I saw it over on it's first release down here with a shit load of mates. I don't know whether or not it was through audience participation or just the movie itself, but the experience had to be my best cinema outing where I actually watched the movie.
We started queing an hour early yet we were still half way across the streets and it was amazing to see just how far it stretched. Newspaper cameramen stood taking shots of the mass of people and the entire several thousand seats of the cinema were packed.
When we got in, we realised just how few a children there were, I guess they'd either gone to the matinee or the parents had shyed from the rating. Regardless, it was a teen to OAP audience with a few brats spotted aroung and a generally good vibe going through (The amounts of HP carfs were a nice touch). The camera man then tried to sneak a few shots of the audience from the balcony(Bearing in mind the cinema doubles as a theatre) but unfortunatly for him, people always caught on an all he got was shots of us lot doing mexican 'leg' waves.
As soon as the trailers started, people were whistling and clapping. Full on cheers louder and longer than the trailers shown deserved, but it egged on the atmosphere, much to the annoyance of the perculiar woman (Okay, she was probably the only normal person there…) sat two rows ahead of me...
And when the movie started? People were even louder, whooping whoops as long as screams, it was hillarious. Didn't get to hear much of that first sequence mind, the whole cinema was at that point made up of people hissing, "Shhhhh~!" Only succeding in heightening the noise level.
Now, once everyone was a tad bit calmer, Ron came on, insert mass off orgasmic sound affects hear. People wolf whistled and murmerd "Oh yeah baby." Etc. Nice. Still, it was good, and the laughter within the audience itself was brilliant.
Then for the collapse after the port-key, when Amos(?), Cedric and co. came down all gracefull like. That recieved a big laugh, what can I say? People were hyper.
The biggest laugh probably came from Filch's run down the hall, it was ridiculous... It had the audience cackling like the idiots we all were. So David Bradley's performance quickly became an audience favourite, the audience awaiting the next blunder or oddity to laugh at. (Luckily, there being pleanty, eg. The dance with Mrs. Norris, the cannon etc.)
I was saddened by the cut of certain material, Goblet of fire was the last one I had read before I declared myself forever seperated from HP (I'm currently reading the fifth, keep it to yourself) so it would have been nice to have some of the inclusion... Although I have to say, Movie Dobby annoyed the hell out of me, so I wasn't too saddened at that particular cut.
I wish they had included Peeves in the movies, an old favourite of mine (A list compiled with Peeves, Lupin, Filch and Sirius) wouldn't have gone amiss, and I think it a tad bit of a loss to the story, letting go of one of my favourite moments in the fourth book. (The moment with Snape, Filch and Moody on the stairs) but hey, I can cope without.
Cedric's passing was sad, I'll admit that, inevitable, but sad.
Again on audience participation, there were particularly big laughs on Lord. V's rebirth (Someone wolf whistled in the silence, we had to laugh) and when Harry brought Cedric back to the grounds, you know, the music starts, maybe we laughed with irony, or maybe we were just insensitive and stupid. Shrug
Overall, I did enjoy it, alot was cut out and as an ex-fan I felt the anger, but also, rather distanced, I was able to enjoy it.
Quick question : What the hell was Draco doing in that tree? Why have him there? Was he picking apples?
And the suggestive... Yeah, I mean, Myrtle and the ferret Draco in Crabbe/Goyle's trousers (Don't know which)... Even the constant licking... O_o
I would have liked to see more of the adult actors though, they have a great British cast there, and they just aren't using them. Comeon, Rickman, he's been in so much... Maggie, she's an alround great! Bradley, one of the best in British theatre... Dawn French?!
Mneh, I'll live.
~Saito