A Reel Review: A STAR WARS and HARRY POTTER Weekend

“Movies were meant to stay on the screen, flat and large and colorful, gathering you up into their sweep of story, carrying you rollicking along to the end, then releasing you back into your unchanged life. But this movie misbehaved. It leaked out of the theater, poured off the screen, affected a lot of people so deeply that they required endless talismans and artifacts to stay connected to it”

-Carrie Fisher

This quote by the late and beloved Carrie Fisher on the first STAR WARS not only speaks to George Lucas’ 1977 film but to the pop culture phenomenon that it started. STAR WARS began a still-in-effect tradition of films speaking to us so strongly that we find ourselves seeking more of the movie outside of the theatres, whether in be in merchandise, other media, conventions, cosplay, or in various other art forms. Two of the most prominent films to be deeply imbedded in pop culture for the last 40 years have been STAR WARS and HARRY POTTER, and both film-franchises were well represented this past weekend in Philadelphia with two large-scale events worthy of entry in any archives, which this Blogger and this Blogger’s Girlfriend were pleased to attend.

The weekend got off to a magical start with the 7^th annual Harry Potter Festival in Chestnut Hill, PA, (and also the inaugural Pitman Potter Festival in Pitman, New Jersey). We were in attendance at Chestnut Hill, in which 12 square blocks were transformed into the HARRY POTTER town of Hogsmeade…where fans of all ages were able to take in vendors, games, and activities all inspired by the POTTER books, and most especially the films.

The bulk of the Chestnut Hill festival took place on Germantown Avenue, which with its cobblestone streets and tight-quartered, old-fashioned shops and stores, made it very much in character for the HARRY POTTER world. Shop-owners and their stores jumped into the cauldron head-first, and transformed their businesses into venues right from the films, and they, along with street vendors, were committed to selling hand-crafted merchandise; everything from brooms, pillows, scarves, art, and clothing…done with a loving hand and far from any corporate meddling. There was plenty of food to take in; including a stunning cake competition and plenty of butter-beer to go around. Fans and families came in costume inspired by the films, dressing as the most popular to the most obscure.

Perhaps the most impressive work was done by the Iron Hill Brewing Company, which transformed into The Great Iron Hall for the weekend. Their main dining area was decorated just like the Great Hall, bathrooms were found by following spiders, and the bathrooms themselves hinted at a certain Chamber now being opened.

Fans of all ages literally came by the train-load to Chestnut Hill, and by the time the hard-played Quidditch tournament had played its final match at Chestnut Hill College, it was clear that HARRY POTTER held a strong presence off the silver screen.

But the fun was just beginning…

With this year being the 40^th anniversary of STAR WARS (read more about that HERE), the Philly POPS Orchestra offered two performances entitled A Star Wars Celebration: Featuring the Music of John Williams. The two concerts, held on Saturday and Sunday, featured a piece from each of the eight STAR WARS films, and just for good measure, all five of John Williams’ Academy Award winning scores.

Music Director Michael Krajewski served as not only conductor, but as a master of ceremonies. He guided the audience through each music selection in a way that spoke to STAR WARS fans and any possible newcomers in the audience. He was funny and energetic, and his knowledge of STAR WARS and film lore was most impressive.

The concert began with a medley of some of John Williams’ best scores (including SUPERMAN!), before officially beginning the program with the very first sounds of STAR WARS we ever heard; the famous 20^th Century Fox theme followed by the classic STAR WARS opening scroll theme. From there, the music selections outside of STAR WARS included the main themes from JAWS, E.T., and yes, HARRY POTTER. The highlights of this section were easily the theme from SCHINDLERS LIST, and a medley from THE FIDDLER ON THE ROOF…the film which earned Williams his first Oscar.

The main STAR WARS section, after the intermission, had the best of the best, including The Imperial March, Cantina Band, Parade of Ewoks, and Across the Stars. The choral section of the orchestra flexed their magnificent voices on Battle of the Heroes and a selection from ROGUE ONE. The highlight was Duel of the Fates; a piece which has suffered from association with the divisive EPISODE I, but in a live setting proves its worth as a remarkable piece of music. The orchestra overall sounded tremendous, and did a fine job in yanking out every emotion possible; many laughs and tears happened. The lighting schemes were perfectly matched with each piece…adding to the thick atmosphere of sight and sound.

The set closed out with the magnificent The Jedi Steps and Finale from THE FORCE AWAKENS, which as a closing-credit piece featured the best music from the film. After a standing ovation, the maestro returned to close out the afternoon with the Raiders March from RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK. Because why not.

By the time we stepped out of the venue, it was clear to us that this was a weekend to be long remembered. It was a statement to the power of film and all of its creativity and ability to leap out of the screen and stick with us, always.