Tuesday, April 25, 2006
I was just a kid again...
As I kid, I experienced many animated features in the manner of getting drawn into a fantasy world, as if through a portal in the back of a wardrobe. But as an adult, the inexperience and wonder that made that possible, is forever lost. As much as I still like some of the old Disney animated movies, and Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol, it's nostalgia that kicks in, not wonder.
I certainly enjoy the wit and visual artistry of features like the Toy Story series and Monsters Inc., but that's a wholly different experience from entering a fantasy world. And, while entertained, I'm largely unmoved by cartoonists' efforts to reach more sophisticated palates. Stuff like the Triplettes of Belleville is too trippy and vacuous, and Tim Burton's movies seem like elaborate advertizements for a new theme-park ride.
So I was quite astonished to find myself feeling something close to childlike wonder at a cartoon this past weekend. The film: Howl's Moving Castle. The original Japanese anime version has been remastered with English language voice-overs. Moving indeed. I won't try to paint a word picture -- you should watch it.
I certainly enjoy the wit and visual artistry of features like the Toy Story series and Monsters Inc., but that's a wholly different experience from entering a fantasy world. And, while entertained, I'm largely unmoved by cartoonists' efforts to reach more sophisticated palates. Stuff like the Triplettes of Belleville is too trippy and vacuous, and Tim Burton's movies seem like elaborate advertizements for a new theme-park ride.
So I was quite astonished to find myself feeling something close to childlike wonder at a cartoon this past weekend. The film: Howl's Moving Castle. The original Japanese anime version has been remastered with English language voice-overs. Moving indeed. I won't try to paint a word picture -- you should watch it.
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Heh. Glad you liked it. We saw it in a local art theater a little less than a year ago, and were forced to see the Japanese-with-Subtitiles version. It didn't dissapoint. Actually, the American actors took something away from the movie for me, because I kept saying things like "That's Blythe Danner, isn't it?"
The book by Darla Wynne Jones is also worth reading. Miazaki really did a very good adaptation.
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gwnxpir - something's about to go bad: "That ham gwinxpir tommorrow. Better eat it now"
The book by Darla Wynne Jones is also worth reading. Miazaki really did a very good adaptation.
--
gwnxpir - something's about to go bad: "That ham gwinxpir tommorrow. Better eat it now"
# posted by 
: 3:25 PM, April 25, 2006
: 3:25 PM, April 25, 2006
idhotnb = I'd hotnub him.
As for animation, the Japanese do it better than almost anyone else. I'm told Kiki's Delivery Service is very good, as well.
As for animation, the Japanese do it better than almost anyone else. I'm told Kiki's Delivery Service is very good, as well.
forget the blog entry. i want to vote for wendy's wv as this week's winner. especially cuz, with 90 students all asking me email questions in prep for monday's final, i'm gwnxpir pretty soon myself!
wpk
cqauvmvk - the sounds of the hitchcockian collection of crows that live on my street back in my old medium-sized-college-town
wpk
cqauvmvk - the sounds of the hitchcockian collection of crows that live on my street back in my old medium-sized-college-town
# posted by : 9:08 PM, April 25, 2006
: 9:08 PM, April 25, 2006
Oooh, I am moving Howl's Moving Castle to the top of my Netflix queue now. I was thinking it would be good to read the book first with my daughters, but I can't wait that long.
Sara, Kiki's Delivery Service is really good. We have almost all the Studio Ghibli movies (the Cat Returns, My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away, etc). They're all great.
vsbtn - happens frequently in Transylvania: He vsbtn by a verevolf.
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Sara, Kiki's Delivery Service is really good. We have almost all the Studio Ghibli movies (the Cat Returns, My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away, etc). They're all great.
vsbtn - happens frequently in Transylvania: He vsbtn by a verevolf.
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