Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

There are few things more reliable in life than the Harry Potter books and movies. Not only do they always make an enormous amounts of money, but their quality has been impeccable since the very first installment. Not a disappointment in the bunch.

While the books have now wrapped up, the sixth film came out last summer and was a critical and commercial success. Parts of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince had almost a black and white look to it - stricken of nearly all color as the story gets continually darker and bleaker. The movie had lots of good humor and the teenage hormones are raging stronger than ever, however a beloved character is killed off and Harry's upcoming showdown with evil Lord Voldemort is now just around the corner.

Talented British director, David Yates, and screenwriter Steve Kloves condensed the almost 700-page book to a reasonable two hours and fifteen minutes, but the newly released two-disc special edition DVD set provides viewers with several additional hours of content.

Most importantly for Harry Potter fans is the few minutes of exclusive first footage from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the two-film finale that will wrap up the whole shebang. It looks to be a thrilling but terrifying final confrontation between good and evil.

J.K. Rowling: A Year in the Life is a fascinating British documentary on the author of the series. It shows her typing the final words of the last book before delivering it to her publisher, attending an enormous book launch party, going to the fifth movie premiere, and visiting the tiny Edinburgh flat where she wrote most of the first book. She also talks about her beloved mother, discusses her estrangement from her father, mentions that of course Dumbledore is gay, and talks about what projects might lie ahead for the second wealthiest woman in Britain.

The Cast Close-up is a fascinating look at the craftspeople and technicians working on the Harry Potter films, as interviewed by the young stars of the film Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint and others. They talk to the editors, stunt coordinators, costumers, set designers and others about their unique talents and the part they've played in bringing the world of Harry Potter to the big screen.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter Sneak Peak offers a look at the spectacular new 28-acre Harry Potter theme park being built at Universal Studios' Islands of Adventure theme park in Orlando. This enormous attraction will give visitors a chance to visit Hogwarts and other Harry Potter settings, and it looks like no expensive is being spared on the project.

What's on Your Mind? features the actor who plays Draco Malfoy interviewing a dozen of his fellow castmates, including Radcliffe, Watson and Grint about who's the most famous person they've met, what their favorite flavor of ice cream is, whether they prefer rugby or quidditch, and other similar questions.

One-Minute Drills have all of the young co-stars discussing their roles in the movie and rapidly tracing their characters' developments from the first movie through to the sixth. It's fun to watch these smart kids show some of their verbal prowess.

There are also some additional scenes and a digital copy of the film for downloading to iPods and similar devices.

If you're a rabid Harry Potter fan, or know someone who is, this two-disc collectors set is essential viewing. Even if you're a more casual fan of the series, the documentary on J.K. Rowling is well worth the few extra bucks more than the cost of the single disc set.