Howl's Moving Castle / Takakura Ken in Zhang Yimou's next flick

[Don Brown]

The new Miyazaki Hayao film "Howl's Moving Castle" was released in Japan 
last weekend, and has already broken the domestic record for opening box 
office (previously held by last year's Bayside Shakedown 2). No surprises 
there. It's currently playing on three screens at my local multiplex, and 
is easily selling out at every screening. 
That said, a lot of people in the audience seemed to be scratching their 
heads in confusion afterwards, myself included. I found it to be quite a 
disappointment: disjointed, unfocused and worst of all unmemorable, which 
certainly came as a shock considering the previously reliable quality of 
Miyazaki's work. Has anyone else seen it yet?

Elsewhere, Takakura Ken is currently in China's Yunnan province for the 
shooting of Zhang Yimou's next film, Qian Li Zou Dan Ji. Apparently the two 
have been friends for over 10 years. Here's a couple of stories about it. 
http://www.china.org.cn/english/Life/112627.htm 
http://www.sanspo.com/geino/top/gt200411/gt2004112308.html