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Harry Potter

teenFish#2 – Counting THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD

December 3, 2018 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

Have you ever really wanted to know what goes on in the mind of today’s teens? Not just ‘what are they thinking?’ but how they feel about life’s issues? About truth? About where God is in the world today? At long last, ScreenFish is proud to announce teenFish, a new podcast series that lets teenagers speak about media that matters to them in their own voice. Hosted by Daniel Collins (Infinity Warm-Up), teenFish will be air the first Sunday of every month and invite local youth to engage the truth and lies of the shows and films that excite them.

http://screenfish.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/TeenFish.2-The-Crimes-of-Grindelwald.mp3

The Wizarding World expands again with the release of the next chapter in the FANTASTIC BEASTS saga! In an effort to thwart Grindelwald’s plans of raising pure-blood wizards to rule over all non-magical beings, Albus Dumbledore enlists his former student Newt Scamander, who agrees to help, unaware of the dangers that lie ahead. This month, Daniel welcomes Riley and Mackenzie to count THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD as they talk about all things from the world of Harry Potter, the lies we tell and what makes the villain evil.

You can stream the episode above, on podomatic or on Spotify! Or, you can download the ep on Apple Podcasts, Google Play or more!

Filed Under: Film, Podcast, teenFish Tagged With: Albus Dumbledore, Eddie Redmayne, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindlewald, Grindelwald, Harry Potter, J. K. Rowling, Johnny Depp, Jude Law, magic, Newt Scamander, Wizarding World

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: Harry Potter in New York City?

March 28, 2017 by Jacob Sahms Leave a Comment

fbIt’s 1926 in J.K. Rowling’s romp that takes the world of Harry Potter across the pond to New York City. The estimable Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything) plays the eccentric Newt Scamander – a character first mentioned in passing in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone – fresh off the boat as it were, chasing mystical creatures and dodging the Magical Congress of the United States of America. It’s a new set of adventures, sure to launch its own video games and sequels, but is it on par with what we’ve come to expect from the world of Wizards and Muggles?

Redmayne takes to the character in the same way he’s taken to everything else – splendidly. Joining Redmayne’s exploits are Dan Fogler as the would-be baker Jacob Kowalski, genuinely kind and devoid of magic, and Katherine Waterston as Tina Goldstein, an ex-Auror under Seraphina Piquery (Carmen Ejogo), President of the MCUSA. Both Kowalski (also the name of one of Madagascar’s penguins) and Goldstein make for reliable sidekicks-in-training, also balancing the social commentary Rowling’s script takes aim at making. [For instance, there’s a comment early on in the film where Scamander remarks on the U.S.’ backward decision to outlaw Muggle/wizard marriages.]

fb2Across the hero/villain aisle, there are hints of a terrible terrorist named Gellert Grindelwald hanging in the shadows, and the ripped from Massachusetts Mary Lou Barebone (Samantha Morton), who heads the magic-less society New Salem Philanthropic Society, along with her son, Creedence (Ezra Miller). If the ‘Salem’ and Creedence references weren’t enough to make you think of burning stakes and dunking witches, Creedence’s little sister is named Chastity. The dangers of the Protestant settlers in America are fully tagged here.

And yet, in between the good and the bad, there lurks the captivating person of Auror Percival Graves (Colin Farrell), who seems determined to protect New York from Scamander’s creatures but takes on too much of an interest in Creedence, predatorily even. Farrell’s personality fits this casting well – and his “is he good or is he bad?” moments keep some of the mystery tugging us further through the film.

fb3Still, the film seems mostly engaged at visually stunning our eyeballs, with the exotic creatures referenced by the likes of Hagrid but rarely spotted and other such sights. There’s a troublesome Niffler and the Ron Perlman-voiced Goblin underworld boss. There are battles between wizards that dazzle, and special effects that destroy and rebuild New York of the 1920s. And there’s a particularly vicious ‘bath’ that steals one scene.

But that simply isn’t enough.

Rowling and director David Yates (the final four Harry Potter films) have elevated us to such heights that Beasts simply doesn’t reach. Maybe it’s not their fault – maybe it’s because we had four Harry Potter novels to build up what we thought of the characters before the launch of the first film; or maybe it’s because we saw the troubles that Daniel Radcliffe’s Harry faced long before we ever saw his first magical moment. Whatever the reason is, Beasts suffers from failing to make an emotional connection with us. Yes, the second half is much stronger – but one wonders if it would be in the 70th percentile on Rotten Tomatoes if it didn’t inhabit the world we already loved.

fbcoverIs there magic? Is it powerful? Does love overcome evil? Yes, yes, and yes.

And yet, I hope the next Newt Scamander movie may turn his insides out, and let us see who he is as a person – before he ever recognized that he was a wizard. Because for some of us, the heart of the person (and the story) still trumps fantastic visions of mythical beasts.

Warner Bros.’ special features on the Blu-ray include a “Before H: A New Era of Magic Begins!” look that is sure to delight fans of J.K. Rowling’s ‘other’ works. 

Filed Under: Editorial, Featured, Film, Reviews Tagged With: colin farrel, David Yates, Eddie Redmayne, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them, Harry Potter, J. K. Rowling

good, bad, ugly: nostalgia edition

December 14, 2016 by Matt Hill Leave a Comment

re

some say
we live in an age
of nostalgia

round up the recent remakes,
the reboots, the revivals,
the side stories,
the things even just
intentionally reminiscent
of other, older,
more established things,
and prepare to be
flooded in the fond feels,
deluged in the delights
of yesterday, of yesteryear

remember Star Wars?
you don’t have to.
Disney will ensure
a regular fresh hit
from here on out.

want more Harry Potter?
no problem.
muggles everywhere
will always need educating
on fantastic beasts.

need you some Dory again?
some female ghostbusters?
girls of the Gilmore persuasion?
a differently, yet still
extremely packed abode?
Westworld for the 2010s?
all them stranger 80s things?
for some reason,
a bazillion different spider-men?

you are super. duper. covered.

i kinda bet you always will be

and sometimes, tbh, such things
are bad;
bad as in lack-of-quality bad;
maybe it’s a lack
in the original source,
maybe a misfire –
a spoiling of legacy –
maybe just
too much
too soon
of a good thing;
whatever the case,
let’s agree:
sometimes,
nostalgia is bad

and sometimes,
unfortunately,
nostalgia is ugly;
South Park‘s recent
memberberries storyline
reminds us what a
short walk it can be from
simple nostalgia to
nationalism,
racism, sexism –
of the inherent danger in
seemingly innocent desires like
“make America great again”

but sometimes,
nostalgia is good;
good as in quality good;
good as in
more-of-a-great-thing good;
good as in –
South Park be damned –
i think the new Star Wars
was cool,
and yeah, Rogue One probably
will be too,
and yeah, J.J. Abrams
could probably reboot
the “Star Spangled Banner”
and make it awesomer

and,
sometimes,
most importantly,
nostalgia is even
more good than that;
way even more good

sometimes it’s good in a
that’s-where-i-come-from
sort of way, a
this-is-what’s-important
sort of way

an
ah-yes-that’s-what-i’m-about
sort of way, a
that’s-who-we-are
sort of way

an
i’m-still-the-same, but
i’m-not-the-same
sort of way, a
this-means-this-
for-me-now
sort of way, an
i-own-this-anew
sort of way

you know:
a nostalgia-as-ritual
sort of way;
a vital,
bread-and-wine-
in-remembrance-
of-me,
write-my-words-
on-your-heart-and-
teach-them-to-your-kids,
everything-old-is-new-
is-old-is-new-is-old-
-(is-new)-
sort of way

you know:
the way where –
far from not
being able to look forward
for looking back –
unless we look back,
we don’t even know
what forward means

Filed Under: Editorial, Featured, Reviews Tagged With: abrams, Christian, Fuller House, gilmore girls, Harry Potter, nostalgia, south park, spiritual, Star Wars, stranger things, Westworld

3.6 Where to Find FANTASTIC BEASTS

November 29, 2016 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

la-et-hc-first-look-harry-potter-prequel-fantastic-beasts-20151104

ScreenFish’s ‘month of magic’ concludes with a look at J.K. Rowling’s FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM! This week, Steve is joined by returnee Allen Forrest to talk about magic, truth and fear of the unknown.

http://screenfish.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/3.6-Fantastic-Beasts-.mp3

Want to continue to conversation at home?  Click the link below to download ‘Fishing for More’ — some small group questions for you to bring to those in your area.

3-6-fantastic-beasts

A very special thanks to Allen Forrest for joining us this week!

fantasticbeasts

Filed Under: Film, Podcast Tagged With: Dumbledore, Eddie Redmayne, Fantastic Beasts, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them, Fear, Harry Potter, JK Rowling, Johnny Depp, magic, muggle, Newt, Newt Scamander, Niffler, nomag, truth, Wizard, Wizarding World

Fantastic Beasts, Fantastic Giveaway!

November 13, 2016 by Steve Norton 3 Comments

fantasticbig

Are you excited about Warner Bros. magical movie, Fantastic Beasts (and Where to Find Them)?  So are we!

To help get you ready to journey with Newt Scamander and friends, we have a great giveaway opportunity for you!  (And YES, this one is open to BOTH residents of Canada and the US…)  This prize pack includes a t-shirt, posters, stickers and a bookmark.

img_3978

To enter, like or share this contest and then comment on this Facebook post, answering the following two questions:

  1. If you could have any magic power, what would it be?
  2. What would you do with it?

Comments MUST be received by 11:59pm on Saturday, November 19th, 2016 EST.  The winner will be announced via. ScreenFish’s Facebook page and contacted via messenger for delivery details.

la-et-hc-first-look-harry-potter-prequel-fantastic-beasts-20151104

Filed Under: Film, Giveaways Tagged With: Alison Sudol, contest, Craig Johnson, David Yates, Eddie Redmayne, Ezra Miller, Fantastic Beasts, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them, Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, J. K. Rowling, Johnny Depp, Katherine Waterston, magic, New York, Newt Scamander, poster, Voldemort, Warner Bros.

Molly Moon and the Incredible Book of Hypnotism: You Can Go Home Again

August 14, 2015 by J. Alan Sharrer Leave a Comment

Molly Moon - hypnotist The life Molly Moon (Raffey Cassidy) and her fellow orphans endure is one of fish head soup, extreme curfews, and attempts to sneakily find moments of joy. Headmistress Miss Adderstone (Lesley Manville) is into bossing others around, fashion, and bossing others around. She also has a sneaky enjoyment of causing other people to suffer: she causes live-in nanny Mrs. Trinklebury (Emily Watson) to take a nasty fall after Adderstone pushes her off the stairwell while changing a light. Adderstone also enjoys finding any reason to get on Molly, causing her to spend much of her free time at the library or hiding in the laundry room reading books. While at the library one day, Molly comes across a book on hypnotism that is also wanted by Nockman (Dominic Mongahan), a bumbling crook that would fit right in as a member of the Wet Bandits from Home Alone and is constantly upstaged by his mom (Joan Collins).

Molly attempts to hypnotize a dog named Petula first, and when that is successful, goes about setting to correct the wrongs at the orphanage—starting with the food. After Adderstone is reduced by Moon’s neon green eyes to desiring stuffed dolls, a potential foster family selection goes awry and sets in motion a journey to bring her best friend Rocky (Jadon Carnelly-Morris) back.  Molly becomes quite good at getting what she wants, hypnotizing people into giving her a bus ride to London, a penthouse suite in a swanky building, and an acting role in a major production on the West End (pushing out a teenage diva in the process).  However, it’s plainly evident that Molly has had an attitude change, has no acting or singing skills, and is about to ruin her life in front of millions of people. But her greatest attempt at hypnotism is yet to come . . .

Will she find Rocky in the massive metropolis of London? Will Rocky even want to come back?  Will Nockman get the book of hypnotism and make his mom proud? Is being a celebrity all that it’s cracked up to be?

Molly Moon - Good Food (for once)

With the star power, I was hoping the film would stay faithful to the children’s book by Georgia Byng yet provide the magic of films such as Annie, Matilda, and the Harry Potter series. Sadly, those hopes were dashed. Molly Moon and the Incredible Book of Hypnotism has a few good moments, but they’re sparse in a dark, drab film that’s mostly bereft of humor, includes a number of glaring plot holes (how does the librarian and concierge fit into all of this?), has lackluster music (especially in the West End sequence), and wastes the talent given to director Christopher Rowley. When Molly arrives in London, the film manages to finally get going, but it takes forty minutes for that to happen.

Molly Moon -- Diva

Even though I wish the film was better than it turned out to be, there’s still some truth to be found.  At its heart, Molly Moon is a modified parable of the prodigal son told in Luke 15:11-32. Molly didn’t want to be at the orphanage due to losing Rocky, so she took all she had and headed into the big town. Once there, she found fame and success, but circumstances eventually brought her to her senses where she said (in essence), “Hypnotizing my way to the top isn’t the life for me. I know what I’ll do: I’ll return to the orphanage.” When she did, everyone accepted her back.

Fame is fleeting and can be quite deceiving (just ask Andy Warhol)—it makes us look to ourselves and abilities instead of God, the One who provided the talents and opportunities in the first place. As a result, sometimes a person or situation has to knock us back to reality. But when we come to our senses, we have the opportunity to become more like Jesus through the whole experience.  Is it time to go home again? God’s at the front door, just waiting for you to arrive.

And you don’t need to be hypnotized in order to see that.

Filed Under: Film, Reviews Tagged With: Annie, Christopher Rowley, Dominic Mongahan, Emily Watson, Georgia Byng, Harry Potter, Jadon Carnelly-Morris, Joan Collins, Lesley Manville, Matilda, Molly Moon and the Incredible Book of Hypnotism, Raffey Cassidy

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