Product Details

• Actors: Harry Potter
• Format: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Eaton Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: August 8, 2000
• Run Time: 50 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00004W4DW
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #117,364 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Filmed before the hype and hoopla that greeted the fourth Harry Potter book (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, for those of you who are out of the loop), The Magic of Harry Potter is a quickie introduction to author J.K. Rowling and a cursory history of her life before the magical novels and the acclaimed that greeted her after they were published. By now, the tale of the author who wrote the first Harry Potter book in an espresso bar while on welfare is old news; however, you may be pleasantly surprised by Rowling's down-to-earth demeanor. Despite the use of only a little film footage (namely a press conference and Rowling's acceptance of a British book award), the author's humor and warmth come shining through. However, it's obvious that the filmmakers didn't have access to Rowling per se, so they use their footage judiciously and concentrate on the phenomenon that is Harry Potter, talking to young readers, booksellers, and even Rowling's childhood neighbors, the Potters, from whom she stole their surname for her hero. Despite their obvious appreciation for the Harry Potter books, though, this half-hour video plays more as an introduction to Rowling and her characters than an appreciation for fans, who will probably learn little that they didn't already know. Still, like the Harry Potter books themselves, The Magic of Harry Potter is free of hype and superficiality. --Mark Englehart

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Marketing hype 1, DVD 0, August 12, 2000

By A Customer

I like the Harry Potter books (and I am 24), I respect the author as well, for sticking to her guns and writing this through the hardship she faced as a single mother. But this is a waste of a DVD and should be avoided.

There is nothing revealing, nothing earth shattering, and very little that is even interesting. Save the money and wait for book 5 and buy that instead.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pleasantly Surprised, September 30, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Magical World of Harry Potter: The Unauthorized Story of J.K. Rowling [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I wasn't expecting too much from an "unauthorized story" about J.K. Rowling. I was pleasantly surprised to find that much of the video shows her speaking. She comes across as a very sincere and charming person. Her remarks are quite intelligent and interesting and she gives us a hint of what to expect next, both in the books and the movie.

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Give This Film A Chance: In your very skin like the books, October 7, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Magical World of Harry Potter: The Unauthorized Story of J.K. Rowling [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Give This Film A Chance, it deserve it! any harry potter documation is worth watching even if it has a reputation as a recycling the best children's book. It is a fantasy for children but any ADULT would love it if one would simply give this book a chance. It took me back to the beauty of being a curious child. There was a great "cliffhanger" feeling after each chapter. Favorite Lines: "...He didn't realize that love as powerful as your mother's for you leaves its own mark. Not a scar, no visible sign...to have been loved so deeply, even though the person who loves us is gone, will give us some protection forever. It is in your very skin..." like the books I thought that I was too mature to read these books or to see the film. well this film is not for kids but more for older people like me and I am 34.