Subject: Harry Potter

• Harry Potter and the Fanboysandgirls

  Disclaimer: On the insistence of my best friend, I attended a midnight showing of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix last night at the Irvine Spectrum. Five full theaters had sold out, and there were lines wrapping from Edwards through the Spectrum and down the street. (Almost) unbelievably, 2,311 U.S. theaters hosted midnight screenings for the latest entry in the Harry Potter film franchises, bringing in a total of $12 million. And, actually, it really wasn't all that bad. In fact,

  July 11, 2007

• LYT's Film Pick of the Weekend 7-13-07

  You probably thought I was going to say Harry Potter, and I thought so too, until about 2 a.m. last night. The new Harry Potter's fine -- better than fine, if you catch it in IMAX and see the 20 climactic minutes in 3-D. But it's also wildly inconsistent, with some scenes being really nicely directed, while others are slapdash, and one of the worst scene transitions I've ever seen happens about midway through. It's the first in the series not to be scripted by Steve Kloves, and thus it's proba

  July 13, 2007

• Boondoggle or Balloon-doogle?

  Last Friday Weekly web editor extraordinaire Janine Kahn and I were cordially treated to a fantastic voyage on the Irvine Great Park's $5 million big orange helium airship attraction. While publications like the OC Register and Los Angeles Times — a bunch of negative Nancies — dwell on the balloon's extravagant cost as well as its projected $850,000 deficit the first year, I say sometimes the finer things in life are worth the cost. As the Great Park's architect Ken Smith told me, "It's onl

  July 16, 2007

• Friday's Headlines

  Faithful despite the crappy leadership: The Times sent three reporters out to get a reaction to recent priest sex-abuse scandals and found many Catholics angry, but steadfast in their faith. "It's not Christ in crisis . . . it's the institution," said one scholar. He's no angel, say the cops: Angel Cerna of Anaheim was arrested on his way to his delivery job yesterday. The cops think he may have killed his wife, Gabriela Herrera, whose body was dumped along an East Los Angeles freeway in Novemb

  July 20, 2007

• Comic-Con 2007: The Beginning

  This is the real ghost train. San Diego, Wednesday night, downtown, after dark. All that's here is a smattering of oases of light, from cheap drug stores to greasy spoons offering a "really big Taco Plate" for $3.50. The streets, for now, are mostly empty, and those riding the trolley around you are dirty and old, with faces that bespeak hard labor for too little pay...and judging by the content of their mouths, no dental insurance. The allegedly spooky rides at the OC Fair have been easily be

  July 26, 2007

• Has J.K. Rowling bested the slashers?

  August 1, 2007

• LYT's Film Pick of the Weekend 10-5-07

  It's hard to get all that enthused about some of the releases this week, but there's one that I'm definitely all fired up NOT to see. THE SEEKER: THE DARK IS RISING Remember back when Harry Potter was first going to be a movie, and it was suggested that Steven Spielberg would direct, with Haley Joel Osment in the lead, re-setting the action in America? Aren't you glad that didn't happen? Or maybe you're one of those who complained that the Harry Potter movies were somehow too faithful, whateve

  October 5, 2007

• Give a hoot, read a book

  According to Facebook, the following are the most popular books in the Orange County online community: 1. Harry Potter 2. The Bible 3. Catcher In The Rye 4. Angels And Demons 5. 1984 Insert your own punchline here. No, seriously. That's why we have comments enabled.

  October 6, 2007

• Surviving Sawfest

  Lionsgate films claim they make SAW movies for the fans, and while it's easy to be cynical about that claim, Sawfest was definitely a fan-friendly move – all four SAW movies on the big screen for the price of one ticket. Now, could it have been even better? Sure. Had I been in charge of marketing, I might have suggested maybe adding a higher-priced ticket that would include an “I survived Sawfest” t-shirt, or maybe a reduced admission for anyone coming in costume as Jigsaw, Amanda, or Bill

  October 26, 2007

• Dogs! In clothes! In Long Beach!

  Dog lovers and cruel cackling people who like to dress their pets in degrading outfits and drag them around town gathered in Long Beach yesterday for the Haute Dogs 7th Annual Howl’oween Parade. Livingston Park and 2nd Street were overtaken by more than 600 costumed creatures and countless spectators, many armed with cameras to document the somewhat head-scratching spectacle. The day’s events started at 11 a.m. with a dog adoption fair that also featured specialized dog clothing, dog treats

  October 29, 2007

• LYT's Film Pick of the Weekend 2-8-08

  IN BRUGES I'm slightly bummed. A new Colin Farrell action-comedy opened today, but not at The Block, so no midnight screening was to be had. Guess I'll have to find some other time that works, when the kiddies (mostly) won't be out in force. Anyway, in case you haven't heard about this movie, don't be fooled by the title into thinking it's some kind of art-house flick. It's Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson hiding out in Bruges, which is a European town where my grandfather was once held as a

  February 8, 2008

• [Summer Guide] Harry Potter and 39 Other Movies We Can't Wait to See This Season

  June 4, 2009

• Cupcakes, I Can't Quit You Baby

  Yes, I know I have a serious and perhaps life-threatening addiction to cupcakes--I've actually noted Sprinkles' upcoming Brown Sugar Praline flavor in my diary--but I'm clearly not the only one. Just as there's an unstoppable number of cupcakes stores opening all over the country, there are also dozens of dedicated blogs. Among my favorites is St Louis-based food writer Stefani Pollack, who has turned baking cupcakes into an obsession, charting the results on her website, the Cupcake Project. Th

  March 13, 2009

• [Summer Guide] The Pantsless Summer

  June 4, 2009

• Wild About Harry

  June 3, 2004

• Salutations

  Charlotte’s Web

  August 9, 2007

• Letters

  ‘We are launching a ‘Free Chokr’ campaign. T-shirts are being printed as we speak. Ballcaps will bear the insignia EHW (Evil Horny Women).’

  August 2, 2007

• Aural Reports

  Wizard Rock No Kidding! The Hermoine Crookshanks experience sings Harry Potter to life

  July 26, 2007

• Spelling

  Harry Potter Midnight Magic Release Party

  July 19, 2007

• Trendzilla

  Trendzilla dons sorting hat, fits right in with the Slytherins—being a reptile and all
  

  July 19, 2007

• New Reviews

  We recommend: Gypsy Caravan, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, I Have Never Forgotten You, In

  July 12, 2007

• Dark Phoenix

  New Potter mines the depths of adolescent angst

  July 12, 2007

• Over the Hedge and Under the Radar

  Mapping todays kiddie-movie landscape

  May 18, 2006

• Cherub Rock

  A toddler and her dad road-test alt-lullabies

  March 29, 2007

• CD Review

  Jarvis Cocker
  Jarvis
  Rough Trade

  March 29, 2007

• Trendzilla

  Crusty band shirts

  February 8, 2007

• Blind Love

  Equus is still not your everyday horse show

  February 1, 2007

• Special Screenings

  August 17, 2006

• Here's Your Insight, Pal

  July 20, 2006

• Unreal Estate

  July 20, 2006

• Once Is Enough

  March 30, 2006

• Is Moviegoing on the Bubble?

  December 29, 2005

• TOC

  December 1, 2005

• The Good Book

  December 1, 2005

• Four Wizards and a Funeral

  November 17, 2005

• Dropkicks!

  September 8, 2005

• July 14 - July 21

  July 14, 2005

• Eight Days

  December 23, 2004

• Eight Days

  May 13, 2004

• EIGHT DAYS

  March 11, 2004

• Think Tink!

  December 18, 2003

• Uh-Oh, Its Magic

  November 28, 2002

• Wonderama!

  November 14, 2002

• Fantasyland

  December 27, 2001

• A Walrus Shrugged

  December 20, 2001

• Just Mild About Harry

  November 22, 2001

• Slam-Dunk Soliloquies

  September 13, 2001

• The Wan[d] Thrill of Midnight "Harry Potter" Madness [UPDATED]

  PAY NO ATTENTION TO THE "MATT COKER" BYLINE ABOVE. THIS IS FROM DIEP TRAN. ENJOY!ALSO, SEE DIEP TRAN'S SLIDESHOW.UPDATE: LA TIMES REPORTS HARRY POTTER BROKE MIDNIGHT SALES RECORDS.It must be a breeze to work at Warner Brothers right now. Not only have they won critical acclaim and endless amounts of money from The Dark Knight, but they also control one of the biggest movie franchises in the last decade which, if last night's midnight premiere was any indication, still controls the souls of score

  July 15, 2009

• Orange County Ranks #1 in CA for Swine Flu Deaths

  It is always heart-warming to see one's county first in something. Though when it's something as terrifying--though not really--as swine flu, you can't help feeling even more proud. According to the Associated Press, Orange County, with our gargantuan total of 5 deaths, ranks as the number one county for swine flu deaths in California. Take that LA County!  

  July 13, 2009

• [Trendzilla] That's Why the Ladies Like Vamps

  September 24, 2009