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Battling the dark forces takes a back seat to romance and Quidditch By Alonso Duralde Film critic msnbc.com contributor updated 4:25 p.m. ET, Tues., July 14, 2009 Call it the calm before the storm, but “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” goes out of its way to balance its own dark doings — to say nothing of the dire events to come in the two upcoming movies based on “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” — with more character and atmosphere than we’ve seen in the last few movies. If you’ve been missing Quidditch matches, love triangles, hanging out in...

VATICAN CITY - The Vatican lauded the latest Harry Potter film on Monday, saying "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" made the age-old debate over good vs. evil crystal clear. The Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano even gave two thumbs up to the film's treatment of adolescent love, saying it achieved the "correct balance" and made the stars more credible to the general audience. The newspaper said the film, which opens Wednesday, was the best adaptation yet of the J.K. Rowling series about the adventures of the bespectacled child wizard Harry Potter and his Hogwarts chums as they battle Harry's nemesis,...

The sixth Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, originally scheduled for a November 21 release, has now been moved to July 17, 2009 in the US and major international markets, according to MarketWatch.com. WB has confirmed the move to TLC. The press release says the reason for the move was two-fold: First, the studio says summer releases are better for "family tentpole" events, and second, they are still feeling the aftereffects of the writers' strike and need the time to make sure the film reaches the widest audience possible. The new date, said Jeff Robinov, president of...

Previously we told you there was to be an open casting call in the coming weeks for the roles of young Tom Riddle as well as Lavender Brown for the upcoming Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince film. MTV now has an article online quoting director David Yates about his quest to cast the perfect person to play Lavender Brown, the girl who will capture WON-WON's fancy in the sixth Harry Potter film. The director has a test in mind, and it involves...snogging.

I'm posting this because after I finished the latest Harry Potter and started talking with friends along the entire East Coast, I realized that most had a different take on the plot than I did. But first, for those persons out there that think the Harry Potter books are dangerous and should be banned, go back to your remote and ask your doctor to check the level of your meds. Its a story and if you take out all the imaginative settings and characters, its about teenagers growing up, dealing with crushes, rivalries, relationships, their futures, death of parents, realizing...

The burning questions in our household in the days before the release of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" were: Is it going to be a kissy book? And which character dies? For the rumor was that someone whom readers care about was going to get the chop. It would be wicked of me to answer the second question except in the broadest terms. I have to assume that not everyone rushed out to get copies of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" as soon as they went on sale at midnight on Saturday or spent the weekend, as my...

THIS THREAD IS INTENDED FOR READERS THAT HAVE COMPLETED THE BOOK! If you have not yet read the book, consider yourself warned: There will be spoilers on this thread. For my fellow FReepers who have no intention of reading the book but would like to discuss the more controversial issues related to the work, I am asking you as politely as I can: DO NOT HIJACK THIS THREAD. We are all members of this forum and as such, it is not up to me to disallow anyone from participating in the discussion. That is why I am asking you--please do...

Harry Potter mania has swept the planet as hundreds of thousands of ecstatic fans snapped up the latest adventure in the boy wizard series, which is tipped to become the fastest-selling book ever. At one minute past midnight (2301 GMT) on Saturday, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" -- the sixth and penultimate volume in the magical series -- went on sale in Britain and beyond, following a breathtaking countdown at Edinburgh Castle, which was made to resemble Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. To mark the moment, author J.K. Rowling read from her long-awaited novel live on television from...

The newest book in the Harry Potter series -- "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" -- goes on sale at midnight Friday. As usual, the book's plot has been carefully kept secret from mere Muggles but never fear -- the Page 2 spies obtained an advance copy. As the following chapter shows, the Hogwarts student wizards are another year older and beginning to show interest in more adult pastimes. …Hermione lit the votive candles on her night stand, followed by a stick of incense. She turned off the light, turned up the R&B music and turned toward Harry. She removed...

Raincoast Books Obtains Injunction Against Early Disclosure and Reviews of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince VANCOUVER, July 11 /CNW/ - Raincoast Books announced today that they were successful in obtaining a court injunction regarding Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. The eagerly awaited sixth volume in the best-selling series is being released in Canada at one minute past midnight local time on July 16th, 2005. Madam Justice Gill of the Supreme Court of British Columbia granted to Raincoast Books Distribution Ltd., Bloomsbury Plc and JK Rowling, a John/Jane Doe injunction against the copying or disclosing of all or any...

NEW YORK - No word yet on when the next Harry Potter (news - web sites) book comes out, but at least there's a title: "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince." "Well the door opened at last and I showed you the title of book six — the genuine title, the title that will appear on the published book, the title I have been using in my head for ages and ages," author J.K. Rowling wrote on her Web site. The British author's U.S. publisher, Scholastic, confirmed the title on Tuesday. A previous posting on Rowling's site, listed under...