Nostalgia Critic Real Thoughts On - Labyrinth
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 22 ก.พ. 2016
- What went into making all those David Bowie jokes? Doug and Rob explain their thoughts on the Jim Henson epic.
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Seeing David Bowie in this movie was the first time I realized what sexual frustration was.
+Karen Durant If such things were possible, David Bowie's character would turn me gay.
Frustration as in, "I wish he wasn't too old for me", or "I wish I was a celebrity so I could have a higher chance of meeting him", or...anything? Huh?
Karen Durant dude same
Gabriel Schleifer the Jeremy Irons version of Scar made me turn bisexual.
"It's fucking Labyrinth! Who doesn't like Labyrinth?" - Rob Walker
Well said. Labyrinth was my favourite film when I was a little kid in the late 80s.
The overall theme of Labyrinth is a teenage girl dealing with puberty - she's not a kid anymore, but not quite an adult. Since you guys aren't teenage girls (I feel relatively safe assuming) it's harder to see. The fact that this movie exists at all is really crazy when you think about it: a movie specifically for a minority audience filmed with puppets in a fantasy world starring a relatively unknown actress and a pop star. Jim Henson was some kind of magical genius pulling it off as well as he did.
well said, that's perfectly what it's about! I feel that Jereth represents the dark side of childish fantasy and budding sexuality, and his defeat is the MC mastering her own conflicted emotions. It's nice that at the end the movie says it's OK to keep creativity and fantasy alive.
Janet Grey,Cyro-Nydd- Perfectly summarized. I believe even Brian Henson, Jim Henson's son, said that was the aspect they wanted to convey from the film. Which to me makes the relationship between Jareth and Sarah more intense since Sarah was technically a "at risk" teen girl.
Yeah, it's nice to find some people who realize David Bowie is NOT the MC. Also, agree fully with what you both said.
Alexandre Martins- Yeah I know he's arguably the most interesting character in the movie, but it's Sarah's story. I also like seeing people who think Sarah, at least movie wise, shouldn't have ended up with Jareth.
Janet Gray Nah it's just what it says it is
Bowie *was* the Labyrinth film. Without his presence, the film would have been similar, but it wouldn't have the same magic. Bowie actually did have a mystical air about him, his looks and demeanor were very impish or elf-like, despite that he was the king of goblins. It was great casting, so him being there held the film together despite the plot and acting being so-so (and some of the musical numbers being sort of odd). Despite that it was a flop when it was released, people that did enjoy it stayed for Bowie and Henson's creativity with design and puppet mastery, basically.
Fun fact. The kid who played the baby brother in labryinth went to work for Laika and was a major part in the creation of boxtrolls. I think.
Maddi Edgren His name is Toby Froud. His dad is Brian Fraud who was the concept art designer on Dark Crystal and Labyrinth .
@@9Tailsfan His mom Wendy is one of the puppet designers, at least for The Dark Crystal.
I think her bad acting in the beginning of the movie is intentional. She's acting like an over dramatic teenager who is trying to act. So, she's acting bad acting, ya know?
I love labyrinth bc it's so dark i miss late 80s movies like Dark Crystal, gremlins, The Thing, The Secret of NIMH, and Willow they all have good stories and still hold up.
Labyrinth is what kids films should be like today. Terrifying yet hugely fun. Keep dancing that magic dance boys and girls!!
The House with a Clock in its Walls combined those two kinds of spirit and tone together super well back in 2018
Directed by Jim Henson, produced by George Lucas, screenplay by Terry Jones and
starring David Bowie. How can you not love that??
As Rob said (but without the vulgarity): "Screw those guys!" Anyone who doesn't like Labyrinth either has no sense of creativity, no sense of joy or wonder, or just no taste or heart whatsoever. The movie is far from perfect, sure...and it's insane...and David Bowie has a few risque moments...but who the hell cares? It's freaking Labyrinth! I adore it.
+Tailslover13 Hello and welcome to the real world where taste is an individual thing.
5:21 "The eighties was dirty..."
YES! I've been saying that for years! Eighties movies look more "real" to me because of that. The kids' homes in E.T. and The Goonies, for example, felt like real, lived-in homes for average, middle-class families. I've always felt more at home watching eighties films than anything that has come afterward. Of course, that's probably at least partly due to the fact that I was an eighties kid. XP
I don't think that "The Fireys Scene" was completely pointless from the beginning they showed that everything in the labyrinth was supposed to keep you from reaching the end that was their purpose.
True but I think it was pointless because it was too short. If they were on screen longer like in more than one scene then that would give them a point
Magic Dance is the most underratted David Bowie song
Magic Pants Dance!
Meh, I think Station to Station is his most underrated. Check it out if you haven't!
I feel like Underground is the most underrated Bowie song. more people know Magic Dance than Underground, which is a shame, cause Underground is definitely my favorite song from the movie (with As the World Falls Down coming in a close second).
Labyrinth was a HUGE part of my little teeny tiny childhood, and I first saw it in 2007 (I was about 3) The Labyrinth, along with Robin Hood Men In Tights, and Bedknobs and Broomsticks, really shaped who I am now. My love for tall, spiky haired guys who could be in an anime, Mel Brooks, and Musicals has never really subsided. Watching the Nostalgia Critic Episode really brought back some memories, and I absolutely loved it!
whenever Doug talks about himself from high school, I always just imagine him as the guy from American Beauty filming the plastic bag lol
I mean, some of us boys *also* were there for David Bowie...it was just many years before we knew what that meant.
I love Labyrinth, I'd say I'd have to rate it a 9 inches out of 10
"Labyrinth" is my #1 favorite movie, tied with studio G's "Princess Mononoke"
Tra La La
Yeah, "Magic Dance" is catchy as all hell. I have it (along with "Underground", "As the World Falls Down", and "Within You") on my iPod.
The more you guys explained how this movie would be made today, the harder I cried. Hopefully this tragedy will never occur.
Do Dark Crystal next
Yes
I want to see that where can I get it.
I love that movie! I think it's better than Labyrinth
SPAWN!
indeed another master piece Henson for it ,Got to love those adorable Gelflings pair
I used to fast forward to all the scenes with David Bowie in it, forget everyone else.
One of an all time favorite of mine. I've cherished this movie ever since I first saw it. It introduced me to David Bowie and the red-creatures scared the shit out of me and still do 😭
A modern day Labyrinth would also end with the second/third movie being about the "epic" war against the goblins. Like the trailers would show these CGI armies that look about as convincing as the Hobbit, some narration by the Goblin King delivering a foreboding speech about how this will decide the fate of the world and it would end with a shot of Sarah in armor and a sword with a giant army behind her and they charge against the goblins.
I LOVE this movie. After I watched his review, I even bought the movie on bluray so I could see it whenever I wanted.
However, I'm not gonna lie, it's corny and dated. But that's the charm of it, that's why I love it. Plus, David Bowie. Just... David Bowie.
Y'know what's amazing to me (re: puppetry, CGI)? How well the original Jurassic Park's effects have held up. Like, holy shit. It's not just that they famously used both physical objects and CGI creations -- it's that both the practical effects and the computer effects are each so phenomenal in their own right.
/tangent
I've only seen this movie once on Netflix a few years ago when I was in high school. Mainly because I kept hearing that character from one of the Final Fantasy games looked liked David Bowie's character in the film, and that it was a good movie. So I decided to see what was the big deal, and I liked it. I'm not much of a movie person, but I think this is something I would watch multiple times.
...I kind of want to watch it again.
I was born in 1991 and Labyrinth in my favorite movie ever. I have a penguin cosplaying as the goblin king forever immortalized on my foot.
I wish y'all would do a video on 80s cinematography in general, maybe even all the decades.
My introduction to David Bowie was the cover of Changes he contributed backing vocals to for Shrek 2.
Mine, too - and I didn't even realize that the song "Changes" was IN the movie until just recently! For the longest time, I'd always thought that "China Girl" was the very first David Bowie song I'd ever heard, but I saw Shrek 2 for the first time when I was about 4 or 5, but then I just recently learned that "Changes" was in Shrek 2, and I was like, "Wait, so...that means THIS was the very first David Bowie song I ever heard, and I didn't even realize it! And here I was all this time thinking it was 'China Girl'!"
I don't know if they read any of the comments but if they do, they'll be happy to know that one of my former students, who's about 11, LOVES this movie. So 80's awareness lives on. ;)
the only people i would trust to make a Labyrinth remake would be Laika. i have faith that they could do it right! though let's be honest nobody could replace David Bowie
I've never seen The Labyrinth. Maybe I'll give it a watch one day. I still miss David Bowie :(
Doug, you said you watched the behind the scenes but you still got the 'blue' screen thing wrong! It was black velvet!
+Souji Monaru Totally agree.
The scene failed because they tried a hybrid of blue screen / chroma key and black theatre. Henson has done each of these on their own before very effectively.
The best part is when Doug is talking of one if his favourite cute of all time and he is quoting when the goblings are waking up "hey...listen" the way he does it is so funny XD
They make a good point with the puppetry. I have always loved Jim Henson and I always felt like when I was watching his characters (Especially Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Sesame Street) that they felt like they were real to me...they were much more than just sock puppets. I could feel the emotions and the personalities of the characters and there was a strong connection there. They have made me cry before.
I really think the only person who could remake this movie and actually make it work is probably Miyazaki
+pixymae Labyrinth animated, there's a cool idea
sadly he dosn't work anymore
I'd actually be okay with that idea, honestly. I'm not partial to a remake of this, to the point where I hate the idea. But I think Hayao Miyazaki could pull it off.
Look for Howl's Moving Castle, many see certain air of the Goblin King on Howl.
SURPRISE HE FUCKING CAME BACK
I was born in 99 but I had great parents and grandparents who introduced me to great family films. When I was 8 my Aunt asked if I'd seen Labyrinth and then put it on for me and my brother. One Word: HOOKED. I adored this movie growing up, I found it upbeat but also slightly melancholic (the old trash goblin-lady giving Sarah her childhood items) I then put it on for my Mum who saw the start and said "Oh! A princess!" which turned into "wait...is she wearing jeans?" which became "Aw, it's modern day!" but she still enjoyed it. I don't think I've met a single person who doesn't enjoy Labyrinth and I think those who hate it can still say they appreciate the puppetry and fantasy elements. I remember when I was a kid I was really into gothic dark styles, but also whimsical like The Nightmare Before Christmas, Corpse Bride, Coraline etc just making the macabre more fun, so Labyrinth was a great spooky/fantastical/surreal film for me...and Yes, I like many was probably sexually awakened when David Bowie took off his masquerade and danced with Sarah. Something about that intense stare *sighs* I would actually watch it in my room in the dark and then get up in the song sequences and dance.
"So does your daughter like Barbie Girl?"
"Nope, she likes Dance Magic Dance." xD And I don't think there's anything wrong with that!
I agree with Doug and Rob about how this film couldn't be made today. They wouldn't even make "Labyrinth" it would be some cliché dystopia or CGI Disney/Live Action like Alice in Wonder(UNder)land. Sarah would be bland, her baby brother would be an annoying five year old, everything would be a villain and like Rob said TONS of exposition. Makes me think though, if they switch the genders would Jareth the Goblin King be a man or an evil sorceress that awakened a teenage boy?
I think they should bring back that traditional live action with 2D animation like Who Framed Roger Rabbit as well as movies that are live action for the first half, but the fantasy world is in animation. I just miss it and wished CGI was blended better in live action films. Finding Nemo and Toy Story still look beautiful and realistic (except for Scud the dog) but Shark Tale looks like a burger king commercial and Shrek, and I'm sorry to say this, just has these very ugly designs and it looks like it was rendered for a TV show instead of a movie.
I disagree i think it could be made today some people just have they’re nostalgia googles on and forget how innovative tech is aside from Doug he’s not as biased as rob
I think you guys should do a "Reading Your Comments" series with all the NC cast sitting around the sofa or something. I would love that so much. Except have Doug or Malcolm read off all the comments to keep Tamara away from all the pervy pervs D:
Yeah, Tamara's great. Too bad people have to be creeps.
I'm still kinda sour that David Bowie didn't get to play Elrond in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings...
Wow, when I think about it, Bowie would have made a fantastic Elrond.
Yeah, Hugo Weaving did alright, but David Bowie would have been awesome.
When Dance Magic Dance comes up on my iPod, I either have to skip it and continue on with my day, or listen to it and have it stuck in my head for days.
Like the goddamn Cantina Theme.
Unfortunately the reason the blue screen didn't work was because they used black and they used velvet.
That was also part of the problem... but every puppeteer and the whole background was black velvet... and black chroma key is shiiiiiiittt
+Kairu Hakubi Well I know part of it had to do with they couldn't hide the actors (at least at the time) in any color but black. It was definitely an ambitious scene. and kudos to them for trying it.
Random info: The fire dance scene in Labyrinth used a black velvet background for the composite shots.
Also Hoggle was played by a woman wearing a puppet head.
Edit: Oh and Dr. Crusher (Gates MCFadden) was the a choreographer.
Do V-logs on The Clone Wars series. While it starts out a little rough, it becomes really good as the seasons go on.
+Freemind And then do Rebels, since it's a follow up series!
+Freemind Mr Walker make it so...
+Freemind This would be great. I just watched it recently and I legit bawled for the season 5 finale. Please make it happen!
Rebecca Sorgenfrei People should be bombarding Doug with emails and messages to do V-logs on Clone Wars.
I was born in 1990, I had never seen this movie until just a few yrs ago and I was blown away with just how much I loved that movie, really made me wish I watched it when I was younger
A FAMILY PICTURE
I'm Ace and David Bowie made me think I was straight.
As someone who has no desire at all making me think for years that I totally was definitely straight and could be good with a guy, yeah no. He just makes everyone think they could.
I'm a 90s kid and I love Labyrinth! Actually, there was a lot of overlap between the 80s and 90s. I watched a ton of 80s stuff as a kid because by that time it was all old enough to be on TV.
David Bowie is EASILY the best character in the film
22:10 -- You're exactly right on the timeline; there was a notable transition in the mid '90s, around 1994. I see this as part of a general pattern, in which the culture/technology of the previous decade bleeds into the next one. The first 3-4 years of the new decade tend to mirror the previous decade and generally act as a transition. A lot of movies in the early '90s have a similar feel to movies from the 1980s. Jurassic Park in 1993 essentially marked the end of the transition from the '80s.
I've loved this movie since it came out when I was little. Now this is my daughters favorite movie!!!
'Something weird about British films' that's what a heritage of substituting beer for water does you and then drinking nothing but tea to get over the hang over. I mean have you seen the children's entertainment on CBBC?
When they talk about movies being too clean and polished, and a grittier dirtier feel makes it more real, I immediately think of City Of Lost Children.
that's how I got into David Bowie
my parents recorded it on VHS in the early 2000s and I watched the hell out of that movie.
as a kid it was my favorite movie and I still like it^^
I still have the soundtrack CD for my car - and I haven't even had a car for almost 3 years lol
One of the few movies that can literally piss on tropes. This type of mad cap story-telling is rare nowadays with the lack of modern slapstick. Today, it's either bleach or feces up on the screen, and the warped fantasy isn't something we really see much of now. Practical effects HELP. Thank gods for the Force Awakens.
In the DVD BTS Jim Henson said that besides David Bowie the other choices he had to play the Goblin King were Sting and Michael Jackson. He made the right choice. But I am curious about how it would have worked out with the other two.
Watching this now, I'm really interested to hear what Doug and Rob think of Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance and the way it combines puppetry and CGI.
I’m pretty sure the moral of Labyrinth is “be careful what you wish for” 🙂
That little rant or bit where you guys talked about the overuse of CG and the magic of practical effects and puppets was perfectly said. I couldn't agree more. We rely WAY too much on CG nowadays. I pray for practical effects. Thank God for "Dark Crystal Age Of Resistance" on Netflix.
David Bowie made me think I was straight.
fun to watch...Labyrinth was unique...so was Dark Crystal which i did enjoy when it came out because the sets were so amazing... don't mind cgi if done correctly and does not go out of it's way to be obvious...Kubo and the two strings mixes stop motion and cgi together in a very stunning way... the stop motion films by the Brothers Quay are also very unique and dark in strange ways and unforgettable with or without recreational pharmaceuticals
Nostalgia critic I just want to say that I really enjoy all your video's and the time thought and effort you put into them, I can't watch Much TH-cam because we are kind of poor but I want you to know that there are so many people out there that support and care for you and your team (couldn't think of another word. Maybe co workers? I don't know) but I want you to know that you inspire people like me and you make us laugh think and discuss all our opinions on movies and I thank you for that. So Good luck and keep the videos coming, bye.
"That scene" (Fireys) made HR PufnStuf look like Lord of the Rings." O-KAY! I didn't think you guys were old enough to remember HR PufnStuf.
Dance, magic dance!!
Man, I don't know if I'll ever get tired f hearing those two saying "A FAMILY PICTURE!"
"A million girls hit puberty just then." sounds like Doug did too. ;) "Bowie was so COMMANDING..."
A timeless classic.
16:53 Well, to be fair, Snoke was a hologram the whole time. Who knows, maybe he'll turn out to be in-universe CGI Wizard-of-Oz-style, just an image used by someone to hide their identity, and that's why it looks so fake: because it is.
I think Snoke himself looks great, but his scenes just had lots of artificial computer lighting (which in fairness could be part of the hologram)
+BioniclesaurKing4t2 Well everybody could tell it was voldemort right away
No exposition, it just throws you right in! It's like anime! Well, I've heard that there is a manga based off the movie. So, yeah you could make this into an anime easily.
The guy with the beard and glasses keeps talking over the guy with the sideburns and hat... It's chaos!
"Who doesn't like Labyrinth?" My mom - and I *think* my dad, but I don't know. But it sucks, cuz I really am DYING to see it!!!
I watched Labyrinth once when I was little. Didn't see it again til a couple of years ago. Liked it then. Still like it now.
3:57 - I nearly spit out my coffee.
Nice review guys! I thought I was the only one who got awkward with The Goblin King's outfit. LOL
Dance Magic Dance baby!
How about a review of The Barbarians movie?
Don't become an old geezer: "Well movies back in MY day...". I for one think it's good that each decade has it's own style of movies.
14:11 Allow me to add on to the Puppets and CGI comment Doug and Rob. In my view CGI can be used to make awesome effects like the view of planets or creating storms in the sky, but with puppets, Yes they are actually their which I hope is used more in films but with puppets in general they have more of a realistic appeal and actual believability of being shown, being a puppeteer myself (Henson style puppetry) it's all about making it believe it's an actual creature weather it'd be like a cute character or a monster and it's also on actually making it look like it is an actual living thing which is what I love about Jim Henson's work.
(Is Doug going to review Legend? From 1985 with Tim Curry as The Devil.)
For extra 80's awareness try revisiting Monster Squad. Kids swear and act like real 80's kids. Talk about you could never repeat that kind of cast and film making. The practical effects and costumes were so well done. The scene between Dracula and the little girl where he threatens her and tells her off to her screaming face would shock audiences everywhere. Not to mention the fat kid with the shotgun. It would never get by modern censors. It pushed child fantasy movies into more adult territory in much the same way as Labyrinth did.
Actually, Gollum wasn't CGI. He was motion capture. Andy Serkis was on set in a green suit the whole time. That's why the interactions with other characters feel more genuine.
that's like saying a cgi character isn't cgi because they have a voice actor..... it was still created using cgi rather than a practical outfit
Did Rob just pull a "Jeremy Irons" at 11:05 or did I just imagine that?
"Real Thoughts On - The Labyrinth" or alternatively "Rob and Doug complain about overuse of CGI for 30 min."
Lol either way, I enjoyed it
First, great vid. Second, dude, I know it's not the first one and I honestly don't know if it switches up, but it means so much to me that Rob is sitting on the left side of the screen because he is always naturally looking to his left and when he's sitting on the right I'm like, "What is he looking at off screen, omg,".
Jim Henson and David Bowie. RIP legends
The subtle actions that puppetry can pull off was also done by the LEGENDARY Ray Harryhausen with his stop motion animation. Any of his creatures always had such subtlety in their actions that gave them character and life.
I thought the weirdest line in the movie (I know that's saying a lot) is Hoggle's reaction to seeing Sarah for the first time "Oh, it's you." When I first saw the movie, I expected Sarah to respond with "uh... do I know you?" I know it's nitpicking, but it's been bugging me for years.
"There's a few times they've done it [made it feel like the CGI character is really there.] Gollum's pretty close." Well yeah Gollum feels like he's in the scene, he's motion captured onto Andy Serkis who's really there in the scene with Elijah and Sean, that does a lot to help physically ground a character in the scene.
There's way more than few
Most of the marvel movies have amazing cgi
AMAZING movie, I am very happy I grew up with this film, watching over hundred times, & always the Jim Henson house gave a unique magical touch yet real, Vivid to all the films they work in it, & another great thing that always added so much was the ever lovely Jennifer Connelly & mighty david bowie, may his soul find the ocean of light & music in the other side of life
I know it's something of a given, but Rob does a pitch perfect impression of his brother
This thing came out at the same time as some big-budget special-effects extravaganzas... back then we were like "What's this? It looks like it's twenty years ago or something". And so nobody saw it. Now that we're older, we can appreciate the insanity and Bowie-ness. (Does anybody else think of him sitting on a star somewhere, looking down upon us and singing "Space Oddity"? I'd like to think so.)
As for Bowie's delivery... "making not-especially-great lines sound incredible" is just what he does. Have you heard the song "Heroes" recently? Lyrics... pretty good inspirational stuff... but it's Bowie's delivery that absolutely sells the song and makes it great.
Lets play a game: how long does it take for Rob to interrupt Doug
The only thing weirder than the Goblin King being your sexual awakening is Darkness from Legend being your sexual awakening
I think the main lesson for Labyrinth is not to take everything for granted in your life, because the main character kept hating the baby and parents in her life.
Similar to Coraline, it seems the lesson is to be grateful for what you have
Geez, not until you were twelve, thirteen? Wow. by the late 90's I had memories of watching this at 5, 6 years old in like 90, 91. Actually the fieries were the puppeteers performing in black velvet suits, against a black velvet background under uv's, and later rerendered/fine tuned on the computer, there was no bluescreen. If you guys ever make it to Toronto for one of our huge cons, check out a show at Famous People Players, if you have time. They'd already been at this type of blacklight performance for 10 years by the time Labyrinth came out.
And the fieries were performed with a Japanese puppetry technique called Bunraku where up to three performers operate/perform one puppet at one time.
i watched the dark crystal i loving it jim hanson makes beautiful puppets
I remember walking in on my aunt and her current husband, then just her boyfriend watching Labryinth; in particular, they were in the beginning of the middle of this and I found it so weird that I was sucked in just sitting there, watching it
Born in 99 love this movie
On the CGI puppet argument, as long as the actors see and react to something there as in a physical puppet or a stand in for a cg character, and as long as the character fits in and has enough face to emote, I am find it fine.
so this is an odd complaint on my part but I see a lot of reviewers put down older CGI flatly saying its just bad. I kinda would like to know yah it looks bad now but was it bad for the time the film was made, does it hold up to what else was made at the same time, and was it still bad after factoring in how much work they where trying to accomplish with the amount of time and technology they had. For example the owl at the beginning of the Labyrinth is pretty bad now but was one of the first times CGI had been used like that in the 80s (I mean used to create a realistic animal in a major film) , just adding that little teed bit put the whole scene into perspective. yep I know noticing things like that makes me a little weird :)