STUDIO SYNOPSIS

Voldemort is tightening his grip on both the Muggle and wizarding worlds and Hogwarts is no longer the safe haven it once was. Harry suspects that dangers may even lie within the castle, but Dumbledore is more intent upon preparing him for the final battle that he knows is fast approaching. Together they work to find the key to unlock Voldemort's defenses and, to this end, Dumbledore recruits his old friend and colleague, the well-connected and unsuspecting bon vivant Professor Horace Slughorn, whom he believes holds crucial information.

Meanwhile, the students are under attack from a very different adversary as teenage hormones rage across the ramparts. Harry finds himself more and more drawn to Ginny, but so is Dean Thomas. And Lavender Brown has decided that Ron is the one for her, only she hadn’t counted on Romilda Vane's chocolates! And then there's Hermione, simpering with jealously but determined not to show her feelings. As romance blossoms, one student remains aloof. He is determined to make his mark, albeit a dark one. Love is in the air, but tragedy lies ahead and Hogwarts may never be the same again.

SPIRITUAL POINT OF VIEW
With Visual Review

THIS IS AMAZING: Harry Potter 6 did $160 million in its opening week (July 15-19). So incredible is this kind of boxoffice business that one can’t help but wonder why?

IS IT POPULAR FOR SATANIC REASONS? I remember a few years back when HP first arrived on theater screens, some religious fundamentalist thought this was a recruitment tool for witch and wizard based religions. Additionally, some claimed the magical spells in HP were the real deal, designed by satanic forces to drive young people straight to hell, literally. Time has tempered such foolish thinking and that rhetoric has all but disappeared.

SO WHY IS IT POPULAR? It is popular for some of the same reasons that Twilight is popular. Both are about the rite of passage, coming of age, and the loss of innocence. The inner human emotions and drama that accompany such life journeys are played out in the fantasy elements of these well written stories. In short, the stories connect in a powerful way with those who buy movie tickets! They are relevant!

OPPORTUNITY FOR GREAT DISCUSSIONS.  HP6  opens up incredible insights into the human experience that all of us share. I have been criticized in the past for suggesting that such films as Harry Potter and Twilight are essentially spiritual films. But, critic aside, they are.  The box office numbers prove their relevance in terms of all the doors that are opened to great, meaningful and, yes, spiritual discussions. Throw stones if you wish, but smart people will seek to understand the reasons why such films connect so powerfully with the culture.