Goodbye Mr. Potter

For 10 years I have been sharing the magic of Harry Potter with my son, my family and friends. Tonight it comes to an end with the final film in the movie series.

As an anglophile, I've been reading the London papers every day for over 15 years. Back in 1997 I read an article reviewing a book published in the UK titled Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, it was released the next year in the USA under the title, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. I thought, "Awesome, a book about a boy wizard, his magical school, the friends that become his family, mythical creatures and a terrible villain. A book my son and I will both enjoy, I can't wait to read it." My son was in grade school at the time and I can remember when he first started reading the books as well. His room soon turned into Hogwarts, his Nana and I bought him a Harry Potter bedspread and sheets, pillows, bath towels and posters. He had stuffed animals of Hagrid and the 3 headed dog. Before 2001 when the first movie was released there was very little merchandise available except the bed and bath collection I picked up at a Kohl's department store. I spent months searching for anything with Gryffindor on it, a scarf, a robe anything. The only options back then were crafters selling homemade costumes on Ebay. Sure enough once the first movie was released more merchandise was available including costumes and my son won Halloween contests dressed up like Harry Potter with a friend dressed as Hermoine. Fast forward 10 years and Harry Potter has his own theme park at Universal Orlando. The books really did come to life. I never imagined it back then.

There is a generation of children who grew up with Harry Potter and parents like myself who raised our children with the cultural phenomenon of the Harry Potter books and movies. When I was a girl in the 70's there was Star Wars and I remember the hysteria, the collectible action figures, the bad TV specials and the mania when a new movie was released. Star Wars may be the only close comparison but yet Star Wars in the 70's and 80's was only a 3 movie series, there are 8 Harry Potter movies in 10 years based on 7 books, a massive amount of merchandise and now the theme park. WOW.

As the movies have been released my son has been the same age as the characters, he has grown up with Harry, Hermoine and Ron. Now my son is 18 and starting his life as an adult, creating his own real life stories. But back when he was a little boy, his favorite stories were always the Harry Potter books. In 2001 I hosted my first Harry Potter party and tonight I host my last. 10 years ago my son and his friends dressed in costumes, we had themed food, decorations, trivia games and prizes. We would arrive at midnight at either the book release events at Borders or Barnes and Noble with a numbered bracelet on to await our copy of the newest book or we would arrive at the movie theater hours in advance and wait for a seat for the latest film. People would dress in costumes and over the years I've seen it all, white owls like Hedwig and lots and lots of Hagrids.

I'll admit I'm rather sad that it's ending. No more book releases, no more films to look forward too. Their stories are ending. Harry Potter fans know how the story ends but seeing it on screen tonight is it. I'm bringing lots of tissue.

P.S Reading helps out in a crisis...last week when my son had a brief stay in the hospital for a severe sunburn, nothing, NOTHING was helping him with the pain. Until I pulled out my Nook Color and asked him if he wanted to read to keep his mind off the pain and itching. Sure enough he asked for Harry Potter and luckily I have all 7 books on my ereader. He started reading the final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and within 10 minutes he relaxed and it took his mind of being in the hospital.

Must Have Book for the Harry Potter Fan

I don't know if I can begin to explain the wonder this marvelous book is. Harry Potter Film Wizardry is a combination photo album, scrapbook and memory book of everything Harry Potter film related. The book is fantastically jammed full of extras including:


Harry's acceptance letter to Hogwart's (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone)

A sticker book from Libatius Borage's Advanced Potion Making class

Pop up candy boxes from Honeyduke's candy shop (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban)

A program from the 422nd Quidditch World Cup (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire)

A Yule Ball program (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire)

An Educational Decree Proclamation (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix)

The Marauder's Map (various films)

A Product Catalog from the Weasley's Wizard Wheezes shop

A Ministry of Magic Identity Card (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows)

Fans will love the film photographs, behind the scenes stories and chapters on everything from casting the actors to costumes to set construction. Did you like Fleur Delacour's wedding dress in the latest film, there is a page on the wedding costumes. Interested in how they made Harry Potter breathe under water in the 4th film? Want to learn more about the Weasley's flying car, the whomping willow, Hogwart's resident Ghosts or props from the films. It's all in the book.

If you are a Harry Potter reader or buying a gift for a Potter fan, this is a must have.

UPDATE: Amazon is currently out of stock but you might find a copy at your local book store.

Harry Potter and The Deathly HallowsTrailer

I can hardly wait. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1 will be released in the US on November 19th. The first Potter film to be seen in 3-D. Hard to believe the most successful film series in movie history is almost over. Part 2 arrives in theaters on July 15, 2011. I've enjoyed the books and films for so long with my Kid it will be strange to no longer anticipate the next one.

Harry Potter Arrives in Orlando

I've been enjoying the world of Harry Potter with my Kid for over a decade. We've waited in line at bookstores for each book, queued for hours for tickets on opening night of the movies and had Harry Potter themed parties for almost every book and movie release. My son has dressed up as Harry Potter for Halloween, bought Bertie Bott's jelly beans, owned a wand and asked for his very own Nimbus 2000. My son was just 5 years old when the first Harry Potter book was released in the US in 1998 which was also the first year I took him to Orlando to experience the magic of Disney. My son has grown up with Harry Potter and I've enjoyed every minute of sharing it with him.

Now that my son is a teenager with interests more suited to sports than witchcraft and wizardry, he humors me with my continued love of Harry Potter. He will attend my final 2 Harry Potter movie parties as the films are released in 2010 and 2011, although my friends will far out number his. He thought it was cool when I walked the halls of Oxford's colleges, the inspiration for J.K Rowling when she created Hogwarts School. I even think he was a little jealous as I stood in the exact spot where they filmed the movies (the dining hall see pic above) and waited at the top of the stairs like Harry did before he was placed in Gryffindor by the Sorting Hat (see pic below).

Well now Harry Potter and his World are opening to Muggles and Wizards alike in Orlando. There are still family packages available to be one of the first visitors at Hogwarts. If I can talk the Kid into going for his 17th birthday (the Park opens 3 days after his birthday) we will definitely be there. Visit Universal's site for more info. And here's a review of the Park on MSNBC.

I will be a little sad when the Harry Potter franchise ends with the final movie next year. My Kid has been reading the books since he learned to read and we've watched the movies over and over on weekends and sick days and Christmas mornings. It's been a kinda of magic to share it with my son and now that's he's grown up, a trip to Orlando will be the perfect ending.

"Creepy Italian trees"

That is my favorite line from the movie Under The Tuscan Sun. It's also my favorite grown up watch-when-I'm-alone, getting-ready-for-a-trip or sick-in-bed movie. The Kid has been sick and home from school the last 3 days so it's been a week of sleepless nights (he's been up coughing and can't sleep) and quiet days (when he seems to sleep better). We've also watched a bit of really bad tv. There is not much on at 3:00 am except infomercials and bad Disney movies like the original Escape to Witch Mountain (1974). The Kid and I watched it anyway and we laughed at the very bad special effects (upside down helicopter, flying bag of flour) and the ridiculous story. It reminded me of all the Disney movies we used to watch when he was a little boy (and occasionally still do, although he won't admit it!)

When my son was born in 1993 it was the height of the new Disney movie era. Disney was churning out a film every year so my kid grew up with the "new" Disney classics. Aladdin was released in 1992 and The Lion King in 1994, by the time they came out on video my son was a huge fan (thanks to Disney and McDonald's Happy Meals marketing) and we watched both films repeatedly. Those movies were followed by Pocahontas (1995), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), Hercules (1997), Mulan (1998) and Tarzan (1999). Disney was also re-releasing their classics Cinderella, Snow White, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and Peter Pan so my kid grew up thinking anytime we put the little box (cassette tape) into the bigger box (VCR) everyone on tv was a cartoon.

As my son grew up Disney got replaced by Harry Potter. The first Harry Potter movie was released in 2001, followed by movies in 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009 and soon to be released 2010 and 2011. Now my kid was growing up with live action movies based on books (Yay!) and with characters who were almost the same age as himself. I'm a HUGE Harry Potter fan and I'll be the first to admit it's been really cool enjoying the books and the films through the years with my kid. The book release anticipation, our yearly Harry Potter movie parties, it's just been really neat experiencing it all with a child who hasn't been too young or too old to appreciate it.

So now that my son is feeling better and back to school we probably won't watch any late night Disney movies for awhile. I'll pop in Under the Tuscan Sun and watch it on a rainy morning and start planning my next trip, maybe to Italy where I can look at "creepy Italian trees". I'll probably get stuck watching a Disney movie on the airplane.

Friday Flash Back #19

So I'm not happy that the movie studio pushed back the latest Harry Potter film from opening today to opening next July. In it's place the film Twilight opened last night at midnight. I've already posted about how much I just don't get the hype, I thought the book was crap and gave up reading it a few chapters from the end because I just didn't care about the characters. The movie is not getting great reviews but that doesn't stop the teenage girls and their mothers from queuing up to see the film.
So because I am not planning my Harry Potter party I thought I would console myself with a trailer for the next Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.
See you at the theaters next July.

We still have the books...

In my shared disbelief and anger over the movie studios decision to delay the release of the next Harry Potter movie 8 months so they can make more money, I have decided to reread each of the books. With almost a year to wait now until the release of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince I will be able to re-read all 7 books and re-watch each of the previous 5 films.
So my movie release party that was scheduled for November 21 will be rescheduled for July 17. My only consolation besides the books and previous films is that I can host 3 more Harry Potter parties since the final movie will be made into 2 films. After 7 years of book and movie parties I'm not ready to say goodbye to my inner child fantasy geek party planner persona.