list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix on Spout Copyright 2005-9 Spout, LLC Spout RSS http://www.spout.com/images/SpoutLogoRSS.jpg http://www.spout.com/ 136 30 http://www.spout.com/films/Harry_Potter_and_the_Order_of_the_Phoenix/229474/default.aspx Title: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Year: 2007
Director: David Yates
Plot: Young wizard-in-training Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) returns to Hogwarts for his fifth year of studies, only to find that the magical community seems to be in a curious state of denial about his recent encounter with the sinister Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) in the fifth installment of the popular fantasy film series based on the best-selling books by author J.K. Rowling. Rumor has it that the dreaded Lord Voldemort has returned, but Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge (Robert Hardy) isn't so sure what to make of all the hearsay currently floating around the campus of Hogwarts. Suspecting that Headmaster Albus Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) may be fueling the rumors regarding Voldemort's return in order to undermine his authority and lay claim to his job, Fudge entrusts newly arrived Defense Against the Dark Arts professor Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton) with the task of tracking Dumbledore and keeping a protective watch over the nervous student body. The young wizards of Hogwarts will need something much more effective than Umbridge's Ministry-approved course in defensive magic if they are to truly succeed in the extraordinary battle that lies ahead, however, and when the administration fails to provide the students with the tools that they will need to defend Hogwarts against the fearsome powers of the Dark Arts, Hermione (Emma Watson), Ron (Rupert Grint), and Harry take it upon themselves to recruit a small group of students to form "Dumbledore's Army" in preparation for the ultimate supernatural showdown. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 31
Number of Lists: 63
Number of blog posts: 38
Number of discussion threads: 3
SpoutRating: 3
]]>Mon, 11 May 2009 19:53:06 GMTHarry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix2007David YatesYoung wizard-in-training Harry Potter (<a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P___299899/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Daniel Radcliffe</a>) returns to Hogwarts for his fifth year of studies, only to find that the magical community seems to be in a curious state of denial about his recent encounter with the sinister Lord Voldemort (<a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P____23390/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Ralph Fiennes</a>) in the fifth installment of the popular fantasy film series based on the best-selling books by author J.K. Rowling. Rumor has it that the dreaded Lord Voldemort has returned, but Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge (<a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P____30386/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Robert Hardy</a>) isn't so sure what to make of all the hearsay currently floating around the campus of Hogwarts. Suspecting that Headmaster Albus Dumbledore (<a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P____25729/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Michael Gambon</a>) may be fueling the rumors regarding Voldemort's return in order to undermine his authority and lay claim to his job, Fudge entrusts newly arrived Defense Against the Dark Arts professor Dolores Umbridge (<a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P____67757/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Imelda Staunton</a>) with the task of tracking Dumbledore and keeping a protective watch over the nervous student body. The young wizards of Hogwarts will need something much more effective than Umbridge's Ministry-approved course in defensive magic if they are to truly succeed in the extraordinary battle that lies ahead, however, and when the administration fails to provide the students with the tools that they will need to defend Hogwarts against the fearsome powers of the Dark Arts, Hermione (<a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P___300014/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Emma Watson</a>), Ron (<a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P___299719/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Rupert Grint</a>), and Harry take it upon themselves to recruit a small group of students to form "Dumbledore's Army" in preparation for the ultimate supernatural showdown. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide31Tag Target (>10)633833http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/s229474.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/Harry_Potter_and_the_Order_of_the_Phoenix/229474/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/blogs/christhilk/archive/2008/11/7/37094.aspx Post By: ChrisThilk
Post To: ChrisThilk Blog
Post Date: 11/7/2008 10:01:26 PM
Body: I had watched Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone several years ago, shortly after it came out on DVD and found it among the least enjoyable movies I’d watched in quite a while. It wasn’t that it was bad - it was that it was, in my estimation, completely forgettable. I compared it at the time to a fast food value meal: Nothing about it would stick with me for very long. I’ll admit I went into it having not read it or any of the other Harry Potter books, but that didn’t seem to matter. I had no interest in exploring the Potter universe farther. Then my brother-in-law, darn him, convinced me to read the books and I decided to indulge him and give them a shot. He was, after all, the one who had overcome my resistance to “Buffy, the Vampire Slayer” and so I’ve come to more or less trust his judgement on these things. I, of course, wound up enjoying all seven books. So I decided to give the movies another shot. While Sorcerer’s Stone still comes off as pretty flavorless - as does Chamber of Secrets, the second in the series, the movies do get progressively better from there. Prisoner of Azkaban is quite a bit darker than the first two and brings with it 150 percent more characterization effort than those two combined. If anything, Goblet of Fire is *too* fast-paced, trying to cram too much into its relatively short running time. The fifth and most recent movie, Order of the Phoenix, is probably my favorite of the bunch as it manages to contain not only some of the best action sequences of the series but also some very good continuation of the characer development Prisoner and Goblet really started in earnest. All in all I’m glad I decided to give the movies a second shot and, much like I was when I was reading the books, I’m now anxious for the next couple movies to come out.        Originally posted on:Chris Thilk
]]>Sat, 08 Nov 2008 03:01:26 GMTChrisThilkChrisThilk Blog11/7/2008 10:01:26 PMI had watched Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone several years ago, shortly after it came out on DVD and found it among the least enjoyable movies I’d watched in quite a while. It wasn’t that it was bad - it was that it was, in my estimation, completely forgettable. I compared it at the time to a fast food value meal: Nothing about it would stick with me for very long. I’ll admit I went into it having not read it or any of the other Harry Potter books, but that didn’t seem to matter. I had no interest in exploring the Potter universe farther. Then my brother-in-law, darn him, convinced me to read the books and I decided to indulge him and give them a shot. He was, after all, the one who had overcome my resistance to “Buffy, the Vampire Slayer” and so I’ve come to more or less trust his judgement on these things. I, of course, wound up enjoying all seven books. So I decided to give the movies another shot. While Sorcerer’s Stone still comes off as pretty flavorless - as does Chamber of Secrets, the second in the series, the movies do get progressively better from there. Prisoner of Azkaban is quite a bit darker than the first two and brings with it 150 percent more characterization effort than those two combined. If anything, Goblet of Fire is *too* fast-paced, trying to cram too much into its relatively short running time. The fifth and most recent movie, Order of the Phoenix, is probably my favorite of the bunch as it manages to contain not only some of the best action sequences of the series but also some very good continuation of the characer development Prisoner and Goblet really started in earnest. All in all I’m glad I decided to give the movies a second shot and, much like I was when I was reading the books, I’m now anxious for the next couple movies to come out.        Originally posted on:Chris Thilk http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/8/20/34147.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 8/20/2008 9:00:59 AM
Body: Warner Bros.’ surprise decision last week to move Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince from November to next July caused quite a stir. Fans were upset. Entertainment Weekly was embarrassed. The only people not bothered seemed to be the Twilight crowd, who benefited in the release date jumble when their anticipated adaptation moved up its opening to fill the vacancy. But why did the studio suddenly push back its major fall tent pole? Especially after receiving such favorable buzz surrounding its recently unveiled teaser trailer? Warner’s official statement seemed little more than a “just because” stance. So, ever the skeptic and speculator, I’ve compiled this list of more likely excuses: 10. Equus - My first thought after hearing the news was that Harry Potter’s penis was the cause. And I guess I think like Roger Friedman, who is claiming it’s the truth. Of course, unlike Friedman, I don’t really believe there’s any relation between the date change and the fact that Radcliffe will still be appearing nude on Broadway through the fall movie season (Equus runs from September 25 to February 8). If anything, I think it’d help the release of Half-Blood — what vacationing family in NYC wouldn’t want to make it a double feature over Thanksgiving weekend? First watch your kid march in the Macy’s parade, then head over to the Broadhurst Theatre to see Potter’s wand, and finish up the day with a movie screening at the Ziegfeld. OK, so families are apparently more interested in the Billy Elliot musical. And according to a quote in the new EW, Potter fans might be able to hold out for a nude Radcliffe in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2. 9. Less of a wait for Deathly Hallows - With Half-Blood Prince now opening in 2009, there’s less time between that film and the next installment, the first part of Deathly Hallows, which bows in 2010 (specifically November 19, 2010) Of course, the push has still left fans with a two-year Potter drought, as there has been no new book or movie since July 2007. Will those two years make fans anticipate the film more, or will it lead them to forget about the boy wizard and move on to boy vampires? 8. Twilight madness - One rumor floating around is that Warner Bros. was scared of Twilight, particularly after the Comic-Con panel, which was met with an overwhelming volume of screaming fans. Originally, the vampire movie was slated to open three weeks after Harry Potter, and fantasy favoring teens would have likely moved onto Twilight rather than seeing Half-Blood Prince again. However, it’s just as likely that Warner saw bigger competition from: 7. Disney’s Bolt - Personally, I think Twilight is going to bomb, or at least perform unsatisfactorily. I’d be willing to bet the animated film Bolt, which was originally to open 5 days after Half-Blood, is more successful. And now that both Twilight and Bolt have jointly taken Harry Potter’s spot, I get to actually watch as kids choose the latter, with its Miley Cyrus-voiced character, over the cheesy, mushy vampire movie. I don’t think Bolt could have bettered Harry Potter, though, so Warner likely wasn’t scared away by the little animated dog. 6. Midnight shows - Some kids have pointed out that with a summer release they’re more likely to be able to attend a midnight screening on the eve of Half-Blood’s opening. Other kids have pointed out that their parents are cool enough to allow them to stay up late on a school night for Harry Potter mania. Meanwhile, I’d like to point out that my dad could beat up all those kids’ dads. 5. Re-shooting for Darker content - As its Dark Knight keeps on reeling in the dough, Warner Bros. may be interested in making other tent poles as dark as the highly acclaimed and highly successful Batman sequel. So, rather than appeasing the kiddies with more accessible midnight shows, the studio might want to appease more of the older folk by adding in some harder content (in one new scene, Potter shows us how to make his wand disappear). It would make sense, since most of the original Potter fans are now adults. And like Anne Thompson, I’d be much more interested in seeing an R-rated Potter installment (though she means because Billy Elliot was rated R). Then again, from what I hear, the last two books are plenty dark without need for rewrites and re-shoots. Maybe not enough to get an R-rating, but I doubt any WB execs would honestly think that’s a good idea anyway. 4. After effects of the Writer’s Strike - Although the WGA strike now seems like it happened ages ago, its effects will still be felt next summer, when the blockbuster season is expected to be lacking in big movies that could have been scripted were it not for the writing hiatus. But if you actually look at next summer’s crop of releases, you’ll notice there’s actually some major tent poles, even in July, when Harry Potter will be rounding out the peak of the season against such worthy competitors as Roland Emmerich’s sci-fi flick 2012, which opens the weekend before, and Jerry Bruckheimer’s family film G-Force, which opens the weekend after. Plus, the little kids will still be excited for Ice Age 3 (in 3-D), out two weeks earlier, and the big kids will still be into Transformers 2, arriving three weeks earlier. Warner Bros. head Alan Horn was correct that Half-Blood Prince “perfectly fills the gap for a major tent pole release for mid-summer,” but that’s not a good enough motive to suddenly hold a highly anticipated movie for another eight months, especially when it leaves a similar gap in the holiday season. 3. In-house finances - Then again, Warner Bros. may have seen a tent pole lack in-house rather than in general. Now, in the event that R-rated blockbusters Watchmen and Terminator Salvation aren’t huge moneymakers, the studio has Harry to fall back on. And with The Dark Knight making the company enough dough for 2008, it makes sense for the WB to balance out its expectant profit-makers. I’ve also seen it explained as having to do with not paying as much in taxes for this fiscal year, but whatever the specific reason, it seems probable that it’s an in-house financial strategy. 2. The last Potter was huge in the summer - 2007’s Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix had the worst opening weekend of the franchise, yet it went on to earn the second highest gross of the series, with only the first film, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, performing better domestically and worldwide. Plenty of people have noted that the three fall-opening installments average out better than the two summer openers, but that’s only because of the monumental success of part one. Logically, though, to open the movie in mid July, as Warner Bros. did with Order of the Phoenix, means it will easily have longer legs, able to perform well on weekdays for another 5-6 weeks of vacation before school starts. Opening around Thanksgiving is good for a strong debut, but then within a month the box office drops due to school, a crowded movie season and other holiday-minded priorities. 1. Warner Bros. hates the fans - Obviously the true reason for the delay is to piss off Harry Potter fans. But fortunately, the fans are striking back … with three online petitions (one at iPetitions; two at PetitionSpot). And so far, more than 34,000 outraged Potterheads have signed in protest of the release date change (I’m counting the largest one of the two at PetitionSpot as the only noteworthy). Unfortunately, most of the signers are probably like #34,196, Catherine Blencowe, who adds to the basic “I support this petition” these words: “If I actually thought I could, I would say that I will boycott the movie, but alas I’m too hooked.” Warner Bros. may hate the fans, but the fans will never hate Warner Bros. more than they love Harry. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Wed, 20 Aug 2008 13:00:59 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com8/20/2008 9:00:59 AMWarner Bros.’ surprise decision last week to move Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince from November to next July caused quite a stir. Fans were upset. Entertainment Weekly was embarrassed. The only people not bothered seemed to be the Twilight crowd, who benefited in the release date jumble when their anticipated adaptation moved up its opening to fill the vacancy. But why did the studio suddenly push back its major fall tent pole? Especially after receiving such favorable buzz surrounding its recently unveiled teaser trailer? Warner’s official statement seemed little more than a “just because” stance. So, ever the skeptic and speculator, I’ve compiled this list of more likely excuses: 10. Equus - My first thought after hearing the news was that Harry Potter’s penis was the cause. And I guess I think like Roger Friedman, who is claiming it’s the truth. Of course, unlike Friedman, I don’t really believe there’s any relation between the date change and the fact that Radcliffe will still be appearing nude on Broadway through the fall movie season (Equus runs from September 25 to February 8). If anything, I think it’d help the release of Half-Blood — what vacationing family in NYC wouldn’t want to make it a double feature over Thanksgiving weekend? First watch your kid march in the Macy’s parade, then head over to the Broadhurst Theatre to see Potter’s wand, and finish up the day with a movie screening at the Ziegfeld. OK, so families are apparently more interested in the Billy Elliot musical. And according to a quote in the new EW, Potter fans might be able to hold out for a nude Radcliffe in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2. 9. Less of a wait for Deathly Hallows - With Half-Blood Prince now opening in 2009, there’s less time between that film and the next installment, the first part of Deathly Hallows, which bows in 2010 (specifically November 19, 2010) Of course, the push has still left fans with a two-year Potter drought, as there has been no new book or movie since July 2007. Will those two years make fans anticipate the film more, or will it lead them to forget about the boy wizard and move on to boy vampires? 8. Twilight madness - One rumor floating around is that Warner Bros. was scared of Twilight, particularly after the Comic-Con panel, which was met with an overwhelming volume of screaming fans. Originally, the vampire movie was slated to open three weeks after Harry Potter, and fantasy favoring teens would have likely moved onto Twilight rather than seeing Half-Blood Prince again. However, it’s just as likely that Warner saw bigger competition from: 7. Disney’s Bolt - Personally, I think Twilight is going to bomb, or at least perform unsatisfactorily. I’d be willing to bet the animated film Bolt, which was originally to open 5 days after Half-Blood, is more successful. And now that both Twilight and Bolt have jointly taken Harry Potter’s spot, I get to actually watch as kids choose the latter, with its Miley Cyrus-voiced character, over the cheesy, mushy vampire movie. I don’t think Bolt could have bettered Harry Potter, though, so Warner likely wasn’t scared away by the little animated dog. 6. Midnight shows - Some kids have pointed out that with a summer release they’re more likely to be able to attend a midnight screening on the eve of Half-Blood’s opening. Other kids have pointed out that their parents are cool enough to allow them to stay up late on a school night for Harry Potter mania. Meanwhile, I’d like to point out that my dad could beat up all those kids’ dads. 5. Re-shooting for Darker content - As its Dark Knight keeps on reeling in the dough, Warner Bros. may be interested in making other tent poles as dark as the highly acclaimed and highly successful Batman sequel. So, rather than appeasing the kiddies with more accessible midnight shows, the studio might want to appease more of the older folk by adding in some harder content (in one new scene, Potter shows us how to make his wand disappear). It would make sense, since most of the original Potter fans are now adults. And like Anne Thompson, I’d be much more interested in seeing an R-rated Potter installment (though she means because Billy Elliot was rated R). Then again, from what I hear, the last two books are plenty dark without need for rewrites and re-shoots. Maybe not enough to get an R-rating, but I doubt any WB execs would honestly think that’s a good idea anyway. 4. After effects of the Writer’s Strike - Although the WGA strike now seems like it happened ages ago, its effects will still be felt next summer, when the blockbuster season is expected to be lacking in big movies that could have been scripted were it not for the writing hiatus. But if you actually look at next summer’s crop of releases, you’ll notice there’s actually some major tent poles, even in July, when Harry Potter will be rounding out the peak of the season against such worthy competitors as Roland Emmerich’s sci-fi flick 2012, which opens the weekend before, and Jerry Bruckheimer’s family film G-Force, which opens the weekend after. Plus, the little kids will still be excited for Ice Age 3 (in 3-D), out two weeks earlier, and the big kids will still be into Transformers 2, arriving three weeks earlier. Warner Bros. head Alan Horn was correct that Half-Blood Prince “perfectly fills the gap for a major tent pole release for mid-summer,” but that’s not a good enough motive to suddenly hold a highly anticipated movie for another eight months, especially when it leaves a similar gap in the holiday season. 3. In-house finances - Then again, Warner Bros. may have seen a tent pole lack in-house rather than in general. Now, in the event that R-rated blockbusters Watchmen and Terminator Salvation aren’t huge moneymakers, the studio has Harry to fall back on. And with The Dark Knight making the company enough dough for 2008, it makes sense for the WB to balance out its expectant profit-makers. I’ve also seen it explained as having to do with not paying as much in taxes for this fiscal year, but whatever the specific reason, it seems probable that it’s an in-house financial strategy. 2. The last Potter was huge in the summer - 2007’s Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix had the worst opening weekend of the franchise, yet it went on to earn the second highest gross of the series, with only the first film, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, performing better domestically and worldwide. Plenty of people have noted that the three fall-opening installments average out better than the two summer openers, but that’s only because of the monumental success of part one. Logically, though, to open the movie in mid July, as Warner Bros. did with Order of the Phoenix, means it will easily have longer legs, able to perform well on weekdays for another 5-6 weeks of vacation before school starts. Opening around Thanksgiving is good for a strong debut, but then within a month the box office drops due to school, a crowded movie season and other holiday-minded priorities. 1. Warner Bros. hates the fans - Obviously the true reason for the delay is to piss off Harry Potter fans. But fortunately, the fans are striking back … with three online petitions (one at iPetitions; two at PetitionSpot). And so far, more than 34,000 outraged Potterheads have signed in protest of the release date change (I’m counting the largest one of the two at PetitionSpot as the only noteworthy). Unfortunately, most of the signers are probably like #34,196, Catherine Blencowe, who adds to the basic “I support this petition” these words: “If I actually thought I could, I would say that I will boycott the movie, but alas I’m too hooked.” Warner Bros. may hate the fans, but the fans will never hate Warner Bros. more than they love Harry. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/Re_Weekly_Theme_for_August_11_The_Secret_Society/625/34016/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: mercurial
Post To: Weekly Theme
Post Date: 8/14/2008 5:20:00 PM
Body: Well, my persistent fear of fraternities throughout college started after seeing the amusingly bad The Skulls in which a Yale fraternitiy is cover for a secret group that can pretty much do whatever they want. The Da Vinci Code deals with all those various secret groups like the Prior of Scion and the Knights Templar. I just remember Tom Hanks and his creepy semi-mullet that made him look like a child molester. Tomb Raider mentioned the Illuminati but never really explained too much about it. More mainstream are of course is Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix which probably doesn't need any explanation; Batman Begins had the League of Shadows which again probably needs to explaining; Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events had that group that the children's parents belonged to and were trying to find out about through the movie; The Mummy which had that secret group of nomads that were protecting/guarding the pyramid from crazy morons like Brendan Fraser; and lastly Star Wars which in the newer trilogy introduced the Sith and that whole secret anti-Jedi group. My favorite films with mention of secret socieites are: Eyes Wide Shut which was already mentioned (when Tom Cruise's character gets called out during the ritual and is asked to strip gave me the willies when I first saw it); The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen which I ended up hating because it was nothing like the graphic novels which are so incredible; and Cruel Intentions. What you ask? Cruel Intentions? Well, the scene in which Sarah Michelle Gellar's character convinces the naive Selma Blair that being a bisexual slut means you are in a "secret society" is just plain hilarious. Other notable mentions are The Beach which was a group of hippie potheads inhabiting an isolated island off of Thailand and starting their own secret society, going to extreme measures to make sure it stays a secret and The Stepford Wives (remake - I didn't see the original) which was horrible but had it's moment of hilarity when the men of the gated community are all together at their secret clubhouse being complete nerds and fighting robots.
]]>Thu, 14 Aug 2008 21:20:00 GMTmercurialWeekly Theme8/14/2008 5:20:00 PMWell, my persistent fear of fraternities throughout college started after seeing the amusingly bad The Skulls in which a Yale fraternitiy is cover for a secret group that can pretty much do whatever they want. The Da Vinci Code deals with all those various secret groups like the Prior of Scion and the Knights Templar. I just remember Tom Hanks and his creepy semi-mullet that made him look like a child molester. Tomb Raider mentioned the Illuminati but never really explained too much about it. More mainstream are of course is Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix which probably doesn't need any explanation; Batman Begins had the League of Shadows which again probably needs to explaining; Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events had that group that the children's parents belonged to and were trying to find out about through the movie; The Mummy which had that secret group of nomads that were protecting/guarding the pyramid from crazy morons like Brendan Fraser; and lastly Star Wars which in the newer trilogy introduced the Sith and that whole secret anti-Jedi group. My favorite films with mention of secret socieites are: Eyes Wide Shut which was already mentioned (when Tom Cruise's character gets called out during the ritual and is asked to strip gave me the willies when I first saw it); The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen which I ended up hating because it was nothing like the graphic novels which are so incredible; and Cruel Intentions. What you ask? Cruel Intentions? Well, the scene in which Sarah Michelle Gellar's character convinces the naive Selma Blair that being a bisexual slut means you are in a "secret society" is just plain hilarious. Other notable mentions are The Beach which was a group of hippie potheads inhabiting an isolated island off of Thailand and starting their own secret society, going to extreme measures to make sure it stays a secret and The Stepford Wives (remake - I didn't see the original) which was horrible but had it's moment of hilarity when the men of the gated community are all together at their secret clubhouse being complete nerds and fighting robots. http://www.spout.com/blogs/jj79/archive/2008/6/6/30790.aspx Post By: JJ79
Post To: JJ79 Blog
Post Date: 6/6/2008 4:46:51 PM
Body: Released: July 11, 2007Director: David Yates*****The fifth installment in the movie franchise based on the boy wizard suffers the same fate as the previous entry (The Goblet of Fire): too much story and not nearly enough running time. Without drawing any comparison to the novel and without being a film snob, one simple fact illustrates this more than any other: the monotonous and repetitive uses of montages to show the passage of time. Not only do they do a disservice to the characters and story, but the over reliance on this filmmaking technique shortchanges the emotional buildup of the film. After a summer of denials Voldemort is back by the Ministry of Magic, a new teacher is brought to Hogwarts, Dolores Umbridge. It is clear she is gunning for Harry and anyone who supports him. In a series of increasingly totalitarian moves, the ministry and Umbridge take over Hogwarts with Educational Decrees, finally driving Harry to teach fellow students how to defend themselves against the Dark Wizard.870 pages is condensed into a 138 minute movie. That's the problem here, not the acting or the effects or the look of the film. Major plot points are glossed over as if they don't matter (Umbridge is little more than an annoyance and not the Evil Character from the book; an entire subplot with Luna Lovegood's heritage is left out; the final battle in the ministry is terribly anticlimactic and just a little confusing; longtime supporting characters are given little to do) while the story itself feels terribly rushed, as if everyone wanted to jump right to the next installment instead of this one. Audiences better pay complete attention to what is happening on screen because the story isn't going to slow down to allow anyone to catch up. Didn't catch the prophecy which propels the finale? Woops. Don't understand the business with Harry and Voldemort? Too bad. See, at some point a filmmaker and a screenwriter have to know when they've bitten of more than they can chew. Mike Newell, director of part 4, toyed with the idea of breaking the story into 2 films in order to do service to all the competing plots. He obviously decided against it, much to that film's detriment. The same happened here; Larry McMurtry's Lonesome Dove, a 960 page opus, was given a miniseries treatment...four parts of two hours each, for a grand total of 8 hours, more or less. That allowed the relationships between the entire cast to develop over time and the audience to become emotionally involved in the story. Here, it's a race to the finish and what was a feeling of dread in the novel (Umbridge's punishments) are reduced to two scenes here. And when a major character is killed off, the audience really doesn't care because his relationships haven't been fully realized.The Order of the Phoenix is a bridge between the lighter, kiddie fare of the first four movies and what is destined to be a darker, more adult conclusion to the series. On that count, it succeeds in spades. The pieces are laid down, the situation advanced and the characters moved into position. One just wishes it could have been done a smoother and with an eye toward feeling like an actual movie instead of the cliffs notes version of a novel.
]]>Fri, 06 Jun 2008 20:46:51 GMTJJ79JJ79 Blog6/6/2008 4:46:51 PMReleased: July 11, 2007Director: David Yates*****The fifth installment in the movie franchise based on the boy wizard suffers the same fate as the previous entry (The Goblet of Fire): too much story and not nearly enough running time. Without drawing any comparison to the novel and without being a film snob, one simple fact illustrates this more than any other: the monotonous and repetitive uses of montages to show the passage of time. Not only do they do a disservice to the characters and story, but the over reliance on this filmmaking technique shortchanges the emotional buildup of the film. After a summer of denials Voldemort is back by the Ministry of Magic, a new teacher is brought to Hogwarts, Dolores Umbridge. It is clear she is gunning for Harry and anyone who supports him. In a series of increasingly totalitarian moves, the ministry and Umbridge take over Hogwarts with Educational Decrees, finally driving Harry to teach fellow students how to defend themselves against the Dark Wizard.870 pages is condensed into a 138 minute movie. That's the problem here, not the acting or the effects or the look of the film. Major plot points are glossed over as if they don't matter (Umbridge is little more than an annoyance and not the Evil Character from the book; an entire subplot with Luna Lovegood's heritage is left out; the final battle in the ministry is terribly anticlimactic and just a little confusing; longtime supporting characters are given little to do) while the story itself feels terribly rushed, as if everyone wanted to jump right to the next installment instead of this one. Audiences better pay complete attention to what is happening on screen because the story isn't going to slow down to allow anyone to catch up. Didn't catch the prophecy which propels the finale? Woops. Don't understand the business with Harry and Voldemort? Too bad. See, at some point a filmmaker and a screenwriter have to know when they've bitten of more than they can chew. Mike Newell, director of part 4, toyed with the idea of breaking the story into 2 films in order to do service to all the competing plots. He obviously decided against it, much to that film's detriment. The same happened here; Larry McMurtry's Lonesome Dove, a 960 page opus, was given a miniseries treatment...four parts of two hours each, for a grand total of 8 hours, more or less. That allowed the relationships between the entire cast to develop over time and the audience to become emotionally involved in the story. Here, it's a race to the finish and what was a feeling of dread in the novel (Umbridge's punishments) are reduced to two scenes here. And when a major character is killed off, the audience really doesn't care because his relationships haven't been fully realized.The Order of the Phoenix is a bridge between the lighter, kiddie fare of the first four movies and what is destined to be a darker, more adult conclusion to the series. On that count, it succeeds in spades. The pieces are laid down, the situation advanced and the characters moved into position. One just wishes it could have been done a smoother and with an eye toward feeling like an actual movie instead of the cliffs notes version of a novel. http://www.spout.com/blogs/milkybaby/archive/2008/1/18/24040.aspx Post By: milkybaby
Post To: milkybaby Blog
Post Date: 1/18/2008 4:27:28 PM
Body: I think that this was the best one ever it has alot of action and more students are using more magic in this movie.
]]>Fri, 18 Jan 2008 21:27:28 GMTmilkybabymilkybaby Blog1/18/2008 4:27:28 PMI think that this was the best one ever it has alot of action and more students are using more magic in this movie. http://www.spout.com/groups/I_Love_Childrens_Movies/Top_Family_Friendly_Childrens_Movies_of_07/372/23649/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: indieabby88
Post To: I Love Childrens Movies
Post Date: 1/9/2008 12:09:21 AM
Body: Watching the Critics' Choice Awards last night might not have been such a good idea (one can only take so much D.L. Hugley before wanting to hurl heavy objects at the screen), but the awards category of "Best Family Film" gave me a thought: with all these top-ten lists coming out, perhaps we ought to make one that is specific to this group. So, what are your favorite family-friendly films of 2007? My favorites are:Enchanted (the Critics' Choice Award winner)RatatouilleStardust (I know, it's stretching it a little, but I'd say it's family friendly. Had it been around during my elementary/ middle school years, I'd have watched it)Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
]]>Wed, 09 Jan 2008 05:09:21 GMTindieabby88I Love Childrens Movies1/9/2008 12:09:21 AMWatching the Critics&#39; Choice Awards last night might not have been such a good idea (one can only take so much D.L. Hugley before wanting to hurl heavy objects at the screen), but the awards category of "Best Family Film" gave me a thought: with all these top-ten lists coming out, perhaps we ought to make one that is specific to this group. So, what are your favorite family-friendly films of 2007? My favorites are:Enchanted (the Critics&#39; Choice Award winner)RatatouilleStardust (I know, it&#39;s stretching it a little, but I&#39;d say it&#39;s family friendly. Had it been around during my elementary/ middle school years, I&#39;d have watched it)Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/1/2/23433.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 1/2/2008 1:00:46 PM
Body: Here is my follow-up to last month’s question of what mainstream movie will feature on the most top ten movie lists. And the winner is … Ratatouille. Oh wait, didn’t I disqualify that one for being too obvious? No? Well, I should have. Yes, according to Movie City News’ Big Ass Chart (aka Scorecard) of critics’ top tens, the Pixar movie made it on to 51 best-of lists, making it the best-grossing best movie of the year. But maybe it wasn’t the most mainstream, if you define mainstream as studio-produced fare. Under that qualification Zodiac was the best mainstream movie of 2007, having been made jointly by Warner Bros. and Paramount and showing up on 70 best-of lists. Other Warner successes include Michael Clayton, which featured on 54 lists, Sweeney Todd, which received 44 mentions, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, which showed up on one list, and Letters From Iwo Jima, which showed up a little late on one list. As far as those mainstream movies I predicted would feature heavily, Knocked Up (34 lists) ended up defeating Superbad (25 lists) — meanwhile, the third Judd Apatow movie of the year, Walk Hard, managed to get on one critic’s list — though both were actually behind The Bourne Ultimatum (28 lists), when it came to “average vote” (average numerical placement on the list). If we’re going by mainstream appeal (and if Karina is correct in her view of the film), then Juno was the best mainstream comedy of the year with 63 lists. Hairspray (13 lists) beat out its crappy musical siblings Across the Universe (7 lists) and Enchanted (8 lists). In addition to showing up on Richard Corliss’ list, Beowulf managed 3 other mentions. And Transformers not only showed up on a top ten list, it featured on 3! Of course, it’s more surprising that Spider-Man 3 made it on 4 lists. The greatest thing to happen, of course, was Manohla Dargis listing The Kingdom as one of her favorites. Joining her is Don Payne. If I had made a top ten list (instead of this thing), the film could very well have beaten Transformers. Oh well, at least nobody put the shocking blockbuster Alvin and the Chipmunks on their list … yet. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Wed, 02 Jan 2008 18:00:46 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com1/2/2008 1:00:46 PMHere is my follow-up to last month’s question of what mainstream movie will feature on the most top ten movie lists. And the winner is … Ratatouille. Oh wait, didn’t I disqualify that one for being too obvious? No? Well, I should have. Yes, according to Movie City News’ Big Ass Chart (aka Scorecard) of critics’ top tens, the Pixar movie made it on to 51 best-of lists, making it the best-grossing best movie of the year. But maybe it wasn’t the most mainstream, if you define mainstream as studio-produced fare. Under that qualification Zodiac was the best mainstream movie of 2007, having been made jointly by Warner Bros. and Paramount and showing up on 70 best-of lists. Other Warner successes include Michael Clayton, which featured on 54 lists, Sweeney Todd, which received 44 mentions, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, which showed up on one list, and Letters From Iwo Jima, which showed up a little late on one list. As far as those mainstream movies I predicted would feature heavily, Knocked Up (34 lists) ended up defeating Superbad (25 lists) — meanwhile, the third Judd Apatow movie of the year, Walk Hard, managed to get on one critic’s list — though both were actually behind The Bourne Ultimatum (28 lists), when it came to “average vote” (average numerical placement on the list). If we’re going by mainstream appeal (and if Karina is correct in her view of the film), then Juno was the best mainstream comedy of the year with 63 lists. Hairspray (13 lists) beat out its crappy musical siblings Across the Universe (7 lists) and Enchanted (8 lists). In addition to showing up on Richard Corliss’ list, Beowulf managed 3 other mentions. And Transformers not only showed up on a top ten list, it featured on 3! Of course, it’s more surprising that Spider-Man 3 made it on 4 lists. The greatest thing to happen, of course, was Manohla Dargis listing The Kingdom as one of her favorites. Joining her is Don Payne. If I had made a top ten list (instead of this thing), the film could very well have beaten Transformers. Oh well, at least nobody put the shocking blockbuster Alvin and the Chipmunks on their list … yet. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/cinemaleviathan/archive/2007/12/12/22745.aspx Post By: CinemaLeviathan
Post To: CinemaLeviathan Blog
Post Date: 12/12/2007 4:45:42 PM
Body: This fifth installment to the movie-franchise of the popular Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling is by far one of the best since Christopher Columbus' first adaptation, The Philosopher's Stone/The Sorcerer's Stone (US Title). The imaginative creation of what magic actually looks like is an excellent combination of J.K.'s vision and the VFX team behind the film. Unlike the popular connotation of magic, appearing to be invisible or instantaneous, the magic in The Order of the Phoenix is quite messy and incalculable. The highly visual stage for this chapter of the wizard saga takes place over a year, as they all have in the past, though the characters grow more independent as they create a small army in secret in order to learn the defense of the dark arts lessons the Ministry refuses to teach. These new character developments include Harry's first kiss, the relationship between Harry and his Godfather, Sirius, and an uncomfortable closeness to "He who must not be named," as the dark forces brew up a storm for the future.The defense of the dark arts teacher is especially sinister this year, because she's actually one the good guys working for the Ministry! As Cornelius' Fudge's right hand professor, she's sent to oversee all activity of Hogwarts, thus creating an antagonistic force against Harry and Dumbledore's Army within the walls of the castle.A movie can only deliver so much of the original book, but this drives a great story with the character Potter fans love and hate, and compared to the fourth adaptation, does very well.
]]>Wed, 12 Dec 2007 21:45:42 GMTCinemaLeviathanCinemaLeviathan Blog12/12/2007 4:45:42 PMThis fifth installment to the movie-franchise of the popular Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling is by far one of the best since Christopher Columbus&#39; first adaptation, The Philosopher&#39;s Stone/The Sorcerer&#39;s Stone (US Title). The imaginative creation of what magic actually looks like is an excellent combination of J.K.&#39;s vision and the VFX team behind the film. Unlike the popular connotation of magic, appearing to be invisible or instantaneous, the magic in The Order of the Phoenix is quite messy and incalculable. The highly visual stage for this chapter of the wizard saga takes place over a year, as they all have in the past, though the characters grow more independent as they create a small army in secret in order to learn the defense of the dark arts lessons the Ministry refuses to teach. These new character developments include Harry&#39;s first kiss, the relationship between Harry and his Godfather, Sirius, and an uncomfortable closeness to &quot;He who must not be named,&quot; as the dark forces brew up a storm for the future.The defense of the dark arts teacher is especially sinister this year, because she&#39;s actually one the good guys working for the Ministry! As Cornelius&#39; Fudge&#39;s right hand professor, she&#39;s sent to oversee all activity of Hogwarts, thus creating an antagonistic force against Harry and Dumbledore&#39;s Army within the walls of the castle.A movie can only deliver so much of the original book, but this drives a great story with the character Potter fans love and hate, and compared to the fourth adaptation, does very well. http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2007/12/7/22614.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 12/7/2007 5:00:55 PM
Body: I’m always fascinated with how far technology will go to make people less and less social. Yet as far away from each other as we get, with our home entertainment and our personal computers, we keep wanting to be interactive, though on a much more artificial level. That’s why we need this new special feature on the HD DVD for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Thanks to the ethernet capability of HD DVD players, you can now watch the movie at home while your friends watch it in-synch with you via their own HD DVD players. And I guess you can chat with them through your remote control. Or you can talk on a party line like we did when I was in high school and jointly watching MTV with my friends. (more…) Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Fri, 07 Dec 2007 22:00:55 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com12/7/2007 5:00:55 PMI’m always fascinated with how far technology will go to make people less and less social. Yet as far away from each other as we get, with our home entertainment and our personal computers, we keep wanting to be interactive, though on a much more artificial level. That’s why we need this new special feature on the HD DVD for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Thanks to the ethernet capability of HD DVD players, you can now watch the movie at home while your friends watch it in-synch with you via their own HD DVD players. And I guess you can chat with them through your remote control. Or you can talk on a party line like we did when I was in high school and jointly watching MTV with my friends. (more…) Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/jakestevens/archive/2007/10/12/20782.aspx Post By: JakeStevens
Post To: JakeStevens Blog
Post Date: 10/12/2007 7:21:59 PM
Body: Yes, this is the worst of the lot - but I can't hate it - it's Harry Potter. I really hope they do a "Extended Version" because, as it has been stated, this is the longest of the books...and the shortest of the movies. Unfair, because my expectations were very high with this one. The cast is older, the story more involved and with the release of the final book shortly after this premiered, Potter mania was at an all-time high. Sad to say, this is the most watered-down and least magical of them all. Well, I hope the Half-Blood Prince makes up for this one...
]]>Fri, 12 Oct 2007 23:21:59 GMTJakeStevensJakeStevens Blog10/12/2007 7:21:59 PMYes, this is the worst of the lot - but I can&#39;t hate it - it&#39;s Harry Potter. I really hope they do a &quot;Extended Version&quot; because, as it has been stated, this is the longest of the books...and the shortest of the movies. Unfair, because my expectations were very high with this one. The cast is older, the story more involved and with the release of the final book shortly after this premiered, Potter mania was at an all-time high. Sad to say, this is the most watered-down and least magical of them all. Well, I hope the Half-Blood Prince makes up for this one... http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/love/MemberTagFilms.aspxlove
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