The Wide World of Snape

This is the place where I will put any new, relavent, or down-right thought provoking info (and pictures) from the movies. For a moment allow me to drop my usual demeanor of logic and objective treatment to the excitement of the PoA movie.
*Jumps around* I can't wait until it comes out!
Anyway -- original source will be listed after the title.
Newest articles are first.

NEW! Thanks to Mugglenet.com, here's a new picture of Snape (hi-resolution) from the movie: (really big)
It is the basis for the new banner for the site.
(Scroll left and right for the entire image. I suggest you get it from mugglenet.com itself. Resizing it makes it look bad, and I wasn't going to do that for the sake of fitting in the page.)

What I like about this shot is Rickman's stance. The hands again are at work, clasped in quiet servitude. It is fitting, considering what happens in this scene (when Black is discovered in the castle-- that explains the sleeping bags). Yet I question the purpose of the sleeping bags when it appears to be DAYLIGHT! Is it nap-time? Or really bright candles?

"Professor Snape(TM) seems to be evil personified; however in this case looks are decieving, as Professor Snape is also a man of fierce principles."

I had never thought of Snape having fierce principles, but then, I suppose that is what causes many of his actions. But to have an outside company, not affiliated with Warner Brothers, make such a statement gives me hope that what we as Snapeists believe is on the right track.
And it amuses me greatly to have Professor Snape's name trademarked.

The recent release of the the trailer for the movie was very impressive. See it here. Along with some pictures of favorite characters, (and Hermione punching out Draco), it was refreshing to see Rickman as Snape. (And I will confess -- when I saw the first scene, I giggled like a schoolgirl. But I am not ashamed).
In addition to all other pictures in teaser trailer, a scene from Snape teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts opens the trailer. Pictures are below.
These are some offical screen shots, owned by Warner Brothers. Don't sue me.

The whole trailer starts with a dramatic buildup -- Rickman opening the door, and the camera following him in.

Then there is a shot of him quickly walking down the length of desks (it's a rather long classroom). The shutters on the windows shut as he passes by, a potent image to build up suspense.



Then, in one movement, Rickman reaches the head of the class. He turns around, and faces front. Note here he is against a white background. The color white in the performing arts (theatre, movies) is an indication of purity, holiness, cleaniness and peace. One gets an almost ying\yang good\evil impression from the black costume of Snape against the white drop. Certainly true in the novel, considering what happens to Snape's character during the 'Prisioner of Azkaban'.
And yes, this is the Defense Against the Dark Arts room, because the staircase is the same one from the second movie.
And Rickman's only line? "Turn to page 394." And from my connections, I was not alone when I shrieked with glee\fainted\sighed when he said that line.

Find the entire article and more on the Jewish aspect of Harry Potter here.

Carol Muskoron: Have you noticed a big difference in your career since you've done Snape in the Harry Potter films?
Alan Rickman: Harry Potter feels like a whole other part of my life. It's somehow not part of the me who did Private Lives in the West End and the me who directed, and who did Love Actually. Harry Potter is like a pocket of life that I go and visit again from time to time.
CM: Have you read all the Harry Potter books? Are you a fan?
AR: You can't stop turning the pages, can you? But I haven't read them all - I have to try to catch up as we film.
CR: The part of Snape seemed so perfect for you... there was something about it which made it look like you were stretched and yet sort of confined at the same time. Did you feel that?
AR: Good way of putting it, actually. Because that's what Snape's like. There are such still waters in there. And the trouble is that there's so much we don't know yet 'cause JK Rowling hasn't revealed it. I know a couple of things about all that, that you don't and I'm not telling...
CR: How do you get the dreadful Snape hair?
AR: Easy. It's a wig.

This is the classic Snape in dress scene. One should notice his 'vulture-topped hat, and that green dress, with that big red handbag'.


Here the detail of the hat and fox-fur scarf become apparent. Also the look of confusion is priceless.


This is the potent shot when he catches Harry coming from Hogsmeade illegally.

And this follows right after, and we see a classic Snape -- grim, determined, and not pleased.

The trailer is very exciting -- our first glimpses of Sirius Black -- though only a brief shadowed glimpse of Lupin. And Snape is back, returning to the role except...not. The trailer presents three images of him.
The first is perhaps one of the most awaited shots of Snape. He emerges from the cupboard ominous and threatening -- there is a crack -- Snape stumbles- and there he is -- wearing the most absurd hat, complete with stuffed vulture, and green dress. The look on Rickman's face is priceless -- confusion, not anger. Oh, to this reporter it is hilarious, and captures the spirit of the scene -- humor.
The second image (after some other things) is the classic picture that is addressed in the previous article. For a moment it too is startling -- but has the opposite effect that the previous glimpse had. It is a major clash of our outside perception of Snape (ie, hating Harry) and what we see in PoA --that he is concerned about their welfare.
The third seemed to this reporter the classic image of Snape -- face illuminated by wandlight, he looks stern and determined; much closer, in this reporter's opinion, to our usual perception. This glimpse seemed to take place possibly during the search of Black throughtout the castle. But the trailer is vague at which point it occurs.
Overall, the trailer is satisfactory, with a Shakespearean allusion and energetic, yet oddly dark music done by John Williams, the composer of the last two Harry Potter music scores. If the movie is half as good as the images in the tralier were, this reporter has much more faith for the success and overall quality of this film, rather than a repeat of the last two movies.

This hopeful picture of our Potions Professor from the 3rd movie is full of potential. Others when viewing the picture for the first time were known to comment that they could not believe that their Snape could be protecting the Trio, when it appeared that Snape despised them. But this shot shows otherwise -- and maybe finally, this reporter hopes, people everywhere will realize the enigma of Severus Snape. He is not what he appears to be, as this picture shows. Hopefully the movie is as potent as this shot. Hopefully too, that Rickman has merely thrown back his left arm toward the students -- because it is this reporter's opinion that the arm looks cut off at the elbow.

Emily and Charlotte just sent us the following report:
We went along to the POA filming in Palmers green yesterday and got chatting to a man working on the film; he was telling us some of the scenes that had been shot already - the aunt Marge bit is slightly different from the book, apparently she floats out into the conservatory and then into the sky, Uncle Vernon grabs her ankle and the dog jumps at his. Also ... they've kept ... Snape dressed in woman's clothing when the students have their lesson about boggarts with Lupin. Oh and apparently the models of the Dementors are really scary.

We cannot wait to see it.

He blamed CGI for making the actors sit around all day eating sandwiches, so that his close fitting costume became very tight. He also said that the boggart in the wardrobe scene has been shot. He shot his first scene for POA in February, and his last one only last month.

I am fascinated at Rickman's candid look at the shooting of Prizioner of Azkaban. It is a satisfaction to see that the boggart scene is included, fufilling many "Snapeists" dreams - we will finally see him in a dress.