I guess this means I can return the book to the library for now; it's just as well, since I'm still working my way through the Jumper series.

- - -

New Line postpones 'Inkheart' release
New Line is pushing back the release of Brendan Fraser family fantasy "Inkheart" from this year to January 2009, in part because the studio believed it couldn't adequately market the pic in light of the hit television is taking from the writers strike. . . .
"Inkheart," which is completed, was set to open March 18. Because of the marketing worries, New Line thought about moving the film to fall. But that posed another problem.
Fraser is appearing in two films this summer, one of them New Line's "Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D," which opens July 11. On Aug. 1, Universal bows "Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor."
In terms of the marketing worries, New Line said it was concerned that the loss of first-run shows would minimize the impact of television spots. It's the first time that a studio publicly expressed such a concern since the strike started. . . .
Variety, January 17

This opens in the UK next week. It's great fun; at times a splendidly confused mess - which I think it should be. Eliza Bennett (the oldest daughter in Nanny McPhee) is engaging. Fraser is OK. Helen Mirren is typically Helen Mirren as an up-tight great aunt (that sounds like this is how I see Helen Mirren, which is not what I mean! I mean she's always great to watch) and Jim Broadbent is kind of a mad, selfish version of Professor Kirk. Andy Serkis is a fabulous baddie.

The production design is great. It's been made quite timeless by using older vehicles (always a joy to see a Citroën DS on screen, and the one in this film is a dream car for me. Incredibly advanced for its time. Citroën K-series vans are so splendidly quirky it rather overshadows the VW camper van which Brendand Fraser drives) and locations that look like they've been barely touched by the modern world. It's certainly not one of the greatest fantasy films, but it's good entertainment for a couple of hours and with some important ideas.

Coincidentally, I took this book back out of the library a few days ago.

Since I saw the film I've been wanting to read Cornelia Funk's trilogy. If the other books are as fun as the first, I hope they film them soon. If I recall correctly (can't be bothered to check!) Iain Softley suggested it was a possibility in a press conference I was at.

I bought this book yesterday and and pre-reading it, expecting it to be under the tree for my daughter on Christmas (for me to read to her), depending on the material.

Careful, Alan! You don't know what you might be unleashing.

Brendan Fraser reads the audiobook of Inkspell, the sequel to Inkheart.

The preview looks pretty good...

GreenCine Daily:

Anthony Quinn doesn't think much of it. Philip French raises the issue I found most problematic, which is that one of the characters - a secondary one but who serves a vital function - has a speech impediment. Given the stigma attached to stammering it's not helpful to have a sufferer as a figure of fun. Otherwise French likes it:

Tony Watkins wrote:
: Given the stigma attached to stammering it's not helpful to have a sufferer as a figure of fun.

Says the guy from the country that gave us Monty Python and A Fish Called Wanda.

Saw this last night, and whilst it made for a fun Christmas time date movie, I did have to force myself to ignore its flaws (although couldn't help wondering why Fraser's character hadn't thought of seeking out Broadbent's character any earlier).

I didn't find the speech impediment character all that troubling (I was on the look out for it given the above). I think the comedy was more about the irony of someone having his particular gift, also having this particular affliction, than making jokes on the basis of the impediment itself. And only the bad characters make fun of him, the good characters bring him on side.

Broadbent steals the show for me, though the minor characters are all fairly enjoyable (although Bettany takes a while to get going, and I prefered Serkis' villain in Little Dorritt). Fraser and Bennett were a bit weak. But the action scenes are strong, and it's good and tense, and the locations are marvellous.

Oh and the comparisons between Serkis's character here and Gollum are interesting.

Matt