's easy enough to be a tight-haired teacher. Maggie Smith was sure, from the start, to make sure that McGonagall showed hints of compassion through her tough exterior.

2. Helena Bonham Carter as Bellatrix Lestrange

Bellatrix is crazy, dark, and evil. Who better to play her than Tim Burton's baby mama? When Helen McCrory dropped the role due to her pregnancy and Carter filled in, I was ecstatic. Voldemort is the big baddie of the Harry Potter series, but I would rather be locked in a room with him than Bellatrix Lestrange.

Carter actually managed to make her character more maniacal and bipolar than Voldemort. Combine that with her frizzy hair, unusual beauty, and big dark eyes and you have one absolutely spot-on casting for the role.

1. Evanna Lynch as Luna Lovegood

When I first saw photos of Luna I thought that she looked freakily like a younger version of my room mate.

Then I saw this video. She IS Luna. Rather than talk about it, I'll just let you watch it.

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Reinventing the Book: 10 Improvements eReaders Have Made on the Conventional Book

1. BOOKMARKS ARE OBSOLETE! Never scrounge around for a random paper to hold your place and then later go looking for that important gift card/social security card/police report and be unable to find it. eReaders keep your place!

2. YOU CAN EAT AND READ! Ever do that awkward dance of trying to hold a burger with two hands and hold the book open with your elbow? (see illustration below if you've never had this problem) Then the mustard drips on your page and your perfect book is ruined. eReaders generally have accessible Next Page buttons and the screens can be wiped off.

3. YOU CAN CARRY A WHOLE LIBRARY! You don't need to worry about running out of shelf space. You can download books anywhere and carry them with you. Bring three books on your vacation and still have space in your carry on!

4. FOLLOW LINKS IN BOOKS! Hyperlinks in books can bring you to references, sources, and similar content!

5. BUILT IN DICTIONARY! Reading The Invisible Man? Not sure what that word akimbo means? They keep using it!!! Oh, look. [Click] It means standing with elbows out and hands on hips. Now I know!

6. NO SHIPPING! Free shipping. No wait. Don't wait for Barnes & Noble DHL shipping to take 9 days to bring you your book and not have tracking info until the last 4 (a recent experience of mine). Instantly delivered via whispernet (Amazon) or what-have-you. Don't wait for that book you're jazzed to read now.

7. KEEP YOUR BOOKS NEAT! So many of my books are wrecked from traveling in my purse. My leather Kindle folio and my Kindle are two years old and they are in great shape.

8. SAVE MONEY! Yeah, a Kindle costs at least 100 bucks, but when you start cutting out shipping and cutting out printing costs, you get cheaper books. Over the life of your eReader you will easily make it up. Buy 99¢ books from indie authors who would otherwise have to sell them for $13.99 print on demand. The money saving feature of eReading means that we get to see brilliant indie authors who might otherwise get lost in the publishing house shuffle.

9. BE DISCREET! Don't want anyone know you're reading a romance novel, or a self help book for that embarrassing problem, or Twilight? Nobody has to see what you're reading! Of course, if you're a snob and carry around a Quantum Physics textbook just to look smart, this won't help you.

10. SAVE THE TREES! Reduce your carbon footprint by consuming less paper! 

Speaking of eReaders, did you know that you can read Kindle Books on an iPod, Blackberry, iPad, iPhone, Mac, PC...? And if you're lucky, you can read MINE FOR FREE!

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Release Date Announced

Coming Saturday, July 16, 2011

Available from the Amazon Store at matterdeeppublishing.com on July 16 or on your Kindle or Nook.

Enter to win a Kindle copy here.

Read more about it at http://olympia-heights.com

YOU CAN FIND THE FREE EXCERPT AT OLYMPIA-HEIGHTS.COM

(look in the News section)

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