During the 1980s, there seemed to be an influx of dark fantasy movies such as “The Dark Crystal” and “The NeverEnding Story”. Does anyone know what prompted this trend or what films are usually considered the best of this lot?
shareDon't forget "Legend" and "Labyrinth."
I'm actually not certain what could have triggered that trend. The truth is, movie-goers are always up for a good fantasy, if it's there. But they aren't in the majority, so like sci-fi; fantasy films are smaller in number compared to actions or dramas. And the 80s had a very unique look for their fantasy stories. Like you said, many were darker than normal, somewhat gritty, and it wasn't unusual to see people with 1980s hairstyles, despite some of these stories taking place in a medieval or archaic setting, or even in another world. In some cases, it was excusable because you had the "current-day-person-meets-fantasy-world" scenario (a sub-genre I love, by the way).
it was the 1980s back then. Period.
share