Labyrinth (1986) Retrospective / Review
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 ก.ค. 2012
- / oliverharper
www.olivers-retrospectives.com
/ ollieh82
/ oliverharpersretrospec...
/ oliverharper1982
Labyrinth (1986) Retrospective / Review
Let's Play Channel
/ retropodcasts - บันเทิง
![[ไฮไลต์] รอบชิงชนะเลิศ "เทนนิส พาณิภัค" ไทย vs จีน Guo Qing เทควันโดหญิง 49kg | โอลิมปิก 2024](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/xgvTIdE8j3U/mqdefault.jpg)
R.I.P to our favorite Goblin King.
I know him as The Sovereign.
Jon Porter R.I.P.Jareth
and Professor Snape, Willy Wonka, and Princess Leia.
10:08 Bowie not a good actor? .. . Hell, he stared in a successful BROADWAY PLAY ( The Elephant Man ).
jim Henson was a bonified creative genius. RIP
This film never gets old. Nor does Legend. Always been one of my favorites. And incredible music to boot.
What about The Neverending Story..?
Tomek Piotrowski
Nor does it nor The Navigator
Can't believe it failed at the box office, this film was amazing, I always thought it was a massive hit, everyone around me went crazy for this when it came out
same here
yeah the 80´s had wonderful fantasy films, but unfortunately not the audience for.
even Legend fell 1 million short on box office.
Very few people had culture at the time. The reason all of the people you knew went crazy for it was because you did. Birds of a feather flock together and tend to enjoy the same things. It's only logical.
A friend of mine is such a huge fan of this movie he had his first name officially changed to Labrinth. Then a few years later he also had his last name changed to Labrinth so his name is now Labrinth Labrinth.
@@clarenceboddicker6679 what's his middle name?..or dare l ask?
I adore the little worm in the scarf too :)
Come have a nice cup of tea.
The Ball room scene was my favorite part of the movie
dvddmc me too
That was when the movie got boring
Always thought that the Goblin King was a really tragic figure. The film doesn't overstate this, but its evident the more you watch it.
@Zoe Kin Abusiveness doesn't contradict tragedy. Falling into his trap forever would be a tragedy.
Within You (Jareth's "your eyes can be so cruel" sounds so full of pain) is my favorite song and scene in the film. There are sexual interpretations of Jareth, since Sarah is coming of age, and some of those interpretation make Jareth a total creepo, but I see him more as the dark part of herself that wants to ignore responsibility. Even the dancing at the ball didn't come off as sexual desire but more as a trick to waste Sarah's time with her own Cinderella fantasy. Really it's a mish mash of ideas, a lot of writers worked on it and it's a miracle it didn't become a total mess.
Actually David Bowie did an excellent job at acting in this, this is another 80s classic in almost every way, a creative masterpiece.
R.I.P David Bowie
Henson had a unique fantasy vision. I wish he had lived longer and made more films like Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal. Good review, love your perspective. oh, RIP Jareth, our Goblin King....
Watched this movie when it first came out in Theatre’s and loved it as a teenager. The cold world of adult realities and technical imperfects can ruin almost any fantasy. The world of Jim Henson and his company was amazing. Very fortunate to grow up with his vision on tv and screen.
One of my most beloved childhood films. Beings an 80s kid was brilliant. Can’t wait to show my baby daughter this when she’s a bit older (she’s currently 9 months old)
Neverending story Dark Crystal and of course The Labrynith were my core childhood movies :) oh and of course Flight of the navigator
Saw this movie 3 times in theater when it came out, still own the vinyl soudntrack, have a collector's box with Dark Crystal and Mirromask (as Oliver said, interesting but that's all)
For me it became an instant classic despite its obvious flaws, I was blown away by the world it created, all the puppets and practical effects (sometimes overlooked, like the stone head that's actually made of 3 different stones and appears only under at a certain angle, the world is filled with that kind of details)
I'm in my fifties now but my heart still misses a beat when Sarah is reunited with her friends at the end. Labyrinth is not better or worse than movies that are made today, it's just that they don't make them like that anymore. Somehow it stood the test of time and became the cult classic it deserved to be. I'm glad I loved it since day one, and today I have younger friends who go bonkers when they hear "You remind me of the babe…" :)
Dance Magic Dance !
I'm so pleased you addressed the package. *snicker*
Great review.
Fun fact: In the scenes where Jareth is spinning the balls in his hand, it's not David Bowie but someone hiding behind him who's doing that.
Yes, that was juggler, Michael Moschen. I saw him at the (now gone) Virginia Beach Pavilion in January 1997 and got to meet him after the show. He gave me some pointers which vastly improved my contact juggling. Moschen was pretty much self taught practicing with his childhood friend who is also a fantastic juggler but has gone on to find success as a magician. That would be the large, talkative half of the magic duo, Penn & Teller!
Oh that makes sense, I’ve always thought it looked slightly awkward/off.
I watched the "Making of" this movie, and for the Fire Gang's scene, they didn't use Blue screen, it was actually Black screen!
David Bowie was wooden? Wait, my mind just went somewhere else... regrouping.... Ok *deep breath* LOL. We'll have to agree to disagree here. He KILLS this role, he brought this character to life and no one else could ever have played Jareth.
raerae1281 not even Tim Curry?
@@Pooky1991 yeah I could really see Tim Curry feening for a teen.
@@Pooky1991 Hey! Tim Curry is an exception! Darkness was the bomb.
A few commercials? Jennifer Connelly had a decent sized role in Once Upon a Time in America(1984).
Difficult to miss, I had never seen a more beautiful girl my age.
And also phenomena from 1985
I think Bowie was a fine actor, may he rest in peace! A few years before his death he was actually very good as Nikolai Tesla in The Prestige and excellent in The Hunger!
RIP David Bowie.
Still haven't seen this movie since it came out around my 13th birthday. That feels weird to me, since it was 29 years ago.
It was this film that made me love films, I watched the making of so many times before I saw the film but they never took away from the amazing special effects. I also used to play the C64 game with my parents. Jim Henson sold these characters perfectly. I was only 5 when this came out but the memories are still so fresh, such was the impact of the visuals at the end
Love this movie! Gorgeous puppeteer work and christ... Jennifer Connelly is gorgeous.
I grew up watching this movie it’s the definition of fantasy in my eyes, I always thought she was too old for all them teddy bears too. The movie used to scare me including David in leggings ‘’Come in and Ava nice cuppa tea’’ (again great review buddy!)
Wonderful review and insights as always, Mr. Harper...many thanks for this one.
One of the best fantasy films not only from the 1980's, but ever made, IMHO...the story is indeed light, but it doesn't NEED to be more...it's directed at kids, after all, and a simple 'rescue back my baby brother from evil forces' is all you need...given that as a solid basis, the film itself focuses more on characters and memorable situations/dialogue, the elements that make it worth revisiting time and again.
The Pythonesque humor (Jones) is unbearably clever and funny, and this was the movie that initiated my obsession with the gorgeous and talented Jennifer Connelly (yes, I know...she was 14...but I was 17 when the film was released, so calm down, LOL), who remains stunning to this day and has only gotten better as an actress as time has moved on...from the amazing sets, visuals and design to the catchy and memorable songs/soundtrack, this film is an outright classic, and I am happy it has become more than just a cult favorite...I have yet to encounter anyone who doesn't love it, and I keep my fingers crossed for an eventual follow up...as Bowie sadly recently passed away, maybe Jared's son fixates on Sarah's daughter...and kidnaps her, forcing Sarah to once again enter the Labyrinth and rejoin all her friends who, as happens in fairy tales, haven't aged at all since we saw them last...
They had a sequel in the form of a short manga series.
No matter what anyone says this will forever be my all time favourite movie. David as Jareth was my first crush😍 to me it’s perfect film! 80s fantasy at its finest! ❤️
I love David Bowie's character! I swoon every time I see him or listen to As the World Falls Down (^0^) Love your reviews by the way! They are accurate and entertaining...the accent is a plus too :)
May have already been mentioned in the comments but Labyrinth did get a sequel, it was a manga.
Jennifer Connelly had done Once Upon A Time In America with Sergio Leone and Phenomena with Dario Argento before this actually.
was gonna type the exact same thing
smcauley600 me too
+aliensexgangchildren Very true. But Oliver often puts a few "I think" into his videos, which is nice. Makes you realize he doesn't research THAT much and these videos are mainly meant as entertainment. He doesn't pretend to be wikipedia.
Trembling Colors I knew it!
Nice review. You did forget to mention two things, however. The first is that the choreography and performer movement was choreographed by Gates (Cheryl) McFadden, who would go on to Star Trek The Next Generation.
The second is that that most of the film, from Toby’s disappearance to Sarah’s arrival back at her home, is all in her head. Clues are given at the film’s beginning when we pan through Sarah’s bedroom and most of the characters are seen, either as dolls or paintings or models. The Labyrinth itself is seen on a table in her room and a picture of David Bowie is on her mirror. Essentially, the film is a adolescent girl’s coming-of-age fantasy.
Yep. I agree with that as well and I would assume that around that time many girls had a crush on either Bowie or Prince
This is my sister-in-law's favorite movie. She even named her son Jareth.
I just watched this movie for the first time today and I already love it to death
My Name Is FuzioN me too I love Labyrinth R.I.P David Bowie my favourite characters are Hoggle and Sir Didymus and Ludo and Jareth Jeniffer Connelly's performance as Sarah was so memorable and iconic
Agree to disagree Oliver, concerning Bowie’s performance.
the one retrospective id love for you to redo with your more diligent and thorough approach you do nowadays.
This was another instant classic, watch it still, and will forever.
Loved the video you compiled at the end.
This movie, as well as Legend and the Dark Crystal were my 3 favorite movies from childhood. I was fortunate to have been able to see them all in the theater.
Just hearing that music at the start of the review got me excited! This is one of my all-time favorite films!
ive seen this movie over and over again during my childhood. such a good movie for kids. i still have the vhs it was on. spacecamp is the second movie on the tape
The decision to include the knockers hard nose breathing is some masterful adr work
The multihand mimics in the well was my fav characters
0:53 love the original cover, remember that at my local video store, awesome memories, they just don't make covers like that any more, theres just so much detail in the artwork unlike the shitty dvd covers we get today.
there is a a sequal in book form but it more focuses on the love between Jareth and Sarah
ew
I dont see how he doesn't have over 6 million subscribers, these are my favorite videos to watch over anything
Those crystals David bowie uses are those magic ball things that were popular for a while.
That's too much detail.
I saw this movie many many times as a kid and I loved how it took you into the world. I found it a bit scary. I think Bowie's and presences made it so memorable, but it's too bad he changed the script so much. I would imagine he has a huge ego haha. I like that the movie is a bit thin and resolves quickly, it kind of mirrors the fairy tale aspect. I need to re-watch it. Can't believe she was only 14 either. Good review!
thats so great henson saw the film become a loved classic, aww
I saw this @ the Cinema in Berkley CA when I was in the NAV. I enjoyed it Immensely.
One of the more prominent competitors to Labyrinth was some aerial action film called Top Gun; Jennifer would be in a supporting role in Top Gun: Maverick nearly 4 decades later (her character, Penny Benjamin, in fact was mentioned in the 1986 original).
I really enjoy your retrospectives. Any thought on doing a Retrospective on the film The Witches? As it’s Jim Henson’s final film, this put me in mind of it.
I'm sure many young teens keep their childhood toys in their rooms for much of their teenage years. Sarah's toys are friends she relies on to keep her company and comfort her.
I love the reviews for more then just emotional.nostalgic reasons. could you please
tell me where did you get the intro music wich previews all the songs from the movie?
Cheers
I think you should look at this one again, Oliver. There is a lot more going on in the film that some of us have only recently picked up on, including myself. :D
The Storyteller was amazing!
Another of my fav nostalgia movies.
I love Jim Henson films. SO glad you mentioned Mirrormask. Valentine is my favorite character ever tbh
It's actually easy to explain the existence of the Labyrinth. The being that first appeared in the form of an owl was never really the goblin king, that was just a character from Sarah's favourite story which this being (I view it as a faery lord) pretended to be for Sarah's benefit. Looking at the start, everything in Sarah's room is in the Labyrinth. This being altered it's own realm into a world based entirely on Sarah's dreams and imagination so he could use it to make Sarah see how much her baby brother really meant to her, and that she could live in the real world while still keeping her dream with her. This is why Sarah only progressed to a new part of the Labyrinth after learning an important life lesson. This being who pretended to be the villain from Sarah's favourite story is really the secret hero of the movie. This is why he checked up on Sarah at the end of the movie, to make sure things turned out as he intended.
Nice, I like it. I see something similar, but without external faeries, instead Sarah is her own antagonist and protagonist, she created the world, Jareth, Fire Gang and all from her own fantasy consumed teenage mind, invoked it into reality (like a tulpa) while at an existential crossroads. In order to evolve she must solve the riddle of her own character with the help of her cowed rational side (Hoggle), her harassed sense of compassion (Ludo) and her inflated courage/defiance (Sir Didymus). I'm on the fence about whither Toby experienced it too or not, would he really have disappeared if she failed??? It is temping to see Jareth at least as an external force, rather then just a manifestation of her sexual fear and desire.
I think Oliver was saying it just wasn't explicitly explained, but on stories like this, OZ and Wonderland that are their own reality; I think explicit explanations may diminish them. They need only hints of explanation they entice the our imagination.
my fave kiddies film of all time - and even this long after release I still have the soundtrack on my iPod
According to the book "Labyrinth: The Ultimate Visual History" the character of Jareth is similar to the devil in a way which makes a lot of sense, in addition to this if you look closely you can see photos of Bowie in Sarah's room, this is sort of a Captain Hook ordeal where the villain/supernatural creature resembles someone in the character's life, in this case it is the Jeremy character who is an actor that dated Sarah's mother Linda. Considering the other choices that were considered for the role of Jareth (like for example Michael Jackson, Freddie Mercury and Mick Jagger), I think Bowie was the right choice. Also, the music video for Underground is basically the origin story of Jareth.
this and the dark crystal are nightmare inducing
Jennifer was only 14? I always thought she, and the character, was older- like 16 or more.
She was born in 1970 so she was 16.
I thought she was wayyy too young for Bowie and I was 2 when this came out ! Lol
@@journeyman1218 Movie was shot between April and September of '85 and Connelly's birthday is December 1970, hence she was 14.
Her character in the story is indeed 16, though.
I loved this film growing up I didn’t see it until the mid 90s but my sisters and I adored it back then , it’s somewhat dated now but I still enjoy watching it from time to time I still have the dvd in the old dvd collection somewhere at home .
loved this growing up!
Second time you attribute "Labyrinth" as Jennifer Lawrence's first acting role. She started with Sergio Leone's "Once Upon a Time in America".
Hey there, it leans more towards fantasy adventure but there are elements that suggest it could be classed as a chick flick i think really down to it having a female lead. But I personally would put into the category of 'Fantasy Adventure'.
For the last time, it's BOW-EEE, not BOUGH-EEE
Levi-OH-sa not levioSA.
You realize those could both be pronouced the same way?
Was hoping you'd mention that Dr Crusher (Cheryl "Gates" Mcfadden) did the choregraphy for the movie.
Wow really? I didn't know she was a choreographer. I remember she danced in a few TNG episodes and thought her dancing was very good... now I know why!
I heard a long ago rumor that they were planning to remake Labyrinth with David Bowie reprising his role ofJareth.
I still own this movie on VHS (as well as Legend, Back To The Future, Willow, and many others).
Terry's idea for the story is a very good concept and I kind of wish they went with that, but I still love what we got.
Yeah the graphics of the movie _is_ weak, but it gives the movie character.
I saw the Dark Crystal at around age 7 and I didn’t find it too scary. I loved it.
A correction - Mirrormask had a limited theatrical release, coming out on DVD almost immediately after. I saw this at my local arthouse cinema.
Say it, say it like David:
'Beybey!'
I had the biggest crush on Jennifer Connelly in this
She is a stunner. But for me it was The Rocketeer.
Hoggle is now stuck in a perpetual state of pog
I love this movie so much, I have gained a great respect for David Bowie because of it.
Brian Froud recently changed his name to Marty Huggins
Love the movie, but one thing always bothered me about it. Why didn't Sarah just climb up the wall and walk along the top? Sure, she'd probably have had to do a bit more climbing up and down, but it would have been a whole lot faster! (Yeah, some of it had spikes on the top, but not most as far as I could see.)
One of my fav films! you remind me of the babe what babe the babe of the power....
Love this film!!!
I watched this on TV as a kid and the scene with the worm was always edited out to make the film fit in the 2 hour with commercial grid.
I like to believe that the movie has been immortalized due to David Bowie’s passing in 2016. I remember as a kid I was in a Shakespeare themed restaurant and thought it was a Shakespeare film (lol). Now years later, I admire Jim Henson’s work and David Bowie’s music. Magic Dance is my absolute favourite
Met someone who has a real love for this movie like me
Did you know that one of the Hoggle puppets (full size) ended up in Unclaimed Baggage? It's on display at the Unclaimed Baggage location store in Alabama, just to show anything can get lost at the airport.
Anyone who doesn't see this movie as a child is missing out. I made sure that my nieces and nephew saw this when they were little and they loved it.
Labyrinth is one of my all time fav movies.
About five years ago, I was commenting on a friend’s Facebook post being my usual, snarky, self. A woman replied to my comment and I replied back. She and I had a fun back-and-forth conversation there and I wanted to check out her profile. She had a pic from Labyrinth as her timeline photo. So I HAD to send her a friend request! She accepted and it turned out we had a lot in common, like a love for cats. She was also local. When Labyrinth was rereleased in theaters for its 30th anniversary I asked if she’d like to join me. She said yes. Cut to two years later I asked her if she would marry me. She said yes! I thought it would be fantastic to have a Labyrinth themed wedding, but though she loves the movie she’d rather have a Greatest Showman theme instead. As I used to work for Ringling Bros and Barnum and Bailey, I have no problem with that!
I liked Labyrinth & I have it on DVD.
Love this movie but seeing this video brings back so many memories of David Bowie.
I finally knew that it was all a dream in her head when I was old enough to understand, yes that was the start of my teen years, so I took quit a while to get it!!!
I just did a asl performance of magic dance for my final, I’m really surprised no one had put a version on TH-cam. All of Bowie’s other songs r on here in asl, maybe I should be the first
oh and by the why she did other films Once Upon a Time in America ,1984 Phenomena , and 1984 Seven Minutes in Heaven .Jennifer Connelly i mean
A really good example of how the childhood nostalgia of a film will gloss over its shortcomings. I don't say that as a negative, I love the film and can appreciate it on more levels now I am "grown-up"
The Ballroom scene was the beat part of the movie
That music video with Hoggle is hilarious
the fire creatures were even more terrifying than bowie's insane tights. the skeksis from dark crystal were more terrifying than all...
side note: i was completely unaware of the monty python connection so thanks for the heads up on that!
At the beginning of the video, which version of Magic Dance is that?
Pretty sure that's the album version.
Can you do a retrospective/review on Don bluth’s the secret of NIMH
I always thought Jennifer Connelly was 16 in the movie. I now feel a bit dirty.
Harry BuddhaPalm right? I've never seen a 14 year old look like that
I thought she was 17 lol
you should lol and 16 isnt any better, unless theyre 18 its a crime so food for thought
Raziel Talos not in the uk ;)
@@razieltalos Denmark is 15!