TwiHards Finally Find Middle-Aged Guy Critic?

January 21, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Over at Twilight Lexicon this week, the biggest Twilight fan site, there is in article praising Mark Kermode for his BBC5 radio review of Eclipse, in which he lauds the film, defying the trend of most film critics. Kermode, who makes a pretty good living by writing against the flow, praises the third cinematic installment of the Twilight Saga (which we also reviewed positively here), despite having never read the books.

The readers at Lexicon commenting on the review are, for the most part, tripping over themselves to applaud him. Oddly enough, they seem to think Kermode is (A) the only intellectual-type taking Twilight “seriously” and (B) the only middle-aged guy doing that. Actually, they are wrong on both counts, and he’s not even first.

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Filed Under: Elizabeth Baird Hardy, Twilight

Deathly Hallows 2: Severus Dies In ‘Crystal House’

January 21, 2011 by 1 Comment

If you’ve seen the trailers for Warner Brothers’ adaptation of Deathly Hallows, you already know that we’re in for some major changes in the finale. Scenes of Harry and the Dark Lord in one-on-one battles around the Hogwarts campus are clue enough that liberties will be taken in the series’ film finish. We learned today, via an interview with the movie’s Art Director (?) on a Mexican movie web site discussed at HPANA and SlashFilm.com (H/T James), that (1) the death of Severus Snape will not be in the Shrieking Shack but in a ‘Crystal House,’ (2) that it will be visible from a boat house, and (3) that Ms. Rowling approved the changes with enthusiasm.

Can you believe we’re talking about this kind of thing six months before the movie comes out? Mission accomplished, WB marketing staff…

Filed Under: Movie Thoughts

Shared Text: Rep. Giffords Reading Harry Potter

January 20, 2011 by 3 Comments

Like all of you, I was horrified by the shootings in Arizona two weeks ago and have followed the story of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords’ recovery, from the reports of her having died by an assassin’s bullet in her brain to her plans for a move to rehab as early as tomorrow. As we live in a Harry Potter universe, of course, I should not have been surprised that this story, which, for better or worse, overshadows even the murders of tens of thousands of people not far from Arizona, has a Hogwarts element to it. Prof. Freeman alerted me this morning to an article in Entertainment Weekly about the first book Rep. Giffords is reading since being shot: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.

What else? Be sure to read the article to the last line. If the Hogwarts Saga were not this generation’s ‘Shared Text,’ could the reporter have used that as her exit line with surety that all her readers would ‘get it’? Of course not.

Filed Under: Shared Text

Quidditch World Cup: Video from the 2010 Games

January 20, 2011 by Leave a Comment

The PM Sports Newscaster knows nothing about Muggle and magical Quidditch or Harry Potter for that matter, and, be forewarned, there is some rough language. But the images from this summer’s Quidditch World Cup matches make it worth your time to watch the video. Those of you who were there, please let us know if this captures or diminishes the feel of the actual event!

Filed Under: Hog Pro Notes

HogProfs Round Table: Harry Potter’s Baptism

January 18, 2011 by 10 Comments

On the eve of Holy Theophany and as the Anglican Communion considers re-writing their baptismal rites (again), what better time to have a discussion about a curious extra-canonical Hogwarts Saga event, namely, Harry Potter’s infant baptism? Ms. Rowling discussed her lead character’s Christening in the Sparks-Anelli Interview, 2005, and I’ve asked our four Hogwarts faculty members on call to share their thoughts to jump start our conversation. It’s a subject that brings in all sorts of issues beside the usual question of how much Christian content there really is in the stories, to include the relative importance of interviews versus the published works, Harry as a Christ figure, and what we can tell about fictional character’s beliefs if they never express them explicitly (as is the rule in the UK).

Please jump right in the conversation to share your comments and corrections!

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Filed Under: Hog Profs Round Table