Labyrinth

Labyrinth (1986)
Jim Henson

If you are a true child of the 80’s that likes to embrace all that is .. well ... 80s you can’t go past a flick that combines the creator of The Muppets and David Bowie in tights.
Labyrinth follows the story of 15 year old Sarah (Jennifer Connelly) as she tries to retrieve her screaming baby brother from the King of the Goblins, Jareth (David Bowie) who is at the centre of a Labyrinth which was set as a trap.

Within the Labyrinth Sarah acts a total ditz while running into some interesting characters, all of which are puppets created by the genius Henson, as well as some sticky situations (or stinky if you are talking about the Bog of Eternal Stench) that are the typical “throw in a few moral dilemma stories” about family and friendship. But aside from that namby pamby there are some great scenes that truly bend the mind, such as the Escher-inspired castle and the masquerade ball on acid. And this is all before one even begins to talk about all that is Bowie.

This movie is really about Bowie. He appears throughout the entire film covered in glitter, hair FULL of product and his package bulging out of his super tight tights, rolling a crystal ball around in his hand. Fair to say this is how most of us imagine Bowie hangs around home in his spare time anyway. Bowie wrote and performed all the music that appears in the film specifically for the film, so prepare for some really awkward moments when it is just him on screen singing a song and playing with his crystal balls. Especially the one where there is a fleeting moment of sexual tension/desire between his character (assuming his age would be mid 30s) and Sarah, who we have established is 15 ... Jail bait.

This movie defines my childhood so I am pretty keen on it, but if you haven’t seen it and are in for a bit of a laugh and the possibility of completely loving it, please do.
9/10

Alicia Grinch

Highlander

Highlander, 1986

The good name of Highlander has been tarnished by a series of underwhelming follow-ups but the original remains a downright classic.

Frenchie Christopher Lambert (Mortal Kombat) plays immortal Scotsman Connor MacLeod - over 400 years old but still up for a fight.

Mentored by the Egyptian born Ramirez (Sean Connery, Goldfinger) - MacLeod prepares for 'The Gathering' - the grand final for immortal warriors.

Standing in MacLeod's way is The Kurgan (Clancy Brown, The Shawshank Redemption) - whose 3000 years on earth have left him a little cynical and nasty. The Kurgan's people were originally so evil they would throw children into deep pits full of hungry dogs. This sort of form makes him an easy man to root against.

The idea of immortality (decapitation is the only way to finish off an immortal) has always fascinated me and it's well thrashed out here. The concept of 'The Quickening' is original and clever.

With a killer soundtrack by Queen and a wonderfully dreary snapshot of New York in the 1980's - Highlander is rewarding viewing.

I encourage you to watch the whole franchise of movies (plus the TV spin-off) but after all - 'there can be only one'.

Dark, ominous and intriguing - Highlander is a worthy addition to your video collection.

9/10

Nutbuckle