And thus, an entire generation of children learned that it's POSSIBLE TO DIE FROM BEING TOO SAD. For extra trauma, in the book Artax can talk and is telling Atreyu the whole time to just let him go.
@@Zodia195 The movie only contains the first half of the book. The second half is about the boy getting into the book, diving into it, living his dreams of becoming the hero, with no flaws, forgetting where he came from, forgetting why he was there, looking all motivation to ever go back.
Kid’s movies in the 80’s said “Fuck you, we’re going to scar you for life” Imagine watching the scene with Artax when you’re a little kid and not an adult, just non stop tears
I was five years old when I watched that movie in the original german release in a cinema. There was no scene in that version, that fades to black. So whenever you see a scene in the international cut that fades to black, that scene has been cut short.
"That was intense!" The empress' plea, delivered straight to camera, is heartbreaking. Tami Stronach was incredible, even if she only has that one scene.
She is also a lady of somewhat cosmopolitan origins. By birth, heritage, and upbringing, she is an Iranian-Scottish-Israeli-Californian, and currently a New Yorker.
I know she's gone on to a great career elsewhere, which is awesome, but kind of a shame that she never really acted again. She had such charisma and power that you just don't often see in a child actor. Heartbreaking is exactly the right word
I think the only way it could've been improved is if they had her yelling for him to say the name byt they set it up and kept delaying so it was clear they were waiting for the audience to actually say a name. to push the double fourth-wall thing going on.
A person without imagination is a person without dreams and hopes. A person without hope is easy to control. Holy shit, they went hard in the 20th century! And the soundtrack is amazing~
Beyond the implication of lack of imagination allowing control by society, family expectations, the government, etc, the movie was also prescient regarding how much modern Internet has contributed to kids having much more difficulty managing their own boredom by creating their own fun when they don't have access to their electronics.
@@taejaskudva2543 The second half of the book goes much further when the boy enters the word of the neverending story and creates his own adventures. Sadly the secord part of the book was not really made into a movie. The 2nd does not really address anyhing the book cares about.
The moment you realize that the swamp of sadness causes depression and that Artax allowed himself to be swallowed by the swamp. Essentially committing suicide.
Right? So cool how the swamp fed. Some creatures use traps, some use speed to hunt their prey but this thing uses your own emotions. Must be an amazingly complex life form.
As everything in Fantasia is the manifestiation of some person's imagination, the Swamp is just the bottom of despair that a depression sufferer can reach. No more creativity, no more color. Just a wish for the End.@@JohnnyJohnny-f5o
Artax was an aid. When you're depressed it seems those things/ people/places where you draw strength from, lose meaning. They die. But you have to push through, even without your aid.
Simone you can be at ease about the horse swamp scene, there’s actually a video explaining how they trained the horses for the scene, and they were comfortable doing the stunt. It’s far more likely the horse was going off of how the performer was behaving, because it is a well done scene with a lot of emotion behind it
“Why can’t the dragon just fly over it?” In the book this is addressed. The second gate isn’t there until you pass through the first gate, and the third gate isn’t there (in the book there were three) until you pass through the second, and the Oracle isn’t there until you pass through the third.
We kids who grew up in the 80's were so spoiled with our movies. The Neverending Story, Labyrinth, The Dark Crystal, The Last Starfighter, Tron, The Goonies, The Princess Bride, Flight Of The Navigator, Gremlins, ET, The Karate Kid, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Ghostbusters and so many more.
In fact, 'The Neverending Story' is based on a 1979 German children's novel called 'Die unendliche Geschichte,' written by Michael Ende. The downside of the movie is that it only covers the first part; the sequels deviated significantly from the book
The second half of the book is a lesson in “power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely” as Bastion becomes a tyrant. It was a great book, but it would be a very jarring sequel.
@@janranft9397 Yeah, I especially loved the part where he's in the house of Dame Eyola, and his return to being a child instead of a hero there. It was such a soothing part.
I saw this in the theater. As a geeky book kid who spent more time in the library than my peers, it was a very rewarding movie. The empress was my first crush and my heart still aches when she cries. The actors are interesting. Bastian became a photographer specializing in 19th century techniques. Atreyu became a tattoo artist for a while and says that he has tattooed the Auryn on several fans. The Empress went into dance and then into working with children.
@MusikCassette Not at the time. This was pre-internet, and we only had a mom & pop bookstore in our town. Most of what I read was from the school and public libraries or bought second-hand from garage sales. I'm kind of glad, though, because my image of the movie and love for it is a singular thing, unifluenced by the original work, or the author's opinion of the film. I did read it years later, though, and would love to see a well-made series explore its ideas.
@MusikCassette Well, feel free to go back in time and tell 12 year old me. It'll probably blow his mind. Until then. I'm not sure what the point of this line of thought is.
I don't think I understood the movie was based on a book until I was an adult anyway, at which point I did read it. I guarantee that I didn't bother watching the credits so wouldn't have found it there. For a lot of us nerdy, bookish, pre-internet kids, our knowledge of the world was pretty well limited to what we gathered from our friends, because obviously we already knew everything that was worth knowing...
What's even funnier about the title is that the author of the book is Michael Ende, and his last name literally means "end" in German, which is the original language of the story.
Yeah, well the movie is basically only the first half of the book. The whole wish thing disaster, recreating Fantasia and reuniting with his highly depressed dad was left out @@misterknister18
As a kid from the 80s who had serious depression this movie had a big impact on me. It just tried to give form to so many feelings. Well into my teens when I was struggling my dad would ask 'How do we fight the nothing?' as a way to help ground me and register that I was spiraling. Its a very weird movie, but always going to be something special to me and something I go back to in times of grief.
"Mr. Simpson, this is the most blatant case of false advertising since my suit against the film 'The Neverending Story'" Ha ha, to this day, I still think that is one of the most funniest bits in The Simpsons.
Steven Spielberg was given the original Auryn prop by director Wolfgang Petersen as a "thank you" gift for his help with the film! It hangs in a glass display in Steven Spielberg's office!
This is probably the first reaction video of this movie where they actually realize that she was talking about the people watching the movie and breaking the fourth wall. I don’t remember other people catching that detail.
The Neverending Story was based on a novel, and the author hated what Wolfgang Peterson did with it so much he didn't even want his name in the credits. and then there's Noah Hathaway (Atreyu), who was 12 years old when they started filming, and to this day he talks about how the director kept trying to kill him every week during filming! and the name Bastian called out, his mother's name, was Moonchild.
It's been a long time since I read the story but I didn't think at the time the adaptation was that terrible for a short movie. It's missing the second part however which is the most interesting one imo.
@@csabagall8811 Typically Content in TV and Cinema is changed, so that the Audience in that Country got it easier to adapt. I learned that a long time ago when I went to Spain from Germany and the mentality was so different but also the preferences in TV and Cinema were very different. For Example most of what you could watch in TV was Bull Fighting, Soccer or States Lottery. Unthinkable in Germany at the time. European Countries are extremely different.
I feel like the mention of his mother's name was a red herring, especially considering how hard it was to hear in the original audio. In the book, he decided the name when he read the description of the empress.
The Death of Artax is absolutely traumatizing. I read the book, heard the audio play, and I saw this movie as a child, the studio scenes were shot not far from where I lived. Later in life I visited the studio, sat on Falchor's back and all. But the Death of Artax represents depression, in fact it represents losing a friend to depression, to the Swamp of Sadness that doesn't affect you but those you love and care about. So, it only gets worse the older you get... Michael Ende is heavy writing, for sure. Fun fact: That movie only covers the first half of the book! It gets grim with Bastian in Fantasia...
The nothing is more coming from his father's demand to grow up and stop dreaming and living in the fantasy world of his books. His mother's death of course adds to this. In the book the Aurin fulfills wishes (so pretty much standing for the ultimate fantasy, that everything you want becomes truth), but with every fulfilled wish you lose a memory. So while Fantasia is dying when you stop dreaming and fatasizing, your self dies, when you lose yourself in it. Near the end of the book, there is a whole town where all those who lost themselves remain, having lost themselves to the fantasy world in their heads, whatever it looked like in reality. It's an allegory. Atreyu is Bastian's idea of heroism (that's why Atreyu is seing Bastian in the mirror, since Bastian is his own origin). Artax death in the swamp of sadness that also almost kills Atreye is most likely coming from Bastian's experience with death regading his mother. And the Childlike Empress, the core of Bastian's fantasy, is his Anima, his inner female self (a girl would have an Animus). By givin her a name he accepts her as 'real', that his fantasy is an important part of himself and not just "childplay" as his father calls it and wants him to deny it. Fantasia's destruction wouldn't kill Bastian, but it would destroy an important part of himself, making him grow up as an adult without joy and happiness. Doing the opposite and denying reality, only wanting to live in Fantasia would hurt him the same - just in the opposite way.
@@miriamweller812 "um actually" I think the nothing can be interpreted in various ways. This is the film, not the book and I knew all of that other stuff. ✌🏻
Kids and adults alike could relate to Bastian and his dad: they're both still grieving, and his dad is a single parent trying to do right for his only son. Him telling Bastian that he can't run away from his problems is one the movie's.central themes. We all have a role to play, small yet still important. You can't always be a bystander and just watch things happen, as someone else might need you eventually. Even if you don't know about your own part, you'll need the initiative to play it right. So Bastian ,who'd started reading the book as a pastime, eventually realized he himself was part of Atryu's story, and didn't even know it. So, he stepped up to name the Empress, instead of chickening out when people depended on him. One mustn't back down from an important task; not when everyone else is counting on you.
I highly recommend you two to read the book. the first part is about not to let your inner child die, the second part is not to let yourself loose in your fantasies..
Most 80s kids have seen this movie at least once. It took many of us years to realize that it's actually a story about a child trying to deal with loss before his grief swallows him (the nothing). Since we never finish dealing with loss, the story is truly without end. This stands as one of the more poignant takes on the classic hero's journey.
0:33 - George not putting together that that's a Chinese style dragon... 15:26 - Finally! The Childlike Empress was my first crush when I saw the film at 12 years old (the same age as her)
The dad's morning drink was essentially the original Orange Julius (though they might have just used egg whites), just without any added sugar. They stopped using the egg at some point and going to an emulsifying mix but when they were at their peak of popularity it was eggs (very similar to cocktails that use egg whites). Sounds weird to the ear, but delicious to the mouth 😁
OMG orange juliuses were the best!!! Many people tried to copy it.... nobody ever did. Decades later I still remember how awesome they were. Never had a "true" one since.
At the time of this movie's release, it was the most expensive movie ever made in Germany. It wasn't until the internet that most of us ever know what Sabastian's mother's name was.
Like I said before, this is my favorite movie growing up. It taught me the power of storytelling, imagination, and reading all together. These days it has a new context as I lost my mom two years ago. She knew my love for this movie as she had to sit through me watching it several times. It's hard not to watch this without thinking about her. But I know when I do watch it, I'll have those wonderful memories. You're in for a treat with this one, even with the darker elements.
Since Simone asked: Falkor the Luck Dragon was 3 different puppets. The full body one lying down, a head and shoulders puppet for the dragon riding scenes, and an undercarriage with 1 or 2 limbs for the scenes where he's picking people and things up from the ground while flying over them.
@kaypirinha1982 me too! Although now I'm thinking about it it may have only just barely been the 90s. The studio museum there was great even though it basically had Das Boot, Neverending Story and a sci-fi movie I can remember literally nothing about. The Das Boot stuff was fantastic, I'd just watched it for German Class when we went and was probably more hyped to go on the Sub than ride on the Dragon.
11:00 Congratulations! You've now experienced the source of all Gen X/Xennial trauma! Also, "They look like big, strong hands, don't they?" is easily one of the most devastating lines of dialog ever in a "family" film.
@@frizzlethecat2084The Black Hole. Dragonslayer. Etc. So many "these are fine with kids" films with massive doses of enormous horror sprinkled on top!
@@johnirving5949 Don't forget _The Land Before Time._ I loved it as a kid but it was so goddamn heartbreaking that even though I own it on DVD, I still haven't been able to bring myself to watch it again even at the age of 40
As a kid born in 1980 I saw this very young and it is clear in my memory that the empress was my first childhood fascination/crush. The Wolf monster is also permanently imprinted in my brain. That thing scared the crap out of me! On the plot of the movie and I didn't go through all the comments there is a line of thinking that says the entire story Is representing the main character's journey through the loss of his mom. His concern over losing the memory of her, his sadness and depression, His dad wanting him to not be stuck in those memories and to move on, And him finding resolution in using the memory of his mom Alongside his creativity moving forward.
@@nsasupporter7557 yup that's the math for when it was released in theaters. I also didn't say I literally saw it in theaters. VHS movie rental would have started for it by say 85 or so. I was definitely under 8 by the time I'd seen it a few times. it's also why I qualified my statement as "fascination/crush".
I was so excited for this reaction and you did not disappoint! One of the most emotionally complex “kids” movies ever made! The Last Unicorn is another classic 80s film that is much deeper than people first imagine!
I saw this film really young and it was the only kids movie I ever really loved. It spoke to me in a way nothing else did. I was diagnosed manic depressive after puberty and I use to always say my biggest fear was “the nothing”. It gave me a language at the time to explain how I felt and what I struggled against. In fact, that’s still my answer to this very day, and how I framed my recovery during a hard time in life years later. For that reason alone, this movie means a lot to me. ❤️
This movie is based on what's probably Germany's most famous fantasy novel. Also, the Neverending Story title can be explained by the fact that every chapter ends with a tease about things that happened with a character or place we were introduced to in the chapter, and the words "...but that is another story, and shall be told another time." So the main story branches out into infinite side stories in theory.
This is the German cut of the film which plays Artax's death more for horror. It's a lot creepier how the sad music is removed and most of the scene plays in dead silence, and you can hear him whinnying in distress. The international version also cut the shot of the air bubbles popping.
The novel by Michael Ende is just wonderful. This movie covers only about half of the story. As a kid, I was absolutely mesmerized by the book and how it was written. The movie gives you little idea of how you get sucked into the story, like when Bastian suddenly reads that the book's characters hear him scream. The book alternates between two font colors posing as the real and the fantasia world until it keeps going back and forth, back and forth in even shorter intervals and when it starts including you as the reader of the two worlds and your own reality. It's a magical piece of literature and still very readable, I'd say in the same league as Lord of the Rings with that little extra of making you a part of it just like Bastian. Yes, you can get your picture riding Falkor, the luck dragon, at the Bavaria Studios in Munich in front of a green screen with the backdrop of clouds and mountains flying by. It's a German production mostly shot in the Munich film studios, the same place Das Boot was filmed - also by Wolfgang Petersen. So, on the same studio tour, you can also walk through U96, the submarine used for the movie. Hope you're not claustrophobic. It's in historically original size.
This movie is about the first half of the original German book by Michael Ende. Ende was famously unhappy with this movie and the way they basically cut the story in half. The whole book is really good, you should definitely read it if you like epic fantasy and don't mind a bit of a YA feel to it.
It was the design of the Oracle gate with the boobs he didn't like and the deal breaker was Bastian passing over into the real world in the end. That was breaking all the rules that had been established in the book.
I was not traumatized at all. I have to say for all those who don’t k ow-his mothers name was MoonChild. I named my cat after that in japanese. Tsukiko.
This was released the year i was born, and it's one of my earliest film memories. It's a wonder I turned out relatively normal when you also consider the likes of Labyrinth and Flight of the Navigator...
So about the Nothing as a lack of fantasy/creativity. Michael Ende wrote this book at a time when the majority of german books were set in stern realism and politic engagement, fantasy was only seen as escapism. I think Ende tried to go against this trend and bring fantasy and realism into balance. To quote the Bookseller Koreander: There are people who can never go to Phantasia, and there are people who can, and are gone forever. And there are a few, like you, that went and came back again; and these are the ones that heal both worlds. I highly recommend the Book. Where the story actually becomes never ending unless Bastian intervenes, it was done so by the child empress to force Bastian into acting. The two movies (do not watch the 3rd, it has no relation to the Book) only cover about a third of the Book. In my mind this is one of the greates books the german language has ever given us.
It truly is a great book - I also love Momo by the same author. And I would truly like to add "Die Stadt der träumenden Bücher" ("the city of dreaming books") by Walter Moers. Maybe not the same level as Unendliche Geschichte but I can't recommend it enough.
100%, George edited out any scenes with the theme song to avoid copyright strikes. It's one of the easiest ways for reaction channels to have problems if something detects music used without permission. He's mentioned it before in previous films that they just can't include songs.
@@TheYakusoku I looked it up. The original German version doesn't have the theme song. You'll notice in this video that there's a score playing when Bastian wakes up, and the dad opens the fridge. In the international version (which has the song), you don't hear a score when Bastian wakes up, and it cuts to the dad already looking inside the fridge.
80's Kids movies had no Chill It would present to kids a Dark world full of dangers and Horrors and traumatic experiences. BUT it would also show that the protagonist could overcome his fears, his doubts and confront the Horrors he was facing, by using his Wits, his courage and ingenuity It showed kids that the world was NOT all sunshines and rainbows, but that it was Ok, cause they could count on their Bravery, their friends and their family to overcome them and stand proud 80's Kids movies was very formative, and din't insult the inteligence of its audience, and it was the BEST.
Interestingly, my experience with modern movies is that the kids i know find the more grounded plot points of being embarrassed in front of other kids, of being discovered to have lied to their parents or friends etc is way more difficult and traumatic, while horrific fantasy elements are scary but manageable because its not real. My kids will “happily” cry their way through the death of Anthrax, and feel great about Atreyu overcoming his grief… but refuse to continue watching a movie where a kid lies to a friend. I’m trying to coax them back “they will be forgiven in the end, just keep watching”, but nope.
I was born in 81 and this movie played a huge role in my childhood! It holds a very special place in my heart. I have seen it countless times but adore it every time. The Falcor used in the movie is reportedly now on display in a German museum and you can have your picture taken sitting on him! I would pay to simply go and get that picture! Even if I returned home immediately after.
The title makes more sense if you read the book Also crazy thing is i rewatched this film a few days ago (the german version which is longer) and reread the book The whole quest is a batman gambut by the empress. She knows what she needs as she has been through the birth death reburth cycle of fantasia many times, by sending atreyu on the quest bastian becomes invested in the story and is drawn in, thus can cross over into fantasia himself Something that the empress doesn't tell bastian is that with each wish he loses part of himself, such as he wishes to be handsome and princely and forgets he was fat and weak, previous savious of fantasia who abused the wishes or tried to overthrow the empress end up in the city of old emperors and are nothjng but hollow husks who can't really do anything for themselves
This movie was very much a way to bring important ideas to kids in a way they could comprehend it. Ideas about dealing with death and loss, like Bastian's mother having died, tied to Atreyu losing Artax, allows kids to have an understanding of how hurt lasts after the loss of someone you love. It's also about how you sometimes you lose people, even when you try your hardest to hold onto them. Parents, family, friends, even yourself. Sometimes the forces arrayed against you are stronger than your ability to resist. "They look like big, good, strong hands, don't they?"
See this movie never traumatised me as a kid because about a week before I saw this movie I watched the most brutal and gruesome movie any child could watch Watership Down….movies were never the same for me after that
I still can't bring myself to rewatch Watership Down, it hit too hard. On the plus side, never been hurt by a film since. Watership Down is like a vaccination against emotional damage.
But Watership Down is an amazing book and as an adult, it should definitely be read. But the fallacy of thinking "Oh, it's an animated movie about cute rabbits, it MUST be for kids" is probably the reason for so many traumatized children. Man, still - such a great book.
Another RPG trope: "Just make them like the ones on level 3, but make them a different color." About the Southern Oracle looking like the Self Worth Sphinxes, just blue. 😂
In fairness, the Southern Oracle in the book was just a disembodied voice, which makes it less impactful on screen. But for sure, big '80s console palette-swap vibes 🤣
I think it adds something. Looking at the time period and the age of his father, Bastian's mom was likely a hippie free spirit. I wonder what his dad might have been like as a young man. Consumed by the realities of adulthood, and choosing to put his own feet on the ground, he is the very thing the Gmork is talking about. Someone who lost his dreams. Losing his wife only cemented it and now risks doing the same to his son. Now this is my own interpretation, so grain of salt and all that...
I was 6 when this came out and I still love it. Even movies and cartoons geared towards kids didn't hold back. Artax dying was soooo sad, The wolf was terrifying, and i wanted a luck dragon. The 80's was a great time for movies with kids as the main heroes. Some other great ones that get overlooked: "Cloak and Dagger" (1984)- Kids vs. international spies but not funny. "D.A.R.Y.L" (1985)- Government created kid robot. "Firestarter" (1984)- Pyrokinetic child on the run with her father from the government (Drew Barrymore) "Cat's Eye" (1985)- Cat tries to save kid from troll living in her wall (anthology movie) "Explorers" (1985)- Ethan Hawk and friends build a spaceship in their backyard
Wolfgang Petersen, one of the greats in terms of german claims to fame in hollywood. Independence day was produced by him aswell! Also, anyone here remember Momo? Was kind of in a similar spot (maybe just in my memory haha).
@@Edninety another recomendation might be Jim Knopf then too, albeit the cinematic adaptions vary in quality (my personal fav is still the puppet one from the augsburger Puppenkiste, albeit that might be a ton of nostalgia)
Hard to believe that the director of this movie was also the director of Das Boot. When you saw this in 84 in the theater, no had ever seen anything like Falcor before and it blew our minds.
It blew my daughter's mind to learn that by watching this movie we had become part of the never-ending story. The other thing that people always forget or don't talk about with this movie is that the soundtrack was produced by Giorgio Moroder who influenced Daft Punk and is basically the grandad of techno/synth we all love today.
"It's so grim." - Welcome to German literature! 😉 Michael Ende's stories are really fantastic. He had that special imagination and could charm both young and adult readers.
The movie is based on a novel by German author Michael Ende. I read "Die unendliche Geschichte" as a child shortly after it was released in 1979. The moment in the book when the empress tells Atreju that others are sharing Bastian's adventure just as Bastian has been sharing Atreju's was mindblowing for 9 year old me.
The movie has a much deeper story-line than most realize. Its about hope and optimism of the world and its inhabitants. Its about keeping imagination and creativity in people as they grow up. Its about battling grief, depression and darkness that surrounds life and the world. And its about the importance of books for children.
Dad was making a homemade Orange Julius. I didn't see him add ice or crushed ice to the blender, but that's all that's missing. If they're all gone by now, I'll mention that Orange Julius was a specialty frozen drink shop, often found in shopping malls.
Anyone else notice how the voice of the little man with the racing snail sounds different to the version we had as kids? They've also changed Gmork's voice.
They were watching the European version. For the American version, they dubbed them over. This also means that they didn't get to hear the opening theme song we are used to
@@juliomella5977 Yeah they were NOT watching the International Version, which the majority of us watched growing up, but instead watched the original German Version, with English soundtrack, which was released on Blu Ray in 2013.
@@MrCageCat They had the nerve to change the soundtrack during Artex's scene in 2013 and even REMOVE it during the stressful moment?! That's criminal. I bet they did that because they thought the original was 'too sad', just like when they cut out 'When Love Is Gone' from A Muppet Christmas Carol. Both of these are wrapping kids up in cotton wool. I watched this scene as a kid and grew up fine. I swear there's nothing more obscene than censoring emotional movie moments because that is like saying emotions are harmful when in truth they're healthy and essential. What did this even accomplish? It doesn't prevent real deaths, and it doesn't soothe real mourning.
The movie is basically half the book. It's actually a quite good reading. It can be read just as your basic fantasy story but there is a lot of metaphors and comments on life to find if you analyse it a bit. But that, is another story...
Yep, that was what people were probably warning about. I tried watching that scene again for the first time since I saw this movie, and still couldn’t do it. I was also pretty scared, as a kid, by the wolf…truthfully, this was a pretty scarring movie for me, ha
I still have a written journal entry from when I was younger, talking about how much I was happy-crying because of Falkor "chasing those WORTHLESS bullies into the dumpster". And I wrote "worthless" in all caps too. Man, I love my past self.
Fun fact time (I have to wait for the end now because of the trivia sections, which I love); The movie only adapted the first half of the novel. In the book, Atreyu had green skin. Also, Artax could talk, making his succumbing to the sadness much worse for Atreyu. Notso-fun fact: Michael Ende, the author of the book, despised the adaptation because it broke his most important rule. Beings from Fantasia cannot enter reality. They are fictional beings, but their desire to be real was often their main motivation, such as with G'Mork. The second half of the book dealt with what happens once a small, scared child suddenly has the power of wishes. It's very good, and I won't spoil, but the sequel tried to adapt the concept. The third film may be worth watching for a Cinecringe one day, mainly for the performance of a now-famous actor (Who I won't spoil)
After loving the book at her age, I got it for our daughter. It must have been published for about 4 years when I had it. She finished it and really liked it. It will probably appeal to many for many decades in the future. The film doesn't reach it though. The Nothing in the book is just non-existence, no clouds or fog or any dimensions. It might have been scarier without the storm cloud effects.
I’m surprised this movie didn’t see a resurgence when the Stranger Things scene came out. Honestly, I forgot most of the movie until I saw this reaction. But that song stuck with me.
Wolfgang Peterson has a very eclectic filmography. War movies, suspense thrillers, science fiction, fantasy, disaster movies. "Das Boot" is a classic, a submarine thriller. My favorite is "In the Line of Fire" with Clint Eastwood.
One i'd recommend from the same director is the 1985 science fiction drama movie Enemy Mine, starring Dennis Quaid and Louis Gossett Jr., if that's OKay? It's about a human and an alien who crash land on a hostile planet and have to put aside their hatred for each other in order to survive. It's a really touching story and a great science fiction movie 🙂
I watched this movie when it came out. I was four. When it came out on VHS I watched it another 90,000 times. As a kid - I cried every time Artax gave into the sadness. 90,000 times. But as an adult, I cry harder than I ever could as a child at the Rockbiter lamenting.. "they look like big strong hands.." While it's wonderful to see somebody react to it, it's difficult to realize that this isn't your baseline by which all of the things are judged.
The NeverEnding Story is an English adaptation of the first half of the German novel 'Die Unendliche Geschichte' (Literally "The NeverEnding Story"). The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter is a movie based on the second half of the novel.
Great movie. Fyi the author of the book that this movie is based on did not like the movie although it was very successful. The movie is only half the book. Another great adventure movie is Flight of the navigator 1986, Wilow, Lady Hawk and Labyrinth 1986
The reason you saw so much fear and panic in the horse's eyes is because he's a really good actor. He practiced that shot for months to get every nuance down. Truly dedicated. He was robbed at the Oscars.
I met "Bastian" once.(he lives in a castle made by an artist out of recycled material that is now an artist collective). I didn't know it was him until after I met him, lol. I don't think he likes being recognized. My sister & her husband know "Atreyu" aka Noah Hathaway thanks to their mask making company. He's all tatted up now💚-also there's photos online of him posing with Falcor as an adult.😅🤷♀️ The name he gives her is Moonchild btw. Speaking of rats, Ima see if y'all have done Secret of Nimh, if not, you should. Also, the book is woth reading.💚
Speaking to the attic in the school, when i was a young child, I went to a new church that didn't have a building. The church rented the elementary school i went to, and on Sundays we'd put out chairs in the gym for the service. Then aftwr service wed have to put everything away. Sometimes during the setup and takedown times, I'd explore the school and found some interesting little nooks that I'd never have access to during school hours. The elementary school was actually a renovation. The building 100 years ago was the town high school, and there were old rooms (like the locker rooms) that has been converted to storage rooms. It was fun to explore and imagine!
The Neverending Story is actually an adaptation of the first half of the novel of the same name by German author Michael Ende. Flying over the gates at the Southern Oracle doesn't get you anywhere - the next gate is not there if you haven't passed the first one. The outdoor scenes where filmed in Vancouver, but the majority of the movie was filmed in the Bavaria Studios in Munich, Germany. Edit: I strongly recommend reading the novel, it's great.
As an 80s kid, I will testify that so many of us were forever traumatized by the scene in the Swamp of Sadness. Forever burned into our minds.
It's rockbiter's "big strong hands" speech that gets it for me
Yep. Crying right now lol.
It really was the movie that traumatized a generation
True...true
'81 here. Can confirm.
And thus, an entire generation of children learned that it's POSSIBLE TO DIE FROM BEING TOO SAD. For extra trauma, in the book Artax can talk and is telling Atreyu the whole time to just let him go.
WTF!!!!
I did not need to know this 😭😭
Omg, I forgot there was a book . . . .
@@Zodia195 The movie only contains the first half of the book. The second half is about the boy getting into the book, diving into it, living his dreams of becoming the hero, with no flaws, forgetting where he came from, forgetting why he was there, looking all motivation to ever go back.
@@krux02 OH! Wait that was covered in the 2nd movie though. I know others didn't like it, but I enjoyed it lol. I never read the original book.
Kid’s movies in the 80’s said “Fuck you, we’re going to scar you for life”
Imagine watching the scene with Artax when you’re a little kid and not an adult, just non stop tears
Yes, definitely scarred me. The scene with Artax, and the scene with the first gate when the knight gets blasted and his helmet blows open.
For real
Welcome to German fairy Tales
I was five years old when I watched that movie in the original german release in a cinema. There was no scene in that version, that fades to black. So whenever you see a scene in the international cut that fades to black, that scene has been cut short.
@@MrBenedictus25F*cking Struwwelpeter, can't forget that even today haha, great drawings, questionable child education :D
"That was intense!"
The empress' plea, delivered straight to camera, is heartbreaking. Tami Stronach was incredible, even if she only has that one scene.
She is also a lady of somewhat cosmopolitan origins. By birth, heritage, and upbringing, she is an Iranian-Scottish-Israeli-Californian, and currently a New Yorker.
I know she's gone on to a great career elsewhere, which is awesome, but kind of a shame that she never really acted again. She had such charisma and power that you just don't often see in a child actor. Heartbreaking is exactly the right word
She became a dancer right after the movie - but to this day her eyes are ridiculous, she could have been a great hypnotist 😆
I think the only way it could've been improved is if they had her yelling for him to say the name byt they set it up and kept delaying so it was clear they were waiting for the audience to actually say a name. to push the double fourth-wall thing going on.
Bastion shared in Atreyu's adventure, just as you shared in Bastion's, and now WE'VE shared in YOURS. Thanks for the terrific content as always ❤
Never ending-ception?
"Bastian" 🙂
Such a subtle 4th wall break
I always look for this comment, it's so true but not many reactors ever realize this or say it. :)
The friends we made along the way are the never ending story?
A person without imagination is a person without dreams and hopes. A person without hope is easy to control.
Holy shit, they went hard in the 20th century! And the soundtrack is amazing~
Beyond the implication of lack of imagination allowing control by society, family expectations, the government, etc, the movie was also prescient regarding how much modern Internet has contributed to kids having much more difficulty managing their own boredom by creating their own fun when they don't have access to their electronics.
@@taejaskudva2543 The second half of the book goes much further when the boy enters the word of the neverending story and creates his own adventures. Sadly the secord part of the book was not really made into a movie. The 2nd does not really address anyhing the book cares about.
A timeless quote.
Fun fact: The voice actor of Falkor, who also voices Gmork and the Rockbiter, is the original voice of Skeletor in He-Man. Alan Oppenheimer.
Also the voice of Man-At-Arms (who is the most similar in tone to Falkor) and half of the other HE-MAN villains.
He's the bomb >.>
And Christopher Nolan made a whole movie about his life!!!
But seriously... that's awesome
What a wonderful man he is too, total gent
@@fnglert I see what you did there. 😂
The moment you realize that the swamp of sadness causes depression and that Artax allowed himself to be swallowed by the swamp. Essentially committing suicide.
Right? So cool how the swamp fed. Some creatures use traps, some use speed to hunt their prey but this thing uses your own emotions. Must be an amazingly complex life form.
As everything in Fantasia is the manifestiation of some person's imagination, the Swamp is just the bottom of despair that a depression sufferer can reach. No more creativity, no more color. Just a wish for the End.@@JohnnyJohnny-f5o
Artax was an aid. When you're depressed it seems those things/ people/places where you draw strength from, lose meaning. They die. But you have to push through, even without your aid.
Not essentially committing suicide, he did. In the book Artax could talk and was taken by the sadness and told Atreyu he wanted to die
@@IDiggPattyMayonnaise Yep. To add to this the reason Atreyu didn't succumb to the swamp was because he was protected by the magic of the auyrn.
This, Labyrinth, Dark Crystal, Willow, Legend... honestly just SO many great fantasy films from back then!!!
Conan the Barbarian
Ladyhawke
The Princess Bride.
The Last Unicorn.
Dragonslayer
Simone you can be at ease about the horse swamp scene, there’s actually a video explaining how they trained the horses for the scene, and they were comfortable doing the stunt.
It’s far more likely the horse was going off of how the performer was behaving, because it is a well done scene with a lot of emotion behind it
“Why can’t the dragon just fly over it?”
In the book this is addressed. The second gate isn’t there until you pass through the first gate, and the third gate isn’t there (in the book there were three) until you pass through the second, and the Oracle isn’t there until you pass through the third.
Yeah, they kind of show this by the endless desert behind the first gate, but then a blizzard in front if the second.
We kids who grew up in the 80's were so spoiled with our movies. The Neverending Story, Labyrinth, The Dark Crystal, The Last Starfighter, Tron, The Goonies, The Princess Bride, Flight Of The Navigator, Gremlins, ET, The Karate Kid, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Ghostbusters and so many more.
We had the best movies in the 80s and entertainment in general was the greatest! My how it has changed...
Oooh! I'd love to see them watch Flight of the Navigator!
Don't forget Spaceballs... it was THE comedy masterpiece of the 80s along with Beetlejuice 😛
In fact, 'The Neverending Story' is based on a 1979 German children's novel called 'Die unendliche Geschichte,' written by Michael Ende. The downside of the movie is that it only covers the first part; the sequels deviated significantly from the book
the book is so good. Grograman was always my favorite character.
I read 2/3 of the book when I was 20 before forgetting it in a train. I wish I had read it when I was a child. It deserves to be a classic
The second half of the book is a lesson in “power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely” as Bastion becomes a tyrant. It was a great book, but it would be a very jarring sequel.
The second part gives also the ultimative answer to the wish of all wishes: the one to be able to love
The ending of the book always makes me cry
@@janranft9397 Yeah, I especially loved the part where he's in the house of Dame Eyola, and his return to being a child instead of a hero there. It was such a soothing part.
I saw this in the theater. As a geeky book kid who spent more time in the library than my peers, it was a very rewarding movie. The empress was my first crush and my heart still aches when she cries.
The actors are interesting. Bastian became a photographer specializing in 19th century techniques. Atreyu became a tattoo artist for a while and says that he has tattooed the Auryn on several fans. The Empress went into dance and then into working with children.
and as a geeky book kid, did you than actually reed the book?
@MusikCassette Not at the time. This was pre-internet, and we only had a mom & pop bookstore in our town. Most of what I read was from the school and public libraries or bought second-hand from garage sales. I'm kind of glad, though, because my image of the movie and love for it is a singular thing, unifluenced by the original work, or the author's opinion of the film.
I did read it years later, though, and would love to see a well-made series explore its ideas.
@@jeffevans9853 I remember the time before the internet. As far as I remember bookstores could order the books you want. ^^
@MusikCassette Well, feel free to go back in time and tell 12 year old me. It'll probably blow his mind. Until then. I'm not sure what the point of this line of thought is.
I don't think I understood the movie was based on a book until I was an adult anyway, at which point I did read it. I guarantee that I didn't bother watching the credits so wouldn't have found it there. For a lot of us nerdy, bookish, pre-internet kids, our knowledge of the world was pretty well limited to what we gathered from our friends, because obviously we already knew everything that was worth knowing...
What's even funnier about the title is that the author of the book is Michael Ende, and his last name literally means "end" in German, which is the original language of the story.
He's written some great books!
@@QuayNemSorr He despised this movie, though. Called it "disneyfied".
Yeah, well the movie is basically only the first half of the book. The whole wish thing disaster, recreating Fantasia and reuniting with his highly depressed dad was left out @@misterknister18
@@misterknister18 he was right...though this one kinda holds up ok... the sequels were worse
Ende’s “Momo” is a masterpiece and grossly underread by non-German speakers.
As a kid from the 80s who had serious depression this movie had a big impact on me. It just tried to give form to so many feelings. Well into my teens when I was struggling my dad would ask 'How do we fight the nothing?' as a way to help ground me and register that I was spiraling. Its a very weird movie, but always going to be something special to me and something I go back to in times of grief.
"Mr. Simpson, this is the most blatant case of false advertising since my suit against the film 'The Neverending Story'" Ha ha, to this day, I still think that is one of the most funniest bits in The Simpsons.
I was looking for this comment
RIP Lionel Hutz!
Immediately thought of this
If you type "funniest" , you don't have to type "most"
@@frenchynoob And if you are going to correct someones grammar, it would help to end your own sentence in a full-stop as well. 😉
If you’re diving into 80’s kids movies, I definitely suggest “Flight of the Navigator”.
I second Flight of the Navigator.
YES!
Steven Spielberg was given the original Auryn prop by director Wolfgang Petersen as a "thank you" gift for his help with the film! It hangs in a glass display in Steven Spielberg's office!
Both that and the original book.
Wolfgang Petersen lent Spielberg the submarine prop to use in Raiders Of The Lost Ark. Petersen was filming Das Boot around the same time as Raiders
Not for this version tough. This is the german original version. Spielberg helped him with the international/usa recut.
@@Dacre1000 While there are different scens sure but the Auryn and Book would of been the same prop.
This is probably the first reaction video of this movie where they actually realize that she was talking about the people watching the movie and breaking the fourth wall. I don’t remember other people catching that detail.
The Neverending Story was based on a novel, and the author hated what Wolfgang Peterson did with it so much he didn't even want his name in the credits. and then there's Noah Hathaway (Atreyu), who was 12 years old when they started filming, and to this day he talks about how the director kept trying to kill him every week during filming!
and the name Bastian called out, his mother's name, was Moonchild.
It's been a long time since I read the story but I didn't think at the time the adaptation was that terrible for a short movie. It's missing the second part however which is the most interesting one imo.
Moonchild? In the Hungarian dubbing, he shouts: Mag-da-le-na.
Don't ask why...🤗
@@csabagall8811 Typically Content in TV and Cinema is changed, so that the Audience in that Country got it easier to adapt. I learned that a long time ago when I went to Spain from Germany and the mentality was so different but also the preferences in TV and Cinema were very different. For Example most of what you could watch in TV was Bull Fighting, Soccer or States Lottery. Unthinkable in Germany at the time. European Countries are extremely different.
Petersen had experience with the author of the book hating his movie. Das Boot was also hated by the author.
I feel like the mention of his mother's name was a red herring, especially considering how hard it was to hear in the original audio. In the book, he decided the name when he read the description of the empress.
The Death of Artax is absolutely traumatizing. I read the book, heard the audio play, and I saw this movie as a child, the studio scenes were shot not far from where I lived. Later in life I visited the studio, sat on Falchor's back and all. But the Death of Artax represents depression, in fact it represents losing a friend to depression, to the Swamp of Sadness that doesn't affect you but those you love and care about. So, it only gets worse the older you get... Michael Ende is heavy writing, for sure.
Fun fact: That movie only covers the first half of the book! It gets grim with Bastian in Fantasia...
Bastians Mom died - the nothing is the sadness of his mothers death.
And the story is about overcoming depression / fear / loss.
The nothing is more coming from his father's demand to grow up and stop dreaming and living in the fantasy world of his books.
His mother's death of course adds to this.
In the book the Aurin fulfills wishes (so pretty much standing for the ultimate fantasy, that everything you want becomes truth), but with every fulfilled wish you lose a memory.
So while Fantasia is dying when you stop dreaming and fatasizing, your self dies, when you lose yourself in it.
Near the end of the book, there is a whole town where all those who lost themselves remain, having lost themselves to the fantasy world in their heads, whatever it looked like in reality.
It's an allegory.
Atreyu is Bastian's idea of heroism (that's why Atreyu is seing Bastian in the mirror, since Bastian is his own origin).
Artax death in the swamp of sadness that also almost kills Atreye is most likely coming from Bastian's experience with death regading his mother.
And the Childlike Empress, the core of Bastian's fantasy, is his Anima, his inner female self (a girl would have an Animus).
By givin her a name he accepts her as 'real', that his fantasy is an important part of himself and not just "childplay" as his father calls it and wants him to deny it.
Fantasia's destruction wouldn't kill Bastian, but it would destroy an important part of himself, making him grow up as an adult without joy and happiness.
Doing the opposite and denying reality, only wanting to live in Fantasia would hurt him the same - just in the opposite way.
@@miriamweller812 "um actually"
I think the nothing can be interpreted in various ways. This is the film, not the book and I knew all of that other stuff. ✌🏻
Kids and adults alike could relate to Bastian and his dad:
they're both still grieving, and his dad is a single parent trying to do right for his only son.
Him telling Bastian that he can't run away from his problems is one the movie's.central themes.
We all have a role to play, small yet still important. You can't always be a bystander and just watch things happen, as someone else might need you eventually. Even if you don't know about your own part, you'll need the initiative to play it right.
So Bastian ,who'd started reading the book as a pastime, eventually realized he himself was part of Atryu's story, and didn't even know it. So, he stepped up to name the Empress, instead of chickening out when people depended on him.
One mustn't back down from an important task; not when everyone else is counting on you.
Thanks for choosing this! I'm 63 now but I still wish I had a Wish Dragon. And Simone, I would never make fun of you.
I highly recommend you two to read the book. the first part is about not to let your inner child die, the second part is not to let yourself loose in your fantasies..
Most 80s kids have seen this movie at least once. It took many of us years to realize that it's actually a story about a child trying to deal with loss before his grief swallows him (the nothing). Since we never finish dealing with loss, the story is truly without end. This stands as one of the more poignant takes on the classic hero's journey.
Another adorable, yet creepy puppet-movie is LABYRINTH. It stars David Bowie, before the mothership took him back to his homeworld.
Und gute Musik 🎶 von Bowie dabei!!!
the creepy part is 70s rock star with blatant bulge abducts baby to lure it's underage sister to him so he can seduce her...
0:33 - George not putting together that that's a Chinese style dragon...
15:26 - Finally!
The Childlike Empress was my first crush when I saw the film at 12 years old (the same age as her)
George: "it's a snake?"
Me: 🙄
The dad's morning drink was essentially the original Orange Julius (though they might have just used egg whites), just without any added sugar. They stopped using the egg at some point and going to an emulsifying mix but when they were at their peak of popularity it was eggs (very similar to cocktails that use egg whites).
Sounds weird to the ear, but delicious to the mouth 😁
Never went without one when I was at the mall.
Egg whites were replaced with Cream of Tartar, since it's cheaper/safer
Huh, so like s Whisky Sour uses egg white? Interesting
Had many as a kid with egg, just like that.
OMG orange juliuses were the best!!! Many people tried to copy it.... nobody ever did. Decades later I still remember how awesome they were. Never had a "true" one since.
At the time of this movie's release, it was the most expensive movie ever made in Germany.
It wasn't until the internet that most of us ever know what Sabastian's mother's name was.
What’s her name? Cause the debate it’s between Moon child and an other name
Like I said before, this is my favorite movie growing up. It taught me the power of storytelling, imagination, and reading all together.
These days it has a new context as I lost my mom two years ago. She knew my love for this movie as she had to sit through me watching it several times. It's hard not to watch this without thinking about her. But I know when I do watch it, I'll have those wonderful memories.
You're in for a treat with this one, even with the darker elements.
did you read the book? so much is left out in the movie.
@@MusikCassette yes I read the book. This was more a post honoring the movie and my mom.
Bastian's mother's name, whom he screamed under the overwhelming music, was (believe it or not) Moonchild.
In the original German novel her name was Mondkind.
The director said it wasn't supposed to be audible.
so it wasn't Lindawhatever?
so his mom was a hippie?
@@PanzerShrek94Or maybe Native American or Native Descent.
Since Simone asked: Falkor the Luck Dragon was 3 different puppets. The full body one lying down, a head and shoulders puppet for the dragon riding scenes, and an undercarriage with 1 or 2 limbs for the scenes where he's picking people and things up from the ground while flying over them.
I had the luck to sit on him back in the 90's in munich
@kaypirinha1982 me too! Although now I'm thinking about it it may have only just barely been the 90s.
The studio museum there was great even though it basically had Das Boot, Neverending Story and a sci-fi movie I can remember literally nothing about.
The Das Boot stuff was fantastic, I'd just watched it for German Class when we went and was probably more hyped to go on the Sub than ride on the Dragon.
@@Buggins I think the SciFi Story was " Enemy Mine" Another Movie from Wolfgang Petersen, also filmed at Bavaria Studios in Munich.
@@Buggins enemy Mine - geliebter Feind is the name of the sci-fi movie
11:00 Congratulations! You've now experienced the source of all Gen X/Xennial trauma!
Also, "They look like big, strong hands, don't they?" is easily one of the most devastating lines of dialog ever in a "family" film.
I wouldn't say "All Gen X trauma" until they have watched Watership Down. 😉
@@frizzlethecat2084 That's another level. There's bittersweet trauma and then there's holy fucking shit trauma.
@@frizzlethecat2084The Black Hole. Dragonslayer. Etc. So many "these are fine with kids" films with massive doses of enormous horror sprinkled on top!
@@johnirving5949 That's the 80's baby! Darkness and trauma hand in hand with wonderment and whimsy. What a time to be a kid. God I miss it.
@@johnirving5949 Don't forget _The Land Before Time._ I loved it as a kid but it was so goddamn heartbreaking that even though I own it on DVD, I still haven't been able to bring myself to watch it again even at the age of 40
Yes, Atreyu the band was named after this. You probably know that by now though.
As a kid born in 1980 I saw this very young and it is clear in my memory that the empress was my first childhood fascination/crush. The Wolf monster is also permanently imprinted in my brain. That thing scared the crap out of me!
On the plot of the movie and I didn't go through all the comments there is a line of thinking that says the entire story Is representing the main character's journey through the loss of his mom. His concern over losing the memory of her, his sadness and depression, His dad wanting him to not be stuck in those memories and to move on, And him finding resolution in using the memory of his mom Alongside his creativity moving forward.
You were 4 when it came out
@@nsasupporter7557 yup that's the math for when it was released in theaters. I also didn't say I literally saw it in theaters. VHS movie rental would have started for it by say 85 or so. I was definitely under 8 by the time I'd seen it a few times. it's also why I qualified my statement as "fascination/crush".
I was so excited for this reaction and you did not disappoint! One of the most emotionally complex “kids” movies ever made!
The Last Unicorn is another classic 80s film that is much deeper than people first imagine!
Ich höre heute noch ab und zu mal die LP von America mit allen Songs vom 🎥 📺 ❤😊
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988) is one that gets overlooked too often.
@@ThreadBomb yes Hans Albers on the flying Canonball!
Georges chatter is annoying though.
I saw this film really young and it was the only kids movie I ever really loved. It spoke to me in a way nothing else did.
I was diagnosed manic depressive after puberty and I use to always say my biggest fear was “the nothing”. It gave me a language at the time to explain how I felt and what I struggled against.
In fact, that’s still my answer to this very day, and how I framed my recovery during a hard time in life years later. For that reason alone, this movie means a lot to me. ❤️
This movie is based on what's probably Germany's most famous fantasy novel.
Also, the Neverending Story title can be explained by the fact that every chapter ends with a tease about things that happened with a character or place we were introduced to in the chapter, and the words "...but that is another story, and shall be told another time."
So the main story branches out into infinite side stories in theory.
This is the German cut of the film which plays Artax's death more for horror. It's a lot creepier how the sad music is removed and most of the scene plays in dead silence, and you can hear him whinnying in distress. The international version also cut the shot of the air bubbles popping.
Losing artax in the swamp traumatized and devastated an entire generation. Once you have seen it, you'll never forget it
I think the only reason it didn't end up traumatizing me was because they all come back in the end, including Artax
@@lucianaromulus1408 Yeah. I was hoping I wasn't the only one in the past 40 years to pick up on that.
In the behind the scenes you see the director watching that scene as they film it. That kid was so good even he got tears in his eyes.
The Land Before Time was pretty sad too. Bambi, Brave Little Toaster, Legend...plenty of traumatic moments
The novel by Michael Ende is just wonderful. This movie covers only about half of the story. As a kid, I was absolutely mesmerized by the book and how it was written. The movie gives you little idea of how you get sucked into the story, like when Bastian suddenly reads that the book's characters hear him scream. The book alternates between two font colors posing as the real and the fantasia world until it keeps going back and forth, back and forth in even shorter intervals and when it starts including you as the reader of the two worlds and your own reality. It's a magical piece of literature and still very readable, I'd say in the same league as Lord of the Rings with that little extra of making you a part of it just like Bastian.
Yes, you can get your picture riding Falkor, the luck dragon, at the Bavaria Studios in Munich in front of a green screen with the backdrop of clouds and mountains flying by. It's a German production mostly shot in the Munich film studios, the same place Das Boot was filmed - also by Wolfgang Petersen. So, on the same studio tour, you can also walk through U96, the submarine used for the movie. Hope you're not claustrophobic. It's in historically original size.
This movie is about the first half of the original German book by Michael Ende. Ende was famously unhappy with this movie and the way they basically cut the story in half. The whole book is really good, you should definitely read it if you like epic fantasy and don't mind a bit of a YA feel to it.
It was the design of the Oracle gate with the boobs he didn't like and the deal breaker was Bastian passing over into the real world in the end. That was breaking all the rules that had been established in the book.
I was not traumatized at all. I have to say for all those who don’t k ow-his mothers name was MoonChild. I named my cat after that in japanese. Tsukiko.
This was released the year i was born, and it's one of my earliest film memories. It's a wonder I turned out relatively normal when you also consider the likes of Labyrinth and Flight of the Navigator...
So about the Nothing as a lack of fantasy/creativity.
Michael Ende wrote this book at a time when the majority of german books were set in stern realism and politic engagement,
fantasy was only seen as escapism.
I think Ende tried to go against this trend and bring fantasy and realism into balance.
To quote the Bookseller Koreander:
There are people who can never go to Phantasia,
and there are people who can, and are gone forever.
And there are a few, like you, that went and came back again;
and these are the ones that heal both worlds.
I highly recommend the Book.
Where the story actually becomes never ending unless Bastian intervenes,
it was done so by the child empress to force Bastian into acting.
The two movies (do not watch the 3rd, it has no relation to the Book) only cover about a third of the Book.
In my mind this is one of the greates books the german language has ever given us.
It truly is a great book - I also love Momo by the same author. And I would truly like to add "Die Stadt der träumenden Bücher" ("the city of dreaming books") by Walter Moers. Maybe not the same level as Unendliche Geschichte but I can't recommend it enough.
@@frizzlethecat2084Totally agree with the city of the dreaming books. Too bad there won't be a third book.
@@frizzlethecat2084
totally agree on The City Of The Dreaming Books.
Too bad there won't be a third Mythenmetz-book.
This is based on the darkest children's book ever. How is it dark? What if Artax the horse could talk? Cause he does in the book.
The book's story genuinely is never-ending, because it continues through you, the reader.
It’s essentially a children’s film about handling grief…
Tami Stronach, the young actor playing The Empress, now co-runs a creative production company out of Brooklyn, NY, in case anyone was curious
Yeah it is based on a book by the german author Michael Ende.
1:12 You're definitely the first person to ever make that joke, George.
1:34 Wait, so does this version not have the iconic theme song by Limahl?
100%, George edited out any scenes with the theme song to avoid copyright strikes. It's one of the easiest ways for reaction channels to have problems if something detects music used without permission. He's mentioned it before in previous films that they just can't include songs.
@@TheYakusoku I looked it up. The original German version doesn't have the theme song. You'll notice in this video that there's a score playing when Bastian wakes up, and the dad opens the fridge. In the international version (which has the song), you don't hear a score when Bastian wakes up, and it cuts to the dad already looking inside the fridge.
Nope. Original German cut with the English voice track.
Simone, you really look like the princess from the movie.
And Bastian named her Moonchild! I like that for Simone.
80's Kids movies had no Chill
It would present to kids a Dark world full of dangers and Horrors and traumatic experiences.
BUT it would also show that the protagonist could overcome his fears, his doubts and confront the Horrors he was facing, by using his Wits, his courage and ingenuity
It showed kids that the world was NOT all sunshines and rainbows, but that it was Ok, cause they could count on their Bravery, their friends and their family to overcome them and stand proud
80's Kids movies was very formative, and din't insult the inteligence of its audience, and it was the BEST.
Interestingly, my experience with modern movies is that the kids i know find the more grounded plot points of being embarrassed in front of other kids, of being discovered to have lied to their parents or friends etc is way more difficult and traumatic, while horrific fantasy elements are scary but manageable because its not real. My kids will “happily” cry their way through the death of Anthrax, and feel great about Atreyu overcoming his grief… but refuse to continue watching a movie where a kid lies to a friend. I’m trying to coax them back “they will be forgiven in the end, just keep watching”, but nope.
Holy fuck, Simone really looks like the Empress in that thumbnail, it's uncanny
For sure. At first I was confused why only George was edited in.
I was born in 81 and this movie played a huge role in my childhood! It holds a very special place in my heart. I have seen it countless times but adore it every time. The Falcor used in the movie is reportedly now on display in a German museum and you can have your picture taken sitting on him! I would pay to simply go and get that picture! Even if I returned home immediately after.
The title makes more sense if you read the book
Also crazy thing is i rewatched this film a few days ago (the german version which is longer) and reread the book
The whole quest is a batman gambut by the empress. She knows what she needs as she has been through the birth death reburth cycle of fantasia many times, by sending atreyu on the quest bastian becomes invested in the story and is drawn in, thus can cross over into fantasia himself
Something that the empress doesn't tell bastian is that with each wish he loses part of himself, such as he wishes to be handsome and princely and forgets he was fat and weak, previous savious of fantasia who abused the wishes or tried to overthrow the empress end up in the city of old emperors and are nothjng but hollow husks who can't really do anything for themselves
This movie was very much a way to bring important ideas to kids in a way they could comprehend it. Ideas about dealing with death and loss, like Bastian's mother having died, tied to Atreyu losing Artax, allows kids to have an understanding of how hurt lasts after the loss of someone you love.
It's also about how you sometimes you lose people, even when you try your hardest to hold onto them. Parents, family, friends, even yourself. Sometimes the forces arrayed against you are stronger than your ability to resist.
"They look like big, good, strong hands, don't they?"
See this movie never traumatised me as a kid because about a week before I saw this movie I watched the most brutal and gruesome movie any child could watch Watership Down….movies were never the same for me after that
This exact same thing happened to me. I can rewatch this one any time, but I will never watch (or read) Watership Down again.
Same for me except it was plague dogs.
I still can't bring myself to rewatch Watership Down, it hit too hard.
On the plus side, never been hurt by a film since.
Watership Down is like a vaccination against emotional damage.
@@launchsquid to this day I ask my parents if they had me watch it as a form of punishment
But Watership Down is an amazing book and as an adult, it should definitely be read. But the fallacy of thinking "Oh, it's an animated movie about cute rabbits, it MUST be for kids" is probably the reason for so many traumatized children.
Man, still - such a great book.
Another RPG trope: "Just make them like the ones on level 3, but make them a different color."
About the Southern Oracle looking like the Self Worth Sphinxes, just blue. 😂
In fairness, the Southern Oracle in the book was just a disembodied voice, which makes it less impactful on screen. But for sure, big '80s console palette-swap vibes 🤣
Took me 2 seconds to understand what scene people were afraid for Simone over. It's kinda the most famous scene in this movie.
Infamous
It’s right up there with the death of Optimus Prime.
That scene rocked me to my core when I was a kid, total gut punch
RIP Patricia Hayes, Moses Gunn, Robert Easton, Sydney Bromley, Thomas Hill, and Tilo Prückner.
"Moonchild" is the name he shouts out.
The name takes away so much from the scene. I prefer to feel the name as opposed to knowing it.
I think it adds something. Looking at the time period and the age of his father, Bastian's mom was likely a hippie free spirit. I wonder what his dad might have been like as a young man. Consumed by the realities of adulthood, and choosing to put his own feet on the ground, he is the very thing the Gmork is talking about. Someone who lost his dreams. Losing his wife only cemented it and now risks doing the same to his son.
Now this is my own interpretation, so grain of salt and all that...
Hippie name
I was 6 when this came out and I still love it. Even movies and cartoons geared towards kids didn't hold back. Artax dying was soooo sad, The wolf was terrifying, and i wanted a luck dragon. The 80's was a great time for movies with kids as the main heroes. Some other great ones that get overlooked:
"Cloak and Dagger" (1984)- Kids vs. international spies but not funny.
"D.A.R.Y.L" (1985)- Government created kid robot.
"Firestarter" (1984)- Pyrokinetic child on the run with her father from the government (Drew Barrymore)
"Cat's Eye" (1985)- Cat tries to save kid from troll living in her wall (anthology movie)
"Explorers" (1985)- Ethan Hawk and friends build a spaceship in their backyard
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988) - a girl goes on a wild adventure with an old baron who tells extraordinary tales.
Wolfgang Petersen, one of the greats in terms of german claims to fame in hollywood. Independence day was produced by him aswell! Also, anyone here remember Momo? Was kind of in a similar spot (maybe just in my memory haha).
Well Momo is based on a book by the same author as never ending story
@@matsudoambition2509 Oh that makes sense! The book was in our shelves aswell, so it seemed natural to me
@@Edninety another recomendation might be Jim Knopf then too, albeit the cinematic adaptions vary in quality (my personal fav is still the puppet one from the augsburger Puppenkiste, albeit that might be a ton of nostalgia)
Hard to believe that the director of this movie was also the director of Das Boot. When you saw this in 84 in the theater, no had ever seen anything like Falcor before and it blew our minds.
It blew my daughter's mind to learn that by watching this movie we had become part of the never-ending story.
The other thing that people always forget or don't talk about with this movie is that the soundtrack was produced by Giorgio Moroder who influenced Daft Punk and is basically the grandad of techno/synth we all love today.
"It's so grim." - Welcome to German literature! 😉 Michael Ende's stories are really fantastic. He had that special imagination and could charm both young and adult readers.
The movie is based on a novel by German author Michael Ende. I read "Die unendliche Geschichte" as a child shortly after it was released in 1979. The moment in the book when the empress tells Atreju that others are sharing Bastian's adventure just as Bastian has been sharing Atreju's was mindblowing for 9 year old me.
The movie has a much deeper story-line than most realize. Its about hope and optimism of the world and its inhabitants. Its about keeping imagination and creativity in people as they grow up. Its about battling grief, depression and darkness that surrounds life and the world. And its about the importance of books for children.
Gmork was nightmare-fuel as a kid
Dad was making a homemade Orange Julius. I didn't see him add ice or crushed ice to the blender, but that's all that's missing. If they're all gone by now, I'll mention that Orange Julius was a specialty frozen drink shop, often found in shopping malls.
Anyone else notice how the voice of the little man with the racing snail sounds different to the version we had as kids? They've also changed Gmork's voice.
They were watching the European version. For the American version, they dubbed them over. This also means that they didn't get to hear the opening theme song we are used to
@@juliomella5977 Yeah they were NOT watching the International Version, which the majority of us watched growing up, but instead watched the original German Version, with English soundtrack, which was released on Blu Ray in 2013.
@@MrCageCat They had the nerve to change the soundtrack during Artex's scene in 2013 and even REMOVE it during the stressful moment?! That's criminal. I bet they did that because they thought the original was 'too sad', just like when they cut out 'When Love Is Gone' from A Muppet Christmas Carol. Both of these are wrapping kids up in cotton wool. I watched this scene as a kid and grew up fine. I swear there's nothing more obscene than censoring emotional movie moments because that is like saying emotions are harmful when in truth they're healthy and essential. What did this even accomplish? It doesn't prevent real deaths, and it doesn't soothe real mourning.
"They look like big strong hands, don't they?" Gets me every single time!!!
Those Sphynx statue gates used to scare the s**t out of me when I was a kid...
The movie is basically half the book. It's actually a quite good reading. It can be read just as your basic fantasy story but there is a lot of metaphors and comments on life to find if you analyse it a bit. But that, is another story...
Yep, that was what people were probably warning about. I tried watching that scene again for the first time since I saw this movie, and still couldn’t do it.
I was also pretty scared, as a kid, by the wolf…truthfully, this was a pretty scarring movie for me, ha
Falkor the Luck Dragon was voiced by the original voice of Skeletor on He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (1983-'85), Alan Oppenheimer.
it's called the Neverending Story because it will live in your heart forever.
I still have a written journal entry from when I was younger, talking about how much I was happy-crying because of Falkor "chasing those WORTHLESS bullies into the dumpster". And I wrote "worthless" in all caps too. Man, I love my past self.
Fun fact time (I have to wait for the end now because of the trivia sections, which I love);
The movie only adapted the first half of the novel. In the book, Atreyu had green skin. Also, Artax could talk, making his succumbing to the sadness much worse for Atreyu.
Notso-fun fact: Michael Ende, the author of the book, despised the adaptation because it broke his most important rule. Beings from Fantasia cannot enter reality. They are fictional beings, but their desire to be real was often their main motivation, such as with G'Mork.
The second half of the book dealt with what happens once a small, scared child suddenly has the power of wishes. It's very good, and I won't spoil, but the sequel tried to adapt the concept.
The third film may be worth watching for a Cinecringe one day, mainly for the performance of a now-famous actor (Who I won't spoil)
After loving the book at her age, I got it for our daughter. It must have been published for about 4 years when I had it. She finished it and really liked it. It will probably appeal to many for many decades in the future. The film doesn't reach it though. The Nothing in the book is just non-existence, no clouds or fog or any dimensions. It might have been scarier without the storm cloud effects.
I’m surprised this movie didn’t see a resurgence when the Stranger Things scene came out. Honestly, I forgot most of the movie until I saw this reaction. But that song stuck with me.
They watched the original German cut without the song unfortunately.
@@TomVCunningham Sadness. That was a highlight of the movie.
It must have gotten more attention following the reference in Stranger Things.
Before the video even starts, I heard "No Artax! Don't give in to the sadness!"
The scars run deep.
So many young boys crushes on the actress playing the Empress back in the days.
To be fair she's still a looker today.
Or Atreyu.
Me
"Come for me Gmork! I am Atrayu!" Best line ever.
Wolfgang Peterson has a very eclectic filmography. War movies, suspense thrillers, science fiction, fantasy, disaster movies. "Das Boot" is a classic, a submarine thriller. My favorite is "In the Line of Fire" with Clint Eastwood.
Bambi's mom, Artax, Flika, the dogs from "Where the Red Fern Grows," The Plague Dogs, Watership Down... It's a wonder any children survived!
Old Yeller was required reading for many of us...
One i'd recommend from the same director is the 1985 science fiction drama movie Enemy Mine, starring Dennis Quaid and Louis Gossett Jr., if that's OKay? It's about a human and an alien who crash land on a hostile planet and have to put aside their hatred for each other in order to survive. It's a really touching story and a great science fiction movie 🙂
I watched this movie when it came out. I was four. When it came out on VHS I watched it another 90,000 times. As a kid - I cried every time Artax gave into the sadness. 90,000 times. But as an adult, I cry harder than I ever could as a child at the Rockbiter lamenting.. "they look like big strong hands.."
While it's wonderful to see somebody react to it, it's difficult to realize that this isn't your baseline by which all of the things are judged.
Wait, have you watched Labyrinth?!
The NeverEnding Story is an English adaptation of the first half of the German novel 'Die Unendliche Geschichte' (Literally "The NeverEnding Story").
The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter is a movie based on the second half of the novel.
Great movie. Fyi the author of the book that this movie is based on did not like the movie although it was very successful. The movie is only half the book. Another great adventure movie is Flight of the navigator 1986, Wilow, Lady Hawk and Labyrinth 1986
24:28 "...as he is sharing your adventures, others are sharing his..." and, also, we are sharing yours. The NeverEnding Story.
Willow please?!
The little woman named Urgl in this is also in Willow (Patricia Hayes)
The reason you saw so much fear and panic in the horse's eyes is because he's a really good actor. He practiced that shot for months to get every nuance down. Truly dedicated. He was robbed at the Oscars.
I met "Bastian" once.(he lives in a castle made by an artist out of recycled material that is now an artist collective). I didn't know it was him until after I met him, lol. I don't think he likes being recognized. My sister & her husband know "Atreyu" aka Noah Hathaway thanks to their mask making company. He's all tatted up now💚-also there's photos online of him posing with Falcor as an adult.😅🤷♀️
The name he gives her is Moonchild btw.
Speaking of rats, Ima see if y'all have done Secret of Nimh, if not, you should.
Also, the book is woth reading.💚
Speaking to the attic in the school, when i was a young child, I went to a new church that didn't have a building. The church rented the elementary school i went to, and on Sundays we'd put out chairs in the gym for the service. Then aftwr service wed have to put everything away.
Sometimes during the setup and takedown times, I'd explore the school and found some interesting little nooks that I'd never have access to during school hours.
The elementary school was actually a renovation. The building 100 years ago was the town high school, and there were old rooms (like the locker rooms) that has been converted to storage rooms. It was fun to explore and imagine!
I feel like the biggest realization you guys get from doing this thing, is that Vancouver is used in a *_LOT_* of movies. 😁
The Neverending Story is actually an adaptation of the first half of the novel of the same name by German author Michael Ende.
Flying over the gates at the Southern Oracle doesn't get you anywhere - the next gate is not there if you haven't passed the first one.
The outdoor scenes where filmed in Vancouver, but the majority of the movie was filmed in the Bavaria Studios in Munich, Germany.
Edit: I strongly recommend reading the novel, it's great.