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Our recent movie nights have been dominated by a new release, a terrible film, and a few other terrible films. What we haven't had much of lately is the second F in SF&F....

So without further ado, we invite you to nominate your favourite FANTASY film. Good, bad, old, new — it doesn't matter. Just make sure it's a film that is generally considered fantasy! (Examples include Stardust, Pan's Labyrinth, and the Lord of the Rings films.)

The event will take place in the SFF chatroom Mos Eisley at

22:00 UTC on Tuesday the 30th of August.

For reference, that's 3 pm PST, 6 pm EST, and 11 pm UK time (GMT+1).

(What's a "Movie Night", you ask? Your question has been wonderfully answered here.)

To nominate a film, simply post an answer to this question with at least the title and year of the film (and also the version, if applicable). If you believe there are compelling reasons to watch it, do include them! It also helps everyone to indicate the (legal) avenues for obtaining it, e.g. DVD, Blu-Ray, iTunes, Netflix.

Voting closes at 22:00 UTC on Friday the 26th of August. The film with the highest net score (upvotes minus downvotes) wins.

If the film that you voted for wins, please make every effort to attend (or else your account will be closed and your rep will be donated to charity).

UPDATE: Princess Bride (1987) has received the highest number of votes! Join us as we watch it together in Mos Eisley at 22:00 UTC on Tuesday the 30th of August!

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  • Heh, I missed that you'd actually mentioned Stardust in the question. Talk about rigging the vote :-P
    – Rand al'Thor Mod
    Commented Aug 20, 2016 at 13:49

11 Answers 11

Reset to default
16

The Princess Bride (1987)

poster

A much-quoted cult classic. Sweet and sometimes silly, it's essentially a love story but with plenty of well-done action too. Or to put it another way:

Fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, True Love, miracles....

It's really not too bad. Do try to stay awake. To miss this Movie Night would be absolutely inconceivable!

Availability

  • Physical media: DVD and Blu-Ray
  • Online purchase / rental: iTunes, Google Play, Amazon Video
  • Subscription streaming: Netflix (US and Canada confirmed, possibly other regions too), Amazon Prime (US and UK confirmed, possibly other regions), Hulu (US only)
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  • 8
    Hello. My name is Rando Althorra. You downvoted my answer. Prepare to die.
    – Rand al'Thor Mod
    Commented Aug 18, 2016 at 23:04
  • 1
    This is also currently available on Netflix streaming in the US.
    – Catija
    Commented Aug 18, 2016 at 23:14
  • Ooh, this is a perfect movie to watch with a group. Unfortunately, I can't make the movie night. :/
    – Martha
    Commented Aug 19, 2016 at 0:43
  • @Martha Is making the movie night totally inconceivable?
    – RobertF
    Commented Aug 19, 2016 at 19:51
  • I haven't seen this in ages, I barely remember it except, "Is this a kissing book?" Maybe I'll read it in the meantime.
    – Jolenealaska
    Commented Aug 19, 2016 at 20:56
  • I knew before I even read this post that The Princess Bride would be high up on the recs list. Mandy Patinkin has my heart, so I'll give this one an upvote. :) <Prepares to die>
    – Slytherincess
    Commented Aug 20, 2016 at 18:13
  • 1
    @RobertF I don't think that word means what you think it means
    – user31178
    Commented Aug 21, 2016 at 17:29
  • 3
    "Has it got any sports in it?"
    – Ber
    Commented Aug 23, 2016 at 8:24
  • Will we watch only the good bits?
    – b_jonas
    Commented Aug 23, 2016 at 21:09
  • The movie was awful because they failed to film the scene covered by Florinese trees description :(
    – DVK-on-Ahch-To
    Commented Aug 24, 2016 at 0:15
  • 1
    "Here is what you are not reading: sixty-five pages on Florinese trees, their history and importance. (Morgenstern had already started, if you noticed—-just when he realizes he's got them, Prince Humperdinck does an entire dumb paragraph about trees.) Even his Florinese publishers begged him to cut it. So I don't care what grief those Morgenstern whizzes at Columbia give me, if ever anything needed getting rid of, it was this."
    – DVK-on-Ahch-To
    Commented Aug 24, 2016 at 0:20
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    "Fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles..." Doesn't sound too bad. I'll try to stay awake.
    – Ber
    Commented Aug 24, 2016 at 8:08
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    This one is almost certainly going to win, so when you have a chance, it might be good if you can indicate in the post which (legal) streaming services have it.... :-D
    – Praxis
    Commented Aug 26, 2016 at 0:32
  • @Praxis I added in the note about Netflix from Catija's comment. But (as you might imagine, knowing me ;-) ) I don't know much even about what streaming services there are, let alone which are legal and how to find out whether this film is available there, so I'm not really sure what else to put in.
    – Rand al'Thor Mod
    Commented Aug 26, 2016 at 0:46
  • @Randal'Thor : I've made a list. :-)
    – Praxis
    Commented Aug 26, 2016 at 23:28
5

Stardust (2007)

poster

One of the best films I've seen. It ticks ALL the boxes. Whatever you want, Stardust has it.

  • Romance: an emotional and convincing love story at the heart (pun intended!) of the plot
  • Action: plenty of swordfighting, daring escapes, and galloping horseback chases
  • Intrigue: power-hungry princes plotting to assassinate one another to gain the throne
  • Cast: Robert de Niro as a flying pirate with a fascinating character, Michelle Pfeiffer, Claire Danes, that inimitable villain of villains Mark Strong, Peter O'Toole and Ricky Gervais in minor roles
  • Soundtrack: fantastic
  • Dialogue: witty, moving, tons of quotes you'll want to remember

Suspense is kept up very well throughout, character development is a central theme, and the ending is even better than in the book (!)

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  • Note: I'm aware that this was the film of choice in another movie night a year ago. However, only three people showed up to watch it that time, two of whom no longer spend time in SE chat, and the third (myself) certainly won't mind watching it again!
    – Rand al'Thor Mod
    Commented Aug 18, 2016 at 22:59
  • This is currently available on Netflix in the US (not sure about other regions).
    – Catija
    Commented Aug 18, 2016 at 23:13
  • It is also available on Amazon Prime in Germany.
    – TARS
    Commented Aug 19, 2016 at 11:24
  • Too bad I missed that last time; I've never seen anything of this except a few snippets.
    – Ber
    Commented Aug 24, 2016 at 8:11
  • @Ber Go watch it. It's worth it :-)
    – Rand al'Thor Mod
    Commented Aug 24, 2016 at 10:54
1

In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale (2007)

I'm all about the terrible films, myself. I like films that are so bad that they become enjoyable. Mustering a respectable 4% on Rotten Tomatoes, this tale of good and evil involving Jason Statham, Ray Liotta, Ron Perlman, and Burt Reynolds is one such delight. And it's fantasy!

 

enter image description here

 

 

Available on DVD, Amazon Prime, and iTunes.

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  • 2
    I've never understood this "so bad it's good" thing. Good is good; bad is bad.
    – Rand al'Thor Mod
    Commented Aug 18, 2016 at 23:07
  • 3
    @Randal'Thor : There are definitely films that are just bad and that's all that can be said about them. But there are some that are so bad one questions how such levels of craptitude are even possible. When combined with a kind of earnestness, perhaps a strong belief that they were actually making something decent, these films become masterpieces, in their own weird way.
    – Praxis
    Commented Aug 18, 2016 at 23:15
  • @Randal'Thor - Fair is foul and foul is fair.
    – Adamant
    Commented Aug 19, 2016 at 0:09
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    @Randal'Thor you've never seen The Room by Tommy Wiseau I take it. I laughed my ass off at how bad that movie is. It's almost unbelievable that someone would put together a movie like that and decide "yep - this is what we're going with." And yet... I've seen it 5+ times
    – NoseKnowsAll
    Commented Aug 19, 2016 at 0:20
  • This film is noteworthy for its magnificent casting, particularly Ray Liotta as the dark wizard and Burt Reynolds as the king in whose name stuff is happening.
    – Torisuda
    Commented Aug 19, 2016 at 5:18
  • @Praxis Sure, but Mr. Boll's creations don't really count to that, they're simply just bad bad, except for Postal, which is genuinely good good.
    – TARS
    Commented Aug 19, 2016 at 11:20
  • Isn't this one where Statham was contractually obligated to perform, and pretty much hated it?
    – user31178
    Commented Aug 21, 2016 at 4:01
  • There are many excellent, terrible films out there. Princess Bride, and Big Trouble in Little China happen to be the only ones that come to mind. Yes. Sometimes it's good to be bad.
    – Major Stackings
    Commented Aug 24, 2016 at 14:31
  • @MajorStackings You seem to have a strange definition of "terrible".
    – TARS
    Commented Aug 24, 2016 at 15:34
  • @Cahir True. Sometimes I walk alone.
    – Major Stackings
    Commented Aug 24, 2016 at 15:45
1

Now for something completely different...

I do not see any animated films on here yet, so let us go with something old school...

fantasia

Fantasia (1940)

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  • But there's no dialogue to mock or quote (depending on the quality of the movie)!
    – Martha
    Commented Aug 19, 2016 at 21:03
  • I love this one!!
    – Rincewind
    Commented Aug 20, 2016 at 13:04
  • Ooo, good one. I'm voting for this one. If it is not chosen ... PREPARE TO DIE! Oh, wait, wrong movie ... sorry ... It's probably important to mention that Fantasia is quite long. But it is a wonderful film. And @Martha could mock the anthropomorphic, pastel-colored centaur creatures in the Pastoral Symphony part in lieu of bad dialogue :D
    – Slytherincess
    Commented Aug 20, 2016 at 16:32
  • @Slytherincess: except I love, love, love Beethoven's 6th Symphony so much that there ain't no amount of pastel-colored centaurs that could put a damper on my enjoyment of the music. (And Stokowski's interpretation is especially fine.)
    – Martha
    Commented Aug 20, 2016 at 22:37
  • Well, if you need something to mock, there's always the upside-down rainbow at the end.
    – JPmiaou
    Commented Aug 20, 2016 at 23:09
  • Surely the best mocking of Fantasia was the Italian spoof Allegro Non Troppo with the march of the Coke bottles to Ravel's Bolero.
    – Chenmunka
    Commented Aug 24, 2016 at 11:51
  • I remember, this movie was fun to watch :D
    – ABcDexter
    Commented Aug 26, 2016 at 9:41
0

What about The Sword in the Stone? One of (I think) The best movies from Disney at the time and to be honest my all time favorite version of the Arthur legend.

enter image description here

A poor boy named Arthur learns the power of love, kindness, knowledge and bravery with the help of a wizard called Merlin in the path to become one of the most beloved kings in England history.

-1

Dragonheart (1996)

enter image description here

A true 90s classic that I grew up with and that's still fun to watch. It's a great fantasy story about what it means to do the right thing, set in a classic medieval setting. It is a film noone who appreciates fun and engaging fantasy entertainment for the eyes, the mind, and the heart will get around. And did I mention that it has DRAGONS?!

It has ever likeable Dennis Quaid as the disillusioned but noble hero, various acclaimed actors of later Harry Potter fame, like David Thewlis or Jason Isaacs, as villains, and Sean Connery as the coolest dragon long before Benedict Cumberbatch came around.

I'm not really sure if I'll be around to the actual viewing event at all, but it's still a great suggestion anyway.

1
  • Available in Germany on Amazon Prime.
    – TARS
    Commented Aug 19, 2016 at 12:54
-1

The Fifth Element

enter image description here

Pros

Bruce Willas

Milla Jovovich

Gary Oldman

Chris Tucker

enter image description here

Cons

None best movie ever.

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  • 3
    is this Fantasy tho... or "Sci-Fi", I know the line is thin sometimes...
    – Skooba
    Commented Aug 19, 2016 at 12:26
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    @Skooba its typical fantasy, magic, knights, preists, the dark one, chris tucker
    – Himarm
    Commented Aug 19, 2016 at 12:26
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    Good point, Fantasy in a Sci-Fi setting! +1
    – Skooba
    Commented Aug 19, 2016 at 12:29
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    @Himarm It's typical sci-fi: 23rd century, spaceships, laboratories, bombs.
    – Rand al'Thor Mod
    Commented Aug 19, 2016 at 18:51
  • it has boats that travel through the waves of space, and canons on said boats. doesnt seem sci-fiy to mee
    – Himarm
    Commented Aug 19, 2016 at 19:00
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    Totally the best movie ever!!
    – Rincewind
    Commented Aug 20, 2016 at 13:05
-2

The Man Who Could Work Miracles

Nostalgia tripping. The first science fiction movie I ever saw, and the first (adult, live-action — i.e. not counting animated cartoons like Snow White) fantasy movie I ever saw, were H. G. Wells' Things to Come and H. G. Wells' The Man Who Could Work Miracles in a double feature. Read the story, see the movie.

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  • 2
    An excellent choice. Screenplay by H.G.Wells from what is arguably H.G.Wells' best book. You probably need to give more reasons here though.
    – Chenmunka
    Commented Aug 24, 2016 at 11:46
  • And for people who've seen Simon Pegg's execrable Absolutely Anything, watch this to see how it should be done.
    – Chenmunka
    Commented Aug 26, 2016 at 8:50
-3

Into the Woods (2014)

enter image description here

An adaptation of the musical of the same name. Full of wishes, witches, giants, bakers, princes, happy endings, and not-so-happy endings. Also lots of singing.

Pros:

  • Musical!
  • MERYL STREEP.
  • Meryl Streep with blue hair.
  • No need to watch Cinderella or Jack the Giant Slayer or Red-Riding Hood or Tangled.
  • Subversion of the usual fairy-tale tropes.
  • Johnny Depp as a very creepy Wolf.
  • No questions about it yet. You could be the first!

Cons:

  • Not as dark as original.
  • The actors who play Jack and Little Red Riding Hood.
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  • 1
    This actually quite a good film. :(
    – Adamant
    Commented Aug 19, 2016 at 2:38
  • It's ok, until the big song at the end espousing owning up to your own mistakes, then they do the exact opposite.
    – AncientSwordRage Mod
    Commented Aug 19, 2016 at 7:58
  • @AncientSwordRage - I though people liked Into the Woods, but it seems more hated than Twilight. Aw.
    – Adamant
    Commented Aug 19, 2016 at 7:58
  • The play was better, concerning the Wolf and Little Red Riding Hood. She was older and they had more of a flirting banter, and it didn't come off as WAY creepy.
    – Mike Browne
    Commented Aug 19, 2016 at 19:11
-3

Let's talk about nonsense...

hpatss

Harry Potter and Socerer's Stone (2001)

or as you fellows across the pond will call it... Harry Potter and Philosopher's Stone

Harry Potter is the top franchise tag on the site, and the films sometimes received harsh treatment from some users. Let's watch one and figure out what is exactly bugging people...

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  • Nobody calls it philopher's stone IIRC :D
    – Aegon
    Commented Aug 19, 2016 at 12:25
  • @Aegon Yes we do. In fact that's the more canonical name, since JKR is British ;-)
    – Rand al'Thor Mod
    Commented Aug 19, 2016 at 13:00
  • @Randal'Thor Do you really call it Philopher's Stone :P ???????
    – Aegon
    Commented Aug 19, 2016 at 13:01
  • @Aegon Oh, good point :-D Damn, it's not like me not to spot a typo - too many meta posts on the brain, I guess.
    – Rand al'Thor Mod
    Commented Aug 19, 2016 at 13:02
  • @Randal'Thor It is me posting... typos should be expected! Now corrected!
    – Skooba
    Commented Aug 19, 2016 at 13:04
  • 1
    We already saw a Harry Potter movie last fall -- Order of the Phoenix (thanks again to @Valorum for arranging that!). FWIW, I call it the Philosopher's Stone, because that truly is more true to JKR's personal canon. </minion>
    – Slytherincess
    Commented Aug 20, 2016 at 16:38
  • Nitwit. Blubber. And stuff.
    – DVK-on-Ahch-To
    Commented Aug 23, 2016 at 23:54
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    Nobody calls it Soceror's stone either.
    – Jasper
    Commented Aug 24, 2016 at 12:50
-3

The Hidden 1987

Agent Cooper on steroids. IMDB

Poster

An alien parasite on a crime spree pursued by a man in black. Definately worth watching with a group. Bring popcorn. You'll love this film.
PLUS: Concrete Blonde provides the soundtrack.

3
  • 2
    Is this actually fantasy?
    – Rogue Jedi
    Commented Aug 24, 2016 at 19:50
  • 1
    Well, it didn't really happen. ;)
    – Major Stackings
    Commented Aug 24, 2016 at 20:05
  • @MajorStackings Neither did The Bridges of Madison County, though.
    – TARS
    Commented Aug 29, 2016 at 11:15

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