Why Harry Potter Rocked

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Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Farewell Harry

This article is by Brian Wood.

The Harry Potter era is over.

The final movie has entered theaters and I, for one, am more than a little bit sad. I figured there was no better time to talk about the genius of JK Rowling and the Harry Potter series. I have never read a series of books that was more overwhelmingly loved by all different kinds of people. So, if you’re reading this article, I hope you loved Harry, Ron, Hermione, and the rest of the characters as much as I did. If you didn’t, then I would think you can at least admit that Rowling must have done something right to sell so many books.

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How Lost Kept Me Hooked

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Hugo "Hurley" Reyes
Hugo “Hurley” Reyes

I was, and still am, a professed Lost devotee. Although I was less than thrilled with the series finale, the show remains one of my favorites.

At the end of each episode I experienced a strong, almost compulsive drive to know what happened next. No show made me hunger more for answers. And when an answer was given, it felt uncannily gratifying.

So how did the writers of Lost keep me, and millions of other viewers, addicted to their program through six seasons?

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Why the Star Wars Prequels Failed

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Count Dooku
Sir Christopher Lee as Count Dooku

Like most children of the 1980s, I grew up surrounded by Star Wars. Star Wars lunch pales were the rage at school. Star Wars toys, books and magazines littered my room. And the Darth Vader outfit was the Holy Grail of Halloween costumes.

Yet the most admired of all things Star Wars were the movies themselves. Amongst my peers it was agreed that these films were the pinnacle of cinematic greatness. They were spoken of with reverence and awe. And the bearded, benevolent toy maker – George Lucas – was viewed with the same enchanted wonder as Santa Claus.

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The Lost Finale: What Went Wrong?

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Benjamin Linus faces the smoke monster.
Ben waits for Smokey

On May 23, 2010 one of my favorite television shows ended its six year run.  For me, the airing of Lost’s finale was something akin to a religious experience.  I had spent countless hours debating theories with friends and coworkers.  I was emotionally invested in the characters.  So when the finale began, I was filled anticipation.  Finally, I would get answers.

Two and half hours later I posted the following status update:

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