Harry Potter Movies

In Harry Potter’s world, no wizard or witch is truly complete without a wand. Wizards use wands to channel their magic powers so that they can cast spells, although as it happens, some are able to work magic without wands. However, it’s apparently very difficult to do powerful and focused spells without a wand.

While it would seem that a wand increases a person’s magical ability, it is more correct to say that the wand serves as a focus for magic. Think of magic as sunlight and wands as magnifying glasses: Sunlight can burn a leaf when focused through a glass.

Mr. Ollivander is said to be the best wand maker alive, although many favor the European wands made by Gregorovitch. Ollivander comes from a long line of wandmakers who have been working their craft since 382 B.C.

Wands are made of wood, and each one has some item or substance as its magical core. Ollivander typically used one of three items as a magical core: Unicorn hair, dragon heartstring, or a phoenix feather. Other wandmakers might use different materials, such as veela hair.

Wands are peculiar things that seem to have personalities and rules of their own. According to Ollivander, the wand chooses the wizard– not the other way around. A wand remains loyal to its chosen wizard. Although it’s possible for a wizard to use another’s wand, it won’t feel quite natural; the wizard will have the most success with the wand that chose him.

A wand will often reflect the qualities of the wizard. For example, Hagrid’s wand was made from sturdy oak. Dolores Umbridge’s wand is short, just like her.

Often it seems that the wood used to make the wand corresponds with the wizard’s date of birth according to the Celtic calendar; a tree is associated with each month in the Celtic year, and each tree has its own symbolic meaning. It works rather like the zodiac. Harry’s wand is made from holly, which corresponds with his birthday (July 31st). Incidentally, holly symbolizes luck, protection, as well as death and rebirth.

If there isn’t a Hogwarts class on wand lore, there ought to be!

Anticipation for the last installment of Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows is building not just among diehard Harry Potter fans but among movie fans in general.

The Harry Potter movies have been very successful and have raked in billions of dollars collectively for all the seven movies that have been released. With the second part of The Deathly Hallows to be released worldwide in just a few months the buzz is already going strong. First of all, this being a second part of a two-part movie, moviegoers were faced with a cliffhanger ending and they can’t wait to see what will happen to Harry Potter and his friends as they finally battle Lord Voldemort.

There was a time when watching a movie was worth the money. Not many people think so with the advent of bootlegging. You may be tired of hearing about the moral aspect of bootlegging a movie, but it is a significant affliction to the entertainment industry.

I realize that it seems like, as a faithful movie-lover and movie-goer, that we should feel no sympathy for all the rich and famous people behind the movie industry. I mean, do they have so much to lose? They’re rich… and famous!

The truth is, with such easy means to bootleg a movie, online bootleg movie downloads have inflicted quite a toll on the revenue of the movie industry. While this may seem like a good thing (those bourgeois egoists) it may not be the best thing.

I mean, I want to keep watching high quality movies and though it may be a stretch to say the movie industry might go under any time soon because of bootlegging movies, it seems better not to contribute to the possibility.

Think about it. Someone sneaks in their camcorder, records a crappy version of the movie in the theater, converts it to his/her computer and there it is for you to watch. Is it really worth decreasing the revenue of the movie industry to see a badly recorded version of a new movie?

There is a better way. Downloading movies online doesn’t have to be an illegal matter. It can be a way to more conveniently watch your favorite movies. You can find all sorts of legitimate movie download sites that will allow you to download DVD quality movies at an affordable price.

So, next time you go to the theater, leave your camcorder at home.

Fade in:

Ext Cave Entrance-Night

SPFX: Thunder, lightning and high winds surround this cave entrance.

Announcer (Gruff Voice)

In a world filled with dark doom and nefarious beasts with two heads…

Two sets of eyes appear in the darkness. Suddenly, a third set shows up.

Announcer Okay. Three heads…

Cut To:

Int. Castle Basement-Night The same storm can be seen through the windows as an Evil Sorcerer stands at a cauldron, mixing a bubbling, smoking potion.

Announcer

Where evil sorcerers mix deadly potions…

The sorcerer forces an eyedropper full of his potion to a lice-ridden rat.

Announcer

to radically change the human population into…

There’s a puff of smoke that clears to reveal a good looking gentleman in a gaudy tuxedo. Suddenly, a spotlight hits the gentleman. He picks up a microphone.

Announcer

Las Vegas lounge singers.

SPFX: Lightning and thunder crashes loudly.

Gentleman

(singing) Danke Shoen. Darling, Danke Shoen.

Announcer

Is there anyone who can stop the madness? Yes, there is.

But, only one person can do it. And that person is…

SPFX: Thunder and lightning crash again.

Cut to:

Close Up: Squinty-eyed man wearing round eyeglasses.

The camera pulls back to reveal Dirty Harry Potter dressed in a wrinkled suit.

Announcer

Dirty Harry Potter.

Cut to:

Ext Street-Day Harry has cornered a lounge singer and has him standing against the wall. Harry is pointing a broomstick at him.

Harry

So, are you feeling lucky, punk?

A spotlight encircles the man. He picks up a microphone from out of nowhere and begins singing.

Lounge Singer

(singing) Luck be a lady tonight. Luck be a lady tonight.

Cut to:

INT. Hogwart’s Professor’s Office-Day

A Hogwart professor stands behind his desk. Harry stands opposite him.

Professor

Potter, I’m taking you off this case. You can’t just go around and eliminate anyone you damn well please.

Harry

Professor, it was a case of mistaken identity.

Professor

Mistaken identity? How can you mistake this for a lounge singer?

The professor holds up a picture of Wayne Newton.

Professor

Thanks to you, the world will never be able to hear “Daddy, Don’t You Walk So Fast” again.

Harry hangs his head in shame.

Announcer

There’s danger as Harry comes face to face with the evil sorcerer.

Cut to:

INT. Cave-Night

Harry has his broomstick pointed at the evil sorcerer.

Harry

This is a Smith and Wesson Hogwart Special. It holds four thousand sparks of deadly destruction.

So, you’ve got to ask yourself. Was that three thousand or four thousand deadly sparks he released when he came in here? Announcer

There’s excitement as Harry infiltrates the Las Vegas lounge scene.

Cut to:

INT. Casino Lounge-Night

Harry is on stage, dressed in a pink tuxedo. He’s singing, but in his Dirty Harry voice.

Harry (singing) You’re having my baby. What a lovely way of saying how much you love me.

Announcer

There’s romance as Harry and his fellow Hogwart graduate, Cynthia, finally fall in love.

Cut to:

EXT Park-Day

Harry and Cynthia, a pixyish blonde, are in an embrace.

Cynthia

Hmmm. Harry, is that your broomstick, or are you just happy to see me?

Announcer

And, of course, there’s action.

Cut to:

EXT Street-Night

Harry lays on his back as he tries to shoot an onslaught of lounge singers who walk towards him, in a “Night of the Living Dead” trance.

Harry

Damn, I’m out of deadly sparks.

Cut to:

EXT Cave-Night

Back to lightning, thunder and high winds.

Announcer

See Dirty Harry Potter And The Lounge Lizards, starring Johnny Depp as Dirty Harry Potter, in his most unusual role since playing both Pigeon Sisters in The Odd Couple. Dirty Harry Potter, coming next Succoth. Do all you can to avoid it when it disgraces a theater near you. Void where prohibited by law; batteries not included; refrigerate after opening; if swelling appears, discontinue use.

Cut to:

INT. Hotel Room-Day

Harry reloads his broomstick. There’s a knock on the door.

Maid (O.S.)

Housekeeping.

Harry

Come in.

An elderly maid enters carrying a set of sheets.

Cut to:

Close up: Harry’s Face

Harry

Go ahead. Make my bed.

Cut to black.

The End

Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) are set to return to the big screen for the sixth Harry Potter film adaptation, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. Here’s the storyline…

The threesome are returning to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for their sixth year… Along with school bully Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton). Fortunately for them, Albus Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) is also returning to lend a hand in defeating evil. Jim Broadbent joins the never-ending cast of veteran British actors already working at Hogwarts. He’ll be playing Dumbledore’s buddy, Horace Slughorn.

Voldemort’s forces of evil are amassing…

…Hogwarts is ceasing to be a sanctuary for Harry and his friends…

…They have to come up with a cunning plan…

…Now they have to recruit the unlikeliest of soldiers and prepare for battle…

The film is likely to be the darkest in the series so far with what director David Yates has described as ‘Train spotting moments’.

Shooting of the film started on 04 September, 2007 and it was originally planned for a UK and US release on 21 November 2008, but on 14 August 2008, the new release date was announced that is on17 July, 2009. In respect of the new release date many controversies have been raised and for that reason president & Chief Operating Officer of Warner Bros. production, Alan Horn gave a speech which is following:

“Many of you have written to me to express your disappointment in our moving ‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’ to summer 2009. Please be assured that we share your love for Harry Potter and would certainly never do anything to hurt any of the films. Over the past 10 years, we have nurtured and protected each film, and the integrity of the books upon which they are based, to the best of our ability. The decision to move ‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’ was not taken lightly, and was never intended to upset our Harry Potter fans. We know you have built this series into what it is, and we thank you for your ongoing enthusiasm and support. If I may offer a silver lining: there would have been a two-year gap between ‘Half-Blood Prince’ and the much-anticipated first part of ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,’ which opens in November 2010. So although we have to wait a little longer for ‘Half-Blood Prince,’ the wait from that film until ‘Deathly Hallows’ will be less than 18 months. I am sorry to have disappointed you now, but if you hold on a little longer, I believe it will be worth the wait.”

Many articles have been written on the subject of Harry Potter and his remarkable appeal to the mass market, but that’s not going to stop me putting in my five cents on the subject.

I came to Harry Potter late myself, having dismissed the books as something for children for several years. It was a silly dismissal on my part since I can name several children’s books that I still happily read. However, a couple of years ago the staggering media coverage of the movies forced me to read the books to see what all the fuss was about. Since then, like most everyone else, I have been captivated.

I have read all of the Harry Potter books in order, watched the movies and read many articles about various aspects of both Harry and J.K. Rowling and I believe that I have identified two key elements in the success of Harry Potter. I make no claims that these are the only elements, but I believe they are central to its appeal to both children and adults.

GROWING UP ALONG WITH THE READER

One obvious feature of the Harry Potter novels is that Harry ages. With each book, a year goes by. While this is not unique to Harry Potter, it is unusual for a writer to stick with a single feature character over so many years. Particularly when those years encompass the key ages of ten through seventeen.

As a result of this, and the fact that the books have come out over an approximately nine year period (most likely ten by the time the final book is published), the children who read the Harry Potter and the Sorceror’s/Philosopher’s Stone have effectively grown up with Harry Potter.

Whether by accident or design, it seems that J. K. Rowling has reflected that increasing maturity in both Harry and her audience by telling tells that become progressively darker and more complex in their characterization.

This reflection of Harry’s growth towards adulthood conveniently mirrors the same growth that Rowling’s core audience was experiencing. It also has the side benefit of attracting the interest of adults, many of whom became aware of the books through their children but discovered something with a little more depth than the average children’s tale.

So the increasing sophistication helped Harry Potter capture an ever larger audience, but what was it that appealed to them in the first place?

THE IMPORTANCE OF ARCHETYPES

The Harry Potter books are packed full of archetypes. From the Dursely’s, a family that will be very familiar to anyone who has read the works of Roald Dahl, to Lord Voldemort (Tolkien anyone?), to the boarding school environment (a setting used in many older British children’s books) to the magical creatures which inhabit Harry Potter’s world.

Now, it’s important to be clear on this point. I am not suggesting plagiarism. Those allegations have been made and in each case, clearly showed to be false. No I am talking here about archetypes:

“the original pattern or model from which all things of the same kind are copied or on which they are based; a model or first form; prototype.”

Like all writers (like everyone), J K Rowling has been influenced by her own experiences, by what she has seen and by what she has read. In creating Harry Potter she has called on much of that and made use of (knowingly or unknowingly) many archetypes from both fantasy and children’s literature. Archetypes are present to some degree in almost all fiction and used well can create extremely satisfying stories.

They also tend to create stories that have a mass appeal, because archetypes are things that we are all familiar with to some degree and humans by nature (whether they will admit it or not) like the familiar. Don’t believe me? Look at one of the most popular movie series of all time.

Star Wars was heavily influenced by Joseph Campbell’s The Hero with A Thousand Faces which maps out the common underlying structure of myths using archetypes. It is the use of that very structure which allowed Star Wars to break out from the sci-fi niche and become a cultural phenomenon. The use of archetypes made the alien situation less threatening to audiences.

Rowling is in good literary company on her journey. J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings can also be mapped against the same mythic structure and it has more than stood the test of time and popularity.

Of course following Campbell’s roadmap the story should end with “The Hero’s Departure”…

But that’s a whole other discussion.