Harry Potter: ranking the films in order of quality
We head back to Hogwarts, and try and sort out the Harry Potter films. Is Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets the best one, then?
This article contains spoilers for the Harry Potter movies.
The Harry Potter films didn’t need to be good.
The books were already a phenomenon. Only Twilight and Dan Brown’s novels have resulted in midnight openings at bookshops across the world in recent years, and when you look at their film adaptations (Angels And Demons grossed nearly $500 million worldwide, despite being Angels And Demons), it’s clear: the Harry Potter films didn’t actually have to try that hard to be a success.
Across eight films, they told the story of death-magnet legend boy Harry Potter and his loyal flame-locked sidekick Ron as they courted whimsical oblivion on a roughly yearly basis, getting rescued repeatedly by Girl Guide/Wikipedia hybrid Hermione Granger. They battled fairly incompetent evil fairly incompetently, grew up before our very eyes, and eventually lived happily ever after by becoming middle class.
The main reason I like these films is that they’re inherently silly. Not the ostentatious quirkiness, which varies in quality, but the sheer daftness of the situation. I find it very endearing that teenage Voldemort spent hours working out an evil-sounding anagram of his name, that Ginny Weasley learned to flirt by watching Ace in classic Doctor Who episode The Curse Of Fenric, and the killing curse scans quite well with “’ave a banana”. Wizard schools apparently greet each other with performance art pieces, don’t teach English, maths or sex education classes, have inconsistent geography and maintain a house cup system that is clearly open to abuse. It’s best not to take it too seriously.
Despite being intrinsically daft, though, these stories also depict death as a bigger deal than many other blockbusters. Death isn’t just relegated to the background; it’s dealt out at regular intervals and makes an impact. While there is spectacle in these movies, it usually involves Death Eater attacks on unmanned architecture (Death Eaters are obsessed with this. At the Battle of Hogwarts they set fire to the Quidditch arena even though there’s no one there). When a non-wizard family is killed off-screen, it convinces Hermione to wipe her parents’ memories of her to keep them safe.
The fact that these two elements are present leads to some tonally jarring moments, and being so silly severely dents the credibility of the story’s bad guys. None of the films manage to combine these discrepancies perfectly, and none are classic movies, but as one whole story they’re an impressive and influential piece of filmmaking that utilised and created a whole lot of love on both sides of the camera.
Not too shabby, considering they didn’t have to be that good.
Here then, in reverse order, is how I rank the films…
8. Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone
Let’s address a curse of the child actor: seeing your entire teenage years unfolding onscreen, and knowing that the best you could do at that age was going to be preserved forever. Overall though, this is the only film where it’s hugely noticeable, where you can work out the punctuation in the script from the pauses they leave. Nonetheless, you still get the sense that they have a grip on their characters (the look of withering scorn Hermione gives Ron after he says ‘This is light?’ for example), and compared with the one-line extras in the Leaky Cauldron they’re practically Meryl Streep. It’s quite impressive watching them improve with age and grow into their roles throughout.
The main problems with the first film are not the acting, but the script and the music. John Williams’ theme is very familiar, and its only once he re-arranges it for Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban that it starts feeling distinct from his back catalogue. The rest of the music in this film is too high in the mix, and registers like a polite but annoying man tapping you on the shoulder and saying ‘It’s magic, you know, it’s all magic.’
The script, being the first film of a franchise, is full of exposition, but almost none of it is good, clogging up the story and stopping it flowing smoothly. It’s a burden for young actors (Harry repeatedly asks questions with really obvious answers), but even the immaculately cast adults can’t inject much life into things. It’s not the best book in the series either, so it was always going to be a challenge (the plot is driven by Hagrid’s stupidity), but it’s a very safe adaptation that doesn’t linger long in the memory.
7. Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 1
There are some brilliant moments in this one. It starts quite well with everyone looking suitably grave, has some fun with the multiple Harrys and the infiltration of the Ministry of Magic, and sets up some overwhelming odds for the quest to find and destroy the horcruxes.
And then they go camping.
Splitting the seventh book into two films means the first part suffers hugely due to its abundance of nothing. The lack of progress does effectively communicate the hopelessness of the situation, but it’s also not very interesting, and that’s something no amount of slow dancing to Nick Cave can change.
Harry and Hermione go to Godric’s Hollow purely for something exciting to happen, then go back to camping again. Eventually Ron comes back with everything that they need because otherwise this film would be nine hours long. Things start picking up again, but by then even the beautifully animated Deathly Hallows tale isn’t enough to counteract the slog that is the middle of the film.
6. Harry Potter And The Chamber of Secrets
After director Chris Columbus delivered safe and steady work on Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone, Harry Potter And The Chamber of Secrets instantly seems more confident, and ready to build on the foundations laid by the first film. It opens with a big aerial shot of suburbia, demonstrating a visual eye lacking in the first movie. The camera work is much smoother, impressive without being ostentatious.
The Weasleys are set up really well, and now the character work is laid and they’re more confident actors, the central trio feel a bit more like real people. Shorn of exposition duties, the script is able to lighten up. “I was just sitting on the U-bend, thinking about death…” is still one of the best lines in the whole series.
Plot wise, though, the stakes aren’t that high yet. We’re still in fantasy romp territory here, it’s a simple story told efficiently. Fawkes the plot-solving phoenix’s arrival at the finale is not going to be a surprise to most viewers. At least Harry has learned how to solve basic mysteries over the summer, freed up by not having to ask exposition questions all the time.
It’s worth mentioning here that Richard Harris, making his final appearance as Dumbledore, knew he might not last through all seven adaptations, but his granddaughter really wanted him to do the role. While it’s a shame that he never got to develop the character further as he wanted to, Harris also didn’t want Harry Potter to overshadow the rest of his career. So, with that in mind, go and watch This Sporting Life as soon as you can.
5. Harry Potter And The Goblet of Fire
In the first 20 minutes of this movie we see the Doctor, Edward Cullen, a murderer from Hollyoaks, huge CGI Irish stereotypes, Eric Sykes, and Trigger. Plus Lucius Malfoy has got camper, somehow. It’s a heady mix.
There’s also a moody colour palette and a lot of brisk, economical storytelling in contrast to the loose, lanky haircuts. The abrupt scene endings suggest there’s an even longer cut out there somewhere (out of interest, would anyone else be up for Lord of the Rings Extended Edition style Potter releases?).
The overall effect is that nothing is allowed to breathe. Michael Gambon can barely contain himself either. The beginning of the Second Wizard War is rushed, meaning that the best bits of the film are the potentially superfluous character building scenes and the Yule Ball. These are well observed, funny, and give Maggie Smith a chance to go to at least 90% Jean Brodie. Brendan Gleeson still wins the film, though. Sometimes Harry Potter really needs Mad Eye Moody’s grumpiness to cut through the tweeness and lame attempts at swearing.
Also, Robert Pattinson – here playing pant-melting gentleman redshirt Cedric Diggory – proves he can act by making the scene where he tells Daniel Radcliffe to take a bath with an egg seem normal. Radcliffe, meanwhile, has learned how to do shouting acting to good effect when Diggory dies and Voldemort – complete with a goth-conehead posse out of an abandoned Monty Python sketch – returns. While the Dedric Ciggory scenes get saccharine, it’s impressive to see a film put so much weight behind just one death.
4. Harry Potter And The Half Blood Prince
Harry Potter films are probably best watched in close proximity to each other, as a lot of the fall out from the previous movie is dealt with at the start of the next one. Here, though, the word ‘fallout’ is probably a bit tactless.
This is the one where Dumbledore dies and so, logically, it’s the funniest movie of the series. It starts slowly, with Harry missing the Godfather he barely knew, then turns into a romantic comedy for most of its duration, then occasionally remembers that the Dark Lord is trying to kill Harry’s old teacher and cuts to Draco Malfoy looking miserable by a cupboard.
Michael Gambon is having a ball now as Dumbledore, after an iffy second film, gleefully indulging in spaced-out non-sequiturs. The three leads display excellent comic timing. For Rupert Grint, this isn’t a shock as he’s been the Gimli of the franchise since its early days, but it’s nice to see Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe get some punchlines in, meaning this film has uniquely frivolous moments such as the ‘But I am the chosen one’ scene.
As a drama, though, it seems oddly muted. Arthur Weasley seems only mildly irked at the destruction of his house, and the death of Dumbledore is rushed. It’s a very odd film, this one, structurally and tonally. It’s like someone decided to remake The Empire Strikes Back with a rom-com instead of Yoda, and then got carried away.
3. Harry Potter And The Prisoner of Azkaban
This film starts so well. Even after the improvements in Harry Potter And The Chamber of Secrets this feels like the franchise is stepping up a gear. The little details and embellishments, the fleshing out of minor characters, the sound effects and camera angles…it’s building a live action cartoon and it’s kinetic, sweeping you up gleefully on the journey and then…it just sort of sags for a bit, building up clues for the finale and keeping things ticking over, but it doesn’t soar again.
It picks up when Sirius Black finally appears, and there’s some satisfying time travel plotting (through a useful device that never appears again) but it can’t keep up its initial momentum. The film suits its breezier moments, but isn’t quite up to its darker edges yet. Daniel Radcliffe was unfortunate to be given a lot of angry shouting acting to do while his voice hadn’t quite broken.
Nonetheless, this is a fan favourite. Alfonso Cuaron’s direction helps makes Azkaban the most joyful film of the series, bursting with energy and making the magic more than wondrous: it’s finally fun.
Still, it’s bit cheapskate of Harry not to buy his own broomsticks, right? The guy’s minted.
2. Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2
AKA Snapey Breaky Heart.
Regarding death in Harry Potter: you don’t see everyone die, possibly because they couldn’t get a wall-wrangler booked in time for Fred Weasley, but their deaths work better here than in the book nonetheless. The main dramatic arc of this film is Harry coming to terms with his demise, which is done really well. The sense of guilt builds perfectly, with each death bearing down on him until he learns that he absolutely has to die if there’s to be any hope for the rest of his friends. From Snape’s death in the boathouse until Voldemort’s killing curse, the film is merciless in laying on the pathos; Harry’s journey is a series of gut-wrenching realisations.
It’s such a shame that Voldemort is a bit rubbish though.
Why does he continually trust the Malfoys to do important tasks when they fail at absolutely everything he asks them to do? And boy, is he not big on the details. If he’d let Bellatrix kill Harry Potter when she had the chance he’d totally have won (that prophecy was suitably vague). Harry is aware that he’s a stubborn and irrational idiot sometimes, and so bows to Hermione’s clearly superior judgement, which is why Harry wins. Oh sure, people may tell him it’s to do with love in his skin or something, but mainly it’s because he listens to his genius friend who has saved his life basically every week for seven years.
There are faults with this film, certainly. The ‘Not my daughter you bitch’ scene is fumbled, sending Slytherin to the dungeons further compounds the ‘THEN WHY THE HELL DO YOU HAVE AN EVIL HOUSE?’ issue, Ron and Hermione are given just enough screen time to placate the shippers, and there’s still a rush of plot to register before the battle, but when it kicks in it absolutely nails Harry’s story, so much so that it’s easy to forgive the overlooked subplots.
Plus, unlike certain other Fantasy film series, it just ends. Sure, it ends on a shot involving Ron looking like a sly midnight garage creeper, but at least it doesn’t hang around.
Unlike Ron. After dark.
1. Harry Potter And The Order of the Phoenix
Despite the jarring sound of The Ordinary Boys in the Gryffindor common room, once this film arrives in Hogwarts it balances its two conflicting tones better than any other movie in the story. Its silliness is shot through with a serious undercurrent: there’s a war coming, and civic freedoms are being oppressed.
The book is the longest in the series, the film is the second shortest (after Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2), and thanks to Daniel Radcliffe’s performance (underplaying it except for a few bursts of anger) it avoids the pitfalls of the novel and brings Harry’s anger into focus without making him too unlikeable. Rupert Grint, after sterling work in the last two films, has presumably handed over the acting juice for this one.
Once it has dispensed with the inevitable wizardly eccentricities, the film nails its tone upon arrival in the Ministry of Magic. The plot is shorn of mystery elements and is driven more by Harry’s fear and anger, with the politically charged subtext present but not overwhelming. Even in the colourful Christmas celebration scenes, they’re toasting an awkward Harry for saving someone’s life via his connection to Voldemort. Then there’s Dolores Umbridge, who’s just loathsome. Imelda Staunton makes sure she gets right under the skin just by laughing.
The finale is an excellent combination of spectacle, character and theme, with the fight between Voldemort and Dumbledore surprisingly tense for a 12A bloodless CG fest. This is also the last time Voldemort appears truly threatening, leering into shot suddenly and only counteracted by Dumbledore going into badass mode. It raises the stakes and lays further foundations for the next film, tells a great story in its own right, and has a satisfying emotional wallop at the end.
Cinemaniacs adds YouTube talent to its cast
UK-based producer Novel Entertainment is adding some digital starpower to its lineup for Cinemaniacs, tapping YouTuber Oli White to host the new factual entertainment series.
Commissioned by CBBC, the eight-part magazine series explores all facets of making and watching movies from a humorous angle.
Its new host, White, is a 20-year-old British YouTube star. An avid film fan, the vlogger has gained popularity for his weekly comedy and entertainment videos, which feature celebrity interviews, challenges and collaborations with other YouTubers. His YouTube channel currently has more than 22.6 million views.
Novel Entertainment hopes that White will serve as an inspiration for young filmmakers to take content production into their own hands.
Aimed at kids ages six to 12, Cinemaniacs features a host of film experts and celebs, including director Ron Howard and actors Sir Ian McKellen and Michael Sheen, as well as Harry Potter star Bonnie Wright and Diary Of A Wimpy Kid creator Jeff Kinney.
The series is produced by Novel Entertainment, in association with series producer and director of the series Julian Kemp, associate producer Michael Sheen and Into Film, a film-education nonprofit organization.
Scholastic study: Choosing books builds love of reading
Tarreau Simpson, 11, says he likes to read action and adventure stories, poems and haikus and sports stories. But don’t try to dictate what he reads.
“I like to have my own opinion,” says Tarreau of the North Side as he enjoys a reading group for youths at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh’s Allegheny branch.
Lavontae Sanders, 12, agrees. If pushed to read a book, “I wouldn’t really read it,” the North Side resident says.
Many children and adults agree with the results of Scholastic Corp.’s Kids & Family Reading Report, which suggests that students in middle and high school who have time to read books they choose themselves are more likely to read frequently for pleasure. In the survey, 91 percent of kids ages 6 to 17 say they’re more likely to read a book if they pick it out.
“As adults, we choose the books we want to read,” says Maggie McGuire, vice president of eScholastic Kids and Parents Channels. “Blessing a wide variety of reading material and letting kids choose is so important to developing a love of reading.”
To clarify, nobody is suggesting that kids should have the option of declining books that are part of the classroom curriculum, say substituting “Twilight” for “A Wrinkle in Time” for classroom studies and homework. But in their free time, whether at school or at home, kids should get a choice of reading material, McGuire says. She says one-third of kids ages 6 to 18 attend a school where a class period is designated as a reading time during the school day.
Designating this time evidently can be helpful. In the survey, 78 percent of students who read frequently for fun — at least five days a week — said they had time to read a book during the school day. By contrast, 24 percent of infrequent readers, who read for fun less than one day a week, said they had no time during the school day.
The study gives a “holistic view of what makes a reader … what turns kids on, what indicators predict and potential to become a very frequent reader. That can be in any environment,” McGuire says.
Donna Stephenson of Pine says she encourages her sons — Evan, 17, Troy, 14, and Kyle, 12, — to read for leisure. She wants them to have a choice, because that will encourage them to enjoy reading more than a reading assignment will.
“The whole point is the reading and that they’re becoming good readers,” Stephenson, 49, says. “I think that’s the key to success. … I think you just want to develop strong readers because it matters in the academic areas.
“I was not a strong reader as a child,” she says. “It took me longer to get through my academic work as a high school and college student.”
Troy, an eighth-grader at Pine Richland Middle School, says he is not a big reader, but if he chooses the book, he is more likely to want to read.
“It’s not really fun to read a required book,” he says.
Not that kids should be able to read anything they choose. Parents should ensure the material is age-appropriate, experts say. But, as much as is possible, letting kids choose what they want to read is going to create a habit that equates reading with pleasure, and they’re going to want to do it more, McGuire says.
In the 12 to 14 age group, 70 percent of kids in the survey said they are looking for books that make them laugh, and 46 percent said they wanted books that have strong and brave characters. That may explain the popularity of “The Hunger Games.”
Kelly Rottmund, teen services coordinator for Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, agrees with the findings of the Scholastic study.
“We’ve seen those results over and over again in various surveys,” she says. “Providing teens a choice in their reading materials really increases the chances of them … engaging and continuing to read for pleasure.”
The librarians work together to create a suggested reading list, like for the summer reading program — including the popular “The 5th Wave” by Rick Yancey — but the kids make the choice. Rottmund recalls one girl who selected “Divergent” by Veronica Roth, finished the book in two days, and came back to the library to ask for more.
“For us, that was seeing the power of choice in action,” Rottmund says.
Jaimere Washington, 15, of the North Side says both a parent-chosen and kid-chosen book can work. If he is open to reading something his parents encourage, he just might like it, and then he can get more books like it.
“I feel like both can be beneficial,” Jaimere says. He and his peers were discussing “Through the Woods,” a graphic novel by Emily Carroll, at their library book group.
Michele Brooks, a language-arts teacher at Norwin Middle School, supports providing a choice for reading material. In Brooks’ classes, she forms small groups called literature circles with the students, and each group chooses from six novels to read outside of class and then discuss the book with classmates.
“The benefit of that is, when they present that to the class, other kids in the class are hearing about novels from their classmates,” she says. “So they are more likely to read them because their classmates are recommending them.”
When parents come in for open house, many of them tell Brooks their child doesn’t really like to read. She tries to help those students find a genre they like. Sports fans, for instance, should enjoy reading sports books and magazines. Even if it’s something simple like “Diary of a Wimpy Kid,” reading is reading, and all kids should be able to find something that appeals to them, she says.
“I really feel like almost every person … there was that novel than when your read it, you thought, ‘Wow, that’s it,’ and you really start to love literature,” says Brooks, who cites “The Outsiders” as the book that did it for her in her youth.
“For some, it might be magazines,” Brooks says. “If that’s where it starts, they’re at least reading.”
Katy Perry Shines During Super Bowl XLIX Halftime Show: Watch
Katy Perry performs during the Pepsi Super Bowl XLIX Halftime Show at University of Phoenix Stadium on February 1, 2015 in Glendale, Arizona.
A Missy Elliott medley, a male-female duet on “I Kissed a Girl” and a pyrotechnic finale: Katy’s Super Bowl performance had it all.
Katy Perry‘s halftime performance at Super Bowl XLIX, hyped for months and anticipated by millions, did not disappoint. Taking the University of Phoenix Stadium field in Glendale, Ariz. halfway through the matchup between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots, Perry plowed through her plentiful collection of hits with the help of some special guests, Lenny Kravitz and Missy Elliott.
Wearing a flame-adorned dress (all of Perry’s outfits were designed by Jeremy Scott) and her hair in a black ponytail, Perry kicked off the Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show perched atop a moving gold tiger, which strolled spectacularly across the field as the pop superstar performed “Roar” live. The stage then became a breathing chessboard for “Dark Horse,” another No. 1 hit from Perry’s latest album, PRISM. Acrobats flipped beside Perry as the stage turned three-dimensional, and the singer welcomed her first guest: Lenny Kravitz.Super Bowl XLIX: Photos of the Parties, Halftime & More!
Flames exploded behind Perry and Kravitz as the pair combined for an unlikely duet of “I Kissed a Girl.” Very soon after, the stage segued into a breezy beach setting, with dancing sharks, bopping palm trees and smiling beach balls helping Perry out with a performance of “Teenage Dream.”
Another Teenage Dream smash, “California Gurls,” was quickly performed before Perry brought another guest, Missy Elliott to the stage; the veteran rapper tore through “Get Ur Freak On” and “Work It” as Perry played hype-woman while wearing a custom Super Bowl 49 jersey. Perry disappeared briefly as Missy Elliott performed “Lose Control,” and returned sporting a star-encrusted gown for the finale of “Firework.”
Rising from the middle of the field on a tiny platform, Perry circled the stadium and waved to the adoring crowd during the climactic performance. There were glowing orbs on the field, and of course, fireworks exploding around Perry as she delivered the self-empowerment anthem. It was a fittingly explosive ending to a fiery performance, one that serves as a career highlight for the pop superstar.
Billboard Cover: Behind the Scenes With Katy Perry as She Rehearses for the Super Bowl
Here is the set list from Katy Perry’s Super Bowl XLIX halftime show:
“Roar”
“Dark Horse”
“I Kissed a Girl” (with Lenny Kravitz)
“Teenage Dream”
“California Gurls”
Missy Elliott medley: “Get Ur Freak On,” “Work It,” “Lose Control”
“Firework”
Robbie Coltrane Hospitalized After Flight: Is The ‘Harry Potter’ Star OK?
Oh no! The actor who played Hagrid in the ‘Harry Potter’ movies was rushed to a hospital after he got off a plane on Thursday, Jan. 29. Is he okay? Here’s what we know.
Robbie Coltrane, 64, was reportedly hospitalized after suffering severe flu-like symptoms, following a flight on Thursday, Jan. 29. The Harry Potter actor’s rep confirmed he fell ill during a British Airways flight from London to Orlando, and since then, he’s been receiving treatment.
Robbie Coltrane Hospitalized: ‘Harry Potter’ Star Had Flu-Like Symptoms On Flight
Paramedic allegedly met Robbie at the gate and raced him to the hospital, a source told TMZ.
Robbie, who is famous for playing the lovable Hagrid, was heading to Orlando, home of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park, for a “A Celebration of Harry Potter” event. Dumbledore (Michael Gamdon) was on the same flight as him!
It’s not yet clear why Robbie came down with these flu-life symptoms, but according to TMZ, someone on Twitter said the actor was drinking heavily in a London airport lounge before the flight.
To say his alleged drinking led to his illness, without proof, wouldn’t be right. No information has been released at this time.
Robbie Coltrane Expected To Make Full Recovery
Unfortunately, Universal Studios confirmed in a statement to Bay News 9 that Robbie will miss the event in Orlando, but his agent said that he’s expected to recover shortly, according to TIME.
Phew! Well, that’s a relief. We’re sure Harry Potter fans will be sad to not see Robbie, but at least we know he’ll be okay! That’s what really matters.
Harry Potter Takes Over the Health Sciences Library
On a cold January night, CUMC’s Augustus C. Long Health Sciences Library (HSL) was filled with students, faculty, and guests decked out in festive attire representing the four houses from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry: Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff.
Currently on display at the HSL is “Harry Potter’s World: Renaissance Science, Magic, and Medicine,” which encourages guests to explore the history of science and medicine through the adventures of the famous fictitious boy wizard. The exhibition, curated by Elizabeth J. Bland, is the second to visit CUMC from the National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health.
Touring the United States since 2009, the exhibition links British author J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter book series to 15th- and 16th-century science and medicine. At the Jan. 28 opening, Joel A. Klein, PhD, lecturer and postdoctoral researcher in Columbia University’s Department of History and research fellow at the Chemical Heritage Foundation, gave an interactive presentation about the history of alchemy and its connection to medicine. Dr. Klein also kept attendees on their toes by incorporating pertinent Harry Potter trivia questions related to alchemy.
“Delivering dynamic programs like these helps to put the HSL on the map as a future Knowledge Center, a place where our constituents can come to expand upon what they’re learning in the classroom in an innovative way,” says Melissa Mendelson, director of programming at the HSL. “As health and medical education continue to evolve to meet the needs of tomorrow’s patients and clinicians, it’s important to encourage students to have fun and be creative in how they seek out knowledge and information.”
Innovative and engaging programming is one of the many ways in which the HSL reaches the CUMC community. “Whether you’re a student, researcher, faculty member, or clinician, the library fosters a sense of community and unites people through knowledge,” Mendelson says. “The ‘Harry Potter’s World’ event on Jan. 28 was the first of several programs that will be offered by the HSL.”
“Harry Potter’s World: Renaissance Science, Magic, and Medicine” will be on display on the first floor of the Hammer Health Sciences Building until Feb. 28, 2015. It is free and open to members of CUMC and the surrounding community.
For more information about the exhibition, as well as upcoming programming and events at the HSL, visit library.cumc.columbia.edu.
How 7 Disney Princesses Could Change the World
Without a magic wand
After a U.S. official suggested this week that Anna and Elsa from Frozen could be good ambassadors for fighting climate change, we got to thinking about how some other Disney Princesses could wield their mighty influence on young American minds.
Princess Diana raised awareness about AIDS and land mines after her fairy-tale wedding glow faded, so why shouldn’t Disney Princesses be do-gooders, too? Here are some ways these fictional characters could change the world.
Mulan (from Mulan)
She could fight for increased protections for women in the military, especially when it comes to being sexually assaulted or filmed in the shower. She could also fight to reform the hairstyle rules for military women, so that no female soldier ever has to give herself a terrible haircut with her dad’s sword ever again. Belle (from Beauty and the Beast)
She could campaign for child literacy programs and for more online education options for people who live in boring towns. She could also be a vocal advocate for increased social security and adult-home-care programs to reduce wolf attacks among the elderly. Ariel (from The Little Mermaid)
She could be an spokesperson to clean up the oceans and save the diversity of species under the sea. She could also fight for immigration reform, so that evil witches stop taking advantage of anyone who wants to cross a border. And she could do it all in mime. Pocahontas (from Pocahontas)
Her conflict resolution skills could make her an excellent candidate to be a U.N. Goodwill Ambassador, especially in areas with indigenous tensions. She could also fight to eliminate corporal punishment and serve on the board of Save America’s Forests. Cinderella (from Cinderella)
She could fight for a higher minimum wage in the service industry and advocate for increased protections against child labor. She could also secretly fight to lower estate taxes so that other children of rich parents don’t end up poor like her. Tiana (from The Princess and the Frog)
The star of the New Orleans fairy tale could demand a larger investment in small businesses and an increased environmental commitment to global warming to reduce the rising waters that threaten her hometown. Jasmine (from Aladdin)
She could be a vocal advocate for the rights of women in the Middle East, and could fight for an expansion of girls’ education in that region. She could also oppose any laws that forbid women to drive cars or operate magic carpetsRead original article here:
Emma Watson Talks Life After ‘Harry Potter’: UN Position, Mature Movies, Boyfriends
“I’ve been stunned by the amount of men in my life that have contacted me since my speech to tell me to keep going, and that they want to make sure that their daughters will still be alive to see a world where women have power and equality, economically and politically.”
In addition, the actress has taken on a wide range of film roles. In the Bling Ring, for example, Watson played one of a group of teens obsessed with celebrities who rob stars’ homes.She also will be appearing in the yet-to-be-released film Regression with Ethan Hawke, reported Stack News. The suspense movie features Hawke as a detective tracking a father whose daughter, played by Watson, accuses him of committing a crime he cannot remember.
As a psychologist works with the father, a mystery that has impacted the entire nation is revealed. In addition to Emma and Ethan, Regression stars David Dencik as the father and David Thewlis as the psychologist.
“It was a mutual decision,” said an insider. “[Emma has] moved on and is currently busy with work and her lining up some philanthropic pushes.”
Emma has dated both British lads and American boys. She explained the difference to Ellen DeGeneres, below.
She also currently is filming a drama Colonia Dignidad. Based on a true story, the film reveals how a German wife played by Emma hunts desperately for her kidnapped husband.
And although Watson is too busy to talk Harry Potter sequels, the film and books franchise is still going strong as the Inquisitr reported.
From an exhibit and lectures at Yale Medical School to Harry Potter chocolate and engagement rings, the lure of the boy wizard remains. Also showing the power of Potter is the net worth of the author and actors.
Rowling has become the world’s first author to have a net worth of $1 billion. Surpassing his co-actors, Daniel Radcliffe’s net worth is $110 million. Watson, who played Hermione Granger, is worth $60 million. And Rupert Grint, who played Ron Weasley, has a net worth of $50 million.
Harry Potter attractions in London will include the Hogwarts Express.
And for those who want to celebrate Harry Potter, “Warner Bros Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter” is expanding to re-create the Hogwarts Express and Platform 9 ¾, reported Digital Spy. Visitors can view the results on March 19, which is scheduled to coincide with the attraction’s third anniversary.
Joseph Morgan Dishes on Auditioning For Harry Potter Movies
We know and love Joseph Morgan as the villainous Klaus Mikaelson from The Vampire Diaries and The Originals, but his first big audition was for another one of our favorite franchises: Harry Potter. Can you imagine JoMo in the films? The actor dished to Just Jared about the auditioning process.
“I was just in drama school and I just signed with my agent in the UK,” Joseph recalls. “I was 21, and I heard about them making the Chamber of Secrets, which was the second film. There was this part, Tom Riddle, and this woman called me, who was interested in being my agent. It came through on an anonymous number, and I thought it was one of my friends pretending like, ‘Hello, is Joseph there please? Yes, I have an audition for him.’”
We can totally imagine Joseph as Lord Voldemort’s younger self. As we know from his time as Klaus, he knows how to play a compelling villain. Of course, this was before the actor had such experience playing a bad guy.
Joseph remembers the steps he took to prepare for the audition: “So I read the book, watched the first Harry Potter film, bought a Harry Potter poster and put it on my wall. I absorbed it all as much as I could. Then I went in and I got a call back but I didn’t end up getting it. It sort of set the standard for me. Like, I knew I should be doing film and television.”
Though we’re sad for 21-year-old Joseph that he didn’t end up getting the part, we can’t say we’re upset that his career ended up the way it did. Can you imagine The Vampire Diaries without him as Klaus? Yeah, us either.
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Harry Potter fans in for treat at Bradford libraries
HARRY Potter fans are in for a treat next month with a day of Hogwarts themed activates planned at libraries across the district.
Craft workshops, storytelling, Quidditch matches, Diagon Alley hunts, biscuit decorating and competitions are planned for Thursday, February 5.
Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe, Bradford Council’s Executive Member for Employment, Skills and Culture, said: “These events will be great for the many Harry Potter fans out there. There is something to inspire everyone and encourage children and their families to visit our libraries.”
There is also a Harry Potter competition for anyone who knows the names of the four houses of Hogwarts.
Answers should be written on a postcard with your name, age, school and telephone number in capital letters. Postcards need to be marked for the attention of Christinea Donnelly DO:YP Ilkley Library and handed to a member of staff at one of the Harry Potter events.
Events and times are: Baildon Library – Reading of Harry Potter extracts and making wands followed by a Diagon Alley hunt and activity sheets and online access – 3.45pm; Bingley Library – Reading of Harry Potter extracts and making wands followed by a Diagon Alley hunt and activity sheets and online access – 3.45pm; Burley Library – Quick draw challenge and Diagon Alley hunt among other activities – 3.30pm; City – Harry Potter wand making and magicians hats – 4.30pm-5.30pm; Clayton – Colouring competition, crafts and decorating biscuit – 3.30pm-4.30pm; Girlington – Making Harry Potter mini wizards with children who have hearing impairments – 11.30am-noon; Haworth Road – Making a Harry Potter collage and wands – 3pm-4pm; Holme Wood – Quidditch event with prizes for the top scorers and making Harry’s owl Hedwig – 3.30pm-4.30pm; Idle – Making Hedwigs and Hogwarts acceptance letters, along with Hogwarts Crest Collage, plus Harry Potter quiz – 3pm; Ilkley – Staff will be dressing up and are inviting children to do the same and will be reading extracts and running a craft session. There will also be “potions” to sample – 3.30pm; Keighley – Making Pygmy Puffs and Hedwigs – 3.30pm; Laisterdyke – Making magical wands and Harry Potter glasses – 5pm; Manningham – Making mini wizards – 4pm-5.30pm; Menston – Quick draw challenge and Diagon Alley hunt among other activities – 3.30pm; St. Augustine’s – Creating broomsticks and bookmarks – 4pm-5pm; Shipley – Reading Harry Potter extracts and making wands followed by a Diagon Alley hunt and activity sheets and online access – 3.45pm; Wibsey – Making sorting hats, broomsticks and marauders map – 3.45pm; Wyke – Creating Hedwigs and Harry Potter treasure (book in advance) – 4pm-5pm.
‘Frozen’: Why kids can’t ‘Let It Go’
(CNN)You can’t escape Disney’s phenomenon “Frozen.”
It is the highest-grossing animated film of all time and one of Disney’s top franchises.
It was the most downloaded movie from Apple last year, and kids everywhere are still singing the movie’s anthem, “Let It Go.”
Heck, it’s now probably stuck in your own head right now, even if you have never seen the film.
So why has the 2013 movie stuck around for so long for the under-5 set?
To understand the psychology behind “Frozen” Mania, CNN reached out to psychologists who are sisters themselves: Yalda Uhls is regional director for Common Sense Media. Maryam Kia-Keating is an associate professor of clinical psychology at University of California, Santa Barbara. Here is our edited conversation.
CNN: Princess movies have been around since the beginning of time, but this has really resonated. What has made this one so unique?
Yalda Uhls: One of the things that really struck me, and I think struck little children, is that there is a really strong intergenerational, family-themed message here. Despite the sisters Anna and Elsa being separated for so long, the story is ultimately about the bond between the two of them.
When you’re little, that is your zone; that’s your group; they define your world.
Highlighting that and making it feel important — your sister, your brother, your mom and dad — is something little kids can really identify with.
Maryam Kia-Keating: Kids can really understand the idea of their sister wanting to play with them, and sometimes not, but still having a strong family bond.
Ultimately, it’s about the love between the sisters. That’s a message that many little children understand. There are also good lessons about overcoming struggles and facing life challenges. But, what’s interesting about preschoolers, in particular, is there’s this loyalty and unrelenting interest to watch this movie over and over again.
Part of it is because it was so well done, but there are some themes that younger kids can really identify with.
My 4-year-old daughter told me that she also liked that it didn’t have a witch.
I wouldn’t have thought that until she said it, but it made me more thoughtful about all the other movies — great movies — that have scary witches and themes in them.
This was something that little kids under 5 aren’t going to have nightmares about.
CNN: Why is not having a witch important to a preschooler?
Kia-Keating: When you’re an adult, you’ve heard a lot of these stories, like “Snow White” or “Cinderella,” and you forget the power they can have.
It’s helpful to have a child’s point of view on this.
Kids are living in this world where the line between what’s real and what’s not really is blurry, and because they have such vivid imaginations, witches and monsters can feel very real.
As adults, we may see these villains or monsters as a way to tell a story or a lesson, but when children are in the moment of being scared, they are caught up in the fear and not in finding the larger lesson.
Uhls: I used to work in the film industry, and as adults, we’re told that we need conflict to drive drama. Take Grimm’s Fairy Tales; there are always dire stakes. Or movies like “Bambi” and “The Lion King,” where the mother or father die.
These are serious issues and themes, and sometimes little kids aren’t ready to process and understand these ideas.
CNN: What about the characters seem so easy for kids to empathize with?
Uhls: Preschooler imaginations are really strong, and so they respond really well to stories with magical realism.
In “Frozen,” Princess Elsa has these powers to control ice and snow — and that really captures kids’ imaginations.
When you’re small, you don’t feel powerful. Everyone is always dictating what you can and cannot do. Having a character they can empathize with that has these powers can make them feel more empowered, as well.
Kia-Keating: That magical piece is exciting and is one of the things that really sets this movie apart from others.
Another aspect that kids see themselves in Elsa and Anna is the impulsiveness.
Parents are constantly trying to teach their little ones how to self-regulate their emotions, how to behave, how to sit down.
Elsa is constantly trying to tame or control her emotions — and while this is something that is salient to everyone throughout their lifetimes, this is something preschoolers deal with all the time.
CNN: The song “Let It Go”: It’s everywhere, and kids can’t stop singing it. What is it about this anthem?
Kia-Keating: My 4-year-old came home and learned the song before we had even seen the movie.
One of the lines she and all her friends connected to was “Be the good girl that you always have to be.”
And when they sing it, they wag their fingers like they do in the movie.
I think it looks a lot like something they see and hear from parents — be a good girl or boy, don’t do this or that — so part of it is copying what they frequently hear.
But when I asked my daughter what she thought the song was about, she said it was about “Elsa being happy and free, and nobody bothering her.”
That’s a message that everyone wants: to be happy and free.
Alice In Wonderland-Based Minecraft Build Is Kinda Magnificent
Dayshot: It also doesn’t have a world download, which is criminal. Instead, it has a rather well-put-together video.
The map was built by PlanetMinecrafter RubicCubeMan. If you look at his submissions page, none of his builds have a download attached, except for that one unicorn, which is a darn shame seeing how good this guy’s building style is. I’d love to check these out up close. Anyway, here’s the Alice in Minecraft video:
Really cool. And the screenshots:
Dayshot showcases some of the prettiest, funniest game-related screenshots and art that we can find.
What’s Twitch’s Latest Plan to Support Streamers?
Live-streaming service Twitch has pretty much the perfect business model. Twitch provides the tools to let broadcasters stream their gameplay, and streamers provide the content that brings millions of viewers to Twitch. Everybody wins. Well, everybody except music publishers who aren’t happy with their copyrighted music being used by streamers without compensation. While sites like YouTube have more-or-less found a way to make peace with the music industry, Twitch has been having a hard time finding a solution that will keep labels happy without severely curtailing the activity of streamers.
Now Twitch might have found a way to make everyone happy. The platform has introduced the Twitch Music Library, an archive that collects all the tracks that have been approved by the labels for use in live streams and archived videos. Twitch is hoping that it can convince streamers to draw their background music from this growing database of songs rather than playing potentially copyrighted tunes in the background.
Presently the library contains around 500 tracks, mostly from independent music labels whose artists will benefit from the exposure they’ll receive on Twitch’s live streams. Beyond providing creators with a resources for songs that won’t get Twitch sued, the library is also part of Twitch’s gradual expansion into music. The site, which was born as a “life streaming” platform and gradually grew into its role as a gaming juggernaut, would like to expand its territory into the lucrative world of streaming music. The move was foreshadowed last year when Twitch suddenly cracked down on copyrighted music, a move that was interpreted by many as a hint that the company would soon be acquired by YouTube. Ultimately Twitch went to Amazon, but Twitch’s musical ambitions remain in play.
Twitch has already dabbled in live streaming concerts and live performances and has been working to build partnerships with independent artists and record labels. For artists who aren’t in a position to tour, Twitch’s millions-strong streaming audiences could provide an attractive alternative. Still, Twitch’s primary hustle is still gaming, which is why the Music Library is being rolled out first and foremost as a resource for live streamers with its potential as a source of streaming music for audiences in the background.
YouTube: PewDiePie, DC Toys Collector and Katy Perry topped 2014 chart
Games, music and children’s channels ruled the roost on YouTube in 2014, with its most popular channel PewDiePie’s videos watched more than 4.1bn times last year.
The UK-based gamer – aka Felix Kjellberg – ended the year with more than 33.5 million people subscribing to his YouTube channel, which focuses on “Let’s Play” footage of him playing games and providing a running commentary.
PewDiePie was YouTube’s biggest star in 2014 according to the Guardian’s analysis of monthly charts published by online video industry site Tubefilter, based on data from video analytics firm OpenSlate.
Kjellberg’s channel had the most views for 2014 overall, but second-placed children’s channel DC Toys Collector was more popular in the last three months of the year, boosting its overall total to 3.3bn views.
Musician Katy Perry had the third most popular YouTube channel in 2014 with nearly 2.4bn views, fuelled by the popularity of the videos for singles including This Is How We Do, Birthday and Dark Horse.
The Guardian’s analysis of the data reinforces the sense of YouTube as a melting pot of old and new media stars.
Shakira (just under 2bn views) and US chat-show host Jimmy Fallon (1.7bn) rub shoulders with Minecraft channels Stampy (2.2bn) and The Diamond Minecart (1.6bn) in the upper reaches of the chart, for example.
Other YouTube kingpins in 2014 included Dutch dance-music channel Spinnin’ Records (2bn); pop-culture focused WatchMojo (1.7bn); musician Enrique Iglesias (1.7bn); wrestling brand WWE (1.6bn); Russian family channel GetMovies (1.7bn); and the channels for record labels in Thailand (GMM Grammy’s 1.6bn views) and India (T-Series’ 1.6bn).
A montage of PewDiePie’s recent videos (language NSFW in places).
The figures are also a reminder that some of the most recognisable “stars” of YouTube aren’t among the biggest channels by views.
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Prominent American YouTubers like Michelle Phan, Grace Helbig, Tyler Oakley, Connor Franta and Bethany Mota rarely appeared in Tubefilter’s monthly charts of the 100 most popular channels, even though they continued to build solid audiences of subscribers.
Meanwhile British vlogger Zoella’s main channel grew steadily throughout 2014 from 10.9m views in January to 22.4m in December, but its 214m views for the year as a whole were less than a tenth of the biggest British star Stampy’s – PewDiePie is Swedish, although he now lives and works in Brighton.
YouTube remains an incubator for new production companies and online media firms, though. Successes in 2014 included BuzzFeed Video (1.3bn views), The Fine Brothers (1.3bn) and Smosh (1.1bn).
Meanwhile, children’s nursery rhymes channel Little Baby Bum notched up more than 869m views in the last four months of the year alone, having not previously appeared in Tubefilter and OpenSlate’s chart.
It was the fourth most popular YouTube channel in December, behind only DC Toys Collector, PewDiePie and Taylor Swift, whose channel totalled 1.4bn views for the year despite a quiet first few months when she was recording her album ‘1989’.
The charts also reveal the wider growth of YouTube – or at least its most successful channels.
Tubefilter and OpenSlate’s rankings for December 2013 revealed more than 6.9bn views that month for the service’s top 100 channels, but by December 2014 that figure had grown 91% to more than 13.2bn.
‘Bad Kitty’ makes me think of my happy place
Do you like “Bad Kitty” books? Well if you do, check out “Bad Kitty Vs. Uncle Murray”! Trust me it’s great! You have to read the book to find out the rest!
This story reminds me of when my mom told me a story about her younger brother when they had baby hamsters. Her brother let them out. She found all of them in different places all over the house, just like when Uncle Murray found Bad Kitty all over the place!
When my mom and dad are doing something I blend into things and try to scare them, just like Bad kitty. Bad Kitty is just like my sister Isabel. They are both so silly. Uncle Murray is just like my dad Richard. He gets so frustrated over something that HE did! If all of the cats were humans, they would be great friends because they will always stick up for me.
I think the main idea of the story is “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” The most important part of the story is when Uncle Murray came over to their house. The funniest part of the story to me was when all of the cats started chasing Uncle Murray!
This book makes me want to read more of the series. I think the author wrote this book to make kids laugh and have fun reading. This book makes me think of my happy place.
New Nintendo 3DS Release Date Leaked, And It’s Soon – Report
What appears to be an image of a promotional poster that appeared on NeoGAF today reveals that Nintendo’s New 3DS XL will launch in North America on February 13, 2015. The portable, which was first announced in August 2014, went on sale in Japan and Australia late last year.
The New Nintendo 3DS (yes, that’s really the name), includes a long list of new features, including an analog nub, additional ZL and ZR shoulder buttons, improved 3D, integrated NFC support for Amiibo, a faster CPU, and replaceable cover plates.
For lots more on the New Nintendo 3DS, check out the video above.
Today’s New Nintendo 3DS release date rumor comes less than a day before Nintendo is scheduled to hold its latest Nintendo Direct video briefing. In announcing the event last night, Nintendo said the focus of the event would be spring 2015 Wii U and 3DS games, though of course this doesn’t rule out discussion of other topics, likely potentially the New Nintendo 3DS launch date.
Tomorrow’s Nintendo Direct kicks off at 6 AM Pacific / 9 AM Eastern / 2 PM UK. We’ll post the livestream info tomorrow, and we’ll have all the news for you as it’s announced.
Microsoft’s New YouTube and Twitch Rules Don’t Apply to Minecraft
Microsoft has updated its Game Content Usage Rules page to explain how people can use its game content to create YouTube videos and Twitch Streams, but the new rules don’t apply to Minecraft, which Microsoft acquired last year for $2.5 billion.
The new policy states that Microsoft allows users to create derivative works based on its games strictly for personal, noncommercial use, as long as they follow a set of rules. Some of these rules prohibit users from reverse engineering games to “access the assets or otherwise do things that the games don’t normally permit,” or creating content that is “pornographic, lewd, obscene, vulgar, discriminatory (on the basis of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, etc.), illegal, hate speech, promoting violence, drug use or any illegal activity, promoting crimes against humanity, genocide or torture, or is otherwise objectionable.”
“Whether an Item is ‘objectionable; is up to us, but you can expect us to be concerned if a significant number of people in the game’s community or the public at large report the content as offensive,” Microsoft said.
You also can’t earn compensation with derivative works by selling it or through advertisements, unless you’re posting it to YouTube and Twitch.
The new rules apply to all of Microsoft’s products except Minecraft, which retains its own guidelines. The rules are not that different (mostly common sense in both cases), but Minecraft is a bit more lax, allowing users to create and sell whatever content they want as long as its clear that it’s not an official Minecraft product.
Lifelike dolls of Kate Middleton, Harry Potter and Angelina Jolie selling for thousands on eBay
Ever fancied owning a Kate Middleton doll?
Well now you can thanks to artist Noel Cruz, who has been busy transforming boring off-the-shelf dolls into a range of celebrities. Among those you can get your hands on are Angelina Jolie, Princess Diana, Johnny Depp and
And the results are quite astounding.
Noel’s handiwork, which sells for up to £3,300 a time, can take up to three days to create as he painstakingly paints the intricate faces of each model by hand – sometimes working for eight hours straight.
He removes all the paint to make a blank canvas, before repainting the face with tiny brushes, applying acrylic like makeup to each of the dolls.
The Californian artist even cuts, styles and puts mini rollers in their hair to create the exact copies of the music and movie stars.
He then sells his work on eBay.
Noel, who lives in Tustin in California, USA, said: “I became interested in this by accident as my wife has been a collector of dolls for years.
“It’s painstaking work on such a small canvas so delicately done – it can be longer than an eight-hour shift.”
While looking around the internet for dolls for his wife Emma, he noticed some of the dolls available had extremely lifelike faces.
In 2001 he decided to paint his first doll – before becoming confident enough to take on some of the planet’s biggest celebs.
The artist, 53, usually paints big Hollywood names such as characters from Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter and, more recently, The Hunger Games.
In the future, Noel, who started out as a portrait artist, hopes to work on characters from hits like Breaking Bad and Game of Thrones.
But his favourite characters to create are classic Hollywood stars such as Marilyn Monroe and Bette Davis.
He added: “I gravitate towards celebrities because there are so many pictures of them available it’s more of a challenge.”
Sea Gallery here: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/lifelike-dolls-kate-middleton-harry-4907640
Everything J.K. Rowling revealed about Harry Potter in 2014 http://ti.me/1zTqQhc (Jaap Buitendijk—Warner Bros.)
The boy who lived. And lived. And lived
It’s been more than five years since J.K. Rowling’s final Harry Potter book was released. But it doesn’t mean the wizarding world has come to a halt. 2014 brought columns from Rita Skeeter, social media riddles from Rowling and revelations that Hogwarts was as warm and welcoming a place to diversity as Potter fans would have wanted. Though some critics argue Rowling needs to cool it with the new content, Potter fanatics feel otherwise. Here’s everything we learned about the wizarding world in 2014.
Rowling hit the heart of nostalgia in July when she published a gossip column from Rita Skeeter about Harry and Company’s reunion at the Quidditch World Cup. The infamous wizards, “no longer the fresh-faced teenagers they were in their heyday,” are now in their thirties. Harry, a 34-year-old with “threads of silver” in his hair, was sporting a new scar, a “nasty cut over his right cheekbone,” which Skeeter speculated was from an argument with his wife Ginny Potter, now a reporter for the Daily Prophet.
Hermione Granger, the feminist fatale, naturally did not change her last name as Ginny did. Granger unsurprisingly rose to be Deputy Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Ron Weasley, however, is beginning to bald and left the Ministry of Magic after only two years to co-manage Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes with his brother George. Percy Weasley, meanwhile, is Head of the Department of Magical Transportation.
Dolores Umbridge was inspired by one of Rowling’s own teachers
Rowling released a 1,700-word story on Halloween, noting that Umbridge was based on a former teacher who she despised. “Umbridge is not only one of the most malicious Potter characters—she is the only person other than Lord Voldemort to leave a permanent physical scar on Harry,” Rowling wrote and “one of the characters for whom [she felt] the purest dislike.” Her affinity for kittens was also inspired by a woman Rowling once shared an office with, who “had covered the wall space behind her desk with pictures of fluffy kitties.” Umbridge’s backstory was revealed in the piece, including the fact that her mother was a Muggle, her father a wizard and her brother a Squib. “Nasty things tended to happen” to those who inquired about her family. And even to those who didn’t, we always knew.
Gilderoy Lockhart tried to make a line of hair products
The famous wizard was always looking for new ways to stay famous. Lockhart discovered Occamy eggs—Occamys are serpentine-like creatures with wings who are very protective of their silver eggs. The creatures’ aggressiveness made the shampoos too expensive and too dangerous to produce.
Celestina Warbeck was quite the dramatic rockstar
“An early marriage to a backing dancer lasted only a year; Celestina then married her manager, with whom she had a son, only to leave him for the composer Irving Warble ten years later,” Rowling wrote. Rowling posted the story about one of Molly Weasley’s favorites on Pottermore in August, along with a jazz-like song called “You Stole My Cauldron But You Can’t Have My Heart.”
Rowling is very excited about the Harry Potter spinoff
Fans thought Rowling was hinting at a new Potter book when she posted an anagram to Twitter asking fans to solve it. But a winner revealed it was simply a hint at Rowling’s latest project: The screenplay for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, a Potter movie spinoff. The screenplay is based on a book that once only existed in the wizarding world and served as a textbook at Hogwarts.
There is room for everyone at Hogwarts (almost)
Rowling responded to a fan who tweeted that his wife had teasingly told him there were no Jews at Hogwarts, meaning that she was the only one qualified to be “magical” in the family.
She confirmed in a later Tweet that the only people she never imagined at Hogwarts are Wiccans. All sexual orientations are welcome as well, she confirmed when a fan asked about an LGBT club at Hogwarts.
There’s a reason Draco Malfoy is so mean
“Draco was raised in an atmosphere of regret that the Dark Lord had not succeeded in taking command of the wizarding community,” Rowling wrote, revealing that before meeting Harry on the Hogwarts Express, Draco, his family and other ex-Death Eaters thought Harry could be “another, and better, Voldemort.” Draco married Astoria Greengrass, who may have helped shape the bitter Slytherin into a better man. “As Astoria refused to raise their grandson Scorpius in the belief that Muggles were scum, family gatherings were fraught with tension,” Rowling wrote.
Snape is not a vampire, but there was almost a vampire in the series
Rowling toyed with the idea of a vampire professor at Hogwarts called Trocar, named for a “sharply pointed shaft inserted into arteries or cavities to extract bodily fluids.” Though Trocar was edited out early on in the Potter process, fans speculated that Snape was a vampire. “While it is true that he has an unhealthy pallor, and is sometimes described as looking like a large bat in his long black coat, he never actually turns into a bat,” Rowling wrote. “We meet him outside in the castle by daylight, and no corpses with puncture marks in their necks ever turn up at Hogwarts.”
The Inferi were not zombies
Inferi were somewhat inspired by zombies, but Rowling purposely didn’t call them that because of Michael Jackson. “I’m part of the ‘Thriller’ generation,” she wrote. “To me, a zombie will always mean Michael Jackson in a bright red bomber jacket.”
The Hufflepuff Horcrux was almost a cauldron
“But there was something slightly comical and incongruous about having such a large and heavy horcrux,” Rowling wrote.
The Leaky Cauldron was almost ruined by muggles
The oldest pub in London survived when Muggles built Charing Cross Road that “ought to have flattened it completely.” The bar also serves a beer that a former landlord created to honor a former Minister of Magic, but it’s “so disgusting that nobody has ever been known to finish a pint.”
Rowling has some regrets
The author regretted killing off Florean Fortescue, the owner of the Diagon Alley ice cream parlor. “I seemed to have him kidnapped and killed for no good reason,” she wrote. “He is not the first wizard whom Voldemort murdered because he knew too much (or too little), but he is the only one I feel guilty about, because it was all my fault.”