MetaFilter posts tagged with HarryPotter

100 tons heavier than Black Sabbath

not_on_display — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 05:37:39 -0800

The Carillon is the most massive musical instrument in the world. Carillonneurs bang out heavy metal with their fists loosely clenched. It will leave your ears ringing. (Yes, it's bells. Big bells.)

A magic beyond all we do here

ChurchHatesTucker — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 10:50:52 -0800

Harry Potter, The Musical (SLYTPL (Single Link Youtube Playlist))

A real cut-up

flatluigi — Tue, 26 May 2009 11:54:39 -0800

You've probably seen (and heard) his version of Alice in Wonderland, but have you seen The King and I, Harry Potter, The Sword in the Stone, or Mary Poppins?

It's weird being a ball

rtha — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 11:51:42 -0800

"MIDDLEBURY, Vt. -- Rainey Johnson, sporting a yellow shirt, yellow socks and yellow paint smeared on his face, darted across the freshman quad. Other students, in capes, ran after him clutching brooms between their legs and grasping in vain for a tennis ball stuffed in a sock hanging out of his yellow shorts." Muggle quidditch is a full-contact sport. The Intercollegiate Quidditch Association now has more than 100 member schools, thanks to the evangelizing of its founding members, who hail from Middlebury College. Tackling is encouraged. Capes are good, but aren't mandatory. It sounds completely dorktacular, doesn't it?

Not Potter. But smarter?

skyper — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 18:44:02 -0800

Crushed fans of Harry Potter expressed outrage upon learning they must wait another 8 months for the newest film installment. The timing of the announcement rather handily coincides with the release of Scholastic's "39 Clues" -- a book whose blend of interactive intrigue is supposed to take over young readers' imaginations where Harry leaves off. Already user groups are scheduling events based on the book's premise.

Blacker than black, it's gone

willie11 — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 09:05:54 -0800

Apparently, the new black is... really, really black. "Researchers in New York reported this month that they have created a paper-thin material that absorbs 99.955 percent of the light that hits it, making it by far the darkest substance ever made -- about 30 times as dark as the government's current standard for blackest black." But what possible benefit to society could come from this blacker than black substance? Why, invisibility cloaks, of course! More on invisibility cloaks Previously on metafilter

Not that there's anything wrong with that

Stynxno — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 21:20:04 -0800

The world's most famous boy wizard has had to dodge claims of being gay ever since he first appeared in print. Some claim him to be a gay icon, others wonder that there is something about Harry and still more waste their time making gay Potter mashups online. It seems, for some reason, that everyone wants to know. Is Harry Gay? Nope. Dumbledore is.

The deus-ex-machina is not great

These Premises Are Alarmed — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 07:03:19 -0800

Christopher Hitchens reviews Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. nyt, via their book review podcast.

Potter Puppet Pals

fcummins — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 10:24:32 -0800

Potter Puppet Pals. More: Ron's computer , Oh noes, Bothering Snape, 4-potions class, The cute villian, The Gay Party, The Budget Wand of Doom. Even more. (all YT)

The finest perveyors of cut & paste entertainment

criticalbill — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 10:50:12 -0800

Cassetteboy "record famous people and make it sound like they're talking about sex or drugs. It's a winning formula" but they also bring anarchic political awareness to an already piratical realm. Harry Potter (not for sensitive Potterphiles), Big Brother, Bill Gates, Jeremy Clarkson, Jamie Oliver and The Streets face the wrath of some adolescent humourists with far too much time on their hands while David Attenborough surveys British wildlife and Frank Sinatra sings about 9/11. And for dessert Martin Luther King Jr plays Deal or No Deal. Most links YT, NSFW, YMMV.

The Voice of Harry Potter

ericb — Sun, 22 Jul 2007 10:27:35 -0800

British actor Jim Dale is greeted as a "star" by children and adults when he appears in public and at readings. He has narrated the U.S. audiobooks for the "Harry Potter" series. For the series he worked six-and-a-half-hour days, recording about 18 to 20 pages. Over eight years he has crafted over 200 distinctive voices for the books' characters. He takes into account the aging of the main characters, who started out as 10 and 11 in “Sorcerer’s Stone” and are now 17 and 18 in “Deathly Hallows.” Like the books, the tapes and CDs have been a publishing phenomenon selling more than 5.7 million copies. For his work on the “Harry Potter” series, Mr. Dale has won a Grammy Award, a record 9 Audie Awards (the Oscars for audiobooks) and holds the record for creating the most voices in an audiobook in the Guinness Book of World Records. Audio clips and video interview.

Hypey Potter

humblepigeon — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 03:01:17 -0800

Harry Potter dies. Harry Potter lives. One thing is becoming clear: Harry Potter is killing the traditional bookseller industry in the UK.

Harry who?

jourman2 — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 21:07:50 -0800

So amazon.com has 1.06 million pre-orders (scroll down the page to see the "Muggle Counter on the right side) in (even though the press is hilariously reporting that as 1.6 million - go figure) for the seventh and final Harry potter book with two weeks to go before the release date - and yes, that means amazon is selling almost 10% of the 12 million book first printing by itself. However, if you think that amazon is swimming in cash, you'd be wrong. Apparently Jeff Bezos decided to sell the book at no profit and throw in free shipping to boot. This is not just a one time strategy though, apparently Amazon "sacrifices $600 million in shipping revenue each year" just to keep it's customers loyal. Bezos also noted in the same press conference that "platform sandals...make my calves look really good".

Miniature Hogwarts

jonson — Sat, 10 Feb 2007 23:33:14 -0800

Sally Wallace creates highly detailed miniature dollhouses, including several from the Harry Potter films (Olivander's wand shop & Honeydukes, Hogwarts, The Stairs). Via. Warning, every single annoying web 0.9 trick in the book is employed somewhere on this site, including but not limited to: embedded midi files, that java fake reflecting water deal, virtual exploding fireworks, etc. ugh.

Harry Potter and Lord Wal-d-mart

cjoh — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 07:42:30 -0800

Harry Potter and Lord Wal-d-mart: The Late Night Players entertain us this friday: Harry Potter combats the low low prices of Wal-Mart.

Hogwarts in Matchsticks

jonson — Fri, 15 Sep 2006 10:42:35 -0800

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry recreated to scale using 526,000 matchsticks is the latest model being constructed over at Matchstick Marvels.

"There's a game of water Quidditch going on in the swimming pool." Harry Potter, fandom, and academia.

anjamu — Sat, 12 Aug 2006 22:24:35 -0800

"... Everyone needs an escape. It just amazes me that for 1,200 people this involves sitting in darkened rooms listening to presentations on Harry Potter and the Sanctity of Everyday Life: JK Rowling's Complex Treatment of the Trope of Normalcy." Carole Cadwalladr covers Lumos 2006 for the Guardian. [via]

Kill Harry

Gator — Mon, 20 Feb 2006 08:40:38 -0800

Kill Bill + Harry Potter = Kill Harry, featuring cameo appearances by Bender the robot, Bruce Campbell, and Zombie Rick James, bitch.

Genetics of fictional characters

easternblot — Wed, 17 Aug 2005 07:33:50 -0800

Harry Potter and the Recessive Allele is a short letter to Nature, suggesting using the concept of wizarding heritage in the Harry Potter series to explain genetics to children. It's the latest forwarding fad among biologists. The cartoon in this newspaper version of the story sums it up best... The idea isn't new, however, because a quick Google search finds the same theory in a British newspaper article from 2003.

...

jimmy — Tue, 19 Jul 2005 17:47:14 -0800

man spoils harry potter ending - "funny"

Looking forward to the Half-Blood Prince?

NickDouglas — Thu, 14 Jul 2005 13:26:58 -0800

DO NOT READ ANYONE LOOKING FORWARD....! BIG SPOILER! So reads every post on a Harry Potter forum, where spoiler-vandals have turned after getting locked out of the official forum. I'm afraid to even link you directly, with warnings, to the spoiler -- you'll have to click through. Meanwhile, the news reports leak after leak.

Harry and the Potters

handshake — Wed, 08 Jun 2005 12:33:20 -0800

We play songs about books! Excited about the new Harry Potter book coming out? How about some quirky pop songs about our favorite wizard-in-training? Get some background on the band and then go check out one of their free shows.

Fathom

plep — Sat, 15 Jan 2005 06:19:28 -0800

The biology of B-movie monsters ; ancient Greek curse and love magic; the correspondence of Elizabeth I and James VI; Egil Skallagrimsson, poet and killer; the mythology of Harry Potter; Pinocchio's cultural heirs; Tiananmen's legacy; experimental art in China; the question of Hatshepshut's character. Articles courtesy of the Fathom Archive, 2000-2003.

potter potter potter

gminks — Wed, 05 Jan 2005 16:54:09 -0800

it's not badger badger but it'll do. ps this is my first post, I used it to share badger love. sorta.

metafilter MetaFilter metaFilter

Pretty_Generic — Wed, 14 Jul 2004 02:43:45 -0800

Like magic, the vibrating broomstick of progress sweeps the Czech Republic. (Czech government likes celebrities).