The fantasy movie Labyrinth was released into movie theaters in 1986. Starring David Bowie, directed by Jim Henson and produced by George Lucas, the movie had a lot going for it. In was not received very well at the time but over time the movie has reached quite a cult status.
Story
The young girl Sarah wishes a brother to a magic land and in order to return him to the real world she has to find her way through a great maze, the labyrinth, and retrieve him from the goblet king Jareth who is none less than David Bowie. Before she is able to do so, she has to so solve several riddles and puzzles.
Style, People Involved and Reception
Directed by puppet master Jim Henson, who also made The Dark Crystal, and in collaboration with George Lucas, Labyrinth is masterpiece with a story somewhat alike Alice in Wonderland. However, when it came out in 1986, the reception was not well at all and the movie made a loss.
The movie was seen as childish and not that original but the perception of the movie changed over time and Labyrinth is now considered to be a cult fantasy movie but it is definitely not a favorite of mine.
HBO continues the ongoing stream of news, images and video clips of the upcoming TV series Game of Thrones.
This time a series of video clips portraying the most important Houses of Westeros and several of the main characters have been released.
Game of Thrones is based on the fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire, written by George R.R. Martin.
The first official poster and trailer for the 2011 Conan the Barbarian remake have been released.
The trailer and especially the poster look promising but of course it very much remains to be seen if this remake can live up to the original Conan movie.
The part of Conan will be played by Jason Momoa, known for his roles in the television series Baywatch and Stargate: Atlantis. Also, Momoa will play Khal Drogo in the upcoming television series Game of Thrones. He can act and definitely has the body for Conan but he is new to the big screen making him sort of an additional question mark for the movie. Other important roles are for Ron Perlman and Rachel Nichols.
Conan the Barbarian will be released in theatres on August 19, 2011 (also in 3D).
Trailer
Bethesda has announced that the game Hunted: The Demon’s Forge will soon be released.
The fantasy game can be best described as a third-person co-op dungeon crawler and will be released for PlayStation 3, XBOX 360 and PC. Below the story line of the game and the trailer, which looks really good.
Unfortunately, often a trailer is not quite a good representation of the game itself. Then again, as creator of the The Elder Scrolls, one of the best fantasy game series ever made, Bethesda has to produce something good.
Story
“The dark ages have become corrupted. Heinous creatures have emerged from underground. Townsfolk are disappearing.
Upon the promise of their fortune in gold, two mercenaries have taken on the daunting task of finding out where the innocents have been taken and to stop the madness. Their journey will take them on a dark and twisted path where they will encounter vicious creatures, death and sacrifice. This path will lead them deep within the world of Kala Moor…and to the secrets of The Demon’s Forge.”
Trailer
As of yesterday (March 1, 2011) a second novel of Patrick Rothfuss in the Kingkiller Chronicles is available, called The Wise Man’s Fear.
Based on what I have heard so far about the book, it is of at least the same level as the first novel, The Name of the Wind, one of the best fantasy novels of the last decade. That means that The Wise Man’s Fear will contain a complex and intriguing story and will be an amazing read.
The next installment in the series will be called The Doors of Stone. If Rothfuss continues like this, the Kingkiller Chronicles will definitely earn it’s place among the best fantasy series ever, making him one of the best fantasy authors around.
Official summary
“There are three things all wise men fear: the sea in storm, a night with no moon, and the anger of a gentle man.”
An escalating rivalry with a powerful member of the nobility forces Kvothe to leave the University and seek his fortune abroad. Adrift, penniless, and alone, he travels to Vintas, where he quickly becomes entangled in the politics of courtly society. While attempting to curry favor with a powerful noble, Kvothe discovers an assassination attempt, comes into conflict with a rival arcanist, and leads a group of mercenaries into the wild, in an attempt to solve the mystery of who (or what) is waylaying travelers on the King’s road.
All the while, Kvothe searches for answers, attempting to uncover the truth about the mysterious Amyr, the Chandrian, and the death of his parents. Along the way, Kvothe is put on trial by the legendary Adem mercenaries, forced to reclaim the honor of the Edema Ruh, and travels into the Fae realm. There he meets Felurian, the faerie woman no man can resist, and who no man has ever survived. Under her tutelage, Kvothe learns much about true magic and the ways of women.
In The Wise Man’s Fear Kvothe takes his first steps on the path of the hero and learns how difficult life can be when a man becomes a legend in his own time.
