Labyrinth (1986)

***SPOILER ALERT*** this post will contain some spoilers so beware

Today marks the 30th Anniversary of my favorite movie of all time. Labyrinth (1986) starring Jennifer Connelly, David Bowie and Toby Froud (which coincidentally today is his 32nd birthday as well), created from the mind of Monty Python's Terry Jones, Jim Henson, George Lucas, and Brian and Wendy Froud. So in celebration of this exciting event I am going to review Labyrinth!

The movie starts out with a really cool title sequence featuring the first ever completely CGI animal, a barn owl to the music of David Bowie (Underground from the Labyrinth soundtrack). Then we are taken to a fantastical land where a maiden in a dress runs up to face her adversary and announces that "through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered I have fought my way to the castle beyond the Goblin City to take back the child you have stolen..." she goes on to say the her "...will is a strong as yours, and my kingdom is as great" only to be interrupted by a flash of lightening and responding clash of thunder. Then in a strange turn of events she mumbles what she just say, while still facing her adversary, only to proclaim "damn I can never remember that line!" and pulls a red book titled The Labyrinth out of her sleeve to recall her next line. But it's too late the enchantment has been broken, we discover the maiden is an ordinary teenage girl, her adversary is her faithful dog companion, and the fantastical land is merely a local park. A bell tolls and the girl runs from the park with her dog Merlin through the rain down suburban streets before arriving home to the disappointment of her stepmother (who through the release of  the Return to Labyrinth manga is named Irene but fans had previously dubbed her Karen). We discover the girl, Sarah (Jennifer Connelly) was supposed to be home an hour ago to babysit her half-brother Toby (Toby Froud). Through this interaction and the discovery of her room we learn Sarah is a fifteen year old girl stuck between her fantasy filled childhood, and growing up into a young lady. (Don't do it it's a trap!)

As the night progresses Sarah unwittingly summons the Goblin King, Jareth (David Bowie) to come and take her baby brother. In order to right her wrong she must solve the Labyrinth and defeat the Goblin King in 13 hours or Toby will be (allegedly) turned into a Goblin. Sarah proves to be impatient and inept at solving the mysteries of the Labyrinth, however thanks to some friends she makes along the way

The Worm

Pictured left to right: Sir Didymus, Hoggle, and Ludo

she manages to solve the Labyrinth, defeat Jareth, and rescue Toby. Through all this Sarah finds a happy medium between her fantasies and growing up (Peter Pan is displeased with you Sarah!)

I "discovered" this movie when I was a very young child (so young I don't remember a life without Labyrinth), my cousin Kasi loved the movie so most every time when all of The Cousins™ stayed at our Grandma's we would watch Labyrinth among others like, Magic Island, Princess Bride, Legend, and Ketchup Vampires to name a few.

30 years ago today Labyrinth premiered in theaters in the United States.

and to celebrate that they are releasing a special 30th Anniversary Edition!

As well as several books. They are all available for pre-order on Amazon as most of the anniversary items will be released this fall. Until then you can fill the void with lots of Labyrinth swag already available on Amazon, Ebay, and Etsy! Like this really awesome phone case and wallet combo I purchased (again) when I got my new phone last year. (I own like three of them because it's my case of choice for all the smartphones I have owned).

Picture is taken from Etsy and is not my image

I would give this movie a higher rating than 5 out of 5 if I could (and thus ignoring the scale we have set here at Nerdy Owl Books and rendering it pointless).

UPDATE 6/28/2016:

THEY ARE RELEASING LABYRINTH FUNKOS! GUYS! GUYS! LOOK HOW COOL THEY ARE!!!!! 

This is literally the best thing to happen to me in years!

UPDATE 8/17/2016:

Hot Topic has released a special Hot Topic Exclusive Jareth Funko you can order here

Now all I need is for them to release a version of Sarah in her ballgown and one of Sir Didymus and Ambrosius for my life to be complete... for now. 

The Beast by Lindsay Mead

This so far has been my favorite Beauty and the Beast retelling. It was slow at first the book's opening heavily focused on world-building that payed off in the end. The places that the book describes are explained with enough magic and fantasy ground in reality to make it seem like a real place. The characters are the usual suspects, Belle, Gaston, Belle's father, the Beast, but these characters that have appeared in various stories for well over a century have a fresh feeling. Belle is still the girl we know who wants adventure it the great wide somewhere, but she is also a kick ass hunter who somehow also remains a lady. It's refreshing to have a female lead in a book who is equal parts bad ass, but does so in a fancy dress with minimal complaint. Then there is Gastone (aka Gaston) who I really dislike because of the Disney movie, but he proved to actually be an okay guy. He's still arrogant, but acceptably so. Belle's father is still an inventor but also the leader of a group of hunters that have been charged by the Catholic Church to find and kill hellhounds (kind of like werewolves or black dogs for my paranormally inclined readers). Then there's the Beast. The Prince Aleksander from the neighboring kingdom of Vakre Fjell and his entire kingdom is cursed. Those outside of the protection of the palace turn into hellhounds and those within the palace are trapped. The prince himself has been turned into a "hideous" beast and can only communicate with people through their shared dreams using magic.

The books is incredibly well written, and minus a few questions I have (like how does this shared dreaming thing work, and if everyone is trapped in the palace grounds and can't leave, how and where do they get their food and supplies for all their finery?) it's a well thought out world and concept. I can't wait for the sequels to be published. You can support the author here.

Withering Rose by Kaitlyn Davis

A big thanks to Netgalley for letting me receive a copy for free for an honest review.

This book was amazing, it was reminiscent of the 10th Kingdom miniseries and book I love so much. The premise of this series is that their was a parallel universe to ours that was full of magic and fairy tale like wonder (read: horror). But due to an earthquake in both multiverses they collide and form a new world that is a combination of both, and of course the natives of Earth are afraid of the magic that comes with the new inhabitants and decide to hunt them down and remove magic from the world. Kind of like the European Witch Hunts. The main character Omorose is an unfortunate magic user who must hide her magic abilities and forsake them because she would be killed if she was discovered, and also she is cursed. Every time she uses her ability she losses time and it shortens her life. So in a desperate attempt at freedom to use her magic, or rid herself of it forever she escapes to the Beast's kingdom, who the Earthling's and Fairy Tale people both fear.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. I'm definitely adding the rest of this series to my TBR list. What I liked most about this story is the complexity of the world the author has created. It's part dystopian and part high fantasy. The characters could use a little more depth, they seem a little flat at times, and their backstories get a little confusing as they are glossed over. However I absolutely loved the idea that magic users suffer a curse, because magic costs something, and I like the reason behind the curse. I was conflicted over the Earthling's reaction to magic existing and how they are so untrusting of the people from the fairy tale world, but the more I thought about it the more I realized that it was a very accurate response. People were afraid of something they had no control over, and they did what they always do. They hunt it down and kill it. Case in point, the Salem Witch Trials. The persecution of the Protestants by the Catholic Church, the Spanish Inquisition. So while I would like to believe that people would be more accepting in circumstances such as the ones presented in the book, history has shown again and again that that would not be the case.

The Musketeers

***SPOILER ALERT*** this post will contain some spoilers so beware.

I have found a new favorite TV show in the form of this swashbuckling adventure The Musketeers from BBC based on the classic tale The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas. The show differs from the book I am told. (I'm still waiting for my copy of the book I ordered from Amazon to arrive so I can confirm the differences for myself.) 

The show begins with two travelers in the rain who are on their way to Paris to petition the King to lower taxes as their farming community in Gascony can no longer afford the burden. They stop at an inn at the insistence of the younger traveler as his father is tired and he can tell. This proves fatal. Furthering my belief that motels on the side of the road are murder traps! I digress... the pair, as well as other guests of the inn are set upon by bandits claiming to be Musketeers led by Athos. (I saw this, and having the firm conviction that the Musketeers where all honorable and whatnot I starting singing the "mmm why you lying" song to myself.) The young boy attacks the bandits but they get away, he apologizes to his father, only for his father to collapse and die from a bullet wound, his last words being "Athos". The young boy with the now tragic backstory making him a main character is D'Artagnan, played by Luke Pasqualino.

(What a hottie). He continues on to Paris to find Athos and kill him for murdering his father (it's the 1630s and while dueling is currently illegal in France, his honor demands satisfaction and revenge, or whatever). Then we are taken to Paris to meet the Inseparables (aka the Three Musketeers): Athos (Tom Burke) , Porthos (Howard Charles), and Aramis (Santiago Cabrera).

(Again, what hotties, though Aramis is my favorite, look at that beard, it's so Errol Flynn.) Who are being ordered by Captain Treville to find a missing group of Musketeers.

D'Artagnan has arrived in Paris, in which he is chased and forced to jump from a window to escape being wanted for a murder he didn't commit, framed by a "completely unimportant" lady he meets in a inn. He finds a cute girl and offers to pay her to kiss him. Which allows him to escape and then face the wrath of Madame Constance Bonacieux. 

Seriously I wouldn't mess with her. D'Artagnan collapses, you know because he jumped through a window like an idiot. A brave idiot, but seriously, don't jump out windows guys, even if you're running for your life, you're more than likely to break your leg, or other bones that would hinder said escape more than help. Anyways Constance helps D'Artagnan and then he goes off to find Athos because he has a one track mind. So D'Artagnan appears in the Musketeer Garrison courtyard and loudly asks for Athos of the King's Musketeers, when Athos, the real Athos, confirms who he is, D'Artagnan challenges Athos to a duel saying one of them will die here, and illegal dueling ensues. D'Artagnan proves to be a skillful swordsman, if not a little rough around the edges, but is no match for Athos, or Aramis and Porthos when they join in. The madness is stopped by Constance who arrives to scold them for fighting, Athos continues to insist he is not the man D'Artagnan is looking for, this is all interrupted by Captain Treville

and some Red Guards who are there to arrest Athos for murders and robbery. D'Artagnan convinced there is more to his father's murder than meets the eye agrees to investigate with Porthos and Aramis to clear Athos name and figure out the mystery of the rouge Musketeers, and the missing troop of Musketeers, which shocker are all related. (I really do love this show, I'm just a sarcastic little shit.) 

The show has a villain of the week set-up, as well as a big overall baddie who is usually behind most of the other villains, In season one the "villain" is the Cardinal Armand Jean du Plessis, Duke of Richelieu played by the ever perfect Peter Capaldi.

Season two the villain is Douchefort Rochefort.

And season three has these two guys, Lucien Grimaud and Maquis de Feron.

Throughout all their adventure the Musketeers forge a strong bond of friendship while serving their King and Queen.

\

Aramis really serves his Queen y'all

Yea that's right the Dauphin (Prince of France) is Aramis' son, not the King's, which differs from the book (so I am told) but I like the star crossed/forbidden lovers story line. All the characters have some pretty set character traits; Aramis is the romantic hero archetype who woos women and is suave and debonair but also a swashbuckling hero in this gunpowder fantasy. Athos the brooding drunk who is the one in charge of this group. Porthos the former Court of Miracles thief with a heart of gold, cheats at cards, and is basically strong as an ox. D'Artagnan is the rookie farm boy, rough but promising which completes this team of Inseparables, and of course you all know the Musketeers motto:

Just kidding, we all know it's:

I could literally spend all day looking up and posting images of Aramis, he's my favorite.

But I shall leave it at this. While sometimes the plot of the Musketeers gets a little convoluted, or implausible, overall I really like it. It's semi-historical, it has romance...fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles- oh sorry that's The Princess Bride, excuse me. *Ahem* It has romance, adventure, fencing, etc, but no giants or monsters really, and as for miracles and true love, well you'll just have to decide that for yourself.