Potter Potter Everywhere
Harry Potter is Back! And so might He-Who-Must not be Named… J. K. Rowling’s, bestselling book, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, has been transformed into the cinematic genre and it’s come to a theatre near you.
Starting at midnight Thursday, fans all across the United States will be waiting to catch a glimpse of the new Harry Potter movie, states the official Harry Potter Web site.
For those who have forgotten the plot, Harry returns to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to find out that quidditch (the national pastime sport) has been canceled for the year. In its place is the Tri-Wizard Tournament, which involves different feats that must be conquered by different wizarding school’s champions. Through some mistake, or maybe an evil plot against him, Harry is thrust into the tournament against his will and must compete for his life.
This book and others of the series have touched students and teachers alike throughout the campus. Amy Brazier, a graduate of Utah State in English and a current staff assistant in the English department had much to say about them.
“I love the Harry Potter series. From a literary standpoint I think they do a good job of getting kids to read because they have such a good story line that is easy to follow,” she said. “For myself, I read the whole series five times through before a new book comes out just so I can be ready for the next one.”
Kandi Mauchley, a senior majoring in parks and recreation management said, “I like Harry Potter. I like the books because they are so interesting. It’s just a lot of fun to read them.”
With the books so popular, the movies have a lot to compete with. After expressing praise for the first two movies and doubts and dislikes of the third, Amy Brazier is interested to see how the fourth one will come out.
“I didn’t much like the third one because it was more for cinematic enjoyment instead of what the actual storyline had presented. I’ve read many reviews on this new one and all concerns about the new Dumbledore aside, I am really excited,” she said.
She, like many others, has decided to wait to go see the movie though.
“I won’t be going through the hassle of going the first night. I’ll see it when I can but it’s really just easier to get it on DVD to watch,” Brazier said.
“I don’t think I’ll go out and see the movie. It’ll come out on video soon enough and I’ll just wait for that,” Mauchley said.
The USU Bookstore is much more excited. Janet Baer, a former Aggie with a degree in marketing and currently the marketing specialist for the USU Bookstore, had much to say about their involvement with Harry Potter.
“We’ve been doing a lot with Harry Potter. When The Order of the Phoenix (Book 5) came out, we had a book party that started from midnight till 1:30 p.m. It was a blast,” she said. “A while back our accountants jokingly came up with the idea to rent out a whole theatre and then give the tickets away to the students. What started out as a joke became a reality, when the theatre in Providence helped us out. We bought the tickets and gave them out to the students.”
She continued, “This year we’re doing the same thing. We are selling some of the tickets to regroup costs but otherwise, it is still just for the students and faculty. We have a party before the movie starts where we give out prizes and the like and it is going to be so much fun,” she said.
Harry Potter has been an interest to people throughout the globe. Though the praise is high, many feel an uncertainty to what they believe it might be doing to children.
The Oregonian, the regional newspaper for the Portland-Metro area printed an editorial several years back that lumped, “Harry Potter, Roman Catholics, and Mormons all into the same bag of wickedness and sin. ”
The writer expressed his concerns that the books were teaching children about witchcraft and paganism and demeaning social and moral standards.
-nebutler@cc.usu.edu