MovieChat Forums > The Dark Crystal (1982) Discussion > Still breathtaking....favou rite fantas...

Still breathtaking....favou rite fantasy films?

posted 17 years ago by powderblue
13 replies | jump to latest

Just watched The Dark Crystal for the first time in a long time after purchasing the 25th Anniversary DVD. Its such a beautifully crafted and gorgeous film. Now in my early 30s i have such fond memories of the superb fantasy films that came out in the 80s. Does anybody else have fantastic memories? I do recall that they were quite dark in tone at times and could be classed as scary, but they were and in my opinion still are incredible films.
My top 10:
Legend
Dark Crystal
The Neverending Story
Return to Oz
Krull
Labyrinth
Willow
Conan ( I was far too young to watch it when it came out but i remember watching it on VHS..same with Red Sonja )
The Black Cauldron ( one of the few kids who LOVED this film when we went to see it on a school trip..everyone else was TERRIFIED of the Horned King..i thought it was FANTASTIC! " Cauldron Borne!")
Secret of the Sword ( the BEST He-Man movie!)

Does any other Fantasy Fans remember seeing these films at the cinema???

" Well...i almost had to wait! " Overboard

[–] reecespieceshero 17 years ago

There was an outstanding amount of incredibly crafted fantasy films in the 1980s. I love the DC, and also have both it and Labyrinth on 25 anni. DVD-both splendid films. The 80's owned the fantasy genre, without a doubt. Here are some of my favorites:
The Dark Crystal
The Secret Of NIMH
Tron (more of a sci-fi, but still)
The Last Unicorn
Conan :The Destroyer
Supergirl
The Neverending Story
Legend
Return To Oz
Black Cauldron
Labyrinth
Masters Of The Universe
Willow

I saw most of these in the theaters with my grandma. The one I mostly remember was "Return To Oz. She was most excited about seeing that one with me. I saw DC (dark crystal) with my uncle, and my older sister, and Secret Of NIMH with my mother.

All of these films captured my heart from the first times I saw them.

With every beat of my heart, there's thunder inside...

[–] powderblue 17 years ago

So good to know that there are others who still appreciate and love these films.
I had forgotten about Supergirl..i do remember being told i was very un-cool at school because i loved it. Its still one of my favourites today.
I saw Return to Oz on the cinema with my sister and her bf at the time, and i remember my mother took me to see both Dark Crystal and The Neverending Story ( i saw them both more than once!) and one of my clearest memories is watching Legend on a matinee performance on my own because my sister had gone to watch an 18 rated movie and bribed me to keep quiet with popcorn and sweets!!!
Thanks for sharing! :)

[–] mpeterson78 17 years ago

can somebody help me...theres this movie i remember from the 80's that was a fantasy type, but I dont remember what its called and the details i remember are vague, but heres what i can recall. There is one scene where a group of people are in a desert-like area and they are trying to walk forward but there is an invisible wall preventing them from getting past. Also, there are some kind of evil midgets or something in the movie. In the end of the movie, it is set in modern times but behind a microwave or something is a little chunk of some material, leading to the notion that some evil carried over from the fantasy world into the real world. If anybody knows what im talking about, please help! thanks!

[–] 17 years ago

[deleted]

[–] reecespieceshero 17 years ago

I was gonna say, if you like all these splendid fantasy movies, "Supergirl" is a MUST. I saw that once in the theater, and was pleading my parents to let me see it again. Never did though.

I saw "Return To Oz three times. The first two with my Grandma. She loved watching it with me both times, and after ward we rented it all the time on Video. The third time I saw it my sister and I went with a friend of hers.

"Neverending Story" was a real experience for me. I was so scared at "Gmork" the whole time, and I cried really hard when Artex died. I had to be taken out of the theater so my Mom could explain that it was not real...but if you look at the films trivia now...IT REALLY WAS REAL! So much for crying in the theater. I didn't finish in the theater because I was scared on that last part with the nothing. I finally saw it on HBO the next year. LoL.

With every beat of my heart, there's thunder inside...

[–] sfmacleo 17 years ago

Don't forget the Princess Bride...I loved all of those fantasy films. I wish they would make great ones like that again.

[–] reecespieceshero 17 years ago

OF COURSE! I love that one too! The whole family went to see that one together. I think it was on it's opening day too. I laughed all the way through it.

With every beat of my heart, there's thunder inside...

[–] Hilwo 17 years ago

In no particular order:
- The Dark Crystal
- E.T.
- Ewoks Caravan Of Courage
- Ewoks The Battle For Endor
- Gremlins
- Labyrinth
- The NeverEnding Story
- Return To Oz
- Willow

[–] PunchB 16 years ago

I don't know if somebody already answered you (there's a deleted post), but it sounds like The Time Bandits.

[–] Geek_of_Geeks 16 years ago

Wow, my favorite fantasy film from 80's hasn't been mentioned?

Where's the DRAGONSLAYER love???

Also liked . . .

Dark Crystal (Watched it a million times as a kid but it creeped me out later on as an adult)
Conan the Barbarian (Destroyer SUCKED)
Krull (Cheesy, but they tried really hard)
Beastmaster (Cheesy fun)
Legend (Just OK, but that main villain was awesome)
The Neverending Story (Afraid of what I'd think if I rewatched as an adult)

Never liked Willow. Always felt like they swung and missed w/ that one.

[–] codyhoskins 16 years ago

My favorite fantasy films of the 80s have always been the ones I grew up with. The ones from the era that I have seen today like Legend, Ladyhawke, Krull, Dragonslayer, and Return to Oz didn't earn a strong enough reaction from me. They were too overly cheesy, campy, flat in characters, and less interesting in dialogue. The ones from my childhood which stay with me today are:
THE DARK CRYSTAL
WILLOW
LABYRINTH
THE SECRET OF NIMH
THE FLIGHT OF DRAGONS
THE LAST UNICORN
THE NEVERENDING STORY
THE PRINCESS BRIDE

What they all shared were characters that you could follow and feel for, heavy themes that hit hard and make you think, cry, and smile, witty dialogue that I could imagine being recited in a drama class, beautifully made puppets and sets, and music with a lot of heart, entertainment, excitement, and mysticism.

[–] butterworthwarbucks-1 15 years ago

yeah, definitely (and in this order)

THE DARK CRYSTAL
THE NEVERENDING STORY
THE SECRET OF NIMH
THE LAST UNICORN

and whomever said that bit about when artex died and they had to leave the theater? i don't care if you're a man or a woman, can i marry you? i had the exact same experience when i saw it in the theater. only i'm such a baby, i swear, i'm 32 now and i STILL shed a few tears when artex dies.

"Artex! You have to fight the swamps of sadness! Don't let it consume you, Artex! Artex!" - Atreyu (who, by the way, i had an immense crush on as an 8 year old girl.

[–] Henry J Sosenite 15 years ago

I'm not a big fan of anime, or fantasy for that matter, but Miyazaki's "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind" is MINDBLOWINGLY good.

This vine is for hitting ghosts.