When I was little this film enthralled me, now that I'm an adult it makes me cry. Sarah's adventure is the literal representation of coming of age and putting away childish things, letting go of the past. But that little speech in the end about how every now and again in her life she needs them 💔 😢 too much for tired old heart to bare
Everyone needs that escape into fantasy sometimes. But I actually don’t think you have to put everything away. I am huge into fantasy and escapism that doesn’t involve drugs or alcohol or anything. As long as you still know the difference between reality and fantasy, it’s fine. That’s why a lot of adults love things like Ren Faires. I’m really into dressing up and going to them, or a masquerade ball. I love making costumes, mainly floral headpieces and so on, and I’m also a makeup artist. It’s so fun to dress up and go to a ball 😀
Jareth was apparently the Goblin King since his teen years, which explains his kind of angsty bratty “why won’t Sarah love me, I’ve done what she wanted?!” attitude. I suppose that’s why he didn’t put up too much of a fight until Sarah was actually in the Goblin City too, as he was amused by having someone that wasn’t willing to do whatever he wanted. Jareth and Sarah were also supposed to have a kiss scene during the ball hallucination, but David Bowie refused as Jennifer Connelly (Sarah’s actress) was only 14 during filming
@@steph0711 there was a woman who came forward and said she was a teen "groupie" and that they hooked up. I don't know if he knew her age at the time, how legit the claim is, if he ever acknowledged it, etc. and the woman who came forward wasn't angry or regretful at all because she was a huge fan of his (but obviously... still not great)
The baby is Toby Froud, son of the creature designer/set designer/production designer for this film and Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal. He grew up and became a creature designer and puppeteer, not kidding. The child in the movie’s name was changed to his real name as it was the only name he would respond to.
@@emanymton713 Yep, they had a really hard time to actually get him to cry. I think they had to wait until he was tired. Bet he tought this was just like home...
And with the monsters in the forest that remove limbs, that is one of the earliest examples of green screen. They were playing around with new techniques with this film. 😊
Believe it or not, the puppeteers for the "Firey" creatures were all dressed in black velvet, then they carefully lit the creatures, so the puppeteers and background didn't show up on film. The puppeteers were also behind the velvet background at times, too. Then they could use an optical printer to expose the black background to add in a different background. A motion-controlled camera (like the one used on Star Wars) let them move the camera around, then tie in the backgrounds and other stuff with different shots / takes. It was a bit of a crude method, even for the time, so it did have a strange outline in some shots. I imagine they had to manually paint some things out, too. It did look a lot like it had a slight blue outline to those shots too, for some reason. I don't know if they used a blue screen for some of it, then merged it all together. (I think blue screens were often used with an orange filter back then, to create a matte outline of things. Then that matte was used in the optical printer to composite multiple pieces of film. Nowadays it's all done digitally, of course.) The behind-the-scenes vid is on UA-cam, the part with the Fiery's starts around 16 minutes.
33:15 a detail that some people overlook is that the old trash lady is trying to turn Sarah into another trash lady - every single item Sarah is given is sticking to her back. Had she not recovered the memory of Toby, she'd be a hunchbacked hoarder in a land of trash forever.
19:40 FUN FACT: The armor that the goblins are wearing...In "Lord of the Rings", Peter Jackson wanted to make a tribute to "Labyrinth". So the armors that Frodo and Sam are wearing on Mordor, to hide from the orcs, are exactly this ones 😁
The part in her room has some great visual storytelling. Nearly every character is foreshadowed in Sarah’s toys, and, if you look really close, you can even see that her biological mother has recently given her the ballerina dancer that she was dressed as at the Goblin King’s Masquerade Ball scene (you were looking for the term Venetian Masquerade aesthetic) and has recently left her father for a handsome young actor (also played by David Bowie in photographs).
Among all the contents of her room that show up in the Labyrinth there was one item that did not. On her shelf is a Judge Dread board game. Had they included him, it would have made for a much different movie.
Wow I'm so dumb! 😜 I just went back & watched it and read the headline of the newspaper clippings where it hints at that! This whole time I thought her mom had passed away a long time ago & that the clippings were just reviews of her last and/or most popular play (Labyrinth w/Bowie as costar), and that's why Sarah was so attached to it lol. I guess I thought she had died bc when the stepmother mentions the "fairy stories", I figured it was like Cinderella or Snow White where they actually did lose their mothers when they were young. But I should have suspected it wasn't quite that tragic in light of how she exagerrated her plight in the "bedtime story" to Toby lol.
Like this movie,, also a terrifying fascination of my childhood in the mid 90's and one of my favorites although I favored this one more. Haven't seen the Netflix Show version but the Dark Crystal was amazing, philosophically deep, and as a child TERRIFYING at many parts. Not to mention aesthetically and as far as all realms of design gorgeous and advanced for its time with effects.
The blurry 'filter' effect in old movies is achieved with a technique known as 'Vaseline on the lens'. Actual materials may vary, but that's how the filmmaking trope is known. Also, I think you guys would really enjoy 'Hook' for many of the reasons you enjoyed this.
11:15: They had such problems getting the baby to actually cry - reason being, it's Toby Froud, the then-baby of Brian and Wendy Froud, who designed all those goblins and other creatures. Bet he felt right at home on the set. He's a puppeteer and puppet designer in his own right now and I've read him stating that much to his regret, his only real interaction with David Bowie in his life was peeing on his arm...
The aesthetic you're wondering about is the "Venetian masquerade" or "masquerade ball" aesthetic. It is related to and often overlaps with both the carnival aesthetic and the Victorian aesthetic. Definitely something that the steampunk aesthetic might make use of.
23:00 Not yet green screen, the Henson crew experimented with black velvet backdrops, the whole puppeteering team dressed head to toe in it. It ended up being kind of a pain, the velvet had to constantly be brushed free of lint and debris! We’re talking dozens of people operating the pieces of each puppet! Bonus: I actually really enjoy this song, Kevin Clash the former puppeteer for Elmo sings on the track and I can’t NOT Imagine Elmo when I hear it now!
I like how Bowie managed to portray the unworldliness of a being a fae in his role here. The way he uses his crystal balls seem to add to it. By the way, the worm meant it when Sarah didn't reach the castle at the point in time. She wasn't ready to face Jareth's minions.
I don’t know if anyone else has mentioned but I think Legend should be on your 80s list. It stars young Tom Cruise and Mia Sara (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, and the legend (pun intended) Tim Curry. Labyrinth and Legend were my childhood.
Dude Legend is awesome, but terrified the hell out of me as a little kid. Well, to be more specific Lord Darkness scared the shit out of me as a kid LOL. I don't think I was able to watch this movie for enjoyment until I was at least 8. Before then I usually stayed away from whatever room this movie was playing in.
I love watching the younger generation discover this movie, not everyone appreciates it as much as you two did. I’m so glad you enjoyed it. I would love to see you react to The Dark Crystal and also the Neverending Story.
I'd love to see them react to the original film The Dark Crystal and maybe a follow up with the recent TV series. It may have been cancelled by Netflix but it has so much love put into it. It's beautiful to see these puppeteering techniques be used with modern film making.
The fire gang (the things that can detach their heads) actually aren’t green screened. The technology wasn’t good enough at the time to handle the fur. So instead they double exposed the film. The first pass the filmed the fire gang and Jennifer Connolly against a matte black background (velvet). The puppeteers are all wearing matte black morph suits and lighting was carefully controlled to keep them from showing up against the background. Then they exposed that same film again while shooting the background elements (the campfire rocks and trees) with no characters in the shot. Regarding daydreaming: You hit the nail on the head. Henson knew early on that he wanted a rock star for the goblin king and they reached out to Bowie and Michael Jackson. Ultimately they went with Bowie because he had a more sexual edge, and they wanted that tension for a teen girl’s celebrity crush.
The actual ball work is called "Contact Juggling." I'm pretty sure the guy who developed it actually was the one doing all the tricks in this movie, reaching around Bowie to do it, and such.
I remember reading somewhere that Bowie spent months learning to do the contact juggling for the film and that he actually did it himself, but I could be misremembering
Pretty sure you're both right, he did practice loads and I believe he did do some of the movements but for a lot of the higher difficulty throws they needed the other guy to do them on screen
Yeah, the actual juggler stood behind Bowie and threaded his arms through his so they looked like Bowie's arms. He had to juggle blind because he couldn't see what he was doing past Bowie; in the making-of featurette there are outtakes of the juggler dropping the crystal and Bowie laughing
This feels like the right comment thread to speak to the toy referenced in the video, which was "the Fushigi Magic Gravity Ball", an acrylic contact juggling ball with a steel core that helped prevent focusing of the sun as a potential fire hazard. It's got a section in the Contact Juggling Wikipedia entry as well.
The Labyrinth is definitely a manifestation of her own psyche, if you look around her room there's all kinds of things that appear in the Labyrinth, including a Sir Didymous doll and the Escher print also if you look closely at the pictures on her mirror you can see David Bowie in them, there's a lot to unpack there.
@@whitenoisereacts One could see it as the owl being Jareth had been observing her and then constructed a world that reflected her own desires and dreams in order to tempt her more effectively.
*How to make a girl love you, by Jareth the Goblin King:* 1._ Kidnap her baby brother. 2._If she rejects your crystal ball, trow a snake into her neck (supper effective) 3._ Make her go to a Labyrinth were she will fall into deadly traps. Girls love that. 4._ Convince a friend of hers drug her, and invite her to dance. (The most romantic thing in the world) 5._ If the last four steps doesn't work, confronte and tell her how her eyes can be so cruel. Guys, I don't now if you alredy did, but you should watch the behind scences. All the people who work in this movie was crazy and genius at the same time. Also, please, react to the Dark Crystal, is one of my favorites Jim's movies since I was 3 years old.
Right!? Jim Henson pretty much owned puppeteering. In my book he still does. They make have all these great monsters etc, but he made you feel the creature.
I have always thought that the theme of the film is essentially a coming of age story. It's about Sarah leaving her childhood behind in many ways, you see at the end of the film that she starts putting stuff away in her drawer and gives Toby her teddy, she has grown as a person and it's time to start acting more like an adult.... but not completely, which is why she still needs all the characters every now and again, and explains that end scene. I don't think it's supposed to be clear whether it's real or in her head, it's the audience members choice and either choice works.
Yes and I love how in the beginning, the way she acts and speaks is very childish. Very whiny. "But that's not fair!!" Then toward the end, she talks more like a young woman. I also never realized this before but their referencing the Wizard of Oz, Sarah actually talks/sounds like Dorothy. Very cool!
I’m here SUPER LATE but tell me I’m wrong: this entire movie is like a David Bowie album music video, the story is just a narrative glueing all these trippy songs together 😂 I love this wierdo movie
When David Bowie requests to write and perform the music for your movie, that’s an offer not to be refused. He got some great people to work with him on it, too, such as a choir that included Cissy Houston and Chaka Khan, as well as the Master of the Telecaster Albert Collins.
And just remember, this was a kids' movie. Picture a theater full of 6, 7, 8, 9 year old kids watching this! Gen X got a fair bit of nightmare fuel in our "kid movies". Also don't judge Sarah too harshly for being fed up, it sucks having to be the unpaid babysitter while your parents go out to party. That too was sadly common for young people in the 80s. I remember being 13 and having to babysit my two young siblings while Mommy Dearest went out to party on the weekends.
Yeah. I mean depending on the context I think that’s totally ok personally. I know tons of people who still do that. That’s just sorta how it is in a bigger family or just any family
@@whitenoisereacts I think it depends - it can be fine, but it can definitely go too far (in some cases it's considered ab-se), and I think parents need to watch where that line is; because at the end of the day it's not the child's job to care for the other children. But I might be biased because of my own experience - I was the oldest of a large family and it really stopped me from being able to have a normal childhood, because I was constantly expected to parent my younger siblings (who I love, and don't blame at all). Like I just didn't have friends until high school, for example, because I was at home with my siblings literally 24/7. And looking back, it definitely wasn't okay that I was made to do that so often. So I personally REALLY relate to Sarah lol. I guess that's what I'm saying.
There is also the fact that Sarah does, at least a little, resent this child of her father's second marriage. This is basically her being testy that her father did sit and mope his days away (like Sarah is doing) when Sarah's mother left them. The film never tells us how long ago the split happened, but now Dad has moved on and has a new wife and a new kid, and Sarah being an angsty teenager caught up in herself (like most teens are; it's part of the growth process) probably feels like here is another parent abandoning her. Her dad has replaced his wife and now has a new kid to replace Sarah with (to her way of thinking) and this new kid is "taking her stuff" and she has to stay home and watch him. She's supposed to be a big, overgrown brat in the beginning, in order for us to see her growth and maturity at the end, to see her think of her little brother AS a brother and not a burden, and to actually CARE about him enough to risk everything she has to go through in the Labyrinth.
@@LordofFullmetal Thank you, exactly. There's a big difference between "We need you to babysit for a few hours on Saturday so mom and dad can have date night" and parents spending so much time out partying that their appointed babysitter doesn't get to enjoy their youth. (Not tween me home babysitting two toddlers _every single weekend_ because Mommy preferred to go drink and flirt at the neighborhood bar than parent her kids.) Sadly many people would rather pretend child mistreatment doesn't happen, even when it involves invalidating others' lived experiences.
Cool factoid I learned over on Tumblr a few years back on this film: Every single goblin you see in Jareth's kingdom was once a Toby who had a Sarah wish them away. Not all of them successfully rescued their Tobies like our Sarah in the film did. So when Hoggle asks Sarah what her name is, and she replies with 'Sarah', that's why he replied "That's what I thought." Because every single girl who's entered there was named Sarah. So what happened to all the Tobies? They were all forgotten like Jareth planned for each Sarah who attempted to come to rescue them. As for the Sarahs that got far but failed? They all turned into the trash lady in the junkheap. You can see that there are multiple of them just going around collecting things that remind them of their past. That's why the garbage lady was trying to make Sarah into one, because they know she's teetering on remembering, so they too try to cloud her judgment with knick-nacks from her room that she loves dearly. I don't know if this is true or not, but it does put an interesting twist to the story when you think about it.
37:58 Yes! Didymus is the Lancer, quick and with range, but weaker, Ludo is the Tank, slow cooldown but with OP defense and skills, Hoggle is the Rogue, sneaky and resourceful, and Sarah is the Mage. All together fill an RPG line up. Great reaction guys. I was Connelly's age when I first watched this movie and totally fell in love with her since. Awesome movie, great music and beautiful Bowie.
If you look closely at the scrap book in Sarah's room at the beginning of the movie, you'll notice it's full of newspaper clippings about an actress named Linda Williams. That's Sarah's mother, who left her husband and daughter to pursue a stage career. You can even glimpse an actor resembling Jareth posing with Linda in one of the newspaper clippings.
Omg I never clicked so fast! This is my favourite movie. The baby is the son of the artist Brian Froud who was involved in artwork for the film. He’s now grown up and works for the Henson company. Most recently producing the Dark Crystal series on netflix. Which is also awesome
I'm an 80s child, this was one of the few vhs we had and my sisters and I know it by heart, we used to act it out. When I met the man who is now my husband he could also quote the film, that's how I knew we should be together!
To do the crying scenes, they had to do scenes past Toby Froud's naptime. There was a point that in the scene when he's sitting in the King's lap watching Sarah in the crystal he was screaming so loud and hard that they couldn't get a shot. They ended up giving David Bowie a puppet to hold up off screen and that's why Toby looked so hypnotized during that scene.
I knew you guys have been tackling classic movies, but for some reason, I always feel like Labyrinth gets pushed to the side. I was so thrilled to see this video in my feed, it's a childhood favourite of mine along with The Dark Crystal. I would watch both of those movies back-to-back whenever I stayed home sick... for some reason my child-brain thought these were comforting and I believe that to be a contributing factor to why I love horror movies today, haha!
Ive watch this film countless times and I never picked up on the fact that the Garbage Woman was almost turning Sarah into a version of herself piling all the toys on her. Maybe she was a representation of what Sarah could have become if all she worried about was material objects (which is ultimately just junk) rather than the people she loved.
Toby Froud was the baby, he's the son of Brian Froud, the conceptual artist behind the designs of Labyrinth. He grew up to become a sculptor, puppeteer, and miniature artist.
Sarah also mentions in the story she tells Toby at the beginning that the Goblin King is in love with her. I think they made some Labyrinth comics too that delve into that and explore Jareth's character more.
There is indeed a manga sequel that focuses on Toby being older and getting involved in the Labyrinth. And there is more info on certain characters but I feel like it does not represent the movie much. And is seen as non canon. They plan to wanna make another movie but Idk if that will happen or not.
You guys should check out the making of Labyrinth. I think it’s on UA-cam. It shows you how they operated all the puppets, the designing of the sets, costumes, the camera tricks, the crystal ball tricks, etc. It’s really wonderful. I’m glad you guys enjoyed my favorite fantasy film. This and several other fantasies were my entire world as a kid. Awesome reaction. Thank you for sharing.
In the Renaissance period it was common for music to be the length of a modern movie and to go through several "movements". It's only recently that the common length of a song had become about 2.3-3 mins
About the commentary on similamity to Wizardof Oz... in the beginning when it showed the books on her shelf in her bedroom, the first most visible one was a copy of Wizard of Oz! Definitely giving the nod there.
The baby who plays Toby is Toby Fraud, son of Brian Fraud. He is the film's conceptual designer and puppet builder Wendy Froud is Toby's mother. With parents like his, it would make sense that Toby is totally into being with the Goblins. He probably sees those things all the time.
I was born in '86 so I grew up with this movie, plus my mom loved David Bowie. One cool fact, which I'm sure has been pointed out, the owl that appears at the opening of the movie is widely regarded as the first realistic CGI animal to appear on the big screen
31:08 The name of the aesthetic inside the bubble is masquerade. This masquerade is in the Venetian Carnival style of the 18th century, with a whole ton of 80's sprinkled in. Victorian is about 100 years later.
This movie is timeless. It was accompanied by a whole genre of 80’s movies that spun new fairy tales. Legend, Ladyhawke, The Princess Bride, Krull, The Secret of Roan Inish just to name a few. And I believe that is a filter made from crinkled up Saran Wrap. It was used to soften the features for dream sequences and imagination part so the audience knew it wasn’t really happening. Jim Henson created the muppets.
There is a masquerade-ball held annually in Los Angeles known as "The Labyrinth of Jareth" inspired by this film. Attendees are encouraged to dress up in fantastic fantasy costumes and enjoy the evening of dance of revelry. Some of the costumes which people have come up with to wear are sometimes several YEARS in the making just to show off at this event (almost like an indoor Mardi Gras)
This movie was the second of two collaborations between Jim Henson (puppeteer) and Brian Froud (fantasy artist, best known for his depictions of fairies), this one also had Terry Jones of Monty Python fame involved in the writing. Brian's son Toby is the baby in the film, and now also a puppeteer).
Fun Fact: The only surviving Hoggle armature is on display in the entrance of a store named Unclaimed Baggage located in Scottsborro, Alabama (about 20 northwest of where I live). Like the name suggests, the owner buys bulk shipments of baggage that has been unclaimed for a certain amount of time and is therefore auctioned off. The Hoggle armature was found in such a bulk purchase. It was in very poor shape as a lot of its' latex had deteriorated with time. The owner of Unclaimed Baggage paid a hefty sum to have it brought back to near mint condition 🤘 Also, Davis Bowie actually learned contact juggling for this film. He spent months perfecting his technique. I myself tried to learn contact juggling with a couple of Fushigi spheres, but it was extremely difficult and I gave up 🥴
One of my favorite movies! Another Fantasy movie y’all should watch is the (1985) “Legend” with a young Tom Cruise & Tim Curry playing the character Darkness.
I’m loving you guys’ Daredevil reactions, but honest to God, I am so happy to see you two ready to something more fun. This movie is one of a dead breed of films that were produced in the 80s, scary as shit family/kid’s movies that prominently featured puppets/muppets. It began with Neverending Story and went all the way to The Witches (1990). After that, cgi became more prominent, rendering this style obsolete in the eyes of film going plebs who wanted the new hotness. For a more adult take on this concept, watch The Dark Crystal… that is Jim Henson’s Magnum Opus.
Dance Magic, the first song with the Goblin King singing with Toby, is probably one of my all time favorite songs. Then again, I was 5 when this came out and it was easy to sing along with. But still, you can't help but want to sing and dance along
The great Jim Henson directed this movie, he is known for creating the Muppets, Kermit the frog and heaps of other projects. George Lucas originally asked him to operate Yoda in 'Empire' but Jim recommended Frank Oz as he was so busy with other projects. Toby the baby was the son of the concept designer for 'Labyrinth' Brian Froud
I love you guys for mentioning Phantom Tollbooth and Wrinkle in Time, two fantastic books that I love reading to my own children and students. This movie definitely has a similar whimsical vibe.
The whole premise was the story of a girl in that awkward stage where she's on the cusp of womanhood but still a child. Her toys (and make believe) was what she wanted but Jareth (puberty) was starting to tempt her away from her childhood. oh - and btw, You were right. EVERY 80s girl loved that ballroom scene and wanted to be dancing with David Bowie.
It wasn't David Bowie that performing those tricks with the crystal balls, It was a performer behind Bowie with his hands sticking through Bowie's costume. You now have to watch the movie a few more times and look for all the Bowie faces in the Labyrinth.
I'm so glad y'all reacted to this because it was this movie that awakened my love for writing and everything theater when I was trying to find myself after escaping a terrible situation. This film drew many references from fairytales and lore, stage performances and music, and under the gentle hand of Jim Henson beheld practical effects that made this feel like the perfect fantasy to fall into, have a quick adventure, and use the lessons to further make myself a better person in this cruel reality. Of course, David Bowie's presence in this just can't be replaced by anyone else alive, even in the face of a potential reboot, reimagining, or sequel. Not to mention how he was the adult awakening for many a young woman, including myself (even if I did first discover it near twenty years after it's debut). XD Many Blessings!
I think the main point of this movie was to show Sarah, who was self-absorbed and had her head in the clouds, that everything she has been obsessing over really doesn't matter. She was forced to learn that her brother is what should truly matter to her... not all the junk in her room (and in her head for that matter).
Jim Henson was a creative genious and we lost him way too soon. I would have loved to see him continue to create films and stories. His work and his company created so many fantastical creatures
A Masquerade Ball (which is what Sarah landed in when she ate the peach) in this scene is supposed to be like the old stories of the Fae casting Glamour spells, but since Jareth is the Goblin King, he is a master of it. The idea was to spellbind Sarah so the time ran out. Check out some Jim Henson creation of Labyrinth stories here on YT and you'll get a shock out of the creative process. It's really interesting to watch. The type of story you're referring to is the Snow White style, but this story has a dark twist to it. Jim Henson believed that children shouldn't always innocent to everything within reason because the world was not an innocent place. This style of story, the Morality/Coming of Age story style, has the Brothers Grimme touch on what has been a classic faery tale. If you wanna try a kick-ass 80's fantasy film, you HAVE to check out Legend with Tom Cruise and Tim Curry as the main characters. You will LOVE IT.
I think this is one of the only reaction videos to Labyrinth that truly appreciates the movie and all the incredible things going on throughout. A lot of people get caught up on certain things and miss so much of the magic of the movie! Kudos to you both!
I liked your discussion at the end- this film can be interpreted alot of different ways, but I always read it as her having a sexual awakening, the frustrations of wanting to be a grown up- then coming full circle to her remembering, "hey I'm only 14, there are things about being a child that I've moved past, but there are other things about being a child that I still want and need. Growing up isn't wrong, but it can wait". In that way I think it has a lot more nuance than a simple "coming of age" story.
"You asked that the child be taken, I took him. You cowered before me, I was frightening." "Just love me, fear me, do as I say; and I will be your slave." ✨ A KING 🙌 🙌 🙌 ✨
Jennifer Connely was and still is stunning :). You should also watch Wilow and Lady Hawk for more great Jim Hanson puppet I recommend the StoryTeller 1987 great tv series.
This is one of Henson's masterpieces and the effects where ground breaking. Like the old school fairy tales it has darkness and teaches an important lesson while still being fantastical. Also the kid who played Toby grew up around this stuff and went into film making, special effects and puppetry. He even was involved the Netflix series Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. The prequel to Jim Henson's Dark Crystal another dark fantasy brought to life by his company. Seriously the Henson Creature Shop revolutionized special effects with it's innovations in puppetry and animatronics and the rist steps in CGI. Then CGI Owl from the opening was a marvel at the time. Characters like Hoggel and Ludo are great examples of blending costumes and puppets.
You were pretty much on point with the Wizard of Oz reference. If you look at Sarah's room at the beginning, all of the characters are already there. There is a stuffed toy firey, and a little stuffed Sir Didymus. Other characters are parts of books and pictures. Even the Esher stairs at the end are a poster on her wall. And of course Ambrosius is the same dog as Merlin.
Shari Weiser is the person acting as Hoggle's body, except for the head, which as animatronic. Brian Henson, Jim's son, did the voice of Hoggle and there were around 4 other puppeteers to operate the 18 remote control motors inside the head. It took a lot of coordinated rehearsals to form the various facial expressions while Hoggle talked. The juggler (Michael Moschen) was hiding behind David Bowie and had to juggle the clear glass spheres completely blind. So, he had to do this all by feel and without any TV monitors. The Ludo puppet was originally much more heavier than it looked; well over 100 lbs. It was too much for the puppeteers, so they had to rebuild. The final weight was somewhere around 75 lbs. There were 2 puppeteers who shared working Ludo. Terry Jones, listed in the movie credits as a writer on the movie, was best recognized as a member of Monty Python. Warwick Davis, who previously played an Ewok in George Lucas' Star Wars: The Return of the Jedi and also played Professor Flitwick in the Harry Potter franchise, was one of the goblins. Warwick was in his mid-teens when he did the movie. Elliot Scott was the main production designer on the movie and really did a great job making it all too real. The scene with the Fireys (23:00) was filmed on a set where everything was covered in black velvet; even the puppeteers were covered in velvet. The velvet acted like a green screen technique we use today. After the filming, the elements recorded were blended together in a studio and printed to film. Jennifer Connelly was 15 years old when she filmed Labyrinth. The ballroom dance scene is still her most favorite moment from making the movie. As the Junk Woman is giving Sarah more things for her to enjoy, notice that those items are attaching and collecting onto Sarah's back. Once she wakes up and realizes it's all useless junk, the pile breaks away. The Junk Woman may sound and look familiar, since it's a throwback to The Dark Crystal (1982) with the character Mother Aughra.
Dude you should watch WILLOW 1988! There is an upcoming series that acts as a sequel to the movie in November. And LEGEND 1985, directed by Ridley Scott, starring Tom Cruise as he plays a forest dweller who must find his inner hero to save the world from The Lord Of Darkness, played by Tim Curry.
I saw this movie at the theater at just the right age (young enough to love the fantasy and puppetry, and old enough to appreciate David Bowie) and have always loved it! You should to go back and look at all the things in her room :) Edit: I also seem to remember the owl in the opening was some of the very first computer animation in a movie.
I was born in 84. Some of Jim Henson's creations really freaked me out when I was a child. I was terrified of the "hoarder"/"junk" lady in this movie. She still gives me a weird feeling every time I see her. Has anyone else seen that show fragglerock or something like that? I had nightmares about that one too when I was a kid.
Besides the fact that I cannot even wait for you guys to get deeper in Furuba, I'm really excited to see your thoughts on mainly Anastasia, and also Neverending story (although the book is 1000000X better and way different than the movie in tons of ways and tackles so many concepts more deeply such as depression, anxiety, abuse of power, sense of self, destiny vs free will; just all better done in this relatively short "children's" book that was translated into dozens of languages, thats how good it is and how far-reaching). Dark Crystal was also fantastic and also done by the Jim Henson Co.!!! OOOF and also another two amazing movies that are top tier, one is All Dogs Go To Heaven and another thats lesser known is The Last Unicorn, it was made in an era that wasn't afraid to make a kids animated movie a little frightening and intense in plot and it was dark and well done and had FANTASTIC animation.
The Last Unicorn is one of my favorites. It feels very timeless. We watched it recently with my son and even though the animation is pretty dated, the art style and character designs are stunning, and the story provoked some thoughtful questions from him. Definitely worth a watch!
@@denanebergall5514 I adore The Last Unicorn and always have! Mia Farrow, unfortunately, cannot sing, and I have to mute the song "Now That I'm a Woman" but I LOVE that movie! The cat with the eye patch, the skeleton guzzling wine ("Uuunicorn! UUUUUNICOOOORRN!"), the douglas fir, Mommy Fortuna, the butterfly ("They passed down all the roads long away, and the Red Bull ran close behind them."), Schmendrick, Molly, Amalthea...the movie is so late 70s in aesthetic, but I do love it.
Someone probably pointed it out, but there’s a close-up on a Wizard of Oz book in the beginning. This one is one of my favorite movies, and it always makes me want to play Legend of Mana and Final Fantasy IX, many scenes, sets, characters, and monsters matching up.
Henson actually worked more with black screen than green screen, which I also think works much better, as long as you have brightly colored creatures, since it doesn't give fast moving hair/fur a green glow.
One thing i love about this film is the messaging on the importance of growing up, but at your own pace and knowing not to let go of everything. You could say that Jareth is an amalgamation of Sarah's fantasies trying desperately to keep her in a childish state but by the end of the film Sarah takes control of her emotions and begins the process of growing up, however not forgetting her childhood completely which gives her strength in the end.
What is your favorite 80s movie??
My favorite films are three:
1) Dark Crystal
2) Labyrinth
3) Gremlins
Willow!
I like alot of 80s movies😊
Back to the future.
Karate kid.
Footloose.
Youngblod.
.......The list goes on 😊❤
My top 6 childhood 80's movies :)
The Princess Bride
LadyHawke
Labyrinth
Willow
The Neverending Story
The Dark Crystal
Ladyhawke
When I was little this film enthralled me, now that I'm an adult it makes me cry. Sarah's adventure is the literal representation of coming of age and putting away childish things, letting go of the past. But that little speech in the end about how every now and again in her life she needs them 💔 😢 too much for tired old heart to bare
It’s both enthralling and beautiful in my opinion
No child ever truly grows up who still loves and enjoys the world like a child. If this movie makes you cry, you are still young at heart.
Yeah, even as a kid- that part always made me tear up.
Yes, should you need us...
Everyone needs that escape into fantasy sometimes. But I actually don’t think you have to put everything away. I am huge into fantasy and escapism that doesn’t involve drugs or alcohol or anything. As long as you still know the difference between reality and fantasy, it’s fine. That’s why a lot of adults love things like Ren Faires. I’m really into dressing up and going to them, or a masquerade ball. I love making costumes, mainly floral headpieces and so on, and I’m also a makeup artist. It’s so fun to dress up and go to a ball 😀
Jareth was apparently the Goblin King since his teen years, which explains his kind of angsty bratty “why won’t Sarah love me, I’ve done what she wanted?!” attitude. I suppose that’s why he didn’t put up too much of a fight until Sarah was actually in the Goblin City too, as he was amused by having someone that wasn’t willing to do whatever he wanted. Jareth and Sarah were also supposed to have a kiss scene during the ball hallucination, but David Bowie refused as Jennifer Connelly (Sarah’s actress) was only 14 during filming
I love that man!!! Good for him!!!
Good for him.
Maybe he was advised not to or decided not to because it was in a movie. Because Bowie had definitely done more than kiss girls of a similar age.
@@vayull7163 Really? He did that to underage girls? I never heard about that..
@@steph0711 there was a woman who came forward and said she was a teen "groupie" and that they hooked up. I don't know if he knew her age at the time, how legit the claim is, if he ever acknowledged it, etc. and the woman who came forward wasn't angry or regretful at all because she was a huge fan of his (but obviously... still not great)
The baby is Toby Froud, son of the creature designer/set designer/production designer for this film and Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal. He grew up and became a creature designer and puppeteer, not kidding. The child in the movie’s name was changed to his real name as it was the only name he would respond to.
No wonder he was calm around the goblin puppets. He grew up surrounded by strange creatures.
Awesome, I was hoping someone would comment this. Truly he followed in his father’s great footsteps.
Yes, he's now part of the crew working on the Dark Crystal series on Netflix.
@@emanymton713
Yep, they had a really hard time to actually get him to cry. I think they had to wait until he was tired. Bet he tought this was just like home...
Sadly, I think that show has been cancelled.
That owl on the beginning of the movie was the FIRST realistic CGI animal to appear on a movie. Is part of the CGI history!
And with the monsters in the forest that remove limbs, that is one of the earliest examples of green screen. They were playing around with new techniques with this film. 😊
@@TheCrayonMaster Back then it would have been blue screen, and no, chromakey was around since 1978 at least.
@@wyrdness1 oh! My bad, for some reason I thought it was green screen. I forgot about the blue screen!
Believe it or not, the puppeteers for the "Firey" creatures were all dressed in black velvet, then they carefully lit the creatures, so the puppeteers and background didn't show up on film. The puppeteers were also behind the velvet background at times, too.
Then they could use an optical printer to expose the black background to add in a different background.
A motion-controlled camera (like the one used on Star Wars) let them move the camera around, then tie in the backgrounds and other stuff with different shots / takes.
It was a bit of a crude method, even for the time, so it did have a strange outline in some shots.
I imagine they had to manually paint some things out, too.
It did look a lot like it had a slight blue outline to those shots too, for some reason.
I don't know if they used a blue screen for some of it, then merged it all together.
(I think blue screens were often used with an orange filter back then, to create a matte outline of things. Then that matte was used in the optical printer to composite multiple pieces of film. Nowadays it's all done digitally, of course.)
The behind-the-scenes vid is on UA-cam, the part with the Fiery's starts around 16 minutes.
Oh, and Danny John-Jules ("The Cat", from Red Dwarf) voices two of the Fiery creatures. lol
33:15 a detail that some people overlook is that the old trash lady is trying to turn Sarah into another trash lady - every single item Sarah is given is sticking to her back. Had she not recovered the memory of Toby, she'd be a hunchbacked hoarder in a land of trash forever.
"Whoah, We're doing a musical, bro?" When you have David Bowie in your movie, damn right we are!!!
Granted, he did act in plenty of films where he didn’t sing.
Yes indeed!
19:40 FUN FACT: The armor that the goblins are wearing...In "Lord of the Rings", Peter Jackson wanted to make a tribute to "Labyrinth". So the armors that Frodo and Sam are wearing on Mordor, to hide from the orcs, are exactly this ones 😁
I noticed that!!! I wasn't sure if I was crazy for recognizing that!
@@whitenoisereacts cool that you got that one though hahaha. 😎👍
I didn't know that, that is so cool!
This movie is both bat-shit insane and amazing, RIP David Bowie, absolute legend
Agreed!!!
Don't forget Jim Henson
Bowie never died. He just returned to the realm of imagination and dreams.
@@MnemonicHack omg that just made me tear up, what a beautiful saying! 🤍
@mnemonichack amen
The part in her room has some great visual storytelling. Nearly every character is foreshadowed in Sarah’s toys, and, if you look really close, you can even see that her biological mother has recently given her the ballerina dancer that she was dressed as at the Goblin King’s Masquerade Ball scene (you were looking for the term Venetian Masquerade aesthetic) and has recently left her father for a handsome young actor (also played by David Bowie in photographs).
Yes, I believe Sarah's mother was an actress too, which is one of the reasons Sarah herself is so caught up in acting
Among all the contents of her room that show up in the Labyrinth there was one item that did not. On her shelf is a Judge Dread board game. Had they included him, it would have made for a much different movie.
Wait, where does it say her mom left her dad for the Bowie character? Or that the ballerina was a recent present?
Wow I'm so dumb! 😜 I just went back & watched it and read the headline of the newspaper clippings where it hints at that! This whole time I thought her mom had passed away a long time ago & that the clippings were just reviews of her last and/or most popular play (Labyrinth w/Bowie as costar), and that's why Sarah was so attached to it lol. I guess I thought she had died bc when the stepmother mentions the "fairy stories", I figured it was like Cinderella or Snow White where they actually did lose their mothers when they were young. But I should have suspected it wasn't quite that tragic in light of how she exagerrated her plight in the "bedtime story" to Toby lol.
@@nataliaturner4845 I don’t know if it says anywhere that the ballerina was a recent gift, that was supposition on my part.
DARK CRYSTAL: Also a HENSON production, but much more of a dramatic fantasy than a light hearted frolic through a fantastical story.
Like this movie,, also a terrifying fascination of my childhood in the mid 90's and one of my favorites although I favored this one more. Haven't seen the Netflix Show version but the Dark Crystal was amazing, philosophically deep, and as a child TERRIFYING at many parts. Not to mention aesthetically and as far as all realms of design gorgeous and advanced for its time with effects.
Agreed, its hensons greatest work, I never miss a chance to try and suggest it to a reactor
The series is also great
I WAS JUST ABOUT TO RECOMMEND THIS AND THE SERIES QGE OF RESISTANCE
The first movie that ever spooked me so bad that it was years before I went back to watch it.
The blurry 'filter' effect in old movies is achieved with a technique known as 'Vaseline on the lens'. Actual materials may vary, but that's how the filmmaking trope is known.
Also, I think you guys would really enjoy 'Hook' for many of the reasons you enjoyed this.
The technical term is a Gaussian Blur, I believe…
Yes hook is a great film robin Williams great in it
They should definitely watch Hook!
I love Hook! But you need to be familiar with the Peter Pan story before watching it. The 2003 film is the best adaptation of it imo.
Finding Neverland! is really good also.
11:15: They had such problems getting the baby to actually cry - reason being, it's Toby Froud, the then-baby of Brian and Wendy Froud, who designed all those goblins and other creatures. Bet he felt right at home on the set. He's a puppeteer and puppet designer in his own right now and I've read him stating that much to his regret, his only real interaction with David Bowie in his life was peeing on his arm...
I do wonder how many people can say they’ve done that. I’m betting it’s not very many. 😄
The aesthetic you're wondering about is the "Venetian masquerade" or "masquerade ball" aesthetic. It is related to and often overlaps with both the carnival aesthetic and the Victorian aesthetic. Definitely something that the steampunk aesthetic might make use of.
I would say pre-French Revolution, rather than the more conservative English Victorian. Picture Marie Antoinette, not Queen Victoria.
23:00 Not yet green screen, the Henson crew experimented with black velvet backdrops, the whole puppeteering team dressed head to toe in it. It ended up being kind of a pain, the velvet had to constantly be brushed free of lint and debris! We’re talking dozens of people operating the pieces of each puppet!
Bonus: I actually really enjoy this song, Kevin Clash the former puppeteer for Elmo sings on the track and I can’t NOT Imagine Elmo when I hear it now!
I like how Bowie managed to portray the unworldliness of a being a fae in his role here. The way he uses his crystal balls seem to add to it.
By the way, the worm meant it when Sarah didn't reach the castle at the point in time. She wasn't ready to face Jareth's minions.
Usually it was someone else handling Bowie's balls from behind him.
Yes, I know what I said
@@christopherwall2121 Still kudos to how well choreograph it was that the illusion was near flawless.
I don’t know if anyone else has mentioned but I think Legend should be on your 80s list. It stars young Tom Cruise and Mia Sara (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, and the legend (pun intended) Tim Curry. Labyrinth and Legend were my childhood.
Same!
Dude Legend is awesome, but terrified the hell out of me as a little kid. Well, to be more specific Lord Darkness scared the shit out of me as a kid LOL. I don't think I was able to watch this movie for enjoyment until I was at least 8. Before then I usually stayed away from whatever room this movie was playing in.
@@irenemichelleanne Yeah I think I was 11 or 12 before I saw the whole movie. Until then as soon as The Lord of Darkness showed up channel change.
Yes yes yes! Legend but also Willow and Ladyhawke are a must too. Dont know if they've done Princess Bride but that too
Legend was one of my favorites! Tim Curry is amazing (as always)
Willow, Labryinth & The Goonies were the holy trinity for me growing up. I still adore them at the grand old age of 41...especially Willow!
Grand old age? Come one! No way!
37 here and Willow is still fucking awesome
Peck!
@@olatronstupid Dikini!
These were the films I grew up on my dad’s all time favorites are these 3!!
I love watching the younger generation discover this movie, not everyone appreciates it as much as you two did. I’m so glad you enjoyed it. I would love to see you react to The Dark Crystal and also the Neverending Story.
I was a 80s child so love this as my number 1 fav movie but my kids have no interest I this one they think it's boring
This and Dark Crystal are legendary in my opinion. Same with Never-ending Story. Those movies are my childhood
I was going to mention those 2 movies as well. And Legend.
@@emilywilhite5807 I never see Legend reviewed or spoken about. It’s an awesome film
I'd love to see them react to the original film The Dark Crystal and maybe a follow up with the recent TV series. It may have been cancelled by Netflix but it has so much love put into it. It's beautiful to see these puppeteering techniques be used with modern film making.
The fire gang (the things that can detach their heads) actually aren’t green screened. The technology wasn’t good enough at the time to handle the fur. So instead they double exposed the film. The first pass the filmed the fire gang and Jennifer Connolly against a matte black background (velvet). The puppeteers are all wearing matte black morph suits and lighting was carefully controlled to keep them from showing up against the background. Then they exposed that same film again while shooting the background elements (the campfire rocks and trees) with no characters in the shot.
Regarding daydreaming: You hit the nail on the head. Henson knew early on that he wanted a rock star for the goblin king and they reached out to Bowie and Michael Jackson. Ultimately they went with Bowie because he had a more sexual edge, and they wanted that tension for a teen girl’s celebrity crush.
The actual ball work is called "Contact Juggling." I'm pretty sure the guy who developed it actually was the one doing all the tricks in this movie, reaching around Bowie to do it, and such.
Yeah I saw somewhere that it’s the other person doing that trick (not Bowie) like behind
I remember reading somewhere that Bowie spent months learning to do the contact juggling for the film and that he actually did it himself, but I could be misremembering
Pretty sure you're both right, he did practice loads and I believe he did do some of the movements but for a lot of the higher difficulty throws they needed the other guy to do them on screen
Yeah, the actual juggler stood behind Bowie and threaded his arms through his so they looked like Bowie's arms. He had to juggle blind because he couldn't see what he was doing past Bowie; in the making-of featurette there are outtakes of the juggler dropping the crystal and Bowie laughing
This feels like the right comment thread to speak to the toy referenced in the video, which was "the Fushigi Magic Gravity Ball", an acrylic contact juggling ball with a steel core that helped prevent focusing of the sun as a potential fire hazard. It's got a section in the Contact Juggling Wikipedia entry as well.
The Labyrinth is definitely a manifestation of her own psyche, if you look around her room there's all kinds of things that appear in the Labyrinth, including a Sir Didymous doll and the Escher print also if you look closely at the pictures on her mirror you can see David Bowie in them, there's a lot to unpack there.
But…it’s so much cooler the other way
But, is it?
@@whitenoisereacts One could see it as the owl being Jareth had been observing her and then constructed a world that reflected her own desires and dreams in order to tempt her more effectively.
Yeah, but the pictures of Bowie are the dude her mom is with so even if Jareth took on that form... OP is correct.
Jareth is definitely supposed to represent Sarah's sexual fantasies. Did you fail to notice his codpiece?
*How to make a girl love you, by Jareth the Goblin King:*
1._ Kidnap her baby brother.
2._If she rejects your crystal ball, trow a snake into her neck (supper effective)
3._ Make her go to a Labyrinth were she will fall into deadly traps. Girls love that.
4._ Convince a friend of hers drug her, and invite her to dance. (The most romantic thing in the world)
5._ If the last four steps doesn't work, confronte and tell her how her eyes can be so cruel.
Guys, I don't now if you alredy did, but you should watch the behind scences. All the people who work in this movie was crazy and genius at the same time. Also, please, react to the Dark Crystal, is one of my favorites Jim's movies since I was 3 years old.
I grew up with this movie and lots of Jim Henson practical effects and I must say the '80s were unmatched when it came to Fantasy
Right!? Jim Henson pretty much owned puppeteering. In my book he still does. They make have all these great monsters etc, but he made you feel the creature.
I have always thought that the theme of the film is essentially a coming of age story. It's about Sarah leaving her childhood behind in many ways, you see at the end of the film that she starts putting stuff away in her drawer and gives Toby her teddy, she has grown as a person and it's time to start acting more like an adult.... but not completely, which is why she still needs all the characters every now and again, and explains that end scene. I don't think it's supposed to be clear whether it's real or in her head, it's the audience members choice and either choice works.
Yes and I love how in the beginning, the way she acts and speaks is very childish. Very whiny. "But that's not fair!!" Then toward the end, she talks more like a young woman. I also never realized this before but their referencing the Wizard of Oz, Sarah actually talks/sounds like Dorothy. Very cool!
I’m here SUPER LATE but tell me I’m wrong: this entire movie is like a David Bowie album music video, the story is just a narrative glueing all these trippy songs together 😂 I love this wierdo movie
They asked Bowie to play the king and he said yes if he could write and sing the music
When David Bowie requests to write and perform the music for your movie, that’s an offer not to be refused. He got some great people to work with him on it, too, such as a choir that included Cissy Houston and Chaka Khan, as well as the Master of the Telecaster Albert Collins.
*the baby (now all grown up) took part in the creation of the netflix version of "the dark crystal" along with his father who worked on "labyrinth"*
And just remember, this was a kids' movie. Picture a theater full of 6, 7, 8, 9 year old kids watching this! Gen X got a fair bit of nightmare fuel in our "kid movies".
Also don't judge Sarah too harshly for being fed up, it sucks having to be the unpaid babysitter while your parents go out to party. That too was sadly common for young people in the 80s. I remember being 13 and having to babysit my two young siblings while Mommy Dearest went out to party on the weekends.
Yeah. I mean depending on the context I think that’s totally ok personally. I know tons of people who still do that. That’s just sorta how it is in a bigger family or just any family
It depends on why, how often, and whether the babysitter gets any appreciation for it.
@@whitenoisereacts I think it depends - it can be fine, but it can definitely go too far (in some cases it's considered ab-se), and I think parents need to watch where that line is; because at the end of the day it's not the child's job to care for the other children.
But I might be biased because of my own experience - I was the oldest of a large family and it really stopped me from being able to have a normal childhood, because I was constantly expected to parent my younger siblings (who I love, and don't blame at all). Like I just didn't have friends until high school, for example, because I was at home with my siblings literally 24/7. And looking back, it definitely wasn't okay that I was made to do that so often.
So I personally REALLY relate to Sarah lol. I guess that's what I'm saying.
There is also the fact that Sarah does, at least a little, resent this child of her father's second marriage. This is basically her being testy that her father did sit and mope his days away (like Sarah is doing) when Sarah's mother left them. The film never tells us how long ago the split happened, but now Dad has moved on and has a new wife and a new kid, and Sarah being an angsty teenager caught up in herself (like most teens are; it's part of the growth process) probably feels like here is another parent abandoning her. Her dad has replaced his wife and now has a new kid to replace Sarah with (to her way of thinking) and this new kid is "taking her stuff" and she has to stay home and watch him.
She's supposed to be a big, overgrown brat in the beginning, in order for us to see her growth and maturity at the end, to see her think of her little brother AS a brother and not a burden, and to actually CARE about him enough to risk everything she has to go through in the Labyrinth.
@@LordofFullmetal Thank you, exactly. There's a big difference between "We need you to babysit for a few hours on Saturday so mom and dad can have date night" and parents spending so much time out partying that their appointed babysitter doesn't get to enjoy their youth. (Not tween me home babysitting two toddlers _every single weekend_ because Mommy preferred to go drink and flirt at the neighborhood bar than parent her kids.)
Sadly many people would rather pretend child mistreatment doesn't happen, even when it involves invalidating others' lived experiences.
Cool factoid I learned over on Tumblr a few years back on this film:
Every single goblin you see in Jareth's kingdom was once a Toby who had a Sarah wish them away. Not all of them successfully rescued their Tobies like our Sarah in the film did. So when Hoggle asks Sarah what her name is, and she replies with 'Sarah', that's why he replied "That's what I thought." Because every single girl who's entered there was named Sarah. So what happened to all the Tobies? They were all forgotten like Jareth planned for each Sarah who attempted to come to rescue them.
As for the Sarahs that got far but failed? They all turned into the trash lady in the junkheap. You can see that there are multiple of them just going around collecting things that remind them of their past. That's why the garbage lady was trying to make Sarah into one, because they know she's teetering on remembering, so they too try to cloud her judgment with knick-nacks from her room that she loves dearly.
I don't know if this is true or not, but it does put an interesting twist to the story when you think about it.
I love this movie. Yes, it's campy and corny, but you can't go wrong with Bowie, Henson and Connolly!
37:58 Yes! Didymus is the Lancer, quick and with range, but weaker, Ludo is the Tank, slow cooldown but with OP defense and skills, Hoggle is the Rogue, sneaky and resourceful, and Sarah is the Mage. All together fill an RPG line up. Great reaction guys. I was Connelly's age when I first watched this movie and totally fell in love with her since. Awesome movie, great music and beautiful Bowie.
This is my sister's favorite movie!
Also RIP, Jim Henson and David Bowie.
And Terry Jones.
The name for the aesthetic during the dance scene after she ate the peach is "masquerade ball".
If you look closely at the scrap book in Sarah's room at the beginning of the movie, you'll notice it's full of newspaper clippings about an actress named Linda Williams. That's Sarah's mother, who left her husband and daughter to pursue a stage career. You can even glimpse an actor resembling Jareth posing with Linda in one of the newspaper clippings.
Omg I never clicked so fast! This is my favourite movie.
The baby is the son of the artist Brian Froud who was involved in artwork for the film. He’s now grown up and works for the Henson company. Most recently producing the Dark Crystal series on netflix. Which is also awesome
That’s cool!! I love that
@@whitenoisereacts also the aesthetic you’re thing of for the ballroom seen might be Masquerade
Loved this reaction!
I'm an 80s child, this was one of the few vhs we had and my sisters and I know it by heart, we used to act it out. When I met the man who is now my husband he could also quote the film, that's how I knew we should be together!
To do the crying scenes, they had to do scenes past Toby Froud's naptime. There was a point that in the scene when he's sitting in the King's lap watching Sarah in the crystal he was screaming so loud and hard that they couldn't get a shot. They ended up giving David Bowie a puppet to hold up off screen and that's why Toby looked so hypnotized during that scene.
I knew you guys have been tackling classic movies, but for some reason, I always feel like Labyrinth gets pushed to the side. I was so thrilled to see this video in my feed, it's a childhood favourite of mine along with The Dark Crystal. I would watch both of those movies back-to-back whenever I stayed home sick... for some reason my child-brain thought these were comforting and I believe that to be a contributing factor to why I love horror movies today, haha!
“CHAMBERLAIN!!!!”
“Hmmmmmm.”
Ive watch this film countless times and I never picked up on the fact that the Garbage Woman was almost turning Sarah into a version of herself piling all the toys on her. Maybe she was a representation of what Sarah could have become if all she worried about was material objects (which is ultimately just junk) rather than the people she loved.
The Junk Lady looks a loooooooot like Jareth too..... ;)
Aaaah love this movie! Fun fact I had my first crush with this one when I was a kid haha. Sorry but I got something with David Bowie being the villain
Toby Froud was the baby, he's the son of Brian Froud, the conceptual artist behind the designs of Labyrinth. He grew up to become a sculptor, puppeteer, and miniature artist.
Sarah also mentions in the story she tells Toby at the beginning that the Goblin King is in love with her. I think they made some Labyrinth comics too that delve into that and explore Jareth's character more.
There was this amazing fic I read ( A Necessary Deception) that explores this.
The sequel is WILD.
There is indeed a manga sequel that focuses on Toby being older and getting involved in the Labyrinth. And there is more info on certain characters but I feel like it does not represent the movie much. And is seen as non canon. They plan to wanna make another movie but Idk if that will happen or not.
@@DementedKnight I feel like Bowie's portrayal of Jareth is so iconic you can't make a sequel without him. Not a good one at least.
@@crystalrose_pa Yeah, I agree. I just think you can't recreate David Bowie as Jareth. He MADE that character and he was just one of a kind.
You guys should check out the making of Labyrinth. I think it’s on UA-cam. It shows you how they operated all the puppets, the designing of the sets, costumes, the camera tricks, the crystal ball tricks, etc. It’s really wonderful. I’m glad you guys enjoyed my favorite fantasy film. This and several other fantasies were my entire world as a kid. Awesome reaction. Thank you for sharing.
In the Renaissance period it was common for music to be the length of a modern movie and to go through several "movements". It's only recently that the common length of a song had become about 2.3-3 mins
The designs for the fairies in this and goblins were inspired and drawn by Brian Froud, amazing artist. His son is the baby toby, look up his work
This was my aunties favourite, she loved David Bowie so much. R.I.P auntie Tasha, you had amazing taste in movies 🌻
About the commentary on similamity to Wizardof Oz... in the beginning when it showed the books on her shelf in her bedroom, the first most visible one was a copy of Wizard of Oz! Definitely giving the nod there.
31:09 I would call that aesthetic "baroque fantasy".
Yes!!!
The baby who plays Toby is Toby Fraud, son of Brian Fraud. He is the film's conceptual designer and puppet builder Wendy Froud is Toby's mother. With parents like his, it would make sense that Toby is totally into being with the Goblins. He probably sees those things all the time.
It's not an 80's movie but it was made by Jim Henson company and was written by Neil Gaiman (Coraline). It's called Mirrormask.
That Princess and the Goblin shoutout at the end! And Phantom Tollbooth! Love you guys' reactions so much 💗
Yes! Princess and the Goblin is one of my favourite childhood books and I’ve never heard of anyone else even knowing it.
Oh that’s cool!!!
I was born in '86 so I grew up with this movie, plus my mom loved David Bowie. One cool fact, which I'm sure has been pointed out, the owl that appears at the opening of the movie is widely regarded as the first realistic CGI animal to appear on the big screen
31:08 The name of the aesthetic inside the bubble is masquerade. This masquerade is in the Venetian Carnival style of the 18th century, with a whole ton of 80's sprinkled in. Victorian is about 100 years later.
This movie is timeless. It was accompanied by a whole genre of 80’s movies that spun new fairy tales. Legend, Ladyhawke, The Princess Bride, Krull, The Secret of Roan Inish just to name a few. And I believe that is a filter made from crinkled up Saran Wrap. It was used to soften the features for dream sequences and imagination part so the audience knew it wasn’t really happening. Jim Henson created the muppets.
I loved it so much!!!!
Great choices would also add The Last Starfighter, and The Secert of Nimph.
There is a masquerade-ball held annually in Los Angeles known as "The Labyrinth of Jareth" inspired by this film. Attendees are encouraged to dress up in fantastic fantasy costumes and enjoy the evening of dance of revelry. Some of the costumes which people have come up with to wear are sometimes several YEARS in the making just to show off at this event (almost like an indoor Mardi Gras)
Lol "nothing tra la la" 😂 15:49
Return to Oz from 85 is a classic too, you guys will definitely appreciate it...a Lucasfilm picture actually...
No, don't do it! That movie gave me nightmares! Lol 😅
@@shirw Those damn wheelers....
@@shirw hold a chicken tight, you'll be all right.
I love that movie, but definitely hella creepy. Nothing like the Judy Garland version LOL
@@alexanderkantakusiniii8411 and the talking heads lol and I've always felt bad for the Tin man...when Dorthy is retelling his story.
"What babe? The babe with the POWER!"
This movie was the second of two collaborations between Jim Henson (puppeteer) and Brian Froud (fantasy artist, best known for his depictions of fairies), this one also had Terry Jones of Monty Python fame involved in the writing.
Brian's son Toby is the baby in the film, and now also a puppeteer).
Fun Fact:
The only surviving Hoggle armature is on display in the entrance of a store named Unclaimed Baggage located in Scottsborro, Alabama (about 20 northwest of where I live). Like the name suggests, the owner buys bulk shipments of baggage that has been unclaimed for a certain amount of time and is therefore auctioned off. The Hoggle armature was found in such a bulk purchase. It was in very poor shape as a lot of its' latex had deteriorated with time. The owner of Unclaimed Baggage paid a hefty sum to have it brought back to near mint condition 🤘
Also, Davis Bowie actually learned contact juggling for this film. He spent months perfecting his technique. I myself tried to learn contact juggling with a couple of Fushigi spheres, but it was extremely difficult and I gave up 🥴
One of my favorite movies! Another Fantasy movie y’all should watch is the (1985) “Legend” with a young Tom Cruise & Tim Curry playing the character Darkness.
I’m loving you guys’ Daredevil reactions, but honest to God, I am so happy to see you two ready to something more fun. This movie is one of a dead breed of films that were produced in the 80s, scary as shit family/kid’s movies that prominently featured puppets/muppets. It began with Neverending Story and went all the way to The Witches (1990). After that, cgi became more prominent, rendering this style obsolete in the eyes of film going plebs who wanted the new hotness. For a more adult take on this concept, watch The Dark Crystal… that is Jim Henson’s Magnum Opus.
Nice guys. A truly, truly fantastic movie. Seeing this as a kid had a huge impact on my life. Of the same ilk, see "Legend" and "Willow".
Dance Magic, the first song with the Goblin King singing with Toby, is probably one of my all time favorite songs. Then again, I was 5 when this came out and it was easy to sing along with. But still, you can't help but want to sing and dance along
Slap that baby! Make 'im pee!
The great Jim Henson directed this movie, he is known for creating the Muppets, Kermit the frog and heaps of other projects. George Lucas originally asked him to operate Yoda in 'Empire' but Jim recommended Frank Oz as he was so busy with other projects. Toby the baby was the son of the concept designer for 'Labyrinth' Brian Froud
The ending M.C. Escher-esque stairs scene is so amazing, and that soundtrack though... BOWIE though....
this movie has a nuance, of growing up, of going from a child to an adult, but never forgetting the things that make us happy
I love you guys for mentioning Phantom Tollbooth and Wrinkle in Time, two fantastic books that I love reading to my own children and students. This movie definitely has a similar whimsical vibe.
Those books are INCREDIBLE!!!
The goblins in this movie had to have inspired Magic: The Gathering’s Goblins. The art style, especially in the early years is amazingly similar.
Brian and Wendy Froud have been very influential when it comes to this kind of goblins.
Brian has a couple of books about fairies and such. Amazing art.
The whole premise was the story of a girl in that awkward stage where she's on the cusp of womanhood but still a child. Her toys (and make believe) was what she wanted but Jareth (puberty) was starting to tempt her away from her childhood. oh - and btw, You were right. EVERY 80s girl loved that ballroom scene and wanted to be dancing with David Bowie.
David Bowie is in the movie so of course it has singing. 😆 Also this is my second favorite song. The first is As The World Falls Down
Classic 80's Movie and David Bowie performance is chef's Kiss!
It wasn't David Bowie that performing those tricks with the crystal balls, It was a performer behind Bowie with his hands sticking through Bowie's costume.
You now have to watch the movie a few more times and look for all the Bowie faces in the Labyrinth.
I'm so glad y'all reacted to this because it was this movie that awakened my love for writing and everything theater when I was trying to find myself after escaping a terrible situation.
This film drew many references from fairytales and lore, stage performances and music, and under the gentle hand of Jim Henson beheld practical effects that made this feel like the perfect fantasy to fall into, have a quick adventure, and use the lessons to further make myself a better person in this cruel reality.
Of course, David Bowie's presence in this just can't be replaced by anyone else alive, even in the face of a potential reboot, reimagining, or sequel. Not to mention how he was the adult awakening for many a young woman, including myself (even if I did first discover it near twenty years after it's debut). XD
Many Blessings!
I think the main point of this movie was to show Sarah, who was self-absorbed and had her head in the clouds, that everything she has been obsessing over really doesn't matter. She was forced to learn that her brother is what should truly matter to her... not all the junk in her room (and in her head for that matter).
STOPPP IM GONNA CRY YOUVE MADE MY MORNING IVE LOVED THIS SHOW SINCE I WAS A KID AND AT ONE POINT I HAD THE SONGS ON REPEAT 😭😭THANK YOU SO MUCH
Jim Henson was a creative genious and we lost him way too soon. I would have loved to see him continue to create films and stories. His work and his company created so many fantastical creatures
I wanna cry this movie was my childhood!
The ballroom scene costumes are like an old Venetian masquerade ball with some Versailles influence. And the masks were made to look like goblins.
Okay, but imagine being a 16 y/o girl(?) and having David Bowie break into your house acting like an entrancing weirdo though 😅
14. And I'd love that.
@@sexysadie2901 lol IKTR.. who would kicked him out??
@@sexysadie2901: Sarah was 16 in the movie.
So many times I tried to wish my sister away and the Goblin King never showed up.
43:12 that was such a wholesome reaction to baby Toby, d'awwww
Brian Froud released a book of his art "Fairies" that Jim Henson saw. It started him thinking about making a film.
A Masquerade Ball (which is what Sarah landed in when she ate the peach) in this scene is supposed to be like the old stories of the Fae casting Glamour spells, but since Jareth is the Goblin King, he is a master of it. The idea was to spellbind Sarah so the time ran out. Check out some Jim Henson creation of Labyrinth stories here on YT and you'll get a shock out of the creative process. It's really interesting to watch.
The type of story you're referring to is the Snow White style, but this story has a dark twist to it. Jim Henson believed that children shouldn't always innocent to everything within reason because the world was not an innocent place. This style of story, the Morality/Coming of Age story style, has the Brothers Grimme touch on what has been a classic faery tale.
If you wanna try a kick-ass 80's fantasy film, you HAVE to check out Legend with Tom Cruise and Tim Curry as the main characters. You will LOVE IT.
A Jim Henson muppet Universe
I think this is one of the only reaction videos to Labyrinth that truly appreciates the movie and all the incredible things going on throughout. A lot of people get caught up on certain things and miss so much of the magic of the movie! Kudos to you both!
I liked your discussion at the end- this film can be interpreted alot of different ways,
but I always read it as her having a sexual awakening, the frustrations of wanting to be a grown up-
then coming full circle to her remembering, "hey I'm only 14, there are things about being a child that I've moved past, but there are other things about being a child that I still want and need. Growing up isn't wrong, but it can wait".
In that way I think it has a lot more nuance than a simple "coming of age" story.
"You asked that the child be taken, I took him. You cowered before me, I was frightening."
"Just love me, fear me, do as I say; and I will be your slave."
✨ A KING 🙌 🙌 🙌 ✨
Jennifer Connely was and still is stunning :). You should also watch Wilow and Lady Hawk for more great Jim Hanson puppet I recommend the StoryTeller 1987 great tv series.
This is one of Henson's masterpieces and the effects where ground breaking. Like the old school fairy tales it has darkness and teaches an important lesson while still being fantastical. Also the kid who played Toby grew up around this stuff and went into film making, special effects and puppetry. He even was involved the Netflix series Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. The prequel to Jim Henson's Dark Crystal another dark fantasy brought to life by his company. Seriously the Henson Creature Shop revolutionized special effects with it's innovations in puppetry and animatronics and the rist steps in CGI. Then CGI Owl from the opening was a marvel at the time. Characters like Hoggel and Ludo are great examples of blending costumes and puppets.
You were pretty much on point with the Wizard of Oz reference. If you look at Sarah's room at the beginning, all of the characters are already there. There is a stuffed toy firey, and a little stuffed Sir Didymus. Other characters are parts of books and pictures. Even the Esher stairs at the end are a poster on her wall. And of course Ambrosius is the same dog as Merlin.
Shari Weiser is the person acting as Hoggle's body, except for the head, which as animatronic. Brian Henson, Jim's son, did the voice of Hoggle and there were around 4 other puppeteers to operate the 18 remote control motors inside the head. It took a lot of coordinated rehearsals to form the various facial expressions while Hoggle talked.
The juggler (Michael Moschen) was hiding behind David Bowie and had to juggle the clear glass spheres completely blind. So, he had to do this all by feel and without any TV monitors.
The Ludo puppet was originally much more heavier than it looked; well over 100 lbs. It was too much for the puppeteers, so they had to rebuild. The final weight was somewhere around 75 lbs. There were 2 puppeteers who shared working Ludo.
Terry Jones, listed in the movie credits as a writer on the movie, was best recognized as a member of Monty Python.
Warwick Davis, who previously played an Ewok in George Lucas' Star Wars: The Return of the Jedi and also played Professor Flitwick in the Harry Potter franchise, was one of the goblins. Warwick was in his mid-teens when he did the movie.
Elliot Scott was the main production designer on the movie and really did a great job making it all too real.
The scene with the Fireys (23:00) was filmed on a set where everything was covered in black velvet; even the puppeteers were covered in velvet. The velvet acted like a green screen technique we use today. After the filming, the elements recorded were blended together in a studio and printed to film.
Jennifer Connelly was 15 years old when she filmed Labyrinth. The ballroom dance scene is still her most favorite moment from making the movie.
As the Junk Woman is giving Sarah more things for her to enjoy, notice that those items are attaching and collecting onto Sarah's back. Once she wakes up and realizes it's all useless junk, the pile breaks away.
The Junk Woman may sound and look familiar, since it's a throwback to The Dark Crystal (1982) with the character Mother Aughra.
Dude you should watch WILLOW 1988! There is an upcoming series that acts as a sequel to the movie in November. And LEGEND 1985, directed by Ridley Scott, starring Tom Cruise as he plays a forest dweller who must find his inner hero to save the world from The Lord Of Darkness, played by Tim Curry.
YES! Willow was amazing and deserves much more love!
Both great films
I saw this movie at the theater at just the right age (young enough to love the fantasy and puppetry, and old enough to appreciate David Bowie) and have always loved it! You should to go back and look at all the things in her room :)
Edit: I also seem to remember the owl in the opening was some of the very first computer animation in a movie.
Sir Didymus was my favorite! A dog riding a dog😭😭😭😭😭. Such an 80s classic!
hes a fox though
I was born in 84. Some of Jim Henson's creations really freaked me out when I was a child. I was terrified of the "hoarder"/"junk" lady in this movie. She still gives me a weird feeling every time I see her. Has anyone else seen that show fragglerock or something like that? I had nightmares about that one too when I was a kid.
Besides the fact that I cannot even wait for you guys to get deeper in Furuba, I'm really excited to see your thoughts on mainly Anastasia, and also Neverending story (although the book is 1000000X better and way different than the movie in tons of ways and tackles so many concepts more deeply such as depression, anxiety, abuse of power, sense of self, destiny vs free will; just all better done in this relatively short "children's" book that was translated into dozens of languages, thats how good it is and how far-reaching). Dark Crystal was also fantastic and also done by the Jim Henson Co.!!! OOOF and also another two amazing movies that are top tier, one is All Dogs Go To Heaven and another thats lesser known is The Last Unicorn, it was made in an era that wasn't afraid to make a kids animated movie a little frightening and intense in plot and it was dark and well done and had FANTASTIC animation.
I can't wait either!!!
The LAst Unicorn is one of my all-time favorites! No one has ever heard of it!
@@denanebergall5514 The theme song was my favorite lullaby for my kids when they were babies.
The Last Unicorn is one of my favorites. It feels very timeless. We watched it recently with my son and even though the animation is pretty dated, the art style and character designs are stunning, and the story provoked some thoughtful questions from him. Definitely worth a watch!
@@denanebergall5514 I adore The Last Unicorn and always have! Mia Farrow, unfortunately, cannot sing, and I have to mute the song "Now That I'm a Woman" but I LOVE that movie! The cat with the eye patch, the skeleton guzzling wine ("Uuunicorn! UUUUUNICOOOORRN!"), the douglas fir, Mommy Fortuna, the butterfly ("They passed down all the roads long away, and the Red Bull ran close behind them."), Schmendrick, Molly, Amalthea...the movie is so late 70s in aesthetic, but I do love it.
Someone probably pointed it out, but there’s a close-up on a Wizard of Oz book in the beginning. This one is one of my favorite movies, and it always makes me want to play Legend of Mana and Final Fantasy IX, many scenes, sets, characters, and monsters matching up.
Henson actually worked more with black screen than green screen, which I also think works much better, as long as you have brightly colored creatures, since it doesn't give fast moving hair/fur a green glow.
One thing i love about this film is the messaging on the importance of growing up, but at your own pace and knowing not to let go of everything. You could say that Jareth is an amalgamation of Sarah's fantasies trying desperately to keep her in a childish state but by the end of the film Sarah takes control of her emotions and begins the process of growing up, however not forgetting her childhood completely which gives her strength in the end.
I absolutely love this movie, but dear gosh the Fireys (the red goblins in the forest) gave me nightmares as a child and still freak me out. 😆
LOL, I've always thought they were funny as a kid. Like even at 5 I use to laugh my ass off at them.
They scared me when I was a kid. But I love them now. I've always loved this movie.