Howdy folks.
I have decided that I am not a reviewer. I did the one review on ‘Jonny Quest’, but that is not my style. Rather, I think I will use this platform to share my opinion or recommendation. Today, let’s speak of ‘Fantasy’ in film-making.
I am not a fan of CGI. I like analog film-making effects. I love the old Ray Harryhausen stop-action effects used in the sixties/seventies ‘Sinbad’ movies.
I think ‘The Wizard of Oz’ {1939}will always be held as a standard for Fairy Tale or Fantasy films. Prior to that, I think the original ‘King Kong’ {1933}stands tall.
The German film ‘Metropolis’ {1927} in its new restored form is a freakish modern Fairy Tale of a sort.
I would like to speak of a wonderful film and actor who often gets overlooked. Douglas Fairbanks’ ‘The Thief of Bagdad’ {1924} is a cinematic marvel. Douglas Fairbanks himself is larger than life and makes the perfect Fairy Tale hero. The special effects are absolutely uncanny and definitely stand the test of time.
My highest viewing recommendation.
Sinbad clip: statue of Kali fight
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROssbvtE41U
The Wizard of Oz clip: flying monkeys
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SESI19h4wDo
King Kong clip: Fay Wray and Kong get acquainted
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZk0eYOI4tg
Metropolis clip: transformation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcReykfvqi4
The Thief of Bagdad clip: trailer
I overhead my teenage son telling his friends the best SciFi movie ever made was the 1953 War of the Worlds! 🙂
He’s grown up watching the Harryhausen and Bert I. Gordon movies with me. I love the older movies and, being a (ahem) responsible parent, I wanted to ensure what I was watching was appropriate for his age. So it was a lot of black and white films, mainly monster movies. The first time he saw It Came From Beneath the Sea, he was so excited he couldn’t sit still, but instead he and his sister ran around in circles while watching the movie. LOL. Good times.
That 1953 War of the Worlds is fantastic. Tell him that I have a War of the Worlds retelling in ‘For the Love of Temperance’.
That is a great reaction by the kids to the giant octopus!
Thanks for stopping by Elizabeth!
Happy Trails!
Great recs 🙂 I don’t know much about movies, I am still traumatized by my cinema course at uni, haha!
Yay! Hi Meggy, thanks for stopping by!
I know you are keen on reading. I did not know that you were traumatized by movies while at university! Oh my Goodness, you poor thing.
Happy Reading to you and Happy Trails to your little dog.
By the way, check out my pallet article if you want to see a pic of my two little guys.
Your pal,
~Ichabod 🙂
Well, at least you know this (that you are not a reviewer) about yourself. Better now than never, right?
With this change in focus, do you think you’ll be posting any more often? Or should I continue to just peek in every once in a while?
Oh sure, just take a peek now and then. You never know! 😉
I need to make time to properly watch The Thief of Bagdad and fully understand the praise it’s getting from the Great Icky. I do understand how you feel about CGI-heavy movies but man… I think the future is going to be very focused on that as we try to make CGI look more-and-more real! 😀 Great recs, sir!
Hi Lashaan!
I know, CGI is the way things are, and will be, but I maintain the right to be nostalgic.
Thanks for stopping by and Happy Trails, buddy!