In recent years, Jennifer has said that her fondest memory of making Labyrinth is the ballroom scene....because with the makeup & gown she really did feel "grown up" & dancing with Bowie, they had so much fun. Btw, in that interview she also made a point to mention how much of a gentleman he was.
I always thought that, if the goblins are all kidnapped babies, the adults in the ballroom scene are those babies grown up - they’re in two parallel realities, but both versions are trapped in the Goblin King’s world.
Labrynth, Dark Crystal, and The Neverending Story make up the trifecta of my childhood fantasy films. It is no coincidence that in all three, the puppet work was done by Jim Henson. Throw in Fraggle Rock, and it seemed that in the 80s, the man could do no wrong.
I assume you have seen Legend? Another great, though not one of the more famous movies. A very unique, darker fantasy movie but definitely in the same vein. What about Willow? Princess Bride?
Wait, did Henson have anything to do with the first Neverending Story? I don't recall him being part of the original, just the sequels? But it's been a while since I watched the credits, so maybe I'm wrong.
One popular fan theory is that Jareth's true form is the owl, and everything he created, including his David Bowie appearance, was created out of Sarah's fantasies. When she starts growing beyond the fantasy, Jareth starts to revert back to his owl form.
Actually fits....The owl only appears again after Jareth is defeated - It could only be him or just a representation of fantasy/reality transition in general.
I remember reading somewhere that according to the script, the photo on Sarah’s mirror is of her mother, an actress, and her co-Star, David Bowie. That’s why he takes that form, something familiar to her, along with everything else in the labyrinth that can be found somewhere in Sarah’s room.
@@Psilocybin77 great story about that, when Paul Betany was a kid, he watched Labyrinth and fell in love with the dark haired girl in the movie(as many of us did), after they met making A beautiful Mind with her, he thought “she’s way out of my league.. but how many men get a chance to take their shot with ACTUAL girl of their dreams?”, worked up the courage, asked her out and the rest is history.
It's so interesting to me that you took it at face value that Sarah was being mistreated by her stepmother. I tend to think that Sarah's a little spoiled/bratty at the beginning of the movie (like most people her age). She clearly has plenty of free time, hobbies, a dog, a big room, lots of toys, etc. The stepmom even says something like "we wouldn't ask you to watch Toby if you had a date. I WANT you to have a date!" which of course sets Sarah off again. She's struggling with becoming an adult, navigating her sexuality, and her parents' divorce and new partners and now this stupid baby for her to take care of. As she loves fantasy, the "evil stepmother" trope is a way for Sarah to cast someone as the villain and make sense of her life. While it's definitely a straightforward plot I think it's absolutely also a metaphor for exploring burgeoning sexuality, particularly the sexuality of a young straight woman. So much of the movie is about whether she has any power in a relationship with a Hot Guy (TM). But I might have just watched and thought about this movie way too much!!!
Plus it canon that her mother was an actress and ran off with her affair partner, so Sarah might also be holding onto the mother that she thought she had as a way of coping with the feeling of being left behind. I have a feeling that when her mother WAS in her life, she very much nurtured Sarah's interest in fantasy, which might also add to why she's so protective of her things.
I don't think Sarah's mother divorced; she may have died. I was reading through some early scripts regarding the movie and it seemed to say she died tragically.
I see what Shanelle is saying, because the pants have a sort of 80s stirrup/jodhpur thing going on, but I have NEVER heard anyone say that the pants should be tighter!!
As someone interested in filmmaking, you really should find and enjoy the "Into the Labyrinth" documentary This might be the best story about growing up ever. You nailed the metaphor. In fact, stages of maturing are represented differently at every beat of the story. I look at Jareth more as a guide/coach than a proper enemy, because he's there to push and challenge her to grow, including with the temptation offered by *refusing* to grow.
It's on youtube, search: Inside the Labyrinth 1986 The Making of Documentary (I linked it before, but my comment got deleted, I thought youtube allowed youtube links)
As you read in the trivia, the baby is played by Toby Froud, son of Brian Froud, who designed this movie and The Dark Crystal. What’s cool is that Toby recently worked with his dad on the Netflix series Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. You see a lot of grown-up Toby in the making-of documentary on that series.
Yes! That's why baby Toby wasn't frightened of the puppets. Also I believe the baby brother was meant to have a different name but because Toby only responded to his own name, they changed the name in the story.
Shattered my image of an adult Toby, sitting in a bar somewhere, at the bottom of his twelfth bottle of cheap beer, shouting "Do you have any idea who I am?" at the bartender, still in the romper suit.
@@SierraSierraFoxtrot Pippin: what's up my Hobs and Gobs, I'm down here at Brandybuck in a little place called The Prancing Pony. I hear they have pints, let's check it out.
9:50 - *“I think she could have spent a minute longer on that riddle.”* Nah, she got it right (as evidenced by the fact that she didn't die). The solution to the classic "one always lies and one always tells the truth" logic puzzle is to ask either one of the guards what the _other_ would answer to a question. That way you know for certain that the answer will always be false: If you asked the honest guard, they will truthfully report the lie that the liar would tell, and if you asked the lying guard, they will lie about what the honest one would have said. Obviously the question has to be one where knowing the _false_ answer automatically tells you the truth by elimination, such as a yes-or-no question, or a binary choice between safety and certain death. 😄 _Labyrinth_ has many excellent messages in it, both metaphorical and explicit. Sarah learns in the labyrinth that being asked to baby-sit her brother is _not_ the absolute height of unfairness that has ever been suffered by anyone in the history of mankind, and that it doesn't make her stepmother a wicked witch. Jareth in the final confrontation stands in for every terrible, controlling boyfriend a teen girl is likely to encounter, trying to gaslight her that everything he's done to her was because she secretly _wanted_ it, and if she'll just _love and fear him_ he'll be "her slave" - meaning, of course, that he'll continue treating her the way he has, because he "knows better" what she wants and needs than she does. At the end of the movie she accepts growing up, symbolised by passing on her beloved childhood toy, which she still clung to at the start, but she also realises that this does not mean she has to "put away childish things" and forgo all imagination and fantasy; that she can keep them alive, even as she grows up. It's a beautiful and touching message, and you're not the only one getting the feels from it. 😭
Ironically, while Sarah's answer to the riddle is right, it doesn't matter - because the riddle wasn't real. She bases her answer on the riddle as stated, but if what the guards tell her is TRUE (one of them always tells the truth and one always lies) then the rules are wrong - because they BOTH agree on the rules.
The soundtrack for this movie is something special in its own right. The song 🎶 As the World Falls Down 🎵, played in the enchanted ball scene, has a special place in my heart and soul.
I always dug the song in the finale.. With that amazing spiral staircase.. Just Bowie's voice is so strong.. Then.. There's an emotional crack in it .. just fantastic.
From what I've heard, when the ASPCA stopped by the set to monitor the treatment of the real sheepdog, the puppeteers brought out the puppet version for a bit and had them totally fooled.
Wonder how many kids wore out their VHS copy? I feel a bit sorry for the little kids that saw it in the theater - sitting still and being quiet... lol...
David Bowie’s iconic role as the Goblin King and his iconic bulge. Watch The Dark Crystal next for Henson Creature shop double feature. Then watch the series Farscape on Amazon Prime. Many of the alien characters on that show are created from the Henson Creature shop and James Gunn used the main characters the inspiration for Guardians of the Galaxy.
This, Dark Crystal, Muppets, Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock...The imagination of the Henson Company was just top notch. They didn't simply rely on old folklore, they invented whole new worlds and made em feel so lived in and fleshed out.
Fraggle Rock! Yes, love them! Red and Mokie have been active a long time at conventions. Ben Folds’s Five “Do it Anyway” song features the Fraggles. Fun to see those clips of Red at conventions and the modern music video with them too!
Well, a lot of it is folklore, just in a new, crazy way. The worlds and design are somewhat invented, though. He threw everything at it and made it work, like a childish version of Tolkien (only, I'm pretty sure that Tolkien invented a lot more).
@@TheClassicWorld Tolkien invented Hobbits, but elves, dwarves, goblinkind etc are all staples of traditional European folklore. That said, he DEFINITELY went a long way towards bringing it into mainstream culture and spreading those concepts round the rest of the world. What I was moreso referring to though were the little touches... the eyestalk plantlife and and campfire creatures that lose their limbs. The stuff in Dark Crystal like the giant toads, random critters you see in the background, skecksies and wse ones, fraggles living in your walls, etc etc. Definitely more whimsical, and feels like a fairy tale thanks to some of the traditional elements like luto as an ogre or the dwarf or gelflings as stand ins to more traditional folklore fey, but fleshed out the way the worlds are with their own little elements, just makes it seem more unique and creative to me I guess, compared to most copy paste fantasy fare.
Most people don't remember it, but Jim Henson's "Muppets" had a decidedly more adult version on early (1975) episodes of Saturday Night Live called "The Land of Gorch. Many of those creatures led to the "Skeksis" in "The Dark Crystal."
There's so much depth in this kids movie, like the trash lady carrying around jet whole life on her back, her past weighing her down, also reminding us that farts are really funny. The choreographer for the movie played Dr Beverly Crusher on Star Trek the Next Generation, going under her first name instead of her middle name in the credits
There is amazing depths in this movie and so many small details you can find and analyse upon. Like how all the different aspects of the labyrinth can be found in Sarah's room, including David Bowie. (He's Sara's mother's new boyfriend, there is a picture of them stuck in her mirror)
Think this is why this movie has always stayed with me...Its like Company of the wolves - Its as as much as about the process of growing up than a fantasy adventure
I love Sarah's solution to the truth and lies riddle because her logic totally holds up with the premise of the riddle. The problem was she never questioned that premise. In this case, they were both lying.
Actually I don't think they were both lying. After all, the path she took did lead her to the castle at the center of the Labyrinth. It just wasn't as direct as she was hoping.
When Hoggle asked the question would you go left or right. She asked which way would you go. His response me I wouldn't go either way. There had to be an opening right behind him. He told he told her she was taking things for granted.
One always tells the truth, the other always lies. Sarah correctly solved the riddle. The door guards did as they said. The problem is Jareth is a sore loser and constantly manipulates the Labyrinth in his favor, while also teaching Sarah that she is a brat and needs to learn that life isn't fair.
I'm always impressed by the multiple different personalities among the "helping hands". The voices match up really well with the different "faces". It's quite impressive. Which it all is really. It's just all these extra brilliant touches that make this movie infinitely re-watchable.
I got emotional over the end scene too! There's something relatable and universal about it, being in your room and saying farewell to the imaginary friends that got you through the adventure, e.g: childhood.
Labyrinth II -- Adult Sarah is at her wits end and says, "I wish the Goblins would take ME away. Right NOW." --- The door creeks open and the Goblin King says, "You always could have asked.. Any time you were ready.."
I've seen this movie a million times, and it only now just occurred to me that Sarah's dog's name in the beginning was Merlin, and Sir Didymus's dog's name is Ambrosius. Ambrosius Aurelianus appeared in early Arthurian legend, but was later transformed into Merlin.
I find myself singing it everytime I'm playing with my dog (Puppy Dog Tails), or when a bride comes in with their infant child (I work in alterations at a David's Bridal).
Since film production is your thang, this is one of those movies that’s worth tracking down the extensive behind the scenes featurette. Everything about this movie was just so.. lush and well thought out production-wise, that it’s really fascinating to see how they made it all work.
@@starkiller007 I assume it’s a way to pause and catch her bearings. Must be a pain in the ass to see in that thing, so she’d either have to go slow or take some sort of pause to spot her next mark.
Bowie's crotch should've won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor that year. Don't feel bad about being distracted by it...that's kinda what the movie is known for.
“Ya’ wanna know what I don’t see getting settled? Her step-mother continuously asking her to babysit. It’s not fair. Like, she’ll have a new appreciation for her brother- sure- but, like, that doesn’t solver her issue.” I believe it was settled near the beginning of the labyrinth. She strong-armed Hoggle’s help by taking his trinkets and promising only to give them back for his assistance. When he exasperatedly said that it was unfair, recognition passed over Sara’s face as she said, yes, it is unfair.
Same with Jennifer Connelly in that white dress. I was around 10 when I saw this, and my takeaway was that girls don't cause cooties, and if they did, I wanted cooties.
one of the most common interpretations of the ending is that Sarah realized that she was growing up too fast and that she needed to embrace her inner child, so your guess is pretty close.
I thought it was that she needed to actually grow up and stop being a whiny brat... while still recognizing that fantasy can be a useful tool for escape.
@@ariochiv A lot of people have been tricked into thinking that being mature means discarding things that make you happy. All it means is having enough responsibility to do the things you need to do. I'm every bit as silly and frivilous now as when I was a child, but I also keep my bills paid.
David Bowie did nothing for 10yo me when I saw this, but Jennifer Connolly's giant hair and giant dress from the masquerade scene was amazing to me and had a huge impact on my adolescent daydreams. I also still quote this movie to this day (mostly Ludo).
The thing I'm surprised you didn't mention was the set of rocks in one scene that when viewed from the proper angle, line up to form an image of Bowie. It's a very cool effect, but it's quick and easy to miss. Its at the start of the scene where Bowie gives Hoggle the poisoned fruit.
Her stepmother wasn't mean. Just like the over blown reactions Sara has over everything else, she is having a teenage melodramatic encounter with her stepmother.
I don't quite agree. Yes, Sarah is being a drama queen, but it's also not a step-parent's prerogative to force the step-child to accept them in a parental role. This is something her father should have dealt with. Also, it's pretty garbage to be all "we ask you to babysit only if it doesn't interfere with your plans" when they didn't ask about her plans at all anyway. Smacks of parentification a little
Def abit a young.. whiny privileged melodramatic teenage girl. No harm..except what happened. You want problems …your upset ??! Well how about this weird life or death goblin shit. This movie has always been about learning to be mature/caring to me. I love alot of how all the fantasy elements and cuteness helps her. It’s not about giving up your imagination/dreams. It’s learning to not be selfish and self centered. She freaked out more watching her brother for a night then the entire saga nightmare she went through to get him back. It’s the literal fairy tale girl movie of sack up. And she did 🤣♥️
I always felt that this movie was not about a loss of innocence, but about accepting your imagination and creativity as you grow into an adult. When Sarah says she needs her friends at the end, that to me was her accepting that she could do both grow up and remain the imaginative girl she is.
I'm only 7 minutes in but I really hope she sees the trivia about how complicated Hoggle's face, or how they had someone else behind Bowie to do the glass ball scenes. The Making Of this movie is amazing Edit: the trivia pulled throughhhh
It mentioned in the Trivia that the baby was Toby Froud but not that he was the son of artist Brian Froud who designed many of the creatures and visual effects. There is a 'making of' documentary called 'Into the Labyrinth', which is worth seeing.
Yes it was a big metaphore! Jim Hensons daughter was a similar age to Sarah and he wanted to make a movie she could relate to, about a young girl moving into adulthood. Jareth represents the kind of older rockstar type guys young girls crush on. The Ballroom scene, is a representation of her trying to step into an adult world and situations she realizes shes not ready for yet.
I always liked how Labyrinth is both a coming of age story and also a "never stop being a kid" story. Jennifer Connelly is perfect because as a kid (I was 9 when I saw this) she was soooo beautiful to me, but also still kinda a relatable kid for the oldest boy who had to take care of his siblings. I knew that she was supposed to be between the adult and kid world even back then. It's a great movie for young teens. I don't think it goes quite as far as "losing innocence" even though there is a hint of romance, but more like an awakening of adulthood in a selfish child.
I remember when they had the anniversery of the movie, they brought it back to the theaters. It was packed beyond packed. Everyone sang everything. It was so awesome in so many ways . The soundtrack is so amazing in so many ways and will make you laugh, cry and want to dance. David Bowie does have more then a few different movies that he did a great job in. Take a look see :)
I’ve been watching unsubscribed for a while now, so shame on me and all that, but I make amends by doing so now. As well as sending my much belated appreciation for your videos. I’m enjoying muchly your filmmaker eye on things, reminds me of my own attempts back in the day when I was heavily into such things as a younger version of myself and it’s great to see someone else who is in love with the background work of making of films as much as the films themselves. Keep being awesome! And now to watch this classic, great stuff, haven’t seen it in such a long time!
I was 7 years old when this came out. This movie pretty much defined my childhood and formative years. Surprisingly it didn’t do well at all in the box office, but it has gone on to be a major cult classic because the performances by Bowie and Connelly and the puppeteering are the things of legend. Amazing movie. Thanks for posting this.
The baby, Toby Froud, is the son of the main conceptual artist Brian Froud, and he has now grown up to work with puppets in movies. (They called him Toby cuz he wouldn't respond to any other name.) I have seen interviews with him and apparently when he first sat on Bowie's lap, he peed on him 😆
This movie was my childhood and in my opinion the best Henson ever did. Funny that as a kid I loved this movie, then as a teen I loved Ziggy Stardust... most of my childhood involved Bowie in some way (But as a very young boy, I have to admit that Connolly was my first crush)
You gotta watch Legend!! Tom Cruise, Mia Sara from Ferris Bueller, and Tim Curry plays the devil. The greatest portrayal of the dark one ever. More goblins, fairies and unicorns. You’ll love it!!!
Noting of course that Legend is one of those examples where there are different cuts of the film out there and HUGE differences between them. US theatrical cut was heavily cut for time compared to the director's cut / international cut so there's some awkwardness in how certain scenes play out there. And if I recall correctly the soundtrack in the director's cut leans heavily into the classical fairy tale vibe while the US theatrical cut got a drastically different soundtrack that was more upbeat and modern and poppy. Both versions have their fans, but personally I think the fairy tale one is MUCH more fitting to the tone of the movie. (And this wasn't a matter of growing up with a particular version. I hadn't heard of the movie until later in life when I picked up a DVD release that had different versions on it so I got to watch them both and pick my preference with them both in mind.) Let's see... Looking this up before posting... Oh, four cuts of the film, apparently? "There are at least four different versions of this picture: the original European release (94 min.), the American theatrical release (89 min.), a network TV version (94 min.) and a director's cut (113 min.) " And in the process of getting to those different versions the director's first draft cut of the film was a whopping 150 minutes long! And yeah, the more fairy tale like soundtrack was made first by Jerry Goldsmith and most of it (since the full thing was written for a 150 minute film) was kept in the European release while they snazzed up the US release with a new soundtrack by Tangerine Dream. The director's cut also uses a cut of the the Goldsmith score.
@@JoeCool7835 Pacino is definitely up there along with Trey Parker’s Lucifer. I like seeing him painted red with the massive black horns!! Curry’s voice and movements definitely make it for me.
I must've seen Labyrinth dozens of times as a kid. It was one of those films that my grandparents had. They only had like 8-10 videos and I'd go straight in and put one on as soon as we arrived. There was this. The Dark Crystal. The Wizard of Oz and Return to Oz. A movie called Tom Thumb which I haven't seen since I was a kid. Then an assortment of Muppet Babies episodes. I think that was everything. As you can imagine this movie was a big part of my childhood. I still remember all the words to every song. Dance Magic is still one of my favourites. It's such an amazing, endlessly inventive film and it blows my mind to this day.
I am truly glad you appreciate how hard filmmaking is. I’ve never worked on anything of this scale. But even on smaller productions, filmmaking isn’t easy!
I saw a "making of" documentary of Labyrinth years ago, and there's a scene where Bowie plays with the crystal, and after you hear "cut!" the chap actually doing the crystal work pops up into frame and the pair of them both grinned.
There are 3 main types of puppets in the world of Henson. Full Bodied puppets like Ludo, Snuffy, and Big Bird. Live Hand Puppets like Fozzie and Ernie. Then there are rod puppets like Grover and Kermit. For most Henson productions the puppeteer working the character will typically do the voice. All dialogue is typically recorded live while filming, just like any other film or tv project. They work with monitors on the floor to see what the camera sees. For both Dark Crystal and Labyrinth Voice Actors were brought in to perform the characters.
Don't apologize for getting technical, I love that you get into the technical stuff. Since you are such a tech geek: *Com-POS-it-ing* is blending separate footage into one shot. ComPOSTing is turning things into fertilizer. Which can happen with a bad composite shot...
I work at a movie theater that used to do classic family movies once a month. We had already scheduled Labyrinth for our family movie in 2016 when David Bowie died in January. Our sales instantly shot up after that.
Not done with CGI. Well,the owl in the title sequence was, but I’m pretty sure rest of this film was just done with bluescreen and combining film on an optical printer. And that’s partially why that scene and why a lot of things look a little off in the 80s and 70s, bluescreen did not as well as greenscreen. The problem is that blue was too close to other blues that were used in film. Chromakey green is such a strange unused shade of green, that’s why it blends so well in modern films. Anyway I’ll stop rambling. But I’m delighted that you enjoyed this film so much, Shanelle! Now you have to check out Dark Crystal. But be warned it’s not as light hearted as Labyrinth!
Absolutely one of my favorite childhood movies. I've also used it several times at school when teaching English as a second language. The movie has amazing depth and a myriad of small funny details you can find on each new viewing. Not to mention the amazing performance of Jennifer and the icon of David Bowie and his music.
"You remind me of the babe." "What babe"? "The babe with the power." "What power?" "The power or voodoo." "Who do?" "You do." "Do what?" "Remind me of the babe."
I always though of this movie and Princess Bride to be required viewing for any geek girl born after 1976. It didn't do well theatrically, but the movie found its audience on Home Video and Cable showings. Another fun trivia fact: all of the muppet movements, and especially the ballroom dance scene was choreographed by Gates McFadden, aka Dr. Beverly Crusher from Star Trek: the Next Generation (she's credited as Cheryl McFadden, her first name). McFadden worked with Henson numerous times before she got hired on for Star Trek.
When you said "Where are we, looks like New England". Well, close enough, those outdoor scenes were filmed in my hometown of Upper Nyack, NY. That was the real town clerk's office sign at that time, they didn't even change it for filming.
The first time I saw it was in 1987/88 while living in Puerto Rico as a nanny. I actually purchased the soundtrack in Puerto Rico and it was the start of collecting them as a hobby. It is just one of the movies I was able to watch there.
@@LordVolkov yes. I knew Lucas was involved but thinking Spielberg was too but wasn't sure and couldn't remember off the top which or both and quit with the facts before I flubbed them lol
Wasn't there something going on with some sort of Willow sequel TV series getting produced? (And do we know whether or not that series is going to be pulling anything from the trilogy of books (Shadow Moon / Shadow Dawn / Shadow Star) that George Lucas and Chris Claremont wrote as a sequel to Willow?) Looking it up to see if I can answer my own questions... It is being made and can be expected to show up on Disney+... Willow Ufgood does return but other than that it sounds like a whole new cast of characters... Story does not sound like it's touching on the novels at all since it's apparently going to be set only a few years after the movie while the novels take place long enough after the movie to feature an adult Elora Danan as the lead character. Story will involve a trio of female leads on a journey to rescue a kidnapped prince (who is the brother of one of the lead characters).
Awesome! So excited to see your reaction to both the Bowie original music and your first Henson Studios movie! If you like it, you have to watch the Dark Crystal.
The baby was Toby Froud, the child of Brian and Wendy Froud which are respectively the designer of creatures in the movie and one of the puppet-maker tha t brought them to life. He is now fully grown up and has followed in his parents' footsteps by working on movies and tv shows, including The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance also made by the Jim Henson Company as a follow-up to their 1982 movie The Dark Crystal.
I love this movie! My favorite fantasy. Actually it ties with Hook, starring Robin Williams. Love both of those. Another fantasy that’s fun to watch is Legend (1985), Willow (1988). Labyrinth didn’t do well with the critics and the box office when it first came out. But it didn’t matter, people still loved it and still do to this day and has become a cult classic. There’s even a yearly Labyrinth Masquerade Ball event that occurs around August in L.A. Been going on since 1997. I hope you managed to watch the making of Labyrinth. It’s marvelous watching the work and effort they did in making all those puppets,costumes, sets…all of it. Especially seeing the functions of Hoggles head. My favorite part. Awesome that you picked up on his facial cues. Loved this commentary! You are amazing. And will be watching more! :) ::addition:: Forgot to add this; but for the longest time, since I saw this as a kid, I had never caught on to David Bowie’s picture in the beginning. When I found out later, I couldn’t help but find a similarity in Peter Pan, in the significance where Mr. Darling is also Hook. In a way Sarah reminds me of Wendy as well, someone clinging to their childish innocence, goes on a distant adventure, learn to grow up.
I saw what movie this was and I gasped out loud! LOVE this movie so much! I can't wait to watch and see if you love it as much as I do :) Edit: Loved the reaction! I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Saw this in the theater with friends, and it was a staple in our house for years on vhs. I always loved how the things on her adventure coordinated with things in her room, especially the Escher picture.
Got to see the Jim Henson exhibit at the Pittsburgh Children’s Museum. Got to play with the “helping hands” we could try on. Seeing a full sized garthim from The Dark Crystal was amazing!
I feel like hunger is a pretty common thing in fantasy/adventure films where the protagonist has to go on a long journey and meets friends along the way.
I love love LOVE this movie. You nailed it with the innocence motif. My favorite fun fact about this movie is how technical Hoggle’s face is. The actor in the helmet and suit deserve WAY more credit for how hard it must have been to show emotion when your whole head is covered. I also went to see an exhibit for this movie at the puppetry museum in Atlanta and the costumes from the ballroom scene were there... they’re stunning in person 😩. Great reaction! Definitely excited to check out more content
I used to work for a museum that had Bowie's Goblin King costume on exhibition. Some lady complained about the size of the codpiece so we had to shave the bulge down for display. True story.
You are not gonna believe this but Hoggle was actually a remote controlled robot, his movements and facial expressions, walking and everything, he was a complete remote controlled robot. For 80’s filmmaking that was incredible, I saw them operating it in the behind the scenes features
Fun Fact: The baby in Labyrinth is Toby Froud; son of Labyrinth & Dark Crystal concept artist Brian Froud. Production for Labyrinth took place at Elstree studios. However the opening sequence cuts between West Wycombe House in Buckinghamshire & then to Nyack in New York State.
Really Cool Fact: The story was written by Terry Gilliam and art and design done by Brian Froud. Check out Brian Frouds artwork sometime, it's incredible. But Brian Froud worked with Henson before on The Dark Crystal, where he met his wife Cindy, a puppet designer. During production for Labyrinth they were casting for the role of Toby, and Cindy happened to be pregnant. Toby in the movie is actually Toby Froud, their son, delivered and cast to the role as being the right age. But it gets cooler. Brian Froud did the art design remember, and did a painting of what he thought Toby should look like. His son looked just like how he painted, the painting and concept came before he was born!
"It's like a rubber puppet, but not..." It's an animatronic. Puppet, but with electric motors moving it under remote control. There are also rod and hand puppets. Henson was the absolute master of the art.
The depth and symbolism and lost youth and sexuality and responsibilities, and what's real, what's ur dream, should u follow, even things like family relatives aging, life changing as u get older, trying to hold on to youth, loss of importance, separation babies even abortion...the amount of social commentary in this movie is stunning!!
In recent years, Jennifer has said that her fondest memory of making Labyrinth is the ballroom scene....because with the makeup & gown she really did feel "grown up" & dancing with Bowie, they had so much fun. Btw, in that interview she also made a point to mention how much of a gentleman he was.
I always loved that ballroom scene.. It's just so fantastical looking.. And the song on top just mind blowing.
❤ Without that scene, Labyrinth had been nothing. I also love too much the gentlemaness of Bowie 😍 He killed us with that!!!
I always thought that, if the goblins are all kidnapped babies, the adults in the ballroom scene are those babies grown up - they’re in two parallel realities, but both versions are trapped in the Goblin King’s world.
David Bowie is the internationally accepted metaphor for the loss of innocence.
"It's a piece of cake"
Every D&D player: Nnooooooooooo!
My favorite character was always the worm. “Come inside and meet the missus.”
If she'd have gone that way, she'd have gone straight to the Goblin castle...:o)
The best character honestly
I LOVE HIM!!!
"Who me? Nahhh, I'm just a worm." ,,, my fav too!! :D
Merlin is the name of Sarah's dog. Ambrosius was the name of Sir Didymus' dog. In some Arthurian tales Merlin is called Merlinus Ambrosius.
And I named my dog Emrys, which is the Welsh version of Ambrosius and Merlin
That owl was the first fully-rendered CGI animal used in a film. And I STILL get goosebumps when it changes to a real owl, the effect is so unique!
The ballroom choreography was done by Gates McFadden, Dr. Crusher on Star Trek: The Next Generation
She worked on The Dark Crystal as well.
Today I learned.
The dancing doctor?
It broke new ground!!!!
Actually, she did *all* of the choreography, including the "Dance Baby, Dance.'
Labrynth, Dark Crystal, and The Neverending Story make up the trifecta of my childhood fantasy films. It is no coincidence that in all three, the puppet work was done by Jim Henson. Throw in Fraggle Rock, and it seemed that in the 80s, the man could do no wrong.
I assume you have seen Legend? Another great, though not one of the more famous movies. A very unique, darker fantasy movie but definitely in the same vein. What about Willow? Princess Bride?
Wait, did Henson have anything to do with the first Neverending Story? I don't recall him being part of the original, just the sequels? But it's been a while since I watched the credits, so maybe I'm wrong.
@@MrDooteronomy I think they mean the Jim Henson Company, not specifically Jim himself.
Dark Crystal was … less good, but yes I agree completely. And the Fraggles rock!
One popular fan theory is that Jareth's true form is the owl, and everything he created, including his David Bowie appearance, was created out of Sarah's fantasies. When she starts growing beyond the fantasy, Jareth starts to revert back to his owl form.
Actually fits....The owl only appears again after Jareth is defeated - It could only be him or just a representation of fantasy/reality transition in general.
I remember reading somewhere that according to the script, the photo on Sarah’s mirror is of her mother, an actress, and her co-Star, David Bowie. That’s why he takes that form, something familiar to her, along with everything else in the labyrinth that can be found somewhere in Sarah’s room.
Jennifer was 14!!! Absolutely freaking crazy how good of an actress she was at such a young age.
Now she’s married to vision.
@@Psilocybin77 And was Spider-Man's AI Karen!
And the year before, she had starred in a rather weird horror movie called Phenomena, directed by Dario Argento.
It's weird watching her in this right after watching her in Requiem for a Dream.
@@Psilocybin77 great story about that, when Paul Betany was a kid, he watched Labyrinth and fell in love with the dark haired girl in the movie(as many of us did), after they met making A beautiful Mind with her, he thought “she’s way out of my league.. but how many men get a chance to take their shot with ACTUAL girl of their dreams?”, worked up the courage, asked her out and the rest is history.
The Dark Crystal also has the incredible Henson puppetry and creature effects but with a more serious tone. Put it on your list for sure!
Jim Henson's puppet magic and the incredible art and design of Brian Froud made Dark Crystal and this film magic!
The baby that plays toby in this worked on the Netflix dark crystal remake.
always felt those two films go hand and hand as classics.
It's so interesting to me that you took it at face value that Sarah was being mistreated by her stepmother. I tend to think that Sarah's a little spoiled/bratty at the beginning of the movie (like most people her age). She clearly has plenty of free time, hobbies, a dog, a big room, lots of toys, etc. The stepmom even says something like "we wouldn't ask you to watch Toby if you had a date. I WANT you to have a date!" which of course sets Sarah off again. She's struggling with becoming an adult, navigating her sexuality, and her parents' divorce and new partners and now this stupid baby for her to take care of. As she loves fantasy, the "evil stepmother" trope is a way for Sarah to cast someone as the villain and make sense of her life.
While it's definitely a straightforward plot I think it's absolutely also a metaphor for exploring burgeoning sexuality, particularly the sexuality of a young straight woman. So much of the movie is about whether she has any power in a relationship with a Hot Guy (TM). But I might have just watched and thought about this movie way too much!!!
I completely agree with your analysis of Labyrinth.
Plus it canon that her mother was an actress and ran off with her affair partner, so Sarah might also be holding onto the mother that she thought she had as a way of coping with the feeling of being left behind. I have a feeling that when her mother WAS in her life, she very much nurtured Sarah's interest in fantasy, which might also add to why she's so protective of her things.
I don't think Sarah's mother divorced; she may have died. I was reading through some early scripts regarding the movie and it seemed to say she died tragically.
Yada yada sexuality. Jesus... looking WAY too deep into that. Not everything is about sexuality, sex, etc.
@@mtpstv94lol ur wrong in this case
Shanelle: "I feel like his pants should be tighter."
Me: "No! Then the 'Bowie bulge' would become too powerful!"
Lindsay Ellis would lose her mind!
It's power is already total.
The bulge was filled with potpourri so Michael Moschen wouldn't have to smell Bowie's sweat.
@@peterk7931 hilarious if true. Still funny if it isn't. You get a like!
I see what Shanelle is saying, because the pants have a sort of 80s stirrup/jodhpur thing going on, but I have NEVER heard anyone say that the pants should be tighter!!
As someone interested in filmmaking, you really should find and enjoy the "Into the Labyrinth" documentary
This might be the best story about growing up ever. You nailed the metaphor. In fact, stages of maturing are represented differently at every beat of the story. I look at Jareth more as a guide/coach than a proper enemy, because he's there to push and challenge her to grow, including with the temptation offered by *refusing* to grow.
It's on youtube, search:
Inside the Labyrinth 1986 The Making of Documentary
(I linked it before, but my comment got deleted, I thought youtube allowed youtube links)
He never felt like an enemy. Barely an antagonist even
As you read in the trivia, the baby is played by Toby Froud, son of Brian Froud, who designed this movie and The Dark Crystal. What’s cool is that Toby recently worked with his dad on the Netflix series Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. You see a lot of grown-up Toby in the making-of documentary on that series.
Yes! That's why baby Toby wasn't frightened of the puppets. Also I believe the baby brother was meant to have a different name but because Toby only responded to his own name, they changed the name in the story.
Shattered my image of an adult Toby, sitting in a bar somewhere, at the bottom of his twelfth bottle of cheap beer, shouting "Do you have any idea who I am?" at the bartender, still in the romper suit.
"no one in adventure films mention their hungry," meanwhile the hobbits don't stop complaining about being forced on field rations
Cannot beat Tolkien.
LoTR isn't an adventure, it's actually a foodtravelogue.
@@SierraSierraFoxtrot Pippin: what's up my Hobs and Gobs, I'm down here at Brandybuck in a little place called The Prancing Pony. I hear they have pints, let's check it out.
Also Narnia.
9:50 - *“I think she could have spent a minute longer on that riddle.”*
Nah, she got it right (as evidenced by the fact that she didn't die). The solution to the classic "one always lies and one always tells the truth" logic puzzle is to ask either one of the guards what the _other_ would answer to a question. That way you know for certain that the answer will always be false: If you asked the honest guard, they will truthfully report the lie that the liar would tell, and if you asked the lying guard, they will lie about what the honest one would have said. Obviously the question has to be one where knowing the _false_ answer automatically tells you the truth by elimination, such as a yes-or-no question, or a binary choice between safety and certain death. 😄
_Labyrinth_ has many excellent messages in it, both metaphorical and explicit. Sarah learns in the labyrinth that being asked to baby-sit her brother is _not_ the absolute height of unfairness that has ever been suffered by anyone in the history of mankind, and that it doesn't make her stepmother a wicked witch. Jareth in the final confrontation stands in for every terrible, controlling boyfriend a teen girl is likely to encounter, trying to gaslight her that everything he's done to her was because she secretly _wanted_ it, and if she'll just _love and fear him_ he'll be "her slave" - meaning, of course, that he'll continue treating her the way he has, because he "knows better" what she wants and needs than she does. At the end of the movie she accepts growing up, symbolised by passing on her beloved childhood toy, which she still clung to at the start, but she also realises that this does not mean she has to "put away childish things" and forgo all imagination and fantasy; that she can keep them alive, even as she grows up.
It's a beautiful and touching message, and you're not the only one getting the feels from it. 😭
Ironically, while Sarah's answer to the riddle is right, it doesn't matter - because the riddle wasn't real. She bases her answer on the riddle as stated, but if what the guards tell her is TRUE (one of them always tells the truth and one always lies) then the rules are wrong - because they BOTH agree on the rules.
The soundtrack for this movie is something special in its own right. The song 🎶 As the World Falls Down 🎵, played in the enchanted ball scene, has a special place in my heart and soul.
I want that song as my first dance at my wedding. 💜🎶
I always dug the song in the finale.. With that amazing spiral staircase.. Just Bowie's voice is so strong.. Then.. There's an emotional crack in it .. just fantastic.
yeees💜✨
Watching the Sir Didymus puppet strapped to the back of that sheepdog still makes me giggle to this day!
From what I've heard, when the ASPCA stopped by the set to monitor the treatment of the real sheepdog, the puppeteers brought out the puppet version for a bit and had them totally fooled.
Sir Didymus is my favorite character. Such a cute idea.
Sadly, this film was a bomb at first. It didn't find an audience until after home video release.
Wonder how many kids wore out their VHS copy? I feel a bit sorry for the little kids that saw it in the theater - sitting still and being quiet... lol...
I saw it multiple times on cable when I was a kid.
@@CaptainNice I wore out 2 VHS copies lol
David Bowie’s iconic role as the Goblin King and his iconic bulge. Watch The Dark Crystal next for Henson Creature shop double feature. Then watch the series Farscape on Amazon Prime. Many of the alien characters on that show are created from the Henson Creature shop and James Gunn used the main characters the inspiration for Guardians of the Galaxy.
and mirrormask for the Henson trilogy.
and maybe the Gulliver's Travels miniseries with Ted Danson
the iconic bulge is the name of my gay bar
There's also the Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance series on Netflix, where they take puppetry to the next level.
@@thomasbender2036 if I am not mistaken, I believe Toby (the Babe) worked on that as a puppeteer
This, Dark Crystal, Muppets, Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock...The imagination of the Henson Company was just top notch. They didn't simply rely on old folklore, they invented whole new worlds and made em feel so lived in and fleshed out.
Fraggle Rock! Yes, love them! Red and Mokie have been active a long time at conventions. Ben Folds’s Five “Do it Anyway” song features the Fraggles. Fun to see those clips of Red at conventions and the modern music video with them too!
Well, a lot of it is folklore, just in a new, crazy way. The worlds and design are somewhat invented, though. He threw everything at it and made it work, like a childish version of Tolkien (only, I'm pretty sure that Tolkien invented a lot more).
@@TheClassicWorld Tolkien invented Hobbits, but elves, dwarves, goblinkind etc are all staples of traditional European folklore. That said, he DEFINITELY went a long way towards bringing it into mainstream culture and spreading those concepts round the rest of the world. What I was moreso referring to though were the little touches... the eyestalk plantlife and and campfire creatures that lose their limbs. The stuff in Dark Crystal like the giant toads, random critters you see in the background, skecksies and wse ones, fraggles living in your walls, etc etc. Definitely more whimsical, and feels like a fairy tale thanks to some of the traditional elements like luto as an ogre or the dwarf or gelflings as stand ins to more traditional folklore fey, but fleshed out the way the worlds are with their own little elements, just makes it seem more unique and creative to me I guess, compared to most copy paste fantasy fare.
Most people don't remember it, but Jim Henson's "Muppets" had a decidedly more adult version on early (1975) episodes of Saturday Night Live called "The Land of Gorch. Many of those creatures led to the "Skeksis" in "The Dark Crystal."
@@mhlevy indeed. Brian Froud also was a huge influence in the creation of the Mystics too. I have some of his books of drawings. Amazing!
There's so much depth in this kids movie, like the trash lady carrying around jet whole life on her back, her past weighing her down, also reminding us that farts are really funny. The choreographer for the movie played Dr Beverly Crusher on Star Trek the Next Generation, going under her first name instead of her middle name in the credits
There is amazing depths in this movie and so many small details you can find and analyse upon. Like how all the different aspects of the labyrinth can be found in Sarah's room, including David Bowie. (He's Sara's mother's new boyfriend, there is a picture of them stuck in her mirror)
Think this is why this movie has always stayed with me...Its like Company of the wolves - Its as as much as about the process of growing up than a fantasy adventure
I love Sarah's solution to the truth and lies riddle because her logic totally holds up with the premise of the riddle. The problem was she never questioned that premise. In this case, they were both lying.
Except she did pick the correct door. Her mistake was saying "it's a piece of cake." She's punished each time she says that.
Actually I don't think they were both lying. After all, the path she took did lead her to the castle at the center of the Labyrinth. It just wasn't as direct as she was hoping.
When Hoggle asked the question would you go left or right. She asked which way would you go. His response me I wouldn't go either way. There had to be an opening right behind him. He told he told her she was taking things for granted.
One always tells the truth, the other always lies. Sarah correctly solved the riddle. The door guards did as they said. The problem is Jareth is a sore loser and constantly manipulates the Labyrinth in his favor, while also teaching Sarah that she is a brat and needs to learn that life isn't fair.
Twenty years on this riddle still makes my brain hurt.....Mind you, so does sudoku.
I'm always impressed by the multiple different personalities among the "helping hands". The voices match up really well with the different "faces". It's quite impressive. Which it all is really. It's just all these extra brilliant touches that make this movie infinitely re-watchable.
I got emotional over the end scene too! There's something relatable and universal about it, being in your room and saying farewell to the imaginary friends that got you through the adventure, e.g: childhood.
Labyrinth II -- Adult Sarah is at her wits end and says, "I wish the Goblins would take ME away. Right NOW." --- The door creeks open and the Goblin King says, "You always could have asked.. Any time you were ready.."
I've seen this movie a million times, and it only now just occurred to me that Sarah's dog's name in the beginning was Merlin, and Sir Didymus's dog's name is Ambrosius.
Ambrosius Aurelianus appeared in early Arthurian legend, but was later transformed into Merlin.
Welp... Time to sing Magic Dance for the next week.
I think "Underground" is the superior song.
you remind me of the babe.
@@dracoargentum9783 What babe?
You better believe it!
I find myself singing it everytime I'm playing with my dog (Puppy Dog Tails), or when a bride comes in with their infant child (I work in alterations at a David's Bridal).
Since film production is your thang, this is one of those movies that’s worth tracking down the extensive behind the scenes featurette. Everything about this movie was just so.. lush and well thought out production-wise, that it’s really fascinating to see how they made it all work.
COOL FACT: Hoggle always made that "Growling/groaning" sound so that the actress inside the suit could see where she was going
Nice
I don't understand.
@@starkiller007 me neither
@@starkiller007 I assume it’s a way to pause and catch her bearings. Must be a pain in the ass to see in that thing, so she’d either have to go slow or take some sort of pause to spot her next mark.
@@katpiercemusic or she could only see out of the mouth
Bowie's crotch should've won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor that year. Don't feel bad about being distracted by it...that's kinda what the movie is known for.
“Ya’ wanna know what I don’t see getting settled? Her step-mother continuously asking her to babysit. It’s not fair. Like, she’ll have a new appreciation for her brother- sure- but, like, that doesn’t solver her issue.” I believe it was settled near the beginning of the labyrinth. She strong-armed Hoggle’s help by taking his trinkets and promising only to give them back for his assistance. When he exasperatedly said that it was unfair, recognition passed over Sara’s face as she said, yes, it is unfair.
Nice one
Bowie's pants decided sexuality for an entire generation of pre-teens and teens.
Same with Jennifer Connelly in that white dress. I was around 10 when I saw this, and my takeaway was that girls don't cause cooties, and if they did, I wanted cooties.
@@thrakkorzog75002 at least her cooties for sure.
♫ Pants! Magic Pants… ♫
Yeah, that's what my wife keeps telling me. Bowie.
creepy thing to say. especially given reports of bowie and underage teens
Dark Crystal is a highly underrated Jim Henson film.
one of the most common interpretations of the ending is that Sarah realized that she was growing up too fast and that she needed to embrace her inner child, so your guess is pretty close.
I thought it was that she needed to actually grow up and stop being a whiny brat... while still recognizing that fantasy can be a useful tool for escape.
I see it more as 'growing up doesn't mean replacing what you were, just adding to what you are'
@@TheKyrix82 That's a pleasant way of looking at it.😀
@@ariochiv A lot of people have been tricked into thinking that being mature means discarding things that make you happy. All it means is having enough responsibility to do the things you need to do. I'm every bit as silly and frivilous now as when I was a child, but I also keep my bills paid.
@@TheKyrix82 I'm one of those people who keeps the bills paid through exploration of fantasy, so I certainly wouldn't disagree.
"As The World Falls Down" from this movie is my favorite David Bowie song and one of my favorite songs of all time! 😊
David Bowie did nothing for 10yo me when I saw this, but Jennifer Connolly's giant hair and giant dress from the masquerade scene was amazing to me and had a huge impact on my adolescent daydreams. I also still quote this movie to this day (mostly Ludo).
Omg how SPOT ON was "Rocky Horror for kids"......explains so much of my childhood 🙈
The thing I'm surprised you didn't mention was the set of rocks in one scene that when viewed from the proper angle, line up to form an image of Bowie. It's a very cool effect, but it's quick and easy to miss. Its at the start of the scene where Bowie gives Hoggle the poisoned fruit.
When I first read "set of rocks" I thought you were about to make a different kind of Bowie reference.
There's about six more hidden Bowies too!!!
@@mattleuty5285
Wait, six?! I thought there was only three or four
Her stepmother wasn't mean. Just like the over blown reactions Sara has over everything else, she is having a teenage melodramatic encounter with her stepmother.
Agreed. Her parents want her to grow up, and only are asking her to babysit because she has no other plans (they want her to date).
Also her mother was a big time actress with a rich actor boyfriend. So there’s that.
I don't quite agree. Yes, Sarah is being a drama queen, but it's also not a step-parent's prerogative to force the step-child to accept them in a parental role. This is something her father should have dealt with. Also, it's pretty garbage to be all "we ask you to babysit only if it doesn't interfere with your plans" when they didn't ask about her plans at all anyway. Smacks of parentification a little
Def abit a young.. whiny privileged melodramatic teenage girl. No harm..except what happened. You want problems …your upset ??! Well how about this weird life or death goblin shit. This movie has always been about learning to be mature/caring to me. I love alot of how all the fantasy elements and cuteness helps her. It’s not about giving up your imagination/dreams. It’s learning to not be selfish and self centered. She freaked out more watching her brother for a night then the entire saga nightmare she went through to get him back. It’s the literal fairy tale girl movie of sack up. And she did 🤣♥️
Please consider reacting to LEGEND (1985). It's directed by Ridley Scott and stars Tom Cruise and Tim Curry.
And Mia Sara from Ferris Bueller
Yes!!!
and Robert Picardo the Hologram Doctor from star trek.. (ok under massive makeup)
I always felt that this movie was not about a loss of innocence, but about accepting your imagination and creativity as you grow into an adult. When Sarah says she needs her friends at the end, that to me was her accepting that she could do both grow up and remain the imaginative girl she is.
I'm only 7 minutes in but I really hope she sees the trivia about how complicated Hoggle's face, or how they had someone else behind Bowie to do the glass ball scenes.
The Making Of this movie is amazing
Edit: the trivia pulled throughhhh
It mentioned in the Trivia that the baby was Toby Froud but not that he was the son of artist Brian Froud who designed many of the creatures and visual effects.
There is a 'making of' documentary called 'Into the Labyrinth', which is worth seeing.
Yes it was a big metaphore! Jim Hensons daughter was a similar age to Sarah and he wanted to make a movie she could relate to, about a young girl moving into adulthood. Jareth represents the kind of older rockstar type guys young girls crush on. The Ballroom scene, is a representation of her trying to step into an adult world and situations she realizes shes not ready for yet.
I always liked how Labyrinth is both a coming of age story and also a "never stop being a kid" story. Jennifer Connelly is perfect because as a kid (I was 9 when I saw this) she was soooo beautiful to me, but also still kinda a relatable kid for the oldest boy who had to take care of his siblings. I knew that she was supposed to be between the adult and kid world even back then. It's a great movie for young teens. I don't think it goes quite as far as "losing innocence" even though there is a hint of romance, but more like an awakening of adulthood in a selfish child.
I remember when they had the anniversery of the movie, they brought it back to the theaters. It was packed beyond packed. Everyone sang everything. It was so awesome in so many ways . The soundtrack is so amazing in so many ways and will make you laugh, cry and want to dance. David Bowie does have more then a few different movies that he did a great job in. Take a look see :)
I’ve been watching unsubscribed for a while now, so shame on me and all that, but I make amends by doing so now. As well as sending my much belated appreciation for your videos. I’m enjoying muchly your filmmaker eye on things, reminds me of my own attempts back in the day when I was heavily into such things as a younger version of myself and it’s great to see someone else who is in love with the background work of making of films as much as the films themselves. Keep being awesome! And now to watch this classic, great stuff, haven’t seen it in such a long time!
I was 7 years old when this came out. This movie pretty much defined my childhood and formative years. Surprisingly it didn’t do well at all in the box office, but it has gone on to be a major cult classic because the performances by Bowie and Connelly and the puppeteering are the things of legend. Amazing movie. Thanks for posting this.
I was about 6 and it definitely played a huge role for me. I can’t count how many times I watched it growing up.
The baby, Toby Froud, is the son of the main conceptual artist Brian Froud, and he has now grown up to work with puppets in movies. (They called him Toby cuz he wouldn't respond to any other name.) I have seen interviews with him and apparently when he first sat on Bowie's lap, he peed on him 😆
This movie was my childhood and in my opinion the best Henson ever did. Funny that as a kid I loved this movie, then as a teen I loved Ziggy Stardust... most of my childhood involved Bowie in some way (But as a very young boy, I have to admit that Connolly was my first crush)
Jareth seems really petty in that scene where Sarah says the Labyrinth is a piece of cake, but David Bowie's performance is so good
You gotta watch Legend!! Tom Cruise, Mia Sara from Ferris Bueller, and Tim Curry plays the devil. The greatest portrayal of the dark one ever. More goblins, fairies and unicorns. You’ll love it!!!
Noting of course that Legend is one of those examples where there are different cuts of the film out there and HUGE differences between them. US theatrical cut was heavily cut for time compared to the director's cut / international cut so there's some awkwardness in how certain scenes play out there. And if I recall correctly the soundtrack in the director's cut leans heavily into the classical fairy tale vibe while the US theatrical cut got a drastically different soundtrack that was more upbeat and modern and poppy. Both versions have their fans, but personally I think the fairy tale one is MUCH more fitting to the tone of the movie. (And this wasn't a matter of growing up with a particular version. I hadn't heard of the movie until later in life when I picked up a DVD release that had different versions on it so I got to watch them both and pick my preference with them both in mind.)
Let's see... Looking this up before posting... Oh, four cuts of the film, apparently?
"There are at least four different versions of this picture: the original European release (94 min.), the American theatrical release (89 min.), a network TV version (94 min.) and a director's cut (113 min.) "
And in the process of getting to those different versions the director's first draft cut of the film was a whopping 150 minutes long!
And yeah, the more fairy tale like soundtrack was made first by Jerry Goldsmith and most of it (since the full thing was written for a 150 minute film) was kept in the European release while they snazzed up the US release with a new soundtrack by Tangerine Dream. The director's cut also uses a cut of the the Goldsmith score.
Tim Curry's portrayal is excellent, but my personal favorite version of Satan was Al Pacino in "The Devil's Advocate".
Anyone will do for me!! I guess the director’s cut would be preferable...
@@JoeCool7835 Pacino is definitely up there along with Trey Parker’s Lucifer. I like seeing him painted red with the massive black horns!! Curry’s voice and movements definitely make it for me.
@@rustyforceps1012 Pacino's my favorite simply because of how much fun he clearly has in the movie.
I must've seen Labyrinth dozens of times as a kid. It was one of those films that my grandparents had. They only had like 8-10 videos and I'd go straight in and put one on as soon as we arrived. There was this. The Dark Crystal. The Wizard of Oz and Return to Oz. A movie called Tom Thumb which I haven't seen since I was a kid. Then an assortment of Muppet Babies episodes. I think that was everything. As you can imagine this movie was a big part of my childhood. I still remember all the words to every song. Dance Magic is still one of my favourites. It's such an amazing, endlessly inventive film and it blows my mind to this day.
I am truly glad you appreciate how hard filmmaking is. I’ve never worked on anything of this scale. But even on smaller productions, filmmaking isn’t easy!
I saw a "making of" documentary of Labyrinth years ago, and there's a scene where Bowie plays with the crystal, and after you hear "cut!" the chap actually doing the crystal work pops up into frame and the pair of them both grinned.
If you think of all the goblins as former children then the junk ladies are sisters/brothers who never saved their siblings.
So happy to see more UA-camrs watch this. I know I am going to love you watching it because I always love your reviews.
There are 3 main types of puppets in the world of Henson. Full Bodied puppets like Ludo, Snuffy, and Big Bird. Live Hand Puppets like Fozzie and Ernie. Then there are rod puppets like Grover and Kermit. For most Henson productions the puppeteer working the character will typically do the voice. All dialogue is typically recorded live while filming, just like any other film or tv project. They work with monitors on the floor to see what the camera sees. For both Dark Crystal and Labyrinth Voice Actors were brought in to perform the characters.
Don't apologize for getting technical, I love that you get into the technical stuff.
Since you are such a tech geek: *Com-POS-it-ing* is blending separate footage into one shot. ComPOSTing is turning things into fertilizer. Which can happen with a bad composite shot...
I work at a movie theater that used to do classic family movies once a month. We had already scheduled Labyrinth for our family movie in 2016 when David Bowie died in January. Our sales instantly shot up after that.
Composting or compositing? 😆 Seriously, I have really started enjoying your content! New sub!
Not done with CGI. Well,the owl in the title sequence was, but I’m pretty sure rest of this film was just done with bluescreen and combining film on an optical printer. And that’s partially why that scene and why a lot of things look a little off in the 80s and 70s, bluescreen did not as well as greenscreen. The problem is that blue was too close to other blues that were used in film. Chromakey green is such a strange unused shade of green, that’s why it blends so well in modern films. Anyway I’ll stop rambling. But I’m delighted that you enjoyed this film so much, Shanelle! Now you have to check out Dark Crystal. But be warned it’s not as light hearted as Labyrinth!
23:35 --- Your expression sums it up perfectly Shan.... From time to time, we all need the impossible.. The fantastic.. The miracles..
Ludo is one of my favorite characters in Labyrinth! And Sir Didymus!
agreed
I like the little guy flipping the tiles.. “Your mother is a fragging aardvark”!!!!😂😂😂 I’ve got a t-shirt that says it.
Absolutely one of my favorite childhood movies. I've also used it several times at school when teaching English as a second language. The movie has amazing depth and a myriad of small funny details you can find on each new viewing. Not to mention the amazing performance of Jennifer and the icon of David Bowie and his music.
Legend starring A young Tom Cruise, Mia Sara (You saw her in Ferris Bueller) and the amazing Tim Curry. For your next 80's fantasy film. Please!
Which version the film should she watch? the theatrical version or the directors cut from 2002?
We used to watch this at 4 or 5am after playing D&D all night. So glad now that I grew up in the 80s.
Love the witch! And Rumtom.
@@alecboyce1998 Didn't know there was a 2002 version. Is it really a director's cut, or a lame money grab?
Excellent movie. Maybe the best depiction of Satan.
_Labyrinth_ is iconic! And the part in the hair is EVERYTHING!
Watching you really enjoying this movie, has put the biggest smile on my face I swear ^_^ my cheeks hurt lol
The Notebook 2004 1080p what movie name anyone
The one dance choreographer was Dr. Beverly Crusher on Star Trek Next Generation
"You remind me of the babe."
"What babe"?
"The babe with the power."
"What power?"
"The power or voodoo."
"Who do?"
"You do."
"Do what?"
"Remind me of the babe."
I always though of this movie and Princess Bride to be required viewing for any geek girl born after 1976. It didn't do well theatrically, but the movie found its audience on Home Video and Cable showings.
Another fun trivia fact: all of the muppet movements, and especially the ballroom dance scene was choreographed by Gates McFadden, aka Dr. Beverly Crusher from Star Trek: the Next Generation (she's credited as Cheryl McFadden, her first name). McFadden worked with Henson numerous times before she got hired on for Star Trek.
Dark Crystal! Dark Crystal! Dark Crystal! Dark Crystal!
Seriously, the Dark Crytal has a unique point about it, trying not to spoil.
When you said "Where are we, looks like New England". Well, close enough, those outdoor scenes were filmed in my hometown of Upper Nyack, NY. That was the real town clerk's office sign at that time, they didn't even change it for filming.
Low-key just stopped the video I was already watching in the middle to come here. Love this movie!!
Nice
The first time I saw it was in 1987/88 while living in Puerto Rico as a nanny.
I actually purchased the soundtrack in Puerto Rico and it was the start of
collecting them as a hobby. It is just one of the movies I was able to watch
there.
You need to watch Willow (1988) another movie that doesn't get enough love. Warwick Davis, Val Kilmer directed by Ron Howard.
And written by George Lucas.
@@LordVolkov yes. I knew Lucas was involved but thinking Spielberg was too but wasn't sure and couldn't remember off the top which or both and quit with the facts before I flubbed them lol
Wasn't there something going on with some sort of Willow sequel TV series getting produced?
(And do we know whether or not that series is going to be pulling anything from the trilogy of books (Shadow Moon / Shadow Dawn / Shadow Star) that George Lucas and Chris Claremont wrote as a sequel to Willow?)
Looking it up to see if I can answer my own questions...
It is being made and can be expected to show up on Disney+... Willow Ufgood does return but other than that it sounds like a whole new cast of characters... Story does not sound like it's touching on the novels at all since it's apparently going to be set only a few years after the movie while the novels take place long enough after the movie to feature an adult Elora Danan as the lead character. Story will involve a trio of female leads on a journey to rescue a kidnapped prince (who is the brother of one of the lead characters).
Very much yes!!! One of my favorite movies as a kid!!!
@@MuljoStpho yeah Disney+ is going to do a sequel show. They announced it back in December.
Awesome! So excited to see your reaction to both the Bowie original music and your first Henson Studios movie! If you like it, you have to watch the Dark Crystal.
1990 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie and Farscape all have Henson Creature shop Work.
The baby was Toby Froud, the child of Brian and Wendy Froud which are respectively the designer of creatures in the movie and one of the puppet-maker tha t brought them to life. He is now fully grown up and has followed in his parents' footsteps by working on movies and tv shows, including The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance also made by the Jim Henson Company as a follow-up to their 1982 movie The Dark Crystal.
That owl was the first appearance of CG photorealistic creature in a movie I believe.
I love this movie! My favorite fantasy. Actually it ties with Hook, starring Robin Williams. Love both of those. Another fantasy that’s fun to watch is Legend (1985), Willow (1988).
Labyrinth didn’t do well with the critics and the box office when it first came out.
But it didn’t matter, people still loved it and still do to this day and has become a cult classic.
There’s even a yearly Labyrinth Masquerade Ball event that occurs around August in L.A.
Been going on since 1997.
I hope you managed to watch the making of Labyrinth. It’s marvelous watching the work and effort they did in making all those puppets,costumes, sets…all of it. Especially seeing the functions of Hoggles head. My favorite part. Awesome that you picked up on his facial cues.
Loved this commentary! You are amazing. And will be watching more! :)
::addition::
Forgot to add this; but for the longest time, since I saw this as a kid, I had never caught on to David Bowie’s picture in the beginning. When I found out later, I couldn’t help but find a similarity in Peter Pan, in the significance where Mr. Darling is also Hook. In a way Sarah reminds me of Wendy as well, someone clinging to their childish innocence, goes on a distant adventure, learn to grow up.
I saw what movie this was and I gasped out loud! LOVE this movie so much! I can't wait to watch and see if you love it as much as I do :) Edit: Loved the reaction! I'm glad you enjoyed it.
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Saw this in the theater with friends, and it was a staple in our house for years on vhs. I always loved how the things on her adventure coordinated with things in her room, especially the Escher picture.
Many of the puppets from Labyrinth are a part of the rotating collection of Henson puppets at the Center For Puppetry Arts in Atlanta.
Got to see the Jim Henson exhibit at the Pittsburgh Children’s Museum. Got to play with the “helping hands” we could try on.
Seeing a full sized garthim from The Dark Crystal was amazing!
I feel like hunger is a pretty common thing in fantasy/adventure films where the protagonist has to go on a long journey and meets friends along the way.
I love love LOVE this movie. You nailed it with the innocence motif. My favorite fun fact about this movie is how technical Hoggle’s face is. The actor in the helmet and suit deserve WAY more credit for how hard it must have been to show emotion when your whole head is covered. I also went to see an exhibit for this movie at the puppetry museum in Atlanta and the costumes from the ballroom scene were there... they’re stunning in person 😩. Great reaction! Definitely excited to check out more content
I used to work for a museum that had Bowie's Goblin King costume on exhibition. Some lady complained about the size of the codpiece so we had to shave the bulge down for display. True story.
Just sad. Some people just don't know where the fight is.
You are not gonna believe this but Hoggle was actually a remote controlled robot, his movements and facial expressions, walking and everything, he was a complete remote controlled robot. For 80’s filmmaking that was incredible, I saw them operating it in the behind the scenes features
This came out when I was 5 years old, and for some reason my parents thought it was acceptable for me. I was terrified for years by it!!
Fun Fact: The baby in Labyrinth is Toby Froud; son of Labyrinth & Dark Crystal concept artist Brian Froud.
Production for Labyrinth took place at Elstree studios. However the opening sequence cuts between West Wycombe House in Buckinghamshire & then to Nyack in New York State.
My favorite music piece is the closing version of "Underground" with the gospel background singers.
Really Cool Fact: The story was written by Terry Gilliam and art and design done by Brian Froud. Check out Brian Frouds artwork sometime, it's incredible. But Brian Froud worked with Henson before on The Dark Crystal, where he met his wife Cindy, a puppet designer. During production for Labyrinth they were casting for the role of Toby, and Cindy happened to be pregnant. Toby in the movie is actually Toby Froud, their son, delivered and cast to the role as being the right age. But it gets cooler. Brian Froud did the art design remember, and did a painting of what he thought Toby should look like. His son looked just like how he painted, the painting and concept came before he was born!
Wrong Python. It was Terry Jones, not Terry Gilliam.
Your right, I forgot. I'm so use to Terry Gilliam's work I got them confused. Excellent clarification, thank you.
Ahhh, I always appreciate a fellow fan of Jennifer "perfect eyebrows" Connelly :D
This movie brings so many memories that the whole thing is emotional for me.
I was at the actual NY premiere, because my high school friend’s mom worked with Henson
"It's like a rubber puppet, but not..."
It's an animatronic. Puppet, but with electric motors moving it under remote control. There are also rod and hand puppets. Henson was the absolute master of the art.
One of my top 3 fantasy movies: this, Legend and Dark Crystal
The Notebook 2004 1080p what movie name anyone
My top 3 are Princess Bride, this, and Ladyhawke
The depth and symbolism and lost youth and sexuality and responsibilities, and what's real, what's ur dream, should u follow, even things like family relatives aging, life changing as u get older, trying to hold on to youth, loss of importance, separation babies even abortion...the amount of social commentary in this movie is stunning!!