Non-Tolkien Fantasy Films

I've seen a lot of the films mentioned. I'm surprised no one seems to think much of the Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus... I guess that doesn't have too much appeal for others... I thought it was fucking brilliant. I might even think of Tideland as fantasy if it wasn't so locked into being a horror film... and a goddamn terrifying one at that.

I have seen Spirited Away though... which I loved and what's odd about me loving that film is that I hate japanamation (is that a racist phrase yet?) normally.

Pan's Labyrinth... along with Gilliams latest offerings, is definitely a recent favourite. I love Del Toro's earlier films even more though.. Cronos especially.

I loved Crouching Tiger when it came out but I feel like it hasn't aged that well. Now I'd rather just watch Drunken Master 2 again... that has to be the pinnacle of Chinese action films for me.. it's borderline fantastical.. but no where near the same level as Crouching Tiger obviously... which kind of redefined the genre I guess. Maybe I should watch that one again.

Dark City is one I've had recommended a ton of times and still haven't seen. Out of the modern recommendations (anything post 1980 I'm calling modern) that's going to be first on my list to see. Thanks guys.

Return to Oz is a trip.

Has anyone seen the clip where Del Toro gives a tour of his...Ah crap, I can't remember what he called, basically his Man-Cave. Amazing place. It's where he and his writers go for inspiration and his whole goal was to just pack it with all sorts of stuff to spur the imagination. Back in Oct I watched The Devil's Backbone (more horror than fantasy though) which is supposed to be a sister film to Pan's Labyrinth. I love every movie I've seen of his.

I've always wanted to see the Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus...It's on my list of movies to see but never remember when it comes time to pick a movie.

Has anyone seen The Lovely Bones? I thought it was pretty good and pretty fantastical albeit with a darker theme. Not great, but overlooked and a bit underrated I thought.

EDIT: The Devil's Backbone is a sister movie, not supposed to be.

So many great offerings here! Dragonslayer and Conan are among my favorites.

Like Jeb, I also recommend The Fall, if you haven't seen it. Amazing visuals, and all practical effects.

Another one with some stunning imagery (but kind of a lousy film, unfortunately) is What Dreams May Come with Robin Williams.

If Crouching Tiger is getting mentioned in this thread, what about Kung Fu Hustle? You've got the Beast, the Harp players, etc. Not enough fantasy to qualify?

Also, Jack the Giant Slayer?

I loved Kung Fu Hustle and I think I loved Shaolin Soccer even more. Actually now that it's being mentioned I think I like Iron Monkey as much as any of them and certainly more than Crouching Tiger. It's a damned masterpiece.

I watched the shit out of Excalibur, back when it came out. Even now, if it's on and I can distract the missus, I'll watch it.

The Ahnuld Conan movies are both pretty good. I think, 'the Barbarian' is better than 'the Destroyer'.

I watched Dragonslayer in HD last night. Fan-fucking-tastic!

A few you may be unaware of:

After Life Japanese film about what happens after you die. Maybe the only fantasy/documentary ever made. Not an adventure type fantasy (it's modern day Japan set in a disused school) but a wonderful film.

ReCycle Thai film from the Pang Brothers about a woman who enters a world where everything forgotten or abandoned winds up. Some stunning imagery but there's a very unpleasant subtext at work.

Three Crowns of a Sailor From the Chilean director Raul Ruiz. Weird adventures of a sailor based around various sea myths.

Zu: Warriors of the Magic Mountain THIS was the film John Carpenter based Big Trouble in Little China on - A Chinese Ghost Story was made three years after Big Trouble. Sammo Hung! Yuen Biao! And special effects by ILM! There was a CGI'd up the wazoo remake but I understand it's inferior to the original.

Krabat - German film based on a fairy story. Good kids film.

Ruslin and Ludmilla - Russian fairy tale film. Saw it as a child and it stayed with me. Desperate to see it again (it's probably on Youtube.)

The scene in Kung Fu Hustle where the fat guy is trying to whistle to calm the cobra and gets bit right in his fat lips... I could watch that scene a thousand times and still laugh

JonJacob wrote: I loved Kung Fu Hustle and I think I loved Shaolin Soccer even more. Actually now that it's being mentioned I think I like Iron Monkey as much as any of them and certainly more than Crouching Tiger. It's a damned masterpiece.

Stephen Chow's latest film has finally made its way to North America.

www.amazon.com/Journey-West-Blu-ray-Zhan...eywords=stephen+chow

Might be worth checking out.

trif wrote: Zu: Warriors of the Magic Mountain THIS was the film John Carpenter based Big Trouble in Little China on - A Chinese Ghost Story was made three years after Big Trouble. Sammo Hung! Yuen Biao! And special effects by ILM! There was a CGI'd up the wazoo remake but I understand it's inferior to the original.

I used to own a cheap bootleg copy of this one, but I only got to see it once before my apartment was burglarized. The only thing I remember liking about Zu was the way the spellcasters would shout out the name of the spells they were casting.

Shellhead wrote:

trif wrote: Zu: Warriors of the Magic Mountain THIS was the film John Carpenter based Big Trouble in Little China on - A Chinese Ghost Story was made three years after Big Trouble. Sammo Hung! Yuen Biao! And special effects by ILM! There was a CGI'd up the wazoo remake but I understand it's inferior to the original.

I used to own a cheap bootleg copy of this one, but I only got to see it once before my apartment was burglarized. The only thing I remember liking about Zu was the way the spellcasters would shout out the name of the spells they were casting.

I hope Zu was all they stole -- I want to meet those burglars.

They stole most of my cheap bootleg HK movies, along with most of my other movies, a box of comics, both phones and caller ID units (this was 15 years ago), my bookshelf stereo, my boombox, my CD collection, a few ringbinders from my CCG collection, a leather jacket, a bastard sword, and my checkbook.

Fortunately, my criminal ex-girlfriend was involved, so I was able to recover the phones, the caller ID units, about 1/3 of my CDs, most of the CCG ringbinders, and most of the comics. I showed up at her place to confront her, and instead her helpful landlord got me in to ID my stuff, though he wouldn't let me take anything with me. The cops raided the place the next day and got back some of my stuff, and then one of her friends fenced me back some other stuff. My renters insurance reimbursed me for everything.

Sticking strictly to sword and sorcery fantasy I give you:

Beastmaster - haven't seen this in years so it might no hold up but as a kid I recall being thrilled at the thought of animal companions and terrified of the horde and the vampire bat looking dissolvers.

Willow - good soundtrack, Mad Martigan, and Joanne Whaley. 'nuff said.

Egg Shen wrote:

JonJacob wrote: I loved Kung Fu Hustle and I think I loved Shaolin Soccer even more. Actually now that it's being mentioned I think I like Iron Monkey as much as any of them and certainly more than Crouching Tiger. It's a damned masterpiece.

Stephen Chow's latest film has finally made its way to North America.

www.amazon.com/Journey-West-Blu-ray-Zhan...eywords=stephen+chow

Might be worth checking out.

I found it disappointing. Great sequence at the beginning and some good stuff sprinkled throughout (there's a very funny gag with a blood pump that just won't stop) but Chow isn't in it and it's all prologue (I think it's meant to be the first of three films.) Chow fans (who only know him through Kung Fu Hustle and Shaolin Soccer) should check it his earlier films - especially From Beijing with Love (his Bond parody) and Forbidden City Cop.