Join me...or die

The final trailer for Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald was released this week...



I really enjoy the Harry Potter world and all of these films, so I can't wait until this one comes out on November 16th!

Verne Troyer

Sad news over the weekend...

Actor Verne Troyer, best known for his role as “Mini-me” in the Austin Powers film comedies, has died. He was 49. 

Troyer was born with achondroplasia dwarfism, a genetic disorder, and was considered one of the smallest people in the world. The 2 foot, 8-inch actor nevertheless carved out an acting career, but struggled with alcoholism, making numerous trips to rehab in his battle with the disease.

His film resume includes a brief appearance as Griphook the Goblin in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, and has roles upcoming in the 2018 film Hipsters, Gangsters, Aliens and Geeks and The 420 Movie: Mary & Jane.

He will be missed, but certainly remembered fondly.

Lumos!

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios in Florida has added a new light show, "Nighttime Lights at Hogwarts Castle", and it's pretty spectacular...



That castle is absolutely my favorite part of the park.

If you haven't visited...you must.

March Madness

Two big movies opening up in March just released their first full trailers.

The first is Ghost in the Shell...



It looks pretty cool and Scarlet Johnson never disappoints when it comes to playing badass characters who can kick some ass.

It opens on March 31st.



The next movie is Disney's live-action version of Beauty and the Beast...



Emma Watson (of Harry Potter fame) seems to be perfectly cast as Belle and the cinematography looks pretty top-notch (much like Maleficent, which I loved).

So, it'll probably make a gazillion dollars.

It opens on March 17th

The Magic Returns

The final trailer for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them was released today....



I'm really looking forward to seeing this movie and taking another dive into the Harry Potter world.

The movie opens on November 18th.

Zapped!

For you Harry Potter fans out there, here is a video of all of the spells (and their names) that were cast in the movies...it's quite entertaining.



I'm going to have to remember a few of these next time I'm stuck in traffic or at the DMV.

Alan Rickman

Very sad news today...

Alan Rickman died on Thursday. He was 69.

Rickman was cast in “Die Hard” as Hans Gruber, a German terrorist wreaking havoc in a Los Angeles skyscraper who faces off with Bruce Willis. In the “Harry Potter” series, Rickman played Professor Severus Snape, a coldly hostile Hogwarts instructor who was one of Harry's main antagonists. The actor appeared in all eight of the “Potter” movies.

For all the intimidating characters that he took on, Rickman maintained that he was not the people he played.

Those characters “are just people to me,” he once told The Times. “I’m a lot less serious than people think.”

He has always been one of my favorite actors and I've really enjoyed him in everything that he's done, especially Harry Potter, Love, Actually, and Galaxy Quest.

The scene in Galaxy Quest where he is forced to promote the opening of a local grocery store and reluctantly utter the line "What...a savings" is something I've quoted for years and will always think of when I need a laugh.



I'm really going to miss him.

Eye of Newt

The next phase of Harry Potter-related films, Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them, has just released its first teaser trailer...



I love the HP movies...so am really looking forward to these starting up next year!

The magic returns on November 18th.

Box Office Buffet

Jurassic World roared into theaters worldwide on Friday and ended up having the highest-grossing movie opening in history...

Universal Pictures today announced that with Sunday’s reported actuals, Jurassic World is now the No. 1 movie ever at both the North American and international box offices. With a worldwide opening of $524.1 million, Jurassic World takes its place as the highest-grossing opening weekend in history. 

Jurassic World grossed $208.8 million at the North American box office, passing 2012’s The Avengers ($207.4 million). Internationally, the film’s final gross was raised to $315.3 million, passing 2011’s Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 ($314 million).

I saw it on Friday and really enjoyed it...cool dino effects and lots of action.



Chris Pratt is already signed for a Jurassic World sequel, so hopefully there wasn't anyone out there who honestly thought he might not make it out alive from this first film.

If so, well...duh.

Both sides now

This video has been creatively edited to show Professor Snape's Harry Potter storyline in chronological order. After watching this, you'll likely feel a little differently about his character and what he went through for Harry...



Someone has got to be chopping onions around here somewhere...

::wipes tears away quickly::

Dame Good

A couple of interesting smaller films debuted trailers today and each have Harry Potter alumni in them. First, one with Maggie Smith called My Old Lady.



You can't go wrong with Maggie Smith.



The next is with Harry Potter himself, Daniel Radcliffe, in the movie Horns.



It looks like Harry has gotten himself into a wee bit of trouble in this one.



I wonder what Maggie Smith thinks about that...

Horny Potter

This is the first image of Daniel Radcliffe from his upcoming movie, Horns.

Here is a little bit about the plot...

"Horns" is directed by Alexandre Aja ("The Hills Have Eyes") and is based on the best-selling novel by Joe Hill (Stephen King's son). Daniel plays a young man who, via a series of intriguing events, wakes up one morning with a hangover and a set of horns growing out of his head. In addition to the whole waking-up-with-horns issue, Radcliffe's character must also deal with the fact that he is the prime suspect in the brutal killing of his girlfriend, but thanks to a newly discovered power associated with the horns, which forces people to confess their darkest sins, he can use it to find out who really killed his girlfriend.

It sounds more like Voldemort might not be quite done with messing with Harry Potter just yet....

Colonel Potter

Very sad news...

Harry Morgan, who played Col. Sherman Potter on TV's M*A*S*H and Jack Webb's detective partner in Dragnet, died Wednesday at age 96.

After appearing in dramatic films The Ox Box Incident and High Noon, he began a television career in December Bride and Dragnet, before appearing in his Emmy-winning role in M*A*S*H.



M*A*S*H is one of my all-time favorite shows and, like the other actors, he was great in his role.

Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen.

Stop Believing

Sue Sylvester has a few things to say about Glee: The 3D Concert Movie that comes out in theaters on August 12th...



And she also wrote this letter:



I don't think her ranting antics to keep the public away from the "tone deaf, howler monkeys" are going to do much good. I mean, the entire cast of Glee is in it, including Darren Criss (seen here at the Harry Potter premiere in London).









A lot of people like Little Boy Blue.

From the sheeps in the meadow to the cows in the corn.

Corn: aka the "see-ya'-later" vegetable.

Hallowed Ground

I guess I wasn't the only one who saw the new Harry Potter movie this past weekend...

With an astounding estimated worldwide box office total of more than $476 million, Warner Bros. Pictures’ “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2” shattered multiple domestic and international box office records in a history-making opening weekend.

I really enjoyed it and am kinda sad that there won't be another one coming out in a year or so like we're used to.

I'll bet Warner Bros. is gonna send J.K. Rowling a lovely fruit basket filled with cash this week and ask her if she's considered, possibly, writing just one more book.

Which they'll immediately break up into 5 more movies.

Must it?

I know he's been through a lot and probably needs a break...



But look how sad SHE is...must it all really end now?

I don't want it to.

I've enjoyed each of the Harry Potter movies over the years and am really sad that this will be the last one. It is truely one of the best movie franchises ever produced and I'm going to miss visiting this magical world every couple of years.



I'm gonna miss watching the always wonderful Maggie Smith as Professor McGonagall (although I hear she gets a much bigger part in this last film, so I'm really looking forward to seeing that!).



I'm also going to miss Alan Rickman's drawn....out...line...readings as Professor Snape. That guy can convey more distain with one syllable than most people can conjure up in a lifetime.



I'm gonna miss them all and am SO looking forward to seeing the movie this weekend. I can't believe we've been watching these films since 2001. The kids were so young and have surprisingly matured quite nicely into their roles.

If you've forgotten just how young they were, watch this video that shows clips from all of the Potter movies from the beginning...



I'm getting a bit verklempt.

Talk amongst yourselves...I'll give you a topic.

The Golden Girls were neither Golden nor, technically, girls.

Discuss.

The reviews have been really good so far (and I'm only skimming them because I don't want to know any details or spoilers) and I have a feeling it just might make some money at the box office this weekend.

I know they're getting some from me.

Would.....not......miss...........it.

The end is near

Here is the latest (and likely final) trailer for the last film in the Harry Potter series.



It does look good...

Cinemagraphs

There is something really beautiful and haunting about these photos.

A little about the GIF's (not flash) and their creators...

"We wanted to tell more of a story than a single still frame photograph but didn't want the high maintenance aspect of a video. Primarily, Beck shoots the photos and Burg applies the motion-graphics magic in what they describe as "a highly collaborative process" that can take several hours of manual editing in order to breathe the whisper of life into each image."



I think it adds an interesting dimension and emotion to a photo and, with the stillness of the rest of the image, it almost feels like you've somehow captured a "moment" in time right before the world just...stopped.

They also remind me of the paintings hanging in Hogwarts in the Harry Potter books/movies.

If you'd like to see some more of these interesting creations, click here.

via: Gawker

He Warbles

Darren Criss made the cover of Billboard Magazine this week, just in time for the new episode of Glee airing tonight. In the interview, he talks about how much he enjoys working on the show, his Harry Potter: The Musical past, and the upcoming Warblers CD.

He was also spotted this past weekend at the Coachella Music Festival...



Nice....bandana.

Global Swarming

It looks like "one or two" people decided to check out the new Harry Potter movie this past weekend:

The seventh Harry Potter got off to an enchanting overseas start this weekend, earning an estimated $205 million on 19,000 screens in 91 markets (including $4.2 million from 101 IMAX screens). That's the highest foreign opening for a movie released outside of the summer season, and it's the fourth-biggest international opening ever.

Add in its domestic take ($125.1 million), and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 has already made a staggering $330.1 million worldwide.

That's a lot of cash.

I would like some of that, please.