Calcifier, the sassy fire demon from Hayao Miyazaki’s 2004 anime feature “Howl’s Moving Castle,” has received his own yule log just in time for the holidays. You may locate the Calcifier log on HBO Maxis, which is where “Howl’s Moving Castle” and the majority of Studio Ghibli movies have their exclusive streaming home. In essence, it’s a 30-minute video that you can play in the background to simulate the warmth of a fireplace without really having one in your house.
While Tatsuya Gashuin gave the character’s original Japanese voice for “Howl’s Moving Castle,” Billy Crystal provided Calcifier’s English voice. Calcifier, who self-described as “scary and powerful,” was well-known for cursing people and uttering phrases like “May all your bacon burn.” Even the horns that rise from the flames that make up his head are visible. We can only hope that his yule log will be a blessing on you and your loved ones throughout the holidays as he served more as comic relief in the film.
Life’s Simple Pleasures
A few years ago, the BBC named Miyazaki’s masterwork “Spirited Away” the fourth-best movie of the twenty-first century, behind David Lynch’s “Mulholland Drive,” Paul Thomas Anderson’s “There Will Be Blood,” and Wong Kar-“In wai’s the Mood for Love.” My wife and I recently rewatched “Spirited Away,” which celebrated 20 this year. Since I spent my first year of living in Japan from the summer of 2010 to the summer of 2011, she is Japanese and has seen it numerous times, but for me, it was only the second time.
The T hoku earthquake and tsunami occurred in that particular year. With the pandemic, which forced the historic postponement of the Tokyo Olympics from the summer of 2020 to the summer of 2021, the decade has been punctuated by a distinct type of natural calamity. Everyone has had a difficult two years, but as 2021 draws to a close, the following line from “Howl’s Moving Castle” feels particularly pertinent:
“They believe that when things are at their worst, the best fire burns brightest.”
I’ll admit that Ghibli movies used to make me want to fall asleep, but I’ve grown to love them more, just as I’ve grown to love simple pleasures like being able to spend time with my husband and have a meal (okay, occasionally bacon and eggs) or watch a movie together. Prior to now, there weren’t many Miyazaki/Ghibli movies available digitally, but now you can buy or view the majority of them on iTunes. Any one of a number of other films, such as “Howl’s Moving Castle” or “Spirited Away,” may make a nice choice for a movie to watch with family over the holidays.
Let’s hope the fire is still burning brightly in 2022.
