The adventures of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry's most famous student, Harry Potter, has become a worldwide literary and cultural phenomenon, with five mega-selling books (each thicker than the last) so far. Author J.K. Rowling's status has changed from a financially strapped single mother to a cult figure whose personal fortune exceeds that of the Queen of England. Clearly, there's a fascinating story to tell here; unfortunately, this A&E Biography episode glosses over it in favor of relentless, often trivial, details about the production of the three highly popular Harry Potter film adaptations (in fact, this program is obviously meant to publicize the release of the summer 2004 hit Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban). Viewers will learn about the talent search to find the perfect actor to play young Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), hear high praise from director Chris Columbus about the ensemble of child actors who have grown up while filming the series, and see cameo appearances by great British actors such as Maggie Smith, Kenneth Branagh, Alan Rickman, and the late Richard Harris. Loaded with film clips, this is basically a lightweight Hollywood promotional-type piece that is more suited to the E! channel than A&E's Biography series. Not a necessary purchase. Aud: P. (S. Rees)
The Magic Touch of Harry Potter
(2004) 50 min. VHS: $19.95. A&E Home Video. PPR. ISBN: 0-7670-7218-9. Volume 19, Issue 6
The Magic Touch of Harry Potter
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