Picture this: It is in the early 80's. Home Box Office was still fairly a new concept for households. And there, before our very eyes, a movie that would capture the minds and imaginations of every child of that time. That movie? "The Dark Crystal". It was the first time Brian Froud would introduce his wonderful creations to the world in a way very few could have imagined then. While it seems "tame" compared to today's world of CGI and other special effects, it was ahead of its time. I was so mesmerized by it that I had to capture the entire thing on a 90 minute cassette (which, by the way, it fits on nicely). I recently listened to it, and I always thought, and still do, that it would be a perfect audio to listen to while driving through some heavily wooded street.

This, of course, was not the only movie from that time that would ignite imaginations, BHP (Before Harry Potter). How about "The Never ending Story"? Now THAT is a movie I can never tire of, no matter how old I get. Listening to Limahl sing that theme song and you know you are not in for a "regular ordinary" movie. I do admit that I am a bit sad that Michael Ende's other books in this series were not translated and turned into movies. If they could, they would be a nice addition to accompany Narnia and the world of Hogwarts. Or, to appease us kids from that time frame, a wonderful remake (Tim..oh Tim....do you hear this?)

"Labyrinth" was another wonderful Froud/Henson production, and THIS time the "Thin White Duke" David Bowie makes his appearance in such a wonderful fashion. He had such a wonderful sense of humor, but was incredibly intense at the same time. Again, this is one of those movies I never tire of.

To see a young Tom Cruise in a movie that was truly fun to watch, all one has to do is see "Legend". Now, I don't know what made this movie more entertaining: To see Tim Curry horns and all that red flesh, the incredible direction of Mr. Scott, the amazing score from Tangerine Dream, or perhaps a combination of all those elements. I myself love the alternative version of the film. I love both equally.

"LadyHawke", "BeastMaster", "Excalibur", "Troll" (which, by the way, had a character named....if you can believe it..Harry Potter(!)....all these movies had either a historical or ancient look to them, or a balance between modern and ancient. But let us not forget those who were "Out of this world". For instance, who can forget "The Last Starfighter", The wonderfully hilarious "Buckaroo Bonzai Across the 8th Dimension", or, the legendary "Tron", which brought the movie audience into a world where computers reigned? I remember seeing this movie for the first time and SO wanted one of them motorcycles!

So the next time you are bored on a rainy day, go take a drive over to your local video shop and find these little gems and just tune off the "real" world for just a while...and dream.

Learn more about this author, Ron Schecker.
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