This is it. It all led to this film, after seven films, the Harry Potter franchise comes to its close with this, the second part of the adaptation of the seventh and final novel. Picking up where the first film left off with Voldemort’s (Ralph Fiennes) claiming the Elder Wand, Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Hermione (Emma…
Tag: alan rickman
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009) – David Yates
Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) and his friends at Hogwarts are ready for another year at the magical school, one that will shape them, and set them on a course towards a final confrontation with Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) and will change everything. The sixth film in the series once again ups the stakes for all of…
Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix (2007) – David Yates
Director David Yates takes over the big chair for the next instalment in the Warner Brothers’ adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s magical novels, and he’d best get comfortable, because he’s going to see Harry Potter through the rest of his cinematic trip, over the course of the next four films. Much like Goblet of Fire, the…
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005) – Mike Newell
The fourth entry in the Harry Potter franchise is the first to get itself a PG-13 rating, reflecting the fact tht the stories themselves are getting darker, and dealing with heavier subjects. It also sees a new director behind the camera, Mike Newell, who continues the world-building of the series, embracing the visual aesthetic that…
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) – Alfonso Cuaron
Despite the box office success of the previous two Harry Potter films, the franchise really comes into its own with a change of directors, the masteful Alfonso Cuaron settles into the chair taking over from Chris Columbus who moved into a producer’s role for this entry. Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint return for…
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) – Chris Columbus
The magic of Harry Potter continues in Warner Brothers’ second instalment of what would go on to be an insanely profitable franchise. Director Chris Columbus returned for a second outing, with this adaption of the second book in the series (which was still being written at the time – can you remember the time when…
Love Actually (2003) – Richard Curtis
The most painful title to admit to liking on a list I’m working on in Ten Bad Dates With De Niro is the saccharine sweet Love Actually from writer/director Richard Curtis. Telling a plethora of love stories, the film features a stellar cast of top-notch British actors, and that alone makes the film worth a…
Galaxy Quest (1999) – 20th Anniversary Blu-Ray
Somehow, the now iconic science fiction comedy Galaxy Quest is turning twenty this year. That doesn’t seem possible. It’s as if someone enhanced the Omega 13 and shot us forward in time rather than in reverse. You see, I remember seeing it in the theater, laughing aloud at the realization that these filmmakers, these actors,…
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (2001) – Chris Columbus
The next recommendation from the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book following my return to the family genre and my screening of The Fellowship of the Ring is another franchise that captured hearts and imaginations. Looking back, as I rewatch this film, there is no way that this movie could fail. It’s based…
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (2005) -Garth Jennings
Grab your towel and Don’t Panic! Douglas Adam’s classic tale gets a big screen adaptation, of his book/screenplay, which had previously been so well used by the BBC as a miniseries, and before that a radio programme. There are things that work in this version, and things that don’t, but the effort is there to…
The Mind Reels 