Wait a minute. This Harry Potter movie is going to be the last one? Why didn’t somebody say anything? I need to hurry and make plans to NOT go see this movie just like I did the other Harry Potter films.
While I’m at it, I should find some time in my schedule to NOT see any of the Lord of the Ring movies.
It’s not that I’m a hater or anything, I just have never had any interest in seeing those films. Is it because I never read any of the books? Could it be because I’m not a big fan of any of the actors in those movies? Would it possibly be because I was once “touched” by a magician? I’m sure all those reasons have something to do with it but the biggest reason is because my kids have never had any interest in seeing these movies.
Whenever I am on the fence about seeing a family friendly movie, I ask my kids if they want to see it. When they say no (which they often do), I decide there’s no reason to go and look for something better to spend my $36.00 on.
Now, of course, this sometimes backfires on me. There was the time they both wanted to see Hotel for Dogs and when they really wanted to see Nancy Drew but those events are few and far between.
I think the reason behind these decisions have more to do with time management than anything else.
My daughter has a friend who’s mother wouldn’t let her see any Harry Potter movie until she read the book first. What a bad idea. Not only does this spoil the movie for everyone but it takes the fun out of seeing a movie when said movie becomes a reward for spending too much time and money on a hard cover book that will eventually end up taking up valuable DVD space.
It’s with this in mind that I am proud to announce that my daughter has started watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer on Teen Nick. They started airing the episodes of the series in order a couple of months ago and she loves it.
There are so many reasons that this is great, I hardly know where to start.I suppose the best part is that from now on, she and I have a common interest and will always have one. That’s pretty cool.
Scott Gilbert
on Jul 28th, 2011
@ 1:17 pm:
I totally agree that the movie watching interest has to come from the kids. But I have to disagree with you here on the read it before you see it argument. Literature and movies are different media formats and therefore have different advantages. By reading a book before seeing a movie a child’s imagination is engaged and they picture the characters and places. If they see the movie first they will 1) not then read the book (further degrading the literacy of the next generation) or 2) read the book, but see the images from the film in their head (further degrading the imagination of the next generation). Either way I would rather have well-read and imaginative children then the alternative.