Howl's Moving Castle

POSTED BY: iamzoe
UPDATED: Wednesday, June 22, 2005 00:39
VIEWED: 6482
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IAMZOE

Thursday, June 9, 2005 9:15 AM

So, at the Serenity convention in London, I had a brief chat with someone about various SF / fantasy novels we had read when we were little, and we got to discussing Diana Wynne Jones - specifically Howl's Moving Castle.

Today I saw this: http://www.theonionavclub.com/cinema/index.php?issue=4123&r=5
- apparently an animated film has been made out of the book.

So I was wondering: has anyone seen it? Is it any good? Will it ruin the book? Will it destroy my childhood crush on Howl (sexiest Welsh wizard in the 'verse)? Or is a bit like 'I Capture the Castle', when I decided to give Riley another chance and he and a girl with red cheeks ruined their way through another childhood favourite book?

Hope you can help!

ZOOT

Thursday, June 9, 2005 11:37 AM

I haven't seen the film but just had to say: I LOVE Diana Wynn Jones - first read Charmed Life when I was about 10 and thought it was superb - have since read the rest...

I like Howl, but my favourites are the Dalemark Quartet - absolutely astonishing and you see where so many children’s fantasy writers get their stories from (mentioning no names, Mr Pullman)... If you haven't read them, read them instantly - they're just as good for grownups ....

I went to Venice at Christmas with my sister last year to shop and spent all day in the hotel bed reading the Quartet instead - very luxurious - didn't see much of Venice though!!

***************************************

Okay, I'm lost, I'm angry, and I'm
armed.

SHINYMOM

Thursday, June 9, 2005 12:02 PM

Howl's Moving Castle comes out here on Friday, and I migt go to San Francisco to see it. The trailer looks amazing! It was done by Hayao Myazaki who is porbably best known for the films Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, and My Neighbor Totoro. (This information courtesy of my son, a huge anime fan, and his girlfriend who is in bed at this moment reading Howl's Moving Castle.)

I love Diana Wynne Jones! I discovered her as an adult and regularly read all her books over and over. There is a new Chrestomanci book out, in case you didn't know already. I think it's about time I read the Dalemark Quartet again.

Look up the trailer. I'd put in the link, but I'm out of time. Have to get ready for another day of training in the literature book I've been using all year. (Sigh.)

ShinyMom

"Look at the pretties!"

ROCKETJOCK

Thursday, June 9, 2005 2:15 PM

Can't wait to see this. I'm a huge Miazaki fan, have been for more than two decades. His trademarks are flight scenes, especially involving complex aircraft, and strong female characters.

It'll be interesting to see what the translators & dubbing crew come up, considering that the original source material for the story was an English language novel. I've never heard of this occuring before, except for an obscure Japanese version of "Starship Troopers" that reportedly had little to do with Heinlein's original.

"Do you know what the definition of a hero is? It's somebody who gets somebody else killed." -- Zoë Warren

CYBERSNARK

Thursday, June 9, 2005 2:36 PM

Miyazaki-sama is one of the four Storytellers I idolize (yes, Joss is another), so I'm predisposed to love this movie.

'Course, I know full well it won't play in Ottawa ("limited release" usually means a handful of theatres in the US and two in Canada [in Toronta and Vancouver, respectively], probably no more than one showing).

-----
We applied the cortical electrodes but were unable to get a neural reaction from either patient.

SICKDUDE

Thursday, June 9, 2005 5:02 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by RocketJock:
I've never heard of this occuring before, except for an obscure Japanese version of "Starship Troopers" that reportedly had little to do with Heinlein's original.

Saw Starship Troopers, and have to say it had as much to do with the book as the American movie did (which is not much). In particular, at least they got the suits right.

As to the thread Hayao Miyazaki is typically regarded as one of the best filmmakers of all time. He should do a wonderful job! You can safely go into the theatre expecting a wonderful film. If you're worried about it ahead of time, rent Spirited Away to check out his work.

"Don't say 'ka' until you've tried it." Daniel Jackson

ALANFRANCIS

Thursday, June 9, 2005 5:31 PM

http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/castle/ for the trailer. Sorry, the sites not very well designed. The trailers link is one of the circles segments in the top right.

IAMZOE

Friday, June 10, 2005 5:00 PM

Thanks for the responses!

I was a little wary about the film because -
a) I hate animation (sorry)
b) I love the books so much... and I saw the BBC version of Archer's Goon, and it just didn't do the book justice -
but I'll maybe give it a shot now. I had a look at the trailer, and the music is good too.

Someone mentioned a new Chrestomanci book - I'm so excited! I found it on Amazon here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0007190859/qid=1118422359/sr=
2-1/ref=sr_2_11_1/026-7195315-7551629

I think Diana Wynne Jones has been really underrated... especially given the over-hype that surrounds Harry Potter (I think the same about Jill Murphy). I actually missed going to see her at a Book Festival a couple years ago - I was so upset (had to work though - and they did give me time off to see other stuff).

Whenever I re-read 'Howl...' there is one particular passage that just makes me laugh every time: when he's coming down the stairs in the suit that keeps on going, and is asking Sophie just what exactly is going on...

SHINYMOM

Sunday, June 12, 2005 10:07 PM

Just got back from San Francisco this morning after seeing How's Moving Castle. It was amazing! I am new to Miyazaki(sp.?), but the theater was full of his fans. Cheers went up in the audience when the Studio Ghibli logo came up on screen. The movie is beautiful, close to the book with Miyazaki additions and interpretations, delightful, and a bit confusing, but only if you are not familiar with the book. It was two hours long and it went by as if it were only an hour.

I don't know when it's coming to a theater near you, but I hope it's soon. I definitely want to see it again, at least twice more, and I await the DVD eagerly.

After the movie, we went to Kinokuniya, the Japanese bookstore in the shopping center, and I bought the first of four film comics of the movie. It is full of screen captures of the movie, reads back to front, and is in Japanese--a wonderful souvenir of a fabulous experience. Afterwards, we had dinner at Benihana's which was a perfect finish to my first day of vacation.

Anyway, I loved it. Give the book to a voracious reader, read it to or with a reluctant one, and take them to the movie whenever it shows up in your area.

"Look at the pretties!"

IAMZOE

Thursday, June 16, 2005 8:20 AM

That sounds like such a good day out ShinyMom! And a good recommendation for the film. I've been away from the internet and in the big city the past few days too: saw the new Diana Wynne Jones book in the shops, but decided against buying it because it's in hardback and ridiculously expensive for a children's book. Also the ten-year-olds in the children's book section were giving me funny looks...

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