Where The Wild Things Are: House Of The Worst Film

Where the Wild Things Are (2009) is arguably the worst movie ever made in the history of filmmaking. An on-screen adaptation of the 1963 picture book by Maurice Sendak, the film’s screenwriters made an attempt to create a fantastical masterpiece, only to have produced a horrific memorandum of the famous children’s book. It is classified as fantasy drama – more like horror. I am ashamed to admit that I paid a good $20 on a ticket to watch the film at the local cinema, as I’m sure many other parents are too once their children started asking questions as to why the young boy ripped off an animal’s arms in a dirt fight (I am not making this up, a 4-something year old boy behind me asked his mother in tears). Personally, I would have preferred spending my time seated outside the cinema at McDonald’s eating chicken nuggets.

How the film’s advocacy of violence and imaginative escape to fantasy worlds of unrealistic horror still managed to score the film an IMBd rating of above 2 is beyond me. The thematic concerns of the movie are ironically disassociated with the concerns of children, who are primarily the main audience the film wishes to attract. The absent discipline the main character, Max, receives sends the wrong message – that inappropriate behaviour will go unpunished, such as biting your mother’s shoulder as if imitating a wolf. I seriously cannot praise the film in any respect. It was that bad.

IMBd rating: 6.8/10

My rating: 1/10

1 mark was given to the film, because the budget was $100 million dollars – a LOT of money.

If you dare, watch the trailer. If you cannot take more than 5 seconds, I won’t say “I told you so”:

Sarah R

Howl's Moving Castle: May All Your Bacon Burn

One of Hayao Miyazaki's sure-fire masterpieces, this beautiful film of magic, love and war strikes through the childhood of everyone who has seen it. This has got to be in my top five favourite films of all time simply because it hits all the right notes (and quite literally too, the soundtrack is amazing!). If you haven't seen this yet, now's a good time to do so. If not, our friendly fire demon Calcifer may place a curse on you:

In a quick and abridged summary that, by no means, does this do the film any sort of justice, the viewer is introduced to Sophie, an (ordinary) girl who gets swept up by a powerful wizard named Howl after succumbing to a curse by the Witch of the Waste. The once young-now-old Sophie ventures on towards a new life as she tries to find a way to break her curse all the while stumbling into magical beings and Howl's Moving Castle.

What is it that makes this film so great? Well the astoundingly magnificent animation would, for one, be a great highlight to start off with. In every scene we are introduced to a gorgeous backdrop of wilderness and town-scapes that make you feel as if you were watching a renaissance painting in animation. The absurdity of the castle is also quite the major highlight, doing this adaptation of the novel evermore justice despite the many differences between them. We also have very distinct and likeable characters, particularly our fire demon Calicfer (voiced by Billy Crystal) who is a springboard of entertainment.

It should also be noted that the film originated with a Japanese cast. The translation and voice acting quality of the English version is simply sublime (and we're bringing in the big guns here: Christian Bale and Jean Simmons). Many fans of Japanese animations and animated films cringe whenever there is an English dub. But it's safe to say that Howl's Moving Castle saves face.There is emotion and clarity in the acting, and it blends well with the overall feel of the film.

Even the fantasy elements of the film are quite unique and awe-inspiring. From dancing shadows to transformation. It's got that beautiful Victorian vibe with spices of steam punk that tend to go under the radar when the magic unfolds. And with a tale of love and war for everyone to enjoy, it would be a tragedy not to recommend this piece of art for your visual enjoyment. 

Go on and experience the wonder and excitement that is Howl's Moving Castle.

 James R

Pan's Labyrinth: A Twisted Fairytale

One would think the premise of a normal girl turning into a princess provides the basis for a happily ever after fairytale, but we all know our most respected director Guillermo del Toro better than that. Pan's Labyrinth goes past and further beyond than the darkened fantasies of Tim Burton, and brings us a beautiful world both resplendent and horrific. This film is a must see, and it's no wonder Pan's Labyrinth is on the imdb top 250 sitting comfortably at rank 120 as I write this blog post.

If you haven't seen this film yet, then it certainly would be an eye opener for you.

Set in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War, we are introduced to Ofelia who along with her pregnant mother are moving into a forest to stay with her stepfather Captain Vidal. I have to admit I'm not the best at summarising stories, and especially since this is one of those you'll have to see for yourself.

Let's just say this world Ofelia moves into, is both fantastical as it is dangerous. While she tries to fulfil three tasks given to her by the mystical faun to prove herself as the real Princess Moanna of the Underworld, her stepfather makes the world around her a real dystopia as he attempts to hunt down rebels and control all those around him.

One thing (out of the many superb things) that del Toro does in this film is that he somehow allows both realms of fantasy and reality to converge, but at the same time never really. All the fantasy elements in the film are mostly present through Ofelia. When she isn't there, there's no fantasy. Keep in mind she is the only child besides her baby brother in the whole of the film, everyone else: adults. This really says something about the way we, the audience, see the film. While we can see fantasy in the film, just like the adult cast we cannot believe the truth of it.

While we root for Ofelia's success in becoming a princess, we know this is just a fallacy to make the bleak reality of the film seem less than it is. Hell, the ending even gives us both sides of the coin of fantasy and reality. (one I'd refrain from explaining due to spoilers). Let's leave it at the fact that del Toro wants us to make a decision of how we watch the film: either through harsh reality, or sublime fantasy. But the reality is (ironically), the latter is hard to choose.

See for yourself:

James R