Recently I've taken to a certain kind of film. Films that I used to see as a child, mostly. Funny thing is, when I saw them again I realized that THAT is, essentially, what I'm looking for in film - though I essentially LOVE mindfuck films such as Donnie Darko, Saw, Dark City and Memento, I rediscovered my need for such films as Edward Scissorhands, The Secret of NIMH and The Last Unicorn (I mentioned 3 films, 2 of which were cartoons... I wonder why).
So I thought I might as well ask here. I only know as far as my memory takes me back, and that isn't much - the only other film I remember is "Nausicaa", or "Warriors of Wind", and I'm in the process of getting that one (don't know if I'll like it too, not the same way I liked ESH, SON and TLU, but I'll see).
(another coouple of films I remember are Happily Ever After and The Adventures of the AMerican Rabbit, but reviews seem to indicate those were not that good, and since I still haven't re-seen them I don't mention them in this discussion)
Here's the actual question - what films do you know, be they older than the hills or just out of procutions, that have this kind of beauty? It's not easy to explain exactly WHAT they have, but whoever has whatched them will know. I find a certain kind of magic in them that I don't ind in many other places. Big FIsh, for instance, was beautiful - one of the best things Tim Burton ever made, I'm sure - but it just didn't hold a candle to the magic and the simplicity in Edward SH. Music also plays a big part, of course - these three films I mention have great soundtracks, which I listen to occasionally. On the whole, everything on the film contributes to the experience.
Disney has great classics, yes, but somehow their (arguably) best picture, The Lion King, still does not quite fit into what I'm looking for. What did SON and TLU have that Lion King did not? Frankly, I don't know. Maybe I'm just being too picky.
Well, that's about it. Any suggestions?
EDIT - From what I remember, "Black Beauty" is another such title. The real motion film, I mean.
One you didn't mention that might fit your mold is Watership Down ... of course it is a touch twisted. (Better yet, imo)
Hmmm... I saw bits of it in Donnie Darko Director's Cut some months ago, but I had only even heard of the book 5 years ago, or something, when I read Stephen King's "The Stand". And until I saw DDDC, I didn't even know there WAS a cartoon about it! Many thanks, I'll give it a go. Many, many thanks.
BTW, while it would be very appealing for me to have this thread become "here, try this one", I'm sure it wouldn't be interesting for anyone else. I wouldn't want that, so any kind of discussion regarding these films (and maybe expand to similar books, or plays, or adventure games - a genre which is unfortunately lacking in these things, which is my greatest regret) is more than welcome.
Watership Down scarred me. I remember those rabbits with wild, red eyes buried alive... then that sad, sad f$#cking song. I loved the movie, but boy... it was an emotional workout.
The Last Unicorn is one of my all-time favourite movies ever. I used to love the Secret of Nihm when I was a kid, and rewatched it last year... it was actually kind of boring. I was really disappointed it was so much suckier than I remembered. I see what you mean about it, that -feel- is there. It's not awful, but I do remember just wanting it to finish, and that's just not a good sign of my enjoyment of a film.
Labyrinth/Goonies and Never Ending Story are what I consider to be my "Big Three" childhood movie loves, though even those are ever so slightly different.
what YakSpit said though is exactly right, even if he doesn't realise it. Those movies we remember with that special "feel" are that way, not only for the music and animation and stories, but for one special thing they all have in common. Darkness. I bet you can't name a single one of these films that doesn't have a touch of darkness, something you might be surprised to see in a modern Disney movie. A character dying, real sadness, cruelty. It's not the REASON we love them, but it's what gives them that kick because they were movies that made you FEEL something, even if you didn't quite understand it when you were a kid.
Kinoko hit some really good ones.
I think you value these movies because they offer you another, more mystical world to escape to.
"Red Flyer" fits this theme perfectly, but it does have very dark parts.
--- edit: whoops, I did mean "Radio Flyer" afterall.
QuoteI think you value these movies because they offer you another, more mystical world to escape to.
Heh. I don't know if you meant "you" as in "me" or as in "people in general", but as far as I'm concerned, I'd say you are absolutely right. It's interesting, though, how these films with the "darkness" Kinoko mentioned are much more appealing... that "kick" Kinoko talked about seems to be fundamental. Maybe it makes that mystical world that much more real. Or maybe it's simply in our nature to enjoy tragedy in fiction. I read something interesting in Stephen King's Danse Macabre, which I can't quote but the gist of it was, essentially: you read about all those horrible things, you INSIST on being scared out of your wits, because then you can relax and some part of you says "There there, it's just a story, this won't ever happen to you... but what a rush it was while it lasted!" Kinda like the rollercoaster. What a rush, man, you feel like you're playing Russian Roulette or something! What if something goes wrong and you fall? It won't, and you know it... but it doesn't take away the rush!
EDIT - And this rush, when it's combined with a good emotional story... but the rush isn't necessary. It was there in NIMH, oh yeah, but in Edward, it didn't really appear untill AFTER the most beautiful scene in the film - the ice statue scene. I guess it all has to do with the overall feel of the thing and how the story flows, or something.
Evenwolf, searching IMDb for Red Flyer came up with this: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0034353/ . Is that what you meant?
I actually haven't heard of Red Flyer. I used to really like a movie called Radio Flyer ^_^
Heh. Yeah, IMBd's entry for that one seems more like it. :)
Well, just to throw some more names out, another big film from my childhood I bought on DVD as soon as possible (along with Labyrinth and Goonies) was Return to Oz, which still freaks the begeebies out of me during one scene. GREAT film and much, much more true to original books than that stupid Wizard of Oz film.
Kinoko's right on the button! Labrynth was a must-own DVD. And Goonies... don't even get me started... LOVE IT! Return to Oz scared the crap out of me. That's one I've got to rewatch. But, I've gotta throw this one out... Dark Crystal. Can't forget Dark Crystal! Did you know they're making a sequel?
Rui, although this isn't a movie, one TV series you MUST find on DVD (if on DVD yet) is 'The Storyteller'. It's a Jim Henson series starring John Hurt and it's well worth viewing. We (my parents and sister) all used to watch together when I was a kid..
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092383/
One of my favourite films from my childhood is The 7 Faces of Dr Lao. My parents introduced it to me when I was a kid, and I think you'll like it a lot. It's on oldie, made in 1964...
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057812/
Another oldie that I loved was Harvey, starring Jimmy Stewart... You'll like it if you liked Donny Darko. In fact, think of it as a light-hearted Donny Darko...
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042546/
Also, some early Terry Gilliam, like Jabberwocky, Time Bandits, or Baron Munchausen...
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076221/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081633/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096764/
And that's all I have to say about that...
Oh, the Storyteller! I was addicted to those... must get them on DVD some day.
I can't believe I forgot to mention Dark Crystal. It's another one of those things I liked a lot more when I was a kid though, not so much now.
One of my all-time favourite films is Tornatore's "The Legend of 1900" with Tim Roth. It's probably not strictly fantasy, but I think it's got the kind of 'feeling' you're talking about. It's whimsical and sad, and the music (by Ennio Morricone) is just wonderful. A lost classic, I think.
Aah.. all those movies.. wonderful!
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Winds (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087544/), really terrific in every aspect. I also second the Gilliam suggestion, but if you're into more darker themes, I'd tip about Brazil (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088846/) and also Naked lunch (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102511/).
What else, what more? I don't necesseraliy think it's about escaping into another world, there's enough drama in ours aswell. But simplicity is bliss, and disguising hardship in simplicity is even blissier (is that a word?)
Wow, talk about a nostaligic trip down memory lane ...
The Goonies and Labyrinth are classics.
The Last Unicorn is one my all time favorites as well. I still listen to the song from it (by the band America) at least once a week!
The Never Ending Story I would have listed as well. It's great to see others enjoyed the same movies. I have the theme for this on my regular play list as well.
The Dark Crystal is a movie that effected me so greatly that I was even working on a sequel to it (in AGS) called "The Song Crystal" (http://www.twin-design.com/tsc/). I have the story completed ... just need to find the time someday to finish the game!
Some movies that haven't been mentioned:
- The Last StarFighter (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087597/)
- Hook (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102057/)
- Willow (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096446/)
- An American Tail (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090633/) (just to clear it up there ARE cats in America, I have two!) Same deal with the song here.
And ... though it IS Disney, I feel I must mention The Fox and the Hound (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082406/). This movie was one of the saddest movies I'd ever seen as a kid. Very dark for a Disney 'classic'.
Heh. Glad to see I'm not the only one who still has a spot in his heart for this kind of film. Darth, it's funny you should mension "Fox and Hound" - that was the film Disney was making when Don Bluth approached them with NIMH. They didn't like it, I think (don't hold me to it) they thought it was too dark to be commercial (so to speak), so he quit and made it anyway.
Thankyall for the suggestions, I'm not exagerating when I say I plan to view them all!
EDIT - BTW, I might as well add to the list "The Muppet's Christmas Carol". I think it's the best adaptation of the Charles Dickens book - the atmosphere is amazing. In fact, I think it's the best Christmas film ever.
Ahh, I loved Hook too, even though it's so silly. I own Willow on DVD (though, never ever saw it as a kid, only in the last couple of years). I'd also say Flight of the Navigator got many, many viewings during my childhood.
As for Disney stuff, I ADORE Robin Hood and The Sword in the Stone.
Speaking of sequels to Dark Crystal:
http://www.twitchfilm.net/archives/001988.html.
As for the topic of this post, let me throw in Future Boy Conan (I feel like I do little else). It's a TV-series, but I still think it fits the theme. Whatever that may be.
Quote from: Esseb on Wed 18/05/2005 17:37:23Speaking of sequels to Dark Crystal:http://www.twitchfilm.net/archives/001988.html
That makes me super excited ... and sad at the same time. I kind of liked my sequel idea but at least they didn't call it the same thing!
Does anybody remember this movie:
Explorers (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089114/)
Most of you mentioned my favs from when I was a kid... Neverending Story, Labyrinth, Goonies, Dark Crystal (I had a little record of that, which I knew by heart when I was 5)
I also liked Legend (did someone already say that one?). And there was one summer where I watched Ghostbusters every single day. And Charlotte's Web. That's a childhood classic. OH... and how could I forget... I thought Flight of the Navigator was the coolest thing as a kid.
Secret of Nimh was actually my favorite book. I read it like 20 times when I was a kid. I was very disappointed in the movie though. The book was fantastic. There was a sequel too, called Racso and the Rats of Nimh.
And Darth... I remember Explorers. I LOVED that one.
Quote from: Potch on Wed 18/05/2005 21:06:03I also liked Legend (did someone already say that one?) ...
I can't believe I forgot Legend!! Yes, a great movie! Most people aren't aware of the fact that it was directed by Ridley Scott (Gladiator and Kingdom of Heaven). I have the special edition DVD which changed/added a few things, but still a great movie!
Quote from: Potch on Wed 18/05/2005 21:06:03And Darth... I remember Explorers. I LOVED that one.
Glad somebody else remembers Explorers!
What about
Enemy Mine ... I loved that movie. Just recently found it on DVD and, though a little hoakier than I remember it was still quite good.
I really loved the Care Bears when I was young. Well, they're still cool, but I wouldn't consider it something near of "good" or "acceptable".
Not to forget Mary Poppins.
Mary Poppins... awesome.
Loved care Bears as well... and there was this movie I saw once that I thought was great. I don't remember what it was called, but it was this fantasy thing, where these dolls came to life (I think) and they went through the closet in the kids room to this land, where there was this witch, and the witch had to eat these cherries or something to stay young. I remember the dolls or whatever they were foiled her in the end by trapping her had with the cover of the cherry tree or something. I remember it vaguely, but I remember that I LOVED it. I think the dolls were some kind of doll that were really popular at the time, like the cabbage patch kids or something like that.
Labyrinth is indeed fantastic.
But the Princess Bride is better.
That one gives me the ice-cube-down-the-spine feeling every time. I do wonder about stuff like this, though, that it's maybe the fact that we did see it when we were kids that makes it great to us. Everyone has "special" shows from the ones they watched when they were kids, but any ones out of their age bracket, they wont remember at all.
I remember a movie from my childhood that i will never forget. It was called The Water Babies.
It was a live action/animated movie. I haven't seen it in ages, but would like to watch it again soon.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078477/
Oh, somebody mentioned the Princess Bride.(duh, right above me. My Bad) One of my most favorite movies of all time. That movie used to inspire me to write adventure games in Basic a long time ago. I love it.
Man, Water Babies! I love that movie, watched it ALL the time. "High high high high high cochalorum!" There' a book of it too, I always meant to read it ^_^ I think everyone loves the Princess Bride... certainly all my friends are nuts about it.
Potch: I TOTALLY saw whatever movie you're describing, I've thought about it before but for the life of me I don't know what it was called! Wow, I never remembered about the withc though, you have an even better memory of it than me.
Speaking of Labyrinth and the Dark Crystal ...
While standing in line for Episode III tonight I started talking to the people in front of us. Turns out the guy is Michael McCormick (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0566577/) who was a puppeteer on both movies! He was in charge of the skeksis on tDC and in Labyrinth he said there's a spot on the DVD special features where you can see him in the background!
Before tonight my coolest story was that I worked with the sister of the first guy who gets killed in Evil Dead ... this is WAY cooler than that!!
Heh, I love these coincidences.
Coincidences? I work at the same place as Steve Purcell! Alright, at least I think its cool.
Back on topic.. I, as well, remember Explorers fondly. I'm pretty sure I thought it sucked as a kid, but kept watching it.. I checked it out a couple years later, remembered it as not being that great, and watched the whole thing anyway. Must have some sorta draw.
Most of the movies/cartoons mentioned have some special place in my memories.. it's nice to see there's a lot of cross-generation appreciation, not just in the (obvious) adventure game connection.
I wish I could contribute another title but the above cover most of what I watched and re-watched.. (aside from a hell of a lot of Transformers)
Quote
One of my favourite films from my childhood is The 7 Faces of Dr Lao. My parents introduced it to me when I was a kid, and I think you'll like it a lot. It's on oldie, made in 1964...
Hehe, my parents took me to see it when it first came out.
Quote from: Kinoko on Thu 19/05/2005 02:24:14
Man, Water Babies! I love that movie, watched it ALL the time. "High high high high high cochalorum!" There' a book of it too, I always meant to read it ^_^ I think everyone loves the Princess Bride... certainly all my friends are nuts about it.
Potch: I TOTALLY saw whatever movie you're describing, I've thought about it before but for the life of me I don't know what it was called! Wow, I never remembered about the withc though, you have an even better memory of it than me.
Kinoko... leaving my post yesterday inspired me to do go on an internet quest to find the movie. After doing numerous searches for strings like... witch eats cherries to make her young, 80s tv movies (i remembered that much as well) and numerous other dead ends... I decided to try a different approach, and did a search for 80s toys.... I had a feeling that the thing started with an H... and I was right. It was The Huggabunch. Such a cheesey stupid movie, but for some reason, I thought it was cool.
THAT'S IT!!! Wow. The mystery is solved.
I'm not sure I overly liked it, I remember only watching it once, and I think it was over some other kid's house. Still, the memory is intruiging. I just remember that fruit tree...
I remember The Huggabunch.
It was about this girl who was sad because her grandmother was going away somewhere and these creepy animatronic dolls akin to Chucky from Child's Play come through her bedroom mirror and take her to save their village from a wicked witch... or something like that, I can't remember... I sniffed a lot of glue as a kid. But in the end, she defeats the witch and returns home to learn a valuable lesson about caring for your family. She gives grandma a hug just as the old bat gets carted away to the glue factory.
I give it a B- out of ten!
The thing I remember the most was the witch reaching for the cherries on the tree, and the dome of the tree closing on her hand, and her going all gross and dying. It freaked me out bad!
That's the Emmy-winning special effects at work.
I'm not shitting you either... look it up. The Hugga Bunch won a freakin' Emmy for its special effects!
I also remember the girl had a brother who was a little shit. But then he broke down crying at the end when grandma was leaving.
Then he went back to being a little shit.
A few of my faves have already been mentioned - Goonies, Labyrinth. I just recently got them on DVD, on a bit of a nostlagia trip lately! Another one is Castle in the Sky (Laputa). It was on ITV at christmas when I was a kid, and it always brings back happy memories. And its a great movie too.
I remember watching Flight of the Navigator, and Enemy Mine too. Only when someone mentions a movie do I remember all these classics I saw as a kid!
Where the Wind Blows - animated, Roger Waters score.... crazy.
The Flight Of Dragons - I believe this was a Rankin-Bass production
The BRAT Patrol - a Disney TV movie, but I dug it.
Mr. Boogidy - Again, another Disney TV movie.
Flight of The Navigator - saw in in the theatres, 1986.
I could think of more, but I'm drunk and tired.
Bt
I'll just list off some of my favorites from my childhood. Whether or not they fit your tastes, they'll at least be nostalgic for a lot of you:
Big, the Tom Hanks movie where a kid magically becomes an adult
Willy Wonka, naturally
Milo and Otis the talking cat and dog movie voiced by Dudley Moore
Homeward Bound the clear rip-off, but arguably superior talking cat and dog movie
Roger Rabbit the classic humans interacting with cartoon movie
Cool World the obvious rip-off, and clearly inferior human/cartoon movie
Mannequin the most ridiculous movie ever made
Mannequin 2 the worst movie ever made
Short Circuit 1 & 2 the talking robot made by the government that goes AWOL
Batteries Not Included flying saucers help elderly people from being evicted
The Toy Richard Pryor gets the deal a lifetime to babysit a huge brat with the coolest toys ever
Toys Robin Williams attempts to save his father's toy factory from being over-run by a general who plans to produce military weapons.
Quote from: evenwolf on Fri 20/05/2005 11:47:01
Short Circuit 1 & 2 the talking robot made by the government that goes AWOL
the "NO DISSASSEMBLE!" one? I remember that, and a lot of the others too. I like most of them
Oh my god... I dind't think ANYONE but me remembered the Mr Boogidy movies! Those were great.
Short Circuit... LOVE IT.
Oh oh... remember another Wonderful World of Disney movie... Not Quite Human? There were a couple, and they were so fun.
I second Esseb's noting of Future Boy Conan which also segues into Miyazakis later work where I also feel I should mention that the title Nausicaa and Warriors of the Wind aren't quite interchangable, insofar that the latter is some 30-40 minutes short and with drastically rewritten dialogue. Whilst it's gorgeous and wonderful and all, it's remarkably one of his worst films.
I also second the recommendation of Watership Down, it's about 10 minutes shorter than it should be, but it has gorgeous stuff in it.
And also, I know of two sequels to NIMH, another one after Rasco...and I can't remember the plot much at all.
Quote from: Potch on Fri 20/05/2005 17:03:15
Oh my god... I dind't think ANYONE but me remembered the Mr Boogidy movies!Ã, Those were great.
Short Circuit... LOVE IT.
Oh oh... remember another Wonderful World of Disney movie... Not Quite Human?Ã, There were a couple, and they were so fun.
We're the same age, Potch. It was our era, I suppose.
Bt
Yep, I also well remember watching the Wonderful World of Disney movies.. Sunday evenings, I believe. Mr. Boogedy.. I think they showed Harry and the Hendersons a few times, Short Circuit... sometimes those older ones.. what was the series? Return to Witch Mountain or something? I don't know why I can look back on those shows with fondness yet despise so much current kids' programming. Maybe it's this whole Something Must Happen Every 3 Seconds to appease short attention spans thing.
I definitely agree with all the movies on this list so far... But why has no one mentioned the first two live action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle movies (Hero Turtle in the UK)? Those were cheesy, and definitely, at least for me, have that same effect as all the other movies in this topic.
Oh, and here's a bit of a stretch, but the movie Innerspace. It has the "80s adventure" feel, and I always used to love to watch it as a kid (Though most of the jokes and some of the plot went right over my head).
Ahhhh, I loved the TNMT movies. It was the only time in my life I called one of those expensive lines to hear the Vanilla Ice song ^_^
Innerspace isnt a stretch.
It was a really gripping story about men shrinking themselves down and being injected into Martin Short. The movie was awesome. It probably made me think about biology more than any other movie or media.
Innerspace... LOVE it. I know, I say that about most of the movies mentioned... I'm a movie junky.
On the subject of cheesey 80s movies... this one is kind of girlie (ok, it's really girlie) but any of you ever seen Girl's Just Want to have fun? It's got Sarah Jessica Parker and Helen Hunt. One of my favorite 80s movies.