News & Articles related to harry Potter - Page 24

Harry Potter's encounter with Scary Spice lookalike!:-
Harry Potter will battle it out with a mermaid who looks like Scary Spice, in the new movie Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

According to the Sun, the schoolboy wizard has the fright as he tries to rescue pal Ron Weasley in the movie.

Harry played by Daniel Radcliffe, 16 - faces the Mel B lookalike during an international magic contest.

Harry has to swallow magic weed to help him swim to the bottom of Hogwarts Lake where the Merpeople holding Ron lurk.

Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire - based on the fourth book in the series and is due on November 18. (ANI)

Another has Seen Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire!

Movies- 1

August 5, 2005

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Movie Page

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Thanks to the alert from one of our readers [who asks not to be named], we have been pointed to another person who was fortunate enough to see an early screening of the upcoming film Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire! Early Goblet of Fire Review Before I begin, let me just correct some of the things I have stated in previous articles about the Harry Potter movies. If you have read most or all of our articles concerning Harry Potter, you should have by now realized that I was one of those who made fun of people who read Harry Potter only to become an addict to the series later. Luckily, my first mistake was corrected by a friend convincing me to read a few chapters from one of the books. My next error is that I have been pretty up-front on how much better I thought the film Prisoner of Azkaban was to the predecessors directed by Chris Columbus. Well, I have recently re-watched the two films by Columbus and must admit that I plan to swallow those words. The films from Columbus are extremely well done considering they set up the entire Potter world and do an exceptional job at giving each character their due [even just a mention]. So, good work to Chris Columbus. Now that I have that past me, I have recently been alerted that 'Daniel' over at MoviesOnline was one of those present for the early screenings of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire in July. After being screened by security tighter than that of a nuclear missile silo, 'Daniel' had only great things to say about the film, even though it was still unfinished. Damn! How good is this latest installment to the Harry Potter film series? Well, according to the report, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is the best Potter film yet. Hot damn! Don't believe? Check out a snippet below: have to say that this is my favorite HP film to date. Although the special effects were not complete, they were adequate. I believe that audiences will absolutely love the new approach to Potter. It's fun, fast, fresh, and familiar. I would not suggest that small children be taken to the film, it would be too scary for the very young. It's mostly a harmless, fun movie, however the violence exists and parents should know there is more blood and terror in this film than in the others. Again, I loved it and I believe this will be a film that you crave to see again and again. I can hardly wait until it is released later this year! So far we have only had great reports from the early screenings of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. And, since the film isn't even finished yet, I cannot wait to see how they adapt this first of the extremely long Potter books to film. To read the whole report, head over to MoviesOnline. For the teaser trailer, movie stills, pics, clips and synopsis, go to the Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Movie Page.

How Singaporeans felt about Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

August 6, 2005

Click to listen to interview

This week in Young Expressions, we get young Singaporeans to talk about the sixth installment of the Harry Potter series which was released about 2 weeks ago.

The sixth volume of the Harry Potter saga sold more than 8.9 million copies in the first 24 hours it went on sale in the United States and Britain to become the fastest-selling book in history, publishers said.
The weekend it was released was nothing short of triumphant for publishing, book selling and reading on the whole.

So how do Singaporean teens feel about the sixth book in J.K.Rowling's seven book series on the boy wizard Harry Potter?

Lee Su Ting is a third year student from the Nanyang Technological University and she tells us more.

LST: I liked the Half Blood Prince a lot, I think I preferred it a lot more to the last book, the Order of the Phoenix. I liked that it was a lot shorter and the narrative was a lot tighter while the fifth book just meandered on and on. What one book reviewer said about Harry in book five was very true, that he was a whiny adolescent whereas in book six he very obviously grows up in terms of the way he deals with his friends, Ron and Hermione. It's an older and more matured version of Harry which I enjoyed reading a lot more.

Michele Tan, also a third year NTU student disagrees.

MT: No, I didn't like it all because I didn't find it very exciting and the storyline didn't seem as full of ups and downs as the previous installments. It seemed rather plain all the way. Perhaps they said that Potter got more matured but I just found him more boring and the headmaster of the school Dumbledore dying upset me a lot. I don't like sad endings.

Did this, the sixth book, play a big role in forwarding the entire story of Harry Potter, the boy wizard? Su Ting with her views.

LST: I don't think it was that crucial or pivotal in its role as a catalyst, that would have been book three or four, in terms of revealing all the big plot twists. But I think this one answered a lot of questions that were left unanswered about Harry in the various previous books, and like in Book five a lot of things were left hanging like about the Prophecy about Harry and so on. So in Book six, Rowling answered a lot of those questions and she set the stage for Book seven to happen.

Faith Toh is a third year student from the National University of Singapore. She gives her views.

FT: I think the story has progressed from being very targeted at children to something that's become a lot more dark. The first book only dealt with how Harry enter the wizarding school, Hogwarts and the way the school was. It was more of an introductory type of book but the books now involve a lot of very dark themes like death and betrayal. They're not quite so kiddy anymore.

Su Ting then talks about why she thinks J.K. Rowling might have wanted to tackle these stronger themes now.

LST: I think it's inevitable and I think she does it for two reasons: one is to give the reader a sense that Harry's alone in this fight and secondly to evoke the emotions in the reader because when Harry Potter started out it was just like a kid's book, nobody gets killed, everything's nice and the good always wins. From Book four onwards, it started to get darker and people got killed, emotions got evoked.

Faith also goes into the differences between the books and the movies.

FT: Obviously, the movies have been a little disappointing as all print to screen adaptations are but on the whole I think the third movie was a lot better than the first two because of the change in directors. The first two were done by Chris Columbus who also directed Home Alone, hence the more light hearted and glitzy feel. The third one was a lot darker, just like the later books.

Finally, Su Ting talks about whether or not the Harry Potter series is actually for kids or adults.

LST: You'll be surprised. When I went to work that day, I saw big corporate men reading Harry Potter on the trains. It was really strange! I think J.K. Rowling did something really smart: she wrote a series and put years in between each book so the children who started reading the series are now teenagers or grown up, capable of their emotional capacity.

And that was Lee Suting, a third year student from the Nanyang Technological University with her two cents worth on the sixth installment of the Harry Potter saga, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.

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By AARON SANBORN Staff Writer

Shannon Tinkham, 9, of Salisbury, Mass., is custom fitted for a wizards hat by Carter Harrison during Seacoast Harley-Davidsons Harry Potter themed second annual Childrens Day Saturday morning in North Hampton. (Josh Gibney/Democrat photo)

NORTH HAMPTON — High above the crowd hidden in the mysterious sailboat lay the "Golden Snitch."

The sailboat is not from one of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books, this was from Seacoast Harley-Davidson's second annual Children's Day on Saturday where Harry Potter was the theme of the day.

"Harley Davidson is a hot brand and Harry Potter is a hot brand, so we decided to combine the two," said Marketing Director Kirsten Larson, while wearing Harry Potter glasses.

The business started Children's Day last year as a way to introduce kids to the Harley-Davidson brand.

"We're trying to be family oriented and show kids that motorcycles and Harley-Davidson are a good thing," said General Manager Al Contoise. "We're just trying to get families more involved."

The event featured numerous activities for kids including crafts, face-painting, a castle bounce, movies in the Seacoast H-D Theater, a magician, and many other Harry Potter-related games. The Golden Snitch was hidden in the Harley-Davidson sailboat that hung high over the complex.

According to Larson the lucky child that found the Snitch would receive a prize. The event also featured demonstrations from the Seacoast Civic Dance Company, Wildlife Encounters, and Owl Education presented by N.H. Audubon.

There also were free samples from Hutchinson's Candy, Quiznos Subs, Pied Piper Ice Cream, and Scott's Sausage Cart.

The event wasn't just for children as adults had the opportunity to enjoy a 15 percent off storewide sale and tent sale.

"We are hoping to attract additional people who don't ride," Contoise said. "They can come check us out and see what we have to offer."

Both Larson and Contoise were happy with the turnout.

"It's much bigger than last year," Contoise said.

Larson said that it took about 80 employees and many volunteers to make the event possible. The business plans on doing another children's day next year but with a new theme.

Detainees under Harry Potter's spell

By Rowan Scarborough
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
August 8, 2005

Harry Potter's worldwide popularity is so broad-based that it has become favorite reading for Islamic terror suspects at the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay.
Lori, who for two years has overseen the detention center's library, said J.K. Rowling's tales about the boy wizard are on top of the request list for the camp's 520 al Qaeda and Taliban suspects, followed by Agatha Christie whodunits.
"We've got a few who are kind of hooked on it. A couple have asked if they can see the movie," said Lori, a civilian contractor who asked that her last name not be publicized.
Lori said she is compiling a list to provide to various lawmakers in Washington, who recently visited the prison at the U.S. Naval Base Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, as part of a congressional delegation investigating accusations of torture. A U.S. military investigation last month concluded that no torture has taken place since the prison opened in early 2002.
The Guantanamo library also has drawn interest because of a separate investigation into how guards handle the Koran, which is given to any prisoner who requests it under Pentagon policy. The investigation found five cases of mishandling the sacred book, but no evidence that personnel flushed a copy down a toilet, as one press report -- since disavowed -- said.
The prison initially ordered 1,600 Korans in various languages for $23,000 and since has put in orders for more than 200 more.
"After a period of time, they start to fall apart because they read them constantly," Lori said.
Most of the Muslim holy books are printed in Saudi Arabia at the King Fahd Holy Koran Printing Complex. There, Islamic clerics ensure that each edition faithfully translates the words of the prophet Muhammad.
Once the shipment arrives, Lori said, the prison staff then screens them. Saudi Arabia is the hub for extreme teachings of Wahhabism's version of Islam. Some Korans are printed with Wahhabi commentary. But those editions are not allowed at Guantanamo.
"We only buy the Koran," Lori said. "The Koran is the Koran is the Koran. There is no Wahhabi version. You can buy a Koran with commentary. We do not purchase the Koran with commentary. The reason we do not do that is we would end up with Wahhabi interpretations."
Detainees may not peruse the bookshelves at Camp Delta, which is stocked with more than 800 books other than the Koran and with family-values movies. Instead, a staff of three librarians load up a book cart and go cell to cell.
The titles are not all sorcery and murder mysteries. There is, for example, "Sahih Bukhari," a book of sayings and deeds by the prophet Muhammad compiled by the early Arabic scholar Muhammad bin Ismail Bukhari.
"We had someone from the Joint Staff [of the Joint Chiefs of Staff] come down who is a Middle East Islamic specialist and gave recommendations," Lori said.
The library bans certain book categories, such as ones that deal in political thought.
"We try to keep people calm and not incite riots," Lori said.

Banta School book-lover takes Harry Potter prize

Elias Funez/ Patterson Irrigator
recitation: Sedona Duchnick, 12, reads from a copy of the latest Harry Potter book in her Patterson home on Wednesday. The Banta School seventh grader used her knowledge of the popular wizard series to win a recent Stanislaus Library trivia contest in Modesto.
Roya Aziz
Patterson Irrigator

Published on Monday, August 8, 2005, in the Tracy Press.

PATTERSON — Sedona Duchnick, a Banta Elementary School seventh-grader, hangs her head to the side and keeps her eyes downcast as she describes her passion for books. It's only when she begins to read aloud from "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" that she straightens her head.

"Dumbledore paused, and although his voice remained light and calm, and he gave no obvious sign of anger, Harry felt a kind of chill emanating from him and noticed that the Dursleys drew very slightly closer together," she read from one of her favorite passages.

Like other 12-year-olds — and all ages, really — Sedona loves the Harry Potter series by British author J.K. Rowling. She bought a copy from Barnes and Noble Booksellers in Tracy just after midnight on the night the sixth book was released in July. Three days later, she got a second copy.

She was one of 13 people to win a Harry Potter trivia contest at the Stanislaus County Library. As she'd already finished reading the 652-page hardcover, she gave her prize to her uncle, who is undergoing cancer treatment.

"My uncle's a big fan, and I wanted to give it to him, and I thought he could read it while he's resting," she said in a clear, soft voice.

Sedona and dozens of other contestants answered 27 questions related to the first five Harry Potter books, stories of young wizards and witches at an elite school of magic. The contest was open to library cardholders between 12 and 19 years old.

Sedona lives in Patterson and was among three teens who answered all the multiple-choice questions correctly. Her name was picked in a drawing of the finalists.

"We were trying to find something that was fun for the teenage crowd, and with the book coming out, the contest seemed good timing," library spokeswoman Susan Lilly said.

Sedona's mother, Linda Duchnick, is a kindergarten teacher at Banta Elementary School. To pass the time during the 30-minute drive from Patterson to rural Tracy, Sedona reads aloud to her mom and sister, M.J. Her favorite school subject is English.

Duchnick said she first found out her daughter could read when Sedona read a story to her grandfather — one that no one had read to her previously. She wasn't even enrolled in kindergarten at the time.

"I knew she could read a little, but by golly, I didn't know she was reading independently," Duchnick said. "You could've knocked me over."

Sedona said her favorite Harry Potter character is Hermione Granger, a bookish student and friend of Harry's.

"She's smart," Sedona said. "She reminds me of me sometimes."

Harry Potter casts a spell on Jihadis

Asian News International
Washington, August 8, 2005
Harry Potter might be a favourite with kids, but strange as it may seem, he is also a favourite with Islamic terror suspects at the US prison at Guantanamo Bay.

According to The Washington times, J.K. Rowling's tales are on top of the request list for the camp's 520 al Qaeda and Taliban suspects, followed by Agatha Christie whodunits.

"We've got a few who are kind of hooked on it. A couple have asked if they can see the movie," said Lori, a civilian contractor at the center was quoted as saying.

Lori is also compiling a list to provide to various lawmakers in Washington, who recently visited the prison at the US Naval Base Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, as part of a congressional delegation investigating accusations of torture.

Book Review: Latest Potter yarn spins betrayal


By Tom Treweek

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, by J.K. Rowling, Scholastic, 652 pages

It is a common theme in books and movies, especially those portraying war, that things will get worse before they get better. The newest installment in the Harry Potter series is no exception.


Potter and company suffer their most damaging loss yet, as author J.K. Rowling sets up what fans have long expected. The ultimate battle between good and evil, between white and dark magic, and between Potter and Lord Voldemort is coming.

And with only one book left in the seven-book series, it is coming soon.

But before that time comes, Rowling treats readers to a much softer story than in "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix." In that book, the plot begins and ends lightly, while its center is dark. This is its exact opposite.

"The Half-Blood Prince" begins with a dark, back-room deal and a possible betrayal of trust. It ends so darkly that many readers will not want to believe what they are reading.

Readers are also given a glimpse into Voldemort's past. Potter learns of the events that shaped the dark lord's perceptions of the world around him and the reasons why "He-who-must-not-be-named" may be harder to destroy than anyone previously believed.


For those, however, who enjoy the lighter side of Hogwarts, the majority of this book will fill that need. Similar to the early volumes, this Potter book is much about love. The subtle change is that, instead of forming friendships, as in the early books, the students are now forming romantic bonds. At age 16 - Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley turn 17 before the book ends - Potter and his friends are getting in touch with their romantic side, which does not go entirely smoothly.

This time, however, Rowling does not address the methods of performing magic. She includes the teachers' instructions for such things as apperation and non-verbal incantations, but did not delve into the way that the characters finally accomplished the tasks or why they could not.

Along with the magical storyline, Rowling offers some political commentary in this edition, specifically denouncing, through her characters, the use of propaganda by government agencies to mask failures during a time of war. This is nothing new for Rowling, who previously wrote against government interference in the school system.

As in many books, there are typographical errors (missing words and punctuation) and grammatical mistakes that will surely be fixed before the printing of the paperback versions. Overall, however, the story is easy to read (slightly easier than the average newspaper article), good for developing young minds and adults who would rather read something less challenging.

An added bonus to reading the Harry Potter series is the opportunity to watch a writer's skill improve. Most notably, in "The Half-Blood Prince," Rowling's use of exposition is remarkably better. References to past books are kept brief and are more often used within the context of the story. Rowling has finally chosen to assume readers of her newest book have read and remember the previous works.



As with all books in the series, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" may include imagery too violent for young children. Older children and childlike adults will find the book entertaining, encouraging readers to look forward to the final chapter in the Harry Potter saga.

TOM TREWEEK is a staff writer for The Rio Rancho Observer.