#labyrinth review

I often struggle to review films that have been in the cultural landscape for decades, but for my friend Julie - one of my earliest and most enthusiastic Patrons - I'm giving it the old college try. What hot take could I possibly have on a movie most people my age have burned into their subconscious as a root to their sexuality and/or their introduction to the world of doms and subs (and no, I’m not talking champagne or sandwiches here)? The benefit I have is the gift of time and distance - it has been at least 7 or 8 years since I’ve seen Labyrinth, and it’s been more like 15 since I’ve seen it stone cold sober. We all know the story - a young teen girl named Sarah (Jennifer Connelly) wishes the Goblin King (David Bowie) would take away her toddler brother because he’s being annoying AF by crying during a thunderstorm and the Goblin King shows up and is like “I got this” and Sarah’s like “JK JK NEVERMIND” and the Goblin King is like “Too late, finders keepers, if you want him back you gotta make it through this huge labyrinth.” Pretty standard stuff. And it’s a Jim Henson project starring David Bowie that was made in the 80s, so the threshold for...let’s say eccentricity? is pretty damn high already. So - is it really that weird, or is that my adult mind projecting things on a kid’s movie that aren’t really there? Well...

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

★★★★

Pages: 288

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Genre: Classics

Review:

So I am actually linking y'all to the full edition that has parts one and two. I got bamboozled and had to buy two books because the Little Women story that we all see in the movies is actually two of Alcott's books, Little Women and Good Wives. Little Women Covers the childhood of all the girls until when their father comes home from the Civil War. Good Wives covers the adulthood of the four sisters (Jo, Beth, Amy, and Meg) and their relationships, hopes, and dreams. Little Women is one of the few classics that I read and loved as a child so I was eager to reread them, not realizing that I had read the complete edition back in middle school, hence the confusion and why I have different reviews for Little Women and Good Wives.

This is hands down my favorite movie from my childhood and I think I still love it now just as much as I loved it then. The soundtrack is fabulous (Within You and As the World Falls Down are great Bowie songs) and so are the actors. Sometimes Sarah (Jennifer Connelly) seems a little cheesy with how she says her lines but it works. Jareth (David Bowie) can be a little silly at times too but it fits the movie. Sometimes I get this feeling like I NEED to watch a cheesy 80s adventure movie with goofy music and Labyrinth always hits the spot.

Silliness aside, Sarah is a great heroine who fails at times but her friends help her overcome her obstacles. It’s a lot more realistic and heartwarming then present day action movies where heroes keep soldiering on and on despite the odds. Sometimes you need friends to help you get through the tough stuff. And the whole scene where Sarah is dancing with Jareth in a dreamlike trance is the best. I wish I could replace some of the goblin city fight with more of Jareth dancing or singing. I think it can be enjoyed by people of any age and that the dark themes won’t really be picked up by children. For example, it wasn’t until I watched it recently that I realized those other goblins are other girls’ little brothers Jareth has successfully kidnapped. Damn.