Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire more than earns its PG-13 rating and than some and is definitely not for the younger fans of the Harry Potter series. With that said, Goblet of Fire is by far the best of the series and the one where Harry finally stops being the accidental hero and lives up to all of the hype and awe that surrounds him.

For those of you who don’t know, Goblet of Fire centers on the Tri - Wizard tournament, a mystical, glorious and extremely dangerous tournament that involves three schools, where three students are selected to compete in three dangerous and potentially deadly trials where the last one standing is declared victor and receives eternal glory for being the best of the best. Well, due to some powerful magical interference Potter’s name is chosen as one the champions, as they are called and the Tri-Wizard tournament all of a sudden becomes the Quad – Wizard tournament and no one is happy about it, least of all Harry.

Mike Newell really outdid himself with Goblet of Fire. The movie is appropriately dark and foreboding, the pacing is excellent and the light scenes of teen angst and budding awareness of the opposite sex are priceless. Newell does seem to channel the Lord of the Rings in the visual aesthetics of the movie, however. In viewing the film I kept saying to myself, “You know I’ve seen this somewhere before.”

I realized later that the dark environment, the spooky settings, even the sign of Lord Voldermot, a skull with a snake that appears in the sky every time Voldermot is summoned (Think the eye of Sauron that appears in the sky in LOTR) and even the death eaters put me in the mind of the Lord of the Rings. There’s nothing wrong with channeling Peter Jackson’s epic, especially considering that the Harry Potter series and Goblet of Fire in particular are pretty epic in and of themselves but it would have been nice for a little originality on Newell’s part.

Radcliffe (Harry) still could use a bit of help in the acting department but Grint (Ron) and Watson (Hermione) more than make up for his shortcomings. The movies true gems are Neville (Mattthew Lewis) and the Patil twins (Afshan Azad and Shefali Chowdhury). There is a very funny and endearing sequence as Neville learns to dance for the upcoming ball and the twins try to finagle a date out of Harry. Dumbeldore is excellent as always and we see a new side of Hagrid as he engages in a relationship with the giantess, Frances de la Tour (Madame Olympe Maxime)..

While there are many great things about this Potter film the best is that finally Potter takes control of his destiny as opposed to events just happening to him. He’s a lot more take charge and finally displays true heroic feats not just luck as it has seemed in the past. It’s a great movie. The whole family can enjoy it. Once again I say however, be careful about the little ones, it might just outright terrify them.

T.S. Johnson is a freelance writer and owner of PrologueReviews.com. Visit http://www.prologuezine.com for all of your writing needs or http://www.prologuereviews.com to have your music, movie or book reviewed.

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A Magical Introduction To Public Relations

If you were anywhere in the civilized world toward the end of June 2006 you probably witnessed public relations working its magic. While the release date of the final installment in the series of Harry Potter novels would not be announced for six months, something extraordinary happened. On a British talk show, author, J.K. Rowling, mentioned that two familiar characters would meet their doom in book number seven, and that one of them might be young Mr. Potter himself.

This short dialogue set an avalanche of press coverage into motion. All of the major television networks and their web and cable counterparts covered the story. The New York Times gave the story a prominent spot in its pages and on its website. Even the venerable Wall Street Journal gave it a mention. The story also graced the pages of newspapers across the globe thanks to news wire services such as the Associated Press and Reuters.

The trade journal Ad Age covered the story and the story behind the story- the reason this announcement is such a big deal.

When you look beneath the surface you see that not only is it in Ms. Rowling’s interest to keep her work in the public eye, it is significant to the book’s publisher, the producer and distributor of the popular Harry Potter movies, and a countless number of companies that make and sell Potter paraphernalia. Since the Harry Potter brand has reached a fanatical popularity with children and adults everywhere it is also in the interest of television producers, newspaper editors and magazine publishers to cover this announcement. Why? A mere mention of the boy wizard’s name gets the instant attention of viewers and readers which is good for the organization covering the story and great for those who advertise with them.

“The Harry Potter phenomenon started with a unique product: an engaging, imaginative novel that bridged generations by captivating children and adults alike. Favorable media coverage stemming from the first book made Harry into a ‘star’ that became as newsworthy as anyone on the Hollywood A-list,” says Michael Drabenstott, a partner in SPARK a PR and marketing firm based in suburban Philadelphia. “The public wanted to know about Harry and journalists willingly obliged. Each successive book stimulated additional excitement and buzz. When people you trust and admire talk about a product, you are more likely to buy it so you, too, can become part of the conversation,” Drabenstott concludes.

This is the win-win-win situation created by the unique form of marketing created through PR. The people delivering the message win by getting the word out about their work, those delivering the message win because it draws the public to their information outlet, and the consumers win because they get access to the information that they crave. This is the magic of public relations.

Gaetan T. Giannini Jr. is Chairman of the Business, Management & Economics department at Cedar Crest College in Allentown, Pa. He is also President and Chief Consultant of Giannini Marketing. A firm that specializes in marketing technical and industrial products, as well as products sold into the affluent marketplace.

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Emma Watson - A Magic All Her Own

Had J.K. Rowling not put pen to paper and created her unfathomably famous series of children’s books, “Harry Potter”, the world may have had to wait a lot longer for the likes of British actress Emma Watson to triumphantly emerge.

In a somewhat unprecedented move the leading female role of Hermione Granger, one of Potter’s closest friends in the Harry Potter series, was given to Emma. Why unprecedented you ask? Because prior to her fantastically lucky break, young Miss Watson had never so much as acted a day in her life on the big screen. Her acting credentials listed only school plays. However, this is not to say that she lacked talent, on the contrary, those who saw her school stage roles instantly noticed that she had a particular flare for the craft.

At a mere fifteen years of age this talented, freckle faced teen actress already has four Harry Potter movies under her cape, staring in each as the same Potter pal role of Hermione Granger. This character sees her as the female comrade to an almost exclusively cast of male leads. At the tender age of ten Watson’s convincing, endearing role as somewhat stuck up, perfect student Granger in the first Potter movie, “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone”, had fans hooked. Over night she became the most searched for Potter cast member on the Internet.

Though her acting career has thus far extended only into the realm of Harry Potter sorcery and humongous box office sales, Watson has an unmistakable talent that will likely see her through when the days of Harry Potter films eventually come to an end. Her acting ability is so bang on that it has earned her the nickname of “One Take Watson”.

In a world of fluffy, pop star-like personas and less than intellectual characters brunette-headed Watson is a refreshing change from the bubble gum-ness that has beseeched the majority of young female actors. Her strong-willed and charming personality only add to her movie appeal and fans can’t seem to get enough of this charismatic fifteen year old.

Hopping the pond, Emma has appeared on a racket of North American late night TV and talk shows; notably her first talk show appearance in 2002 on the long running, phenomenally successful Oprah Winfrey show. Others include Jay Leno in 2002 and Live with Regis & Kelly in 2004. When not dabbling in onscreen witchery and magic Watson goes to the British all-girls school Headington where she primarily studies history, English and art. In her down time Watson’s second love comes out, sports. Her favourites include tennis, rounders and hockey.

Though the world has only known of Emma for four short years, she has created a lasting onscreen character that is recognized by Potter fans – both young and old alike – the world over. Watson says that she wants to branch out and try a variety of roles, and in 2006 fans will be able to see Emma in her first non-Potter role to date. Scheduled to be released within a year the film “Airborn” will see Watson playing Kate de Vries, in an adventurous dramatic tale of cruise ships, pirates and deserted islands. Rather a broomstick’s length away from Hogwarts for this ambitious British actress.

Jessica Cander is a full time freelance writer who loves to stay on top of up-to-the-minute entertainment trends, such as rising stars Emma Watson and Hilary Duff. For the latest information, gossip and hot facts, Jessica recommends Answers.com .

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Parents Must Teach Children Fiction From Reality

If you have not heard of Harry Potter, you either do not have children or have not read the New York Times best seller list in a long time! Thirteen-year-old Harry is the hero of three books by Joanne K. Rowling and a student at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. In his adventures, he faces the challenges of normal schoolchildren, with a twist, and in the end he prevails because he is courageous and smart.

I think the Harry Potter books and movie were wonderful and so did my kids. The stories are modern fables where good vs. evil ends with good always winning.

I am tired of hearing people preaching about its all from the devil. Have you people ever heard of an imagination? God gave us our imagination so we can use it, not to stifle it in his name. But to some people, allowing children to have anything magical in their lives is a real and serious threat. If you don't want to open your minds feel free to voice your stuffy, narrow opinions but do not expect everyone to take your views.

I believe in God but can not believe he would ever condemn anyone for bringing joy to millions with magical stories that include friendship and courage. Our jobs as parents are to teach children right from wrong and fiction from reality. Something your parents obviously failed to do. I feel sorry for people that can't enjoy something as simple as a fairytale.

Evie Lampard is a freelance writer. Sometimes she writes about items such as Harry Potter rumours

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