Favourite Song Of The Week

The 1975 - Menswear

Lyrics:

"Well I only brought 3, what you lookin' at me for?"
She's dressed in white and putting off crying.

"Well you're the best man, so what's the plan?
Why don't you talk to Matty about it?"

I said, "I only brought 3 like I told you before,
We're gonna have to ask about."

Free bar, that's the point.
Spilling Amaretto 'cause of previous joints.
I'm sitting with a girl, fortunate placing.
Preceding railing racket off a porcelain basin.
Who's he? Giving it the lips?
I've never seen him knockin' about.
He looks just like me, but 6 foot 3,
So I reckon you could knock him out.

"Well, I think I'll say a couple of words if you don't mind...
I never really got on with your bird the first time
I met her out, dressed in nowt, telling everybody you were shagging about."

Well, who's this? Going for the kiss,
I'm probably gonna yosh in your mouth.
Because it's 5 past 3, I can hardly see and I'm on the verge of passing out.

Favourite Movie Of The Week

13 Sins (2014)

Elliot Brindle is a bright, meek salesman, drowning in debt - and desperate as he's about to marry the love of his life. Upon receiving a phone call informing him that he's on a hidden camera game show where he must execute 13 tasks to receive a sum total cash prize of $6.2M, Elliot dismissively follows through with his first two instructions: swat the fly that is currently bothering him, then eat the fly. With thousands of dollars suddenly appearing in his bank account, Elliot remains skeptical, though comforted by the knowledge that he can stop playing at anytime if only to lose every penny that he's won. Trapped into the horrors manipulated by unseen spectators, Elliot's need to complete the game escalates as the tasks grow more extreme, to a devastating point of no return.

Favourite Song Of The Week

Selena Gomez - The Heart Wants What It Wants

Lyrics:

You got me sippin' on something
I can't compare to nothing
I've ever known, I'm hoping
That after this fever I'll survive
I know I'm acting a bit crazy
Strung out, a little bit hazy
Hand over heart, I'm praying
That I'm gonna make it out alive

The bed's getting cold and you're not here
The future that we hold is so unclear
But I'm not alive until you call
And I'll bet the odds against it all
Save your advice 'cause I won't hear
You might be right but I don't care
There's a million reasons why I should give you up
But the heart wants what it wants
The heart wants what it wants

You got me scattered in pieces
Shining like stars and screaming
Lighting me up like Venus
But then you disappear and make me wait
And every second's like torture
Hell over trip, no more so
Finding a way to let go
Baby, baby, no I can't escape

The bed's getting cold and you're not here
The future that we hold is so unclear
But I'm not alive until you call
And I'll bet the odds against it all
Save your advice 'cause I won't hear
You might be right but I don't care
There's a million reasons why I should give you up
But the heart wants what it wants
The heart wants what it wants [3x]

This is a modern fairytale
No happy endings
No wind in our sails
But I can't imagine a life without
Breathless moments
Breaking me down, down, down, down

The bed's getting cold and you're not here
The future that we hold is so unclear
But I'm not alive until you call
And I'll bet the odds against it all
Save your advice 'cause I won't hear
You might be right but I don't care
There's a million reasons why I should give you up
But the heart wants what it wants
The heart wants what it wants [3x]

The heart wants what it wants, baby
It wants what it wants, baby
It wants what it wants [2x]

Favourite Movie Of The Week

Annabelle (2014)

The film starts with the same opening scene of the film "The Conjuring", in which two young women and a young man are telling Ed and Lorraine Warren about their experience with the doll that they believe to be haunted, known as Annabelle.

One year earlier in 1970, John and Mia Gordon (Ward Horton and Annabelle Wallis) are expecting their first child. At church, the couple talks to their neighbors, the Higgins' (Brian Howe and Kerry O'Malley), over baby names. John is obviously nervous and not completely ready for it, even commenting on that to Mia. She is upset by his attitude toward the pregnancy, but he apologizes to her and gives her a doll that she's been trying to find for ages. Mia loves it and puts it with the rest of her dolls.

At night, there appears to be a murder happening in the house next door at the Higgins home. It wakes Mia up. She tells John and he goes over to investigate. He runs out of the neighbor's house covered in blood (not his), telling Mia to call 911. She does and is about to head back outside when she hears a voice telling her it likes Mia's dolls. Mia stands back frightened when she hears it, and a man covered in blood appears from behind her in the closet, stabbing her in the side. John runs in and fights the man, while a woman is also there trying to attack the couple. Police arrive and shoot the man dead while the woman kills herself in another room. She left a bloody symbol drawn on the wall while holding Mia's new doll. A drop of her blood falls on the doll's face and sinks into its eye.

A news report is shown that the assailants were Annabelle Higgins and her boyfriend. They murdered her parents and are said to have been part of a demonic cult.

The doctors say that Mia's baby is fine but there was damage to her cervix. She is ordered to stay bedridden for the remainder of her pregnancy.

John takes care of Mia as she recovers. Thinking the doll is creepy and involved with the mysterious happenings, Mia asks John to throw it away. He dumps it in a bin outside. Later, John is about to make Mia some Jiffy Pop popcorn until she falls asleep.

The next day, Mia is sewing and watching TV, while in the kitchen, the stove turns on by itself and heats up the Jiffy Pop. Mia cuts her finger on the sewing machine and tends to it, not aware when the Jiffy Pop catches fire. She smells the smoke and sees the fire. She tries to run out of the house but is dragged by an unseen force and she falls on her stomach. A group of men run into the house and pull her out.

John, who works at the hospital, runs to find Mia. She is unharmed, and what's more, she gave birth to a healthy baby girl. They decide to name her Lea.

The family moves into a new apartment since Mia is afraid to return home. In their new place, Mia unpacks her dolls and finds that one doll (whom shall be referred to as Annabelle from here) in one of the boxes. Mia just places it alongside the other dolls.

As expected, more strange activity plagues Mia and her new baby. Mia meets two neighbor children that are coloring on the stairwell. The girl tries to introduce herself but her brother tells her not to say anything to Mia since she's a stranger. When Mia returns home, she sees the drawings from the kids, which show a continuous animation of Mia wheeling Lea in the carriage and letting it go in the path of a truck, where Lea is dead. Horrified, Mia shows the pictures to John.

On another occasion, Mia is alone and thinks she sees the ghost of a young girl. The door closes, and the girl starts to run to the door, then turning into the adult Annabelle Higgins. She disappears.

Mia contacts the detective that told them earlier about the murders Annabelle and her boyfriend committed. He informs her of their history in the cult called The Disciples of the Ram that seeks to summon a demon by claiming a soul. This also explains the symbol that Mia keeps seeing.

Mia goes to a bookstore run by a woman named Evelyn (Alfre Woodard). She gets a book called "The Devil's Welcome". From that, Mia determines that the presence that is haunting her wants a soul - Lea's.

The couple contacts their church's priest, Father Perez (Tony Amendola). He takes Annabelle (who looks more gray and scary with bloodshot eyes) with him to church. The ghost of Annabelle is nearby, along with a demonic-looking creature. Perez enters the church but is blown back by a powerful force and is thrown on his back. He is hurt badly, and the ghost snatches the doll.

John treats Perez at the hospital while Mia meets with Evelyn. Evelyn tells Mia that she had a daughter named Ruby that was around Mia's age when she died. Ruby died in a car accident caused by Evelyn. She was so distraught and guilt-ridden that she attempted suicide by cutting her wrists. However, she claims to have heard Ruby's voice telling her that it wasn't her time.

Perez warns John that it was indeed Annabelle's spirit that caused his injuries, and that she will take a soul that night. John rushes to warn Mia. In the apartment, the demonic presence haunts Mia and Evelyn. It pushes Evelyn out of the apartment and taunts Mia by locking her outside of Lea's room where the baby sits beneath the bookshelf. Heavy books fall around her while Mia screams for her baby. Annabelle (the doll) falls down and stares at Mia. Mia breaks the doorknob and runs in to grab Lea. Then, the doll appears to stand up on its own. It then seems to float in mid-air, but it's really being controlled by the demon. All around the room, "her soul" is written in red crayon. Mia grabs the doll and bashes it against Lea's crib and throws it on the floor. The doll then appears to turn into Lea, bloodied and dead. Mia runs over to her and cries, thinking she's killed her baby. It then turns into one of Mia's giggling dolls. She screams and asks what the demon wants. The window then opens amidst whispering sounds.

John runs home as Evelyn is trying to open the door. They both break it open to find Mia ready to jump out the window with Annabelle in her hands. John pulls Mia back in before she jumps, saying there must be another way. Evelyn grabs Annabelle and decides to make the sacrifice, knowing this is the way she can atone for Ruby's death. She plunges out of the window and hits the pavement. Lea is then heard in her crib, safe and sound. John and Mia mourn Evelyn but embrace their daughter.

Six months later, the Gordons have moved on and have not seen Annabelle since then. Elsewhere, a woman (the mother of one of the girls in the opening) comes into a store looking for a present for her daughter. She then spots a doll that is said to be a rare collector's item. That's when she purchases... ANNABELLE.

The ending text says that the Annabelle doll resides in a case in Ed and Lorraine Warren's little museum, and that it's blessed by a priest twice a month. There is also a quote from Lorraine Warren that says evil is real, and while we can contain it, we can never get rid of it. The camera then lingers on Annabelle as though she'll make a move, before cutting to black.

Favourite Song Of The Week

Taylor Swift - Bad Blood

Lyrics:

'Cause baby now we got bad blood
You know it used to be mad love
So take a look what you've done
'Cause baby now we got bad blood

(Hey!) Now we got problems
And I don't think we can solve them
You made a really deep cut
And baby now we got bad blood

(Hey!) 

Did you have to do this?
I was thinking that you could be trusted
Did you have to ruin what was shining now it's all rusted
Did you have to hit me where I'm weak baby I couldn't breathe
I rubbed it in so deep
Salt in the wound like you're laughing right at me

Oh, it's so sad to think about the good times
You and I

'Cause baby now we got bad blood
You know it used to be mad love
So take a look at what you've done
'Cause baby now we got bad blood

(Hey!) Now we got problems
And I don't think we can solve them
You made a really deep cut
And baby now we got bad blood

(Hey!) 

Did you think we'd be fine?
Still got scars on my back from your knife
So don't think it's in the past
These kind of wounds they last and they last
Now did you think it all through?
All these things will catch up to you
And time can heal but this won't
So if you come in my way, just don't

Oh, it's so sad to think about the good times
You and I

'Cause baby now we got bad blood
You know it used to be mad love
So take a look at what you've done
'Cause baby now we got bad blood

(Hey!) Now we got problems
And I don't think we can solve them
You made a really deep cut
And baby now we got bad blood

(Hey!) 

Band-aids don't fix bullet holes
You say sorry just for show
You live like that, you live with ghosts (Ghosts)
Band-aids don't fix bullet holes (Hey!)
You say sorry just for show (Hey!)
You live like that, you live with ghosts (Hey!)
Hm, if you love like that blood runs bad

'Cause baby now we got bad blood
You know it used to be mad love
So take a look at what you've done
'Cause baby now we got bad blood

(Hey!) Now we got problems
And I don't think we can solve them (Think we can solve them)
You made a really deep cut
And baby now we got bad blood

('Cause now we got bad blood) 'Cause baby now we got bad blood
You know it used to be mad love
So take a look at what you've done (Look at what you've done)

'Cause baby now we got bad blood (Woah)
Now we got problems
And I don't think we can solve them
You made a really deep cut
And baby now we got bad blood (Hey!)

Favourite Movie Of The Week

Horns (2014)

After his girlfriend Merrins raped and murdered, Ig wakes up with horns growing from his temples. Ig finds that nobody is bothered with the horns. They easily speak their darkest thoughts to him. Igs friend Lee helps him for the case. A flash-back tells the past of friends Ig, Lee, Eric, Glenna, and Terry. Lee rescued Ig from drowning when he was doing a dare for a cherry bomb. Then Merrin moved in. She flirted at Ig with her cross necklace. Ig took the cross when it broke and fell off her. Lee repaired it, but Ig traded his cherry bomb for it and returned it to Merrin, starting their relationship. Another flash-back partially revisits the murder night. Ig arrived at a diner only to find Merrin sad. She told Ig to look for another girl, which Ig responded angrily to, suspecting she cheated on him. He left just as Terry arrived. At present, Ig confronted Terry about it. Through skin contact, Ig sees Terrys perspective of it. Terry drove Merrin home but she asked to get out of the car. He waited in the car and dozed off to sleep, waking up the next morning with bloodied hands. He took care to move his name out of suspicion.

Ig tells this to Lee, the only person unable to see his horns, only to find now he has Merrins cross on his neck. Ig finds snakes becoming his new pets, and that he can drive people to do some things. Suspecting Merrin cheated with Lee, Ig refuses anymore of Lees help and grabs Merrins cross off him. Lee then can see Igs horns. Ig forces the truth out of Lees mouth. Lee confesses to the murder. Ig learns the rest by touching Lee. That night Lee found Terry asleep. He went on and asked Merrin for her love. He killed her as she refused. At present, Lee assaults the stunned Ig, and douses him on fire in his car. But Ig drives away being ablaze. Lee tells people Ig confesses to the murder and committed suicide. Skin burned, Ig strangely survives the fire. He goes to Merrins father, who gives him Merrins last letter. The letter reveals the truth, that Merrin had cancer, thus she fended Ig off so Ig wouldnt have to share her pain. Ig miraculously recovered from burns when he wears Merrins cross. Ig confronts Lee, whos surprised Igs not dead. Terry and Eric also come. Terry already revealed the truth to Eric, now a cop. Eric points a gun at Lee. Tricking his way, Lee seizes the gun, killing Eric and wounding Terry. Under gun point Ig tears Merrins cross from his neck and transforms into a demon-like figure, which then kills Lee.

Favourite Song Of The Week

Bring Me The Horizon - Drown

Lyrics: 

[Verse:]
What doesn't kill you
Makes you wish you were dead
Got a hole in my soul growing deeper and deeper
And I can't take
One more moment of this silence
The loneliness is haunting me
And the weight of the world's getting harder to hold up

[Pre-Chorus:]
It comes in waves
I close my eyes
Hold my breath
And let it bury me
I'm not ok
And it's not all right
Won't you drain the lake
And bring me home again

[Chorus:]
Who will fix me now?
Dive in when I'm down?
Save me from myself
Don't let me drown
Who will make me fight?
Drag me out alive?
Save me from myself
Don't let me drown

[Verse 2:]
What doesn't destroy you
Leaves you broken instead
Got a hole in my soul growing deeper and deeper
And I can't take
One more moment of this silence
The loneliness is haunting me
And the weight of the worlds getting harder to hold up

[Pre-Chorus:]
It comes in waves
I close my eyes
Hold my breath
And let it bury me
I'm not ok
And it's not all right
Won't you drain the lake
And bring me home again

[Chorus:]
Who will fix me now?
Dive in when I'm down?
Save me from myself
Don't let me drown
Who will make me fight?
Drag me out alive?
Save me from myself
Don't let me drown

[Bridge:]
You know that I can't do this on my own
Who will fix me now
Who will fix me now

[Outro:]
Who will fix me now?
Dive in when I'm down?
Save me from myself
Don't let me drown

Favourite Song Of The Week

Meghan Trainor - All About That Bass

Lyrics:

Because you know
I'm all about that bass
'Bout that bass, no treble
I'm all about that bass
'Bout that bass, no treble
I'm all about that bass
'Bout that bass, no treble
I'm all about that bass
'Bout that bass

Yeah, it's pretty clear, I ain't no size two
But I can shake it, shake it
Like I'm supposed to do
'Cause I got that boom boom that all the boys chase
And all the right junk in all the right places

I see the magazine workin' that Photoshop
We know that shit ain't real
C'mon now, make it stop
If you got beauty, beauty, just raise 'em up
'Cause every inch of you is perfect
From the bottom to the top

Yeah, my mama she told me don't worry about your size
She says, "Boys like a little more booty to hold at night."
You know I won't be no stick figure silicone Barbie doll
So if that's what you're into then go ahead and move along

Because you know I'm
All about that bass
'Bout that bass, no treble
I'm all about that bass
'Bout that bass, no treble
I'm all about that bass
'Bout that bass, no treble
I'm all about that bass
'Bout that bass
Hey!

I'm bringing booty back
Go ahead and tell them skinny bitches that
No I'm just playing. I know you think you're fat
But I'm here to tell ya
Every inch of you is perfect from the bottom to the top

Yeah my mama she told me don't worry about your size
She says, "Boys like a little more booty to hold at night."
You know I won't be no stick figure silicone Barbie doll
So if that's what you're into then go ahead and move along

Because you know I'm
All about that bass
'Bout that bass, no treble
I'm all about that bass
'Bout that bass, no treble
I'm all about that bass
'Bout that bass, no treble
I'm all about that bass
'Bout that bass

Because you know I'm
All about that bass
'Bout that bass, no treble
I'm all about that bass
'Bout that bass, no treble
I'm all about that bass
'Bout that bass, no treble
I'm all about that bass
'Bout that bass

Because you know I'm
All about that bass
'Bout that bass, no treble
I'm all about that bass
'Bout that bass, no treble
I'm all about that bass
'Bout that bass, no treble
I'm all about that bass
'Bout that bass
'Bout that bass, 'bout that bass
Hey, hey, ooh
You know you like this bass

Favourite Song Of The Week

Lorde - Yellow Flicker Beat

Lyrics:

I'm a princess cut from marble,smoother than a storm
And the scars that mark my body, they're silver and gold
My blood is a flood of rubies, precious stones
It keeps my veins hot, the fires found a home in me
I move through town, I'm quiet like a fire
And my necklace is of rope, I tie it and untie it

And now people talk to me, but nothing ever hits
So people talk to me, and all the voices just burn holes

I'm done with it (ooh)

This is the start of how it all ends
They used to shout my name, now they whisper it
I'm speeding up and this is the
Red, orange, yellow flicker beat sparking up my heart
We rip the start, the colours disappear
I never watch the stars there's so much down here
So I just try to keep up with them
Red, orange, yellow flicker beat sparking up my heart

I dream all year, but they're not the sweet kinds
And the shivers move down my shoulder blades in double time

And now people talk to me I'm slipping out of reach now
People talk to me, and all their faces blur
But I got my fingers laced together and I made a little prison
And I'm locking up everyone who ever laid a finger on me

I'm done with it (ooh)

This is the start of how it all ends
They used to shout my name, now they whisper it
I'm speeding up and this is the
Red, orange, yellow flicker beat sparking up my heart

We rip the start, the colours disappear
I never watch the stars there's so much down here
So I just try to keep up with them
Red, orange, yellow flicker beat sparking up my heart

Oh oh oh

And this is the red, orange, yellow flicker beat
Sparking up my heart

Oh oh oh

And this is the red, orange, yellow flicker beat-beat-beat-beat.

Favourite Song Of The Week

Chris Brown Feat. Kendrick Lamar - Autumn Leaves

Lyrics:

If you leave this time I fear that you'll be gone for good
So I hold on like leaves in fall to what is left
Said her father left her young and
He said he'll be back with that same
Tone that you just said you'll stay forever with

[Chorus:]
It seems that all the autumn leaves are falling
I feel like you're the only reason for it
All the things you do, all the things you do, all the things you do
All the things you do, all the things you do, all the things you do
It's safe to say you're the only reason for it

I've been bleeding in your silence
I feel safer in your violence
I hold on like leaves and fall to what is left
Before I sleep I talk to God
He must be mad with me, it's coming
I'm confused to who'll I'll spend my forever with

[Chorus]

[Kendrick Lamar:]
So the iceberg never broke
And I poked at it and I poked at it and I poked at it
And I poke and I poke and I poked at it
But it stayed stagnant then I poked at it some more, some more
And in my notepad, man I wrote and I wrote
If I don't have it, if I don't grab it
If it don't chip then a toe tag is, one last
I'm a hope, I'm a hope so the iceberg don't float
If I do manage to do damage to you dammit
It'd be grandest, ten grammies or my granite still standing
With a note, a note that read "granted, don't you panic"
When you make mistakes the most, the most
One day it'll make you grow, you grow
When you outlandish and you lose manners
To God you shall consult, consult
When the bright cameras are still cramming
In your face and it provoke, provoke
You to act manic, just stay planted
Cause you reapin' what you sowed
Keep positivity in your heart and
Keep a noose from 'round your throat and
When you get mad and when you poke at it
When you poke it at just know, man
The iceberg is a reflection of you when you re-new your vision
Just think if it had sunk Titanic, what the fuck would you do to a critic, my nigga?
Yeah, yeah, tell me, when doves cry do you hear 'em love?
Do you hear 'em love? Do you hear 'em?
And if my ship go down tell me who will abort?
And they won't let me live even when we mustard the gift
When it gon' rejoice and forgive, tell me how I stay positive
When they never see good in me
Even though I got hood in me
Don't mean he won't redeem me, Lord

[Chorus]

Favourite Movie Of The Week

Howl's Moving Castle (2004)

The opening scene reveals a quaint area of land where a lone herder walks through his fields as a gigantic, metallic structure moves on spindly legs into the highlands, shielded by dense fog banks.

In a nearby city, young Sophie (English: Emily Mortimer Japanese: Chieko Baishô) sits at her window sewing adornments on a hat. Her boss enters the room and tells her the store below is closing before inviting her out for the evening. Sophie politely declines as a few of her coworkers rush to a nearby window, chattering excitedly. She follows their gaze to see the metal figure vanish into the far-off hills. The castle, as the girls call it, belongs to the wizard Howl (English: Christian Bale Japanese: Takuya Kimura) who is reputed to steal the hearts of beautiful young women. The girls joke with each other about whether they will be preyed upon as they leave. Sophie finishes her hat and exits the store alone.

She takes a trolley downtown and decides to cut through an alleyway since a parade of soldiers is moving down the main street. As she appears to look for a particular address, she bumps into a couple of soldiers who begin to flirt with her. Sophie explains that her sister is waiting for her, but the soldiers refuse to let her leave. She backs up into a handsome young man who drapes his arm around her, claiming to have been looking for her. With a quick gesture, he forces the soldiers into a straight stance and sends them marching down the alley. He then offers to escort Sophie wherever she needs to go and tells her not to be alarmed, but he's being followed. As they walk down the alley, a number of globular shadows appear out of the walls and begin to rush towards them. The mysterious man apologizes for getting Sophie involved and, as the shadows are about to merge on them, puts his arm around her waist before leaping high into the air. As they hover above the rooftops, he instructs her to start walking. They walk through the air together and the man compliments Sophie, saying she's a natural, before setting her down on the balcony of her sister's bakery. He tells her he will draw off their pursuers and that she should wait a bit before going outside again. He then departs.

Sophie watches him leave while her sister, Lettie (Jena Malone), down at the counter, is told of her arrival. She rushes upstairs to tell Sophie that she was seen floating onto the balcony with a strange man. Sophie recalls the experience as if it was a dream and later explains to Lettie that the man must have been a wizard. Lettie advises her on the dangers of trusting wizards and that, if it had been Howl, he would have surely stolen her heart. Melancholy, Sophie notes that Howl only preys upon pretty girls. Lettie resigns to this statement and warns Sophie to be careful, regardless, and that even the Witch of the Wastes (English: Lauren Bacall Japanese: Akihiro Miwa) is on the move. Sophie says goodbye to her sister before heading home. Lettie asks if Sophie will spend the rest of her life in the hat shop, but Sophie reminds her that the store was important to their father. Lettie tells Sophie that she should pursue what she wants before saying farewell.

Sophie arrives back at the hat shop and locks the door behind her but, as she's putting her hat away, a large and elegant woman enters through the door. Sophie tells her the shop is closed but the woman ignores her and insults the shop, calling it tacky. Growing angry, Sophie once again asks the woman to leave but is reprimanded for standing up to the Witch of the Wastes. Before she can react, the Witch flies towards Sophie and flows over her like a windswept fabric, covering her in dark magic. The Witch glides back to the door and asks Sophie to give her regards to Howl before closing the door behind her. She leaves quickly in a sedan chair carried by two shadow men.

When Sophie finally looks up, she is horrified to discover that shes been aged into an elderly woman. She struggles to stay calm despite her haggard appearance. The next morning, her mother (English: Mari Devon) arrives at the shop to hear that Sophie is locked in her room, apparently ill. She speaks to her through the door and advises her to rest. When she leaves, Sophie gets up and tries to motivate herself; she accepts that now, at least, her clothes are appropriate for her age and decides that can't stay at the shop. She packs a few things and leaves town, catching conversation on the streets that the prince of another country has gone missing and that war is imminent.

Sophie hitches a ride out of town and heads for the mountains, despite the driver's warning that there's nothing out there but witches and wizards. Sophie is, however, unfazed. After a while she takes a rest to eat the food she's packed and notices a stick protruding out of a nearby bush. Deciding it will make a nice walking cane, she yanks it out with some force and realizes that its a scarecrow which is somehow standing on its own. She calls it Turnip-head, for appropriate reason, before strolling away. Turnip-head follows Sophie, hopping along on its pole, despite her objections to having dealt with enough magic for the day. As the sky grows darker and the wind picks up, Sophie struggles up the hillside. Turnip-head fetches a walking stick for her which she gratefully accepts before asking if there is a place where she can find shelter. Turnip-head bounces away and Sophie muses to herself how clever shes gotten to have convinced him to leave.

However, Turnip-head soon returns, to Sophie's shock, with Howl's Castle close behind. Though it is the last thing Sophie was thinking of when she asked for shelter, she discovers a back door hanging from the rear of the castle as it walks over her. She runs for the door and is allowed entry. She thanks Turnip-head for his assistance and walks inside.

Nothing stirs within and there is no light save for a single fire set on a large hearth. Sophie sits herself down on a chair in front of the fire, commenting how the place is less like a castle and more like a living room overstuffed with junk. Still, in her old age she realizes nothing scares her anymore and she begins to doze off. Suddenly, the fire in front of her conjures eyes and notes that Sophie has quite a curse on her. It introduces itself as a powerful fire demon named Calcifer (English: Billy Crystal Japanese: Tatsuya Gashûin) and offers to relieve Sophie's curse if she helps him with his. Sophie asks if he can be trusted and Calcifer hesitates, merely saying that he's a demon. Sophie denies his proposal but he pleads with her and claims that his master, Howl, keeps him under a tight regimen. Falling asleep, Sophie relents and agrees to help him though, as he watches her, Calcifer doubts her ability.

In a bayside town, two officials approach a building and knock on the door. The sound awakens Sophie who looks to the door with some confusion before a young boy comes down the stairs. Sophie feigns sleep again as the boy approaches and Calcifer mentions the knock came from the Porthaven door. The boy, Markl (English: Josh Hutcherson Japanese: Ryûnosuke Kamiki), dons a magical disguise that makes him appear like an old man and answers the door. Sophie looks over curiously and is amazed to see that the door has opened to a new area. The officials at the door ask for the Wizard Jenkins and inform Markl that he's been summoned to lend his magical assistance to the war effort. Markl accepts the notice and shuts the door before addressing Sophie who's giving Calcifer fresh wood. She tells Markl that Calcifer allowed her inside but Calcifer objects, saying she simply wandered in from the wastes.

Markl wonders aloud if Sophie is a witch but a knock at the door draws his attention away. He opens it to help a young customer who asks if Sophie is a witch. Sophie responds that she's the scariest witch of them all before the customer is sent off with her potion. Markl tells Sophie not to lie to customers and, when she points out his own disguise, informs her that he needs to practice his magic. When another knock sounds on the door, Markl turns a knob beside it and opens the door to reveal the capital city of Kingsbury where another pair of officials requests the assistance of the Wizard Pendragon. Amazed, Sophie tries the knob out for herself, finding that each color represents a different location. When she asks about a fourth, black setting on the wheel, Markl says that only Howl knows where it leads.

Markl begins to make breakfast for himself and Sophie notices a basket of eggs and bacon. She offers to make something for him but he explains that Calcifer only obeys Howl. However, Sophie manages to force Calcifer into obedience by threatening to dump water on him or, worse, tell Howl of their secret agreement. Calcifer reluctantly agrees to obey and cook the food while Markl, amazed at Sophie's willpower, fetches a kettle to boil tea. The knob beside the door turns to the black setting and the handsome stranger Sophie met the day before walks in. Sophie is startled when Markl addresses him as Master Howl and tries to calmly continue cooking before introducing herself as his new cleaning lady, hired by Calcifer. Howl gently pushes her aside and takes over the cooking, feeding the eggshells to Calcifer. The three then sit down to eat and Howl asks Sophie what she has in her pocket. She reaches in and is surprised to find a red note hidden there. She hands it to Howl and, as it touches his fingers, the note bursts into flame and burns an inscription on the table from the Witch of the Wastes. The encrypted message reads that Howl's heart will soon belong to her. Howl rubs the message off the table, looking pained as he does so, before feeding Calcifer his breakfast and instructing him to heat hot water for his bath and move the castle further to the west. He then heads for the door, calling back to Sophie not to get too carried away cleaning, and leaves through the black portal.

Markl questions if Sophie is working for the Witch of the Wastes, but Sophie angrily denies it, her mouth abruptly sealing shut before she can utter a word about her curse, and promises to throttle the witch the next time she sees her. She orders Markl to finish his breakfast and furiously begins cleaning. Markl does his best to move extra things outside and warns customers to return later as there is a 'witch on the rampage inside'. Having cleaned most of the room, Sophie goes to remove the ashes from the hearth while Calcifer warns her that he may go out. She ignores his whining and moves the last bit of wood to hang over a pot with Calcifer clinging to it, his round lower half dangling. As she takes the ashes outside, Calcifer falls and smolders in the pot. When Sophie comes back inside she sees Howl standing over the hearth, encouraging Calcifer to reignite on new logs of wood. He calmly advises her not to torment his friend before leaving once again. Sophie goes upstairs to clean and tells Markl to put away whatever he doesn't want thrown out. After noticing the particularly dirty bathroom, Sophie sees the castle moving outside. She walks out onto a balcony, standing a bit straighter, and admires the high view of the countryside. She calls down to Calcifer, complimenting him on his spark which pleases him greatly. Markl joins Sophie outside and notices a long pole sticking out of one of the castles recesses. Recognizing it, Sophie pulls Turnip-head out of the hole. He regains his stance and bounces on the roof of the castle. Markl asks Sophie if she is, indeed, a witch to which she responds that she's the worst kind; the kind that cleans.

Later, Calcifer sets the castle down by a mountain lake and Markl and Turnip-head help Sophie string out the laundry. Markl suggests that Turnip-head is a demon but Sophie says that, if that's true, he must be a good demon since he led her here. She sits by the side of the lake and sighs to Markl that she's never felt more at peace.

Meanwhile, Howl flies in a bird-like form over a fiery landscape, watching as large airships drop bombs. A number of menacing winged creatures fly towards him but he swiftly eludes them and escapes through a break in the clouds, sealing it shut behind him.

Back at the castle, the door opens and Howl walks through, his wings drooping and his feathers scorched. He sits in the chair in front of Calcifer's hearth and, with difficulty, transforms back into his human self. Calcifer warns him that, if he continues to transform, it will be harder to become human again but cheerfully shows Howl the extra firewood Sophie left for him. Howl admits that the war is getting worse and other wizards have been recruited to fight, most having gotten to the point where they can't remember being human. He asks Calcifer to heat water for his bath and stops by a curtain drawn to the side of the room. He pulls it back to see Sophie sleeping in her youthful form and considers her a moment before going upstairs. The sound of the water running awakens Sophie, once again elderly.

That day, Sophie and Markl walk to the Porthaven market to buy food. Near the harbor, a crowd of people suddenly comes together as a battle-ravaged ship arrives at port. Sophie urges Markl to leave as she notices a shadow man scouring the crowd. An enemy airship flies overhead, dropping bombs into the harbor and sending leaflets of propaganda falling to the ground. Sophie and Markl rush back to Wizard Jenkins' shop and shut the door. Suddenly, Howl comes running down the stairs with a towel wrapped around his waist, howling and clutching his hair, turned from blonde to a vivid red. He yells at Sophie for getting carried away and ruining his bath potions. She defends herself, saying she merely moved things about but Howl is inconsolable. He sits down and moans that he looks hideous, turning his hair black and saying that there's no point to living if he can't be beautiful. The room begins to shake and shadows stretch. Markl says that Howl is summoning spirits of darkness and did this once when a girl dumped him.

When Sophie tries to comfort him, Howl's body begins to excrete ooze. Nervous and growing upset, Sophie yells at him that she's never felt beautiful in her life and runs outside into the Wastes where she begins to cry in the rain. Turnip-head approaches her with an umbrella which cheers her up and Markl runs out to get her. Sophie goes back inside to find Howl slumped over the hearth, his ooze threatening to extinguish Calcifer, and tells a worried Markl that he's just throwing a tantrum. Sophie helps him up and carts him upstairs where she instructs Markl to clean him.

Howl is put to bed and rests as Sophie comes in, offering him some warm milk, which he silently refuses. As she gets up to leave, Howl asks her to stay. He explains that the Witch of the Wastes is looking for him and admits that he's a coward for hiding, which is what most of his magic is put towards. When Sophie inquires, Howl says that, at one time, the Witch was very beautiful and Howl decided to pursue her only to find out that she really wasn't. So he ran away. Sophie sighs in exasperation and Howl says that he knows he can't hide for much longer now that both of his pseudonyms have been summoned to the palace to serve in the war effort. The oath he swore in the Royal Sorcery Academy requires him to answer the summons. Howl claims that the war is folly and asserts that Sophie doesn't understand how these people are despite her belief that the king should know what his subjects think.

Suddenly, Howl sits up and proposes that Sophie go to the palace in Kingsbury, pretending to be Pendragon's mother, and convince the king that Howl is of no use to him. Sophie reluctantly agrees. She puts on her hat and Howl uses his magic to bring some color back into her dress. Before she leaves, he gives her a ring to wear that he says will guarantee her safety and promises to follow her in disguise. Though Sophie is skeptical of the plan's success, she tries to figure what kind of disguise Howl may take as she walks towards the palace. She figures a pigeon or a crow would be too flamboyant but, as a small plane flies by with a young lady giggling beside her pilot, Sophie muses the pilot could be Howl. As she continues, she's soon accompanied by a small dog (Daijirô Harada). She asks if it's Howl and takes its weak bark as confirmation.

As she approaches the steps to the palace, two shadow men carrying the Witch of the Wastes' sedan chair come up beside her. The Witch peeks out and thanks Sophie for delivering her note and asks how Howl is. Sophie replies curtly that Howl has been a big baby since she started work for him, so she's come to the palace to request another job. The Witch brags that she's been summoned for her skills in magic and is going to see Madam Suliman (Blythe Danner Japanese: Haruko Kato), the king's sorcerer, who has finally seen what talent the Witch has. Sophie asks, if the Witch is so talented, why she doesn't remove her curse. The Witch responds that she only casts spells and cannot break them, leaving Sophie irritated.

As the shadow men approach the steps to the palace, they trigger a spell which renders them useless. A guard announces that the Witch must continue on foot which she does with frustration. Sophie soon catches up to her but finds that she must carry the dog up the high stairs. Though struggling, she manages to pass the Witch as she trundles upward, sweating profusely. Sophie makes it to the top and asks the Witch why she doesn't just give up, but the Witch refuses saying that she's waited 50 years for a summon since Suliman banished her to the Wastes. By the time the Witch makes it up, she's terribly disheveled and Sophie notes that she looks older. They walk into a lobby together, with the dog in tow, where a lone chair sits. The Witch claims it and sits down, relieved, while Sophie is led into a side passage. Large bulbs around the lobby suddenly light up, casting long shadows on the Witch, forming dark figures. The Witch cries out as they move around her in a circle.

The dog leads Sophie into a large greenhouse where she is introduced to Madam Suliman, seated in a wheelchair. Sophie is surprised to see the dog lie beside Suliman and inquires about him. Suliman tells her his name is Hin, her personal errand dog sent out to escort her. Sophie sighs heavily but keeps to the original story, claiming to be Howl's mother and explaining that he would be rather useless. Suliman is saddened by this news and says that Howl was her last and brightest student until his heart was stolen by a demon. Since then, he's been using his magic for purely selfish reasons and Suliman warns Sophie that, should he continue living as such, he will end up as the Witch of the Wastes. Upon her cue, the Witch is brought in on a dolly, reduced to her normal state as an old woman and deprived of magic. Suliman threatens to force Howl's magic from him if he refuses to honor the summon.

Sophie stands and says that she understands now why Howl refused to come; Suliman's summon was merely a trap to strip him of his powers. She asserts that Howl may be selfish, but his intentions are pure and he only wants to be free. As she speaks, her appearance gradually fades back to her youthful look. Suliman smiles and says that Sophie is in love with Howl. The statement causes Sophie to recoil and revert back into an old woman. The Witch grabs Sophie's dress, asking for Howl and, though Sophie claims he's not coming, Suliman says that he should, now that she knows his weakness.

A propeller craft lands in the grass outside and a tall man climbs off and enters the greenhouse. Suliman addresses him as Majesty and introduces him to Sophie as Howl's mother. The King declares to Suliman that he's decided against using magic to win the war since Suliman's powers shield the palace rather than protecting civilians; a statement that Suliman ironically compliments. At the opposite end of the room, a second King enters, shouting that he's come up with a new battle strategy. When he sees his copy, the real King laughs and praises Suliman on her tricks before leaving. Still smiling, Suliman greets Howl who removes his disguise and grasps Sophie, saying that he's fulfilled his oath and must be leaving. Suliman says she won't allow it and conjures a wave of water to flood the room. The group is transported to an empty realm where the earth appears miles below them. Howl tells Sophie not to look down as the Witch clings to her dress. Suliman appears above them and tells Sophie she's going to show her what Howl truly is. Falling stars surround them and begin to encircle Howl and Sophie, chanting. Howl is painfully forced to transform into his bird state and attempts to attack Suliman before Sophie stops him. Suliman raises her staff and throws it, but Howl leaps up and breaks through the illusion out of the greenhouse. He drops down onto the propeller craft with Sophie and the Witch lands in the back seat. Hin leaps onto the craft and puts himself in the Witch's lap as they fly off.

Sophie sneers at Hin but decides that they are now too high to dump him as Howl gives her the controls to the aircraft. She struggles to maintain flight but soon gains a handle on it, despite nearly crashing. She asks Howl why he bothered to make her go to the palace if he was going. He responds that he's terrified of Suliman, but Sophie's courage gave him the strength to face her. Seeing that they're being followed by the King's men, Howl tells Sophie he will give her five minutes of invisibility and that her ring will guide her back to the castle. All she needs to do is summon Calcifer. He then separates from the aircraft on a copy to ward off their pursuers.

At the palace, Suliman's wards pull her staff from the chair where Sophie had been sitting and she exclaims that was the most fun she's had in a while. She sends out troops to the shops of both Pendragon and the Wizard Jenkins but, when they break down the doors, they find empty buildings. Meanwhile, Sophie continues to fly in the rain. She passes over her hometown and navigates back into the mountain Wastes. The Witch, holding onto Hin, comments that he is a 'nice doggy' but Sophie refuses to trust him. Up ahead, she sees the castle waiting for them but, unsure of how to land the craft, flies into the castle's mouth where they crash. However, unharmed, they all climb out of the wreckage and Sophie greets Markl.

That night while everyone sleeps, Howl enters the room, hunched over and semi-transparent. Calcifer warns him that he's gone too far before Howl goes upstairs. Sophie wakes, somehow returned to her youth, and notices Howl's footprints on the floor surrounded by feathers. As she picks one up, it dissolves. Worried, she puts on a pair of boots and takes a candle. The footprints on the stairs appear bloodied but Sophie follows them. She walks into Howl's room and finds that it has transformed into a vast tunnel, the walls glittering with his toys and adornments. She follows the tunnel until she comes upon Howl, breathing heavily and curled up in his bird-form. He tells her to go away but she refuses and tells him that she can help him break his curse. He says that she can't even break the one on her and Sophie tells him she loves him. Claiming she's too late, Howl stands, revealing a disfigured face full of sharp teeth and flies away, leaving Sophie calling for him, once again an old woman.

Sophie suddenly awakens and hears the bath water running. She asks Calcifer if Howl is back and he replies that she needs to hurry to break their curse; Howl is getting worse. Frustrated, Sophie asks if Howl is really a monster. Calcifer can't answer any details but reveals that if he is extinguished, Howl will die too. Later, Markl and Turnip-head pitch in to help Sophie remove the propeller plane from the wall of the castle. Once the blockage is cleared, Howl comes down the stairs, looking cheery. Upon seeing Turnip-head, he detects a strong spell on him too and says that it seems everyone in their growing family has problems. He draws a large chalk circle with magical symbols on the ground outside and instructs Calcifer to move the castle over it. He then draws a smaller copy inside and takes Calcifer off the hearth with a shovel. He stands over the circle and Calcifer uses his demon powers to help Howl reconfigure the room. When all is done, Howl shows Sophie the new additions including her own room which looks exactly like the one in her hometown above the hat shop. Outside their door is a courtyard that leads to a new flower shop that Sophie can manage. Seeing everything, she becomes youthful again and is touched by Howl's kindness; though he merely wants everyone to live comfortably. He shows her a new doorway on the color turn-knob that leads to a field covered in flowers. A lone cottage stands near a stream and Howl explains that it used to belong to his uncle, a powerful wizard, who gave it to him so that he could study sorcery in peace. Now, he's giving it to Sophie.

Fearful that he is leaving, Sophie begs him to stay and says that she wants to help him, even if she's not talented or pretty. When Howl assures her that she's beautiful, she becomes old again. Suddenly, a large warship passes over them. Angered by its presence, Howl lightly gestures and causes the ship to malfunction. This display of magic causes his arm to painfully transform and feather, though Howl tries to hide it. When the airship yields flying creatures, Howl grabs Sophie and sprouts wings, carrying her back to the door to the castle. He drops her inside and flies away. Markl and Hin find Sophie on the stairway by the door exclaiming that she's too old for these shenanigans. That night, before bed, Markl tells Sophie not to worry about Howl; he's often away for days at a time, as Sophie puts the Witch to bed. Before she can leave, the Witch tells Sophie she knows she's in love and her sighing has given her away. Sophie asks the Witch if she has ever fallen in love, to which the Witch gleefully replies that she still is and simply can't ignore the hearts of handsome young men. An air raid siren sounds outside and the Witch warns Sophie not to go out; Sulimans henchmen are no doubt looking for the house although Calcifer keeps the place well hidden.

The next day, after returning from market, Markl rushes into the courtyard and tells Sophie that a strange woman has followed him inside. Sophie looks up to see her mother who rushes forward in tears, crying that she's been looking everywhere for her. Sophie invites her in and her mother reveals that she's gotten married again. She sets a small bag on a table that the Witch, sitting nearby, quickly notices. When Sophie and her mother go into the courtyard again, the Witch takes the bag and grabs a peeping bug that Suliman must have stored in there to spy on Howl. She feeds it to Calcifer who belches sickly. The Witch finds a cigar within the bag and begins to smoke it, much to Hin's disgust. Sophie's mother invites her to live with her but Sophie politely refuses, claiming to be happy where she is. She says farewell to her mother who leaves with a chauffer. As they drive off, she tells the driver that she did as she was told and must now return to her husband. She whispers for Sophie to forgive her. Sophie goes back into the castle where Markl tells her that he loves her and doesn't want her to leave. Sophie assures him that she will stay; they are a family.

That evening, Sophie attempts to reignite Calcifer who has weakened due to the cigar smoke. Markl goes to open a window but the Witch warns against it, saying that there's an air raid and Calcifer is too weak to properly protect the house. As Sophie goes to pull Markl back from the window, a series of bombs hits the side streets, sending a tremor through the house. Sophie runs outside to see most of the street enveloped in flames and a horde of Suliman's blob men approaching her. She runs back to the courtyard and looks up in time to see a bomb plummeting towards her, with Howl holding onto it. The bomb hits the center of the courtyard but fails to explode. Sophie runs to Howl who apologizes for not arriving sooner and escorts Sophie back into the house. Howl calls up Calcifer, coughing back to life, and takes the cigar from the Witch who says that she needs to have a chat at some point with Howl. He tells Sophie to wait at the house while he goes to deflect the second wave of bombs but she begs him to stay. He tells her he's tired of running and now has something that he wants to protect (Sophie) before flying out the door and into the ember filled sky.

Sophie retreats inside from the shadow blobs and changes the knob beside the door to return to the Wastes. She then goes outside to watch the battle and sees Howl attacking an airship, now more monstrous than human. She watches in horror as the ship goes down and explodes in a fireball. Sophie demands that Calcifer do something, but he can't change the portals without Howl's help. Sophie begs him to try so that Howl won't have a reason to fight for the shop and states that their vulnerability won't change no matter where they are. They come up with an idea. Markl and Turnip-head help the Witch leave the house and Sophie places Calcifer on a shovel. She backs out of the house with him and watches as the entire castle falls apart. They all go back inside and Sophie puts Calcifer on the hearth, ordering him to move what little is left of the castle closer to Howl so they can help him. However, he is too weak and asks Sophie to give him something of hers. She offers him her long braid and he eats it, gaining strength enough to put together a wobbly, smaller version of the castle. Sophie commends his powers and Calcifer quips her on what he could have done with her eyes or her heart.

At this, the Witch suddenly realizes that Calcifer has Howl's heart. Blindly motivated by her crush, she takes Calcifer off the hearth and holds the heart close to her. The castle shakes and stumbles and the Witch is set on fire, crying out in the heat. Calcifer yells out as his powers are stripped and Sophie tries to take him from the Witch but she refuses to let go. In her panic, Sophie throws water over them which extinguishes the fire. Then, the section of castle Sophie is standing on breaks away from the rest. Hin leaps into her arms as they fall into a deep chasm, Markl calling after her while the castle continues on its way across the mountains.

Sophie wakes up, having survived the wreck, and is approached by Hin. She bursts out crying, wondering if she killed Howl by pouring water over Calcifer. She buries her face in her hands as the ring Howl gave her begins to tremble, a single beam of light shining from it. Sophie asks the ring if Howl is still alive and it points to the main door that had fallen away, propped against a wall of dirt. She opens it, finding a looming darkness ahead and walks through, Hin following. Sophie finds herself in Howl's cottage and walks outside to the fields where she sees a young boy watching a shower of falling stars; each one perishing as it lands. Realizing the doorway was a portal to Howl's childhood, Sophie runs towards the young Howl and watches as he catches a star, speak to it, and swallow it. He coughs and brings forth from his chest a beating flame; Calcifer. The ring on Sophie's finger breaks and Sophie is plunged into a deep darkness, but manages to shout out to Howl, telling him that she can help him and to find her in the future.

Sophie and Hin make it back through the doorway where they find Howl waiting for her, nearly a complete form of a monstrous bird. Sophie approaches him, brushes the feathers from his face and kisses him, apologizing for taking so long. She asks him to take them to Calcifer and, as she stands on his clawed foot, Howl takes off. They arrive at the walking castle where Markl, the Witch, and Turnip-head are waiting; the castle having been reduced to two walking legs supporting a single piece of floor. As soon as they arrive, Howl collapses and the feathers disintegrate to reveal his human body. Sophie props him up before going to the Witch and begging her to release Calcifer. Though she refuses at first, with Sophie's plea, she finally relinquishes him to her. Calcifer tells Sophie he's very tired but may be all right if Sophie is the one to give Howl his heart back. She presses him into Howl's chest. A light bursts from it and Calcifer, once again a star, flies off shouting that he's free.

With Calcifer gone, the castle stops moving and begins to tip over. The legs fall apart and the flooring slides quickly down the mountainside. Turnip-head leaps ahead of the floorboard and uses his pole to slow it down, but splinters and grinds it down to near nothing. The floorboard finally stops, propped between two rocks. Proud by his sacrifice, Sophie kisses Turnip-head which suddenly causes him to vibrate and transform into a human. He bows to Sophie and proclaims that he's the prince (English: Crispin Freeman Japanese: Yô Ôizumi) from the neighboring country who had gone missing. A spell had turned him into a scarecrow and a kiss from his true love was the only thing that could break it.

The Witch compliments the handsome young man as Howl awakens and complains of a weight on his chest. Sophie tells him that a heart is a heavy burden and, when he looks at her and likens her hair to starlight, hugs him fiercely. The Witch tells the prince that, though his love is in love with someone else, he should still go home and put an end to the war. He agrees to do this, saying that even hearts can change, and the Witch suggests that she'll be waiting for him should he return. As the prince leaves, Hin sends a visual message to Suliman who asks him where he's been. As he shows her, she begrudgingly calls him a traitor and watches as he rejoins Sophie and Howl. She admits that her fun is at an end and decides to finally put a stop to the war.

Calcifer returns to Sophie and ignites into a flame, telling her that he's missed them. Sophie kisses him as well and Howl creates a new, flying home for them all to live in. The Witch sits in the courtyard while Markl and Hin play and Sophie and Howl stand together at the bow of the castle and share a tender kiss.