June 22, 2011 THE VILLADOM TIMES I, II & III • Page 25 Harry Potter gets the deluxe Blu-ray treatment by Dennis Seuling With the final chapter in the Harry Potter saga due to hit the big screen on July 15, Warner Home Video has released “ultimate edition” box sets of the fifth and sixth films of the series: “Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix” and “Harry Potter & the HalfBlood Prince.” In “Order of the Phoenix,” Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) returns for his fifth year of study at Hogwarts only to learn that his integrity is in question. Much of the wizarding community has been led to believe that the story of his recent encounter with the evil Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) is a lie. Meanwhile, Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge (Robert Hardy), has appointed a new defense against the dark arts teacher, Professor Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton). Her class, however, leaves the young wizards unprepared to defend themselves against the dark forces, so Harry assembles a small group of students and teaches them effective defense techniques, readying them for the battle that lies ahead. In “Half-Blood Prince,” the Death Eaters are wreaking havoc and Hogwarts has ceased to be the safe haven it once was. Harry suspects that new dangers may lie within the castle, but Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) is dedicated to preparing him for the final battle that he knows is fast approaching. He needs Harry to help him brilliant sound. Watching them on a bigscreen TV at home comes very close to the theatrical experience. Both releases are a Potter fan’s dream, containing three discs with every bell and whistle imaginable, including a 44-page book, character cards, a digital copy of the film, and additional scenes. Bonuses also include several featurettes, including “Creating the World of Harry Potter,” hour-long documentaries that provide every bit of background, preproduction, and production details of the two films, which were released theatrically in 2007 and 2009. “Unknown” (Warner Home Video) is a gripping thriller. American botanist Dr. Martin Harris (Liam Neeson) arrives in Berlin with his wife, Elizabeth (January Jones), to attend a conference. Harris is in a bad accident and awakens four days later in a hospital, where he learns he has been in a coma and is suffering from amnesia. When his memory returns, he assumes his wife is frantically searching for him and rushes to their hotel, only to find that she seems not to know him and calls over another man and identifies him as her husband and the real Dr. Harris (Aidan Quinn). Harris has Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson in ‘Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.’ uncover a vital key to Voldemort’s defenses, information known only by Hogwarts’ former potions professor, Horace Slughorn (Jim Broadbent). Dumbledore manipulates his old colleague into returning to his previous post with promises of more money, a bigger office, and the chance to teach the famous Harry Potter. Both films look spectacular in the Bluray format, with crystal-clear details and no way to prove his identity. Neeson’s determined, world-weary look makes him believable as an innocent man thrown into a situation that overwhelms him. This was one of Hitchcock’s favorite themes and, when executed with logic and excitement, still grabs an audience. Bruno Ganz adds a dose of menace as former East German policeman Ernst Jurgen, who has seen the fall of Nazism and communism and now lives quietly in a unified Germany where he takes the occasional job locating people. He has seen and heard it all, so when Harris pours out his story, he believes him and agrees to help. Often, in a thriller such as this, the finale reveals plot holes and inconsistencies, but the writers have done their homework and made sure the story points all fit together. The film is available in three editions: Bluray/DVD/digital combo pack, Blu-ray, and DVD. There are no extras. “Priest of Love” (Kino Lorber) stars Ian McKellen as author D.H. Lawrence. Costarring with Hollywood beauty Ava Gardner, McKellen portrays Lawrence in all his rebellious wonder as he thumbs his nose at (continued on Crossword page)