We launched a podcast!!!

We’ve got an exciting announcement…

The Basic Cinephile is launching a podcast!!! That’s right, now you can hear your favorite cinephile sisters every Thursday anywhere you get your podcasts. So, what’s the podcast about? Wow, what an excellent question! For season 1 of The Basic Cinephile Podcast we will be re-reading and re-watching all of the Harry Potter books and movies! Join us as we re-live our childhood and explore one of our favorite series. Each week will be dedicated to one book or movie, so week 1 will be Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone the book, and week 2 will be Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone the movie, etc. We are going to have a ton of fun so be sure to subscribe to the podcast and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok for all the Harry Potter content your heart could desire!

We would be remiss to have a Harry Potter podcast and not address the controversy that has surrounded author J.K.Rowling. She has made some remarks about the trans community that were insensitive, and several actors involved in the franchise have spoken out publicly about it including Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe. It’s unfortunate that Rowling has not used this opportunity to learn and grow and apologize for these remarks. Unfortunately, she has doubled down on her stance. Her views do not reflect our views here at The Basic Cinephile and we are committed to providing a safe space for everyone, including the LGBTQ+ community. We love that Harry Potter was such an important part of our childhood and adolescence, and it seemed to be a space where misfits could always find a place to fit in. We hope that Harry Potter can continue to provide that, but we recognize that Rowling’s remarks may have caused irrevocable damage. We will do our best to explore the beloved franchise through a critical lens that is inclusive, respectful, and honoring to all people, especially the transgender community.

We are so excited to launch this podcast and we hope that you’ll join us now for episode one! Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review. Thank you, and let’s get witchy and wizardy!

Listen now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts!

Hogwarts Class Schedule

Raise your hand if you’re still waiting for your acceptance letter to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry…

I think every millennial used to dream of raising Hippogriffs with Hagrid, or brewing felix felicis (liquid luck) with Professor Slughorn in the dungeons, while we sat in an uncomfortable desk and copied “y=mx+b” from a smudged overhead projector.

Edelia and I are no different, we always wished we could take classes at Hogwarts! So, this week on The Basic Cinephile podcast we are discussing all of the course offerings at Hogwarts, which classes we would want to take, and which ones seem totally pointless.

If you’re like us, and have always wanted to make your Hogwarts class schedule, use the template below to fantasy draft your favorite classes!

Make your own Hogwarts Class Schedule!

Love The Basic Cinephile?

Follow us on social media and let us know what magical classes you chose! And we’ll see you next week witches :)

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone- BOOK

This week on your favorite Harry Potter podcast we read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.

This book was first published 24 years ago. Can you believe that it’s been that long?? I remember reading this book for the first time in 4th grade in 1999. The first three books had already been published and it was all anyone talked about at the library. I was a really big reader as a kid, so I always loved going to the library. I never understood when other kids complained about having to read at school. I was the kid who would open a book under their desk and sneak and read it until I got in trouble and had to put it away. What I remember most about Harry Potter was that even the kids who hated reading were all talking about the books and how much they loved them! I had been attending a Christian school, and I don’t remember anyone talking about the books there. I’m assuming it was because of the controversy that surrounded Harry Potter within the evangelical Christian community. When I switched to public school in 4th grade I was like, how is there a book that everyone has read except me? My mom had heard the cries of witchcraft, so she decided to read the book first to see if it was appropriate. As soon as she finished I remember her handing me the book and telling me that I had to read it quickly so that she could talk to me about it. She loved it!

I’ve been obsessed with Harry Potter ever since. Edelia is two grades behind me so it took a couple years before my mom and I finally bugged her enough to read it. She has never liked being told what to do, so in hindsight we should have told her to never read it and she probably would have finished it by the end of the day. Must be the Gryffindor in her! Brave, impulsive, and independent to the core. You’ve probably guessed from my love of books that I’m a Ravenclaw. We discuss our houses, if we like being a part of them, and more on the podcast. So check out episode one, out now wherever you get your podcasts! We’re releasing new episodes every Thursday, so subscribe to make sure you never miss an episode. Feel free to read and watch along with us, or just listen to relive the magic with your favorite basic cinephiles!

Until next week,

-Zianna

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone- MOVIE

This week on your favorite Harry Potter podcast we watched the Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone movie.

I remember the first time I saw this movie. We were moving and our parents were in the process of packing everything up. I was in 6th grade and Edelia was in 4th grade and let’s just say we were more of a hindrance than a help. To get us out of the way, our parents dropped us off at the movie theater that was attached to the mall to go see The Sorcerer’s Stone. It was a BIG deal because it was the first time we saw a movie without parents or another adult. I remember getting very strict instructions from my parents to watch out for Edelia and to not go anywhere else except the movie theater. It was a very formative memory for me that literally no one else in our family seems to remember! Funny how that works sometimes.

In this episode we discuss our favorite casting choices (hello Dame Maggie Smith!), where the film was shot (Alnwick Castle), and the untold back story of p-p-p-poor st-st-stuttering Professor Quirrell (he’s a Ravenclaw!). 

I have always identified as a Ravenclaw, and Edelia has always been a Gryffindor, but we took the official sorting quiz on Wizarding World to be sure, and the sorting hat confirmed that we were correct! Want to know what Hogwarts House you’re in? Take the quiz now! 

Before we get too far into the series, we wanted to predict what our favorite Harry Potter books and movies will be. Here are our current rankings and we’ll see if anything changes after we re-read and re-watch everything! If you’re reading and watching along with us, feel free to post your rankings and tag @thebasiccinephile on Instagram or @thebasiccineph1 on Twitter so we can see your lists!

Zianna’s book ranking:

1. Half blood prince

2. Goblet of Fire

3. Prisoner of Azkaban

4. Chamber of Secrets

5. Order of the Phoenix

6. Deathly Hallows

7. Sorcerer’s Stone

   
   

Edelia’s book ranking:

1. Order of the Phoenix

2. Half Blood Prince

3. Deathly Hallows

4. Goblet of Fire

5. Prisoner of Azkaban

6. Chamber of Secrets

7. Sorcerer’s Stone

Zianna’s movie ranking:

1. Order of the Phoenix

2. Goblet of Fire

3. Chamber of Secrets

4. Prisoner of Azkaban

5. Half Blood Prince

6. Deathly Hallows Part 1

7. Deathly Hallows Part 2

8. Sorcerer’s Stone

Edelia’s movie ranking:

1. Order of the Phoenix

2. Half Blood Prince

3. Goblet of Fire

4. Chamber of Secrets

5. Prisoner of Azkaban

6. Deathly Hallows Part 1

7. Deathly Hallows Part 2

8. Sorcerer’s Stone

We have two special shoutouts for what makes Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone a great movie!

#1 The musical score by John Williams

Iconic. Magical. Transcendent. Listen to it now on Spotify.

#2 Hagrid’s bangs.

Listen to episode 2: MOVIE- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts!

Until next week, 

-Zianna

Your favorite Ravenclaw

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets- BOOK

This week on your favorite Harry Potter podcast we read Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

Enemies of the heir beware! The chamber of secrets has been opened. And the only way to unpetrify the basilisk’s victims is to wait months for a batch of mandrakes to mature? No one else in the wizarding world has a mandrake? This is just one of our tangents from this week’s episode on how the wizarding world continues to make absolutely no sense. We also discuss the general awfulness of the floo network, and how sad we are that the ghosts don’t get more screen time in the movies.

As promised on last week’s episode, this week I looked into where Harry got his Gringotts fortune from. The Potter family had been well off for centuries, but thanks to Harry’s grandfather and the potion he invented to tame unruly hair, Harry inherited a large sum of money as the only Potter heir when his parents died. Read the whole story on Wizarding World!

In researching the Potter family I ended up on a disturbing and unexpected tangent. Apparently the Potter family was left off the list of The Sacred Twenty-Eight, a list of pure-bred British wizard families that was never mentioned in the Harry Potter books or movies. This seemed like an entirely unnecessary late edition to the Harry Potter series, but wait! There’s more! While browsing through the books associated with the wizarding world, I stumbled upon an even more shocking title, Mudbloods and How to Spot Them. I do not understand why JK Rowling felt the need to add these offensive titles years later after she had wrapped the series, and I can’t imagine an explanation that I could get behind. 

Listen to episode 3 for yourself now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts!

Until next week witches,

-Zianna

Follow @thebasiccinephile on Instagram for Harry Potter trivia, stories, and reels!

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets- MOVIE

This week on your favorite Harry Potter podcast we watched the Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets movie.

This week we’re back to the big screen discussing the Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets movie. Both Edelia and I agree that we prefer the Chamber of Secrets over the Sorcerer’s Stone. And even though the Chamber of Secrets is actually 9 minutes longer, we both thought it felt shorter than the first movie. Like the Sorcerer’s Stone, this movie was directed by Chris Columbus, shot at Alnwick Castle and in a studio, and the plot sticks very closely to the book.

We discuss how much we love to hate Lucius Malfoy, and how good Hagrid looks for being 62 years old. Be sure to listen to Episode 4: The Chamber of Secrets Movie now for more fun trivia about the making of the movie, and the biggest differences we noticed between the book and the movie.

Richard Harris, who played Dumbledore in the first two movies, passed away just weeks before the American premiere of The Chamber of Secrets. The first two films are dedicated to his memory so we would also like to dedicate this episode of our podcast to Richard Harris. 

“To the well organized mind, death is but the next great adventure.” -Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

Until next week witches,

-Zianna 

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban- BOOK

This week on your favorite Harry Potter podcast we read Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

Hermione punching Malfoy in the face, Sirius Black being one of the only characters who truly shows compassion to Harry, and Hagrid needing a bigger hut are some of the talking points on this week’s episode about the action-packed Prisoner of Azkaban. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is a turning point in the series and the tone gets progressively darker throughout.

Edelia and I both forgot just how good this book is! This is the first book that brought back the nostalgic feeling of being so hooked on the book that you couldn’t set it down! I have always enjoyed the backstory of Harry’s parents and their friends, and the days of the OG Order of the Phoenix members and this is the first book where we really start to get more backstory. Listen to episode 5 of The Basic Cinephile podcast now to hear more!

Until next week witches,

-Zianna

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban- MOVIE

This week on your favorite Harry Potter podcast we are discussing Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the movie.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is the second-highest-rated Harry Potter movie on Rotten Tomatoes. But we... didn't like it... Hear us out as we go off on the muggle clothing, icy dementors, and ridiculous new common room entrance that made this movie our least favorite so far.

This is the first movie in the series to bring on a new director and Alfonso Cuaron took the franchise in a darker, more metaphorical direction. While I enjoyed the darker tone, it was really hard for me to get past how many differences there were between the book and the movie. Listen to the episode now to hear our issues with this beloved movie!

Until next week witches,

-Zianna

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire- Book

This week on your favorite Harry Potter podcast we are discussing the Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire book.

Cedric is dead, Voldemort is back, and the Ministry of Magic refuses to accept the truth. Join us this week as we discuss Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire! This book is so special to me. It’s the first time I ever got so caught up in a book that I literally couldn’t stop reading. I was in fifth grade and I was supposed to be asleep. But I was sneaking and reading with a flashlight. I was going to read “just one more chapter”, but in that chapter the Triwizard Cup was a portkey and Harry was delivered straight to Lord Voldemort. So I obviously couldn’t stop there! I think I stayed up until 3am binging the rest of the book.

Listen to the episode now! And follow us on Instagram to let us know your thoughts on the Goblet of Fire!

Until next week witches,

-Zianna Weston aka your favorite Ravenclaw

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire- MOVIE

This week your favorite Harry Potter podcast we watched Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire takes the series in a new direction. Creatively, there are some pretty big changes. This film brought on a new director, Mike Newell. It is evident that he was focused on creating an action-packed film with a breakneck pace. In HBO Max’s Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts we learn that Mike Newell actually broke a rib when he wrestled James Phelps (Fred Weasley) in an attempt to bring some intensity to a scene. 

This is also the first movie that is not composed by John Williams. The new composer Patrick Doyle uses several of the motifs that are used throughout the series, but the score in this film sticks with the intense energy that drives this film.

We’re introduced to some new characters. Most notably Mad Eye Moody played by Brendan Gleeson, Fleur Delacour played by Clemence Poesy and Lord Voldemort played by Ralph Fiennes. 

Our biggest takeaway from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire? Ralph Fiennes is ripped.

Until next week on your favorite Harry Potter podcast…

XOXO

your favorite Ravenclaw,

Zianna Weston