Too controversial for Tumblr

[soc_puppet]

Today, in "Things I am absolutely not going to post to Tumblr because I will be eaten alive":

storywonker posted a new curse:

may your favourite fantasy book series be adapted into a hit TV show

What I Said in a reblog:

In 99% of cases, I’ll take it. Even if I have to retreat into a tiny corner of fandom that only acknowledges the original books when the TV show ends up being a terrible adaptation that completely undermines the original themes, it still means the author is that much closer to financial independence and able to keep writing as much as they want.

Still, there are always exceptions…

What I did not say in a reblog:

Too late, the movie version of Howl's Moving Castle already exists.

(I like Studio Ghibli/Miyazaki! They do good work! And I can respect that a lot of people really love the movie! I just don't know that it's possible for Howl's Moving Castle to be adapted into anything that's less than three hours long and still satisfy me, let alone any number of other changes that were made.)

Comments

[soc_puppet]

I don't actually know if I like the movie 😅 I think I watched it all of once, was too put-off by all the changes Miyazaki made (including the aforementioned shoehorning in of his own themes and erasure of Sophie's "bossing things around" magic), and haven't watched it again since. I don't think I have it in me to say that I hated it, especially since I like how Miyazaki did Calcifer, but man. If I wanted to watch a Miyazaki movie, I have another dozen or so on my shelf already. I wanted to watch an animated Howl's Moving Castle. All the respect in the world for everyone who loves the movie, I just. Can't do it.

...Specifying "animated" up there just made me realize how absolutely amazeballs a live action Jim Henson Company adaptation would be. I might accept a movie-length if they tried it! Otherwise, yeah, mini-series at least. Minimum three hour-long episodes or no deal.

[eastofthemoon]

Oh man, a Jim Henson version would just be amazing. The effects they would use on Calcifer alone would be fun to watch.

I like and respect Miyazaki, I do, (I love Kiki's Delivery Service) but (as much as people hate to admit) like everyone else he isn't perfect. I read somewhere that apparently when he first started working on the film it was much closer to the book, I've seen early art of Sophie having red hair but then the War in Iraq happened and Miyazaki felt it was more important to put his anti war message in the movie. I have to wonder if Jones had known that was going to happened if she still agree to let him do a movie version of her book or not.

[soc_puppet]

A theater production would also have potential, I think.

Oh, I can see that. I love a lot of Miyazaki's work, but yeah, that's. Not what I would have done. Even as much as I hate the War in Iraq and also W, I would've just made another, different movie about it.