Even though Jon has never read any of the Harry Potter books or seen the movies, Colleen loves them, so for Valentine's Day, Jon and Colleen went to see "Harry Potter: The Exhibition" at the Museum of Science. Colleen thought it was going to be a mix of the books and movies; after hearing our first stop on the audio tour, we learned it was going to be just about the movies.
Like the Titanic exhibit that Charlie and Colleen visited in Denver in July 2007, it had a timed entry, but although our entrance time was 9:05, they actually let us start lining up before 9. When it was 9:05, the first of several people sporting a British accent called us into a waiting area where they called on volunteers to have a go at the Sorting Hat. Colleen thinks that it was rigged because they would ask the people their favorite house and then, a minute later we would hear the booming voice read us a poem that would end in "You belong in GRYFFINDOR!!!" or "HUFFLEPUFF!!!" or, for the cunning Dad, "SLYTHERIN!!!," which, wouldn't you know it, had been declared as the favorite house. (We would hear same said booming voice later in the gift shop as it backed up to the back of this area.)
We were then ushered into a standing-up theater (meaning no seats - we stood as we looked at the movie screens) with various screens of various scenes in all the movies to date. There was very little dialogue but gave you a rough overview as it went from light, magical and whimsical into the dark stuff. Still, even for someone who had seen the movies, because the screens didn't show all the same things at the same time it was difficult to make sure one was seeing everything you were supposed to see.
After the 2 minute or so movie clips, ANOTHER person with a British accent ushered us into a room with the Hogwarts Express train that seemed just to be there for us to look at on our way to the moving portraits from the Hogwarts Castle. This is where the audio tour really got going, and for the perspective and behind the scenes motivation behind the artistic choices, it was worth the extra $5.
The costumes and props were all set up in a very organized way, starting with the Hogwarts dormitories, then going to classes with professors' costumes and props, then the Quidditch section, Hagrid's hut, the creatures from the forest, Voldemort and the Dementors and then finishing up with the castle.
Colleen's favorite tidbits were the costume designer on why Snape wears the same thing throughout: "It's perfect. Why would you change it?"; learning that star Daniel Radcliffe was allergic to Harry Potter's original glasses and it made the bridge of his nose all red and seeing that the decrees handed down in Book 5 have as their copyright "Blah Blah Blah Blah." Colleen was also surprised to see that they had life-size versions of the giant spider and dragon head which they used to scan it in to the computer for the CGI effects. She still doesn't know how they made Hagrid look big though, but Colleen still gives this one an A. -- POSTED BY COLLEEN
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