[NOTD] News Of The Day - 10/07/2007

In pictures: Potter stars in Hollywood

Those Harry Potter stars Rupert Grint, Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson are getting their pictures taken again, this time in Hollywood in the US.

They're at a famous cinema in the US called Grauman's Chinese. Outside the cinema loads of famous stars have put their hands and feet in cement.

Surely it's not that hard to put your hands in wet cement, but someone seems determined to pass on instructions to Daniel - or just sneak into his photo!

So the stars put their hands in the cement. It's a big honour to be asked to make your mark outside the cinema.

And this is what the finished prints will look like. The Potter stars are the only ones to have wand prints to go with their hands and feet.

All done! The trio pose for yet another picture with special certificates to say they've done it.

Source: CBBC

Article contain spoilers!

Staunton steals scenes in latest 'Potter' film

Most frustrating about the "Harry Potter" film series is the tease factor.

Simply knowing there are more installments ahead tells us that things of Greater Consequence will happen later, thus making the first five movies feel progressively like they're diddling and dawdling about, taking vast amounts of time to develop characters and story arcs. But to their credit, these movies -- the three most recent chapters especially, counting new installment "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" -- generally have been rich enough in wonder and detail to overcome their transitory nature.

Credit such richness to the supporting cast, which has boasted enough master British thespians to fill several Shakespearean companies. In "Phoenix," Imelda Staunton is the requisite stealer of scenes, playing Dolores Umbridge, the latest Defense of the Dark Arts teacher at the Hogwarts school.

Umbridge also represents the Ministry of Magic, a stodgy outfit that lives in denial that the evil Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) has risen to wreak more havoc. Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) knows better, and so does headmaster Dumbledore (Michael Gambon). Thus, Umbridge is sent to keep a close eye on Potter, and the school in general, thereby promoting the Ministry's head-in-the-sand perspective.

To say Staunton is hysterically funny is an understatement. In a performance apparently informed by Margaret Thatcher, Staunton boasts a poofy bouffant and a wardrobe whose color is described best as Politician Pink. Her smile is ever-present and pleasant as she oppresses Potter and his pals with a meticulously lotioned and manicured fist, her fascist decrees uttered in a kindly, grandmotherly lilt and followed by the kind of tittering laugh that could powder a baby's bottom with the finest talcum.

It's this type of characterization that keeps the "Potter" series afloat for us Muggles who haven't kept up with J.K. Rowling's hysteria-inducing novels. "Phoenix" doesn't balance levity with drama as 2005's "Goblet of Fire" did -- it seems somewhat joyless and dour in comparison, as Potter struggles with an inner demon, namely Voldemort, who haunts his dreams and seems to share a psychic link with the teenager. Radcliffe, therefore, is all angst and anguish as Potter is slowly drained of his innocence.

But he's not alone. Luna Lovegood (Evanna Lynch) is a pale, waifish student at Hogwarts, dubbed Loony because of her eccentricities. But she, too, has experienced death, and bonds with Harry on the subject. And we wish we could see more of her -- longtime Potter friends Hermione (Emma Watson) and Ron (Rupert Grint) have become sort of old-hat, their plot significance diminished and their actions predictable, yet they dominate screen time. And Harry's romantic interest, Cho Chang (Katie Leung), is barely developed, if at all.

The story also implicates a secret society called the Order of the Phoenix, which has convened to help Harry battle Voldemort. This gives the plot a chance to recall past Potter friends Remis Lupin (David Thewlis), Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody (Brendan Gleeson) and Siruis Black (Gary Oldman) for cameos. Emma Thompson appears as Sybil Trelawney, as does Maggie Smith as Minerva McGonagall and Alan Rickman as Snape, all superbly enjoyable in their roles but mostly relegated to frustratingly brief appearances. Same goes for "Potter" newcomer Helena Bonham Carter as Bellatrix Lestrange, Voldemort's henchwoman.

I type all these terrifically goofy names to pay tribute to Rowling's creativity, which is unavoidably squeezed, trimmed and truncated for the big screen. And that's been the modus operandi for the "Potter" series thus far -- unwieldy and occasionally troublesome adaptations, which feel like shorthand even for people such as I who haven't devoured the books.

But there must be enough devotion to the source material to keep audiences satiated and salivating for the next movie.

For "Phoenix," the directorial reins have been handed to David Yates, and, as any helmsperson on a "Potter" film, he's essentially asked not to screw things up. He's sturdy and reliable (read: safe, not too creative) with "Phoenix," which will alienate few.

Five movies in, the series is starting to become rather repetitive, taking familiar plot tracks -- new teacher, Voldemort threat, another tough personal test for Potter -- while building and building (and building!) toward what fans hope will be a thoroughly rewarding conclusion.

Meanwhile, we have the likes of Staunton and a diabolically creepy Fiennes (again, noseless and disturbingly reptilian) to keep us suitably entertained -- just enough, for fans and fairweathers alike.

Source: MLive, Michigan

Article contain spoilers!

Movie Review: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix in IMAX 3D

Article contain spoilers!

Though not quite as grim as the book on which it is based, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix amps up Harry's struggle with adolescence, alienation and loss.

And it does well enough to be the best big-screen Potter yet, as you can see once it makes its wholesale invasion of theaters on Wednesday -- starting with some screenings after midnight tonight.

Edited down considerably from J.K. Rowling's massive novel of the same name -- fifth in the Potter series, with the seventh and last due in stores on July 21 -- the movie is uncompromising toward newcomers to the Potter tales.

If you have neither read the Potter books nor seen the previous movies, you're going to lack a lot of knowledge necessary for enjoying and understanding the film. And if you're fanatical about every line in the books, you will note that quite a bit has been left behind, and some things changed along the way.

That said, even as a fan of the books, I thought this was a well-paced and emotionally effective rendering -- although that means, of course, that for long stretches, it was also sad.

Order of the Phoenix finds the world of good magic at war with the evil Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) and his followers. But the leader of the magical world refuses to admit that Voldemort is on the loose.

Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) and his school headmaster, Albus Dumbledore (Michael Gambon), have been especially outspoken about the threat from Voldemort. The government accordingly tries to bring them to heel, through manipulation of the news media and the labors of the sweet-seeming but ruthless Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton).

Harry accordingly enters his new school year as an outsider, as the other students believe news reports suggesting he is delusional, and as a target, since Umbridge will not tolerate his cries of alarm.

But the cries are more than justified, as Voldemort is not only trying to conquer the world but also to destroy Harry. The question at the heart of the movie is, will Harry be able to open people's eyes before it's too late?

At least, that's the basic plot question. The broader issues in the movie deal with Harry's journey into adulthood and greater responsibility for himself and others. His pain and alienation should resonate with most young people, who have felt their own pain. Harry also wrestles with the nature of friendship, and with his longing for family -- whether represented by Dumbledore or his godfather, Sirius Black (Gary Oldman).

The Harry Potter world has become so sprawling at this point that, in a little over two hours of movie time, it does not have room to give everyone a big showcase. To be sure, some actors remain delightful when briefly seen, including Alan Rickman's Snape and Maggie Smith's McGonagall. (One of the most amusing scenes has McGonagall and Umbridge in pitched verbal battle, and using a staircase to establish a height advantage over each other.) Even Harry's close friends Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) are too often reduced to sidekicks.

In addition, there are times when director David Yates -- working from a script by Michael Goldenberg -- loves the big effect more than is necessary in what is basically a character piece.

Still, there is a visual richness to this story that adds to its dark currents -- moments that invoke the Spanish Inquisition, McCarthyism and the totalitarianism of 1984. (I also sensed some nods to director Terry Gilliam's style in Brazil and Time Bandits.) And some of the big-effect moments work marvelously, especially in the final battle pitting Harry and his schoolmates against Voldemort's Death Eaters, and then Voldemort himself. And it is in that battle that, once again, Potter fans are reminded of the sacrifice and anguish involved in great challenges.

Because of that fight, and some other grim business, Order of the Phoenix is rated PG-13, and you should take that rating seriously. Harry Potter is not a cute lad in this movie, but someone who has suffered greatly -- and knows more suffering awaits in the story to come.

If I Ran Hogwarts

Jim Dale to Attend Harry Potter Party on July 20

The film version of the fifth Potter book, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, opens tomorrow. It stars Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Michael Gambon, Imelda Staunton, Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, and Gary Oldman.

Source: Theater Mania