#Headline Creation Challenge##Movie##Fantasy##Horror Movie#From the sword and witchcraft craze of the 80s to Peter Jackson's beloved Lord of the Rings trilogy, fantasy-themed films have been explored from dozens of angles. While this genre of film is often associated with whimsical feelings, many fantasy films aim to examine the dark side of imaginary worlds.
From nostalgic nightmares to modern fantasy classics, the following films are examples of the perfect blend of horror and adventure to create a completely unique experience. The article only represents personal views, only expounds approximately, comments and exchanges are welcome! Popcorn movie original, reprint please retain the copyright!
"Gretel and Hansell" (2020)
When their mother is driven by an unknown evil, sister Grett (Sophia Lilith) escapes their home with her brother Hansel (Samuel Richie), and they finally enter the house of the witch Holda (Alice Krieger) in the Black Forest. The woman seemed hospitable at first, but it wasn't long before the children began to suspect that she had more evil intentions.
This imperfect but underrated fantasy horror film was released in January 2020, and the point is that it was a shame that it was a step above most films of that year. It's an eerie and disturbing interpretation of Grimm's fairy tales, with every frame featuring shadows of lead-yellow movies and '80s horror fantasies. This PG-13 rated film doesn't feel like a watered-down R-rated movie either, more like an old-fashioned avant-garde children's movie, injecting an infectious sense of nostalgia into the whole process of suffering.
The Dark Crystal (1982)
The story takes place on a fictional planet, the male protagonist Jayne (Jim Henson) is one of the members of the Geverin clan, he begins a journey to find the fragment of the sacred magic crystal, which is said to have provided balance for the universe and was destroyed a thousand years ago, unfortunately, the rest of the crystal is possessed by the evil Schith family, a vulture-like race that intends to use the power of the crystal to gain complete control of the universe, and the only one who can stop the evil power of the Schith clan is Jayne.
Anyone who grew up in the '80s or early '90s was likely to suffer a nightmare curse from this imaginative cult movie. Puppet master Jim Henson puts his love of world building outside of lighter puppetry, leaving every dark corner of the planet full of danger and wonder.
Labyrinth of Pan (2006)
In Spain in 1944, 12-year-old Ophelia (Ivana Bakirlo) travels to their new home with her pregnant mother (Ariadna Hill) and the violent fascist officer stepfather Vader (Sergi Lopez). One night, wandering through the woods, she meets Pan Shen (Doug Jones), the guardian of a labyrinth, who tells Ophelia that she is the princess who disappeared in the fantasy kingdom many years ago, and if she completes three tests, she can restore her identity and return to the fantasy kingdom.
The modern master of dark fantasy, Guillermo del Toro, brings this unforgettable allegory to life with his creative biological concept and unique vision. One of the scenes, in particular, involves a grotesque child-eating monster known as "Pale White," which many consider to be the pinnacle of horror in modern fantasy stories and unlikely to be surpassed anytime soon.
Return to Oz (1985)
Dorothy (Ferruza Bowker) is sent to a mental hospital because she claims to have gone to another world, where Dorothy meets a strange girl, with the help of the girl, Dorothy successfully escapes from the hospital and returns to Oz by mistake, but this time she discovers that a new evil now threatens the land.
This bizarre, belated, unofficial sequel to 1939's The Wizard of Oz is more faithful to the work of Lyman Frank Baum than The Wizard of Oz, especially in terms of dark atmosphere and more adult themes. From a masked maniac with wheels as an appendage, to a witch with an interchangeable head, Return to Oz is full of scary scenes that create a unique curiosity about fantasy movies.
The Mystery of Rat (1982)
A child of mother rat Brisby (voiced by Elizabeth Hartman) is seriously ill, she must find a way to heal her child, on the way she meets a kind crow, and is almost eaten by a bad cat, and finally after some adventure, she succeeds in bringing the medicine home, but she finds herself involved in a power struggle.
On paper, Rat Tan Mystery is an unusual family-animated film that is stunning and unique, with predators that mother rats meet on her journey very well designed and move with a feral intensity. This underrated classic is considered one of Disney's most ambitious and influential animated productions yet to be released.
King Solomon Kane (2009)
In early 17th-century Britain, an era full of war and witchcraft, the hired swordsman Solomon Kane gained a new outlook on life amid endless greed and killing, and he vowed not to kill again. However, the forces of evil have always existed, and he has to be summoned again to wield his sword and save the world.
If anyone is disappointed with 2004's Van Helsing but longs to see a similar movie, check out the hit blockbuster King Solomon's Kane. The film fully exploited every bit of potential from a limited budget, creating a huge and eerie world full of ingenious creatures and plenty of horror plots.
Sleepy Hollow (1999)
"Sleepy Hollow" is adapted from the classic short story by Washington Irving, telling the story of police officer Ikab Crane (Johnny Depp) who travels to the small town of Sleepy Hollow to investigate a series of beheadings.
Tim Burton complements the gothic mystery of Sleepy Hollow, bringing his penchant for horror atmosphere and storybook whimsy to the big screen. As one of his few restricted films, this film allows us to see the most comfortable gothic aesthetic of his directing career, with a Hollywood climax and the mysterious slaughter that a gothic story should have.
Spirited Away (2001)
10-year-old Chihiro moved from the city to the countryside with her parents, but did not expect that an accident occurred to the family on their way to move. The family of three inexplicably enters a strange world controlled by the Sorceress, the owner of the soup house, in which all those who do not actively work are turned into animals. Chihiro's parents turned into pigs because they were gluttonous when they first entered, and Chihiro went through a series of adventures to save his parents.
Animation master Hayao Miyazaki created what many consider to be his magnum opus with the bizarre and beautiful world of Spirited Away. The most interesting creation in the film is the "Faceless Man", a mysterious and sensitive creature that, on different occasions, represents pure horror and cuteness. Through the character of "Faceless Man", which has no lines, it embodies the complex binary opposition in Miyazaki's fantasy vision.
The Witch (1990)
Nine-year-old boy Luke (Jason Fisher) lives in a hotel in England with his grandmother and stumbles upon a secret witch gathering. He soon learns that they plan to use magic potions to turn children all over England into rats, and that the boy, although turned into a mouse by a witch, tries to stop the witches' evil schemes.
A nightmarish remnant of '80s children's films, The Witch uses practical makeup and photography to create an unsettling atmosphere from start to finish. Angelica Houston's high-ranking witch is a terrifying existence in her own right, and the unforgettable scene of her peeling off her face is believed to be a shadow for most viewers.
"Ghost Mother" (2009)
After moving to a new home, the shabby and lifeless environment makes the little girl Caroline (voiced by Dakota Fanning) bored, so she likes exciting adventures and begins to explore the house, Caroline discovers a secret passage, on the other side of which is a world exactly the same as reality, but different. Mothers in this world are amiable and obedient to themselves. But later, she discovers that the "ghost mother" is ready to change her buttoned eyes and leave herself in this "wonderful" world forever. Caroline discovers that disaster is imminent, and she must find a way to escape the clutches of the "ghost mother".
Through Laika Studios' gorgeous stop-motion animation, "Ghost Mother" is reminiscent of '90s stop-motion movies such as "James and the Peach" and "Christmas Eve Horror." Similar to those films, it has a constant dark undercurrent beneath the surface, with small touchpoints like black buttonholes and large brushstrokes like the final demonic form of "Another Mother" leading to the climax of the film.