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Magic spells and gamma raysA monster of a weekend
By Todd Leopold
(CNN) -- A 15-foot-tall green giant versus a 15-year-old boy wizard? Not even champion movie producer Samuel Z. Arkoff could have dreamed that up. But this weekend, those will be the two top topics of conversation: The Hulk and Harry Potter. "The Hulk," director Ang Lee's film version of the popular Marvel comic, opens Friday. The eagerly awaited film reportedly cost more than $120 million, much of which went into creating the computer-generated title beast. Studio heads are holding their collective breath, wondering how audiences will greet the monster -- and Lee's likely less-than-pulpy take on his story. There's probably no such breath-holding at Harry Potter's publishers. "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," book five in the incredibly successful J.K. Rowling series, hits bookstores at 12:01 a.m. Saturday. Amazon.com has already recorded more than 1 million orders; Scholastic, the book's American publisher, is issuing an unprecedented 8.5 million copies in its first printing. Both events are expected to draw long lines of patrons. So, either way, get ready to wait, and take a look at Eye on Entertainment. Eye-openerIt's been three years. Three years for us, that is. For Harry Potter, it's only been a few months since the events following the Triwizard Tournament put him face to face with his nemesis, the evil Lord Voldem -- I'm not even going to type the name of He Who Must Not Be Named. Let's just say, the battle between good and evil in the Harry Potter books keeps getting more complex -- and dramatic. Now comes "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix." Harry is now 15 and entering his fifth year at Hogwarts. There's a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher (of course), new tests for Harry and his friends (of course), and new trouble for everybody (natch). According to an editorial description on Amazon.com, "Harry Potter confronts the unreliability of the very government of the magical world, and the impotence of the authorities at Hogwarts." I don't know about you, but I can hardly wait. And could Harry be preparing to run for president in 2008? On screen• In "The Hulk," arrogant scientist Bruce Banner (Eric Bana) is the victim of a genetic experiment gone wrong. Now, when he gets angry, he turns into the a giant greed id, the Hulk -- and watch out. More than a few people have wondered how director Lee ("Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and "The Ice Storm," among others) would approach the comic-book-based material. Early reviews indicate this is a darker, bolder, and more multi-layered movie than the standard comic book film -- or summer film, for that matter. With Nick Nolte as Banner's abusive father and Jennifer Connelly as his girlfriend, Betty Ross. • What better to go up against "The Hulk" than a frothy romantic comedy, "Alex & Emma"? Rob Reiner directs Luke Wilson and Kate Hudson as a writer and his stenographer attempting to put together a book in 30 days. A parallel story places the actors in the book itself. • Oh, those sneaky studio folks. "From Justin to Kelly" was originally supposed to open in late April. Then it was set for June 13 -- but pulled days before. Now the film, a beach movie starring "American Idol" heartthrobs Justin Guarini and Kelly Clarkson, is skulking into theaters this weekend. If you can wait a little longer, you might catch it at the video store. On the tube• Obsessive-compulsive detective Adrian Monk, played by Golden Globe winner Tony Shalhoub, hits the streets of San Francisco again on the season premiere of "Monk." Friday, 10 p.m. EDT, USA Network. • The questioning and questing four women of "Sex and the City" begins their sixth (and, by all accounts, last) season of prowling New York for love -- or some reasonable facsimile -- and talking about it afterward. Will this be the year they settle down? Don't bet on it. Sunday, 9 p.m. EDT, HBO. Sound waves• She was once a single woman trapped in "Exile in Guyville." Now Liz Phair is a single mother trying to re-establish her recording career, five years after "whitechocolatespaceegg." Her new album, "Liz Phair" (Capitol), arrives Tuesday. • Michelle Branch hit the jackpot first time around with "The Spirit Room," her major-label debut. Her new album, "Hotel Paper" (Maverick), hits stores Tuesday. • Beyonce Knowles of Destiny's Child goes the solo route with her new album, "Dangerously in Love" (Sony), due Tuesday. • Dwight Yoakam's new album, "Population Me" (Electrodisc), is "a whole lot of fun," according to an Amazon.com review. It's out Tuesday. Paging readers• If you're determined to buy anything but Harry Potter, or simply want to try something different, there's "American Massacre" (Knopf) by Sally Denton, who co-wrote the Las Vegas history "The Money and the Power." The book describes the controversial 1857 attack on a wagon train in Utah that took 140 lives and that may have been committed by Mormon dignitaries.
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