# Let me know about some lesser known fantasy movies! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 3, 2013, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-know-about-some-lesser-known-fantasy-movies/649207 "2013-02-03T11:05:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2013, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-know-about-some-lesser-known-fantasy-movies/649207/1 "2013-02-03T11:05:34Z")
Yes I’m back with hopefully another long and exciting thread full of movies to watch. The Company Of Wolves- Really cool and kinda strange little fairytale like film, features different stories in different time periods and has werewolves. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2013, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-know-about-some-lesser-known-fantasy-movies/649207/2 "2013-02-03T11:26:02Z")
_The Adventures of Baron Munchausen_ (1989, U.K./West Germany, dir. Terry Gilliam) _Carrie_ (1976, U.S., dir. Brian De Palma) _Excalibur_ (1981, U.K., dir. John Boorman) ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2013, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-know-about-some-lesser-known-fantasy-movies/649207/3 "2013-02-03T12:09:52Z")
_The Borrowers_ _Dragonslayer_ _City of Ember_ ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2013, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-know-about-some-lesser-known-fantasy-movies/649207/4 "2013-02-03T12:45:46Z")
Not really “lesser known,” but we’ve been watching Ray Harryhausen movies from the 50s and 60s, such as THE SEVENTH VOYAGE OF SINBAD and JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS, and the claymation/animatronics are a delight. Plots and acting are rather dull, but Bernard Hermann music is fantastic. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2013, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-know-about-some-lesser-known-fantasy-movies/649207/5 "2013-02-03T15:10:24Z")
Stardust. I haven’t seen it in ages but as a kid I always loved the Sword and the Sorcerer. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2013, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-know-about-some-lesser-known-fantasy-movies/649207/6 "2013-02-03T15:32:12Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > _The Adventures of Baron Munchausen_ (1989, U.K./West Germany, dir. Terry Gilliam) > _Carrie_ (1976, U.S., dir. Brian De Palma) > _Excalibur_ (1981, U.K., dir. John Boorman) Pretty big stretch to say Carrie is a “lesser known” movie. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2013, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-know-about-some-lesser-known-fantasy-movies/649207/7 "2013-02-03T16:36:16Z")
I’ve recommended this before: _[7 Faces of Dr Lao](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057812/?ref_=sr_1)_. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2013, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-know-about-some-lesser-known-fantasy-movies/649207/8 "2013-02-03T16:45:56Z")
Unfortunately, that’s the problem with any thread that asks for lesser known examples of anything. There’s no clear way of saying if something is lesser known. ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2013, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-know-about-some-lesser-known-fantasy-movies/649207/9 "2013-02-03T17:39:58Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > Unfortunately, that’s the problem with any thread that asks for lesser known examples of anything. There’s no clear way of saying if something is lesser known. I’m the OP and I’m open to pretty much anything being posted as long as it isn’t a blockbuster movie in theaters now or something like Princess Bride that is well known. Anything else goes, and the primary point of the thread is to find overlooked movies. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2013, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-know-about-some-lesser-known-fantasy-movies/649207/10 "2013-02-03T18:07:17Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I’ve recommended this before: _[7 Faces of Dr Lao](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057812/?ref_=sr_1)_. It occurred to me to pair that with its evil twin- Something Wicked This Way Comes. My parents took me to see Dr Lao at the Drive-In when I was a child. Adored it! And of course, ya gotta love the sensitive portrayal of an Asian character by an Anglo actor! (Tho it WAS Tony Randall who did add genuine pathos to his portrayal.) ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2013, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-know-about-some-lesser-known-fantasy-movies/649207/11 "2013-02-03T20:23:44Z")
_[Ink](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ink_(film))_ - an indie film from a few years ago. Weird, but cool. _Reign of Fire_ - I think this is better than it’s given credit for, though McConaughey’s over-the-top acting does bring it down a bit. Christian Bale and Isabella Scorupco are good, though. It’s the second best movie about dragons. (_Dragonslayer_ is #1) _[Erik the Viking](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erik_the_viking)_ - written and directed by Terry Jones (Monty Python) and starring a young Tim Robbins. Silly and funny. ---
**Author:** ![lisiate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@lisiate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisiate)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2013, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-know-about-some-lesser-known-fantasy-movies/649207/12 "2013-02-03T20:29:03Z")
_Stardust_ was great, and should have been huge. Maybe it will become this generation’s _Princess Bride._ Well worth checking it out. On the other hand _[Your Highness](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Your_Highness)_ was an epic fail and is deservedly slinking into oblivion. Not even Natalie Portman in a furkini could save it. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2013, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-know-about-some-lesser-known-fantasy-movies/649207/13 "2013-02-03T20:43:36Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > Unfortunately, that’s the problem with any thread that asks for lesser known examples of anything. There’s no clear way of saying if something is lesser known. Eh, I don’t think there’s a problem with people just using their own criteria. But if your criteria is silly, the rest of us can make fun of you. Carrie is one of the most well known horror movies of all time. Its spoofed in pop-culture pretty regularly, and even people who haven’t seen it are probably aware of it and most could probably give an accurate summary of the premise. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2013, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-know-about-some-lesser-known-fantasy-movies/649207/14 "2013-02-03T21:06:55Z")
Near Dark, possibly the best vampire movie of all time, mostly because nobody ever actually says the word “vampire.” “We’re… different.” ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2013, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-know-about-some-lesser-known-fantasy-movies/649207/15 "2013-02-03T21:11:40Z")
I think that making fun of other posters is a bad idea, and outside of the Pit it’s not allowed, I believe. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2013, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-know-about-some-lesser-known-fantasy-movies/649207/16 "2013-02-03T21:44:20Z")
[Ofelas](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093668/?ref_=fn_tt_tt_2) (US title: Pathfinder) Norwegian movie based on Lapp mythology. [Hrafninn flýgur](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087432/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2) (aka _When the Raven Flies_) (US title _Revenge of the Barbarians_ ) Basically _Yojimbo_ or _Fist Full of Dollars_, but with Vikings. Filmed in Iceland. [Ulysses](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047630/) Kirk Douglas in Homer’s Odyssey [The Vikings](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052365/) Kirk Douglas and Tony Curtiss [The Odyssey](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118414/?ref_=sr_2) Armand Assante in Homer’s Odyssey. Not as bad as one would expect from a TV movie. [King Richard and the Crusaders](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047150/?ref_=fn_tt_tt_2), based on Sir Walter Scott’s story _The Talisman_ [The Long Ships](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057259/?ref_=sr_1) Richard Widmark as a Viking cheiftan versus Sidney Poitier as a Moorish sultan. There have been several film versions of H. Rider Haggard’s novel _She_. The 1935 version, starring Helen Gahagan, is good. The 1982 version, starring Sandahl Bergman, is not. I have not seen the 1965 version, starring Ursula Andress. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2013, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-know-about-some-lesser-known-fantasy-movies/649207/17 "2013-02-03T21:55:19Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > I think that making fun of other posters is a bad idea, and outside of the Pit it’s not allowed, I believe. Correct. Make fun of their criteria instead. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2013, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-know-about-some-lesser-known-fantasy-movies/649207/18 "2013-02-03T22:08:18Z")
\*[Ladyhawke](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089457/) \*is a pretty good fantasy/romance that is marred by a hilariously inappropriate soundtrack. (All that synthesizer music may have seemed like a good idea in 1985, but it really has not aged well.) It stars Michelle Pfeiffer and Rutger Hauer as lovers who are separated by a curse and Matthew Broderick as a young thief who agrees to help them break the spell. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2013, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-know-about-some-lesser-known-fantasy-movies/649207/19 "2013-02-03T23:50:44Z")
_Inkheart_ is… acceptable. I thought it lacked a lot of plot, so bought the book to see what I’d missed. Unfortunately the book is horrifyingly dull and had the same plot problems. It has Helen Mirren and Jim Broadbent in it, to make up for the irritating Brendan Fraser. _The Spiderwick Chronicles_ is also based on a book, but it’s really good, if you can put up with a British actor’s dodgy American accent. It’s got David Strathairn in it. My favourite fantasy films are: _Willow, Krull, Legend, The Neverending Story, Labyrinth_, and _The Dark Crystal_. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-know-about-some-lesser-known-fantasy-movies/649207/20 "2013-02-04T00:27:56Z")
Cocteau’s [La Belle et La Bete](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beauty_and_the_Beast_(1946_film)) is still the best adaptation of a fairy tale ever, though people only think of the Disney version. [Black Moon](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Moon_(1975_film)) by Louis Malle. It’s more a poem than a movie and is indescribable, but clearly is fantasy (with the best unicorn in film). **[Son of Dracula](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Son_of_Dracula_(1974_film))**, with Harry Nilsson in the title role, and Ringo Star as his assistant. The portrayal was a real departure for the time, though it’s now standard. **[Defending Your Life](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defending_Your_Life)**. Charming Albert Brooks film about the afterlife. If TV productions are allowed, I’d also add **[Steambath](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0167415/)**, on a similar theme. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-know-about-some-lesser-known-fantasy-movies/649207.md?page=2)