Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Opening Night Premiere

I attended my first ever midnight movie premiere showing.   The film we saw:  Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows (Part 1), also referred to as HP7.    My younger son took me as his birthday gift this year (I know, my birthday was about a month ago, but this was surely worth waiting for and a fun time!)  We went with a group of nine students and friends and had a great time.    Thank you, Daniel, for sharing this adventure with me.  :)   I wore Gryffindor colors and my Hogwarts pin from our WWofHP outing last month.  

Others we saw were more dressed in costume...

9:00 p.m.  First stop, Starbucks, for some hot coffee to start the evening. Everything was decorated there for Christmas already.  Be sure to get your BOGO there over the next few days!

9:30 p.m.  Arrived at the theatre and amazingly, got a space under a street light right in front of the theatre

9:45 p.m.  Other friends started arriving to join us.  Line now beginning to stretch around the building on both sides. Can't believe I didn't take a group shot!   :(

10:15 p.m.  They let us into the theatre.  Had to wait 1 hour 45 minutes for the movie previews (unfortunately) to begin.   It was kind of comical seeing all the iPhones, iPads and iPod Touches come out, basically all at once. I resisted taking mine out except to check the time.

12:06 a.m.   The movie PREVIEWS began.  I think the actual movie started about 12:20 a.m. or so.   2 1/2 hrs of excitement from the beginning on... 

The movie stayed true to the  book pretty well except for  the film's addition of one brief "semi-skin" scene which could easily have been left out (parental discretion scene). No language that I recall, but some scenes are pretty intense for younger kids.  For a movie review by  Plugged In, go to THIS LINK. 

This was SO much fun.  Everyone in there was apparently an HP fan and was quiet at all the right times, cheered at all the right times and laughed at the right times TOGETHER.    I think most even shed a few tears at the right time (don't want to give too much away).    All in all, a very fun evening.  In bed about 3:30 a.m., paying for it today.  :)  I'm off for a nap now!

My younger son had read the books last summer and I read them this summer.  A very fun read.  I wouldn't be too overly concerned about "negative influences" on your older kids with these books.  It's definitely a fantasy story and thoroughly enjoyable.  Read them together or at least over the same time period to discuss.     If you haven't read the books and don't really have time to do so, check out the detailed summaries at Sparknotes.com.

Here are a few scenes from the movie for you.  The sequel and final movie in the series is scheduled for release in June 2011 and will be in 3D.  

These three kids have sure grown up over the last 10 years...this photo is from the first movie released in 2001.

A thoroughly enjoyable, fun evening.  I'm sleeping in tomorrow though. :)