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Started By
Message
The 1980s was a decade of very strange high fantasy. Why?
Posted on 11/15/16 at 6:39 pm
Posted on 11/15/16 at 6:39 pm
Not only were the 1980s a decade of high fantasy, but specifically a very strange genre of high fantasy: Old world magic from long forgotten civilizations and/or worlds.
The fantasies almost always occurred in the distant past either on Earth or on another planet. Therefore, it was futuristic fantasy from a time long long ago.
Which is odd.
Hell, even Star Wars (which debuted in the late 1970s and carried over into the 80s) took place "a long time ago in a galaxy far far away."
Just off the top of my head I'll list the 1980s high fantasy movies which fit into this genre:
Star Wars movies
Legend
Labyrinth
The Dark Crystal
Dragonslayer
Willow
Dune
Conan movies
Beastmaster
Krull
Neverending Story
Princess Bride
Red Sonja
Time Bandits
Heavy Metal
Clash of the Titans
And I probably missed several.
Hollywood was original and very creative in the 80s. Such a great time to watch movies as a kid.
But, again, why were high fantasy movies from a time "long ago" popular in the '80s? What drove their popularity?
I wish we could experience another decade like that. Perhaps we are in the midst of a high fantasy boom driven by the success of Harry Potter, Avatar, and Game of Thrones, the latter more like '80s high fantasy films than any other modern film.
I hope and absolutely welcome a return to high fantasy cinema, but it'll take a miracle to compare to the impressive resume of '80s high fantasy films.
Side note: We should thank Jim Henson for much of the magic.
The fantasies almost always occurred in the distant past either on Earth or on another planet. Therefore, it was futuristic fantasy from a time long long ago.
Which is odd.
Hell, even Star Wars (which debuted in the late 1970s and carried over into the 80s) took place "a long time ago in a galaxy far far away."
Just off the top of my head I'll list the 1980s high fantasy movies which fit into this genre:
Star Wars movies
Legend
Labyrinth
The Dark Crystal
Dragonslayer
Willow
Dune
Conan movies
Beastmaster
Krull
Neverending Story
Princess Bride
Red Sonja
Time Bandits
Heavy Metal
Clash of the Titans
And I probably missed several.
Hollywood was original and very creative in the 80s. Such a great time to watch movies as a kid.
But, again, why were high fantasy movies from a time "long ago" popular in the '80s? What drove their popularity?
I wish we could experience another decade like that. Perhaps we are in the midst of a high fantasy boom driven by the success of Harry Potter, Avatar, and Game of Thrones, the latter more like '80s high fantasy films than any other modern film.
I hope and absolutely welcome a return to high fantasy cinema, but it'll take a miracle to compare to the impressive resume of '80s high fantasy films.
Side note: We should thank Jim Henson for much of the magic.
This post was edited on 11/15/16 at 6:55 pm
21
Posted on 11/15/16 at 7:07 pm to mizzoukills
This post was edited on 11/15/16 at 7:08 pm
Posted on 11/15/16 at 7:11 pm to mizzoukills
Cocaine.
Posted on 11/15/16 at 7:15 pm to mizzoukills
Wizard of Oz sequel was ultra creepy
Posted on 11/15/16 at 7:22 pm to mizzoukills
Hippies were finally in control, but they didn't yet have the budgets for mega-mythologies like Lord of the Rings.
Time Bandits is a decent example of my theory - put Terry Gilliam in the director's chair and see what happens.
Time Bandits is a decent example of my theory - put Terry Gilliam in the director's chair and see what happens.
Posted on 11/15/16 at 7:32 pm to mizzoukills
The 80s were gruesome and brutal. Lots of murder.
Im a product of the 80s. Weird yet amazing time.
Im a product of the 80s. Weird yet amazing time.
Posted on 11/15/16 at 7:44 pm to mizzoukills
quote:
but specifically a very strange genre of high fantasy
what are some non strange fantasy movies?
Posted on 11/15/16 at 8:08 pm to Master of Sinanju
How can you leave the only movie with a tri-bladed sword off the list?
Posted on 11/15/16 at 8:21 pm to mizzoukills
VCR's came into vogue. Didn't have to kill it at the box office when there was an aftermarket.
Posted on 11/15/16 at 8:32 pm to mizzoukills
Conan The Barbarian is a masterpiece of cinema and vastly overlooked. The whole movie is top notch. fricking Oliver Stone wrote the thing. John Millius directing, Basil Poledouris score, Arnold, James Earl Jones... It's awesome.
This post was edited on 11/15/16 at 8:33 pm
Posted on 11/15/16 at 8:37 pm to mizzoukills
No He-Man, no care
Posted on 11/15/16 at 9:00 pm to mizzoukills
Posted on 11/15/16 at 9:35 pm to tigermeat
Y'all are making my point.
I said I may have missed a few. But no one has yet explained why high fantasy in the '80s always took place in the distant past.
I said I may have missed a few. But no one has yet explained why high fantasy in the '80s always took place in the distant past.
Posted on 11/15/16 at 10:35 pm to Jack Ruby
quote:The works of Robert Howard are seriously under-credited in American culture, as are the works of his mentor, H.P. Lovecraft. Their creations have made more of a contribution than most people are aware of.
Conan The Barbarian is a masterpiece of cinema and vastly overlooked. The whole movie is top notch. fricking Oliver Stone wrote the thing. John Millius directing, Basil Poledouris score, Arnold, James Earl Jones... It's awesome.
Howard created Conan, Kull, Red Sonja and his "Snake Men" are the basis for the idiots who believe in "reptilian aliens" who try to take control of humanity.
Howard was also the first author to use the "lost city" concept as a means of depicting his own views of how all civilizations hold the seeds of their own destruction. Shows like Star Trek, whose characters travel to isolated planets and discover some fundamental, self-destructive flaw in the societies they encounter, leading to their downfall - owe that core concept to Robert Howard.
Lovecraft famously had to remind his readers that his creations were fiction. His most famous creation was The Necronomicon, but in recent years, because of South Park, it has been Cthulhu, which was one of the "ancient gods" of his mythos. The "ancients" depicted in the movie "The Cabin in the Woods" are a nod to H.P. Lovecraft.
Posted on 11/15/16 at 10:41 pm to blueboy
quote:
Howard was also the first author to use the "lost city" concept as a means of depicting his own views of how all civilizations hold the seeds of their own destruction.
This concept probably goes back to Sodom and Gommorrah
Posted on 11/15/16 at 10:46 pm to mizzoukills
quote:
Hollywood was original and very creative in the 80s. Such a great time to watch movies as a kid.
almost everything you listed is an adaptation of a book, graphic novel, or classical myth.
This post was edited on 11/15/16 at 10:47 pm
Posted on 11/15/16 at 11:22 pm to Brosef Stalin
quote:That's an extreme example of a society gone too far into excess, in general. It's not the same concept.
This concept probably goes back to Sodom and Gommorrah
Intentionally using the concept of an isolated city or planet for the purpose of illustrating how and why societies destroy themselves is pure Howard. His societies fail for differing reasons, every time, each reason being a study in flawed idealism.
Posted on 11/16/16 at 12:15 am to PurpleandGold Motown
quote:
Cocaine
Is a helluva drug.
Camp was in.
Drugs were in.
Producers were coked out of their minds.
Just make it weird, strange costumes and lots of T&A.
That equals going back in time and acting like it's the future.
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