Prometheus: Full Trailer

All I can say is: OH.MY.GOD.HOLY.SHIT!!!

June 8th cannot get here sooner!

R.I.P Whitney Houston.

I'm still in shock at the news, it's been an hour but still feels like a hoax. At her peak, her voice was magnificent. Another Icon gone, may her soul be at peace at last.

2011 in Review: Top Singles

"We could have had it all......." and so, that's how the year began and lord did she had it all and we along with her!

Of course, others may say that the year started either with someone holding things against her, or another letting us know that she was born this way and that way or the other way, but really, the perfect storm of Adele's voice and that thumping handclapping thunder sound accompaning it was all we needed all year long.

Not that Adele was all there was out there, Patrick Wolf gave the world not one, but four amazing singles; a previously unknown act named Foster The People gave summer it's inescappable and most unlikely hit; and even Robyn, who gave us a handfull of pop masterpieces last year, managed to throw one more our way with the genial "Call Your Girlfriend."

1. Adele's "Rolling in the Deep."
2. Patrick Wolf's "The City."
3. Patrick Wolf's "Together."
4. Foster The People's "Pump Up Kicks."
5. Patrick Wolf's "House."
6. Patrick Wolf's "Time of My Life."
7. Adele's "Someone Like You."
8. Black Key's "Lonely Boy."
9. Robyn's "Call Your Girlfriend."
10. Lykke Li's "I follow Rivers."

Honorable mention goes to Adele's shoulda-coulda-woulda never officially released as single "Rumor Has It."  There's just no other song in 21 that deserved to be released more than "Rumor." Shame on you record company!

And speaking of unreleased potential hits, Britney (yes, Britney) Spears release several songs off her Femme Fatale album, some ("I Wanna Go") were no brainers, but the catchiest earworn in the album was never given a release for unknown reasons: "Big Fat Bass." That songs just rocks, bounce, tickles that pop pleasure spot in ways no other song in the album could and it was never given a chance.

2011 in Review: Top Albums

Back in 2010, Lady Gaga's self-aggrandizing ego proclaimed that at the start of the new year, she would deliver not only the album of the decade, but of a generation.  Such bloated statement was met with very little opposition, or better yet, doubt from the masses.  It is no secret that I'm not a fan of Lady Gaga.  I would admit though, that I do find "Bad Romance" to be just about the best thing she's ever done and the peak of her meteorized rise to the top of the charts and her consumption of all forms of media, to the point that between 2009 and 2010 she was everywhere; totally inescapable and bigger than anything else in the world.  Yet, the rest of her work has reek of repetition, and aping the sights and sounds of far better talent.  The reason why she made such an impact was simply because it had been a long time since someone--anyone, was so hungry and desperate for fame and created such a visual assault on the masses, that the media jumped on it with such fervor and the public (who's always listening to the media) simply followed suit.

When her BORN THIS WAY came out, to the surprise of anyone but her most fervent followers, it failed to be neither the greatest album of the decade nor the album of any generation.  What's particular about this, is that this same bloated misfired occurred exactly 5 years before by none other than Brandon Flowers and his band The Killers.  He too proclaimed prior to the release of SAM'S TOWN that it would be one of the greatest albums of all time, etc, etc,. and wouldn't you know it? It was nothing of the sort.  Even more interesting is the fact that The Killers and Gaga, both base their respective greatest album of all time on a series of songs that borrowed heavily from the sound of 80s Bruce Springsteen.  Not to take away from the awesomeness of The Boss, but the lesson here is that channeling Bruce is not going to produce a great album, especially not the greatest album of all time.

I've gone out of my way talking about Lady Gaga, because it was her vulgar excess, overproduced sound that was supposed to rule the charts this year, and yet, she and those like her, released nothing but misfires and instead, the masses turned their attention to more organic, arguably richer, more talented artists such as Adele.

This was the year of Adele; there's no contestation to that, and if she doesn't win every award she's up for during the upcoming Grammy Awards, including Song, Record, and Album of the Year, then the world will surely come to and end in 2012.

Now, Adele gave us a very solid album that rightfully sold more than any other and ruled the charts (still is) and she deserves every accolade that comes her way, but she did not gave us the best album of the year. No. That honor goes to an artist that has consistently given us the very best album of the year, 5 times now.  Someone whom at this point, can without question be called the greatest talent that has come out of the 21st century so far.  And with like most greatest, purest talent, he's not as popular as Gaga or even Adele, he's remained a sort of an underground sensation, revered by many and praised by critics here and far, but mainstream popularity has eluded him, even as he has crafted some of the most catchiest, richest songs of the last decade without sacrificing an ounce of his artistry in the process.

Here's the Top 10 Albums of the year:

1. LUPERCALIA--Patrick Wolf: There's just no better, more thrilling, artistic, melodic, excellent record out there than this.  5 albums in, Patrick Wolf continues to mesmerize and amaze in ways that no other single artist that has come out in the last 12 years has been able to. He is in a class of his own, and this? This masterpiece about what it feels like to have found true, pure, unapologetic love, is a triumph that only one person could have been able to pull off without coming off as sappy or insincere.  We are the more bless to have him with us.
2. LET ENGLAND SHAKE--PJ Harvey: Like only the best of musicians--those who dare to pursue just about every aspect of their talent and take on any challenge outside of their comfort zone, PJ Harvey has built a career on blending and bending her sound in ways only Bjork could challenged. Not one of her albums has ever sound the same as the previous or any of the ones before it, and LET ENGLAND SHAKE is no exception. An album that is vastly rich in not only texture but content, a strange journey filled with heavy stuff, supercharged with political subtext; rightfully winning the mercury prize earlier this year (PJ is the the only artist ever to win it twice!) LET ENGLAND SHAKE is a bizarre masterstroke you owe it to yourself to listen to and be changed by it.
3. EL CAMINO--Black Keys: The Black Keys continue their journey into making the most excellent southern rock around. They really are one of the very best bands out there and there's only few others who can compare to their power. EL CAMINO is catchy without betraying their sound and expands in what their breakthrough, BROTHERS started.
4. FOUR THE RECORD--Miranda Lambert: The rightful heir to superb country of Loretta Lynn, Miranda Lambert is the ONLY current female country singer deserving of being called "country."  Whereas everyone else chooses to pop-fy their country sound, Miranda continues to honor the tradition of those true country artist that came before her with yet another album that no only pushes her into being in a class of her own, but expand and matures her music even further, and we couldn't be anymore happy for her and for it.
5. BON IVER--Bon Iver: I sort of knew about Bon Iver but never paid attention until this record kept getting so much ink on the press. It's probably the indie album of the year.
6. SUPPOSED UNKNOWN--Eric Himan: and speaking of indie albums of the year, Eric Himan's SUPPOSED UNKNOWN is to my opinion, his best collection of indie-folk-rock to date. Eric has steadily grown into not only a very skilled musician, but vocalist (specially live, where you can really experience the reach of his vocal chops) and a more mature, confident lyricist.
7. WOUNDED RHYMES--Lykke Li: Though I liked songs from Lykke's first album, I was not in love with the whole thing. WOUNDED RHYMES takes Lykke into a whole new level of maturity and song crafting that her debut show promised of, though we weren't completely sure.  In a year of lesser forgettable pop crap like Rihanna and Katy Perry, Lykke Li, like Nelly Furtado before her, shows that you can create amazingly catchy pop with substance, and that's talent that those other studio creations can't touch.
8. CIRCUITAL--My Morning Jacket: A welcome return to form, after the experimental detour of Evil Urges.
9. 21--Adele: Yes, Adele will (and she damn better compare to the other nominees) win the album of the year and every other category she's nominated for at the grammys. Yes, the year belongs to her, yes, she had to massive hits that weren't mere pop songs but instant classics that will stand the test of time, yes, she has an amazing voice that's thunder compare to anyone else's and she uses it to infuses her songs with so much feeling and raw emotions she elevates everything she puts that voice to, into heavenly heights.  But the truth is that 21 though solid, is a flaw album. Some of the middle section songs drag a bit, and some of the lyrics could have been sharper.  They sound great because Adele is singing them, but unlike the highlights: "Rolling in the Deep," "Rumor Has It," "Someone Like You," "Set Fire to the Rain" the aren't unforgettable, just good, and with the time of talent the girl has? she needs more than good songs, she needs great songs to match that voice, something that I have all the confident her third album will have.
10. MYLO XYLATO--Coldplay: One of my all time favorite bands almost didn't make it. MYLO XYLATO isn't the greatest Coldplay album (A RUSH OF BLOOD TO THE HEAD remains their greatest achievement), but after the uneven, yet still rewarding X&Y and the strong, almost perfect VIVA LA VIDA, they can be allowed to make a more relax album that isn't trying to be the best of anything, just in the same way that Kings of Leon made COME AROUND SUNDOWN, after the whirlwind year they have with the smash that was ONLY BY THE NIGHT.  MYLO XYLATO still is pure Coldplay, full of big sounds, catchy melodies and Chris Martin yearning, and that's all we ever want from them.

Honorable mentions go to Bjork, who came back this year with an album (BIOPHILIA) intended for the tech-savvy age we live in, all out digital advertising campaign and all, and gave us something, as usual, bizarre but more realized than her previous, divisive album.
Tori Amos classical album NIGHT OF HUNTERS for sheer virtuoso piano playing.  That woman remains a prodigy and her skills on this album are beyond good.
Also, though totally disposable, Britney Spears' FEMME FATALE gets a nod for being the poppy, fun, lets not take ourselves too seriously and party album of the year. Exactly what we have come to expect and want from our favorite fembot, and FEMME FATALE is her catchiest collection to date.

Writing Exercise

It was a simple yet magical night that started with a shy smile, and ended with a kiss....

A look across the room spotted a mystery, and a shy, sweet smile was given: a shadow throbbed under the lights, and the room swayed seductively in an air of licorice only lovers could taste.  The shy smile turned flirtatious: it was all that was needed to give the courage necessary to navigate the maze of endless bodies that moved to sound, responded to vibrations, jumped for joy; the need of wanting, the breath on hold in a moment of silence that nothing would go wrong, for belonging, was the promise of the night, the prized announced by the stars, though morning light would be judge and decide on its merit to last or die.

The eyes held onto that smile and the connection made the quest worthy of any danger, if such was to present itself.  The maze shifted and morphed with the rhythm of sights and sounds; a cacophony of declarations were made as lovers abound.  Some were sealed in more than whispers, pitches baritone and contralto; arias that would give pause to the tainted of heart.  Some would strive for things that would never be true; some would have the unfortunate outcome of being stillborn, but not the quest for the smile; not the foreseen eyes that spoke of the future, if only they were to be shown a bit of tenderness in a moment of doubt, which could and would make the conqueror the only one... if only.

Shadows throbbed in the lights, inebriated and feeling bold, scared of being cast off; yearning for solidity and a sense of self that was denied to them by their makers.  Unable to control themselves, they tensed and darkened the path of the conqueror, making the night cry, keeping the stars from handing over the prize.  The smile faded away, and what was left of it, a witch turned into a pulpy drop of blood meant to stain the morning light, and let the new day know, all... it was lost.  The endless bodies parted ways and said their goodbyes, the maze grew pale and a ghost frightened it into a coma never to wake up from.  The shadows imbibe some more in the neons they thought were gold, and were never aware of the shimmer they took from the sky, leaving the world to wander without guidance.  The throbbing lights, blind and unaware of the weight of tragedy, washed down the still body of the would-be conqueror as a kiss bid his eyes goodbye.

The Search For The Perfect Image

In between being busy and distracted by life's happenings, I've been diligently trying to find-create the perfect cover for HADEAN ANGELUS, and so far nothing.  My original idea for a cover, just fell apart, and my second idea... I can't seem to put it together just right, thus forever delaying the release of the book, I mean, without a proper cover I can't do anything!

I had originally planned to have the book out this coming tuesday, which--if you read the book--would have been a perfect date for it! but sadly, not everything happen as planned, so the release date remains up in the air, until this business of the cover can get resolved. I'm going to crossed my fingers that it will be all done before thanksgiving, since that would also be a perfect date.  Stay tuned.....

Keep Wall Street Occupied

I've been (as always) busy with life, so I haven't post as frequently or even talk about subjects that I'm passionated about lately.  But I want to quickly share this video about a way to protest Wall Street, linked to the Occupy Wall Street movement, which I'm fully 100% behind, and I need to talk about it more.  I urge anyone and everyone to watch the video and start following on the steps of it's creator to let banks now that we, the people, will no longer just stand back and do nothing. It's time to act.

Hadean Angelus MCMLXXIX-Volume One-The Twins: Synopsis version 2.0

Ok, so I know I posted an "official" synopsis already, but in the back of my mind I wasn't 100% satisfied (when am I ever satisfied with anything, really?) so I tweaked it a bit and I've come up with a slightly longer, more detailed version, which I may or may not used as the official one.  See if you like this one better:


"Nethan Dohav is dead."  And with that grim announcement, the sprawling, apocalyptic world of Hadean Angelus begins.

Seven years ago, the global conflict began with an explosion, sending the world at large into a steady march towards total destruction.  Now, with the planet engulfed by unchecked chaos and with no discerning end in sight, seventy-nine nations have fallen while millions of lives have been lost.  At the homefront, the youth rebels against the totalitariam Regime; running away from home while being labeled terrorists, bringing forth a civil war that divides the nation even further.

Banding together, the runaways organized themselves and formed the Guerrillas, swearing to take down the totalitariam Regime and take back control of the nation.  But in the midst of this power struggle, a second, mysterious rebel group known as the Insignia emerges, threatening to bring the world to an end.

As one of the leaders of the Guerrillas, Netham's untimely death will set in motion a series of events that will lead his successor, the young Valentina Valentine, to uncover shocking truths about not only those she thought of as allies, but Netham himself, and put her on a collision course with the shadowy figure at the head of the Insignia; a showdown that will ultimately decide the fate of the world.

Introducing "Hadean Angelus MCMLXXIX Volume 1: The Twins" The Official Synopsis.

The World We Once Knew no Longer Exists.

Of the one hundred and ninety-six nations that stood at the start of the global conflict, only one hundred and seventeen remain.  In a scant seven years, seventy-nine nations have been seized, decimated or simply erased from the face of the earth.

Rise of the Totalitarian System.

It’s no secret that within the hierarchy of old men that constitutes the Regime, corruption runs rampant. The Regime has taken our rights away; they know our every move, make our decisions for us, and even go as far as act as if they know our very thoughts dictating what we think or say.  An entity that instills fear cannot be trusted to rule, but without an alternative to turn to, it cannot be stopped.

The Youth in Revolt.

With the national draft reinstated, the youth rebelled against the Regime, refusing to be shipped to their death at the battlefront. Running away from home and leaving their families behind, they are now fugitives being hunted down by the Regime.  Organizing themselves, they start fighting back, until their confrontation with the Regime explodes into a civil war.

The Fight for Control.

With a nation torn apart by the global conflict and the battle between the Regime and the youth rebel groups, a third, mysterious entity collects itself and makes a play to overpower everything, take the nation, and bring the world at large to an end.

The Title Revealed!

I'm double excited to finally reveal the title of my new novel:

"Hadean Angelus MCMLXXIX Volume 1: The Twins."

Yes, I know, it's quite a mouthfull.

But it's such an exciting story!  I also would like to point out that it is going to be my first serial, hence the "volume" in the title.

I've worked on HADEAN ANGELUS for some years now, finding my way around the ins and outs of the story as a whole; not just this first volume, but the full series.  And though I know exactly how many volumes there's going to be of it, I would like to hold that bit of info back for now, and simply concentrate on Volume 1's release.  I'm aiming for a November 1st release date at this point, fingers crossed.

What's the meaning of the title you asked?  It's actually a puzzle piece to a huge, HUGE, secret within the story, and giving the meaning away now, would ruin the pay off of the story.  But fear not, in the next few days, I'm going to be posting bits and pieces of the mechanics of the story and its characters, including the official synopsis of  Volume 1: The Twins.

Stay Tuned.

Quick Film Takes On: "Contagion," "Killer Elite,"Drive," "Moneyball."

Though life has been keeping busier than I would like, I've somehow find the time to see a few movies out and here are my quick thoughts:

DRIVE: More stylish than I thought it would be, with some unexpected parts, a nice soundtrack, and some pretty cute/tender moments interspeted with the violence and the cool camera work driving. Everyone involve does a fine job. Grade: B+

MONEYBALL: Thought people may not see it, Brad Pitt does a very good understated acting on this.  The movie itself is winner, thanks to him and the excellent script and directing job.  Is it an oscar movie? Yes and not quite. Grade: B+

KILLER ELITE: It's not quite the movie the preview made it seem to be, but it has tons of fun moments, especially the two big fights between Clive and Jason, and it proves once and for all that Jason Statham is without a doubt, "the man." Grade: B

CONTAGION: A perfectly ok movie about paranoia in our everyday lives, everyone involve does good on their parts, but it's nothing to rush to. Grade: B

Novel #2 Update: Hardest Part of It All--The Crucial Synopsis.

And here I was so happy that the editing part was completely done, and I was almost halfway done with creating the right cover design, when suddenly someone reminded me of one tiny fact that I have completely forgotten about: the book's synopsis.

And my heart sank.

Not because it is an impossible task, but because summarizing your novel to one or two paragraphs has got to be the hardest part of writing a novel, period.  You have to sell the novel to the potential reader, convey just about everything, or at the very least, the most crucial aspects of the story without giving any surprises away!  Which sometimes means omitting amazing details that would for sure drive people to buy/read the book, but you can't give those details away because they serve a larger story and their impact needs to be discover while reading the book, not on a summary.

So I have stop all work on the cover design, to concentrate on the synopsis.  I must have written about 10 different versions of the synopsis for VIOLET HILL, until I landed on the version I ended up using for the official release.  But VIOLET HILL, when compare to book #2, was a piece of cake.  VIOLET HILL might have been a bit difficult to summarized, but the story itself is very straightforward compare to the new novel.  The new one is perhaps the most complex story I've ever dreamed up; it is a huge, sprawling epic from which book #2 is only a fraction of. 

I already feel a headache coming on......

But fear not, I'm known for putting myself in this type of "against the wall" situations and finding my way out. I am a higly intelligent, confident, practical, resourceful being, and though it may take a dozen drafts, I will end up with the perfect synopsis for it.  Which I will then post here, along with the official reveal of the novel's title.

stay tuned.....

Book Number 2-update

Finishing the editing was probably the easy part.  I have a clear idea of the cover design I want to utilize for my upcoming novel, the only issue is getting that idea to work.  When I was looking for the cover image of VIOLET HILL, I wanted (of course) an image that would represent the story or more importantly convey the feeling of the book, and the image I choose, which I believe I was lucky to come across is perfect: the upside down view to a basement dead end.

For anyone that's read VIOLET HILL, you know that I couldn't have picked a better image to represent the novel. A sense of dread, being trapped with no escape, desperation, claustrophobic fear, and your world and everythig you know completely shuffled into something unknown.  That's all right there in the cover when you read the novel.

I want the cover of book 2 to be just as perfect as that of VIOLET HILL, and so far I haven't being able to nailed it, but I'm positive that I'm going to.

Fingers crossed.

What a Hurricane Can Make You Accomplished.

So this weekend, we, the people of the northeast cost, had to deal with the passing of hurricane Irene. Though there wasn't much damaged at all around my area (NYC) asside from hours and hours of heavy rain and wind, I was most concern with losing power, so I stayed up, burning the midnight oil to finished my final revision of my next novel.  And I'm very happy to say that the mission was accomplished!!

Granted, we did not, in fact, lost power for a second, but the important thing is that I feared we would, so it made me sit down and not moved until this revision was done, otherwise, I can bet I would still be working on it for another week or so.  So even though Irene did cause a lot of damages and some lives were lost, for which I'm very saddened, in some weird selfish way, I have to say thanks to it for pushing me to do what I should have been done with weeks ago.

Next up: working on the cover/backcover design, the pages layout, and overall look of the novel, before my late October/early November publishing deadline.

Wish me luck.

Work in Progress Update

So I'm about half-way through doing the last editing of my next novel. I'm aiming for a late October, early November release.  Pretty exciting!

Movies Review Round-Up

I've seen a few pics in the last couple of weeks and this is my brief thoughts on them:

THE HELP: it isn't history, it's a work of fiction, so I don't know why so many people are hating on it. For what it is, it's a very well acted film, poignant, heartfelt, and enjoyable. Grade: A.

RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES: I can't remember the old ones, I think I've only seen the original as a child, and the Marky Mark one, I erased it off my memory. This one is pretty good for a summer movie trying to be a bit more food for thought than your usual fare, and everyone is pretty solid, including Draco Malfoy!  Andy Serkis, once again, makes motion capture tech amazingly vivid and convincing. Grade: B+

COWBOYS & ALIENS: a total rental. It should have been more fun than serious. Grade: C.

THE GUARD: a bit random, off kilter, but typically quirky from ireland, funny, though not as much as I was expecting, but overall, enjoyable. Grade: B

CRAZY, STUPID, LOVE: hands down, the romantic comedy of the year, and the best comedy of the summer. Yes, even better than BRIDESMAIDS. Grade: A.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: Pretty solid, and actually center around it's namesake unlike the disappointment that was THOR. Chris Evans does himself proud. Grade: B

An Amazingly Awesome Reader's Review of "Violet Hill"

on Barnes&Nobles site, Mr Bell wrote one short, yet flattering review of VIOLET HILL OR THE MAD DIARIES OF NICHOLAS RAMPLING. A review he titled: "A grand renewal of a type of story that has long since lost its shine!"  Then proceeds to call my novel "remarkable" and "astounding job" and how he "truly loved it."  But don't let me tell you, read it for yourself here. Just scroll down to the bottom of the page.

I'm feeling most humble and truly appreciative of Mr. Bell's words.

In Memoriam: Amy Winehouse

Very Saddened about Amy's passing. It feels as terrible as when Aaliyah died in the plane crash.
Yes, because of her behavior and drug abuse, we knew that more than likely she wasn't gonna make it, but damn it I held out a bit of hope that she ultimately would come out at the other side of all the darkness around her.
Yes, she was a very troubled young woman, but it doesn't take away from the fact that she was such a raw talent, the likes we seldom get to experience. Making fun of her dead is easy, cheap, and shameful.
At least, her demons can no longer haunt her, she's finally free at last. My heart goes out to her family.

All I can think of now is her exquisite, heartwrenching, and arguably best music video for what I considered her very best song: Back to Black.

HARRY POTTER: Ranking All 8 Films.

I've seen HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 2, five times already.  A bit obsessive? Yes.  Had enough of it? No. I will see it as many times as I can managed. It is the end of an era, something that, not just me, but for many, has been part of our lives for over a decade. How can I not relish and re-watch THE END multiple times?  I believe any serious Potterphile should at the very least, watch the movie twice.

But now that I've seen them all, it was inevitable that I (and I'm sure every fan, magazine, blog, etc,) would take time to rank them in terms of greatness. They've all conjured a spell on fans worldwide, but of course, some of them--depending on the director--had a stronger, longer-lasting spell than others.

For all the magical moments, and every thrilling charm cast with visually-arresting, cinematic wizardry, what makes the POTTER films stand apart from most fantasy films (mainly all the copycats that came after it, trying to become the next Potter-like blockbuster), it's the acting, the quiet moments, the way each character latches him or herself onto your heart, no spell require, that makes them, special.  Even the evil characters you can't completely hate, because the level of acting of these British actors is so potent, so natural.... to this day I'm besides myself that not one of them has been properly singled out during awards season.  The films became more like the endearing drama of an orphan boy, his two awesome best friends, and the dire circumstances surrounding him, forcing him to face evil at such a young age, that just happened to be set on a magical realm.  The magic, for all the amount of it that existed, was always secondary to the characters.  That's how Jo Rowling wrote them, that's how (starting with) Alfonso Cuaron and his successors filmed them, that's why movie after movie they became greater and bigger, enchanting even those who've never bothered or care to read the books.

So without any more delaying, here's my ranking of all 8 films:

1. HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN: I know there's a few who don't think highly of PRISONER OF AZKABAN, but that's just foolery. AZKABAN was the film that changed the franchise and set it on it's way to greatness. Alfonso Cuaron brilliantly got the characters out of the light touch of the first two movies and into darker territory, he also got them out of the school uniform and made them more real. Watch the first two films and then this one, and you can just see how he was able to bring the "actor" out of Daniel, Emma, and Rupert. From this point on, they weren't just mere "child actors," they were actors. Also the casting of Michael Gambon as Dumbledore after the passing of Richard Harris was just genius. His Dumbledore is the one people will forever remember, and not because he played it more than the late Richard did, but because he made Dumbledore human, instead of the regal, kind yet detached version from the first two films.  Harry's winter isolation, rebellious/angry attitude, his pain, his realization of having family (Sirius) are all moments that connect you with him.  AZKABAN remains the template by which the succeeding directors base their takes on each following book.  Just try to imagine what HARRY POTTER AND.... would have looked like, have Chris Columbus kept directing or if the other directors had followed his lead?
2. HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 1: Here's the thing, Part 2 is freaking awesome in every level, and though I don't mind the relentless action, Part 1 has more intimate moments that hit home a bit more. It's the quiet before the storm and it's dreadful. We have an idea of how badly the storm is going to break, but the quiet, the wait, the hesitation, confusion, uncertainty on Harry's, Hermione's, and Ron's faces while on the run with seemingly no one to turn to, makes you feel desperate for them.  Ron's departure, and Hermione's heartbreak, Harry trying to console her with a dance, Harry's face seeing his parent's grave, even freaking Dobby's death, just tears you apart.
3. HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 2: The end we have all been waiting/dreading, and how emotional it was. After multiple viewings, I have to say, I've started feeling sad for even Voldemort as the last horcruxes were destroyed and he felt it. Even when he brought Harry's supposed dead body back to Hogarts to brag, you could see the trepidation in his eyes, here he was finally unstoppable with harry dead, and yet, even he wasn't sure anymore. Ralph Fiennes played him brilliantly during those final scenes, showing the madness consuming him, and his fear of certain death.  And yet, it was so (understandably) busy that it left very little room for the special moments.  Bellatrix's death seemed rather too quick for her character, and Fred's, Remus', and Tonk's dead should have felt more emotional, yet they didn't quite reach the level they should have been for these characters.  On the other hand, Severus' demise was as shocking and sad as it should have been, and Harry's view of his memories through the pensieve were effective on conveying the tragedy and heroism behind his character. Alan Rickman remains the acting MVP through the whole series, hands down.
4. HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX: Sirius death, Bellatrice's emergence, Harry and Cho's kiss, Dumbledore and Voldemort's showdown at the ministry of magic, the delicious malice of professor Umbridge.... taking a clue from Alfonso Cuaron, David Yates took over from Mike Newell's and his uneven rendering of GOBLET OF FIRE, and brought the films back to their "characters first" focus, and the result was as explosive and exciting as Hermoine pointing her wand and shouting: "bombardo!" 
5. HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE: Though David Yates skillful eyed should forever be commended for creating magic out of the last 3 books in the series, HALF-BLOOD PRINCE will forever be his least effective. In terms of character development and acting, it is one of the strongest. Michael Gambon does so much with Dumbledore on this one, he should have been nominated in the same way that Ian Mckellen was for THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING. Tom Felton gives so much gravitas to Draco, it is like seeing the character anew. But, and though I've tried to judged the films on their own and not compare them to the books, and it is true that all films differ from aspects of the books, the changes on HALF-BLOOD PRINCE are so glaring that they just can't be ignored. Harry and Ginny's kiss, the burning of the burrow and excising Dumbledore's funeral from the film are nearly unforgivable.
6. HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS: Looking back, this is probably the most surprising of all the films, because no one expected Chris Columbus to reined in his penchant for showy moments, and actually put greater emphasis on the story. Oh, he still indulges himself on magical aha! set pieces, but not as over the top as the first film.
7. HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE: The most uneven of all 8 films. Mike Newell tried to compromise between the special effects showmanship and cuteness of the Chris Columbus films, and the character development of Alfonso Cuaron, leaving GOBLET OF FIRE entertaining yet not the soaring epic it should have been. It must be pointed out that he also had to condense the longest book, which also made the film feeling like it was missing something, by everything that was left on the floor of the cutting room.
8. HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE: Though full of magic, and granted, base on the first novel which was very much aimed at kids, Chris Columbus opted to go for the cuteness of his HOME ALONE movies, leaving SORCERER'S STONE a thrilling first look at the world of HARRY POTTER but one with no emotional connection. You never feel worried for Harry and Co. You don't develop empathy during the scene of in which Harry sees his parents in the mirror.  But you do laugh at all the little enchantments cast, all the moments of discovery, and all the cuteness on screen. It doesn't leave you wanting more.

Now, if were counting DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 1 & 2 as one single movie, which I will probably do in the future the way I now count/see THE LORD OF THE RINGS as one whole movie and not three separate films, then DEATHLY HALLOWS would hands down hold the number 1 position.  Put them together, DEATHLY HALLOWS does possess everything that has enchanted us about HARRY POTTER through out the years. No better end could have been asked.

Goodbye Harry, thanks for the magic.

Some movies have one single scene that tugs at your heart and makes you tear up....Deathly Hallows has about 20 such scenes.
Greatest movie of the year.

I feel like I was there in the forbidden forest, and I was the one struck with the killing curse..... but I wouldn't have it any other way. It trully is the end of an era, the end of innocence as it were. Like childhood, once it's gone, you may carry it with you in memory, but you can't never re-live it, but in many ways, that's what makes it special. Not many movies can make you feel that way.
I can wait to re-watch it over and over and over again.  Goodbye Harry, thanks for the magic.