I’ve been catching up on and rewatching some lately. Legend, Highlander, The Never ending Story. What are some others that are similar? And why do 80s movies seem to hit different than other decades?
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It’s… inconceivable no one has said Princess Bride yet.
You best me to it. And while we’re on Cary Elwes, we should probably mention Robin Hood: Men in Tights as well.
I had to look it up, and that was 1993. Pay the cat tax.
I think that word means what you think it means
Willow
To answer the second question, Willow hit different because in the 80s they were totally fine with making fantasy movies that were meant to be watched by families but also had no problem traumatizing children. Willow had those creepy rat dog things straight out of a nightmare. Same way The Neverending Story has the horse/swamp scene and Gremlins turned fluffy cute animals into scary wicked creatures. Honestly, it’s a miracle any of us millennials survived without a serious case of PTSD every time we went to Blockbuster.
And don’t forget those weird muppets in Labyrinth that pulled their heads off while singing.
The 80s were a great time to be a kid but, yeah, no one cared if we got terrified to the point of not being able to sleep on a regular basis. :)
The threat of nuclear war wasn’t awesome either but we had punk rock, D&D, and it still made sense to buy comic books.
and not every good guy somehow had to survive. that blonde guy (Eric?) died pretty brutally, and even though off-screen the babies mum and the nanny clearly died brutal deaths (and it was heavily implied), I think you even hear the nanny being torn apart by wolves
Oh yes… I still remember the first time seeing that scene where everyone (almost) got turned into pigs in Willow. It really freaked me out at the time.
*shudders*I think the heavy reliance on physical props, models and scenery. Combined with a certain darker style of story telling really made those movies stand out.
- Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
- My Neighbor Totoro
- Big Trouble in Little China
Nausicaa is so good
Dragonslayer was pretty good.
This along with Legend. Excalibur was really good too.
“We are all animals, my lady…”
Came looking for this. I particularly liked how everything you’d expect to happen, doesn’t. It ignores the traditional fantasy script and is refreshing doing so.
Labyrinth and The Last Unicorn were two that came to mind
It’s all about the babe. Labyrinth should be top comment!
What babe?
The babe with the power!
What power?
Tie between Time Bandits and The Adventures of Baron Munchausen…well dammit, Robin Williams as King of the Moon wins, Munchausen re-watch time!
I firmly believe Time Bandits is the best time travel movie of all time.
I think that movie was the original reason why George became my favourite Beatle.
“Hello! I’m Hood!”
Concentrated evil. There should be a lot of stuff. Some way to bridge now and then.
The Dark Crystal
Have you watched it as an adult? I loved that movie growing up and watched it a few years ago. Good lord, is it messed up…
Made all the better. Dark fantasy at its best.
Hell yeah
I really do not like the faces in this movie. Hard pass.
I’ve only seen the Netflix remake but I really enjoyed it. Would you recommend going back and watching the original?
It’s not a remake, it’s a prequel. So you should definitely watch the film.
I didn’t even know there was a remake, so yes
The Netflix is not a remake, but a prequel.
Definitely watch the original as well. They are both great
Ladyhawke, Conan…
1982’s “Conan the Barbarian” is Arnold Schwarzenegger’s breakout role as an actor.
That Basil Poledouris soundtrack is amazing, too. I love that they still sample it for games.
I think it inspired Baldur’s Gate 1 theme composer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZP7vWiaxw7Y
Here is an alternative Piped link(s): https://piped.video/watch?v=ZP7vWiaxw7Y
Piped is a privacy-respecting open-source alternative frontend to YouTube.
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Labyrinth, Willow, and of course The Princess Bride.
Can’t forget Krull!
Yes! And the 80s arcade game based on the movie!
Not sure if it quite counts as fantasy but…
Everything about Blade Runner was perfect.
The sequel somehow managed to not drop the ball as well.
I think you’re selling the sequel very short.
It managed to build on the original.
The key, I think, to the sequel is that it’s made to be watched again.
I walked out if the theater and thought it was an eye-meltingly gorgeous film, but didn’t really get what happened.
I recently re-watched 2049 and holy fucking shit…throughout the entire movie things just kept clicking into place.
Now ima setup a double feature and watch both back-to-back for the full experience!
That’s kind of how the book is too. Every time I read Philip k dick I feel like i’ve missed a lot, even though I love all his books. I suspect I haven’t taken nearly enough drugs to get what he’s slinging.
The Goonies, The Golden Child, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, and The Monster Squad.
Bonus: I think Bill & Ted’s movies were in the 80s too? The one with Death I always felt was sort of similar to Never Ending Story.
Wait, no Ghostbusters!?
Clash of the Titans
Excalibur is a gorgeous film with a talented cast.
Dark Crystal is an amazing Jim Henson production.
Beastmaster is a fun romp with 80s stalwart Mark Singer. And as someone else mentioned, Ladyhawke is another fun adventure in the same vein.
Anáil nathrach orth bhais betha, do cheol déanta.
