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A group of Catholic priests in Poland have staged a book burning regarded as “sacrilegious”, including titles from the Harry Potter Twilight
The SMS from Heaven foundation destroyed dozens of books alongside other household items during a ceremony in the city of Koszalin over the weekend.
Posts made by the evangelical group on Facebook show books deemed inappropriate, such Harry Potter and the vampire romance series Twilight burning on a bonfire.
A statue of an elephant, a tribal mask and a pink umbrella were also set on fire as part of the event.
“We obey the word,” the group wrote on social media alongside the photographs, quoting several bible verses condemning magic, witchcraft and astrology.
Show all 9 1 /9Every Harry Potter film, ranked Every Harry Potter film, ranked Harry Potter – every film ranked
Every Harry Potter film, ranked 8. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix The Harry Potter franchise’s greatest weakness, perhaps, was its need to mature at the same pace as its audience. And as that audience plunged into awkward adolescence, so too did the movies. The Order of the Phoenix may have its ardent supporters, but the film remains the lowest rated by critics (with 77 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes), as it most acutely represents the lag between the franchise’s bright-eyed, whimsical beginnings and the epic weight of its conclusion. However, this is largely due to the fact that director David Yates and screenwriter Michael Goldenberg, both newcomers to the franchise, made the attempt to adapt the longest Potter book into the shortest Potter film. The result made the rush to maturity look all the more thorny.
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Every Harry Potter film, ranked 7. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 Splitting the last Potter book into two films was, inevitably, the right decision in order to save audiences from a rushed conclusion to one of the most popular franchises ever. Yet The Deathly Hallows Part II could only shine if The Deathly Hallows Part I was willing to take the fall and act as pure set-up to its successor. It’s arguably the most emotionally unsatisfying of the series, following Harry, Ron (Rupert Grint), and Hermione (Emma Watson) as they attempt to evade Voldemort’s clutches and destroy the Horcruxes, the artefacts containing the Dark Lord’s soul, the keys to his final destruction. The film trades on conflict between the trio, as Ron’s jealousy (as influenced by the locket) serves only to prefigure his eventual future with Hermione. Even the film’s animated history lesson isn’t enough to make this film memorable.
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Every Harry Potter film, ranked 6. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets The franchise’s second instalment certainly has its standout moments – it introduces both all-time legend Dobby into the game and lets Kenneth Branagh steals scene after scene as the vainglorious Gilderoy Lockhart. However, its bloated 161-minute runtime can make it tough work. Director Chris Columbus returned with as much enthusiasm as he expressed in The Philosopher’s Stone, delivering thrills in Aragog, the basilisk, the petrifications, the Whomping Willow, and the Quidditch matches. That isn’t enough, regrettably, to fully distract from its rather dry narrative, which delivers endless plot twists about the dark history of Hogwarts and the truth behind Tom Riddle’s diary.
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Every Harry Potter film, ranked 5. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Another of the adolescent-stage films of the franchise, The Half-Blood Prince could just as easily have fallen prey to The Order of the Phoenix’s tonal awkwardness, but there’s a much keener sense of the wider stakes here – Severus Snape (Alan Rickman)’s machinations make for particularly gripping viewing, culminating in a face-off that still has the propensity to shock years later. What’s crucial, however, is the sense of balance that’s also brought to this film, as the students of Hogwarts find moments for the old magic. In fact, the darkness of The Half-Blood Prince is more efficiently served in the film’s colour palette, relinquishing the need for too much angst from its characters, as cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel provides softer, murkier tones than seen before. Plus, the film’s narrative doesn’t feel stretched, even though it’s tasked with introducing the idea of horcruxes into the mix.
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Every Harry Potter film, ranked 4. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 Director Yates and screenwriter Steve Kloves faced the ultimate challenge with The Deathly Hallows Part II: to satisfactorily conclude a story 10 years in the making. Few would argue against their success, since the film is actually the highest rated of the entire Potter series (at 96 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes), although its reliance on narrative tricks and deceptions have made it slightly less appealing on repeated viewing. That said, there are some bold creative decisions here that save The Deathly Hallows Part II from simply feeling like a procession of notable character deaths, including the decision to relegate some of those deaths to offscreen. It’s a film that knows how to manipulate its audience, but also knows when to show restraint.
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Every Harry Potter film, ranked 3. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire At this point, the Potter series was four films in, so a change of pace had become essential to the franchise’s survival. The Triwizard Tournament fulfilled that need magnificently, allowing the introduction of a more global perspective thanks to Fleur Delacour (Clémence Poésy) and Viktor Krum (Stanislav Ianevski), alongside a neat sequence of set pieces, from deadly mermaids to dragons. The Yule Ball also remains a visual delight. It’s an almost comically elegant backdrop for Ron, Harry, and Hermione’s youthful angst over dates and relationships. Add to that, the film boasts both Brendan Gleeson’s brilliant performance as Mad-Eye Moody and the film debut of Robert Pattinson, as Hufflepuff’s tragic hero Cedric Diggory.
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Every Harry Potter film, ranked 2. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001) “You’re a wizard, Harry.” And, with that, thousands of childhoods became instantly filled with wonder, never mind the looming disappointment of realising a letter from Hogwarts was never going to turn up in the post. As tempting as it may be to ridicule The Philosopher’s Stone for its badly aged special effects (poor Fluffy) and objectionable child acting, there is no replacing the magic conjured in our very first look at Hogwarts, a soft glow emanating from its many towers. The film is a sugary sweet delight that rightly deserves its place as a modern children’s classic. It relishes in its air of joy and fantasy – and that cannot be underestimated, no matter how epic the series’ conclusion.
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Every Harry Potter film, ranked 1. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban The franchise’s biggest risk is also its biggest triumph. As unexpected as the move may have been to hand the reins over to Alfonso Cuarón, fresh from his sensual coming-of-age tale Y Tu Mamá También, The Prisoner of Azkaban has become the ultimate Harry Potter movie. Cuarón could subtly warp the look and feel of this word to progress towards maturity, without disrupting what had been established in the first two films. It’s the most successful in doing so of the entire series. The balance between light and dark provides risk without sacrificing enchantment. The Dementor is the most frightening creation of this universe, while the Patronus is the most beautiful. The film captures the great tragedy of time itself, and our ceaseless fight to keep hold of those things destined to slip out of our fingers.
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Evangelical Christian groups have a long history of opposition to the Harry Potter books, who generally believe the series is damaging to children.
Some evangelicals believe the JK Rowling novels, which chronicle the titular boy wizard’s battles against the dark lord Voldemort, promote either the Wicca religion or Satanism.
There have been at least six recorded Harry Potter book burnings in the US since 2001.
SMS from Heaven has been operating in Poland since 2006, when it began as a service sending bible verses via text message.
Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Most reacting to the group’s post on social media criticised the decision by priests to hold a book burning ceremony.
“Can’t you see how sick this is? What are your plans next, burning witches?” one wrote. “As A Catholic , I don’t agree with you, burning books is stupid,” another added.
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