Miyazaki

Howl's Moving Castle

I recently discovered Miyazaki's work and am treating myself to his films. I saw Howl's Moving Castle, and it still resonates.

Hayao Miyazaki is the acknowledged master of animation, known for his painstaking and wondrous work. Each film created by his Studio Ghibli ("jiblee") is gorgeous, hand-animated, epic. His films typically have a girl hero, and a deep sense of wonder. A feast for the soul.

I like eight-hour plays. I like 800-page books. I like theatre which takes two years to create. Although I have also seen some smoking hot work created in 24 hours, at the 14/48 theatre festival.

I remember Kevin Costner on Inside the Actor's Studio, talking about getting frustrated with a writer friend. "Listen," he said. "I want you to write an 8-minute screenplay, or an 8-hour screenplay, but I never again want to see a 120-minute one. Stop trying to cram YOUR stories into THEIR mold." The guy went into the bedroom -- he was living with Kevin's family at the time -- and months later emerged with Dances with Wolves.