Since my regular professor job, unlike my beloved position here at Hogwarts, has the requirement that I evaluate reams of student work and turn in grades at semester’s end, I’ve been a little swamped this last week of the semester, and so I have not yet had the chance to post thoughts on the latest developments in the filming process with The Hunger Games. Now that I’ve sent all the owls on their way with everyone’s final scores (and no T for Troll grades this year, either!), it’s time to take a peek at developments.
Woody Harrelson cast as Haymitch in The Hunger Games, all 24 Tributes in place, Filming Starts May 23 in NC
May 14, 2011 by 4 Comments
Can you be a ‘Fundamentalist’ and ‘Sorcerer’ Simultaneously?
May 7, 2011 by 3 Comments
You can if you are the President of Iran. According to an article in The Guardian (UK), Ahmadinejad Allies Charged with Sorcery, the confrontational leader is under fire in his own country both because of his “fundamentalist” Shia beliefs in the imminent return of the Mahdi and because his personnel are “charged with being ‘magicians’ and invoking djinns (spirits).” Imagine being accused of being the ideological hermaphrodite of Harry Hating and the very things that Harry Haters condemn (falsely) in Harry.
To be caught between a Rock and a Sorcerer’s Stone! Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.
Post-Reaping Report on Extra Casting for Hunger Games
April 19, 2011 by Leave a Comment
My friends who made it through epic wind and rain to the extra casting in Shelby on Saturday report that the line was long but moved swiftly, and that the movie folks were all trained by the Cinna school of “treating people like human beings, not cattle.” The report from Shelby is positive that the film is Hunger Games, though everyone was warned not to say it out loud, creating a Voldemort-ish Taboo. My friends got positive feedback, especially since some are or are the parents of teenagers, and, if they get to do some work on the movie, promise to give us all the information they can. In the meantime, I’m just thrilled to see the process was not much like the actual Reaping, but seemed fun, easy, and professional. Let’s hope this is indicative of the way the production will be run. Thanks, Connie, for the pictures! Follow me after the jump for more.
Hogwarts Coming to a Kindle near you?
April 4, 2011 by 8 Comments
For those of you who have been captured by the e-book craze, the sheer number of books available in this format is rivaled only by the books that are not available, or at least, which haven’t been available yet. Though we may enjoy Harry Potter’s adventures via audiobook, they have not yet been released to the e-reader crowd. J.K. Rowling now appears to be considering the possibility of releasing our favorite wizard to the e-book world. In this article, she is described as exhibiting some interest in the electronic market. While some of us may have loved the fact that our shared text could only be read on a printed page, others may be thrilled that we can take all seven books with us on airplane (really, if I could have any one object from the Wizarding World, it would be Hermione’s purse/self-storage unit, but I still like “real” books). What are your thoughts on the potential e-book release of the Hogwarts Adventures? Are you howling in indignation, laughing with delight, or scratching your head wondering what all the fuss is about?
Deleted Scene to Whet Appetites for Deathly Hallows: Pt. 1 DVD out April 15
March 29, 2011 by 8 Comments
April 15 is usually a day to strike fear in the hearts of Americans. If the IRS doesn’t scare you (and really, those folks always look like Death Eaters in my imagination), maybe Voldemort will! So the movie folks are releasing the DVD of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 on that resonant date. If your tax woes are few (or so bad you need an escape), April 15 is looking like a good movie night (I’m looking forward to the big-screen release of The Conspirator that same day)! In anticipation of the big release, here is a sneak preview of a deleted scene (with embedded version after the jump).
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