After watching the excellent new DVD of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," I couldn’t help flashing back to my own kid obsession, "Star Wars." I’ve never been particularly swept away by J.K. Rowling’s boy-wizard books, but I understand the passion and imagination of kids who are, because I was once just like them. Only my hero was Luke Skywalker and my villain was Darth Vader. Having said all of that, for those of you who aren’t up to speed on the Potter franchise, think of Half-Blood prince, the sixth film installment, as the equivalent of "The Empire Strikes Back." It’s a lot darker than you’d expect, it’s full of ominous backstory, and it serves as the critical bridge to the final chapter where all will be revealed-namely.

Daniel Radcliffe’s Harry and his pals are now post-pubescent students who somehow still manage to be enchanted by the magical doings at Hogwarts. And like the "Scooby Doo" crew they still seem game for getting swept up in mysteries at the drop of a hat. The big developments in the Half-Blood Prince are the explanation of the evil Voldemort’s nasty origin as a bad seed youngster at Hogwarts and the introduction of new potions professor Horace Slughorn, played by a delightfully daffy Jim Broadbent, who joins the already A-list faculty of British thespians. Before things can become too grim, however, director David Yates injects the stirrings of young love into what might as well now be called Hormones Academy instead of Hogwarts. All of which promises that things should really come to a boil in 2010’s ultimate adventure, "Return of the Jedi," I mean, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows."

Now for a look at what’s new on DVD: in "Inglourious Basterds," Quentin Tarantino takes on the Nazis; in "The Hangover," four guys head to Vegas for a bachelor party; and in "Best of the B’s," a bunch of exploitation cheapies from legendary producer Roger Corman get a box set.