Harry Potter
J.K. Rowling Returns Human Rights Award
J.K. Rowling After launching a series of transphobic tirades on social media, J.K. Rowling has decided to return an award that celebrates human rights and conflicts with “my own conscience.” Late last year, the Robert F Kennedy Human Rights (RFKHR) organization honored Rowling with their Ripple of Hope award. The prize is typically given to those who have shown a “commitment to social change.” Past recipients include Barack Obama and Joe Biden. However, in the time since receiving the award, Rowling has done the exact opposite of positively changing society. Instead, the Harry Potter author has repeatedly attacked transgender, non-binary, and gender-nonconforming communities with her wrongheaded opinions on gender identity and sex. “If sex isn’t real, there’s no same-sex attraction. I...
What’s Streaming on HBO Max in August 2020
HBO Max has been conquering our summer quarantine, and they’re closing out the season in style this August. Below, Consequence of Sound has put together a full list of new TV and film titles heading to the network. For exclusives, subscribers can look forward to Seth Rogen’s An American Pickle, the series premiere of Lovecraft Country, new doc Yusuf Hawkins: Storm Over Brooklyn, and finales for Perry Mason, I’ll Be Gone in the Dark, and I May Destroy You. For moviegoers looking for a good marathon, you might want to Billy Madison your way through Hogwarts as all eight Harry Potter movies will be leaving the network by the end of the month. That’s right. No more Azkaban, no more Chamber, no more Goblet. Though, if magic ain’t your bag, you might try heading to Gotham City with just about ev...
The 100 Greatest Summer Blockbuster Movies of All Time
“Cool.” “Riveting.” “Gripping.” “High-Octane Thrill Ride!” All cliches of film criticism and yet all feelings we’ve experienced while watching a crackerjack summer blockbuster. Oops, there we go again. All things considered, any moviegoer can speak to the divine feeling of sitting in a cool, packed theater in the heat of the summer and being united by narrative. Not just united, but hypnotized, mentally convinced that the fate of the world is before your eyes, and there is nothing more important in that very moment. It’s escapism. It’s popcorn. It’s Chinatown. But also, it’s the power of spectacle. Over the years, Hollywood has certainly run that concept through the ringer, having turned what used to be a summer blockbuster season into, well, an entire calendar year. Now, all those aforeme...
The Lost Art of Summer Blockbuster Counterprogramming
Blockbuster Month is celebrating the true titans of the genre. In the weeks ahead, you’ll read through a variety of features digging deep into the greatest hits of Hollywood, from popcorn classics to underrated gems. Today, Josh Spiegel discusses the art of counterprogramming and whether studios can still pivot around major tentpoles and blockbusters. All movies are not created equal. For decades, the summer was the domain of the blockbuster: big-budget films with loads of action, special effects, and anchored by some kind of intellectual property. Sometimes, those films were able to boast A-List stars; other times, those films created A-List stars. (Will Smith was well-known for his music career and starring role on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, but Independence Day made him a star. The fo...
Daniel Radcliffe Addresses J.K. Rowling’s Transphobic Comments in New Essay
Twice in recent months, Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling has decided to tarnish her legacy by spouting transphobic comments on social media. The latest instance came over the weekend, when Rowling seemingly dismissed the existence of non-binary people and gender-nonconforming people. “If sex isn’t real, there’s no same-sex attraction. If sex isn’t real, the lived reality of women globally is erased,” Rowling tweeted. “I know and love trans people, but erasing the concept of sex removes the ability of many to meaningfully discuss their lives. It isn’t hate to speak the truth.” Now, Harry Potter himself, Daniel Radcliffe, is speaking out in support of the trans community in a new essay published to The Trevor Project. Radcliffe, who portrayed the titular character in all eight Harr...
Daniel Radcliffe Reads Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone For Fans At Home
Not even quarantine can stop the magic of Harry Potter. Starting today, the entirety of the first book in the series, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, will be read aloud one chapter at a time by a rotating cast of celebrities, including the great wizard himself, Daniel Radcliffe. Each chapter will be free to stream in both video and audiobook form. Fittingly, Radcliffe leads the way and pages through chapter one, “The Boy Who Lived”, his voice steady yet animated enough to delight franchise fans young and old. Future chapters will be read by David Beckham, Dakota Fanning, Stephen Fry, Eddie Redmayne, Claudia Kim, Noma Dumezweni, and many others. Videos of each reading will be released weekly from now until mid-summer on WizardingWorld.com, and will be available as an audiobook o...
