I went to a Harry Potter-themed improv comedy show Saturday night, and it was great -- Slytherin vs. Griffyndor, aaaaaall kinds of Hogwarts jokes, a "ghost of Cedric Diggory" bit that was met with cries of "too soon," etc. It was a big ole nerdcon, and I felt at home among my people, which got me thinking about why I geek out so hard on Harry Potter stuff. And I've decided that it's all your fault.
In a good way! Harry Potter fans seem to be an unusually creative people. Yeah, we have a lot of material to work from, but people are making golden snitch pasties (SFW) for goodness sake. Are other fandoms doing that? Inquiring nipples want to know. Remember the Harry Potter musical? The entire genre of "wizard rock"? There was a Harry Potter PostSecret this weekend, proving that our favorite junior wizard saves lives, and there's the What Would Dumbledore Do? philanthropic movement to "carry on his lessons on the importance of laughter and playfulness, working for equality, speaking up about the real issues, allowing oneself to grieve, to trust, and most of all to acknowledge love as the only rational act." Amazing.
Is this my imagination, PopWatchers, or have you noticed a delightful abundance of Harry Potter fan-made awesomeness, too? Are you a mere observer, or have you created some Harry Potter works of art?
As someone who actually spent eleven years attending an English boarding school I've never felt the desire or the need to investigate the world of Hogwarts. But I have always been impressed by Emma Watson whenever she does the rounds promoting Harry Potter and the Magical Bowl of Crusty Porridge, or whichever of the HP movies happens to be coming out at the time.
Watson was once again on charmingly-if-mildly-pugnacious form last night talking to David Letterman. When Dave quizzed the actress about her plans to study liberal arts in America and asked her exactly what "liberal arts" involved, Watson responded, "Do you live in the States? Shouldn't you be telling me this?" (Letterman's response: "The kid just gunned me!") Watson also kept her cool when Dave produced a photograph of her "wardrobe malfunction" at the recent, rain-soaked UK premiere of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince ("At least I'm wearing underwear") and admirably coped with the fact that Letterman appears to know even less about the Potter movies than I.
Check out the clip below and tell us what you think.
After an eight-month delay that drove some fans to brink of madness, Harry
Potter and the Half-Blood Prince finally hits theaters on July 15th -- and
Entertainment Weekly's new cover story is a behind-the-scenes exclusive on the
film. Half-Blood Prince encompasses young love run amuck, secret missions, and
impending war. Most Hollywood insiders expect it to be one of the year's biggest
hits, partly because it's rated a family-friendly PG, whereas the last two Potter films were PG-13. Still, it will be interesting to see how the movie's brand of innocent
romance plays with young audiences smitten by the neo-goth sexiness of Twilight.
Even Potter star Emma Watson read all four Twilight books after a friend turned
her onto the series last year. "I mean, I wouldn't say I was one of the psycho
fans," she says. "Absolute madness, that phenomenon, isn't it?"
As for
the Potter phenomenon, the movies are slowly coming to an end, with the
remaining JK Rowling novel, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, to be split
into two movies. During the production of Half-Blood Prince -- the final chapter
to be set within Hogwarts School -- Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Watson
wore their characters' Gryffindor House robes for the last time. "I was like 'Burn it!' Oh my god, to be done with those shoes and that uniform -- that was an
exciting day," says Watson. Radcliffe adds, "When you're 18, one of the worst
things to be wearing while trying to chat up a girl on the set is a school
uniform. You look like a kid! You’re not going to score dressed like that!"
All of the stars are aware that pursuing acting will be tricky,
post-Potter. Watson isn't even sure she wants to try. She's decided to go to
college (at Columbia University, reportedly), but still has about a year of work
on Deathly Hallows to finish first. "My world is still all about Harry Potter,"
she says. "I really can't see anything beyond it." Radcliffe, on the other hand,
is ecstatic about acting. "I have come to the conclusion that I am never happier
than when I am on a film set," he says. "This is what I want to be doing.
Totally. Absolutely. Unequivocally!"
Production on the Deathly Hallows
movies began last February and could stretch well into next year. For Grint and
Watson, their hardest scene was (spoiler alert if you've never read the books!)
a kiss between Ron and Hermione. "I remember being inches away from her lips and
thinking, 'Good lord, this is going to be strange,'" says Grint. Adds Watson: "Rupert is like a brother to me, and our relationship couldn't be more platonic.
So kissing him –- well, it felt like incest, to be honest. But I think it's going
to be very sweet."
For more about Harry Potter -- including highlights from
the new film, and Radcliffe talking about a Deathly Hallows scene he dreads
filming -- pick up the new issue of Entertainment Weekly, on stands Friday, July
10.
My inappropriate crush is really on Harry Potter, not Daniel Radcliffe. I know that. But every time a Harry Potter film hits theaters, the two become one. I've been avoiding Potter press and previews because I want to prolong the Half-Blood Prince-fueled trip to crazy(crush)town for as long as possible. (I did a drive-by recently when I had a discussion about how I couldn't be with Zachary Quinto's Spock because there'd be nothing for me to do on the Enterprise, but I could always work for the Daily Prophet -- assuming newspapers are faring better in the Potterverse.) Today, however, I slipped and read an item on People. I felt myself get annoyed when it mentioned Radcliffe's age: How is he still only 19?All aboard!
Anyone else preparing to make that trip? And since we're sharing.... Be honest: Have you ever thought about how you'd make ends meet in the Potterverse? I'm not sure if I decided to work for the Daily Prophet because I've always liked my fantasies to be based in reality or because I'm too much of a wimp to wield anything other than a magic pen....
Alyssa Rosenberg wrote that ''the problem of keeping the Harry Potter movies fresh as filmmakers tackle the later books and deal with their characters' development into sexually mature adults'' is because ''J.K. Rowling, for all that she's created a compelling universe, is really awful at writing about adult sexual and romantic relationships.''
Uh...wha? Last time I checked, the Harry Potter books were a children's series. Sure, the audience grew up as the characters aged, but this is not adult fiction. And I mean that in both respects of the term: The books aren't targeted toward adults, and they're not supposed to contain graphic descriptions of a sexual nature.
I've read all the Harry Potter books. Once. I don't understand the people who are rushing to rereadHarry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince before the July 15 film release. The fact that I haven't read the book since 2005 means that the movie might still have a chance of surprising me. Perhaps I'm so against "the rereading" because I hadn't read any of the series when I went to see the first film, and I ended up enjoying it more than the friends who were already hardcore fans... What's your MO when it comes to preparing for Harry Potter movies? Tell us in the poll below. (And explain in the comments section. There's still time to sway me...)
Forget Voldemort's killing spree: The Potterverse is about to get its Melrose Place on judging by these newly-leaked posters for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (out July 15). Just check out the look on Hermione's face as she watches Ron cozy up to Lavender.
And get a load of Harry, all serious and smitten, gearing up for his My Girl moment with Ginny (I know, I know: Macaulay Culkin was about half Harry's age in that movie. There's just something about those glasses...). This one in particular looks like it was made just so Potter fans can go nuts pasting their own heads over Ginny's (feel free to share yours below!).
After the jump, we also get glimpses of Draco, wand in hand, and the kooky Luna Lovegood. But really, from the posters, it looks like the Ron-Hermione-Lavender love triangle --- which gets zero screen time in the trailer --- is going to be front and center in the movie.
Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint introduced a new clip from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince on Sunday night's MTV Movie Awards. With it, we, like Harry, get to experience the first time Dumbledore met Tom Riddle (a.k.a. a young Lord Voldemort). Is Tom's smile creepy enough for you? Part of me wants more. Part of me is already curled up in a ball...
Exactly how many trailers of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince are we going to get? My weak heart can't take it anymore! The latest one (the fourth, by my count) confirms what I already knew: I am seeing this opening night. The question now becomes: how many times am I going to see it? Yes. The new trailer is that good.
When I first read the book (after buying it at Barnes & Noble at midnight—yes, I was one of those people), I immediately thought: 'This will make a great movie.' There's some pretty stark imagery in that sixth book, especially in the passages with Harry and Dumbledore in the seaside cave. To my delight, those are the scenes that kick off this latest trailer. Elsewhere, we see more of Draco Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange, as well as a completely haunting view of Katie Bell suspended in air, screaming at the top of her lungs (around the 1:30 mark). And we even get our first real glimpse of the Inferi, who look like cast-offs from Lord of the Rings but are downright chilling nonetheless.
I sometimes forget how much of a Harry Potter nut I am, and then I see something like this and completely melt into an raving fanboy. All I can say is I cannot freaking wait until July 15 (yes, we get this two days earlier now). What about you? Watch the trailer below and let us know what you think.
