A Harry Potter Movie - in 1986!

[Caius Marcius]

No: HPFGUIDX 6373

A search through the Internet Movie Database (one of the crown jewels 
of the WWW) revealed that there has already been a Harry Potter 
movie, appropriately enough on an occult theme.  Troll (1986) 
features both a Harry Potter Sr. (as performed by no less an actor 
than Michael Moriarity) and a Harry Potter Jr. (played by one Noah 
Hathaway, then 15 years old). The IMDB provides the following plot 
synopsis, which interestingly enough seems to hint at Ginny Weasley's 
actions in CoS:  

[begin quote] An evil troll, Torok, the transformed state of the ex-
husband of an old friendly witch named Eunice St. Clair, has chosen 
her apartment building to be the heart of the restoration of the 
world he once knew. To do this he uses an Emerald ring, and takes 
possession of a little girl named Wendy, whose brother Harry 
immediately suspects something wrong. Torok, often in the form of the 
little girl, goes into each occupant's apartment, hideously 
transforming people (beginning with Peter Dickinson, named after the 
author/protagonist of _The Flight of Dragons_, which explores similar 
themes) into plant pods. (Summary written by Scott Hutchins )

I have not seen this film, and I don't know whether its readily 
available for rental. Troll, despite (or because of?) a cast 
featuring Sonny Bono and Julia Louis-Dreyfus received a terrible 
rating on the IMDB (but hey, I somehow don't think that miserable 
hack Chris Columbus is gonna really do any better!)

	- CMC

The Internet Movie Database is at

http://www.imdb.com