Here's a fun vid on which to end the week, from Theme Park Review. It does a great job of recreating the atmosphere at Universal Studios Orlando, Islands of Adventure & Halloween Horror Nights. Including Incredible Hulk, Dueling Dragons and some of the best roller coasters footage I have seen.
The producers note that the onride footage in this video was taken with permission from the park and filmed by professional ride photographers. They stress that you should never attempt to take video on roller coasters without proper permission from the park because filming on rides can be extremely dangerous. I would add that the danger is not just to yourself.
Back in May, 2007, Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. and Universal Orlando Resort, announced that they are constructing a Harry Potter theme park at Universal Studios (Islands of Adventure) in Orlando, Florida, occupying over 20 acres, it is described as a theme park within a theme park and is to be called "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter". It is Scheduled to open in 2009.
Harry Potter fans are being offered the chance to appear in 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince™', the next movie in the series of wizardly goings on at Hogwarts.
Marking the launch of 'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix™' on DVD, MSN and Warner Home Video are running a competition that will provide one lucky, lucky fan, the once in a lifetime opportunity to be a part of motion picture history, with a walk on part.
Pradip Chandra Sorcar, the Indian magician who famously performed a trick which made the Taj Mahal disappear from view, plans to open a school of magic. Based on 2,000 years of knowledge, the school is to be based in Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal.
Ten years ago, Sorcar received the Merlin Award for his contributions to the art of magic from the International Magicians Society in New York.
Fillet of a fenny snake In the cauldron boil and bake; Eye of newt and toe of frog, Wool of bat and tongue of dog, Adder's fork and blindworm's sting, Lizard's leg and owlet's wing, For a charm of powerful trouble, Like a hell-broth boil and bubble, A handful of chillies and a scoop of curry, An Indian spell to cause Hogwarts worry.
With apologies to William Shakespeare's witches spell in Macbeth.
At the end of June, the Man Booker International Prize 2007 was formally awarded to Chinua Achebe during a presentation ceremony that included over 200 guests enjoying Smoked Salmon Bavarois, English Lamb and Summer Pudding, in the Great Hall at Christ Church College, Oxford, England. This hall once housed Parliament, during the English Civil War when King Charles I took residence at Christ Church. I wonder if the guests were aware that their surroundings are better known to millions of Harry Potter fans as the great banqueting hall at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Christ Church is Oxford University's largest College and was founded in 1524. Visitors are made welcome, but being a working academic and religious institution some areas may be inaccessible; the hall for example, can be closed to visitors between 12pm and 2pm. The visitor entrance is through the large gate facing Christ Church Meadow, a remarkable oasis of calm, much loved by one Lewis Carroll, who famously created another magical world 'through the looking glass'.
There is much to see at Christ Church besides the Great Hall, the college houses an important collection of Old Master paintings and drawings, so allow plenty of time to browse.
