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'Game Of Thrones' Recap: Episode 10, 'Fire And Blood'

Posted 6/20/11 11:14 am EST by in Commentary, Reviews, TV

Game of ThronesTitle: "Fire And Blood"

Story: Winter has finally arrived. Picking up immediately from where "Baelor" left off, "Fire and Blood" delivered everything that "Game of Thrones" excels at: political intrigue, a great leap forward on the battlefront, and even the first sincere fantasy outing of the series.

And then there were the dragons.

In the season finale, Dany makes some bold new steps as Khaleesi, Jon Snow takes a long, hard look at his role as a man of the Night's Watch, and Robb Stark becomes the King of the North. Oh, and Sansa and Catelyn actually show some spunk, and Arya is suddenly... a boy?

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Harry Potter World Cup: Weasley Twins Conjure Bracket Picks

Posted 6/17/11 7:03 pm EST by in Commentary, Hot Stuff, Video

The Harry Potter World Cup is almost upon us. Voting begins on Monday (June 20), which means you better have a working knowledge of the month-long tournament's bracket by then — or else your favorite character might get knocked out of the wizarding duel straight away!

If you aren't up to speed on the bracket yet, no sweat: the Weasley twins are here to help. "Harry Potter" stars James and Oliver Phelps were kind enough to not only announce the launch of Harry Potter World Cup, but also take a few minutes to analyze the first round of match-ups. Watch their bracket in the video below!

We'll have several other "Potter" experts weighing in on the tournament in the coming days and weeks. I've got some thoughts on the matter myself — check out what I think of the bracket past the jump!

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'Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2' Trailer Commentary: One Last Spell

Posted 6/17/11 4:00 pm EST by in Commentary, Trailers, Video

"Harry Potter" fans have been slammed with trailer after trailer, photo after photo, poster after poster, but it's all finally barreling to a close: the final "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2" trailer has arrived, and you know what that means — it's all about to end.

Well, it isn't all about to end — you still have the Harry Potter World Cup to look forward to, and it seems that J.K. Rowling has some magic tricks up her sleeve in the form of Pottermore — but still, this is the final "Potter" trailer… and it certainly delivers one heck of an exclamation mark on one of the most storied fantasy franchises of all time.

To mark the occasion, MTV News' deputy managing editor Eric Ditzian and I got together and recorded a commentary track for the final "Harry Potter" trailer of all time. Click the video below to watch.

We identified a whole host of behind-the-scenes facts and Easter Eggs for your perusal, including an obligatory tip of the hat to Gary Oldman's fantastic mustache. I won't spoil the specifics of everything else that we covered — you'll have to watch the video to hear our extended comments — but I do want to go back to one word that we kept using over and over throughout our commentary… "epic."

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'Pottermore': 5 Guesses At J.K. Rowling's New Project

Posted 6/17/11 1:02 pm EST by in Commentary, News

PottermoreUnless you've been hiding in the depths of Mad Eye Moody's magical trunk, then you already know that this has been quite a wild week for "Harry Potter" fans. In addition to the launch of MTV's Harry Potter World Cup and the release of the final — yes, you read that correctly, the final — trailer for "Deathly Hallows Part 2," there was a curious tease from "Potter" author Jo Rowling about… well, more "Potter."

Here's what we know: Rowling's big reveal is called Pottermore. The full details come to light in less than a week. Scholastic says that the announcement does not involve a new book. So what could it be, then?

Surprise, surprise — we've got some guesses. Good ones, too. Check out five Pottermore possibilities past the jump!

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'Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows' Posters: Dragons And Destruction, Oh My!

Posted 6/14/11 12:07 pm EST by in Commentary, Posters

Harry PotterIn 32 days, the end will arrive, and we aren't quite sure if we're ready yet.

Fortunately, Warner Bros. has been pumping us full of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" posters to make sure that we'll at least be prepared. A whole slew of awesome character posters hit the web last week, and now we are getting our first looks at some new banners and full posters for the flick that highlight its cinematic action. Hello, Battle of Hogwarts and escape from Gringotts!

These new posters definitely call back to some of what we saw for "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1's" marketing campaign, but we're glad that WB is making sure audiences know that they have a big movie to look forward to once July 15 rolls around.

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'Game Of Thrones' Producers And Star Weigh In On Last Night's Game-Changer

Posted 6/13/11 2:47 pm EST by in Commentary, Interviews, TV

Game of Thrones"Game of Thrones" took a serious turn for the unexpected with this week's installment, titled "Baelor." Speaking about last night's shocking events is close to impossible without diving into spoiler territory — which we'll do after the jump — but for now, it's enough to say that bad stuff happened. And make no mistake: bad stuff will continue to happen.

But that doesn't mean bad stuff can't be awesome stuff to behold, right? "Game of Thrones" showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss certainly hope you're still along for the ride (though the results from our "Thrones" poll indicates that you're not all entirely on board with the latest twist), as they explain in this behind-the-scenes video just released on HBO.com. Benioff and Weiss explain the reasoning behind the show's most severe curve ball to date, and discuss their own reactions to reading the scene in George R.R. Martin's novels for the very first time. Definitely worth checking out if (and only if) you already know what happened in the most recent episode of "Thrones."

With that out of the way, it's time to return to spoiler territory. Join us past the jump if you want some additional insight into last night's "Thrones" shocker.

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'Super 8': 5 Classic Spielbergian Moments

Posted 6/13/11 1:45 pm EST by in Commentary

Though "Super 8" is a J.J. Abrams-directed production, it's hard to miss the influence of producer Steven Spielberg. If you've been keeping up on any of the buzz following the film coming out of its premiere weekend, you've most likely heard the movie being likened to an amalgamation of "The Goonies," "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" and "E.T.," and for good reason.

The stamp of Spielberg is all over "Super 8," cutting through even Abrams' own proclivities such as the mystery-driven narrative ("Lost") and, of course, the Big Monster Movie ("Cloverfield"). But it's those very same callbacks to Spielberg in his heyday that have us loving this movie, flaws and all.

After the jump, we detail some of the strongest Spielbergian moments from "Super 8." Be warned, spoilers lie ahead!

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'Game Of Thrones' Recap: Episode 9, 'Baelor'

Posted 6/13/11 10:06 am EST by in Commentary, Reviews, TV

Game of ThronesEpisode Title: "Baelor"

Story: Big moves are afoot in Westeros and across the Narrow Sea. Robb Stark and his mother Catelyn have to barter with Walder Frey to cross the Trident and continue their march towards the Lannisters, but the cost is more than they bargained for. Khal Drogo's wound suffered in last week's "The Pointy End" begins to fester, and Dany seeks out blood magic to save his life.

Ned Stark, meanwhile, opens up to the idea of declaring himself a traitor against Robert Baratheon to spare his family, but getting off the hook easy isn't what the new King Joffrey has in mind. And as we warned you last night -- SPOILERS ahead!

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'Super 8': Eight Life Lessons You'll Take Away

Posted 6/10/11 6:00 pm EST by in Commentary

The wait is finally over – after all the casting news, teaser trailers and mysterious hints, "Super 8" arrives in theaters today. The action vehicle delivers all the heart, tension and explosive-laden sequences you’d expect from a J.J. Abrams-helmed, Steven Spielberg-produced flick, but the most potent takeaway is the group of misfit kids at the center of the narrative.

In the vein of "The Goonies," "E.T." and "Stand By Me," "Super 8" catapults us into the lives of small-town youngsters in 1979. All the archetypes are accounted for: the overachieving (overweight) aspiring director, the braces-clad pyromaniac, the vomit-prone worrywart, the awkward-yet-sweet-natured protagonist, the unattainable and alluring popular girl.

Picking up the pieces from familial upheaval and one epic train wreck, the kids will charm their way into your nostalgia-swelled heart – heck, even the movie’s much-mused-about monster can’t overshadow their chemistry. Which is why we’re willing to bet that you’ll find yourself pining for a piece of the clan’s know-how long after the credits roll. So, without further ado, a handy link-laden guide to eight lessons revealed in "Super 8."

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'Super 8' Spoiler Video: 5 Other Viral Movie Info Dumps

Posted 6/10/11 4:53 pm EST by in Commentary

There's a lot to love in "Super 8," not the least of which is the fairly spoilery viral clip that was released yesterday, detailing the monster at the center of the film.

"Super 8" is far from the first movie to create an informational video to catch audiences up to speed on the film's central premise. In fact, it's turned out to be something of a sci-fi staple. Everything from "Jurassic Park" to "Wall-E" has seemingly incorporated some element of these retro, potentially viral informational clips as a means to educate their viewers on the background of their films.

After the jump, we've picked five of our favorite videos-within-movies and detail why they've stuck with us for so long.

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