Tag Archives: Harry Potter

Where JK goes, we’ll follow

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Here’s an admission: I still haven’t read “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.”

Considering the the last book in the series came out in 2007 and I loved J.K. Rowling’s series about the boy wizard and his friends, that seems kind of strange, I know.

I’ve seen the movie version of course and found it a very satisfying ending to Rowling’s series.

Something has kept me from reading the final book, though. Sure, part of it is the press of other books to read. I eagerly move from book to book and, despite my intention of going back and re-reading some classics from the past, I’ve been more interested in moving on, relentlessly on, to the next new book.

Part of it might be that once I’ve read “Deathly Hallows” the series will be over. That’s a finale and finality I don’t look forward to.

I’ve enjoyed what Rowling did with her characters and her story over the past decade-and-a-half. I don’t think I could name another writer who has maintained an entire series of books with the same integrity and consistency — brilliant consistency.

Most of us can’t imagine how hard a task Rowling took on … and completed.

Word came out today that Rowling’s next book will be published by Little, Brown. No title yet, no hint of the story, not even a publication date.

Just the revelation that the book will be aimed at adults.

For the next few months, there’ll be a lot of speculation about what Rowling has written (for she almost certainly has finished the book by now, or mostly). There’s some suggestion that Rowling was working on a crime novel in the years since “Deathly Hallows” was completed.

Oh man. I am so there.

Crime novel or not, Rowling’s new book will find a reader in me.

She’s more than earned her reputed billion dollars. She’s earned millions of readers, helped revitalize the publishing industry, jump-started books for young adults and made a new generation of people so eagerly anticipate a new book that they will turn out at bookstores at midnight.

I’ll be there for Rowling’s new book, as will millions of other readers.

Heck, I might even get ready for her new one by going back and reading “Deathly Hallows.” Finally.

Top movies of 2011: Some thoughts

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I’ve noted this before, but there was a period when I was in a movie theater every single weekend. I reviewed movies from 1978 to 1990 and saw almost everything that came to town.

More than a few years since then the majority of my movie-watching has been on home video. The demands of real life — particularly when nobody was paying me to review movies — meant I caught a lot of movies months later.

Accompanied by various enthusiastic family members and friends, I saw a lot more movies in the theater this year. I still haven’t seen the “Sherlock Holmes” sequel or “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” but I saw a lot of movies earlier in the year. Particularly the geeky, comic-booky ones.

I just ran across this list, on Box Office Mojo, of the top movie box office results of the year and thought I might make note of those movies that caught a few bucks from me this year.

1. “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2,” $381 million. How could I not go see the final big-screen outing for Harry and company? Maybe not my favorite of the movies — I think “Prisoner of Azkaban” takes that honor — but a fitting end to the series.

2. “Transformers: Dark of the Moon,” $352 million. Yeah, my attendance of this was kid-driven. But you know what? It was a pretty fun action movie. And who doesn’t like seeing Buzz Aldrin interacting with giant robots?

3. “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1,” $273 million. Haven’t seen it yet. Probably will on DVD. Not holding my breath.

4. “The Hangover Part II,” $254 million. I thought the first one was a hoot. Haven’t seen this yet. It just didn’t seem like a must-see-in-theaters to me. Obviously a few people disagreed.

5. “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,” $241 million. I’ve never gotten these movies. Johnny Depp is fun in them but the stories are unfathomable. No ocean pun intended.

6. “Fast Five,” $209 million. Didn’t see it. I imagine I’ll watch it on TNT someday. Or the Speed channel.

7. “Cars 2,” $191 million. Another kid-driven movie and not as good as the original, but good, silly, fun. Can’t top other Pixar movies for heart, smarts and humor, however.

8. “Thor,” $181 million. If you told this Marvel Comics-loving kid back in the 1960s that someday somebody would make a multi-million-dollar blockbuster about Thor and that millions of people would go see it … well, I’d probably be so pathetically grateful that you knew who Thor was that I would have believed you.

9. “Rise of the Planet of the Apes,” $176 million. Maybe the biggest surprise of all the movies on this list that I saw. Who knew it would be so good?

10. “Captain America,” $176 million. One of my favorite comic book characters in one of my favorite comic book movies. And I totally geeked out over the “Avengers” preview at the end. (Spoiler!)

Jumping down the list, a few observations:

I’m kind of surprised that “Bridesmaids” didn’t place higher than 12 with $169 million. “This is like lava coming out of me.” I laughed a lot.

At 14, “X-Men First Class” also deserved to make more than $146 million. Almost as much of a surprise as “Rise of the Planet of the Apes.” A good Marvel movie from someone other than Marvel? An even bigger surprise.

Speaking of comic book movies, “Green Lantern” was 22nd with $116 million. If I could, I’d get my money back and the movie would have made $10 less.

“The Green Hornet” ($98 million) made more money than “Crazy, Stupid, Love,” with $84 million? Are there more Seth Rogen fans than Steve Carell fans?

“Real Steel” ($84 million) and “The Muppets” ($80 million) should have made more.