See Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal in HD
- Thread starter Greg Tito
- Start date
Cable is just too damn expensive. Between video games and netflix, I don't see a need to get cable.
Becides, I've already watched them in Blu-Ray.
Becides, I've already watched them in Blu-Ray.
Yeah, I watched both for the first time recently as an adult, and I wouldn't split the movies into good/bad. Labyrinth works well as a modern fairy tale written by a girl on the cusp of adolescence, and Connelly is as engaging as she usually was in that era as the young protagonist. Questionable costuming aside, Bowie's performance is iconic, and the Muppet work and landscapes are as memorable as you'd expect. (While we're at it, Connelly fans might want to take a look at Phenomena, a Dario Argento horror movie starring her from the same period. It's far darker than Labyrinth, but I've always thought of the movies as twins due to the fairy-tale aspect. Bonus: It was the primary inspiration for the Super Famicom Clock Tower!)
Dark Crystal, on the other hand, is very oddly paced (Labyrinth also has this problem to a lesser degree), and it does take a long time for the actual story to get going. It's also fighting a lot of cliche (take a drink for every one that opening narration mentions and you'll be drunk before five minutes are up). It does reward attention, though, as every corner of the frame is packed with unique sights and details - the composition and framing is really painterly. Also notable: the active role played by the love interest was considerably ahead of its time, and there is some gory, screwed-up **** in this movie. The death of the Skeksis emperor - good Lord. For various reasons mentioned, it might not hold every child's attention (might scare a good number of them bloody off); it's better seen with an adult's eyes.
TL/DR: Both movies are worth seeing.
Dark Crystal, on the other hand, is very oddly paced (Labyrinth also has this problem to a lesser degree), and it does take a long time for the actual story to get going. It's also fighting a lot of cliche (take a drink for every one that opening narration mentions and you'll be drunk before five minutes are up). It does reward attention, though, as every corner of the frame is packed with unique sights and details - the composition and framing is really painterly. Also notable: the active role played by the love interest was considerably ahead of its time, and there is some gory, screwed-up **** in this movie. The death of the Skeksis emperor - good Lord. For various reasons mentioned, it might not hold every child's attention (might scare a good number of them bloody off); it's better seen with an adult's eyes.
TL/DR: Both movies are worth seeing.
I agree that Labyrinth isn't terrible and totally worth watching. My point was that compared to The Dark Crystal, the film isn't as entertaining as it was when I first saw. I think Labryinth is much more accessible for a younger fan of fantasy than an adult but it's still decent for its artistry alone.Synonymous said:
Greg
Psh, Labyrinth is partially a musical, thus there's more singing, and I think it stands up very well with time. I am, perhaps, fairly biased as someone who just about wore out the Labyrinth soundtrack when I owned the tape, and I have it on my iPhone as we speak.
For whatever reason, The Dark Crystal, while cool, didn't resonate with me in the same way. I think I found the overall story of Labyrinth to be more compelling, though the music was a big part of that.
For whatever reason, The Dark Crystal, while cool, didn't resonate with me in the same way. I think I found the overall story of Labyrinth to be more compelling, though the music was a big part of that.
What Babe?HankMan said:
It would surprise people to know that those two movies particularly were EXTREMELY popular in Japan during their heyday (Labyrinth mostly), and Henson's stylistic influence can still be seen to this day in lots of Japanese-produced media...old and new, not the least of which is the later games in the Final Fantasy series (those after 1986); it might also surprise fans of both movies to know that Tokyopop released a graphic novel "sequel" the the movie.
I've also been told that there was an obscure character in one of the FF games named Jareth, but I can't substantiate it; I fell out of favor with Final Fantasy completely after VI (Square's magnum opus, AFAIC).
Willow, Neverending Story, and Legend were another bunch that enjoyed popularity in Japan, the first of which had it's own NES game (that was never released here); the second of which held the blueprint of global travel (among other aspects) for pretty much -every- JRPG from that point on (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZT_xbjq0IXk) compared with (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWnW-OuggoE), and Legend was the outright inspiration for Legend of frickin' Zelda (http://www.thelostmovies.com/Legend.html).
Much love for old-school fantasy and what it's done for the medium as a whole. Can't wait to see those two again in HD