Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Gollancz (2014), 368 pages
Description
'Holy Wood is a different sort of place. People act differently here. Everywhere else the most important things are gods or money or cattle. Here, the most important thing is to be important.' Alchemists have always thought that they can change reality, shape it to their own purpose. Imagine then the damage that could be wrought on the Discworld if they get their hands on the ultimate alchemy- the invention of motion pictures, the greatest making of illusions. It may be a triumph of universe-shaking proportions. It's either that or they're about to unlock the dark secret of the Holy Wood hills - by mistake...
User reviews
LibraryThing member gercmbyrne
Terry Pratchett is a god who walks among men. The entire Discworld series is a joy and only a strange mad creature cursed by gods and man would refuse to read and love these books!
LibraryThing member johnmischief
Some nice characters, interesting premise and a lot of sly digs on the film industry.
And that's the problem with this book.
To much effort has been given to shoehorning clever phrases and nods to popular movies and not enough to the story.
Still a good,funny read but one of the weaker discworld
And that's the problem with this book.
To much effort has been given to shoehorning clever phrases and nods to popular movies and not enough to the story.
Still a good,funny read but one of the weaker discworld
Show More
novels. Show Less
LibraryThing member Archren
After the cotton-candy bit of nothing that was “Eric” (I later learned that while my copy had no pictures, it was originally written as an illustrated Discworld book. Stripping the pictures out of a book with heavy reliance on visual humor should be a crime.), “Moving Pictures” restored my
There are magical forces escaping from the sand dunes of Holy Wood. They start to call to people from Ankh-Morpork. The alchemists figure out how to harness imps to paint images really quickly, so that if you run them fast and project them on the screen, they seem to move. People are hypnotized by the phenomena. Overnight, a city of facades springs up out on the dunes. Specifically Victor the perpetual wizard student, Ginger the former milkmaid, and Cut-Me-Own-Throat Dibbler are all drawn there. Dibbler goes into production, finding his early stars in Victor and Ginger, amateur actors who can be possessed by the magic.
As Victor becomes aware that the magic may have sinister intent, he teams up with Gaspode the bright talking mutt, and Laddie the Wonder Dog to save the day. There are also trolls acting as stunt men, dwarves doing the prop work (who came up with that HiHoHiHo song?), frustrated directors and a machine (made by the wizard Riktor), indicating that not all is well with the fabric of reality.
The in-jokes and movie references come fast and furious throughout the story. Yellow brick roads, thousands of elephants, “Play it again, Sham,” you name it. By the time the Librarian (an orangutan, not a monkey!) is being carried up the side of a tower by a fifty-foot tall woman, I was literally laughing out loud. That’s the kind of book this is. Usual warning: I wouldn’t start reading the Discworld series here; although it almost acts as a standalone, a lot of the humor surrounding the Wizards and dennizens of Ankh-Morpork is better if you’ve read the earlier works.
Show More
faith in Terry Pratchett. It’s not wall-to-wall laughs, and there are some slow parts in the middle, but he builds up a head of steam and the last fifty pages contain images that are impossible not to laugh at.There are magical forces escaping from the sand dunes of Holy Wood. They start to call to people from Ankh-Morpork. The alchemists figure out how to harness imps to paint images really quickly, so that if you run them fast and project them on the screen, they seem to move. People are hypnotized by the phenomena. Overnight, a city of facades springs up out on the dunes. Specifically Victor the perpetual wizard student, Ginger the former milkmaid, and Cut-Me-Own-Throat Dibbler are all drawn there. Dibbler goes into production, finding his early stars in Victor and Ginger, amateur actors who can be possessed by the magic.
As Victor becomes aware that the magic may have sinister intent, he teams up with Gaspode the bright talking mutt, and Laddie the Wonder Dog to save the day. There are also trolls acting as stunt men, dwarves doing the prop work (who came up with that HiHoHiHo song?), frustrated directors and a machine (made by the wizard Riktor), indicating that not all is well with the fabric of reality.
The in-jokes and movie references come fast and furious throughout the story. Yellow brick roads, thousands of elephants, “Play it again, Sham,” you name it. By the time the Librarian (an orangutan, not a monkey!) is being carried up the side of a tower by a fifty-foot tall woman, I was literally laughing out loud. That’s the kind of book this is. Usual warning: I wouldn’t start reading the Discworld series here; although it almost acts as a standalone, a lot of the humor surrounding the Wizards and dennizens of Ankh-Morpork is better if you’ve read the earlier works.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Nikkles
I love Terry Pratchett, but this book just fell flat to me. I could not get into the characters and I just did not get pulled into the story. The normal wit and humor of the disc world was lost in this story. One miss in however many books is not too bad.
LibraryThing member keristars
Although quite funny, with great characterisations and satirical commentary of the film industry, I found that "Moving Pictures" was too long, rather like many movies. The last hundred pages or so dragged along, as if Pratchett were trying to include absolutely everything he could on the topic
Show More
after already reaching the saturation point. A little shorter and with a few less plot contrivances, perhaps, and this would have been an excellent Discworld novel. As it is, it's only so-so, but then - not every book in a great series can be the best. Show Less
LibraryThing member Narilka
Moving Pictures is the 10th book in Terry Pratchett's Discworld series. This one took a long time for me to get into, which is unusual for a Discworld book. It wasn't until the final third of the book before the story started to draw me in. This time Discworld takes on Hollywood! Or is that a small
All the jokes and gags you expect from a Discworld novel abound. C. M. O. T. Dibbler channels his inner Cecil B. De Mille to make the greatest moving picture ever, featuring no less than a thousand elephants! You have Laddie the hero dog who saves children from drowning in wells. Trolls who don't want to get type cast. A giant woman carries an ape up a tall building. Even the wizards from Unseen University venture forth to see what all the hubbub is about.
Sometimes eye-roll worthy, sometimes laugh out loud funny, Moving Pictures is an entertaining read.
Show More
hill named Holly Wood?All the jokes and gags you expect from a Discworld novel abound. C. M. O. T. Dibbler channels his inner Cecil B. De Mille to make the greatest moving picture ever, featuring no less than a thousand elephants! You have Laddie the hero dog who saves children from drowning in wells. Trolls who don't want to get type cast. A giant woman carries an ape up a tall building. Even the wizards from Unseen University venture forth to see what all the hubbub is about.
Sometimes eye-roll worthy, sometimes laugh out loud funny, Moving Pictures is an entertaining read.
Show Less
LibraryThing member love2laf
Pratchett creates Holy Wood, a Discworld recreation of hollywood, with so many references to so many movies, it'll make your head spin, in a laugh out loud way. I should probably try and savour this series, but the more I read, the funnier it is. Like Monty Python, it gets better every time.
LibraryThing member Herenya
Discworld’s take on Hollywood -- here, called “Holy Wood”. At first, I didn’t care one way or the other for the characters (and at first there weren’t any female characters), but they grew on me. Pratchett is being very clever and very funny, and I really enjoyed it.
Also, I was pleased to
“Why is it all Mr. Dibbler’s films are set against the background of a world gone mad?” said the dwarf.
Soll’s eyes narrowed. “Because Mr. Dibbler,” he growled, “is a very observant man.”
Also, I was pleased to
Show More
see Detritus from before he joined the Watch (I like the accent Nigel Planer gives him), and I was surprised that Gaspode the talking dog, who had annoyed me in the Watch books he’d appears in, was not annoying. “Why is it all Mr. Dibbler’s films are set against the background of a world gone mad?” said the dwarf.
Soll’s eyes narrowed. “Because Mr. Dibbler,” he growled, “is a very observant man.”
Show Less
LibraryThing member 391
Moving Pictures took me a long time to get in to. The story meandered, and so I would inevitably get distracted, put it down...pick it back up and read a bit more. It's awfully clever, of course, and hilariously funny, but it doesn't rank high on my list in terms of plots. I did get some really
Show More
good laughs out of it, though! Show Less
LibraryThing member comfypants
The first Discworld book I didn't like. It's boring. The humor is sparse, unless you think referencing movies is funny. The plot is recycled from previous Discworld books, except this time around not much fun happens on the way. There are some great characters; they really deserved to be in a
Show More
better book. Show Less
LibraryThing member polarbear123
I can understand the frustrations of the previous reviewer. At times the plot was a little hard to follow and to register who was speaking. However the parody of the film industry was well done and there were some lovely touches and a few nods to some key Hollywood eras. Perhaps the weakest thing
Show More
about this book is the fact that the main character doen not seem that well evolved or detailed. Maybe that is what kep me from loving this Pratchett book as much as others. Still definitely worth a read though. Show Less
LibraryThing member cmbohn
Not quite as funny as some of the other Discworld books. this one takes on Holy Wood. It's fun, but not roll on the floor laughing fun. I liked Gaspode the Wonder Dog and I love the Librarian, so I was happy that he had a part in this one.
LibraryThing member jayne_charles
Some superb film-based satire that even someone like me, who isn't particularly into films, can appreciate. Particularly liked the chariot crashing through the barn full of chickens.
LibraryThing member jnicholson
Terry is in scintillating form for this novel, in which Victor Tugelbend finds himself called to Holy Wood to be part of the Clicks. Film-enthusiasts will love the references that Pratchett has sprinkled liberally throughout the story.
LibraryThing member ErlendSkjelten
The standard disclaimer for Discworld books applies here. I cannot help but filter my impressions of any one of the books through my impressions of the series as a whole. Your mileage may vary.
Moving Pictures is about the rise and fall of the Discworld film industry. Alchemists discover how to make
This is one of the very few Discworld novels which completely failed to grip me. In fact, I think there are only two I can say that about. I didn't care much about the characters, and those I did care about, chiefly because they've appeared in more interesting books, had only small appearances. The plot is all right, but for some reason, I never bothered all that much about what would happen next, a rarity indeed when the cover bears the name Pratchett. Only towards the very end of the book did I start getting curious, when the Cthulhu-esque elements began to play a bigger part. The only thing I can't fault is the humour, which as always is fantastic, and was here the only reason I managed to get to the end.
And, of course, you've got to like the implication that Hollywood is summoning demons.
There are a lot of references to the real world film industry in this novel, from characters modelled on real people to the many, many quotes from various films. This is fun, of course, when you catch it. Much, much of it I only learned of when reading annotations later. Perhaps I would like the book better if I were more of a film geek.
Like I said, I don't care about the characters, possibly because I already knew that the main pair were one-shots. As for the major supports, they happen to be some of my least favourite Discworld characters, so I suppose I've just struck out on this one.
I cannot very well recommend the book very strongly after this review, but I suspect it might be more enjoyable if read in the right order, not knowing what turns the story will take in later chapters. If you do happen to be a movie buff, his might well be your Grail, but for me, it was more chore than enjoyment.
Moving Pictures is about the rise and fall of the Discworld film industry. Alchemists discover how to make
Show More
an illusion of movement through showing several pictures very quickly, and go off to set up an entertainment industry in the remote area known as Holy Wood. Unfortunately, Holy Wood is located in a spot where reality is a bit thin, so the burgeoning industry threatens to breach the barrier and unleash untold horrors upon the world.This is one of the very few Discworld novels which completely failed to grip me. In fact, I think there are only two I can say that about. I didn't care much about the characters, and those I did care about, chiefly because they've appeared in more interesting books, had only small appearances. The plot is all right, but for some reason, I never bothered all that much about what would happen next, a rarity indeed when the cover bears the name Pratchett. Only towards the very end of the book did I start getting curious, when the Cthulhu-esque elements began to play a bigger part. The only thing I can't fault is the humour, which as always is fantastic, and was here the only reason I managed to get to the end.
And, of course, you've got to like the implication that Hollywood is summoning demons.
There are a lot of references to the real world film industry in this novel, from characters modelled on real people to the many, many quotes from various films. This is fun, of course, when you catch it. Much, much of it I only learned of when reading annotations later. Perhaps I would like the book better if I were more of a film geek.
Like I said, I don't care about the characters, possibly because I already knew that the main pair were one-shots. As for the major supports, they happen to be some of my least favourite Discworld characters, so I suppose I've just struck out on this one.
I cannot very well recommend the book very strongly after this review, but I suspect it might be more enjoyable if read in the right order, not knowing what turns the story will take in later chapters. If you do happen to be a movie buff, his might well be your Grail, but for me, it was more chore than enjoyment.
Show Less
LibraryThing member SimoneA
Again a very funny book in the Discworld series. I liked how this book parodied Hollywood and the crazyness that goes on in the entertainment industry. The funniest characters were definitely the talking animals, especially Gaspode the talking dog.
LibraryThing member mjmorrison1971
I still what to know what happened to the elephants. Its a good read and passes an interesting comment on the fantasy of the movie and real life. Practchett keeps you hanging in until the end but the middle section of the book was a bit slow.
LibraryThing member lpg3d
A great parody of Hollywood.
LibraryThing member librisissimo
Nails it.
Debut of Archchancellor Ridcully, Ponder Stibbons, and Gaspode the Wonder Dog. Actually kind of stars Gaspode and CMOT Dibbler. Leads are not any of the regular cast.
Debut of Archchancellor Ridcully, Ponder Stibbons, and Gaspode the Wonder Dog. Actually kind of stars Gaspode and CMOT Dibbler. Leads are not any of the regular cast.
LibraryThing member Caitak
I think this has been one of my favourites so far. I like the Discworl stories that draw parallels with (and mock) out world. ^_^
Liked spotting the hints of films from here in the Discworld films.
As with all the Discworld novels, I liked the way it began with seemingly unrelated stories with
I think by this point the Discworld books had come into their own and developed a real style. =)
Loved! Gaspode! Poor dog. :-)
Liked spotting the hints of films from here in the Discworld films.
As with all the Discworld novels, I liked the way it began with seemingly unrelated stories with
Show More
different characters who gradually came together.I think by this point the Discworld books had come into their own and developed a real style. =)
Loved! Gaspode! Poor dog. :-)
Show Less
LibraryThing member Aldrea_Alien
Once again the Discworld has me giggling. Darn near chronically. This time, it’s Holy Wood and all the references to various films. Especially when it’s just plain wrong (have you followed a “yellow sick toad” lately? Or perhaps you’ve a desire to be “a lawn”?).
There’s a lot of
Then the Things arrive and it’s world-threatening as well as funny. But less funny. The ending is even more chock full of movie references and, while there’s a strange kind of logic to what’s going on, it does start to wear a little thin. Fortunately, this proved to be a small dint in my enjoyment as it gets back to my more favoured Pratchett brand of humour.
There’s a lot of
Show More
things going on in this one, lots of characters with their viewpoints and plots. But the main one focuses on Victor, and later Ginger, and the strange magic of Holy Wood (not real magic, mind, silver screen magic). At first it’s just hilarious.Then the Things arrive and it’s world-threatening as well as funny. But less funny. The ending is even more chock full of movie references and, while there’s a strange kind of logic to what’s going on, it does start to wear a little thin. Fortunately, this proved to be a small dint in my enjoyment as it gets back to my more favoured Pratchett brand of humour.
Show Less
LibraryThing member isabelx
Strange things are afoot in Discworld (aren't they always?). The alchemists have invented Moving Pictures and set up film studios at Holy Wood, attracting people, trolls and other denizens of Discworld from far and wide.
But when the model elephants on the resometer at the Unseen University start
* It doesn't bode anything in particular, it just bodes, ok!
But when the model elephants on the resometer at the Unseen University start
Show More
spitting out lead pellets and animals suddenly start talking, it bodes*. * It doesn't bode anything in particular, it just bodes, ok!
Show Less
LibraryThing member Alan_Dawson
This book didnt have me as rivetted as some of the others in the series, but it was still verry funny and i did enjoy.
LibraryThing member Larou
I should begin this with a confession: I never really got Discworld. It is not that I actively dislike those novels, I just can’t quite see why almost everyone else is so enthusiastic about them. I started with the first one in the series (as, being somewhat OCD, I tend to do) and was not
Which does not mean that I did not enjoy reading the novel – quite to the contrary, it was very entertaining and I grinned a lot, even might have laughed out loud a couple of times. If I appear rather more grumpy than the novel justly deserves, it’s mostly because of the hype that would have one expect some trenchant satire, even original and meaningful insights from something that is essentially a fun piece of fluff. Moving Pictures is not a brilliant book, but as a light read that pokes some mild fun at Hollywood and the movie industry, it is fairly solid.
Show More
impressed, but people told me that I should just stick with it as things would get better later on in the series. Well, Moving Pictures is the tenth volume and I can not say that they have, not really. Certainly, this novel moves along smoother than the first few ones, but it still runs basically in the same tracks as previous volumes, they’re just somewhat better greased by the increased number of recurring characters and running gags.Which does not mean that I did not enjoy reading the novel – quite to the contrary, it was very entertaining and I grinned a lot, even might have laughed out loud a couple of times. If I appear rather more grumpy than the novel justly deserves, it’s mostly because of the hype that would have one expect some trenchant satire, even original and meaningful insights from something that is essentially a fun piece of fluff. Moving Pictures is not a brilliant book, but as a light read that pokes some mild fun at Hollywood and the movie industry, it is fairly solid.
Show Less
LibraryThing member IAmAndyPieters
Imagine living in a world without electricity or modern appliances, imagine a world where magic is an everyday occurrence, but entertainment is limited to theatre, opera, or listening in on the neighbours' fights. Until one day a spark burns in a willing mind and discovers that cinema is an
Show More
altogether more powerful magic than... magic. This book features the return of Cut-Me-Own-Throat Dibbler, as a movie producer, the wizards of the Unseen University, of course, and the obligatory hero and heroine. Throw in a troll or two, a handful of talking animals, and some really nasty monsters . Mix in with a 1000 elephants, and stand back for explosions of laughter and intrigue. Lights! Camera! Action! Show Less
Subjects
Awards
Prix Imaginales (2002)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1990-11
Physical description
368 p.; 7.87 inches
ISBN
1473200237 / 9781473200234