Harry Potter Magic Makes Palin Film 'Disappear'

The latest Harry Potter film has chalked up a feat of political magic: It made Sarah Palin's new documentary nearly "obliviate" from the public's mind. The Los Angeles Times calls it a case of "Harry Potter and The Order of Palin," and reports that the spell-binding box office smash made the Palin documentary a near no-notice. The Undefeated opened in 10 markets and took in no more than $70,000. A screening in California's Orange County was "attended by empty seats," sniggers the LAT.

The numbers do stack up a little better by one measure, though: Harry Potter took in an average of $38,000 per theater, compared to The Undefeated's $6,700. The Undefeated director Stephen Bannon characterized the opening as a success, and says social media and word-of-mouth will generate favorable buzz. "We are extremely pleased with the audience reaction, which has been over-the-top enthusiastic and very passionate," says a spokesman for distributor ARC Entertainment, which is planning wider releases of the film. (More Harry Potter stories.)