Barmy Blue's Bland Blog

I watched it again already and I still wasn’t bored with it. Yesterday I said I was sure I’d watch it again within the next week, or maybe the next two weeks and what do I do the day after I say that? I watch it Like I said, it’s clear that I have no willpower. I’m certain I’ll get sick of it soon though but for now I still love watching it. In case you’ve only just dropped in the film I’m referring to is Howl’s Moving Castle. I’m actually thinking of finding a picture of Calcifer and putting in the quote “Here's another curse for you - may all your bacon burn.” And putting it on my wall . I know I know, I’m a sad individual but hey, I think this room could use a few more bits and pieces. I’ve been pondering maybe getting some nice landscapes or something, like postcards, just to fill the walls a bit more, they still look a bit bare even with the posters. However, I’m really starting to associate this room with myself, I guess that’s because I’m spending more time here than at home. I don’t call this place home. My home from home sometimes but it’s not my home. I think I need to make a few more cranes too. At home I made lots of little ones and threaded them together but I had nowhere to put them to I stuck them around my computer screen. I can’t do that here though but I can dot cranes about the place. I’m proud of my cranes and I’m quite amazed at how easy they really are to make. It always seemed so complicated in the cartoons. Though most of my cranes are far from perfect but it doesn’t matter because they look like cranes and I doubt many people here can fold them anyway, it’s a hunch I have since I folded one at breakfast and the others seemed quite impressed. Oh I’ve just had an idea, I could stick some cranes above my door. I want to put something associated with me out there, at the moment there’s just a sticker that we wrote our named on last week for a lesson, I decided to stick it above my door since the original sign got ripped off in the first week. The only problem with sticking cranes out there is that people might be inclined to take them. Not that I’d mind that much really because I can easily make more and I make them out of paper that I don’t need like old bus tickets. I would’ve put the Cyberman poster mum got me out there but after the sign I worried about it and decided I didn’t want to risk it being out there, besides I really like it. There are two others with posters on their door, one’s a girl and the other is Liam, our floor rep and for that reason no one would mess with his poster I’m sure but I worry that because I don’t quite fit in, with my not going out and not drinking, anything I put on the door might be a target, especially while they’re drunk which they usually are and also it’s not specifically a door poster and I just worry that it might be weaker than the others. I’d rather keep it in here where it’s safe.
Getting back to the film, I’m trying to work out exactly why I keep watching it. Could it be because it’s one of the few films I can watch and I’m really bored? Could be but I’m not planning on watching the other film I saw yesterday so it might not be that, though it’s a factor. So why? I have somewhat of a disliking to films that end with boy gets girl and they kiss in the ending scene. It’s just so predictable and I’m not one for mushy displays of affection. Though I have to admit, there’s clearly more to it than just romance, there’s magic for starters and good, witty characters, yes I’m referring to Calcifer. There’s a story to it even though some things don’t seem completely important compared to others and some things I still don’t quite get but I can overlook that because it’s got a strong enough plot to carry it through those points and keep my attention. The fact that it has wizards and witches in it plays a considerable part, I have a particular soft spot for fantasy films; and martial arts films now I come to mention it. But the witches and wizards aren’t your stereotypical pointy hatted, wand waving broomstick fliers, they don’t fit the usual stereotype which I find happily refreshing. There are absolutely no long bearded, pointy hatted wizards, though Markl does wear a cape and a beard as a disguise, he actually makes me think more of a dwarf than a wizard so he doesn’t count. And though the witch is evil she’s certainly not in a pointy hat, she has a hat but it’s not pointy, and she certainly doesn’t ride a broomstick. There’s some substance to her instead of the two dimensional green faced, warty old hag who sits around a cauldron making witches brews. It’s clear that she has her own story, her own history and personality. The lead female is just an ordinary person which, I think, adds to its charm because I guess I can relate to that, we all can and the lead male is the powerful wizard who, when you first meet him, gives an air of charm and power and basically seems to play the role of the dashing knight who comes to the damsel in distress’ rescue, even though he is a bit of a show off; but he’s later revealed as not being quite such the hero you first take him for, you learn that under the surface, and he actually admits it, he’s actually a coward and most of the magic he uses is just to keep everyone away and don’t even get me started on the scene when his hair changes colour but in the end he does show that he can be brave and heroic and doesn’t run away. And at the end you get a sense of peace, like everything’s just right.
I’m not actually sure if this explains why I seem to like it so much, it’s just some things that I’ve picked up, seeing as this is my third, fourth, actually it might even be the fifth time I’ve seen it all in all, I can’t remember if I saw it at home once before or not.
But the fact of the matter is that I obviously seem to like it and maybe there is no singular reason as to why.
You see that little analysis there? Albeit it’s not a great analysis but why can I do that with films and not books? It’s so annoying, I have to analyse books but I just can’t seem to manage it, though I can do it with films, though I have to admit it’s usually when I’ve seen them quite a few times. Maybe that’s it. But a book takes longer to get through than a film and rereading the same thing continually would get dull while with the film you can physically look out for things you might have missed, I guess with a book it’s not so easy to do that and you really have to look.
Oh well. I think that’s all I’ve got to say. Except perhaps if you like the kind of films I just described then I’d highly recommend Howl’s moving castle .
Bluebiird out.