A Fitting Finale For Harry

by DEEPTI HAJELA, Associated Press Writer

It may not be the longest book in the series, but "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" definitely packs the most punch. The drama starts on the first page and continues practically throughout the entire story.

With Book 7, Rowling brings her phenomenally successful series about the young wizard to a close. And what a close it is.

There were some complaints that Book 6 — "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" — didn't have a lot of action until the end, that its role seemed to be filling in important bits of back story and setting the stage for the final installment.

There will be no such complaints here. The pace picks up from the start, with readers thrown into a world that's much darker than any of the previous Potter books. Harry and friends Ron and Hermione are on a quest some weeks after the death of Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, and it's time to put aside familiar faces and places and get on their way.

Lord Voldemort, Harry's nemesis, seems to be everywhere, his tentacles of power reaching into every corner. It's a dangerous world they must travel, and no place or happy occasion is safe. Their journey takes them to some unexpected locations and makes them interact with a whole host of characters, including some who were merely references in other books and some who are painfully familiar faces.

Old antagonists from previous books show up — one of whom enters into a positive relationship with Harry, and another who continues to wallow in all the traits that inspired Harry's hatred.

Harry, Ron and Hermione are on the search for horcruxes, vessels that Voldemort created to hold pieces of his soul, which make it impossible to kill him as long as they exist. The search has them moving over various parts of the United Kingdom as they try to fit all the pieces together. Many secrets are finally revealed, all leading up to the ultimate confrontation between Harry and the wizard who tried to kill him so long ago.

Rowling captured many hearts with her first book, and her last is guaranteed to keep them. She is amazingly gifted, demonstrated not only by the incredibly detailed world she has created, but by the depth of feeling and complexity she writes into her characters.

It's all here: humor, courage, redemption, sadness, terror, human frailty — sometimes all in the same character. There are sections that will make readers laugh out loud, as well as scenes of such sadness that tears are inevitable.

From a boy of 11, Harry has become a young man, determined to take on quite a burden. He suffers because of his commitment, and he's not the only one. Rowling said characters would die, and she meant it. Pain and death are constant companions, and sometimes who is taken is a shocker. The deaths aren't always drawn-out, violent scenes; sometimes, you discover that someone has died at the same time Harry does.

Characters you thought you knew will surprise you. Some grow in unexpected (and not always pleasant) ways, while others have more complicated pasts than you could ever imagine. No one's life is simple — with a couple of Death Eater exceptions, many of the characters prove that you can't make assumptions about people's motivations.

Rowling rewards her faithful readers; there are numerous allusions to people, places, spells and objects that were mentioned in earlier books. It's a pleasure to see how she closes the loop she opened so many years ago with the story of a young boy who one day discovered he was a wizard.

And, of course, she answers many questions: Why did Snape kill Dumbledore? Is Snape Harry's enemy? Where are the horcruxes? What are the deathly hallows?

It's been a long, long road to get to this point (the first book was published in the United States almost a decade ago), and Rowling does herself proud. She completes her entertaining, compulsively readable series with a book that is both heartbreaking and hopeful, one that left this reader sad to say goodbye to Harry but thoroughly satisfied at how it all went.

From "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" to "Deathly Hallows," Rowling has completed an astonishing cycle of books that can only be described as a true literary classic

On Turning a Year Older

Nais kang magsabi ng Thank You sa lahat ng mga kaibigan na nakaalala at bumati sa aking Birthday nung Sabado. Salamat sa mga nag-text at tumawag. Hanggang ngayon ay naka-save pa rin sa inbox ko ang mga messages nyo. 'Di pa ako nagsasawang basahin ng paulit-ulit.

Alam nyo namang lahat na ako ay 28 years old na ngayon. During the days leading to my birthday, lagi akong nalulungkot. Totoo pala na may ganung feeling, yung kinatatakutan mo ang pagsapit ng birthday mo kasi madadagdagan ka na naman ng isang taon. Ang una ko ngang balak ay magkulong lang sa bahay at pagtaguan ang buong mundo, baka sakaling makalimutan ko na birthday ko.

Pero nung Sabado, dahil sa pagmamahal na ipinaramdam ninyo, labis ang kasiyahan ko. Wala na akong paki-alam kahit tumatanda na talaga ako. Na-realize ko, nakakatakot lang tumanda kung di mo kapiling ang mga mahal mo at ang mga taong nagmamahal sa 'yo.

Na-overcome ko na ang takot na yun. I'm now ready for the rest of my life.

DAY 110

I am past the 100 day mark of quitting cigarettes. I admit, may mga araw na bumabali ako sa resolve ko. Since I quit in March, siguro nakaka-sampung stick pa lang ako up to today. I'm not too concerned about it. I only light up a stick when there is a really important occasion. Pero, ayokong kunsintihin ang rason na ito. Hopefully, mas maging disiplinado ako in the future, may alibi man o wala.

Sobrang Okay

Last Sunday, me and three other friends decided to watch SOP live at GMA. Swerte kami kasi writer sa show ang isa pa naming kaibigan na si Yay. He assured us that, as long as we go there early, he'll get us good seats. Kaso, alas-onse na kami dumating ni Boggs. Hinihintay na kami nina Ben at Marvin sa Jamboree Gate. Ang sabi nung gwardya dun, puno na raw sa studio ng SOP. Di na raw magpapapasok.

I texted Yay agad and told him about the problem. Gagawan nya raw ng paraan. Presto! Narinig ko ang guard na tinatawag na ang pangalan ko. Ang galing! Inggit na inggit yung ibang hindi nakapasok habang kami naman ng mga kaibigan ko ay pinayagan.

Pagdating sa studio, Yay asked one of the P.A.s na ikuha kami ng chairs. Although we were at the last row sa gilid ng stage, they were still good seats. Maliit lang ksi yung studio kaya halos abot-kamay mo lang ang mga artista. Live na Live ang theme ng show that day. Ang galing ng mga production numbers. Ang lupit kumanta ni Aicelle! Naks! Schoolmate ko yan, hahaha. Natuwa rin ako sa mga bata ng Sugahpop. Sayang wala si Regine. Pero sulit pa rin dahil nandun ang the rest of the Constellation of Stars.

After ng show, hinatak kami ni Yay para makapagpa-picture sa mga artista. Tuwang-tuwa naman kaming nagpahatak. Hahaha. What a fun Sunday!

Kapusong Totoo

Bilang isang manunulat na unti-unting pinapasok ang industriya ng telebisyon, bahagi pa rin ng aking inspirasyon ang pagiging fan. I love movies. I am a TV addict. So it's only understandable that I am crazy about the stars.

Matapos ang halos sampung taon, ngayon higit kailanman ay napakalapit na ng katuparan ng aking pangarap na maging scriptwriter. At ang nagbigay sa akin ng pagkakataon ay ang nag-iisang Kapuso Network. I was never a big fan of GMA prior to the writing workshop that they offerred for free. At first, I was just thankful dahil binigyan nila ako ng break. Inevitably, however, natutunan kong mahalin ang Syete at tinanggap ko nang malugod ang transformation ko into a tue-blooded Kapuso.

Last week ay naanyayahan kaming maging bahagi ng story conference para sa bagong show na magbubukas sa September. Napakalaki ng proyektong ito. All star cast pa! Sobrang nakaka-overwhelm na sa harap ng mga iniidolo kong artista ay in-acknowledge ako ng Headwriter namin na si Don Michael Perez as part of the writing team. Wow! There's no other show I want so much to be part of except this one. Kasama kasi ako mula nung mag-umpisang buuin ang kwento nito. I am so excited about it kaya ngayon pa lang ay marami na akong ideas na naiisip for the show.

Sa primetime ito ipapalabas. Pagbibidahan ang show nina Dennis Trillo, Marky Cielo and Aljur Abrenica, na lahat ay present during the story con. Napaka-approachable ng tatlo. Sobrang dali para sa isang fan na gaya ko na magpa-picture. Si Dennis nga umakbay pa sa akin for the camera, tapos nakipag-usap pa right after. Again, nag-umapaw na naman ang galak ko. I realized na hindi fan ang tingin sa akin ni Dennis, kundi katrabaho, part of the creative staff na bubuo ng kwento ng bago niyang show. Si Aljur, bago umuwi, nag-effort pang makipag-kamay para magpaalam at itanong ang pangalan ko. Hahaha. I doubt naman kung matatandaan niya. Pero, still, it's overwhelming to receive such niceness from a TV star.

It was a memorable experience attending my first story conference. Ganun pala yun! Lahat ng artistang kasama sa show ay present. Pati mga managers nandun. Syempre, present ang Direktor, ang Producer at Program Manager, ang buong writing team at iba pang creative staff, like costume and art department. Habang pine-present ni Sir Don ang story at mga character sketches to the actors, I felt elated knowing I contributed para mabuo ang bagong kwentong aabangan ng mga manonood sa GMA Telebabad.

Eto yung pakiramdam na matagal ko nang inaasam.

Posh and Beckham

He's a sporty metrosexual, she's a Spice Girl -- together, they're ready to take over Hollywood!

Pagkatapos mag-sign ni David ng contract with the Los Angeles Galaxy last fall, siya at ang asawa niyang si Victoria ay nag- move sa isang $22 million pad sa Beverly Hills and have begun making the Hollywood rounds. Posh has even begun shooting her own NBC reality TV special, "Victoria Beckham: Coming to America," which follows their journey from Europe to La-La-Land.

In the new W interview, the couple talks about their awkward first meeting when she was still a SPICE GIRL, their matching hair (both now platinum) and why she never smiles in photos! Okay lang. Dun nga siya famous e. Pero, pag nakita nyo yung mga super hot pics nilang mag-asawa na lumabas nga sa W Magazine, e pagpapawisan talaga kayo, hahaha.

Meanwhile, the Spice Girls return! VICTORIA BECKHAM, MELANIE CHISHOLM, GERI HALLIWELL, EMMA BUNTON and MELANIE BROWN announced their reunion tour beginning December 7. Now this is great news para sa millions of fans na matagal ring hinintay na muling makumpleto ang grupo.

We haven't heard much from the girls after nung last album nila, released in 2002, and after na maging dormant ang solo careers nina Geri, Emma and Mel C. Of course, si Victoria ay ever present sa mga entertainment pages and news because of her never-ending gimmicks to attract the paparazzi. Well, feast on these other photos of Posh and Beckham.

End of Days

When I watched Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, medyo naintriga lang ako about two films na medyo apocalyptic ang tema. As a person na sobrang fan ng mga movies like Day After Tomorrow, Deep Impact and Armageddon, I researched these two films. Ang ganda ng mga premise. One is actually about the destruction of Japan, at yung isa ay may element pala ng horror.

SINKING OF JAPAN
Nagsimula nang mag-sink ang Japan sa ocean. While the U.N. predicts this will happen in a little over 40 years, a geologist named Dr. Tadokoro isn’t so sure and after conducting several tests and using a computer analysis, he comes to the horrifying revelation that Japan is set to be submerged in less than a year! He feverishly tries to convince the Japanese government to take action, but naturally no one listens.

Nung mamatay ang Prime Minister, on his way to China, dahil nag-erupt ang isang volcano under his plane, only then does the government start to take action and begin to evacuate the people of Japan. Tadokoro realizes that the only way to save Japan from is by detonating a nuclear device under the crust of the archipelago. Ang nag-direct ng pelikulang to ay si Shinji Higuchi, who has penchant for eye-popping visuals. Remake ito, actually, ng 1973 movie na Submerging of Japan.

I AM LEGEND

Si Will Smith ay si Robert Neville, ang last man aliveat kaisa-isang survivor ng isang apocalypse caused by a pandemic of a bacterium, the symptoms of which are very similar to vampirism. He busies himself with preparing for a nightly attack from the rest of the world. Korek! Ang buong mundo ay na-transform into blood-thirsty vampires.

Pero mahuhuli nila si Neville. Ang matinding twist is how monstrous he appears to these vampires. Just as vampires were regarded as legendary monsters that preyed on the vulnerable humans in their beds, Neville has become the last of a dead breed; a mythical figure that kills both vampires and the infected living while they are sleeping. He becomes a legend as the vampires once were. Kaya ganun ang title. Gets?

A Ridley Scott adaptation was scheduled for production in the late 1990s, but fell through due to an inflating budget. The film was to starArnold Scwarzenegger. Then director Rob Bowman took a crack at a smaller budget version with a rewrite from John Logan. Will Smith will now star in the film directed by Francis Lawrence (Constantine). Filming took place in New York City, and the film is scheduled to be released on December 14, 2007.

Everything's In Order

I wouldn't be surprised kung maraming mga bata ang magrereklamo na hindi nila naintindihan or hindi maganda ang latest Harry Potter film, ang Order of the Phoenix. Well, their parents who must have read the book should have realized that it was inevitable for the film to be darker than its predecessors. Nevertheless, I would count this movie as one of the better films in the series. Ang ganda ng screenplay ni Michael Goldenberg. Kahit condensed ang maraming bahagi ng book at may ilang minor revisions to suit the film, I don't think J.K. Rowling and her fans would feel betrayed. Ang nakakasorpresa ay ang magaling na direction ni David Yates. I'm sure nakaramdam siya ng pressure because the two previous directors ng series ay mga bigatin - sina Alfonso Cuaron at Mike Newell.. But Yates did a very great job.

It was a delight to see characters from the past films converge on this one. Nagbabalik sina Trelawney, Lupin, Sirius and Mad Eye Moody. Syempre, there's also Mrs Weasley and the Dursleys whom we all missed in the fourth film. At hindi rin dapat mawala si Voldemort, who we first saw ressurected in Goblet of Fire. Pero, aside from Voldemort, isa sa mga kaiinisan mong kontrabida sa Order of the Phoenix ay si Professor Umbridge, portrayed brilliantly by Imelda Staunton.

There's one scene in the film where Harry had a flashback of himself when he was 11 years old, looking at the Mirror of Erised. It's simply amazing how much Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint have grown up before our eyes through these Harry Potter films. If Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will in fact be the last of the series, that leaves just two more films to be made. I know millions of fans are hoping that the three teen-agers would reprise their roles to the very end.

But it seems na medyo nagkaka-fatigue na sila na laging yun na lang ang role na ginagampanan nila. There's also the danger of forever being stereotyped as Harry, Hermione and Ron. Kaya nga itong si Daniel Radcliffe ay "nagpakarebelde" last February when he appeared in the play EQUUS as Allan Strang. According to the Daily Mail: For Radcliffe, it was a big mental leap from portraying JK Rowling's boy wizard to taking on a character in the psychoreligious exploration of equine worship. Radcliffe could have stood on the stage and read the London telephone book and the play still would have sold out. That he took on such an intellectual theatrical challenge was brave - and he succeeded.

Nagpyesta ang mga fans ni Radcliffe when the publicity photos for Equus came out. A sexier and buff seventeen year old like we've never seen him before. Here are some of his "revealing" photos.

KUDOS

Kudos sa lahat ng mga new members ng Magwayen. Napakahalaga ng taong ito, at napaka-importante ng papel na inyong gagampanan upang masiguro at mapanatili ang pamamayagpag ng ating samahan sa loob ng Pamantasan. Kahit na pilit tayong pinupulaan at iniintriga ng ibang taong nasa kapangyarihan ay 'di pa rin tayo natitinag. Nakawin man nila sa atin ang ating Adviser, ipitin man ang ating mga papeles, takutin o hiyain man ang ilan sa atin sa harap ng ibang tao para lang magpabibo at magpapogi, nakatyo pa rin tayo at naninindigan.

Tayo pa rin ang nag-iisang Tunay at Opisyal na Theater Group ng PLM!

Sa mga sumubok na kami'y sirain, at mangangahas pang sumubok sa hinaharap, sige lang. Makikita nyo pa rin kaming magkakabigkis ang mga kamay, nagtatanghal, nagbubunyi.

Kudos Magwayen!

What Happens Next?

Everything will unfold by the end of this month.

As the last phase of my GMA workshop draws to an end in four weeks, palaisipan pa rin sa amin kung mayroong ia-absorb ang Network as writers or brainstormers. Out of ten trainees who started in my class, lima na lang kami ngayon. Ako, si Borgy at si Obej ay part ngayon ng Shaido (which is based from the hit 80's Japanese show, Shaider). Si Jeff and Acy naman ay under kay Des sa Kung Mahawi Man ang Ulap.

I had so much fun during Phase One and Phase Two. In Phase One, we learned kung paano sulatin ang isang teleserye - from the concept to actual script. Ang final project nga namin was a script for the pilot episode ng sariling teleserye namin. I was the only person in class who had a concept na aprubado upon second reading. The story had a strong recall with Don Michael and Des. Even my co-trainees were all praises. Nakakataba ng puso, kasi na-appreciate nila ang pinaghirapan ko. Sabi nga ni Borgy 'di raw siya magtataka kung bilhin at gamitin ng Syete yung concept ko, which is titled GUADALUPE. Unique daw na love story at very original. Naks! Sarap pakinggan, hahaha.

Pero walang himalang nangyari. Mukhang napunta rin sa baul ng libu-libong unused concepts ng GMA ang Guadalupe. But that's fine with me. Tuloy pa rin ang workshop! In Phase Two, we were assigned sa Asian Treasures. Very aggressive ako mag-propose ng ideas. My friends warned me na medyo maghinay-hinay dahil baka ma-turn off sa akin sina Des at Don. I come too strong kasi. Well, I took that advice and tried to be more congenial with everybody. Sa Finale ng Asian Treasures, most of the ideas I proposed were used. Overwhelming ang feeling. Kahit hindi ako ang sumulat nung actual script, I felt I had part ownership of it. Hahaha.

Ang sarap magsulat!

Biggest July Ever

Carlo invited us to watch ASAP at the Aliw Theater last Sunday. As early as Monday last week, nangalap na ako ng mga Magwayen na gustong sumama. Para naman masaya ang lahat at makapag-unwind after ng MPOP at Hawla. Libre naman e. Tsaka sigurado ako na excited ang mga yun na makakita ng mga artista. True enough, I got, more or less, 15 persons confirming na sasama sila.

Pero pagdating ng Sunday, tanging sina Jed, Ben, Li, Borgy and Boggs lang ang dumating. Nandun din si Franco, pero di naman siya kasama dun sa mga unang nag-confirm. Ka-join din namin si Kathleen and her husband Ryan, as well as Jed's friends, Kris and Ericar.

Alas-onse na kami nakapasok ng venue. Thanks to Carlo, hindi na kami pumila pa. We even got good seats. Hindi malapit sa stage, pero di rin naman kalayuan. Ang ingay ng grupo namin. Well, expected na yun since kasama namin si Franco. 45 minutes later, nagstart na ang show. Supahdance and Birthday Party for Kapamilya Stars ang tema ng show that day. Yung Floor Director, nag-orient na earlier na dapat daw ay pumalakpak kami like crazy at iwagayway namin yung mga balloons na pinamigay nila. Okay, fine! Why not?!

Ang galing ni Sarah with her performances of Ikaw ang Lahat sa Akin (watch the video below) and I Believe; si Sam Milby may dalawang dance prod, kahit di marunong sumayaw at idinaan lang sa tumbling; si Erik Santos natapat pa kay Mickey sa tribute ng Champions sa PBB Big 4, singing Whitney's On My Own; si Mariel Rodriguez , sobrang ganda sa personal; si John Lloyd Cruz, di maintindihan ang suot nung birthday segment na niya; si Luis Manzano and Vhong Navarro, nakikipagkulitan sa audience during commercial gaps; si Ruffa, maganda pa rin pero katawang nanay na, hahaha.

Next week, sa SOP naman kami.