After a 3 week absence, I'm back, but probably not better than ever. I come bearing a couple new reviews. One just hit the video shelves, and the other is making its way through art house theaters as we speak. And don't worry, I'll be reviewing more regularly.



Howl’s Moving Castle
Review by Jon Waterman

***

Sophie is a young hat maker who keeps to herself and does what she’s told. Or, at least she was. That all changes when she runs into a suave magician, and later, a witch. The witch curses Sophie by turning her into a stocky, ugly old woman overnight. Forced to give up the life she knew and to hopefully find a cure, she goes in search of the wizard Howl. After stumbling on his roaming palace, she befriends the residents of his castle and quickly becomes a vital part of a team determined to defeat the forces of evil and stop a burgeoning war.

This is the latest effort from Japanese animation master writer/director Hayao Miyazaki. Like his other films, this one deals with a largely fantasy based scenario. There’s usually a lot of creativity and freshness to be found in the plots and storylines, however this film doesn’t exhibit the same behavior. Based on the novel by Diana Wynne Jones, the film just exudes this feeling of “seen it all before.”
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++++++++++


The Nomi Song
Review by Jon Waterman

***

Those that have heard of Klaus Nomi don’t need to be told that he epitomized New Wave. He came to the United States from Germany and found himself immersed with the budding new sub culture that was developing in New York during the late 1970s/early 1980s. After a fateful performance as part of a vaudevillian variety show, he quickly gained popularity and ego. Klaus went on to release two albums that showcased his flawlessly operatic falsetto singing voice, burning most of his bridges along the way. This is his story, told by the people who knew him best.

Unlike Nomi himself, this documentary is actually quite ordinary. Mixed in with the talking heads is a lot of archival footage and taped performances; all of it presented in an extremely standard, straightforward manner. Each interviewee is given their own representative background, which is a nice touch. These backgrounds tell you a little bit about their personal history with Klaus as the people in front of them relate their stories and flesh out all the intricate details. Everyone does a great collective job of describing the life style and what it meant to be around NYC and Klaus at that time, but not every little piece of the puzzle is filled in.
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