Poway movie fans are wild about ‘Harry’
By Elizabeth Marie Himchak
More than 1,000 Muggles (non-magical folk) converged upon Poway’s UltraStar Theater Thursday night so they could see the midnight premier of the eighth and final Harry Potter movie.
Donning costumes for the midnight premier were front row, from left, Leann Aldridge, Nola Lowy, Madison Miller, Jasmine Anklesaria and Sabrina Devereaux. Back row, Griffin Metz, Richard Metz, Carly Metz and Pamela Metz. Photo by Elizabeth Marie Himchak
Lines formed early to see “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2,” with many of the 1,059 present opting to wear costumes or other Potter-inspired attire and make-up.
Among those donning Hogwarts school robes was 19-year-old Lindsay Speer who said she dressed up “because I love Harry Potter. I’m its biggest fan.”
Speer said she has dressed up for previous movies. “I’m sad and do not know what to do” now that the final movie was released, she added.
Part 2 revolves around the search by Harry, Ron and Hermione to find and destroy the final Horcruxes, where the movie’s villain — Lord Voldemort — has placed parts of his soul in order to achieve immortality. Its climax is the final deathly battle between Voldemort and his Death Eaters with the teen wizard and the rest of the wizarding world.
“It was great and worth (the extra expense),” said Fabiola Hernandez, 16, who was among the 123 moviegoers who saw the movie in 3-D.
Allison Lane and Kylie Selk, dressed as Harry Potter characters, enjoy some popcorn before watching the finale Harry Potter movie at the Seany Fondation early showing. Photo by Daniel Driefuss
Each donned 3-D glasses made to look like Harry’s circular spectacles, a viewing option only for the final film.
“It was awesome, even though it did not (exactly) follow the book,” said 13-year-old Nathanael Winter.
Laura Parkes, 25, said she felt like crying over the fact that this was the final Harry Potter movie and called it “amazing.”
“I am such a die-hard fan of the book and wanted to see the book exactly on the screen,” Parkes said. “But (the movie) was pretty good. It was helpful that J.K. Rowling was involved in everything happening, so I’m not too upset about the minor changes.”
Katie Romero, the Poway theater’s assistant manager, said of the 1,059 midnight premier attendees, 919 viewed the movie in 2-D, 123 chose the 3-D version (a few dollars extra) and all 17 of the theater’s D-Box seats were sold. The latter adds movement to the movie viewing experience for an additional $8 per ticket.
In addition, Romero said 215 Potter fans viewed a repeat showing of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1” at 9 p.m. on Thursday.
Monica Rodriguez at the Seany Fondation early showing. Photo by Daniel Dreifuss
Prior to the midnight show, around 80 San Diegans got to walk the “red carpet” in Poway for an advanced screening at 7 p.m. thanks to The Seany Foundation.
The group gave tickets to around 30 children and teens receiving cancer treatment at Rady Children’s and Kaiser Permanente hospitals so they and their families could have a memorable night out.
“It means the world to them,” said Tara Ricasa, the foundation’s director of development. “The kids do not have to think about their (cancer) for one night. They can go with their family and friends and have bragging rights that they got to see (the last Harry Potter movie) before anybody else.”
The foundation was founded in 2005 to honor San Diegan Sean Lewis Robins, who seven years after diagnosis died of a rare bone cancer in 2006 at age 22. Ricasa said the movie nights — offered two or three times a year — “provide a world of difference in the recovery process.”
In addition, she said in many cases cancer patients’ families “do not see movies often because money is tight.”
The foundation formed a partnership with UltraStar because Robins loved watching movies and as a young man worked at its former Carmel Valley location. The theater makes an advance screening possible and provides discounts to the foundation, Ricasa said.
Short URL: http://www.pomeradonews.com/?p=14354
Posted by Steve Dreyer
on Jul 15 2011. Filed under Featured Story, Local News, Poway.
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1000 muggles, did you ask them about that? There could have been some witches and warlocks in the crowd.
Fact correction: The Seany Foundation prescreening was actually a much larger success. There were around 300 in attendance, and 100 sponsored tickets were given out to kids from local hospitals and their families. Thanks for the kudos, though!