Moving Pictures

Terry Pratchett

Average Rating 7/10 (1 Review)

Cameras roll - which means the imps inside have to paint really fast - on the fantastic Discworld when the alchemists discover the magic of the silver screen.

But what is the dark secret of Holy Wood hill? As the alien clichés of Tinsel Town pour into the world, it's up to the Disc's first film stars to find out...

THRILL as Victor Tugelbend ("Can't sing. Can't dance. Can handle a sword a little") and Theda Withel ("I come from a little town you've probably never even heard of") battle the forces of evil and cinema advertising...

SCREAM as Gaspode the Wonder Dog nearly saves the day...

EAT POPCORN as you watch the filming of 'Blown Away', the oddest Civil War picture ever made...

A Passionate Saga set Against the Background of a World Gone Mad!

This Will Amaze You!

With a Thousand Elephants!

("And afterwards, why not dine at Harga's House of Ribs, for the best in international cuisine; only two minutes from this book… ").

'I'm beginning to think that Terry Pratchett is the best humorist this country has seen since P. G. Wodehouse - less coarse than Tom Sharpe, less cynical than Douglas Adams, simply a pure joy.'

'Terry Pratchett...just keeps getting better and better... Pratchett is at the peak of his powers; it's hard to think of any humorist writing in Britain today who can match him.'

Review by Chrissi (310301) Rating (7/10)

Review by Chrissi
Rating 7/10
Moving Pictures is the story of the Alchemists and their accidental invention. The practice of Alchemy, of course, is the search for the Philosopher's Stone, that magical substance which can turn something into something else, but this time they find stuff called octo-cellulose, highly combustible, but you can put pictures on it and if you do a really fast slideshow, then it looks like people are moving and you can tell stories with it!!

The story, though, like any good film, has to have a hero and a heroine. These roles are filled by Victor and Ginger, who are both drawn to Holy Wood by some unknown force which just called to them. Also drawn is CMOT Dibbler, who becomes a Moving Pictures Executive Producer, complete with his own bodyguard in the form of Detritus the troll.

Holy Wood is the place on the beach away from Ankh-Morpork, out from under the sight of the wizards, the alchemists can perform their new science, little knowing how magical it all really is. People around the Discworld are entranced by the Moving Pictures, and Ginger and Victor become the first Superstars, he is famous for being dashing and glamorous, (and kissing Ginger after he has rescued her,)and Ginger is famous for being desired by many men and needing to be rescued, (and hence kissed by Victor.)

Moving Pictures is a well thought out story that is very appropriate to the Discworld, but unfortunately, I felt that there were a lot of references to films that I had not seen and therefore did not appreciate.

I got the one about Gone with the Wind, and some others, and they were funny because you understood them, but I felt in other places rather like there was some kind of in joke.

It is probably much funnier if you are a great film buff (Nigel has only to see about 30 seconds of a film and he can say what it is. Once, while channel hoping he saw the barrel of a gun, nothing else, for 2 secs and said... Blade Runner... sad :) but I have never been that fussed, so if you're a film buff, you'll probably appreciate this more than me.
Chrissi (31st March 2001)