Fan Focus: Kelly “Geek Love” – December 18, 2011

Kelly (“Geek Love”) from the United States

First off, how did you become a Harry Potter fan?

I was ten or eleven and my mom bought Sorcerer’s Stone for my brother and me to read. As soon as I started reading it, I just fell in love and have been a fan ever since. I even named my dog Bellatrix, which is totally fitting for her because she’s a little bit crazy! I’m one of the many that grew up with Harry Potter. When the last movie came out, I was at a point in my life when I had graduated from college over a year before and it was like Harry Potter was saying it was time for me to officially be an adult. My childhood was Harry Potter and now both my childhood and Harry Potter were both ending.

Now that all eight films are out, how to feel about the movie series as a whole? Favorite? Least favorite?

I think that the movie series is a very succinct way of summing up the overall feeling and plot of the series. Naturally (as with most movies or shows based on books) the books are infinitely better. But if you don’t nitpick and compare the movies to the books too much and take them as their own thing (which I know is hard to do!) then they’re wonderful. I used to always say that Prisoner of Azkaban was my favorite, but I really loved Deathly Hallows – Part 2. I don’t think I have a least favorite. Which is such a boring answer, I know. There are parts that are my favorites and parts that I don’t love as much, but no movie in particular that I really like less than the others. I will always love the scene where Harry has used the Felix Felicis and is talking about pincers on spiders. And I will always hate the scene where Harry and Ron are talking to Aragog because I am so afraid of spiders! At that part of the ride in the Wizarding World, I was practically crying because I was so freaked out. And naturally, that’s where they take the picture and so the girl at the picture stand at the end of the ride was laughing hysterically at me when I went down there to check it out.

The WB says they are pushing hard for Deathly Hallows – Part 2 at the Oscars this year! What do you think Potter deserves to be nominated for, and what do you hope it would win?

I’m completely biased because if I had my way I would have Deathly Hallows – Part 2 win everything. But in a more realistic hope (because I doubt it can actually win everything), I think that it should at least be nominated for: Best Picture, Actor in a Leading Role: Daniel Radcliffe, Actor in a Supporting Role: Alan Rickman, Visual Effects and Writing (Adapted Screenplay). That’s just the few that I’d be really surprised and disappointed about if it didn’t get nominated for. Daniel was just named Entertainer of the Year by Entertainment Weekly so if he doesn’t at least get nominated I’d feel that he was robbed. And I sincerely believe that Alan Rickman needs to win Actor in a Supporting Role. His performance not just on Deathly Hallows but in the series as a whole is wonderful, but he’s particularly moving in Deathly Hallows – Part 2.

You’ve just learned about the Deathly Hallows from Xenophilius Lovegood. Which do you wish you could possess?

Definitely the Invisibility Cloak. After hearing the story of the Deathly Hallows, I’m not sure how I could want anything else. Death and despair follow the brothers who have the Resurrection Stone and the Elder Wand. The brother who had the Invisibility Cloak lived a long and happy life. I wouldn’t want the stress of having the Elder Wand always wondering if someone is coming to defeat me and steal it away. And who wouldn’t want to have an Invisibility Cloak so they could sneak around Hogwarts and Hogsmeade?

If you won a tiny vial of Felix Felicis, what would you use it for?

Oh gosh. I have no idea. I’d probably be really boring and save it. I’d want to wait until I had something really important coming up and use it then. Maybe if I had a really big job interview or was looking for a house I’d use it to get the job or find the perfect house.

If you could look at memories to learn all about someone’s past and history, who would it be and why?

Walt Disney. I just think that his memories must have been fascinating. Finding out from his own mind what it was like to create Mickey and Disney World and what brought him there. I’d want to know how he came up with it all.

When and how did you become aware of the show “Geek Love”?

I was on the New York Comic Con website buying a ticket to go. It said on the site that they were having Speed Dating. I was interested and figured I’d sign up. On that page, it said that it was going to be filmed and if you were interested in being a part of it to send an email. So I sent an email and that was that.

Tell us of some of the other “Geeks” that you mingled with during the speed dating process. Did you find many others with a similar love for Harry Potter? Did you find that they were the easiest to relate to? Or was it easier to relate to other fans from a different series?

Unfortunately, I didn’t find many people who also liked Harry Potter in the same way I do. I was hoping that I would because then that would instantly give me a topic to talk to them about. Most people had read it or seen the movies, but didn’t like it or hate it. A few said they hated it, that was unfortunate because after that I felt like I had a hard time coming up with things to talk about. All I really wanted to ask was “How could you hate it?” and try to convince them to give it another shot. Which would have been futile, I’m sure.

Did you meet someone during speed dating that really intrigued you?

Yes. I did meet someone that I had a really nice three minutes with. We both really loved another fandom, Doctor Who, and we talked about that for a while. I really do think that it’s easier to relate to someone who has at least one of the same fandoms that you do. I’m most obsessed with Harry Potter, but I do also love a lot of other Sci-Fi and Fantasy things.

Did you happen to find another MuggleNet fan (male or female) during the process?

I didn’t. But I wish I had. I’ve been reading MuggleNet since I was thirteen or fourteen. It would have given us an instant connection if I had found someone who also read it.

The obvious final question Kelly: Did you find “Geek Love”?

Love is a really strong word to be throwing around. The convention wasn’t that long ago. So no, I didn’t find “Geek Love” yet, but I might be on the way there.