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serenissimaMy sleep was disturbed this morning by post nasal drip, and I woke with the threat of a sore throat. Over the past few hours I've begun to feel achy, cold, and enervated. My recent cold lasted a week; I hope this isn't going to become Round 2. We have a digital thermometer in the office and it registered my temperature as 100.1F, but my coworker, who feels healthy, registered as 99.2F, so either we both have low-grade fevers or the machine needs to be recalibrated.
Anyway. Changing the subject. There's a new Hayao Miyazaki film coming out on June 10. It is an animated version of _Howl's Moving Castle_, which is a fantasy novel by Diana Wynne Jones. I like Miyazaki films. I have seen "Princess Mononoke," "The Cat Returns," "Kiki's Delivery Service," and "Spirited Away" (all subtitled), and was charmed. I especially liked "Spirited Away."
I love _Howl's Moving Castle_. I read it in junior high or early high school. It was gently pokes fun at traditional fairy-tale elements: the protagonist, Sophie, is the oldest of three daughters. She knows that it's always the youngest child who gets the goods, so she resigns herself to life as an ordinary shop clerk, until she runs afoul of a wicked witch. The other lead character, Howl the wizard, is a bit of a dandy and comes from modern-day England in an alternate dimension. They are both appealing. (There is a sequel called _Castle in the Air_, which is not as good as the first book but still fun. From what I have read of Miyazaki's "Castle in the Sky," it is not related.)
So I was looking at the screenshots on the Yahoo! Movies page about this new film, and I already have some concerns. They made Howl's chin much too narrow. Okay, this is being drawn in the Japanese style, everyone has narrow chins. But it doesn't fit his personality, as I see him. Also his hair is too long and unkempt. That's not like him; he'd whip out a comb and fix it. Secondly, Calcifer the fire demon is specifically described in the book as having two blue flames for eyes, whereas the screenshot shows him with regular cartoon eyes: white ovals outlines in black, with black pupils.
I will probably watch the movie, but not necessarily in a theater, if it even comes to a theater near me.
Anyway. Changing the subject. There's a new Hayao Miyazaki film coming out on June 10. It is an animated version of _Howl's Moving Castle_, which is a fantasy novel by Diana Wynne Jones. I like Miyazaki films. I have seen "Princess Mononoke," "The Cat Returns," "Kiki's Delivery Service," and "Spirited Away" (all subtitled), and was charmed. I especially liked "Spirited Away."
I love _Howl's Moving Castle_. I read it in junior high or early high school. It was gently pokes fun at traditional fairy-tale elements: the protagonist, Sophie, is the oldest of three daughters. She knows that it's always the youngest child who gets the goods, so she resigns herself to life as an ordinary shop clerk, until she runs afoul of a wicked witch. The other lead character, Howl the wizard, is a bit of a dandy and comes from modern-day England in an alternate dimension. They are both appealing. (There is a sequel called _Castle in the Air_, which is not as good as the first book but still fun. From what I have read of Miyazaki's "Castle in the Sky," it is not related.)
So I was looking at the screenshots on the Yahoo! Movies page about this new film, and I already have some concerns. They made Howl's chin much too narrow. Okay, this is being drawn in the Japanese style, everyone has narrow chins. But it doesn't fit his personality, as I see him. Also his hair is too long and unkempt. That's not like him; he'd whip out a comb and fix it. Secondly, Calcifer the fire demon is specifically described in the book as having two blue flames for eyes, whereas the screenshot shows him with regular cartoon eyes: white ovals outlines in black, with black pupils.
I will probably watch the movie, but not necessarily in a theater, if it even comes to a theater near me.
