Harry Potter's Page :: Feed Your Harry Potter Addiction ::

Harry Potter’s Page was given the opportunity to review the Ultimate Editions of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and Goblet of Fire.  I received the Blu-ray formats.  First off, I have to tell you that if you haven’t had the chance to purchase the Ultimate Editions of Sorcerer’s Stone and Chamber of Secrets, you’ve really missed out.  They were absolutely great!  You can see my review for them here.  The third and fourth Ultimate Editions didn’t let me down, either.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban‘s package comes with a holographic cover.  The interior box holds all the content in what looks like a book.  The cover opens to Sirius’ mug shot.  The contents include the Ultimate Edition Creating the Creatures of Harry Potter hard back book.  The book includes many photos from the creatures for films 1 through 6.  There’s concept art and photos all the way up to actual animals (Fang!).  The package also includes two character collector cards.  I got two of Sirius, but I don’t mind, since I’m a huge fan of Harry’s Godfather (and Gary Oldman, as well).  The Blu-ray set included three discs.  One Blu-ray was the movie.  It included no extra features.  The second disc is a DVD with Special Features.  For me, I always want to pop this in first, but I resisted my urge and watched the film first.  The third disc is a Blu-ray called Creating the World of Harry Potter Part 3: Creatures.  There is no digital copy.  Instead, a card is provided with a code, so it can be downloaded.

I watched the entire film.  Admittedly, it’s been a while since I’ve watched this film.  I’ve always enjoyed the color scheme – the grays, blacks, and silver hues.  This is when things really start going dark for Harry.  It’s such an interesting switch.  Unfortunately, none of the deleted scenes are included with the movie.  Nor was there any commentary.  However, watching it in Blu-ray was a real treat.  The Dementors are just so much more real.

I always love the special features, so I was excited to get to this DVD.  Creating the Vision includes an interview with J.K. Rowling and the filmmakers.  I always enjoy watching J.K. Rowling in interviews.  She seems so humble.  Other features include:

• Additional Scenes, including:

1. The Knight Bus Spins
2. Hagrid Swats a Bird (extended)
3. Harry Receives a Sneakascope in the Great Hall
4. Sir Cadogan Asks for the Password
5. McGonagall Lectures Students about the Password

• Conjuring a Scene: Creating Buckbeak and the Dementors for the Screen
• Johnny Vaughan and the Shrunken Head Lead Raucous interviews with the Cast
• Self-Guided Tours of Honeydukes and Professor Lupin’s Classroom
• Meet the Animal Trainers in Care of Creatures
• 3 Great Challenges (narrated by Jim Dale who does the US audio books):  Test Your Memory with Magic You May Have Missed; Help Crookshanks Catch Scabbers; and Go on an Unexpected Quest with Sir Cadogan

After seeing all the exciting content in Prisoner of Azkaban, I couldn’t wait to see Goblet of Fire.  I was happy to see that the film included BD Live and an In-Movie Experience with the Weasley Twins (James and Oliver Phelps).  I enjoyed listening to their funny antidotes and learning more about the film’s process with the many behind-the-scenes footage shown during the experience.

This film is always a joy for me.  This is when you start realizing that life isn’t going to be too fun for Harry.  At least not in the near future.  Dark and scary things are happening to Harry and you start to wish he’d just get a break.  But it just isn’t going to happen.  Poor Harry is pulled into the Triwizard Tournament through no fault of his own.  The media hounds him, Ron is angry with him, and he can’t seem to get the girl he wants.  Then he has dragons, Grindylows, Moaning Myrtle, and nightmares.  Jeez, enough already!  But, not this kid.  A school mate is killed right in front of his eyes and then his blood is taken and is used to bring He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named – Lord Voldemort – back to his former self.  Then Voldemort tries to kill him, but Harry’s wand has other ideas…instead the Priori Incantatum occurs, bringing back the souls of those who Voldemort’s wand last killed, including Harry’s parents.  And the poor kid doesn’t even have a chance to be happy to see his parents; instead he’s fighting for his life.  This film’s deleted scenes are not included in the film.

The second disc is a DVD with Special Features which include:

• Preparing for the Yule Ball
• Conversations with the Cast (an interview with Dan, Emma, and Ron where fans get to ask questions, too)
• Reflections on the Fourth Film
• Triwizard Tournament: Dragon Arena – Harry vs. the Horntail: The First Task – Meet the Champions
• Triwizard Tournament: Lake – In Too Deep: The Second Task
• Triwizard Tournament: Maze – Maze Challenge 0 to the Graveyard and Back Challenge – The Maze: The Third Task – He Who Must Not Be Named
• Extra scenes include:

1. Students Sing the Hogwart’s Hymn
2. Durmstrang Dating Etiquette
3. Harry Misses Cho
4. The Yule Ball (extended) – shows an entire song with the band’s performance including Professor Flitwick falling into the pit
5. Karkaroff and Snape at the Ball
6. Mad-Eye Warns Harry (extended)
7. Debating Crouch’s Murder and Clues
8. Investigating Snape and Karkaroff

The third disc, a Blu-ray, is Creating the World of Harry Potter Part 4: Sound & Music.  The package also includes a book by the same name with color photos and art work and music information from all of the films, including Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.  There are also two character cards.  Again, as with the third film’ package, you can download the digital copy.

These Ultimate Editions are for the fans who are missing the books and need MORE Harry Potter.  You can feed that addiction with these Ultimate Editions.  The extra features alone could help feed my Potter addiction for the next month because there’s so much information.  It really is a must for Potter fans.

You can order the Ultimate Editions in our Amazon store at the following links:

Prisoner of Azkaban

• Blu-ray
• DVD

Goblet of Fire

• Blu-ray
• DVD

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To celebrate the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 on November 19th, this month’s calendar is ALL Deathly Hallows.  Crmhpfan did another wonderful job with this month’s calendar.

After clicking on the size that you want, right click on the calendar, and click ’set as background’ for IE, or ’set as desktop desktop background’ for Firefox.

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Outstanding job, Crmhpfan!

Enjoy!

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E! Online have posted two new videos (here and here) from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1.  The first one, titled Horcruxes, includes interviews with Dan Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, director David Heyman, and producers David Heyman and David Barron.  It includes behind the scenes looks at the trio reading the note from the locket, looks at them trying to destroy the locket, and a scene with Kreacher.  The second video is called The Story and shows behind the scenes looks at Privet Drive, the Seven Potters, and more!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 will be released on November 19, 2010 and Part 2 will be released on July 15, 2011.

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Another Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 TV spot gives us our first look at Kreacher.  Also the official Deathly Hallows website has been updated with video clips from the film that you see when clicking on the different links. They show quite a lot, including Bellatrix as she throws her knife when Dobby apparates with everyone from Malfoy Manor and Harry and Hermione grabbing hands to help each other. SnitchSeeker was able to gather all of them and made a video of them.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 will be released on November 19, 2010 and Part 2 will be released on July 15, 2011.

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The LA Times’ Hero Complex are continuing their countdown to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1.  In today’s article, they have interviews with Dan Radcliffe, producer David Heyman, and screenwriter Steve Kloves.  Dan talks about how they enjoyed getting away from Hogwarts and the different feel of the film compared to the others.  Heyman talked about how real the film feels.  Kloves gives us a little spoiler, if you can figure it out.

Dan on being chased and getting out.

“Everybody is after us,” the actor said of his on-screen persona, Harry Potter, and his partners in magic. “We’re to the point in the story where it’s a lot of action and we’re on the run. And that’s brilliant.”

“I think getting out was a marvelous thing for the story and for the look of the film,” he said. “This movie just looks different than the other ones. We’ve spent so much time at Hogwarts that it makes it fresh to go somewhere new on screen.”

Heyman on the grittiness and realness of the film.

“We have them a bit in Whitehall, in central London, we have them on Shaftesbury Avenue in the cafes,” Heyman continued. “It feels real, gritty at times and beautiful at other times. But it is not at Hogwarts, and that gives us a fresh impetus.”

“One thing I love about the films of [director] David Yates is that you really feel the human element,” Heyman said. “There’s a real truthfulness, and going out on the road with this seventh film, it makes it feel just that much more real.”

Kloves with his spoiler and whether we’ll actually get to see Hogwarts in Part 1.

“This moment would fall in the category of flashback,” said the writer who finishes the franchise having written scripts for seven of the eight films. “Revealing it may ruin a rather lovely — albeit small — moment of the movie.”

Read the entire article here.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 will be released on November 19, 2010 and Part 2 will be released on July 15, 2011.

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We previously showed you a video that showed composer Alexandre Desplat making the soundtrack for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1.  The video includes interviews with Alexandre Desplat, and producers David Heyman and David Barron. We now have the video here for you.  You can also download the video at the links below.

Also, the official website for the soundtrack is now live.  You can see it here.

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QUICKTIME HD
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QUICKTIME STANDARD
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Click here to pre-order the Limited Edition Collector’s Box Set which includes the following items for $63.99:

- Individually numbered Certificate of Authenticity
- PremierCell Presentation of high quality film photography on heavy cardstock featuring two 35MM film cells cut from the movie reel. Comes with attachable easel.
- 7 inch double sided picture Vinyl Disc with score from the movie
- DVD with 5.1 audio mix of Alexandre Desplat s score and a
7 minute video featurette of the scoring session, along with
interviews with Composer Alexandre Desplat and Producers David Heyman and David Barron.
- Movie Poster
- Orchestral Sheet Music from recording session at Abbey Road Studios signed by Alexandre Desplat
- Soundtrack on CD
- 2nd CD with additional score

Click here to pre-order the regular soundtrack which includes a free digital download of the soundtrack in 5.1 surround sound for $12.99.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 will be released on November 19, 2010 and Part 2 will be released on July 15, 2011.

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The New Zealand Herald had the chance to speak with many of the cast and crew of the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows films.  Interviews were conducted with producer David Heyman, Matt Lewis (Neville Longbottom), Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy), and Helena Bonham-Carter.

Here’s a bit of what they had to say:

Regarding the last film being split into two parts, Heyman felt that the fans deserved it.

“We were all aware that this great juggernaut was reaching the end of its journey, so we wanted to give it and the characters the proper send-off they deserved,” says producer David Heyman, describing the rationale for the split.

“The only way to do that and preserve the integrity of the work was, we felt, to have two parts because Deathly Hallows is so rich, the story so dense and there’s so much that is resolved.”

He also stated that Dan Radcliffe wanted to film split into two parts as well.

“There was no way you could do justice to the book and really capture the story in one film, unless you made that film six hours [long].

“And while I know there are some Potter fans who would be quite happy to have a six-hour Harry Potter film, we do want to make films not just for the huge fans of the books, but also for the other people, regular cinema-goers, who perhaps haven’t read them. So it was essential to make it palatable for sort of everyone, while also remaining true to the book, and to do that, you have to make it into two films.”

Matt Lewis said that keeping the story straight during the filming wasn’t easy.

“Not only was it a really long shoot, it was also really tricky because we didn’t film them back to back,” he reveals. “We shot them simultaneously, like Lord of the Rings, so it got really confusing. If we didn’t have such a good crew and David directing us, it could have got completely out of control because the schedule for the last year was crazy. I literally don’t know what film each scene was in, or how they fit together. But we all just buckled down because it’s the last one and we wanted to make it as memorable and epic as possible.”

Helena gets a kick out of being the villain.

“It’s always very appealing playing a villain,” admits Helena Bonham-Carter, reprising her role as Bellatrix Lestrange. “It’s so much fun being a tyrant, with no empathy for anyone. I revelled in that, in being a girl with arrested development who orders people around.”

Matt reminisced about filming a scene with Helena.

“She really enjoys getting into her part,” smirks Lewis, recalling a scene he shared with her in Order of the Phoenix.

“She was holding me hostage and I remember she turned to the director and said; ‘Wouldn’t it be quite fitting – and sinister – if she started to really enjoy torturing him?’ Then she started playing with her wand, before sticking the tip in my ear, teasingly. There were lots of explosions going off around us and somehow it suddenly went straight into my ear, about an inch! It actually ruptured my eardrum and hurt like hell – I couldn’t hear a thing for a week – but it looked great on camera!”

Tom raves about his on-set father, Jason Isaacs (Lucius Malfoy), and Ralph Fiennes (Voldemort).

“Jason plays an evil sod so beautifully well,” sniggers Felton. “He’s perfect as a villain. But it’s scary how he has the ability to be telling you a showbiz story one minute and as soon as they say ‘camera rolling’ he snaps into this horrible bastard, who grabs my ear and does all sorts of twisted things.

“I enjoy seeing these amazingly friendly people turn into such horrible characters,” he adds, teasingly. “Ralph Fiennes is the worst: it’s an eye-opener playing alongside him, because he’s such a gentle soul, who’s quite calm and measured in his conversation, but then he instantly turns into this twisted, nasty creature the moment we start filming.”

He admits there are some not so fun aspects to playing a baddie.

“Yeah, most people struggle to see that I’m not my character. They’re usually surprised when they meet me and realise I’m quite a nice guy, not an arse,” he laughs. “As for kids, I can’t get a handshake, for love nor money, out of them because they’re generally terrified and don’t want to come anywhere near me! It’s as if I’m trying to lure them into the dark side!”

Read the entire article here.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 will be released on November 19, 2010 and Part 2 will be released on July 15, 2011.

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We previously reported on Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter), Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley), and Emma Watson (Hermione Granger) participating in the Celebrity READ program.  As part of the campaign each have their own poster where they hold a book of their own choosing. Dan holds Bulgakov’s The Master & Margarita, Emma has William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, and Rupert holds Burgess’ A Clockwork Orange.

After his photoshoot, Radcliffe was interviewed by American Libraries Magazine.  Here is an excerpt:

In your poster, you are holding Mikhail Bulgakov’s The Master and Margarita. That’s an extremely interesting book choice, with demons, succubi, a talking cat, the interplay of good and evil, truth and lies. How did you discover it?

I’ve been obsessed with the novel ever since I read it about a year ago. I’ve always been a huge fan of Magical Realism. It’s an inspiring genre in which writers can just let their imaginations go wild and wonderful. I discovered the book through an Amazon.com recommendation. I’d just ordered Louis de Biernières’s The War of Don Emmanuel’s Nether Parts, and The Master and Margarita came up as an Amazon “other readers like this book” choice. I’ve read it twice now, and I just received an English first edition (Collins and Harvill, 1967) with a beautiful cover as a birthday present. That’s the one that appears on the READ poster.

You mentioned in one of your interviews that you buy a lot of books—what are some of your favorites?

I loved Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea. I also liked Hunter S. Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Umberto Eco’s The Name of the Rose, and Émile Zola’s Germinal, which I thought would be difficult but it read very easily. I also like classic Russian writers; I’ve read Mikhail Lermontov’s A Hero of Our Time and Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment and Notes from the Underground. The reason that these books have become classics is that they are so readable and accessible.

Do you think Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is one of the best books in the series?

My personal favorite is the fifth, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, because it’s involved with Harry’s relationship with Sirius Black, the most interesting character in the series. But Deathly Hallows is also one of the best novels. J. K. Rowling was under intense pressure to complete the series, but she is a woman of much conviction and she wrote a final novel that was both up to her exacting standards and one that she knew would give fans the ending that they wanted.

Radcliffe also discusses how now was a better time to do the READ campaign than when he was in the first Harry Potter film because now he is “an absolutely voracious reader, although kind of a slow one”.  He admitted reading the Harry Potter books had made him that way.

Click here to read the complete interview.

The trio’s READ posters are available to purchase online at the ALA (American Library Association) Store.  Click here.

There is a set of all three posters plus one of Alan Rickman (Snape) holding The Catcher In The Rye by J.D. Salinger – Harry Potter Set 2 

Source:  Harry Potter Film – Official Twitter Page

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The Los Angeles Times interviewed Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) about Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 which will be released in theaters on November 19 and Wild Target which will be released at selected theaters in New York and Los Angeles this Friday (October 29).  Now that filming the Harry Potter series is completed, Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter) is currently working on The Woman In Black and Emma Watson (Hermione Granger) continues her studies at Princeton University.  But Grint chose to “kick back” for awhile.

 ”I am quite enjoying not doing anything,” said the laid-back 22-year-old, calling from his home outside London for a recent interview. “It’s been nice.” …

“The last films have been quite exhausting. It was over a year in production,” he said. “It was really full on.”

Grint received the role of “Tony” in Wild Target after he filmed Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.  He met co-star Bill Nighy who would also work with him in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 as “Rufus Scrimgeour”.  In Wild Target, Nighy is a middle-aged hit man who is commissioned to kill a beautiful con artist (Emily Blunt).  Grint’s character is a petty thief who discovers he’s pretty good with a gun and becomes the assassin’s apprentice.

“It was quite refreshing to do the film,” Grint said of “Wild Target.” “I liked the script, and I thought it would be quite good fun. It came at a good time, as I had just finished filming the sixth ‘Harry Potter.’ I quite liked working with different people.”

Although as Ron Weasley he has had moments of humorous screen time before, Grint admitted that comedy didn’t come naturally to him as an actor. “I find it quite difficult, I think, [compared] to other kinds of types of acting,” he confessed.

Jonathan Lynn who directed Wild Target was quoted to have said this about Grint:

I think he has a real knack for comedy, but I do think he finds it difficult,” Lynn said. “He think he finds the absolute precision of it difficult…. The reason he does seem to have a knack for it is that he’s a natural, and he has this wonderful personae that works so well on the screen. He was the easiest and nicest person to have around, and he was determined to do whatever I asked.”

Although he doesn’t have any future plans, Grint is willing to consider acting on stage as well as moving out of his parents’ house, according to the article:

“I don’t have a plan,” he said, adding that he hasn’t ruled out following Radcliffe and doing theater. “It’s definitely an option. I think it would be quite fun. I’ll see what comes up.”…

“I have a place in London to where I go quite a bit. Eventually, I’ll move out.”

Click here to read the complete article.

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On Monday November 15, Reelz Channel will begin celebrating the November 19 release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 by broadcasting five half-hour Harry Potter shows on Hollywood’s Top Ten.  But they need our help!  They have asked for us Harry Potter fans to use their new voting application to vote for the Top 10 Mythical Creatures; Top 10 Spell Secenes; Top 10 Snape Sneers; Top 10 Villians Not Voldemort (oh, I have premonition of who will win that one);  and Top 10 Challenges and Tasks.

Then, tune in to watch Hollywood’s Top Ten on the Reelz channel from November 15-19 at 5:00 PM ET to see how we, Harry Potter fans, voted.

Click here to vote.

Thanks again to Reelz Channel!

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