Get ready for an atom bomb, Harry Potter fans.

Warner Brothers has just released a teaser trailer for “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.”

In this teaser, Harry and his mentor, Professor Dumbledore, delve into Lord Voldemort’s dark past. We get glimpses of the evil wizard and hints of the danger yet to come.

Director David Yates sets an appropriately somber tone for “Half-Blood Prince,” the sixth book in J.K. Rowling’s groundbreaking series.

Here’s Rotten Tomatoes’ take on the trailer.

Meanwhile, Empire Magazine breaks down the trailer into just ten telling shots.

It’s more excellent detective work from the folks who brought you that first amazing shot of The Joker in “The Dark Knight.”

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And the fun doesn’t stop there.

There’s also a host of “Half-Blood Prince” featurettes available for viewing.

Check out WorstPreviews.com for the “Quidditch: Back in Style,” “Set Magic: Creating Wood’s Orphanage” and “Back to Hogwarts” featurettes.

You can find more here at TrailerAddict.com, including a”Bird’s Eye View” video showing the various sets used in the film, a trailer for the upcoming “Half-Blood Prince” video game and an interview with Rupert Grint, who plays Ron.

Readers can get the scoop on “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” with this site dedicated to the book and its mysteries.

Watch, read and enjoy!

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Photo courtesy of MovieWeb.com.

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            Rod Stewart will never have to play to small crowds. But last night’s performance at the Mid-State Fair seemed more appropriate for a winery gig.

Before the concert began, I had predicted he’d open the performance with a bang, thinking maybe “Hot Legs” or maybe even an older gem, like “Stay With Me.” Instead, he started out with the subdued “It’s a Heartache,” a cover of a Bonnie Tyler song that he included on his 2006 album “Still the Same . . . Great Rock Classics From Our Time.”

It’s a good song, mind you. And Stewart performs it well. But it wasn’t the bang I was hoping for. In fact, there wasn’t much bang at all in this show, which drew heavily from the softer side (Think “Forever Young”) of Stewart.

Part of the reason for that might just be that Stewart is getting older. (He’s 63.) When I saw him nine years ago, the 54-year-old Stewart had much more energy as he plowed through a more rocking set list.

Still, the Rolling Stones are the same age or even older than Stewart, and they still jam. So maybe Stewart is simply catering to the crowds that snarfed up his recent standards albums. In fact, two women sitting next to us were at least well into their 70s, and quite possibly in their 80s.

Which is cool. But even they perked up (and actually stood on their seats!) when Stewart broke into the more up tempo “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy.”

While Stewart did kick several soccer balls into the crowd – as is his tradition – on “Hot Legs,” at times he seemed almost a little winded. And his voice couldn’t handle the higher notes from his signature song, “Maggie May.” (He also seemed to have difficulty with “Some Guys Have All the Luck,” even though he sang it in a lower register.)

Yet, even if his voice isn’t what it once was, Stewart is still better than most singers out there. And he was spot-on during “Tonight’s the Night” and “You’re In My Heart” – arguably two of his greatest hits. 

 As you would expect, he travels with a great band, which ripped out a nice guitar solo on – of all songs – “First Cut is the Deepest” and a booming drum solo on – of all songs – “Downtown Train.”

    Which brings me to another point: There were a lot of covers in this show. In addition to “First Cut” (Cat Stevens), “Downtown” (Tom Waits) and the aforementioned Bonnie Tyler tune, he covered songs by Creedence Clearwater Revival, Sam Cooke and the Persuaders, to name a few.

Again – those are good songs. And Stewart has always been a great interpreter of other artists’ music. But it would’ve been nice to hear more of the classic Stewart songs, like “Every Picture Tells a Story,” “Reason to Believe,” “You Wear It Well” or any number of his singles with the Faces. Those songs would have given the concert some needed energy.

Still, the packed crowd at the fair didn’t seem too unhappy – as proven by the boisterous sing alongs.

Plus, Bryan Adams was definitely the best opening act I’ve seen at the fair. Faithful to his hits, Adams, whose voice is very much intact, belted out many favorites, including “Cuts Like a Knife,” “Heaven” and “Run To You.”       

If you were there, drop me aline and let me know what you thought.

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Looking ahead at August’s big blockbusters

For movie studios, August is summer’s last gasp.

They typically choose this month to unload the last few action movies, big epics and comedies aimed at a younger crowd. Fall and winter? They belong to the adults.

This August, we’ve got a fantasy adventure flick, a couple of offbeat comedies, an animated film and an American rehash of a martial arts film. Let the games begin.

“The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor” (Opens Friday)

When archaeologist Rick O’Connell discovers the tomb of China’s Dragon Emperor, he gets more than he bargained for: a terracotta army, a three-headed dragon and a yeti, all commanded by martial arts superstar Jet Li.

Fortunately, Michelle Yeoh is on hand to summon a skeletal army of her own. “So these are the good undead guys, right?” a character quips. Let’s hope so.

Brendan Fraser looks a mite rusty as Rick, but he’s still quicker with quips and a pistol than co-stars Maria Bello and Luke Ford — playing his wife and son.

We’ll see if Fraser can still balance humor with horror-lite.

“Pineapple Express” (Aug. 6)

After all the subpar material the so-called Frat Pack has been pushing lately (”Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” “Step Brothers,” “Drillbit Taylor”), “Pineapple Express” is a breath of pot-infused, ahem, fresh air.

Seth Rogan, that loveable schlub from “Knocked Up,” stars as a pothead process server who accidentally witnesses a mob hit. He goes on the run with his equally clueless dealer (James Franco, delightfully against type).

Count on Rogan and company to take stoner comedies to a whole new high. (Pun heartily intended.)

(A note: That catchy tune at the end of the trailer is M.I.A.’s “Paper Planes.”)

“Tropic Thunder” (Aug. 13)

After all the buzz about Robert Downey Jr. in blackface, it’s hard to tell just how good “Tropic Thunder” might be.

Helmed by Ben Stiller and featuring an all-star cast including Jack Black, Steve Coogan, Nick Nolte and stand-up comic Brandon T. Jackson, “Tropic Thunder” certainly has an interesting premise:

Seeking more realism for his Vietnam War epic, a director dumps his cast in the midst of the real thing.

Is this a war movie spoof? A satire of Hollywood’s self-absorbed A-listers?

One thing’s for sure. The much-hyped Tom Cruise cameo — not shown here — is sure to be a highlight.

“Star Wars: The Clone Wars” (Aug. 15)

Bryan Adams’ brilliant animated series made life tolerable for “Star Wars” fans over the past decade.

While George Lucas turned our beloved franchise into a trio of cheesy, ill-conceived potboilers, the smart, slick-looking “Clone Wars” captured the best things about the “Star Wars” universe. It had compelling characters. Action-packed fight scenes. Deadpan humor.

Leave it to Lucas to ruin a good thing.

This computer-animated version of “Clone Wars” looks clunky and surprisingly flat. Is it a bad sign when few characters speak more than three words in a row?

“Bangkok Dangerous” (Aug. 22)

Somebody needs to tell Nicolas Cage to stop making action movies.

His latest attempt — which has a long-haired Cage playing as an international hit man struggling with personal demons — is just plain embarrassing.

Cage appears to be channeling John Cusack’s post-modern hitman in “Grosse Pointe Blank.” Instead of quips and heartache, however, we get boring, cheesy musings about the loneliness of a killer’s life.

Directed by the Pang brothers, “Bangkok Dangerous” happens to be a remake of their own 1999 flick.The difference? Cage’s character isn’t deaf-mute. And he certainly ain’t Thai.

Skip it.

“Babylon A.D” (Aug. 29)

It’s not quite a blockbuster, but I couldn’t resist including “Babylon A.D” in the mix.

Ol’ Chrome Dome himself, Vin Diesel, plays a tough-guy mercenary hired to transport a mysterious woman from Russia to America. This being the future, that’s presumably a tougher job than, say, hopping on a commuter flight.

Of course, there happens to be something very special about this particular girl.

“Babylon” comes to us courtesy of “Gothika” director Mathieu Kassovitz, who pairs his futuristic setting with some rather silly action sequences and painfully tin-eared dialog.

Recommended only for dedicated Vin Diesel fans (you poor souls).

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Photo courtesy of MovieWeb.com.

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Hawaiian surfers aren’t always known for their hospitality.

In the 70s, when a group of outsiders came in and started — ahem — making waves, there were a good many Hawaiians who simply wanted them to go home. But those surfers remained and, in the process, changed the course of surfing, paving the way for a huge industry.

In a nutshell, that’s the focus of  “Bustin’ Down the Door,” a new surf movie appearing at the Fremont Friday. One of the movie’s stars, Shaun Tomson, will answer questions during the event.

Tomson, a South African world class surfer, was the star of “Free Ride,” and is especially known for his tube rides at the famous Pipeline break. Today, he lives in Santa Barbara County and operates a clothing business a half mile from Rincon.

I didn’t know this before, but his father, a swimmer with Olympic potential, lost an arm to a brutal shark attack. And long before Tomson became known for his tube rides and his “surfer’s code,” he was inspired by Greg Noll’s legendary Makaha ride — then considered the biggest ever — which he (and very few others) witnessed in 1969. 

In addition to Tomson, the movie, narrated by Edward Norton, includes vintage film plus interviews with Wayne “Rabbit” Bartholomew, Ian Cairns, Peter Townend, Rob Machado and Kelly Slater.

I haven’t seen the movie, but “Variety” gave it big accolades, proclaiming, it “is certain to rank alongside ‘Step Into Liquid’ ‘Riding Giants’ and ‘Five Summer Stories’ in the primo category of surf movies that rip onscreen and tell a great story.”

That’s pretty high praise, considering those are generally considered some of the best surf movies ever made.

For a good story on Tomson, check out this LA Times piece. For a preview of “Bustin’ Down the Door,” check out this clip.

Photo: www.bustindownthedoor.com

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“American Beauty” takes a hard look at the fantasy and reality of modern life

Like the ruby-red roses that fill nearly every frame, “American Beauty” is much more than a pretty picture.

It’s a scathing portrait of suburbia. A drama beset with secrets and scandal. And, most importantly, an exploration of middle-aged desperation infused with one final flicker of hope.

From all appearances, Lester Burnham has the perfect life: a beautiful wife, a loving daughter, a nice house in a quiet neighborhood. It’s the middle-class American Dream.

In reality, he’s lonely, depressed and sex-deprived, an empty shell of a man suddenly feeling his age. He wants a change. He has a mid-life crisis.

So Lester (Kevin Spacey) quits his job and develops a crush on his teenage daughter’s hot friend, much to the chagrin of his family. As Lester rediscovers the good things in life — weed, working out, a 1970 Pontiac Firebird — his perfect world crumbles.

His wife Carolyn (Annette Bening), a Type A real estate agent, gets cozy with a rival. Meanwhile, their daughter (Thora Birch) becomes friends with the weird boy next door.

These are not nice people, at least in the classic sense.

Lester can be lazy and lecherous, an egotistical schmuck who cares more for his own comfort and amusement than his family. Carolyn, let’s face it, is a (b)itch.

And Janie and her friends? Despite the surly selfishness typical of teenagers the world over, they actually come across as human beings.

“American Beauty” walked away with five Oscars at the 2000 Academy Awards, including best picture, best director (Sam Mendes), best screenplay (Alan Ball) and best actor (Kevin Spacey).

It’s a moving, highly memorable film.

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“American Beauty” plays at 7 p.m. and 9:15 p.m. tonight at The Palm Theatre, 817 Palm St. in San Luis Obispo. Tickets are $7.50.

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July 16, 1959

Set the wayback machine to the Eisenhower era.

Currently this is the record holder for oldest image from our files. Tribune librarian Sharon Morem found this print in the bottom of a manila file folder. It went with a four paragraph business brief.

You can see the penciled crop marks a copy editor used to tell the camera room how to shoot the halftone. If the previous sentence makes no sense to you don’t worry. I don’t understand why anyone would want a face on their book or why it takes a computer to create my space.

The S&H gasoline company opened its 21st station in the chain at 1371 Monterey St. This is the same station under another name four years later seen from the railroad bridge in another Vault blog post. The price had dropped a penny in 1963.

Regular gas was priced at 32.9 cents, splurge on ethyl (premium) for 34.9 cents. You also might want to stock up those $2.10 cartons of cigarettes. In the era before electronic tellers, a place that could cash your paycheck on the weekend could be a welcome sight.

There was more price competition between the major and independent fuel vendors back in the day.

There were also fewer world consumers then with China, India and Eastern Europe much less able to afford oil.

Soon we will buy all our fuel from one company, and we will be happy. All bow and open your charge cards to Unoxxonacobilron.

Local station owners tell me that over the years the oil companies have kept margins on gas much the same and the only way they hang on is with mini-markets and car washes.

My guess is the station offered S&H Green stamps too. Fill that book up and win a prize.

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My pants are soaked.

I just shot some video for an upcoming feature on surfer/shaper/painter/musician Shane Stoneman, and, well — I really wanted to get some shots of him in the water. So, of course, I just had to get to the ocean.

I know — tough gig.

That video, which will also feature music from Stoneman’s new CD, “Days Gone By,” will accompany the online version of our Stoneman profile in next Thursday’s Ticket. Meanwhile, for those of you starved for water photos, check out this spread by Arroyo Grande’s Chris Burkard. I’ve mentioned him before, but since he’s one of the best up-and-coming surf phographers out there, he deserves to be noted again. Besides, the 21-year-old Burkard was recently named senior photographer at “Water” magazine — kind of a big deal.

In this spread, you’ll notice several shots of San Luis Obispo County places, including the cover, of Burkard at Avila Beach. (Don’t worry, local chargers — no “secret spots” are uncovered.) Burkard also currently has photos of Bali featured on Surfline, which owns “Water.”

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As you may have heard, an earthquake hit Southern California a few hours ago.

According to the Associated Press, the 11:42 a.m. quake made buildings sway and triggered a few evacuations . However, there were no immediate reports of major damage or injuries.

The quake, estimated at magnitude 5.4, was centered 29 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles near the San Bernardino County city of Chino Hills, the AP reported.

As it so happens, the quake shook the very spot where Profiles in History is preparing for its huge movie memorabilia auction.

Superman’s suit. James Bond’s cuff links. The Holy Grail from “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.” It’s all there.

Here’s an excerpt from the AP story by Robert Jablon:

Joseph Maddalena, who runs the historical documents and memorabilia dealer Profiles in History, was on the phone in his office in Calabasas, near Malibu, when the earthquake struck. He quickly put down the phone and ran to check on his 14-year-old son who had come to work with him as he prepared for a Thursday auction of 1,100 pieces of Hollywood movie memorabilia.

“Our building shook pretty good,” he said after discovering his son and his employees were unharmed and the building was fine.

“The window in my office kind of bowed out but it’s all right now. Everything is fine,” he said.

Pretty funny, huh?

Somehow I feel I might be responsible. I did write about the auction, after all.

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It’s the Holy Grail of all auctions

Want to own a piece of Hollywood history?

This week, movie fans can bid online for props, costumes, scripts and posters ranging from The Lone Ranger’s pearl-handled revolvers (starting at $4,000 for the pair) to a mechanical Velociraptor from “Jurassic Park III” ($80,000).

The live Internet auction, going on now, is organized by Profiles in History of Calabasas, Calif.

How’d you like to get your hands on a phaser used by William Shatner in “Star Trek”?

What about a helmet from “CHiPs”? James Bond’s cufflinks? C-3PO’s feet from “Star Wars”? Or Lou Ferrigno’s prosthetic nose from “The Incredible Hulk” television series?

Even the Holy Grail used in “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” is up for grabs. It’s a steal with bids starting at $20,000.

For as much as $50,000, you can purchase the “Ten Commandments” tablets that Moses himself (aka Charlton Heston) brought down from Mount Sinai.

Although most of the auctions items tend to run in the thousands of dollars, there are a few for relatively cheap. For instance, you could own a lobby card for 1962’s “Lolita” for a mere $200.

Click on this link for a closer look at the 446 items for sale, some benefiting charities. The auction ends 11 p.m. Thursday (Pacific Standard Time).

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You’ll notice that the same guy is modeling most of the men’s costumes up for auction, everything from Christopher Reeves’ “Superman” suit to the Sabertooth costume from “X-Men.” Lucky stiff.

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Photo courtesy of LiveAuctioneers.com.

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Open the door and come on into the Preps Box.

After a brief summer hiatus, and a change of web address, The Tribune’s high school sports blog is finally back in action. Before we get to the fun stuff, let me briefly introduce myself as The Tribune’s new high school beat reporter. My name is Erick Smith and I’ve been working here for the past three years, covering a mix of area high school and college sports. My goal with this blog is to provide a different take on the county’s prep teams than you would read in The Tribune, and be the place to be for people to discuss/read about San Luis Obispo County prep sports.

Now let’s get to why you’re here. The fall football season is almost upon us and teams are starting to gear up for season openers on Friday, Sept. 5. Here at The Tribune, we are planing to have four days of previews in the paper during the week leading up to the season opener. Look for some extra coverage in the Preps Box before the start of the season. I’m not going to focus strictly on football this fall, even though I know its importance throughout the county, and I’ll try and spread out the news to a range of sports.

Lastly, I wanted to put this site up as soon as possible, so you’ll notice there are going to be a few changes still taking place. While we have our tech guys putting on the finishing touches, I’ll still be updating the blog so check back regularly.

- Erick

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