Ten of your favourite fantasy films

Similar to the ten sci-fi films topic, and when I say fantasy, it can cross into other genres, and you may question some of my choices.

The Bothersome Man
Brazil
The City of Lost Children
The Holy Mountain
Donnie Darko
The Dark Crystal
Pan's Labyrinth
Excalibur
Holy Motors
Delicatessan (more post-apocalyptic black comedy, but....)

Would have liked to include some Studio Ghibli, especially Princess Mononoke, but will give it a nod here. Didn't give my list much thought, to be honest. Also thought about including Videodrome, but not sure it fits enough. Mulholland Drive also crossed my mind.   Big nod to Being John Malcovitch, which I could have included.

And I just noticed the Bothersome Man at the top. That's some serious dystopian stuff. Did you interpret it as a metaphor for city life in general  (an interpretation I have seen from several Oslo residents) or an actual manifestation of purgatory as punishment for the act of suicide?

I would call "The Holy Mountain" surrealistic but not fantasy. One of my favourite movies though. And "Brazil" is SF.

I don't know what to call "Pan's Labyrinth". There are certainly elements of fantasy in it, but as a whole I think it does not quite fit that description. Great movie though.

I am generally not a big fan of the genre, though there are exceptions, and don't think I can come up with 10.

1) The Princess Bride
2) Time Bandits
3) The Wizard of Oz
4) Labyrinth


Edited by BaldFriede - January 19 2017 at 20:42

BaldFriede wrote: I would call "The Holy Mountain" surrealistic but not fantasy. One of my favourite movies though. And "Brazil" is SF. I don't know what to call "Pan's Labyrinth". There are certainly elements of fantasy in it, but as a whole I think it does not quite fit that description. Great movie though. I am generally not a big fan of the genre, though there are exceptions, and don't think I can come up with 10. 1) The Princess Bride 2) Time Bandits 3) The Wizard of Oz 4) Labyrinth

^^ My choice go beyond fantasy genre into fantasy elements (all fiction is fantasy in a sense).

You're right about Brazil, I call it dystopian speculative fiction. I sort of cheated by including it for Sam's fantasy (his dream), which doesn't make it fantasy genre, but does give it sort of fantasy element.. Similarly Pan's Labyrinth I don't actually consider to be fantasy genre since the fantasy elements are in her imagination. I'd be comfortable calling Holy Mountain a surreal fantasy film.   I'm not that hung up on labels.

Fantasy genre, like sci-fi and much horror tends to deal with the fantastic, but in fantasy there is a magical or supernatural element to it (or same diff), whereas in science fiction it should be grounded in actual science. Or to put it another way, there is real and knowable universe in sci-fi.

Science is about understanding the real world, fantasy is about creating imaginary worlds and peoples (flights of fancy), and the science fiction genre is concerned with imagining, or postulating, generally future or futuristic scientific advances/technology, as well as hypothesizing potential social and environmental changes etc. Or it can be just about having spaceships, aliens, and ray-guns.... The scientific method utilizes observation and testing to better know the universe.... Experimentation in fiction and scientific experimentation differ. Science and fiction and science and fantasy by definition are at odds with each-other. Science is about trying to know the true universe, whereas fiction/fantasy is involved with making stuff up.

Fantasy, as genre, is often based on myths (superstitions etc,). There's often an element of mysticism, and irrationalism. Science tries to demystify what is a rational universe. Fantasy is magical, science is down to earth, and science fiction, while often scientifically informed, still, generally, has its head in the clouds, but usually there is a rational explanation for what happens. An awful lot of sci-fi might well be termed Science Fantasy... For instance, in so called fantasy genre works you have monsters, and so called sci-fi genre works many of the aliens are also monsters. Also, as the the technology may be about as effable as magic wands or rings, it may as well be of supernatural origins. Like fiction writer and scientist Clarke stated, "any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."

List 1 in no order...

The Princess Bride
The Wizard of Oz
Labyrinth
Clash of the Titans (1981)
Ghostbusters
The Neverending Story
Beetlejuice
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
Brazil