Awards - Teen Choice

Taylor Swift dominated the Teen Choice Awards...

http://extratv.warnerbros.com/2011/08/winners_taylor_swift_dominates_at_2011_teen_choice_awards.php

Box Office

Captain America defeated the Boy Who Lived...

http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2011-07-24-captain-america_n.htm

Meanwhile, Harry and friends continues to make history...

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/07/21/idUS146822109520110721

Harry Potter Fans Seek Grief Counseling After the End of an Era and the Death of Their Childhood Hero - Video

When you think about it, any kid under eighteen-years-old has spent a lifetime with Harry Potter and his friends.

Eight books, eight films, computer games, lunch boxes, 10+ years, $6 billion in worldwide sales, and there will be residuals for all the grownups for years to come.

As of Tuesday, Deathly Hallows had grossed over $525 million worldwide to make it the single best first week movie opening ever.

The first Harry Potter movie was “The Sorcerer’s Stone” and came out in 2001 – shortly after the first J.K. Rowling book was released.

And millions of kids are obsessed with Harry, Hogwarts, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Professor Dumbledore, Professor Snape, Lucius and Draco Malfoy, Professor McGonagall, Hagrid, and the worlds most hated villain ever - Lord Voldemort.

These are names that every kid has known for years, and the world has indeed, fallen in love with everything Harry Potter.

That’s what makes The Deathly Hallows so difficult for some children – they feel like they have just lost a lifetime friend to the dark side of evil.

Watch Harry Potter - A Look Back...


Remember how you felt as a child watching young Bambi getting injured, and the possibility of never seeing her mother again. Did you cry?

Now, multiply that feeling by about a million and stretch it out over ten years.

That’s what some child psychologists are saying will happen with the death of Potter. They say the death of Harry resembles the same emotions that a child feels after they lose a close family member to death, or after the loss of a cherished family pet.

Doctors say there may be a silent impact on some children’s brain as they slowly realize they will never see Harry again.

And that has them worried.

In fact, some schools across the country are setting up “grief stations” during their summer sessions so children can talk to psychologists about their “loss”.

Other schools have consulted with specialists about how to deal with the long term effects of their summer session students coming to grips that they have lost a cherished childhood friend.

“It can be traumatic. They know it’s only a movie but their grief bubbles to the surface and they don’t know how to deal with it. Their grades can suffer and their social world can come crumbling down like a ton of bricks.”

Teachers and staff say they will be on the lookout for sudden drops in grades, irritability from normally stable kids, non-social behavior, and loss of interest in school, sports, and friends.

“Some children may not even realize or understand what is happening. All they know is Harry is gone and they don’t care about anything else anymore – friends, family, grades, or sports. These are the signs we will be looking for.”

J.K. Rowling seems to understand that you can’t just kill off Harry and expect things to be normal. She has already said she will continue to release “Potter” games, writings, and a website dedicated to everything Potter that emerges fans into an online social world of Harry Potter called Pottermore.

Watch Deathly Hallows Movie Trailer


Experts say this will help, and may actually spawn a new industry designed to keep the memories alive.

“Now you will have fans creating what’s called fan fiction and other cultural offshoots. There will continue to be a world of Hogwarts even though the movies have come to an end. Look at Star Trek, that legacy has lived on through comic-con, fan fiction, conventions, trade shows, and specialized websites.”

Now that the story has drawn to a close, some believe there will be spinoffs, sequels, prequels, and new books focusing specifically on still living characters like Hagrid, Hermione Granger or Ron Weasley.

Bottom line:

Our children are strong and will get past this brief hiccup in their emotional development. And it just may bring out new creativity that we can only imagine in pushing the continuing legacy of the world of Harry Potter.

It aint over yet….

Follow InfoStar on Twitter – Alohomora please!

Related: Deathly Hallows Behind The Scenes Filming - Video

Box Office

Harry Potter defeated Batman and Jack Sparrow... and conquered the current box office, naturally...

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/SHOWBIZ/Movies/07/17/boxoffice.ew/

Review - The Deathly Hallows II

The final movie is finally here. The kids practically grew up right in front of us. It's a bit of a bittersweet moment...

So... Part II of The Deathly Hallows starts when Voldermort got the Elder Wand from Dumbledore's grave. Harry Potter and his friends are still on the hunt for the horcruxes in order to destroy Voldermort's soul and vanquish him for good. One of the horcruxes was in Hogwarts. Soon as they return to Hogwarts, Voldermort and his entire Death Eater crew came a'knockin' and an all-out magical war begins between the forces of good and the forces of evil.

If you guys read the book like I did, you'd be psyched about this movie, especially about the Battle of Hogwarts where many characters died and many characters rose to the occasion.

Unfortunately, they made plenty of changes to the storylines... the Battle of Hogwarts was reduced to a tiny fragment of its initial awesomeness and most of the fights were changed. I understand from a filmmakers/scriptwriters POV to make it the way it was shown on film, coz it would mean that the main characters/main supporting characters get a chance to shine, rather than just let them be a part of a huge army. But that was how it was supposed to be...

I don't get how JK Rowling would've allowed this to happen. I mean, you spend a lot of time writing it and then to have it reduced to THAT... I would've thrown a tantrum... I did throw a tantrum once the movie was over...

But then again, that's just me. I did not even bother to read the rest of the books in the series but I did read The Deathly Hallows. And the Battle of Hogwarts was one of the most awesome battles ever! Yes, yes, I know it was kinda difficult to translate all that to film but they could have tried... some bits you could've left out but the really important ones (such as Bellatrix Lastrange and Voldermort's demises) should've been intact...

One thing I was glad they decided to not follow from the book was McGonagall's feistiness and also her battling Snape. Was awesome! Like Catwoman but with fire instead of a whip! You go girl! Hehe... am so glad she could finish the whole series... I love Maggie Smith... :)

Anyway, the acting was really good, as it always were. Special effects were also on point. The epilogue was touching... and it is a fitting end to an awesome series of books/movies. Harry, Hermione, Ron... we will miss you guys... *sobs*

Video - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 – Behind the Scenes Filming

This is the end for our favorite wizard Harry Potter.

The latest and last incarnation of the film franchise will be out soon and we already know we will see the fate of our dear friend Harry Potter at the hands of Lord Voldemort.

In the video below you will see some of the most fascinating behind the scenes footage ever released of the actual making of a Harry Potter movie.

They are a series of backstage, behind the scenes shots taken during the actual filming of “Deathly Hallows: Part 2” and they give an amazing insight as to what goes on behind the camera while actually making a movie.

It proves that what you see on the movie screen has nothing to do with what is actually happening in the studio.

And you get sense of the sheer size, scale, and cost - just to get 30 seconds of usable footage. Amazing stuff.

You get to see the wind machines, the director, the extras, the green screens, the fire pods, the cameras, the tricks, the rigs, the gaffs, the cables, and the drama.

We get to see director David Yates in full production mode and you can tell how involved he is in every scene.

Watch Behind the scenes filming of Deathly Hallows 2

Anybody who has ever been involved with a movie shoot will enjoy watching the camera jibs pulling a HD steadicam across a motion controlled set of gadgets.

All the green backdrops you see will later be turned into what we know as Hogwarts during post production, and all the shots are shot without music playback and can seem quite tedious at times.

That’s how you make a move kids!

Can you imagine the thousands of hours in post-production adding in all the sound, music, dialog, special effects, etc?

This is why actors make the big money and directors should make more.

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Video – J.K. Rowling Announces “Pottermore” – The Wait is Over!

J.K. Rowling - Pottermore

The long wait is over.

Today we are learning the secrets of Pottermore.

J.K. Rowling has finally taken the cover off her long awaited website and is leaking the secrets of her new Harry Potter world interactive web site - Pottermore.

Rowling tells us that Pottermore consists of the same great stories we are all familiar with but with one new addition – you the reader.

The new site will immerse the user with existing Harry Potter stories but will allow the user to interact within the story similar to an online role playing computer game with its own social network similar to Facebook.

One journalist who attended to U.K. unveiling said,

“Pottermore will let the user dive into the world of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Some areas let users shop for wands in Diagon Alley, travel to Hogwarts from the imaginary Platform 9 3/4 at London's King's Cross train station and be sorted into Hogwarts school houses by the perceptive Sorting Hat. Along the way are wand fights, games and new information about characters beloved around the world, including Harry's reviled relatives, the Dursleys.”

The site will go live on July 31, when 1 million registered users will be chosen to help beta test the new online world. It will be open to all users starting in October in various languages.

One sleuth tells us,

“It’s kind of like an online computer game based around the Harry Potter books but will allow you to interact with the characters and others in your social media circle. Points and awards will be given for solving mysteries and finding hidden secrets within the stories that can be cashed in for real world stuff.”

Users who collect points, levels, rewards, and other gifts can redeem them at various places on the site, around the web, or at your neighborhood mall.

In addition to letting Pottermore tickle your imagination, it will let you build on the digital stories that we are all familiar with.

Users will also be able to download digit eBooks containing all seven Potter stories as well as new Harry Potter material.



And Rowling has promised to share secrets with us on the site about Harry Potter that she has kept hidden for ten years.

Follow InfoStar on Twitter – Expecto Patronum!
 

Trailer - Deathly Hallow 2

Part 2...

Bad Day for Harry Potter Cast Mates Rupert Grint and Emma Watson – Is That a Bong?

It’s been an exciting week for Harry Potter cast mates Rupert Grint and Emma Watson.

But with some amazing wizardry by the expert public relations of the dark arts staff – even the ugliest of things can again be made beautiful.

Yesterday, an internet photo appeared that supposedly shows Harry Potter’s Ron Weasley hitting a bong.

We suspected it was a fake – but a good fake.


It is indeed a fake. Grint’s publicist responded by saying,

"This is categorically NOT Rupert Grint - It is an impersonator, a lookalike."

Grint’s people are also upset with Perez Hilton for first showing the picture and suggesting it was Rupert.

And fellow Potter cast mate Emma Watson also had her share of bad press when reports surfaced that she had been taunted and bullied into leaving Brown University.

Rumors swirled of fellow students saying things like “Three points for Gryffindor” when she answered a question, or crying out “Oh Harry!” when she walked into a room.

Reports were that Watson had started to fear for her personal safety and decided to change colleges.

Not True. Apparently the change of venue had been planned for quite some time and her rep says,

"Emma has enjoyed her time at Brown tremendously and made many friends there who she keeps in constant contact with. She has now decided to change universities, but not for the bullying, as that is just completely untrue.

She has just decided to continue with a different course. But, for reasons of security I am not prepared to divulge which university she will be attending."

Okay, so everything is settled and peace has once again been restored to the Muggle world. We can move on.

But did you hear about Daniel Radcliffe getting naked with a horse in some Broadway show?

Harry Potter

Three months to go... jeng jeng jeng... haha...

Anticipated

Upcoming movies that are hotly anticipated...

Thor (May 6)

Chris Hemsworth as Thor

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (May 20)

Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom won't be appearing in the fourth installment...
Penelope Cruz has been added to the cast...

Transformers: Dark of the Moon (July 1)

Megan Fox won't be running around in skimpy outfits anymore... Rose Huntington-Whiteley is her replacement and judging from the photo, they are not looking to make her into a sexpot... we'll see...


Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (July 15)


Cowboys & Aliens (July 29)

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn -- Part 1

Mission: Impossible -- Ghost Protocol (December 16)

Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (December 21)

Bear in mind that these dates are US release dates... dunno when Malaysia is gonna get them... but if they are blockbuster movies, then we'd get em at the same time too...

Full story: http://blog.movies.yahoo.com/blog/358-the-most-anticipated-movies-of-2011

Best of 2010

I am a movie buff/freak... a buffy movie freak? or a freaky movie buff? hihi... anyways, I watch a lot of movies and I am one of those who like all kinds of movies and would normally enjoy all kinds of movie experiences, unless they are total and complete piece of crap *cough* 2Alam *cough*... so this is a list of the movies I enjoyed most and remembered and would likely to buy the DVD and watch it again and again...

So without further ado... the 10 best movies watched in the cinema in 2010...

Ryan Reynolds, who is normally linked to romance fluff and action movies, did a solid in this one. The movie itself was interesting in its premise and execution...

M Night Shyamalan's redemption after the god-awful The Last Airbender. Again, this movie employed the same claustraphobic element like Buried, but there are other things happening outside of the elevator. Very thrilling and kinda scary...

Two of the funniest actors on TV joining forces for a movie? Sounds great. And the end product was awesomely funny, like one of the episodes of 30 Rock. Tina Fey has always been a goddess to me. Don't like Steve Carell though...

By far, the best of the series, which is a good sign for Part 2 I guess. Story-wise, nothing much has changed, except this movie spends a lot of its time elsewhere ie not in Hogwarts, which I guess is the thrilling part of the movie. The kids are all grown up but they're still kids...

It made you think... and it was utterly original... unlike the sequels, prequels, remakes and revamps that inundated us, especially in the summer... the all-star cast helped...

Some people might be turned off by this movie but I found it to be awesome! Especially Chloe Grace Moretz in a career-defining role as the foul-mouthed kick-ass girl...

Another Chloe Moretz movie... this remake was indeed prettier but it was a bit more solemn and dark too... very nice scares plus the cute romance between the kids...


Will Ferrell normally irritates me and Mark Wahlberg tends to do some overacting, especially after he got his Oscar nomination... what's up with that? Anyway, this movie worked well... funny at times and cute... did I mention funny?


Finally, a movie based on true events that happened in our generation! The Social Network is not just a fluff piece about how Facebook came about. It's very real and human and a good piece of dramatic cinema. Gave us great performances, especially from Jesse Eisenberg and Andrew Garfield.

Another Leo DiCaprio movie. This time he reteams with Martin Scorsese and produced another gem. All-star cast too. Quite nice, the mystery and the drama.

Box Office

The Disney Princess with the long golden hair finally stomped The Boy Who Lived...

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-box-office-20101206,0,5261379.story

Box Office

A certain Disney Princess is giving The Boy Who Lived a run for his money...


http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2010-11-29-boxoffice29_ST_N.htm

Box Office

Not a surprise that the penultimate Harry Potter movie dominated the box office eh?

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1652782/20101122/story.jhtml

Trailer - Deathly Hallows

Dayyymmmnnn!!!

Trailer - Deathly Hallows 1

US Top 10

10) THE BLIND SIDE - $184,387,000

9) Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs - $196,573,705

8) Monsters Vs. Aliens - $198,351,526

7) AVATAR - $212,268,000

6) Star Trek - $257,730,019

5) The Hangover - $277,322,503

4) The Twilight Saga: New Moon - $280,924,000

3) UP - $293,004,164

2) HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE - $301,959,197

1) TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN - $402,111,870

The only one I haven't seen is The Hangover... would probably do so this weekend...

Of the 10, or 9, I'd say my favorite would be Up, followed by Star Trek, Avatar and The Blind Side. The least favorite would be Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. I hope they won't make a third one. Come on people! It's called Transformers, not Sam Witwicky's Movie with Big Robots. Get a clue and focus back on the robots please...

http://movies.yahoo.com/photos/celebrities/gallery/2284/top-10-box-office-movies-of-2009#photo0

Harry Potter Wants To Play A Drag Queen?

Harry Potter personality Daniel Radcliffe wants to expand his acting range in the movies - by portraying a drag queen.

Radcliffe, 19, said in an interview with Details magazine that he wanted to play a cross-dressing drag queen, just so he could wear woman's clothes and lots of make up.

But Radcliffe did admit it 'would freak some people out', and that a cross-dressing Harry Potter may not be a good role model for his millions of young Hogwarts fans.

He has already caused a stir with his role in "Equus", with scenes of the young actor totally nude.

Radcliffe, who has spent most of his Hollywood career playing Harry Potter, is soon to start a run of Equus on Broadway in New York. The actor will be seen in eight shows a week, with full frontal nudity, just as he did in the hit London production.

But Radcliffe can't shake the "Harry Potter" image for good just yet.

In fact, there are three Harry Potter movies already completed or in production, starting with "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince", due next July. The film finds Harry Potter as he begins his 6th year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where he discovers an old book marked mysteriously "This book is the property of the Half-Blood Prince" and begins to learn more about Lord Voldemort's dark past.

Then comes the two part "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows", where author J.K. Rowling wraps up the Potter franchise where Harry continues his search for the horcruxes, but is sidetracked by the mysterious Deathly Hallows as the final confrontation between Harry and Voldemort draws closer. Rowling's has said that poor Harry dies in the final scenes bringing an end to the young wizard and his movies.

But Radcliffe is already trying to break free from the Harry Potter mold so the world can see him as someone other than Harry Potter.

"Equus" is part of that strategy, and so is "Journey" due in 2009, where Radcliffe stars as Dan Eldon, a British born photographer, who spent his childhood in Kenya. His photographs of refugees from the Somalian civil war led to his employment by Reuters, who sent him to Somalia in 1992. His pictures helped draw the world's attention to the crisis, but on 12 July 1993, while covering the story that UN forces had accidentally killed 74 civilians, he and three colleagues were stoned and beaten to death by a furious crowd.

Playing a drag queen may go a bit too far, as Radcliffe seems well on track to shake his child actor Harry Potter persona and break into a new era of adult movie roles.

Watch Daniel Radcliffe In "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" Movie Trailer


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