Sarah: Is that the castle beyond the Goblin City?
Jareth: Turn back, Sarah. Turn back before it's too late.
Sarah: I can't. Don't you understand that I can't?
Jareth: What a pity.
I call this one the movie page for obvious reasons. Clever, aren't I?
Here you'll find a few different things. You'll find a section on the technical movie stuff. Cast/crew list, summary, that sort of thing. You'll find a section that covers my personal thoughts and feelings regarding the movie. And you'll also find a section where fans of this wonderful movie from all over the world have submitted their own thoughts or memories about it.
To skip to a particular section, feel free to use these links:
The Movie: Summary and credits.
My Thoughts: My own ponderings regarding the movie.
Fan Memories: What the fans think and remember.
Submit Yours: Send in your own memories.
Sarah (Jennifer Connelly) is your regular teenager. The way she sees it, the world should revolve around her, but when it doesn't, and things don't go her way, a crime is being committed and nothing is fair.
On what seems like a typical weekend, Sarah's parents have planned a night out, leaving Sarah to babysit her young brother, Toby (Toby Froud), but when Toby just won't stop crying, Sarah's finally had enough. Invoking an ancient Goblin curse, she calls on the Goblin King to come and rid her of her burden.
What she wasn't counting on was her request being fulfilled...
As soon as Jareth (David Bowie), the mighty Goblin King arrives, Sarah realises her mistake and begs him to let her have Toby back, but Jareth has other plans. Sarah can have her brother back only if she can complete his labyrinth in 13 hours, or Toby will become a Goblin.
Along her journey through the labyrinth, Sarah meets many strange creatures, some of which become friends and guides who help her to realise that you can't take anything for granted and the normal rules just don't apply here. She's now in a place...
... where everything seems possible and nothing is what it seems.
Created In: 1986
Director: Jim Henson
Writers: Dennis Lee, Jim Henson, Terry Jones, and Elaine May.
- David Bowie: Jareth, the Goblin King
- Jennifer Connelly: Sarah
- Toby Froud: Toby
- Shelley Thompson: Sarah's Stepmother
- Christopher Malcolm: Sarah's Father
- Natalie Finland: Fairy
- Shari Weiser: Hoggle
- Brian Henson: Hoggle/Goblin (voice)
- Ron Mueck: Ludo/Firey 2/Goblin (voice)
- Rob Mills: Ludo/Firey 3
- Dave Goelz: Didymus/The Hat/The Four Guards/Left Door Knocker/Firey 3 (voice)
- David Alan Barclay: Didymus/Firey 1
- David Shaughnessy: Didymus/The Hat/The Four Guards/Goblin (voice)
- Karen Prell: The Worm/The Junk Lady/Firey 2
- Timothy Bateson: The Worm/The Four Guards/Goblin (voice)
(Click here for more on IMDb.Com...)
Labyrinth. Labyrinth, Labyrinth, Labyrinth. What can truly be said about such a movie? For those of us who can look past the less than stellar special effects (come on, guys, it was made in '86! That's over 20 years ago now, so cut 'em some slack), there's a truly timesless quality to it.
Whether you were born into the decade or were lucky enough to be of an age to fully appreciate it, the 80's produced some absolute classics, with Labyrinth holding its own amongst them.
I think the most special thing about this movie is the ability it has to bring forth such nostalgia inside of us.
I was talking to a friend about it, and she, like most everyone else who's seen it could admit, has acute memories attached to this single piece of cinematic culture.
Because that's essentially what it's become now, hasn't it? It's a bit like belonging to a special club. One that, upon entry to the secret clubhouse (an oubliette even Jareth doesn't know about), you have to recite the secret password ("I wish the Goblins would come and take me away, right now.") and give the secret Helping Handshake to the clubhouse's guardians.
But oh, yeah, what was I saying? Right. Being a baby of the 80's, I sometimes feel almost as if Labyrinth is a rite of passage. Like I can't truly say I'm an 80's baby unless I've seen it (my brain has issues, okay?). And since I wasn't the only person born in the 80's, it almost seems like an entire subculture has developed around this one movie.
Having entered the second decade of my life, I tend to feel sad when I look at the later children of my generation who missed the boat in regard to classic films like this one (and others such as Ferris Bueller's Day Off or The Breakfast Club, just to name a few). And then I think of the next generation, the majority of who will never see this movie... it's tragic, really.
So a note to you children of the 80's: preserve the memory of this classic era. Feed your kids a steady diet of Labyrinths and Ferrises. Raise 'em right. ;)
Here are the fan-submitted testimonials! Anyone who has seen Labyrinth and come away loving it can pinpoint at least one thing that made it stand out for them, so I knew when I created this fanlisting that I would need to allow a space for those who wanted to share their thoughts and memories.
If you'd like to contribute, use the form at the end of the page! I'd love to include you! :)
"David Bowie, as Jareth, was my first celebrity crush. I was only about 5 when I saw the movie with a couple of my friends, but even then I realised the unbelievable hotness of a long haired man in make-up and disgustingly tight pants. Dear lord, I'm having palpitations again.
Who doesn't love the bad boy? ;) Hell, who doesn't love David Bowie, for that matter? (David in tiiight pants, here.)
Oh and the story is lovely as well. ;D Hooray for Sarah! <3 The best movie ever of my childhood, hands down. :)"
"I grew up on this movie, watching it whenever it was available. I remember checking certain channels obsessively, even when I owned it. The very, very first DVD I ever bought, actually!
I'd like to think this movie started my love for ambiguously sexual males and confusing alternative reality theories. Oh, and clocks with too many numbers! Yeah!"
"I remember seeing a preview for the movie to air on HBO when I was 8 or 9. It instantly fascinated me and I set the recorder to tape it. I fell in love with the movie (and discovered that I no longer thought ALL boys were icky... and that I reallyreally liked one in particular) and made my little sister re-enact the whole movie with me everyday - in costumes and all for the whole summer (she had on stuffed pantyhose... lol). I recently watched the movie again (after it had fallen to the back burner in my mind due to real life) and it has me totally captivated once more - 19 years later. I am pretty sure this will always be my favorite movie and I know David Bowie will always be my biggest crush."
"Well, I'm 15 now and I remember first watching Labyrinth when it came on TV. I was about 5, my mum taped it and that's where it all began... Now I'm fanfic writing, Labyrinth obssessed, and my whole family thinks I'm a phsyco 'cause I love a film that came out about 20 years ago. Oh, well..."
"I have loved this movie forever. I am so excited to find peeps like me who love Jareth too! I used to rewind the ballroom scene over and over again because I loved it. The music is great too!"
"Well, I'm 36 now, and I was 15 years old when I went to the movie theater. I loved David Bowie's voice, and I totally fell in love with him and I never forgave Sarah for not staying with him.
It was one of my favorite movies ever, and years after I was proud to know who Jennifer Connelly was when nobody else knew about her!!! XD
I love everything about this movie. The dance and the last part when he asks her to stay with him are my favorite parts of the movie. My favorite words in those years were "it's not fair" and I used to wear my blouse like her.
I love it and I always will."
"My dad saw this movie even before meeting my mom; he was my age (19)! He's a huge fan of it and of David Bowie. When I was old enough to understand what a movie is he made me watch it; I was 7 years old.
Ever since I've been a huge fan of it, just like my dad. It's amazing how a movie can move through generations. That can only be achieved by a masterpiece like Labyrinth."
"Well, I'm 16 years old right now, and I first saw Labyrinth over this past summer... or sometime just before then. It was the twenty-year release anniversary DVD, and after watching it the first time I realized a few things.
One: I am undeniably in love with Jareth, the Goblin King. I mean, honestly, David Bowie in tight pants? What's not to love? x)
Two: I've practically become obsessed with the movie. Like, seriously...
And a few other things, too. c:
I just wish more people from my generation would be able to watch Labyrinth and the many other great movies from the eighties. Even the music from Labyrinth was amazing, and I'm always singing David's songs at school and at home. x)"
Use the form below to send in your memories or thoughts about the movie so I can put them on this page! All fields except for "Website" are required. :) Please note: Your email will not be displayed publicly. It's just needed for me to contact you if I ever have to.
