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Goblet of Fire Media Reviews
Tickets for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire may seem as hard to get as a golden snitch in a Quidditch match, but the quicker you are, the sooner you'll be able to catch the fourth film based on the children's series by British author J.K. Rowling.
The much-anticipated movie, the first instalment to be stamped with a PG rating, opened late Thursday night with midnight showings across the country.
The magical trick to snagging a ticket? Pick up a broomstick — er, telephone — and call before heading to the movie theatre with your family and friends.
"The further ahead, the better," Dean Leland, national vice-president of marketing and media for Empire Theatres, advised Friday.
Harry fanatics should call their local theatre directly to find out what show times are still available, he said.
"A handful of the more popular show times have sold out, but it would really depend on which theatre you're asking about," Mr. Leland said from his Halifax office.
Show times in the afternoon and early evening are popular with families and are "virtually sold out" this weekend in many areas. But showings later at night still had tickets available as of Friday evening.
"Most of the screenings throughout the Atlantic region, for theatres that had midnight showings last night, did sell out," Mr. Leland said.
"The hype for the film has been absolutely huge . . . and so are ticket sales."
Ernie MacDonald, general manager of Empire 17 Cinemas Bayers Lake in Halifax, said wizards and witches of all ages started lining up at the biggest theatre complex in Atlantic Canada at about 8 p.m. Thursday — four hours before the movie opened.
He said about 70 per cent of moviegoers late Thursday night were adults and older teenagers, many of whom dressed up as their favourite Quidditch players.
Demand is so strong, the Chain Lake Drive facility opened up a third screen Thursday after the Imax viewing sold out in late afternoon and one regular 35-millimetre screen sold out in the early evening.
The movie is now showing on the Imax and three regular screens.
"The (box office) expectations of Harry Potter are the same as they were for Star Wars or Lord of the Rings," Mr. MacDonald said.
He said many younger fans played hooky Friday afternoon — with their parents' permission, of course — to catch the first daytime showings of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
"Today, there are a lot of little ones being held out of school," he said with a chuckle.
But Mr. MacDonald said his own two boys will probably hold off on seeing the movie until next week.
In the meantime, Darrell, 10, and Justin, 8, will slip into their Gryffindor robes and draw lightning bolts on their foreheads for the 10th anniversary of The Chronicle Herald Parade of Lights in downtown Halifax tonight.
While all the muggles watch from the streets, the youngsters will be dressed up as the young wizard protege on the Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire float, sponsored by C100 and Empire Theatres to support their annual Christmas toy drive.
Mr. Leland said 16 theatres acrossNova Scotia will show the latest and darkest Harry Potter movie, as Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) and Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) take on the evil Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) while experiencing the trials and tribulations of becoming teenagers.
"It's one of those stories, one of those event-type films, one of those things that captures the imaginations of all age groups," Mr. Leland said. "People go as a family."
And, he said, the young wizard's exciting and magical adventures on screen promote reading off screen, which is "one of the beautiful things about Harry Potter."
 
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