Here’s a fun event! People who buy the Blu-ray copy of “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” (read my review here) can actually watch the film with Harry himself, Daniel Radcliffe, and director David Yates.
Well, sort of. Probably as close as we’ll ever get to the real thing anyway. It’s the first worldwide live community screening of the movie, and here’s how it works:
- Buy the Blu-ray disc of “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” available on Dec. 8, 2009. Buy it on Amazon.com!
- Be one of the first 100,000 BD-Live community members (accessible through a BD-Live enabled …read more

It’s no surprise that "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" scored big at the box office this weekend, soaring high about all the other movies. Here’s the rundown from Box Office Mojo:

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, $77.83M
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, $17.56M
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, $13.69M
Bruno, $8.31M
The Proposal, $8.28M
The Hangover, $8.17M
Public Enemies, $7.74M
Up, $3.17M
My Sister’s Keeper, $2.82M
I Love You, Beth Cooper, $2.76M
The Taking of Pelham 123, $889,259
500 Days of Summer, $834,501

Images: TM and (c) 2009 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc

If you haven’t seen "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" yet, go see it! I loved it, and highly recommend it for kids aged eight to eighty. Read my review here.
Here are a few pics from the North American premiere of the movie, held in New York on July 9, 2009. The young stars all look beautiful, don’t they? And Emma Watson is gorgeous! She says she wants to take a little break and focus on college in the States.

More pics after the jump!

Movie: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince * Trailer * Official Site
In Theaters: July 15, 2009

Runtime: 153 minutes
Directed by: David Yates

MPAA Rating: PG for scary images, some violence, language and mild sensuality
Gecko Rating:

One thing I love about Harry Potter movies is that they appeal to all age groups. We saw "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" last night, and the people in the theater spanned at least eight decades, kids from 8 to 80. Aside from that, it’s just a really great production with beautiful cinematography, stunning locations, and thoughtful performances. And oh yeah, a fantastic storyline that …read more

For anyone who’s paying attention, the Vatican has changed its tune on Harry Potter. Just a mere four years ago, the wizard movies were condemned by the Pope as a corrupter of children, ”a subtle seduction, which has deeply unnoticed and direct effects in undermining the soul of Christianity.” Harsh!
But his Holiness has softened a bit on the Hogwarts clan. Yesterday, the Vatican’s official newspaper praised the latest movie, “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” noting that it makes clear that good must prevail over evil. It also gives a big thumbs up on the film’s treatment of …read more

It’s finally arrived! "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" flies into theaters this Wednesday, July 15, 2009. Click here for all of Film Gecko’s coverage of the movie, including trailers, clips, photos and previews.
Here are seven clips courtesy of MTV, with Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson discussing the movie and other things, like Robert Pattinson and kissing a co-star on set! 
Daniel Radcliffe: Being Harry Potter isn’t good for my love life:
 

On the MTV Movie Awards awards last night, a new clip from "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" was shown. Professor Dumbledore is showing Harry a memory that reveals something about the early beginnings of Lord Voldemort. Check out the clip on MTV.com.

Early buzz for this 6th installment of the Harry Potter franchise – which hits theaters July 15, 2009 – hasn’t been that great, but I’m still looking forward to it. I mean, it’s Harry Potter!
Interesting that it’s rated PG (for scary images, some violence, language and mild sensuality), whereas the last two — "Goblet of Fire" and …read more

Ok, so here’s a question I’ve been mulling over. I’m a big fan of the “Harry Potter” series, but let’s face facts. It’s coming to an end soon. We’ll have to move on. And I don’t know about you, but I need a new series to follow and “Twilight” just might be it.
But “Harry Potter” is SUCH a good series with great characters, an interesting story, and awesome effects. We’ve got both “New Moon” and “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” coming up this year. It’ll be interesting to see how they compare at the box office. Will “Twilight” …read more

The second international trailer for "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" is online, and it’s getting me even more hyped for the movie.

The Scoop: With Voldemort tightening his evil grip on both the Muggle and wizarding worlds, their beloved Hogwarts is no longer a safe place for Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) and his friends. He suspects that dangers may lie inside the castle, and Dumbledore ramps up his efforts to prepare Harry for the final battle with Voldemort.
More after the jump, including photos and the 2nd trailer…

A few days ago, I posted about the 16 movies I’m looking forward to in 2009, with "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" and "Public Enemies" leading the pack.
Now it’s your turn! Tell me which movies you’re excited about. And if they’re not listed in the poll, feel free to add your own or tell me in the comments.

n
{democracy:27}

Image: © Paramount Pictures