Name: Itzel's review of Moving Pictures by Terry Pratchett
Item: Moving Pictures
Rating: 4
Author: Itzel

Terry Pratchett

Discworld's pesky alchemists are up to their old tricks again. This time, they've discovered how to get gold from silver—the silver screen that is. Hearing the siren call of Holy Wood is one Victor Tugelbend, a would-be wizard turned extra. He can't sing, he can't dance, but he can handle a sword (sort of), and now he wants to be a star. So does Theda Withel, an ambitious ingénue from a little town you've probably never heard of. But the click of moving pictures isn't just stirring up dreams inside Discworld.Holy Wood's magic is drifting out into the boundaries of the universes, where raw realities, the could-have-beens, the might-bes, the never-weres, and the wild ideas are beginning to ferment into a really stinky brew. It's up to Victor and Gaspode the Wonder Dog to rein in the chaos and bring order back to a starstruck Discworld. And they're definitely not ready for their close-up!

A Novel of Discworld

Moving Pictures

Madi Van Houten

The alchemists of the Discworld have discovered the magic of the silver screen. But what is the dark secret of Holy Wood hill? It's up to 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 heard of") to find out... Moving Pictures, the ninth Discworld novel is a gloriously funny saga set against the background of a world gone mad!

Itzel

The second book of Discworld I've read, and luckily, it's also a stand-alone, like Small Gods.

Although I still liked Small Gods better, Moving Pictures had the enough magic to pull me in into wanting to read more of Discworld.

In this one, Pratchett pokes fun at so many common tropes the film industry uses, in hilarious and subtle (and some not-so-subtle) ways, but still framed very well in the medieval-like society of Ankh-Morpork. 

The brilliant and comedic writing is aided by the characters, all of whom seem so alive. 

Cut-Me-Own-Throat Dibbler reminds me so much of Omnia's Cut-Me-Own-Hand-Off Dhblah, although this being a previous book, and Ankh-Morpork seemingly being the main place where Discworld stories take place, perhaps it's supposed to be the other way round. As a foil to Dibbler, his more sensible and long suffering nephew Soll served very well.

About foils and long suffering characters, the scenes of Ridcully and the Bursar are also a marvel to read, I'm hoping they appear in further stories.

Of course, my favorite pair of characters were Victor and Gaspode, the Wonder Dog. Victor, for proving he was Genre Savvy enough at the end, and his dedicated laziness, and Gaspode for being THE Deadpan Snarker of the book. I'm really glad that [spoiler] he lived at the end, thanks god for the trolls [/spoiler]. 

I'm really looking forward to reading the rest of this series, now I think I'll start by the actual beginning, The Color of Magic.

The tenth Discworld novel. The alchemists of the Discworld have discovered the magic of the silver screen. But what is the dark secret of Holy Wood hill? It's up to 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 heard of') to find out... Moving Pictures, the tenth Discworld novel is a gloriously funny saga set against the background of a world gone mad!

Sarah Sammis

It has some funny moments but it's certainly not Pratchett's best. As crazy and sometimes corrupt Hollywood is it's not the sort of industry where Cthulu would be comfortable. The combination just doesn't make sense. And then there's the talking dog. On about every fifth page Pratchett stops the plot (what little of one there is) to do yet another talking dog joke!

Wilde

This has all the ingredients of a perfect Discworld novel. Death, Gaspode, wizards, what more could you ask for?

Gavin

Bit messy, not yet the masterful pastiche of Maskerade, Soul Music, Night Watch. 

It is called the first book of Pratchett's 'Industrial Revolution' series. But that really came much earlier: Equal Rites (book 3) or, better, Sourcery which is the beginning of the Disc's disenchantment, and so of Vetinari's market reforms.

'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...

(Discworld Novel 10)

Julia A.

Me da pena ponerle solo dos estrellas a un libro de Mundodisco, pero debo decir que me ha costado acabarlo. Aburrido; se salva el personaje de Gaspode y poco más...

Luke Mitchell

The alchemists of the Discworld have discovered the magic of the silver screen. But what is the dark secret of Holy Wood hill? It's up to 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 heard of') to find out... MOVING PICTURES, THE TENTH DISCWORLD NOVEL IS A GLORIOUSLY FUNNY SAGA SET AGAINST THE BACKGROUND OF A WORLD GONE MAD!

Dave Walker

NordicShivers

bluepython508

laxem

Jason Lo

Pedro Figueiredo

Dhananjay Gahlawat

Denaiir

Traci Wilbanks

A zany bunch of futuristic actors--Victor, the eternal student; Ginger, the milkmaid; Dibbler, the sausage salesman; and Gaspode, the talking dog--embark on an epic movie project

Madi Van Houten &
Moving Pictures by Terry Pratchett

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Madi Van Houten &Moving Pictures by Terry Pratchett

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Madi Van Houten &
Moving Pictures by Terry Pratchett