CollegeCandy » Daniel Radcliffe

Happy Hanukkah, Jewesses! If you’re one of the lucky girls out there who still gets a sick present for every one of the 8 (crazy) nights, kudos to you. Bitch. If you’re like us here at CollegeCandy, you get a Starbucks gift card from your grandpa for $18 and a “what? I don’t do enough for you all year?” guilt trip from your mom.

For those of you who fall into the latter category, don’t fret; CollegeCandy’s got your back. We’re bringing you the 8 Hotties of Hanukkah, one for each glorious latke-eating day. Because at the end of the day, as your Hanukkah candles are burning low and dripping wax all over your desk, unwrapping an iPhone 4 is cool, but flipping through pictures of Jake Gyllenhaal’s six-pack, Drake’s tasty mug, Zach Braff’s adorableness, Mark Salling’s general hotness and Jason Segel’s not-so-full frontal is a gift that keeps on givin’.

We love a Jewish man with an accent (even if that man entered our hearts as a teeny, tiny little boy), which is why Daniel Radcliffe is our 6th Hottie of Hanukkah. Despite starting out as a total dork with glasses and a bowl cut, he wowed us all as he returned (and filled out) for each and every Harry Potter installment. Before long we were all putting “acceptance letter to Hogwarts” on our Hanukkah wish list and practicing our enchantment charms under our breath. But this sexy star does more than battle evil villains that look like fetuses; he also takes time out from his superstar career to write poetry under his (rather Jewy) pen name, Jacob Gershon.

That’s deep, Radcliffe, real deep.

[Click on any image to start the gallery.]

Now Showing: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1

Meredith - Boston University — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 15:00:08 +0000

Disclaimer: Many Harry Potter fans sit in the theater picking the movie apart in terms of being an accurate adaptation, but I believe the film should stand alone as a part of its own art form, which is first and foremost a film, not a book. I’m NOT saying that the books aren’t amazing – I do think that they are – but I AM saying that I’m going to look at this film as its own entity, so stop reading now if you are looking for a comparative piece.

That being said, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 is actually a good film. Even though its title is quite the mouthful. The acting is well done (with some notable exceptions, which I will get to). The directing is impressive, with the help of some wonderful set design. And the underlying themes of the film will always be prevalent, but they work particularly well now.

You’ve been living under a rock, you say? Good, because I’m about to explain the plot of Harry Potter, so brace yourself. Part one of the seventh film in the series picks up at the end of summer. (Need a reminder of where we left off? Get it here.) Voldemort’s rise to power is in hyperdrive. Ever the multi-tasker, Voldemort is trying to find and kill Harry while also searching for another unknown mystical object. Harry, Ron, and Hermione are trying to find some mystical objects as well. Horcruxes are divided up parts of Voldemort’s soul that need to be destroyed in order to kill him. The BFFs are also coping with the death of Dumbledore (and trying to understand the weird sh*t he left them in his will). Ron and Hermione remain crazy for each other, but still won’t make out already.

And you thought you had problems just because they stopped selling Four Loko at the convenience store.

Daniel Radcliffe and Bonnie Wright, who play Harry and Ginny respectively, are not very good at pretending that they like each other. Which is fine, because they have about four seconds of screen time together, but their crushes are just impossible to believe. They are so awkward, then they randomly kiss (pretty sure they don’t speak a word after that), then he doesn’t mention her for the rest of the movie. Okay, true love.

On the other hand, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson are really given their chance to shine in this movie and they are impressive actors. If it was never really clear why Ron and Hermione were Gryffindors, except to be Harry’s loyal best friends, this film makes it clear by really showcasing their bravery. In a way, Grint and Watson allowed their characters to grow up with them, which is why their romantic relationship seems believable as well. Unlike Radcliffe and Wright, they weren’t afraid to push their characters to develop. Keep in mind, Radcliffe does a fine job as Harry, but he definitely does not exceed expectations when it comes to Harry as a romantic entity.

The series, in general, has a lot of themes that are worth exploring. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 is able to really push the theme of equality, and it could not have come at a better time. Bullies degrading others because of the way that they are, or were born. People who have been doing the same job and working with the same people for years, but then they are removed from that position because of who they are. People who have to hide the truth about themselves, because if they are honest, they know they will be tortured. In the film, this happens in the form of the Ministry of Magic weeding out their “mudblood” employees. And I hope that in Part 2, the film will do a great job of reminding us that it gets better.

If you haven’t seen the other six films or read the books, you’re probably not going to have a clue what’s going on. But I would encourage you to check the series out, because it does have a lot of heart, and one day your kids are probably going to ask you about it. If you enjoy Harry Potter or are a die-hard fan, I don’t think you’re going to be disappointed with the film.

Click here to get Meredith’s take on other new releases.

Harry Potter Then and Now [GALLERY]

Leah - Ryerson University — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 17:00:29 +0000

As an avid Harry Potter fan (god, I wish they had HP classes at my school!) I feel like I’ve grown up alongside Harry, Hermione and Ron, both the characters in the books and the actors who play them in the movies.

I started reading the books when I was 10 years old – the same age Harry Potter was at the start of the Philosopher’s Stone. Together, Harry, Hermione, Ron and I had our first kisses, went through our angsty tween years and battled the Dark Arts. Or, you know, just those first two things.

It’s been 9 years since the first installment of Harry Potter was released and just as I’ve grown up and blossomed (and finally exited my very long awkward stage), so has the HP cast. And I don’t know how they did it, but every. single. one of them. has turned out gorgeous. Yes, even Dudley.

So in honor of the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 (THIS FRIDAY!), let’s jump into the pensieve take a look back at the cast of Harry Potter then… and now.

[Click on any image to view the gallery!]

Candy Dish: Belt it Out Harry

CC Staff — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 15:00:30 +0000

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