Howl's Moving Castle

I had heard nothing but amazing reviews of this movie from almost everyone that I know, so now that I have been granted the magic of Netflix once again I decided that I should check it out. I have to say I wasn't disappointed.

The movie is set in a magical, yet easily identifiable land that is on the brink of war. We start with Sophie, an eighteen year old who takes up her father's hat shop after his death. One day when she goes to see her little sister Lettie she is accosted by two guards. A man steps in and saves her and with magic transports her to her sisters bakery. When Sophie returns to the hat shop, which is also her home, she is cursed by the witch of the waste who is after Howl's heart. Sophie is transformed into an old woman and decides to go to the north then burden anyone with her problems. As she goes further into the waste she rights a scarecrow which turns out to be enchanted by a witch. This scarecrow, which Sophie names Turnip head because of the vegetable that makes up his head, brings Howl's castle to her so she has somewhere to get out of the cold.  Sophie is scared at first, but remembering that Howl only eats the heart of pretty girls, goes inside and sits by the fire. She then meets Calcifer, a fire demon that is bound to Howl. Soon Sophie is cleaning the castle as well as taking care of Markl and finding out that Howl, though a powerful magician, is quite a coward. With Sophie's help he stands up to Madame Suliman, the King's official sorceress, but in the process of fighting off her henchmen gets into pretty bad trouble. Sophie, goes into Howl's childhood through his magic door and finds a way to help both Calcifer and Howl. I don't want to ruin the ending, but it is what you expect from a child's film, with a little twist. 

This is a movie that has to be seen more then one (or maybe just don't watch it for the first time at one in the morning) to get the full effect of the story. As I rewatched it a second time I started to notice little details here and there that made how we got the ending make so much more sense. Just to point out a few, all the colorful items in Howl's room and the cave that Sophie sees in her dream. Since he lost his heart as a child he still has childish desires, that is why he is selfish, only wants to be beautiful, and surrounds himself with toys and pretty things. I was more satisfied with the ending the second time (not that I didn't like it the first time or anything) The art work was absolutely amazing, I was blown away time and time again about how detailed and wonderful it was. I can't even praise the animation enough, everything was beautiful. 

*gif not mine credit to owner/marker*

I watched the English version so Howl's voice was Christian Bale and Calcifer was done by Billie Crystal. I don't know if I would have had a different reaction hearing the Japanese version, but there voices really drew me into the characters. I have always loved Christian Bale's voice, it is really beautiful when he isn't making it all raspy like in batman. I have always loved Billy Crystal and the fact that he was Calcifer made me love the character more then I already did. This being said, I can't help but feel that some of the scenes had a much bigger impact and seemed less...scripted...in the Japanese. I know it was supposed to be a children's movie, but at times I found myself going...really? As someone who watches a good deal of anime, both subbed and dubbed, it isn't as if I haven't had these moments before, but I might have to go find a subbed Japanese version to see if there is a major difference.     

*spoiler alert*

The ending, though wonderful and what is expected, has a really interesting aspect to it. I expected Turnip head to change back into a human and with a little of thought I could have figured out that he was the missing Prince. However I never saw coming that Sophie was his true love, yet she would be in love with Howl and Howl would be in love with her. My favorite line in the whole movie is when the Prince sees that Sophie is in love with Howl. "One thing you can always count on is that hearts change." I think this is a very powerful message and I really love it. I didn't see it coming, but thoroughly enjoyed it.  

Overall I give it a 4.8 out of 5. There was just some points at the awkward dialogue made me almost cringe. I am really excited to read the book that this was based on as well, though I hear that they are nothing like the movie. It is a really fun and great film with obvious messages and lessons to be learned. I recommend watching it.  

Mansfield Park - The Movie

As I sat bored this evening scrolling through Netflix I stumbled upon the movie of Mansfield Park, a book that I read for Women and Literature first semester by Jane Austen. Now I liked the book, but we kind of beat it to death in that class so it got to the point I didn't even want to think about it anymore, but I am a sucker for things set in or around the Victorian era so I decided to give it a try.

The thing that I noticed right off the bat was that they gave Fanny Price a much stronger personality then they did in the novel, probably to endear her to modern viewing audiences. At the beginning of the film they said it was also based off Jane Austen's personal stories and journals so I am guessing that is why they made Fanny a writer which she was not in the book. Dare I say that I liked her a lot more in the movie because she kind of reminded me of myself? Not the loving one man all my life bit, but the sassy writer who was quite and meek most of the time in the company of others.

As for the characters themselves I thought that it was a bit hit and miss. Fanny, Edmund, Henry, and Rushworth were close to what I imagined they would look like, however I did not find the Bertram girls or Mary Crawford to be pretty enough. As for the characters themselves, Mrs. Norris was no where near mean enough and Lady Bertram had no character, which really wasn't that far from the book, but I was expecting more. However the dynamic between Mary and Edmund was very accurate to the book in my opinion, which is all this blog is. Sir Thomas is a major creep in the movie, there is no loving father figure, just creepy old uncle. Also the whole relationship between Henry and Fanny was much more dramatic in the movie then novel.

The biggest difference between the novel and the movie was the importance of slavery. It is mentioned once, maybe twice, in the novel, yet it is a figure head in the movie. It is the reason that Tom and Sir Tomas are at odds and I found the part with the drawings completely unnecessary, but it made Tom a more likable character, for the little you saw him. Also the whole visit to Southerton, which is one of the most comical in the novel, was also completely missing.

Overall it was a fun distraction and entertaining, but it is not going to become my new favorite movie. It gets a 4 out of 5 because I did really enjoy the storytelling that was done and I thought the actors were brilliant.

Tangled

Maybe it is because I am one of those stupid 90's kids who think that nothing is ever going to be as good as my childhood was, but I had low expectations for Tangled when I went to see it in theaters. I'll admit that I had lost a little faith in the magic of Disney movies, but this movie soon destroyed all expectations I had in it and made me believe in animated movies once again. How could you make Rapunzel interesting to someone who has seen it a thousand different times a thousand different ways? Yet Disney used humor, a wonderful cast of characters, and a dash of good old Disney charm to make this one of the best children's movies I have seen in a very long time. Going back and rewatching it has only added, in my eyes, to how good it is because I still love it. 

I love Flynn Rider as well. Maybe it is because he reminds me of an old friend of mine or because he is the type of guy that I would probably date, but I seriously love him. Even though he doesn't want to take Rapunzel to see the lanterns he is still rather sweet to her even as he tried to trick her back to the tower. Then when he actually starts to like her *sigh* so cute! It might be the same old song and dance, but something about it makes me all warm and fuzzy inside. Also the end when he cuts her hair, I don't know but I really wasn't expecting that the first time I watched it. I need a man like Flynn Rider in my life. He is a mix between Aladdin and d'artagnan from the three musketeers.

Something that I thought was done extremely well was making the wicked witch, that is what I am going to call her, at the beginning of the movie like how every teenage girl sees her mother. She knows she loves her, but no teenage girl thinks that their mother ever lets them do anything fun. Now I could use my Russian Fairy Tales course and go into the whole psychological thing about why this is in fairy tales, but I will save you the lecture and just tell you that it was well done by Disney, and usually is.  

Pascal is the best! I never thought I would love a reptile as much as I love that little chameleon. Now I know he isn't really original, every Disney princess has an adorable animal sidekick, but there was something about him that I adored. Maybe it was because he didn't talk like the others, I don't know, but he was easily my favorite character in the movie. He is just such a bad ass and always looking out for Rapunzel. Also I loved Maximum. Again Disney is known for its animal sidekicks, but there was something about Max that was different. Maybe it was the fact that he was a horse that acted like a dog, I really don't know. 

Overall I thought the movie was beautiful. The animation was absolutely breathtaking, especially the lantern scene. The frying pans throughout the movie was amazing and I loved the thugs as well. The songs weren't as strong as other Disney movies, at least I thought so, but they were still nice. The flower song to make her hair glow I find extremely catchy. It will be stuck in my head for days. I liked that Disney added its own twist to the Rapunzel tale, though I admit I don't really know the original fairy tale all that well. I give the movie a 4.4 out of 5 mostly because of the lack of memorable songs. 

Battle Royale - The Movie

So I finally got to see the movie of this epic book and I have to say that even though the movie was good, I prefer the book. Though that is usually how it works out is it? As what usually happens with movies made out of books the plot line needs to be simplified so it is more linear and shorter. However I missed the suspense of knowing what is going on all over the island and yelling at characters not to trust people you know are killers. The movie was great because you saw all the action acted out, but I missed the mind games. A part of me wants this to be made in the U.S. with Quentin Tarantino as the director because I think he would be able to make it epic. Oddly enough on of the characters, Takako Chigusa, was played by Chiaki Kuriyama who was in the first Kill Bill as Gogo Yubari. In both movies she plays a total badass. 

As for the other characters they all basically looked how I pictured them expect for Shogo Kawada, who was a lot hotter then I pictured him, and the program director who in the movie was named Kitano-sensei. Since Shogo was very close to being my favorite male character in the book I was pleasantly surprised to see that he was so good looking and the same was true with Hiroki Sugimura who was my favorite.  

*It was hard to find a good picture of Shogo, but watch the movie he is sexy*



The only thing that really annoyed me was how freaking whiny Shuya was. It seemed like every three seconds he was crying about one thing or another, which wasn't how he was in the book. Also they really played down how horrible the government was as well as how important Rock and Roll was to Shuya so I was a little disappointing about that. However Noriko was just as awesome in both, calm, quiet, and strong.

 

Overall the movie is extremly entertaining and though it differs from the book it is still close enough to capture the book lovers as well as have a storyline of its own. I didn't know how I felt about not having the program director be a complete and utter bastard, but in the end I liked it because it added something new to the story line. I would give it a 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac

So I can't even explain how happy I am that my friend introduced me to this movie, I love it! It was just so perfect! Now I am not really in to the Japanese movie/shows/music scene but this movie has changed my mind. It is based on a book (written in English) which I now want to read! The story line is so compelling and the characters make you fall in love. I laughed, cried, and loved so much in this movie. Also the ending (which I am not going to tell you) is very believable and something that you could see happening in real life. There is so much I want to say about this movie, but I can't even put it into words (and I want to be an English Writing Major?)

It is the story of Naomi Sukuse who, as you might have guess, gets amnesia after falling down the stairs at school. The movie is about her life after the accident and how much she changes. At first I was a little unsure about her character, but I soon fell in love with her. Maybe because I could identify with her a little as being kind of shy and unsure myself (though she has a better reason for it then I do) or just because the acting was amazing, but I was rooting for her. She is a photographer which adds a very awesome aspect to this movie with all the work they do with pictures and capturing moments. At the beginning of the movie she tells us this is a love story and by god it is the best love story I have watched in a long time. It is lovely, heart gripping, and as I have said before believable. 

*screen cap courtesy of my friend*    

This is Mirai Hasegawa, Naomi's best friend, and my favorite character in this whole movie. He is sweet and someone you can see existing in real life. He is the editor of the yearbook and that along with Naomi. This works with the whole pictures theme. I don't know what it was exactly that made me love him, maybe it was all the perfect mixes he made for Naomi, or how he was always smiling even when he was hurts, but I fell for him completely. I don't want to say too much more in fear of ruining the movie, but he is my favorite.

This is Yuji Minwa who helps Naomi even though they did not talk before the accident. He is mysterious, moody, and sexy. He is the kind of boy that every girl falls in love with because he is just such a complex character. Again I don't want to give away too much, but what he does for Naomi is too sweet, caring, and romantic that it is hard not to love him. Naomi also does a lot for him and helps him as well. The kissing scenes between him and Naomi are just too perfect not to comment on, but there is just so much more to this movie.

Now there is another male character, Ace, but I can't comment about him without giving a lot away (I have used that phrase so much). He is Naomi's boyfriend before the accident and his part in the movie isn't as large as the other males I have mentioned.

There is so much more I would like to say, but just go watch the movie. The whole thing is on youtube with subtitles and I promise that you will enjoy, if not love, it. If nothing else you get to watch very attractive guys for about 2 hours. It gets about 7 out of 5 stars in my book and I want to own it on DVD.

Snow White: A Tale of Terror

Alright so I really wanted to watch the movie again and let me tell you, so much better when you can clearly see and hear everything that is going on. Now it is a made for TV movie, so it isn't the highest class of film, but I think it is pretty well done. There are some rather big name actors in it as well. Sam Neill, the hero in Jurassic Park, is Lord Hoffman, Lilliana (or Snow White's) father. Sigourney Weaver, the heroine from Alien, plays the evil stepmother, and does a damn good job of it. David Conrad, the husband in ghost whisperer (and born in Pittsburgh :) plays Doctor Gutenburgh who during most of the movie is the Prince Charming character, but there is a twist in this tale.

The first thing that I love about this story is that it follows the Grimm brothers' version of the tale, which is much more violent then the tale we all know and love by Walt Disney. You understand this with in the first couple moments of the film where we see a man torn to shreds by wolves and Lord Hoffman kill his wife to save his child. After the first couple of minutes I was hooked just to see what else they were going to do to the characters that would make little kids cry if they watched it.

We also get to see the development of the wicked stepmother Claudia as Lilli grows up. Now I have to admit that if little Lilli acted like that to me I would beat the little brat, but Lilli's actions as a child are somewhat understandable. She feels as if her father is replacing her mother with this new woman, as I am sure many young children do. My parent's are still together so I can't give any personal knowledge, but it is what I have heard and seen. Also I would never marry a noble man or prince for the simple reason that everyone watches you have sex for the first time. Most people don't even want to see themselves have sex let alone have a whole crowd. I mean how did they think this was a good idea? Hello, stage fright anyone?

Next thing you know it is nine years later and Lilli is all grown up into a whinny little teenager who still dislikes her step mom, but has a major crush on Peter Gutenburgh (don't blame her). Claudia is also about to give birth and we get the first hint that she is a little off kilter. Well that and she owns a mirror that kills Lilli's nanny, but hey we all have one of those stashed somewhere. Claudia talks about casting runes and such waiting for her baby to be born and Lord Hoffman, who is very religious, prays to have a boy. Anyway Claudia and Lilli have a bit of a verbal battle over the dress Lilli is going to wear to the ball being thrown. Lilli basically tells Claudia to shove it, wears one of her mothers dresses, makes Claudia extremely jealous and Claudia goes into labor. her baby boy is stillborn and this is where Claudia jumps off the deep end, in her grief she blames Lilli for her baby's death.

As anyone who knows the tale should guess the next thing to happen is someone tries to kill Lilli. In this version it is Claudia's brother after Peter proposes to Lilli. Lilli kicks her would be assassin where the sun don't shine and high tales it into the woods where she stumbles into an abandoned house and falls asleep. And here appears our "seven dwarfs" though they are far from the cute little guys we have come to love. All are grown men who are hiding from the world either because they are hunted or because they are deformed. They do not treat Lilli kindly, except one, Will. Lilli almost gets rapped by one of the dwarfs, but Will stops him and then we get into the whole witch tries to kill Snow White twice and fails routine. After all that (Will saves Lilli every time, though two of his friends die in the process) Lilli and Will are in love, which makes you wonder, what is going to happen to the good doctor. Oh just wait. 

While Lilli is trying not to get crushed, rapped or a bunch of other unpleasant things Claudia seduces Peter, though I have to say she didn't have to try very hard. Now I can't really blame Claudia for making out with Doctor Gutenburgh. Any woman who turns down David Conrad obviously is blind as well as insane, and Claudia is only one of those things, but I can say something about his taste. Now I am not saying Claudia is not pretty, but she is married and her daughter is hot and single. Really doctor?

Any who I am not going to tell you the rest, if I have gotten your attention you can go and watch the full movie on youtube. There are a few different people who have is posted. I am just going to make one or two more comments. The first on is *drum roll* the only part of the movie that I found overly dramatic is the scene where Claudia "steals the father's seed". Like really is that whole thing needed? She couldn't just go in there and have it implied we had to see that whole awkward scene (imagine that with a room full of college kids). Another is that there is a lot of things I did not pick up on the first time I watched the movie, like Claudia wrecking the saint statues, so keep an open eye and you will get a lot more out of it.

I wasn't really a giant fan of the ending because Lilli and Will don't have this huge romantic moment (they really didn't the whole movie) and you don't find out what happens.Oh and David Conrad gets pushed out of a window! I mean I knew he wasn't going to be Prince Charming, but what a waste! And then there are the lingering questions. Do Lilli and Will get married and bring the other "dwarfs" to live with them? Does her father even live? I need answers people! This is the reason that I adore Disney movies. You always know it is going to be a happily ever after with the princess marrying the prince and living together at their castle. None of this symbolism crap that you are just supposed to pick up on.

Nosferatu

So this semester I am taking a course call Vampire: Blood and Empire. For the past two class periods we have been watching Nosferatu which was the very first movie on Bram Stoker's Dracula. Now there are no copies of the original film left because the producer didn't get the Rights from the estate to make the film and all the originals were burned. However bits and piece survived and were pieced together into the movie we saw. There are a bunch of other versions of the movie so if you try to look it up be advised that no two versions are the same. 

Now let me tell you that there is nothing more entertaining then watching a silent movie from 1922 with about 70 other kids. The first reason is because the whole time I was making my own dialogue to the movie which at times was highly inappropriate. The second reason is that we would all start laughing at the most dramatic parts of the movie. Overall it was fun, but not something that I would watch on my own free time. 

Things that bothered me about the movie were too many to name, but I'll name a few. First of all was the vampire, Count Orlock, himself. I think a five year old could knock him over the way he tootled around. Then his fangs were right next to each other, not his canines. Weird much? Then he had these hairy pointy ears. He kinda reminded me of a human furby hybrid. How anyone found him scary was beyond me.

Then there was the way he died. He is all nom noming on Ellen, sees that it is morning, gets up and walks into the sun. He just disappears after that, no staking or any of the fun stuff. Very disappointing if you ask me. No one gets, shoot, staked, or really hurt in anyway then dying from the plague. I mean the Band of Light from the book isn't even in the movie! So aggravating! I mean the character that is supposed to be Van Helsing is in maybe two scenes. Though since there wasn't any talking it isn't like he could have his long and pointless speeched, but still.

I know that the plague was a more real threat to the people at this time, but it still wasn't at all frightening. maybe this is just my 2010 brain messing up the movie, I'm not sure. Hopefully the next movie we watch will be a little better, but you never know some new movies are just as awful. They think that special effect, blood, and naked women can cover up for a stupid story line. We will see.