Haworth: global magnet

Apparently Haworth is to become a 'global magnet' according to The Telegraph and Argus:

English Heritage has pledged to transform Haworth from a day trip haven into an international tourist destination.
Trevor Mitchell, English Heritage’s Yorkshire and Humber planning director, said the village is one of Bradford’s biggest attractions but claims more should be done to market it as a global tourist attraction.
Mr Mitchell said: “At the moment Haworth isn’t really offering itself to an international audience. It is marketing itself to the people of West Yorkshire on an afternoon out. What Haworth needs is to offer something that appeals to the international tourist who has come for the Brontë connection.
“That is why we are saying we want to work with property owners and Bradford Council to see if we can touch things up a bit.”
Mr Mitchell said English Heritage was making Haworth more of a priority than in the past because it was identified as at risk in 2010.
The organisation has agreed to pay 80 per cent of the costs to repair the Parish Church roof, if match funding can be found, and is offering 80 per cent grants to reinstate original features on shop fronts in Main Street.
It has also encouraged The Old School Room, where the famous Brontë sisters taught, to apply for a grant and a decision is expected to be announced within a month.
Mr Mitchell said: “We know the Old School Room was built by Patrick Bronte and that the Brontë women taught there but actually it isn’t open to the public. Thousands of people walk past it every year and don’t really get to appreciate it.
“It looks a bit down on its luck.Hopefully we will be able to work quite closely with the people at the Old School Room to put a good project together, turn the building around and make it a success.”
Bradford Council’s portfolio holder for regeneration David Green (Wibsey, Lab) admitted more needs to be done to promote tourism in the district.
He said: “There hasn’t been a clear strategy, not just for Haworth but for tourism in particular, for a number of years.
“Places like Haworth, the council run museums and galleries and even the Keighley Bus Museum can all be pulled together and marketed for the benefit of all.” (Kathryn Bradley)

We don't see how a place that already has guide posts in Japanese is only 'marketing itself to the people of West Yorkshire on an afternoon out'.

Coincidentally, The Huddersfield Daily Examiner has a columnist who, in anticipation of a visit from American friends has been

swotting up about Robin Hood (met his end at Kirklees Abbey), the Brontë sisters, of Haworth (I always preferred Branwell) and York (what can you say?) (Denis Kilcommons)

The Yorkshire Post mentions briefly the fact that Stella Vine is working towards helping Haworth church.

The London Evening Standard reports that Cary Fukunaga's Jane Eyre and Andrea Arnold's Wuthering Heights are both nominated for the same category at the 39th London Evening Standard British Film Awards.spas

Two dramatically different takes on Brontë stories, Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights, are in contention for the technical honours [...]
LONDON FILM MUSEUM AWARD FOR TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT
Sean Bobbitt cinematographer, Shame
Paul Davies sound designer, We Need to Talk About Kevin
Maria Djurkovic production designer, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Michael O'Connor costume designer, Jane Eyre
Robbie Ryan cinematographer, Wuthering Heights (Louise Jury)

Jane Eyre 2011 is one of the runners-up on the National Catholic Register's list of best films of 2011.

The Telegraph comments on the fact that Wuthering Heights 2011 has been left out of the BAFTAs:

However, Bafta’s capacity for hipness has its limits, and there was no sign of Andrea Arnold’s bold Wuthering Heights adaptation or the cult gems Weekend and Kill List – and disgracefully, no best actress nod for Olivia Colman in Tyrannosaur either. (Robbie Collin)

A few readers have also remarked on the absence in the comments section of this Guardian article. And Kate Muir from The Times also thinks that the movie deserved at least a nomination for Cinematography.

The Philippine Star reviews Walang Hanggan, a new local take on Wuthering Heights:

Walang Hanggan clearly has the advantage of a bigger cast introduced at the media launch, all of whom have been very visible since on every program on ABS throughout the day promoting the series. The undying love story from three generations is what gives scope and grandeur to the teleserye. During Monday’s opening episode, two generations were quickly introduced, their relationships to one another, and possible encounters in the future.
Imagine having two queens of Philippine Cinema, Susan Roces and Helen Gamboa, playing sisters no less, both involved with the same man (Eddie Gutierrez). One is likely to give in (Susan) and suffer in silence. Helen is the ambitious one, to whom money and stature in society is most important, is married to Eddie who clearly sides with Susan in matters of conflict. Playboy Richard Gomez is the son who has willingly played suitor to Rita Avila for the money she will bring into mama’s wine business. Until he meets Dawn Zulueta, wage earner for their family, falls in love with her and rejects Rita’s offer of love and financial assistance, proposes marriage to Dawn, which aunt Susan has happily aided and abetted, with dad Eddie advising him to follow his heart. But a careless P50-bet with friends during a drinking session is unearthed to destroy this all too perfect love affair. Dawn throws away the infinity ring Richard had given her and the episode ends.
The once real and reel loveteam of Dawn and Richard was thought to be a love story made in heaven. We were present at its making, and its breaking, having been manager to Dawn at that time. We shared her giggles, laughter and tears. Even as both went separate ways to build their own families with spouses welcoming the past loves with warmth and affection, Richard and Dawn continued to represent the consummate loveteam difficult to replace.
Their love story began on the set of Carlitos Siguion Reyna’s Hihintayin Kita sa Langit, and blossomed there. The 1991 movie based on Emily Brontë’s romantic drama Wuthering Heights of star-crossed lovers caught the public’s attention, as well as the School of Inattention’s meticulous Oggs Cruz who gave it a thumbs up. Oggs wrote, “It is an impeccably shot film… It is a fantasy that clearly exploits a nation’s infatuation for larger-than-life struggles, of the downtrodden eventually reversing his fortunes, of victimizers getting their eventual punishment, and of love against all odds. Brontë’s classic work, stripped away of the complexity of its multi-generational narrative, perfectly suits this requirement. Siguion-Reyna shies away from portraying the subtleties of love and instead depicts it in its full grandeur and opulence.”
We have an inkling that Star Cinema might have considered a remake of Hihintayin, perhaps with a happier ending like that of William Wyler’s film version of Wuthering Heights where the ending shows the lovers in happier times traipsing along the hills of Batanes where the film was set. But Carlitos refused to sell the film rights which he confirmed to us. Perhaps, Carlitos knew that Hihintayin had a bright future as a remake. If he had been present at the media launch of Walang Hanggan, he would have been all the more convinced. More so now that the opening episode with the Dawn and Richard’s love story is firmly in place. (Bibsy M. Carballo)

And according to ABS-CBN News,

The pilot episode of ABS-CBN's newest series "Walang Hanggan" ruled the national TV ratings on Monday (January 16).
Based on the latest data of Kantar Media/TNS, the show's pilot episode registered a 32.1% ratings nationwide beating GMA7's "Legacy" with 16.8% TV5's "Glamorosa" which only got 4.9%.

Flavorwire thinks that Wuthering Heights is one of ten 'Famous Pop-Culture Love Triangles Where the Girl Should Have Stayed Single':

Heathcliff, Catherine, and Edgar Linton (Wuthering Heights) Catherine loves violent, unruly Heathcliff, but marries Linton instead for his wealth and status. How does Heathcliff react? By seducing Linton’s sister Isabella as a form of revenge (even though he hates her) which in turn causes Linton to retaliate by disowning Isabella. This upsets Catherine so much that she locks herself in her room, falls ill, and dies in childbirth. At that rate, spinsterhood would probably have been a better option. (Victoria McNally)

Anne Brontë was remembered yesterday by Cultura (in Hungarian) and Thoughts from a Buttonmonger. Day for Night, El templo de tinta (in Spanish), Jediyuth (in Thai) and Не киноман (in Russian) post about Jane Eyre 2011 while Mumblings in an Insane World writes about Wuthering Heights 2011. Doll with a Frown has designed a Jane Eyre book cover 'for fun' and Brainstorm shares a few thoughts on that novel. Poliphilo posts about Villette. Movie Screenshots has uploaded caps from Wuthering Heights 1939.The Book Lover writes in Italian about Juliet Gael's Romancing Miss Brontë. Lena Coakley has taken a test to find out 'which Brontë sibling' she is. Greystone Studios has a Brontë-related comic strip. And the Brontë Weather Project shares an update.