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Underground > Film, TV & Theatre >

Fantasy Movies

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12:59 / 12.12.01

So, with what may be the greatest fantasy film of all time (if Ian McKellan is to be believed) coming out in a week, what are some of the other good or not-so-good ones out there?

Willow - I really don't know what the general consensus is, but I really enjoyed Willow. It sort of combined the dirty middle ages setting with a shiny Star Wars sort of mentality. Really good performances all around, plus Val Kilmer and Joanna Whaley make it really nice to look at.

Legend - recently read a review of this film that tore it to bits and shit ont he remnants. I loved it. If for no other reason that it was a fantasy movie that wasn't all sword and sorcery. Tim Curry as the Devil? Stroke of genius. Mia Sara - mmmmmm. As I said, I loved everything about this film

(The Film That Shall Not Be Named) - I'm serious. My friends and I, childish as it may seem, have actually vowed not to speak it's name. It's that one based on the popular role-palying game. Even remotely associating this flim with that game detracts from something very close to my heart. This film deserves to be destroyed forever. What was Thora Birch thinking? And Jeremy Irons, for gods' sake?

So there's a few. I know I've left our tons. What are your favourites?

Zoom.

13:47 / 12.12.01

The Princess Bride definatly

pointless and uncalled for

13:52 / 12.12.01

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

Not your typical fantasy movie unless you're a big fan of AD&D's oriental adventures.

Still, it has all of the components and more.

Legends, magic, warriors, love etc.

13:59 / 12.12.01

Apparently there was a "European release" of Legend that had an addition 30 mins of footage in it. Or so the legend goes. I liked that one.

I remember liking "Lady Hawke" - good story, prettily done.

"In the Company of Wolves" might count - retelling of all those wicked wolf fairy tales as a fantasy-style werewolf film.

"Dreamchild" is fantastic. Ian Holm plays a stuttering, perverted Rev. Charles Dodgson (Lewis Carroll), as remembered by an aged Alice Liddell Hargreaves, on a trip through 1930s New York. Written by Dennis "Brimstone & Treacle" Potter. Genuine history worked seamlessly in with NIGHTMARISH recollections of scenes in the book, and perhaps some kiddie-fiddling on the part of Carroll. The flashbacks to the Looking Glass scenes feature some of the most horrifying stuff done by Jim Henson when he started moving away from kid's puppets and into "Dark Crystal" territory.

Also quite enjoyed "Snow White: A Tale of Terror," which featured lots of rape, incest, mutilation, etc. as Wicked Queen Sigourney Weaver goes nuts over the beautiful little girl she can't be.

"City of Lost Children" is one of the best movies ever made.

pointless and uncalled for

14:09 / 12.12.01

Ooooh

Ooooh

*jumps up and down with excitement*

Conan

Now there's a classic if ever you needed one.

I'll stick in Labyrinth as well.

[ 12-12-2001: Message edited by: potus ]

14:10 / 12.12.01

Hellooo, McFly? Haven't we been over this before?

Conan

14:13 / 12.12.01

Cromm

Widescreen Conan the Barbarian rules

'They are all slutz' what a line Arnie

Sword and the Sorcorer

Tacky Euro Fantasy, with teh triple bladed sword. Awesome opening sequence with the writhing tomb and the heart wrenching

pointless and uncalled for

14:34 / 12.12.01

Honourable mentions can also go to Jabberwocky, Krull and The Holy Grail.

Haus about we all give each other a big lovely huggle?

14:49 / 12.12.01

The scary thing is, I'm not sure the big swords and man-breasts choices are humorous.

Having said which, I can't believe that, for sheer awfulness, Hawk the Slayer has yet to be mentioned.

Jack The Bodiless

16:00 / 12.12.01

Yuck. What about Beastmaster? Or Wizards Of The Lost Kingdom? Or... Flesh And Blood?

Horrors. Krull is great, though. Almost inspired.

Warrington Minge

17:27 / 12.12.01

Originally posted by Grant

quote: Apparently there was a "European release" of Legend that had an addition 30 mins of footage in it. Or so the legend goes. I liked that one.

I dont know about the extra footage but each version had different soundtracks. One version had a Jerry Goldsmith score and the other had a Tangerine Dream score. I know when i saw it at the cinema in England it had the Jerry Goldsmith score. yet whenever the BBC show it they always show the Tangerine Dream version. apparently the unicorn footage from Legend was used in the directors cut of Blade Runner in a dream sequence.

As for fantasy faves as well as the ones mentioned above I have to mention Krull. I know its poo but its entertaining poo.

Also does Clash of the Titans count?

By the way, Captain Zoom, I have also seen the unmentionable film you are talking about. I would probably put it as one of the worst films I have seen this year. that scene at the end sticks in my mind where there are hundereds of CGI dragons flying around and none of the actors are paying a blind bit of notice to them. Truly awful special effects and no storyline whatsoever. The only saving grace was when Tom Baker showed up.
You have to wonder why he's not used more often in films

18:17 / 12.12.01

How about the Tenth Kingdom? Sure, it isn't strictly fantasy, its more of a fairy tale type of movie.
I've always liked the Beastmaster movies. Sure, they're kind of bad, especially the one where Dar ends up in the present, but still entertaining in a campy sort of way.
There's also Excalibur, Masters of the Universe, DragonHeart, and Dragonslayer.

19:27 / 12.12.01

Favorite review of the unnamed movie (luckily I never saw it) was one of the guys over at Penny Arcade ranting for several paragraphs about he didn't care about getting his money back, he wanted the time he spent watching it, back.

Guess you had to read it.

19:32 / 12.12.01

No no I am. I understand that completely. that's 2 hours (give or take) that I will never have back. Ever.

Disgusting.

What about Kull The Conqueror? With Kevin Sorbo? Whaddaya mean you never saw it? That's okay, neither did anyone else.

Zoom.

19:53 / 12.12.01

I second beastmaster, I was close to tears when

s
p
o
i
l
e
r

That ferret died.

He was just
SO. Damn. Heroic!

20:26 / 12.12.01

Demon dogs!
You said movies, so I say Conan. The Ahn-ald-sweaty muscles-ubertestosterone death duels-drunken depressions-damnittohell revenge plots roar the primal challenge to undersexed males across the US and breath life back into JohnWaynism.
If you had said TV, forget Xena, Herky-pooh, and the other losers. I'd volunteer the one barbarian to plunge Saturday morning cartoons into profanity/swearing, bar fights, and the decriminalizing of chopping off wizard heads, Thundarr the Barbarian.
<Scratches the pimply acne on his face, and rolls his 20-sided di, dreaming of diaphanous, tightly-thonged bar wenches>

20:55 / 12.12.01

I almost forgot the greatest fantasy movie ever; Wizards. It's got everything you need to make a great fantasy movie; a grumpy old wizard, a buxom fairy, a crazy elf, and a peace-loving robotic assassin. What more do you need?

20:59 / 12.12.01

quote:Originally posted by Sharkgrin:
Demon dogs!
You said movies, so I say Conan. The Ahn-ald-sweaty muscles-ubertestosterone death duels-drunken depressions-damnittohell revenge plots roar the primal challenge to undersexed males across the US and breath life back into JohnWaynism.

And he decks a camel.......

22:06 / 12.12.01

quote:
Sword and the Sorcorer

Tacky Euro Fantasy, with teh triple bladed sword. Awesome opening sequence with the writhing tomb and the heart wrenching

My Gods!!! I didn't think anyone else Knew about this movie!!!

Dragonslayer rocked!!!

Has anyone mentioned DARK Crystal?

how about the animated Lord of the Rings? or better yet!!! The Hobbit & Return of the King then there's Fire & Ice
Excalaber was outstanding!!!

if we're going to Hong Kong then there's:
Legend of Zu, Storm Riders, Man called Hero, Green snake, Warriors of Zu to name a few...

01:57 / 13.12.01

quote:Originally posted by Trijhaos:
Wizards. It's got everything you need to make a great fantasy movie; a grumpy old wizard, a buxom fairy, a crazy elf, and a peace-loving robotic assassin. What more do you need?

what the HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT! how have i NOT heard of this movie!?! DAMN! i want/need to see this, more to make sure yr not making it up more than anythng!

07:34 / 13.12.01

quote:Originally posted by Trijhaos:
I almost forgot the greatest fantasy movie ever; Wizards.

THEY KILLED FRITZ!

07:57 / 13.12.01

quote: Having said which, I can't believe that, for sheer awfulness, Hawk the Slayer has yet to be mentioned.

I'll second that, what a movie.
Its got Jack Palance, dry ice in puddles, Roy Kenear and Ultraviolet ping pong balls.
The soundtrack is just the best.
favourite production design details are the plastic bolt holder on the automatic crossbow, and Crows ears.

Anyone seen The Archer and the Sorcoress?

07:57 / 13.12.01

I really hope I'm not just making up Wizards, otherwise a great deal of people are going to be quite upset when they find out they've written reviews about a movie nobody has seen or heard of.

For those who don't know, Wizards came out in 1976 and was created by Ralph Bakshi. It's a pretty trippy movie since it uses both animation and footage from real-life events such as World War 2.

07:57 / 13.12.01

pointless and uncalled for

10:29 / 13.12.01

Just on a slightly unrelated side of things, has anyone here heard of a film called "The Wizard of Speed and Time"?

Haus about we all give each other a big lovely huggle?

10:33 / 13.12.01

Yes. It was the graduating project of Steven Speilberg or some other cunt, IIRC.

Look for me, the man in Green,
I will help you find your dream.

pointless and uncalled for

10:56 / 13.12.01

It was by a guy called Mike Jittlov. I remember watching this film when I was a kid and loved it.

13:12 / 13.12.01

I've seen a lot of people mention the Conan movies, but what about Red Sonja? It was basically a Conan movie. Sure the guy Arnold played wasn't supposed to be Conan, but he was close enough that it really doesn't matter, and I'd much rather see a half-naked sweaty woman go around knocking people around with swords. Arnold's overly large man-boobs didn't do much for me.

13:24 / 13.12.01

OK lets get something cleared up once and for all, what the fuk is IIRC, I thought I was pretty well up on my internet jargon but I'm stumped on that one...

pointless and uncalled for

13:27 / 13.12.01

If I Remember Correctly

I'm guessing here as I've never been told but it makes sense in context.

13:34 / 13.12.01

Wizards was Bakshi, yeah, but the look owed a lot to the comix work of Vaughn Bodé...

[ 13-12-2001: Message edited by: Jack Fear ]

Haus about we all give each other a big lovely huggle?

13:35 / 13.12.01

Arnold's overly large man-boobs didn't do much for me.[/QUOTE]

He said just a trifle too loudly...

15:46 / 13.12.01

I quite liked Dragonheart.

(Ducks as feces is flung in his direction.)

Zoom.

pointless and uncalled for

15:56 / 13.12.01

It's not too shoddy, Neverending Story was good as well?

19:15 / 13.12.01

well... how about..

the Wizard of OZ? especially with Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon as soundtrack...

Then the sequal Return to Oz

and would Highlander count? they have swords . . .

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