2 of 15

Write now Article Tools

The 1980s saw a burst in the fantasy movie business. No longer were movies based on comic books or dinosaurs roaming the earth. They no longer were based on light-hearted family adventures and the misadventures of children. Romantic comedies based in the fantasy realm were not often found. The 80s saw a large boom in fantasy dealing more with the realm of alternate worlds and the fantastic in the form of the supernatural.

-The Beastmaster-
"The courage of an eagles, the strength of a panther, and the power of a god." The tag line to MGM's 1982 Don Coscarelli's Beastmaster pretty much sums up the entirety of this movie. While one that many have seen but can never recall the full story line, this film nevertheless has cut out it's own home amongst the fantasy movie classics. It is a beautifully told tale of Dar, the son of a desert-dwelling king, who is robbed of his birth right by a power-hungry priest and his minions. As he grows up in an adoptive family, Dar learns that he has telepathic abilities with animals. Through the help of his animal friends, he plans revenge after the village he grew up in is wiped out. While many will recall the stellar shots taken from the animals' point of view, the most vivid memory will always be of the two ferrets that are his key companions.

-Ghostbusters-
This movie has been coined time and time again as the modern root of all paranormal hunting. Distributed by Columbia Pictures in 1984, this flick follows three misfit parapsychology professors that begin a service to remove "spectral pests." Their business is on the verge of collapse until they receive a call from a prestigious hotel about an unwanted guest of the slim-kind. Thanks to their very public capture of this paranormal combatant, they see a spike in activity that ultimate leads to a bigger problem then their previous fore-mentioned verge of collapse: Gozer.

-The Never-Ending Story-
Unbeknownst to most, this riveting story was originally released in German under the title of Die Unendliche Geschichte. Released in 1984 by Warner Bros., the story starts off with a young boy, Bastian, being chased by a trio of school bullies. In order to get away from them, he ducks into a library where he comes across a book being read by an old man. Interested in reading it, Bastian ignores the warning that it's "not safe." As Bastian beings to read, he's sucked into the book as soon as he hears about "The Nothing" and how it is starting to take of Fantasia. The book soon begins

• 1
• 2
• next page >>

Add your voice

Know something about Classic fantasy films of the 80s?
We want to hear your view. Write now!