• Harry Potter Research Assistance Needed

    ByElizabeth
    7 Comments

    Friend of this blog, Dr, Joel Hunter of the Barrett Honors College at Arizona State University, is conducting some research and would like input from the serious readers here. In his paper for an upcoming conference, Dr. Hunter was going to mention the preferences readers have for some of the Hogwarts Adventures, and while we’ve all heard anecdotes about which books are readers’ least/most favorites, he wanted a more thoughtful study. So he created this very simple survey for readers to rank the books from most to least favorite (it’s great if you love them all; just decide which ones you are more likely to crawl back into when you re-visit Harry). If you have read all seven books at least once, please participate in the survey and feel free to pass it along to others who would like to participate. Please only take the survey once (I know some of you want to make Chamber of Secrets number 1 at all costs–restrain yourselves!). Thanks so much for your feedback and for taking part in our on-going goals of research and scholarship!

  • The Sounds of District 12 (and the Capitol, too)

    ByElizabeth
    11 Comments

    It’s been an exciting week for Hunger Games movie news. New images are appearing, and merchandising, most of which makes my skin crawl, is really going wild. But for me, the big news revolves around music. From Grammy shout-outs to the release of the first official video and two more songs from the soundtrack (as well as the complete official soundtrack list), this week may not make the mockingjays fall silent, but it has provided some very interesting food (er, music?) for thought. Join me after the jump for some thoughts on these very intriguing musical developments and what the The Hunger Games has to do with the loss of one very beautiful voice. Read More “The Sounds of District 12 (and the Capitol, too)”

  • Hold on to Your Hats (or Wig, Effie); It’s the Capitol Couture Website

    ByElizabeth
    4 Comments

    While it’s unlikely that I will possibly be able to keep up with every single new development as the Hunger Games film release date draws near (March 23), I hope I can make a few comments on some of the more fascinating/horrifying/just plain bizarre news and hoopla that we’ll see over the next couple of months (for, we hope, more sanity and thoughtfulness, watch for our upcoming review of our favorite Hunger Games posts). One new item has certainly caught my interest: the launch of the new Capitol Couture website. Join me after the jump for some conversation about why this flashy-splashy website is intriguing, thought-provoking, and (I hope) a big joke.
    Read More “Hold on to Your Hats (or Wig, Effie); It’s the Capitol Couture Website”

  • The Man in Black: Alan Rickman Interview and Oscar Prospects

    ByElizabeth
    6 Comments

    Back in December, John Granger and I had the opportunity to chat on Middle Earth Network Radio with delightful host Dave Kale on the subject of the DVD extras offered with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2. Though we really enjoyed (and discussed at great length) the segment on both female characters and the actresses who portray them, I bemoaned the lack of a really wonderful documentary sequence featuring Alan Rickman, as I have been delighted, amazed, and ultimately deeply moved by his riveting performance as the prickly and profoundly complex Potions master. This article from The LA Times, does something to alleviate that gap, including some nice thoughts on Rickman’s decade of playing one of the most misunderstood guys in black since Johnny Cash and even ponders Rickman’s Oscar prospects.
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  • Hunger Games Soundtrack News: First single ideal or ironic?

    ByElizabeth
    3 Comments

    Since I am a Gregorian, at least with respect to calendars, this time of year usually pulls me away from my duties here, so these are very overdue thoughts on the new Hunger Games soundtrack news. The first release from the soundtrack is Taylor Swift, along with the group The Civil Wars, performing “Safe and Sound.” Not only is this quite a bit early for soundtrack music to appear for a March film, but the song, and its musicians, also provide fuel for our on-going conversation about The Hunger Games as self-referential popular culture artifact. Join me after the jump for my thoughts along those lines. Read More “Hunger Games Soundtrack News: First single ideal or ironic?”