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Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009) More at IMDbPro »

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Yates Promises Potter Fans They 'Haven't Seen Anything Yet'

15 July 2009 1:01 AM, PDT | From wenn.com | See recent WENN news

Harry Potter And The Half-blood Prince director David Yates is ecstatic about the rave reviews of the latest wizard installment has garnered - but insists fans haven't "seen anything yet".

The latest part of the hugely successful franchise has become one of the most highly-anticipated movies of 2009, after it was pushed back from its original release date of last November.

And early reviews for the movie suggest the sixth film is the best Potter film so far, with trade magazine Variety predicting the movie will become one of the year's top three earners.

But Brit filmmaker Yates is adamant his next two films, the two-part adaptation of author J.K. Rowling's final book, will really get devotees excited.

He says, "People are being very kind about what they're seeing in Half-Blood Prince and I just think you haven't seen anything yet.

"(Part one) is like a road movie, refugees being chased by all these people who want to kill them. It's quite intense. Then the final film is like this big opera, big epic, it's got more set pieces than any of the others."

And he reveals that the crew has an expert on hand to offer suggestions - J.K. Rowling herself.

He adds, "She's really gracious, she's not territorial. She kind of recognises the challenges of adapting (a book for a film) and she's really sympathetic to that.

"She said now that the shooting part is coming to an end she might just pop in more often, which we would love. She was so busy with all the other books she couldn't (visit much more than once a year)."

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Review - 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince'

15 July 2009 12:02 AM, PDT | From GetTheBigPicture.net | See recent Get The Big Picture news

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Michael Gambon, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint

Directed by David Yates

Rated PG

The final 30 minutes of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince are just about perfect, if you forgive the epilogue. We're not supposed to be holding our breath then, anyway; that's the exhale. But the climactic events of the film - what you're truly paying to see even if you don't know it - are as good as anything we've yet seen in this series.

I won't spoil the details. You either know them already or have avoided them this long. Suffice it to say, there is a battle between good and evil, and generally speaking, we know who's on which team.

Director David Yates, who also made the fifth Potter film, Order of the Phoenix, as a more efficient and commercial venture than we'd seen in the previous few years,

(more)

Colin Boyd

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Ten Things You Never Knew About Daniel Radcliffe

14 July 2009 10:00 PM, PDT | From Digitalspy | See recent digitalspy news

Since winning one of the most coveted roles in movie history at the tender age of ten, Daniel Radcliffe has emerged as one of the biggest, and indeed richest, teenagers on the planet. At just 19-years-old, his Harry Potter franchise has already scooped £2.7 billion worldwide, he's courted controversy for stripping naked on both sides of the Atlantic and once admitted to losing his virginity to a much older woman! With the release of the hugely-anticipated Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince finally upon us, there's never been a better time to unearth ten quirky titbits about everyone's favourite boy wizard. 1. Daniel Jacob Radcliffe was born on July 23, 1989 in Fulham, London. His mum Marcia was a casting director, while his dad Alan worked as a literary agent. 2. He reportedly beat out a string of young actors, including My Family's (more)

By Lara Martin

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Harry Potter Poll: What Do You Think Of The Half-Blood Prince?

14 July 2009 9:21 PM, PDT | From cinemablend.com | See recent Cinema Blend news

We.ve waited since last winter for this and at last Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is here. Right now, Harry is preparing to apparate into theaters everywhere, as grown men in wizard hats line up for midnight showings all around the country. By now you.ve heard enough from us on the subject of wizarding, so it.s your turn. After you see it, come back here and tell the world what you thought of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Sound off in our comments section, share you opinion on our message board, by talking back to us on twitter, and most importantly by casting your vote in the official Cb Poll below: {insert name=poll id=293}

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Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Review

14 July 2009 8:21 PM, PDT | From ScreenRant.com | See recent Screen Rant news

Short Version: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince might be the best Harry Potter film yet.

Screen Rant reviews 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince'

If you really care about Harry Potter, Ron & Ginny Weasley and Hermione Granger as living, breathing characters then you’re going to love Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

Disclosure: I’ve only ever read the first book and while I’ve thought the previous films were “Ok,” I’ve never been a huge fan of the series. This latest film was directed by David Yates, the same fellow who directed the previous film Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - and for perspective, I don’t even remember was that one was about.

 

Having said that, I believe this latest installment is arguably the best Harry Potter film that’s been released so far.

This is the sixth year Harry and Co.

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Vic Holtreman

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Review: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

14 July 2009 8:03 PM, PDT | From Cinematical.com | See recent Cinematical news

It's a tricky situation -- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is a strong entry in the series about the boy wizard, but won't work as a stand-alone film. No background is provided, so audience members must have seen the previous movies or read the J.K. Rowling books or they'll be lost. Fortunately, the movie doesn't assume you've read the sixth book -- there are no gaps in the story that require the novel to fill.

In case you haven't read the book, Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) returns to Hogwarts in Half-Blood Prince for his sixth year of study, while Death Eaters terrorize both the magical community and the ordinary Muggle world. Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) trusts Harry with increasingly important tasks in the fight against Voldemort ... and Harry is also learning a lot from an old Potions textbook that contains clever notes from someone self-styled the "Half-Blood Prince." Harry's best

(more)

Jette Kernion

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Review: “Half-Blood Prince” is the Best “Harry Potter” Movie So Far

14 July 2009 3:45 PM, PDT | From AfterElton.com | See recent AfterElton.com news

You have to give the creators of the Harry Potter movies credit: they learn from their mistakes.

The Harry Potter movie franchise has been notoriously hit-and-miss, from the sublime (Prisoner of Azkaban) to the disappointing (Philosopher’s Stone and Goblet of Fire).

I can only imagine the pressure these filmmakers are under: legions of adoring book fans often want to see the on-screen story exactly as they’ve read it on the page.

But with Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the sixth movie in the series, the producers have realized that it’s far more important to have a coherent, engaging movie than it is to be entirely faithful to the books.

That being the case, the movie takes some major liberties with the book, and makes some major edits.

The result is the best Harry Potter movie so far, by far. And for the record, it completely captures

(more)

Brent Hartinger

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'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince' web reviews

14 July 2009 3:02 PM, PDT | From screeninglog.com | See recent screeninglog news

Harry and his gang are back in David Yates' "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," the sixth installment in the popular series. Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Michael Gambon, Jim Broadbent and Alan Rickman star, and here is what the Web's critics have to say about the movie:

• CinemaBlend's Josh Tyler: "Instead of action it substitutes dramatic tension which builds throughout the course of the movie."

• Brad Brevet at RopeOfSilicon: "Even though I wasn't bowled over, 'Half-Blood Prince' never felt like it was two-and-a-half hours long and I would have gladly sat through another five hours if parts one and two of 'Deathly Hallows' were ready right now…"

• Joblo's Jenna Bush: "You would think this would all start to get old after a while, but the truth is, it hasn't. And film number six is the best of the lot."

• LatinoReview's Ron Henriques: "Still, at the end of the day,

(more)

Franck Tabouring

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‘Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince’ Inspires More Real Life Quidditch!

14 July 2009 2:30 PM, PDT | From MTV Movies Blog | See recent MTV Movies Blog news

A couple weeks ago, you may have seen a Movies Blog post featuring a video in which flesh-and-blood human beings adapted the “Harry Potter” universe sport of Quidditch for real life play. You didn’t really think that was the last you’d see of such things, did you?

Here we are again with a new “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” spot. And like the aforementioned video, this one also skips clips from the film in favor of a muddy Quidditch match. Are there any New Yorkers out there who participate in such activities? Drop us a line if you’re out there.

Adam Rosenberg

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Bruno Almost Fabulous

14 July 2009 1:39 PM, PDT | From Studio Briefing - Film News | See recent Studio Briefing - Film News news

Although some box-office analysts had raised a skeptical eye when Universal estimated that Bruno would wind up with $30.4 million, it turned out that the studio was actually a tad conservative. The movie actually sold $30.6 million in tickets, according to final figures released Monday. Total ticket sales for all films came to $142.5 million, down 6 percent from the comparable weekend a year ago, according to Box Office Mojo. The box-office tracking service said that it was the slowest second weekend in July so far as numbers of tickets sold are concerned since 1991. However, moviegoers are expected to return to the theaters in droves after Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince opens at midnight tonight.

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"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" Movie Review! See Major Differences Between Book and Movie! Spoiler Alert!

14 July 2009 1:23 PM, PDT | From Manny the Movie Guy | See recent Manny the Movie Guy news

In .Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,. there.s a scene where Professor Albus Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) affectionately gazes at Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) and mutters .you.re growing up Harry.. Indeed, our favorite boy wizard is now fast becoming an adult and is experiencing growing pains.

Harry, together with his friends Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) and Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and most of the students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, are under attack by a very mysterious adversary . teenage hormones.

(Caution -- Spoiler Ahead!!!)

Everyone.s under the spell of love. Harry.s long friendship with Ginny Weasley (Bonnie Wright) is growing into something deeper. Meanwhile, Hermione is developing a crush on Ron and is simmering with jealousy because of his romantic entanglement with Lavender Brown (Jessie Cave). Lavender lovingly calls Ron .Won Won..

The one character that is not

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Manny

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Tickets Going Fast For Latest Potter Movie

14 July 2009 1:11 PM, PDT | From Studio Briefing - Film News | See recent Studio Briefing - Film News news

Moviegoers hoping to have an early look at Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, which opens at midnight tonight, may have to search hard to find available tickets. Online ticket sellers Fandango said Monday that it had already sold out more than 1,000 showtimes across the country, saying that it has become one of the fastest-selling titles in its nine-year history and currently represents 96 percent of its ticket sales. According to the ticket sellers, 63 percent of the buyers are female and 62 percent said that they plan to see the movie with a group. In a statement, Fandango COO Rick Butler said, "Harry is tracking to match last year's juggernaut, The Dark Knight, in advance ticket sales. ... Showtimes are selling out at a very fast pace, and it's clear that the film's wider blockbuster appeal, solid word-of-mouth and positive Internet buzz on Half-Blood Prince are helping fuel the demand."

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Movie Reviews: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

14 July 2009 12:39 PM, PDT | From Studio Briefing - Film News | See recent Studio Briefing - Film News news

Ordinarily reviews count for little when it comes to movie attendance these days. However, a laudable review by the official Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano may count for a lot, especially in Catholic countries. The newspaper said today (Tuesday) said that Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince illuminated the age-old conflict between good and evil and treated the stirrings of adolescent love with "the correct balance." That's a more glowing review than many appearing in the mainstream American press. Typically, U.S. critics note that it helps to have a basic familiarity with the novel on which it is based; indeed, it helps even more to be a rabid fan of the novel. (Critics have made the same observation about all of the other Potter movies, too.) Roger Ebert in the Chicago Sun-Times concludes that he "admired" the movie, adding that "it opens and closes well, and has wondrous art design and cinematography as always, only more so." However, he writes, some of the scenes "may be especially valued by devoted students of the Potter saga. They may also be the only ones who fully understand them." Dan Kois in the Washington Post notes that the J.K. Rowling novel offered only one action sequence and focused on romance. "It must have seemed a daunting challenge to adapt for an audience of casual moviegoers who don't know a quaffle from a bezoar." Kyle Smith in the New York Post admits that in most of the Potter movies, "I dumbldoze through them as the suspicious new teacher shows up, the plot shuts off for several minutes of Quidditch and all problems get solved with the same old hocus-pocus. But HP6 is suspenseful and artfully realized." Likewise, Roger Moore in the Orlando Sentinel calls it "a satisfying film, just coherent enough, just engrossing enough to cover for the tedious by-the-book slog of even the best Harry Potter films." Nancy Churnin advises in the Dallas Morning News: "Be prepared. ... It would behoove viewers to catch up before plunging into a world where everyone speaks fluent Potter-ese, building on long-established relationships. Even the magic, fabulous as it is, is just part of the intricate fabric from which the story is woven." On the other hand, Michael Sragow writes in the Baltimore Sun that the movie "would be a first-rate fantasy even if the audience weren't invested in the fortunes of boy wizard and 'Chosen One' Harry Potter." Besides, as Kenneth Turan observes in the Los Angeles Times, the movies are not really produced for the uninitiated. "It's only the phenomenal success of the books that has made [the film series] possible, that has ensured a loyal audience for each film, an audience that has invested so much emotion, not to mention time, in the ongoing Potter saga that skipping an episode is out of the question. That's a kind of brand loyalty that's all but gone out of style." Spoilers? When it comes to a Potter movie, the critics seem to agree, who cares?

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Atomic Team Review: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

14 July 2009 12:28 PM, PDT | From Atomic Popcorn | See recent Atomic Popcorn news

Philip Barrett: The beauty of the Harry Potter films is that as the actors have aged, their talents have vastly improved. It’s been a nice thing to watch especially for someone like me who’s not exactly a fan of Harry Potter. Regardless, they’re exceptionally made films that feature great fantasy and incredible special effects. Certainly the series isn’t terrible but it’s just one of those that never captivated me like Batman or Star Wars. With this in mind, I liked, didn’t love the new Harry Potter.

Michael Dennos: I’m a die-hard Potter fan myself.  I’ve read the books and seen the movies countless times, so I walked into Half-Blood Prince with high expectations.  What a delight it was to find that Half-Blood Prince excels above and beyond any of the previous installments and takes its well-deserved crown as Best Potter Movie to Date.

(more)

Philip Barrett

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Film: Review: Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince

14 July 2009 12:11 PM, PDT | From avclub.com | See recent The AV Club news

The sixth Harry Potter movie is essentially a film in limbo. It begins with a wordless shot of Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) still reeling in emotional agony from the events of the last movie, and ends on a miserable moment with no sense of hope, or of a plan for the future. Those two anguished sequences set the tone for a fantasy-franchise installment that’s more about atmosphere than story; between them, many things happen, but only the last 20 minutes or so have real repercussions. The rest is buildup, backstory, and plot sidebars signifying nothing, but it’s mighty artful ...

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The ‘Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince’ Cast Answers Your Questions!

14 July 2009 11:30 AM, PDT | From MTV Movies Blog | See recent MTV Movies Blog news

Throughout last week I hounded you readers to submit questions that we could ask the main cast members, Plus director David Yates, at the “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” press junket. You delivered, and now I’m here to bring you their answers.

The above video just collects a couple of the questions asked. For more fan question responses, head over to Eric Ditzian’s write-up on MTV.com. Thanks for participating y’all… it’s always great to let you have some degree of say in the content that shows up here!

Adam Rosenberg

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‘Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince’ Book Of Spells

14 July 2009 10:54 AM, PDT | From MTV Movies Blog | See recent MTV Movies Blog news

Every powerful wizard needs an arsenal of powerful spells. With well over 100 spells in J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter” universe, we decided to break down the basics before “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” introduces a whole new offering of spells for you to study up on.

Harry and friends’ progression through their seven years at Hogwarts introduces them to a series of spells both helpful and destructive. From early classes where they learned first level spells in “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” to Harry teaching Dumbledore’s Army a series of advanced spells in “Order of the Phoenix,” the amount of magic flying around in the films can get confusing.

Below is a list of the most popular spells used in the books and movies, along with a brief description and -– if you really want help identifying them –- the film where the spell is first seen being used.

(more)

Terri Schwartz

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Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (review)

14 July 2009 9:57 AM, PDT | From www.flickfilosopher.com | See recent FlickFilosopher news

So, is this the fourth Harry Potter movie, or the fifth? It’s the sixth? Really, already? Ah, that’s the one where Harry goes to the magic school, which has yet another new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, right? And Harry fights the evil wizard? But I kid the biggest moneymaking movie franchise of the 21st century. Though I have pretty much forgotten what happens in each individual book, because now that the grand story is finished, it’s all just one giant jumble of Harry Potter-ness in my head. Maybe that’s why, with this first movie since the book series wrapped up exactly two years ago, The Half-Blood Prince feels episodic in a way that the previous movies did not: I almost expected to hear Michael Gambon’s (Brideshead Revisited, Cranford) deep Dumbledore voice intoning, “Previously, on Harry Potter...” as Hbp opened. It’s probably best

(more)

MaryAnn Johanson

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Watson linked to Marilyn Manson fairytale

14 July 2009 9:39 AM, PDT | From Digitalspy | See recent digitalspy news

Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince star Emma Watson has been cast in Marilyn Manson's upcoming remake of Cinderella, says The Sun. The actress, who plays Hermione Granger in the magical franchise, is thought to have signed on to play the beloved princess in a gothic retelling of the children's fairytale. Manson is understood to be developing a musical (more)

By Lara Martin

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Happy Harry Potter Day Muggles!

14 July 2009 9:28 AM, PDT | From ScreenRant.com | See recent Screen Rant news

Right about now I know a lot of you out there are real excited. Maybe you’re at your job, at home, or already camped out by your local cineplex - but wherever you are, if you’re reading this then you too are likely afflicted with Harry Potter fever in anticipation of the midnight hour when Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince debuts in theaters!

Of course, others of you are saying, “Kofi, what’s the big deal bro? This is like what, the sixth Harry Potter flick? Why all the hoopla?”

Well I’ll tell you ‘why all the hoopla’ this time around:

 

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It Just Keeps Getting Better

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is being touted as the best installment of the series so far. Some bloggers around the net are (gasp!) even floating the notion that the film is worthy an Oscar Nom for Best Picture.

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Kofi Outlaw

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2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2005 | 2004

1-20 of 434 articles from 2009   « Prev | Next »

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