As shared a few days ago, the New York Red Carpet event leading up to the American premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows on November 15th is going to be live streamed online for all the witches/wizards (or muggles) stuck at home.
However, instead of the single stream that came from London this past Thursday, the New York event will have at least FOUR different sites streaming at the same time! AP Live, MTV, E! Online, and PopSugar TV, have revealed their plans to stream from the red carpet. Each will bring a interviews from the cast and crew as they arrive for the premier.
The event takes place Monday, November 15th starting at 3pm PST/6pm EST. The E! Online stream can be found HERE.
The AP Live stream can be found HERE! You can also find it embedded at the bottom of this post!The MTV live stream can be found HERE.
E! Online (follow @redcarpet) and MTV (follow @MTV) have encouraged twitter users to tweet questions for the cast and crew. To tweet to E!, just ask them directly by tweeting @redcarpet and for MTV, use the hashtag #askPotter.
Of the cast, we know that at least Emma Watson, Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Ralph Fienes, and Tom Felton are slated to attend the New York premiere. Director David Yates will also be there. Other cast members are flying around the world for the various country premieres. James and Oliver Phelps are currently in Taiwan’s for the November 16th premiere, while Mark Williams, Clémence Poésy, Evanna Lynch, and Warwick Davis are all set to attend the French premiere with the twins on November 22nd. Bonnie Wright and Rupert Grint will be at the Japanese event.
Be sure to check out the sites listed previously for coverage, pictures, interviews, and other goodies from the various premieres!
Here is the AP Live LIVESTREAM. Remember, coverage for the Red Carpet will begin at 3 pm PST/6pm EST/ 11pm GST(UK). (Be sure to un-mute the player) Vodpod videos no longer available.
As the event is occurring, I will also be live tweeting pictures from the streams (thank you, Mac screengrab function) with quotes. If you’re at work, in class, or have some other unfortunate even that prevents you from watching the live streams, check them out! I’ll try to bring the best from all the streams. If you’d like to see the pics from the London live-stream, check out my twitpic page.
Today, Chicago was the place most Harry Potter fans wanted to be.
Earlier today, Warner Brothers aired a test screening of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I for a theatre full of lucky people! In attendance were director David Yates and producer David Heyman. The purpose of the test screenings is to gage “audience” reactions; the film shown is rarely the finished product. This was the case with Deathly Hallows, which lacked the actual musical score and still had a few special effect touch-ups to make.
Aside from the occasional green-screen though, fans who were in attendance have been sending in their reviews of Deathly Hallows to fansites around the Potterweb. Following is a compilation of many different fan reviews. I started out writing a “non-spoiler” and “spoiler” separated post, but soon realized that there is just too much to spoil…so I say it now: SPOILER ALERT. If you are one of those fans who prefers to be surprised (all power to you, I can’t do it!) or simply someone who has not yet read the book – turn back now. However, if you are like me, and just cannot wait – read on fellow fans, read on!
Please remember, these reviews are not mine (and neither are their opinions). The reviews are taken from mugglenet.com, snitchseeker.com, and The Leaky Cauldron.com. Be aware, it would stand to reason that these fans (having submitted their reviews to HP fansites) are already Harry Potter fans; non-fans may have different reviews.
In a NutShell:
Runtime: 2 hours and 30 minutes
Rating: No official rating, but many of the reviews believe it will get PG-13.
Accuracy to the Book: Excellent; with this long of a movie, it seems they followed the book almost scene for scene. A few scenes are reworked/modified a little, but they are largely useful adaptions.
General Fan Reaction: Quite Positive: “The most perfect Harry Potter film yet”…”Hands down, the best”…”Very Pleased”…”Effective and Exciting”
Best Parts: Character Focus and Development both by the Actors and Directors. Gorgeous cinematography and
Best Scene(s): Dobby’s Death, the Seven Potters, Malfoy Mannor, Destroying the Locket Horcrux
Best on the edge of your seats moments: Kingsley’s deep booming voice from his Patronus, The Malfoy Manor torture scene
Is Everybody There?: According to available reports – yes! Umbridge, Kreacher, Lupin, Xeno, Scrimgeour – they’re all in.
“Worst” Part: It may have actually been too accurate to the books, and seems a little slow at times. For non-HP fans, runtime may be too long. Camping scenes become a bit repetitive.
The Effects: Many of the effects were not yet completed, but of the ones shown, the reviewers were impressed.
Highlights from the fan reviews:
There are really five solid reviews from the screening today. Each varies a little, and brings something else to the entire picture. The reviews are from Mugglenet staff Eric and Emerson (who also recorded a mini-podcast immediately after the screeening), Gabby, Mugglenet reader Kyle (who actually gave two different reviews, one to snitchseeker and one to Mugglenet), a mysterious IMDB user “Snatcherman”, who answered questions from fans, and Edward from the Leaky Cauldron. Click on the links to view their full reports, and keep reading for a collection of highlights from the reviews. The reviews are extremely spoiler filled, and I actually wish I hadn’t read them all, so again, proceed at your own risk. If you choose ones to avoid for spoiler reasons, avoid Gabby’s and the review from Snatcherman (which is the second “spoiler alert” tab on snitchseeker.com).
The Plot:
The movie opens with Minister of Magic, played by Bill Nighy, addressing the media. The scene shifts to see each of the trio in their homes, Harry at the Dursley’s with Sirius’s mirror (although we don’t know quite how he got it) and then to Hermione’s house where we actually see her erase herself from her parent’s memory.’ The scene with Voldemort, Snape, and his Death Eaters at Malfoy Manor discussing their plans is next. According to reviews, the demeanor of the Malfoy family is very well played throughout the entire movie – showing both the demoralization and desperation of the Pureblood family that used to be so high in Voldemort’s favor. This is the first scene where we get to see Voldemort speak as much as he does.
The movie progresses as the book does with the Seven Potters scene, which is appropriately amusing at first (we get to see Harry in a bra). Reviewers Eric and Emerson mentioned that, while the scene was funny at first, it turned dark as it climaxed – and was excellently directed. For those wondering, George’s ear does get sliced off – and the “Holey” joke is still in.
Next comes the wedding which is abruptly ended with the arrival of Kingsley’s Patronus (which is excellent portrayed, giving the audience the “no more fun and games” jolt). After a battle in a London cafe is the flight to Grimauld place, then the infiltration of the Ministry (where Umbridge is “vile”), followed by the escape to the forest. During these scenes, many plot holes were filled in with flashbacks (such as how who got what horcrux) and dream sequences (much like those Harry experiences in the book). Throughout the time at the forest, it becomes clear that Ron’s friendship with Harry is becoming strained, and according to reviewers, the interactions are difficult to watch. The story plays out with Ron’s furious exit, Godric’s Hollow, Bathilda Bagshot (and her opened intestines), and the return of Ron to Harry’s aid. Of the scene with the destruction of the locket, it seems that it could not have been better written, directed, and performed. The mini podcast from mugglenet discusses the scene further, but it looks like the scene is almost perfect.
After the return of Ron, the trio proceed to Xenophilius Lovegood’s house and learn of the story of the Three Brothers (which is animated, and highly praised). Xeno then invokes the tabooed “Voldemort”, leading to the trio’s race from the Snatchers in a nearby forest. After their capture, Harry, Ron, and Hermione are taken to Malfoy Manor.
The Malfoy Manor scene has received absolutely spectacular reviews – the scene with Hermione and Bellatrix is done perfectly. The screams and torture made viewer’s cringe all around, and the viscousness of Bellatrix allows us to see the absolutely brutal side of her which has been hidden slightly behind her sarcasm and insanity over the last two films. Enter Dobby, to the cheer and applause of the movie theatre. Missing for 4 movies, Dobby makes an incredible return, as hero and martyr for Harry. His death was done “absolutely perfect” and “made the entire audience cry”. Harry’s insistence to give Dobby a proper burial makes the tears flow even more.
The movie ends as the Entertainment Weekly magazine discussed, with Voldemort gaining possession of the Elder Wand by defacing Dumbldore’s grave. The “lightning storm” we see during the trailer is presumably the last shot of the movie.
The Acting:
Reviewers raved and raved about the absolutely PHENOMENAL acting from every actor and actress in the movie, especially the trio. “Leaps and bounds” better than the last movie, the characterization that JK Rowling so expertly imput in her novel is portrayed without flaw on the screen; the scenes that were hard to read are hard to watch; the scenes that made you laugh in the books made you laugh in the audience; the scenes that made you cry when reading made you cry when watching. The trio captures your heart, and tears it from you.
The Directing:
David Yates seems to have created a movie that has a feel unlike any other movie before it. “I kept trying”, said Mugglnet’s Eric and Emerson, “to think – what is this movie like? What movie have I seen that is like this? But I couldn’t think of any – it is just unique”. Yate’s ability to work a scene to be both humorous, then suddenly dark and terrifying – but without feeling awkward – is prevalent throughout the movie. Reviewer’s say the director’s vision for many of the scenes is incredible; some of the most beautiful shots are of the gorgeous countryside.
The Editing
While not fully complete, viewers did get a glimpse at the final editing (which includes things like camera angles, timing, and special effects). Reviews of this part were mixed; reviewer Kyle thought thought the timing was off, with many scenes too rushed, and others far too long. Eric and Emerson, however, thought the timing was perfect. It depends, then, on how you liked the pacing of the novel:
It faithfully adapts the seventh book, including the book’s own problems. The “camping in the wilderness” scenes become quite repetitive.
We shall see when the final editing is released – nothing is set in stone. The effects that were seen (incomplete as they may have been) impressed reviewers. There was…however…a bit of a funny conversation on the mugglenet mini-cast, which suggested that Kreacher may not have been fully animated yet (meaning it may have been very funny looking on screen). But that’s good news fans! It means he is in!
“To believe that this is just Part I is crazy”. Whether you are a book purist, movie buffs, or just plain character fans, it seems like this movie will not disappoint. I absolutely cannot wait for the movie – to be able to see this on the big screen. As mentioned before, be careful in reading the other reviews – there are some things I would have wished to be surprised on; however, sometimes, the anticipation only makes it harder to watch.
The elation has been building for weeks and the time has finally come.
Comic Con 2010 starts tomorrow in downtown San Diego to the tune of thousands and thousands of geeks.
Okay, well, technically Comic Con starts tonight with the exclusive “Preview Night” (which is offered only to buyers of the four-day passes). However, the panels and programs do not begin until tomorrow when the floodgates open at 9:30am. Unable to get an official four-day pass for the event before they sold out, I resorted to buying each day individually. And I’m glad I did!
For the next four days, I will be your source for anything mentioned in my original Comic Con post (which was recently updated with some VERY exciting news related to TOM FELTON!!) — especially all things Harry Potter. For all those HP fans out there who cannot make the event and the Warner Brothers panel, I will be providing video, pictures, tweets, and articles on everything as or right after it happen (thanks to Center’s free, albeit slow, wifi). You will be able to find it all on an individual post pertaining to that panel. Because of time limitations between panels, I won’t be able to put it all up right away – but rest assured – the Harry Potter and Merlin posts will be up almost instantly (again, depending on the wifi). Regardless of the laptop connections though, I will definitely be tweeting plenty from my cell phone.
In addition to my posts and such, be sure to check out SnitchSeeker.com and TheLeakyCualdron.com, both of which have promised exclusive, special, famous fansite stuff.
Until tomorrow!
Oh! And don’t forget! Tomorrow night, A Very Potter Sequel premieres on youtube! For information about that, see yesterday’s post.
Actor/Actress spotlight is an in-depth look at some of the actors and actresses that work on any of the television shows or movies mentioned on my blog. Ranging from general reviews of their performances to hobbies off the set, A.Spotlight zooms in on the life of the those who breathe life into on-camera characters.
In a week filled with news of Tom Felton, it only seems natural for me to start of my A.Spotlight series with the British gentleman who has captured the hearts of many a fangirl around the world.
Acting Harry Potter: The twenty-three year old heart-throb is best known for playing Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter movie franchise, and has become internationally acclaimed in his portrayal of the troubled Hogwarts bad-boy. Many a fan have proclaimed their applause for Felton’s job at creating a character we love to hate. It couldn’t have been easy to step into the shoes of the character who was just an annoying, obnoxious, generally hated snob. However, Felton has kept the character true to the book – creating a Malfoy that is malicious but who has a sense of vulnerability that occasionally (and begrudgingly) invokes pity from the audience. For his work with Malfoy, Felton recently received the MTV 2010 Movie Award for Best Villain; in my opinion, it was a well deserved and long overdue award.
Other: Unlike many unfortunate actors who are forever typecast in the role that made them famous, Felton has done some incredible work branching away from Harry Potter and the world of wizards. He seems to have taken a liking to horror films, having been involved in three during the past two years: The Disappeared, 13 Hours , and The Apparition. Information released only today (July 16) has confirmed that Felton will be staring in the Planet of the Apes prequel – Rise of the Apes. According to reports, Felton will have the role of Brian Cox’s son, and human co-owner of the Apes Facility. The movie is highly anticipated, and is set to be released some time next year.
Music
What draws fans to Tom Felton though is not just his portrayal of Malfoy, but also his personality and charisma off set. A part-time musician out of his home (and occasionally from his trailer on the set of Harry Potter), Felton was born to entertain. Having already released 10 songs (a few of which can be viewed here), Felton signed with Six String Productions (based in London) just this past week with the promise of a long-awaited new album. Felton’s music has a unique style that blends a sort of rustic-acoustic with a bit of the Beatles; additionally, his lyrics are usually heartfelt, and generally adorable. While I have never really been a huge fan of the style of music, it is incredibly catchy and I have always been entertained by it. It has never failed to make me smile, and I have always been extremely impressed with his ability with the guitar. Needless to say, I am excited and looking forward to the release of his newest music.
Fans
Even with his acting and musical success, Felton’s fans are without a doubt the single greatest asset he has. Having amassed an army of fans around the globe (mostly female), Felton is lucky to have such a large and faithful fan group – the largest and most popular of which is Feltbeats. In addition to keeping up with any Tom Felton news and music, Feltbeats is one of the few sites which communicates directly with Felton and is the only site I trust for the most accurate Felton news. Felton’s fans are dedicated and devoted to him, and Felton has openly and whole-heatedly thanked his fans for their love and support (most recently in a home-made video thanking fans for their support in winning his MTV 2010 Best Villain Award – which can be viewed here.)
Twitter
While his first greatest decision for his career was accepting the role of Draco Malfoy, the second greatest choice was following his agent’s advice and getting a twitter account – @Tomfelton. Felton is a regular (and self-proclaimed) twitter addict who takes the time to share with his fans a little insight into the life of an actor, singer, heartthrob with tweets that are entertaining and often very humorous. I’ve always found it enjoyable and extra special when a celebrity takes time away from being famous to come back to earth and share a little with us. Though, I’m not sure how much time Tom actually takes out of his schedule to tweet, seeing as he once admitted his “#favoriteplacetotweet” was in the bathtub (oh the fangirls who swooned at that visual picture).
The Hair
I feel this a necessary tangent. Draco Malfoy has famously blonde hair; Tom Felton – does not. His hair is brown (although his tweets have recently revealed that his hair has been turning various shades of reddish-brown). For the role of Malfoy, Felton dyed his hair blonde 18 times during Deathly Hallows filming alone. No wonder his poor hair isn’t pleased.
Overall, Tom Felton is one of those extremely likable chaps who draws fans around him like a magnet. His winning smile, charismatic nature, and award-winning talent make him my pick for this weeks Actor Spotlight. The future holds great things for this fellow, I am sure.
Oh, and a final note ladies: Tom is taken. His girlfriend of many years is the gorgeous Jade who, in a far-too-cute-to-be-true-but-it-is sidenote, is actually playing Draco Malfoy’s wife in Deathly Hallows: Part II.
Thanks to Feltbeats for most of the pictures and info! You can follow Feltbeats on twitter too – @Feltbeats
This past weekend, a bunch of the cast of Harry Potter gathered together for a little bit of fun – playing Hogwarts cricket.
The teams were, of course, Slytherin and Gryffindor. According to our interview with Tom Felton at Comic Con, Slytherin won.
Dan Radciffe (Harry) and Tom Felton (Draco) each held captaincy for their respective teams, and a few fans were lucky enough to grab some pictures with the stars.
Personally, I just want the shirts! And Tom. Ship them as one package.
Why not amuse yourself with a little ‘Soup ‘humor?
Always a good time. =)
It doesn’t look like any more new clips will come out tonight, seeing as the East Coast has already finished GOF with no new reports. Lets just hope tomorrow will provide us with some more new footage during
Be sure to follow @Snichseeker for up to date, East Coast updates.
For a refresher, three clips from HP&DH have aired on ABC Family’s Harry Potter Weekend: “The Story”, “On the Run”, and “Forest Run” – each of which introduce new movie footage, behind the scenes interviews, and a pleasant mixture of humor with the despair.
This past month has been a particularly good month for Harry Potter fans, what with opening of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando, the first official, full length Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows trailer, and the premiere of the spectacular new Teaser Poster.
If you haven’t seen any of these, I would suggest you make looking onSnitchSeeker.com apart of your daily routine…as they often are the best source for all the important stuff in life.
Here is the teaser poster, portraying our beloved Hogwarts completely engulfed and crumbling in a mass of flames —
The scene is a heartbreaking and terrifying, yet devastatingly gorgeous shot. To me, it seems most accurate representation of what we can expect from the movie – true epic horror. Many fans have expressed dislike, even hatred of the poster because it tears them up to see Hogwarts in such a blaze – but frankly, if that is how Jo wrote it – that is how it should be.
Props to the movie crew.
Before the poster came out however, fans were treated to the Deathly Hallows official trailer. “Deathly Hallows” trended for days, and the trailer caused such a sensational amount of buzz that the premiere of Eclipse barely even scratched the surface of “popular” during its debut.
Here is the most reliable link to the video. If you haven’t seen it yet, enjoy! If you have….you know you want to watch it again.
I adore the trailer. Sure, there are few inconsistencies, but frankly, I think it gets to the heart of what we can expect from the film. The acting seems brilliant, the effects superb, and the realism all too real.
The best part for me though, was the music. Good music will always make or break a movie/trailer.
I’m simply thrilled for the movie – and cannot wait for the premiere date.
Comic Con 2010 starts tomorrow in downtown San Diego to the tune of thousands and thousands of geeks.
Music
These Aren't Just Words 