FOCUS GROUP: Will ‘Harry Potter’ charm the muggles?
A rapper, a pastor, two teens and a city girl on this weekend’s movies.
Times Staff Writer
We've assembled representatives of some of Hollywood's key demographics. Each week, our group weighs in on the coming weekend's releases, letting us know whether all the script fixes, the re-shoots and the product tie-in campaigns have added up to a movie they are likely to see.
THE CHARACTERS:
The Christian
Keenan Roberts: Senior pastor of New Destiny Christian Center in Northglenn, Colo., as well as director of the ministries of the Hell House Outreach.
The Rapper
GLC: Originally from Chicago, he now lives in Los Angeles where he is at work on his album.
The College Boy
Justin Scharf: A freshman at Georgia State University. He is 6-foot-3, listens to a lot of music, and works at Starbucks.
The Teenage Girl
Elena Roye: An eighth-grader at a middle school in Westchester County, N.Y.
The City Girl
Carol Creighton: Lives in the West Village of Manhattan. She is a manager for a pharmaceutical company, volunteers at a women's shelter, and enjoys her martinis with a twist.
Because of technical difficulties, we will not hear from Pastor Keenan this week. We're having an email disconnect, but the rest of the team is on board to tell us whether they're under the spell of Harry Potter.
THE MOVIES:
GLC: "I've never been a Harry Potter fan. I never got into a nerd with a magic wand. I'm from Chicago and Roger Ebert gave it two stars, which is kind of like one thumb up, one thumb down, so I don't really want to see a movie that he gives a thumb up and a thumb down. I'm not into little guys doing magic I don't embrace this concept."
Justin: "Tuesday night at work it was totally busy until we closed. We had to throw the whole store out, and it was all because of 'Harry Potter.' All these girls started coming in wearing capes with lightning bolts on their head. I was like, 'Oh my Gawd.' I don't' think I'm going to see it myself. I can't handle the girls with capes."
Elena: "I want to see it. I saw the other ones and I really liked it and the trailers seem really scary, but thrilling and exciting. Scary in a good way. So yeah, I love Harry Potter."
Carol: "I liked the first few books, but have not kept up or seen any of the previous films. So I doubt this is what I will be spending my $10 at the theater to see."
GLC: "I don't want to see a movie about modern day torturing. That's lame as hell. I'm not with the whole Jeffrey Dahmer thing."
Justin: "I've been meaning to find out more about this, it looks so similar to 'Hostel II' and everybody hated 'Hostel II.' I'm still recovering from just the preview of 'Hostel II.' I don't see any way for this movie to be even remotely good, unless Jack Bower was in it, then it would, maybe."
Elena: "It seems like a good movie, but probably too scary for me. I have gotten better at watching scary movies, but I think that one might be too much. But my friends want to see it, so I might go with them and hold their hand or whatever."
Carol: "YUCK!! No way. I just do not see the fun in being scared intentionally!!"
THE CHARACTERS:
The Christian
Keenan Roberts: Senior pastor of New Destiny Christian Center in Northglenn, Colo., as well as director of the ministries of the Hell House Outreach.
The Rapper
GLC: Originally from Chicago, he now lives in Los Angeles where he is at work on his album.
The College Boy
Justin Scharf: A freshman at Georgia State University. He is 6-foot-3, listens to a lot of music, and works at Starbucks.
The Teenage Girl
Elena Roye: An eighth-grader at a middle school in Westchester County, N.Y.
The City Girl
Carol Creighton: Lives in the West Village of Manhattan. She is a manager for a pharmaceutical company, volunteers at a women's shelter, and enjoys her martinis with a twist.
Because of technical difficulties, we will not hear from Pastor Keenan this week. We're having an email disconnect, but the rest of the team is on board to tell us whether they're under the spell of Harry Potter.
THE MOVIES:
GLC: "I've never been a Harry Potter fan. I never got into a nerd with a magic wand. I'm from Chicago and Roger Ebert gave it two stars, which is kind of like one thumb up, one thumb down, so I don't really want to see a movie that he gives a thumb up and a thumb down. I'm not into little guys doing magic I don't embrace this concept."
Justin: "Tuesday night at work it was totally busy until we closed. We had to throw the whole store out, and it was all because of 'Harry Potter.' All these girls started coming in wearing capes with lightning bolts on their head. I was like, 'Oh my Gawd.' I don't' think I'm going to see it myself. I can't handle the girls with capes."
Elena: "I want to see it. I saw the other ones and I really liked it and the trailers seem really scary, but thrilling and exciting. Scary in a good way. So yeah, I love Harry Potter."
Carol: "I liked the first few books, but have not kept up or seen any of the previous films. So I doubt this is what I will be spending my $10 at the theater to see."
GLC: "I don't want to see a movie about modern day torturing. That's lame as hell. I'm not with the whole Jeffrey Dahmer thing."
Justin: "I've been meaning to find out more about this, it looks so similar to 'Hostel II' and everybody hated 'Hostel II.' I'm still recovering from just the preview of 'Hostel II.' I don't see any way for this movie to be even remotely good, unless Jack Bower was in it, then it would, maybe."
Elena: "It seems like a good movie, but probably too scary for me. I have gotten better at watching scary movies, but I think that one might be too much. But my friends want to see it, so I might go with them and hold their hand or whatever."
Carol: "YUCK!! No way. I just do not see the fun in being scared intentionally!!"
Only good movies
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