First Look: Harry Potter 7.2
--- Steven Albers
Harry Potter Spotlight: Pottermore
--- Steven Albers
Perhaps the single most influential piece of Pop Culture of the past several decades found its conclusion within a little movie entitled Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2. Fourteen years have elapsed since the release of the Philosopher’s Stone, and for the first time, there’s nothing else for avid fans to look forward to. It’s a bittersweet feeling knowing that the series I grew up with is finally finished, so I’m glad the final movie went out with a bigger bang than could have been conjured by the mightiest Confringo curse.
Just a little disclaimer: If you haven’t kept up with much Harry Potter lore, then this movie is not the place to start. While you may enjoy some of the myriad action sequences, constantly having to nudge your friend and ask “What’s a Horcrux?”, or “Who’s that guy with no nose, and why doesn’t he like Harry?” undoubtedly takes away from much, if not all, of the experience.
That being said, the movie is magnificent. Since there are technically over 4 hours of film devoted to this book alone, this second installment of the Deathly Hallows is very thorough; for the most part missing out only on lesser-important details. The story is very well conveyed and special effects are some of the best I’ve seen in a while; especially given that this movie is by far the most action-oriented of the series. The Battle at Hogwarts was more of a spectacle than I had imagined when reading the book, and watching giants and spiders fight Hogwarts’ legion of stone sentinels just made the scene decidedly more monumental while Harry scrambled inside the castle in search of a Horcrux.
Just because the movie was action-packed doesn’t necessarily mean that it didn’t have it’s softer moments. Snape’s memory sequence through the Pensieve was met with the most hauntingly beautiful silence I’ve ever heard inside a movie theater, and Harry’s talk with Dumbledore just before the story’s final climax was as heartwarming as it was insightful.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 marked the end of a modern classic in the way that most fans would have hoped. It’s obviously a must-see for anyone who’s ever even dipped their toes in the wonderful world of Harry Potter, and for those who haven’t... Well, it’s never too late to dive in.
Harry Potter Spotlight: Pottermore
--- Paige dePolo
As I graduated from high school this year, I revisited one joke over and over. I would initiate the joke sequence with the query, “Do you realize that we’ve grown up with Harry Potter and the last movie is coming out at the same time we graduate?” The conversation then progressed to statements like “end of an era” and “raised on Harry Potter.”
The cool thing is…I was at least halfway wrong every time I spoke on this subject. Yes, the book series has concluded. Yes, as of July we will stop being squeezed at the box office for a movie we avidly await (and will just as avidly bash whenever it deviates even slightly from the book). However, the Harry Potter phenomenon is far from over.
J.K. Rowling is helping rabid fans everywhere continue the journey of Harry Potter with the launch of her new site – Pottermore. Essentially, Rowling has tons of material that never made it into the books or movies…and she’s going to make it available to the fans in increments.
Finally, we’ll see the back story of Dean Thomas, Harry’s fellow Gryffindor. My main hope is to see the vindication of my own personal theory that Lupin is a Legillimens. Oh, here let me ramble a little. First off, Lupin answers several of Harry’s thoughts throughout the book and Harry even thinks “as if he read my mind a few times.” Secondly, Lupin is one of the more powerful wizards in the series. Dumbledore and Voldemort are the flashy ones, sure. However, in the very first instance we see Lupin, he conjures flames nonverbally and without a wand!
Okay, Lupin rant done. Anyways, that’s the information that I’m hoping to get from Pottermore. The cool thing about this site, aside from the tasty tidbits of back story is its interactive capabilities. The website is billed as a place for fans to submit artwork and fanfiction.
Honestly, I’ll just be there for the 18,000 words of backstory that Rowling is promising to reveal. I’ll get my fix on new facets of Potterverse. If you’re as stoked as I am, check into the website on July 31, 2011. The site will be open to the first million people to register. These lucky folks will act as beta (I think that’s the correct term) testers and the site will become open to the rest of the world in October.
So, Harry Potter fans, raise your hastily carved wands and fasten your cloaks. The phenomenon of Harry Potter will not die with the movie. Check out Potterverse. Register as a site member. Join the movement.
J.K. Rowling is helping rabid fans everywhere continue the journey of Harry Potter with the launch of her new site – Pottermore. Essentially, Rowling has tons of material that never made it into the books or movies…and she’s going to make it available to the fans in increments.
Finally, we’ll see the back story of Dean Thomas, Harry’s fellow Gryffindor. My main hope is to see the vindication of my own personal theory that Lupin is a Legillimens. Oh, here let me ramble a little. First off, Lupin answers several of Harry’s thoughts throughout the book and Harry even thinks “as if he read my mind a few times.” Secondly, Lupin is one of the more powerful wizards in the series. Dumbledore and Voldemort are the flashy ones, sure. However, in the very first instance we see Lupin, he conjures flames nonverbally and without a wand!
Okay, Lupin rant done. Anyways, that’s the information that I’m hoping to get from Pottermore. The cool thing about this site, aside from the tasty tidbits of back story is its interactive capabilities. The website is billed as a place for fans to submit artwork and fanfiction.
Honestly, I’ll just be there for the 18,000 words of backstory that Rowling is promising to reveal. I’ll get my fix on new facets of Potterverse. If you’re as stoked as I am, check into the website on July 31, 2011. The site will be open to the first million people to register. These lucky folks will act as beta (I think that’s the correct term) testers and the site will become open to the rest of the world in October.
So, Harry Potter fans, raise your hastily carved wands and fasten your cloaks. The phenomenon of Harry Potter will not die with the movie. Check out Potterverse. Register as a site member. Join the movement.
*Also here’s a site with further information.
Movie Spotlight: Green Lantern
--- Angela Zhang
--- Angela Zhang
No evil shall escape my sight.
Let those who worship evil's might,
Beware my power... Green Lantern's light!”
So goes the Green Lantern's Oath. Those of you in the know may have muttered these lines in synch with the movie, unable to hide a giddy grin. For those of you who are just casual movie goers, the premise of the Green Lantern Corps is conveniently explained in the first five minutes of the movie. Green Lantern follows the story of Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds), a top class fighter pilot, and how he becomes the first human Green Lantern. As mentioned before, a quick backstory is provided at the beginning of the film to introduce the workings of the Green Lantern universe. Basically, the Guardians of the Universe harnessed the power of will and created a group of intergalactic peacekeepers called the Green Lantern Corps. Each Green Lantern is responsible for their own sector of space, which they protect by using the power of will which is made tangible by the light emitted from their rings and their imaginations.
I recently became interested in the DC comic universe after taking a course about Batman (why yes, my college is awesome), so I was excited about the release of Green Lantern along with the rest of the fandom. However, the movie fell short of my expectations. All the hype and hullabaloo may have raised my expectations a little high, but I really thought that the movie could have been better.
At times it became obvious that they skimped out on the CGI effects, especially when Hal is flying around Oa. It looked as if his live action head was floating around in a computerized world. Also, his mask was rather hideous at times, since they made his eyes CGI in addition to the mask, giving him a creepy, googly eyed look. ('Why would they do that to his eyes?!' I cried to myself in the theater, 'Ryan Reynolds is so attractive!') Putting aside those misses, the scene when Hal trains with the other Lanterns by fighting with light constructs was very cool. The CGI was much better, but I felt that there weren't enough of these construct fighting scenes in the movie to win me back after their CGI blunders.
The other thing I was disappointed by was the typical cliché romance that is found in every superhero movie. The movie did not develop the romance well at all, and it felt very rushed and sloppy, not to mention cheesy. However, the movie managed to balance out the iffy romance and cheesy inspirational lines with some hilarious moments. Ultimately, the movie's problems boil down to needing less hastily developed cliche romance, and more awesome CGI action sequences. If you're looking for a badass action movie, you should look elsewhere (I would strongly suggest watching X-Men: First Class). In all honesty, you should pass on watching Green Lantern in theatres unless you are a comics fan. However, if you really want to see it, knock yourself out.
Broadway Spotlight: How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
--- Christy Lin
Here’s a thought for you to wrap your heads around: Harry Potter singing and dancing; in a musical; on Broadway. I’m totally serious. Moreover, he’s actually pretty damn good at it. In a show with possibly the longest title ever allowed on a theatre playbill, none other than Daniel Radcliffe, yes Mr. Potter himself, is starring in his Broadway musical debut! And you wondered what happened after Hogwarts *giggle*.
Keep in mind that this is his musical debut. In 2008, Mr. Radcliffe actually made quite the stir when he stripped all the way down for his first turn on Broadway starring in Equus, which received a Drama Desk award in 2009. This time he gets to keep his clothes on however, as he takes up the reins playing J. Pierrepont Finch in the most recent revival of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.
The musical itself is based on a book written in the 1950s, then made into a dramatic play, then finally to what it is being shown as now. Since 1961, the show has made its rounds both on and off Broadway, in the West End, and even in film, but this most recent revival seems to be making the most fuss. It’s witty, it’s colorful, and best of all, we finally get to see a different side of the guy we know as Harry Potter. He’s more like a man I suppose, but in my heart he’ll always be “the boy who lived” (somebody come and choke the cheez outta me).
So what makes it so special? Besides its fairly star-studded cast. Well, think Hairspray, only less aerosol and way, way more mature plot. The musical takes place in the 1960s. Finch (Radcliffe) is a window washer by trade, with ambitions to be much more than that in the near future, but no real idea of how to get there. Here it gets a little “Stranger Than Fiction”. A book voice (played by Anderson Cooper) tells him that all his answers are in a little self help book titled How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. Finch walks into the “World Wide Wicket Company” looking for a real job, and here begins the story. Now I’m not about to go telling you everything about the play, because honestly I don’t know it, all I can tell you is that it involves some romance, some major moral issues, and a whole lotta catchy show tunes.
I’m actually half tempted to go buy the cast album because it sounds so great, and if I had the time and the money I might fly to New York to see this (tickets are on sale through December 24th!), but alas, art school is sucking that last joy from me as well. This is where YouTube and ITunes come in handy, so if you’re interested, and believe me, seeing Daniel Radcliffe sing and dance is pretty interesting, go take a look and a listen. Oh, and if anyone is taking a trip to NYC soon-ish and has funds for an extra ticket to the show, I’m small enough to fit in a suitcase. Just saying.
YouTube Spotlight: Team StarKid
--- Angela Zhang
If you are a Harry Potter fan and you haven't watched Team StarKid's “A Very Potter Musical,” I suggest you shimmy on over to Youtube and watch it. Packed with hilarity and catchy original songs, it had me laughing the whole way through.
Team StarKid, also known as StarKid Productions, was founded by a group of theatre students (including Glee star Darren Criss) at the University of Michigan. Their Youtube channel, StarKidPotter, hosts four of their musicals: A Very Potter Musical, A Very Potter Sequel, Me and My Dick, and Starship. The channel has garnered over 78 million total video views and 145,000+ subscribers.
In “A Very Potter Musical”, Harry (played by Darren Criss) faces new and familiar challenges when he returns to Hogwarts. The musical runs through events that occur in Harry's first, fourth, sixth, and seventh years at Hogwarts with quirky and hilarious twists. Some examples of 'quirky and hilarious' include: Quirrell and Voldemort become best bro's who make dates for rollerskating and movies; Draco has a strange habit of rolling around while declaring that he'll be transferring to the amazing Pigfarts, which is on Mars and has a talking lion as the headmaster; and hilarious 'special effects' for magic use (my favorite was the Floo Powder).
In addition to the hilarious script, the original songs that make up the music of the musical are great, not to mention that Darren Criss co-wrote a few of the songs! My favorite songs include “Granger Danger” and “Get Back to Hogwarts”.
In the days before Glee, Criss was most famous for his role as Harry in the musicals. As a fan of his, I'm amazed and happy that even though Criss has rocketed to stardom, he stays grounded and humble while continuing to work on StarKid stage productions.
If you watch AVPM and find that you like it, check out the rest of their videos! They deserve recognition for their hard work and ingenuity, and what better way to support them than to watch them, laugh at their jokes, cheer for their singing, and buying the merchandise? Go forth and become a StarKid!
Check out their page!
StarKidPotter
Check out their page!
StarKidPotter
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