Reality Films has produced a new DVD entitled The Seekers Guide to Harry Potter, and UK distributor Wienerworld kindly sent us some free copies to review and give away to you visitors as competition prizes.
Here is the official synopsis of the film:
The Seekers Guide to Harry Potter takes you on a journey and exploration into the underlying themes of J.K Rowling’s fantastically successful Harry Potter series. Drawing from her unique background and personal experiences, the author provides original insights into the mysticism, magic and symbolism within the world of Harry Potter. Dr. Geo Trevarthen is an academic who has painstakingly researched the Harry Potter craze. She goes far beyond the normal criteria and steps into a world of real magic and its shamanic past. In doing so she reveals the origins of many of the elements found within the novels and films.
HPSupporters Review
A Seeker's Guide to Harry Potter is an interesting exploration of the underlying symbolism, themes and messages in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series.
A small scale, intimate production, it is shot in the appropriate location of Edinburgh (where JK penned much of the series) and is presented to us by Dr Geo Trevarthen who comes from a background of Shamanism. The film, therefore, may not sit comfortably with everybody. Its author's ideas and beliefs as well as the style, imagery and music used throughout strongly convey this spritual Celtic discipline.
Nevertheless, there were some fascinating elements examined in depth by this avid reader of our favourite story. She probes some real world magical and alchemic history and how they inspired JK's writing. For example I learnt about the ancient origins of characters' names, the symbolic nature and history of the golden snitch, the influences behind the four school houses, and the layers of meaning beneath these.
Dr Trevarthen also makes intriguing parallels between different parts of the novels and gives her thoughts on how some of Rowling's messages can connect with our own real world lives. One of the interesting issues she raised is that of love, a key feature in Harry's life, and something that she says is hugely important in the early stages of real-life childhood, bringing her in line with today's psychological and socialogical theories. Further themes she explores include the moral neutrality of magic, following true will over whim, and Death and the triangle of the three Hallows.
With future re-reads of the HP books I'm sure I shall now view many components of the canon in much more depth than I previously have. The film reinforces for me what a triumph of storytelling J.K. Rowling has created and the incredible expanse of meaning behind her stories.
For those Harry Potter fans with spiritual inclinations like those of this film's author and want to look at the novels from that perspective, or for those merely with an interest in getting beneath the surface of the books, this is a film you'll very much appreciate. For me, the DVD shall fit nicely in my collection of all things Harry Potter.
If you like the sound of this DVD then tomorrow evening on Twitter we will be giving away a copy to a lucky follower. Unfortunately, for postal reasons, the competition will only be open to people from the UK.
You’ve probably heard about Warner Bros. Studio Tour London: The Making of Harry Potter (which I think we’ll usually shorten to the HP Studio Tour) and you perhaps already have your tickets booked for when it opens in March of 2012. The sets are being opened up for fans to visit and discover the secrets from the making of the Harry Potter film series.
Well, today the official facebook page revealed the exciting news that the Diagon Alley street set will be included in the tour, as well the sets of some its shops AND the set of Gringotts bank.
“It’s official. Boris Johnson has revealed that you will be able to step onto the famous cobbles of Diagon Alley and take a peek into Ollivanders wand shop, Flourish and Blotts, the Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes, Gringotts Wizarding Bank and Eeylops Owl Emporium here at the Studio Tour.”
Just in from hypable.com, a Variety reporter just learned that Harry Potter and How to Succeed star Daniel Radcliffe will host Saturday Night Live next month! He will host the January 14 episode and we hope there will be a Potter skit present as well. We will post a few clips following the episode airing in January. For now, mark your calenders and tune in on January 14 at 11:30pm EST on NBC.
Here we have the first TV advertisement for Daniel Radcliffe’s new horror-ghost-thriller film The Woman in Black, from CBS via Snitchseeker, which contains some new unseen clips of Dan. The film is set to be released in February 2012.
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You’ve probably heard about Warner Bros. Studio Tour London: The Making of Harry Potter (which I think we’ll usually shorten to the HP Studio Tour) and you perhaps already have your tickets booked for when it opens in March of 2012. The sets are being opened up for fans to visit and discover the secrets from the making of the Harry Potter film series.
