Pages

Monday 25 April 2011

Top Five Fantasy Themed Films from my Childhood.

So, I heard the funniest thing...well I found it funny. I overheard someone referring to Easter Sunday as Happy Zombie Jesus Day and I had a quiet chuckle to myself because; A) It was funny and B) it was kinda true if you happen to believe in that. So, I was wondering, that makes Jesus the original Zombie? I can see the books now. And a feature film.

EDIT: I just did a search on the almighty google and found this website. Chuckles. 

Somehow this should lead me onto my top five of the day which happens to be films from my childhood that are fantasy themed. This, unfortunately, rules out any recent films so no LotR* or Pan's Labyrinth.

The NeverEnding Story
This film was one of my favourites when I was young. I watched it so many times and I even went and saw both sequels at the movies. (Yep, both of them, and they were both terrible.)** But the first one was brilliant. I had a huge crush on Atreyu and I am not ashamed to admit that I cried (and still do) when Artex died. I've known men to cry at that scene. Heck, I have the theme tune on my iPod. Oh memories are grand.

Labyrinth
Hoggle, Sir Didymus, Ludo, Sarah, Toby, Jareth. This is one of the most magical films of all time. I remember being terrified of the Fiery things that yank their heads off; so much so that I would hide behind the sofa in the lounge. (This was something I normally reserved for episodes of Dr Who. Those daleks still have the power to terrify me...but not so much as the weeping angels.) Obviously, this is a staple film for those of us born in the eighties but it still has a hold on many now-a-days.

The Dark Crystal
Jim Hensen was a genius - that is a pure and simple fact. This film was beautifully done and I believe that it is a work of art. The story alone is beautifully woven and then you have the puppets that are beautifully designed. Amazing. The only thing wrong is that it leaves you wanting to know more.

The Princess Bride
"Whatever you wish." Wesley and Buttercup are the ultimate fantasy couple in this great comedy drama. And we cannot forget Inigo Montoya. This film has a cult status for a reason and I remember watching it every time it came on TV and it was one of the first DVD's that I ever bought.

Willow
I remember watching this at a friends house when I was young and the trolls that turn into the moat monster were so terrifying to my young mind that I recall having strange nightmares for a week. More than I'd had with the fiery creatures from Labyrinth. Still, aside from the fact that it was filmed in NZ it is and will always be one of my favourite fantasy films.

Let me know what you think of these films. Enjoy!

*Lord of the Rings in case you were wondering.
**Random tidbit - Jack Black appears in the third film as one of the bad guys.

3 comments:

  1. I cant remember any of these! Following and supporting. alphabetalife.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks. I was rather sickly as a child so spent some time in doors watching films. Just checked you blog and added to my list. Thanks for your support.

    ReplyDelete