Comments on: A Convergence of Monkeys, Nerds, and Lightning http://www.john-zhu.com/blog/2009/12/31/a-convergence-of-monkeys-nerds-and-lightning/ Useful Resources for Some, Useless Rants for Others Thu, 22 Dec 2011 18:18:04 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: gypsy_cat http://www.john-zhu.com/blog/2009/12/31/a-convergence-of-monkeys-nerds-and-lightning/comment-page-1/#comment-5236 gypsy_cat Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:40:49 +0000 http://www.john-zhu.com/blog/?p=2870#comment-5236 I agree with your take on the Harry Potter exhibit. As a Potter fan, it's pretty cool to actually see things like Alan Rickman's Snape outfit and Harry and Ron's four-poster beds. (And who knew Helena Bonham Carter is so tiny?) A lot of classic British wit apparently went into the props, especially the schoolbooks, with their variety of typefaces and design styles from different decades. (Gilderoy Lockhart's books, appropriately enough, had gilt lettering and looked like cheap coffee table editions from Barnes and Noble.) And fans of British art and literature will enjoy the paintings, most of which are knockoffs of famous paintings. There's one of Wordsworth with a wizard's cap on, and I saw Spencer, Byron, Queen Elizabeth I and quite a few other notables. But, yeah, the wands were a ripoff. For $45, they better perform actual spells, preferably ones that work on cats. (Fermatus Brattus!) Too bad: I would have gotten one had they been a reasonable price -- and, with all the kids visiting, I bet the shop would have sold out in no time. I agree with your take on the Harry Potter exhibit. As a Potter fan, it's pretty cool to actually see things like Alan Rickman's Snape outfit and Harry and Ron's four-poster beds. (And who knew Helena Bonham Carter is so tiny?) A lot of classic British wit apparently went into the props, especially the schoolbooks, with their variety of typefaces and design styles from different decades. (Gilderoy Lockhart's books, appropriately enough, had gilt lettering and looked like cheap coffee table editions from Barnes and Noble.) And fans of British art and literature will enjoy the paintings, most of which are knockoffs of famous paintings. There's one of Wordsworth with a wizard's cap on, and I saw Spencer, Byron, Queen Elizabeth I and quite a few other notables.

But, yeah, the wands were a ripoff. For $45, they better perform actual spells, preferably ones that work on cats. (Fermatus Brattus!) Too bad: I would have gotten one had they been a reasonable price — and, with all the kids visiting, I bet the shop would have sold out in no time.

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