MUSICAL MONDAY! David Bowie in LABYRINTH's MAGIC DANCE!

Msuical Monday!

DAVID BOWIE in LABYRINTH's MAGIC DANCE

CLICK HERE FOR MAGIC DANCE! 

INSIDE THE LABYRINTH DOCUMENTARY 

 Continuing with our theme of Labyrinth, I've attached links to the Inside the Labyrinth and Magic Dance videos on youtube. Enjoy. 

The Labyrinth is really special. How so? Well, for starters it is a musical that centers around a single artist or band, and it doesn't suck. Besides Across the Universe, which doesn't have any of the Beatles in it as far as I can remember, this is the only film of that genre that I not only enjoy but can watch again and again. I think part of the reason it works is that, rather than taking already existing Bowie songs and cramming them into an overstuffed movie or trying to build some Bowie mythos it does none of these things. It is a completely unique creature and that is why it has gained cult movie status. Perhaps the hammiest but most cult classic song of the bunch is Magic Dance.

These guys are party animals. Seriously.

I'd like to begin by talking about what is so hammy and lame about the song. First, Magic Dance, which may be the lamest and most uninspired song ever. Furthermore, this scene really doesn't play into the plot or establish any new information besides the following, Jareth is a bit of a silly tit and his servants really do love him. He is mean, insulting, and even cruel but it is all done with style and panache. With all his powers, it really would've made you wonder why he'd be King of the Goblins if it wasn't for his sillyness.

Yet, what is the real strength of this scene? Bowie's energy bringing an instant jolt of fun and the opening lyrics, 

You remind me of the babe.

What babe?

The babe with the power.

What power?

The power of voodoo.

Who do?

You do.

Do what?

Remind me of the babe.

This neat little Dr. Seussian poem sets us up for fun and is extremely easy to remember. I really love to find other fans of this movie by just saying, "You remind me of the babe," and seeing who chimes in. This is what we call a hook, song/movie fans, and it really is all you need. The rest of the song is kind of silly but that's the fun of it. Pure fun. Goblin puppets singing, chickens doding footfalls and a baby being thrown through the air, giggling.

Fun fact, the baby giggles in the song are actually David Bowie. In the documentary, Inside the Labyrinth, Bowie remarks about the difficulties of working with a baby and how at one point where the couldn't get the baby to cry he just wanted to kick it. Add the chickens, puppets and other miscellanea and its easy to see why this was a challenging music video to pull off.

Is Magic Dance the best song in the movie? Nope. The best song is probably at the very end with As the World Falls down. The final battle song is really an impressive feat. But for every Yang you must have a Ying and thats what Magic Dance is in the end. The positive note in a dark fantasy for children-young and old.

Word of the Day. 9/19/11

Word of the Day

 Keeping up with our pattern of looking at the Labyrinth characters and elements today we'll be discussing four words that play into the character of the goblin king, Jareth.

illusion [ih-loo-zhuhn]
noun

1. Something that deceives by creating a false or misleading reality.

2. the instance, state or condition of being deceived.

illusionist [ih-loo-zhuhn-ist]
noun

1. a conjurer or magician who creates illusions, as if by sleight of hand.
 

MC Escher's Relativity.

paradox [par-uh-doks]
noun

1. a statement or preposition that seems contradictory or absurd but possesses a possible truth.

2. a self-contradictory and false proposition.

3. a person, thing or situation that exhibits a contradictory nature.

To the right you can see one of M. C. Escher's visual paradoxes, Relativity, more colloquially called "Crazy stairs" or thanks to Jim Henson, "The stairs from Labyrinth."  The 1986 film really plays on the audience with visual tricks.

FOR ALL IS NOT AS IT SEEMS

 Jareth is the film's antagonist. He is the king of goblins, master of the maze, illustrious illusionist, enhanced enchanter and androgynous sex in tights. He is also a master of the slight of hand, slight of tongue and slight of body (and of reality). When he first arrives in teenage Sarah's room, after kidnapping her infant brother Toby, he tells her plainly that he has only done what she wished. At first he tries to convince her to surrender the game because she will lose. But this is his first play on her emotions and in his own desires. He wants her attention and her challenge. He doesn't want her to succeed. It would just be another win in a succession of successes. He toys with the idea of perception when he juggles a glass ball (FUSHIGI is not a new idea by any stretch and it turns into a little beasty. He gives her the challenge, get to the center of the labyrinth in 13 hours and she gets Toby back. Fail? He gets to keep Toby and turn him into a goblin. The character loves playing games not only with his words and with his illusions but with the perceived notions that the audience has. He changes the rules.

The first illusion is his motives. His motives seem to be mixed. On one hand, we have the simplest of motives, of pride. She invokes his name and requests his assistance. The Goblin King cannot resist such a request. But his motives are layered. His intentions with Toby at first seem cruel but, at least on some dimensions, he wants an heir. The Goblin King may have been like Sarah once, a human, and seeks out human companionship. A manga sequel to the Labyrinth seems to pose the idea of him needing/wanting a heir but even then his intentions are dubious and confused. Does he really want an heir? Or does he simply want a family? Or just a friend? Maybe he is just reminded of the babe? What babe? Maybe he just wants the babe with the power? What power? The power of vodoo. Who do? You do. Do what? Remind me of the babe. His intentions are never truly revealed cuz they don't have to be. He is complete control of his realm and Sarah is, at first, just a point of amusement.

Let's talk about the illusions of the Labyrinth that Jareth has created before we get back into his intentions and personality. The first illusion is his impressive juggling. Not to ruin the spectacle, but David Bowie is not a master juggler. During the scenes where he juggles, a man is sticking his arms from behind him and creating the illusion. The next big illusion is the matrix itself. The shots of Sarah running through the Labyrinth are juxtaposed in such a way that it seems like it never ends. When Sarah tries to just run in a straight line, she ends up back where she started. It turns out that some of the walls are actually ways forward, furthermore, sometimes the fastest route through the Labyrinth is not a straight line but under it. All the while, walls are shifted, marks are covered up and most attempts at trying to make it across are erased. Jareth doesn't even play by his own rules, so Sarah realizes she shouldn't either. Lives are on the line!

Sarah is also challenged by the temptation of Jareth, a symbol of her desire to be adult but live in a fantastic world. In this way, Jareth plays the role of enchanter, as he tempts Hoggle with what he desires as well. Jareth makes all matter of ridiculous claims and poses all matter of cluttered riddles to distract his opponents. When Sarah teams up with Hoggle and her other friends, he becomes desperate, and tries to drag Sarah into a fantasy world, via a poisoned peach from Hoggle. Yet, his deceptions and Labyrinth are defeated and Sarah makes it into the final test, alone.

Jareth was supposed to return Toby once Sarah found her way to his castle. Instead, he switches his motives and takes one last try at trying to control her. He wants her, not only because she is a beautiful human (like he was once) but she bested him. In the end, Jareth is an illusion or a deception. He is adolescence. He has power, charisma and the body of an adult, but at the same time has the imagination, playfulness and unfairness of child. He is Sarah's struggle with growing up. Or is he?


That is the real question presented with the Labyrinth. Many critics and film buffs see this as just another Wizard of Oz knock-off with pop songs but they don't look into it further. This film is filled with twists and turns. Perhaps, what draws me back is the mystery and the layers of the dream. For all is not as it seems.

BWAAAAHHHAHAHAHAHWAHHA!

WEEKLY ROUND-UP! 9/11-9/17 2011

WEEKLY ROUND-UP

This is my first one of these and basically it'll sum up the top 7 posts of the last 7 days.

7. WORD OF THE DAY. 9/11/11 Protagonist/Antagonist

I really liked this word of the day cuz it allowed me to explore the relationship between heroes and villains. I use the examples of Conan the Barbarian vs. Thulsa Doom, Naruto vs. Sasuke and Batman vs. The Joker. I followed this article up a couple of days later with gumption which focused on underdogs.

6. NERD CULTURE SMACKDOWN #2 Nerd Vs. Arino

This is really what Nerd Culture Smackdowns are all about. Difference of opinions but of course mine is most important until people comment more *cough*.

5. STUFF I THINK ABOUT- SOCKS

A chance for me to stretch my anecdotal skill and weave a tale that waxes the philosophic. This is a tale of anguish, confusion and sillyness. I am quite happy sharing thoughts like this with you guys because my goal, as a writer, is to make the mundane fantastic and the fantastic mundane.

 4. WORD OF THE DAY. 9/17/2011 Goblin

I don't think a lot of readers saw this one but I really enjoyed writing it. Goblins are my favorite Dungeons and Dragons creatures and so I just had to give them correct attention they deserve by explaining what they are in full and talking about what role they play in my fantasy world.

3. SCI-FI FANTASY FRIDAY! ACTION SOCIETY #2

Speaking of my fantasy world, I posted the second chapter of my fantasy fan-novel (based on my experiences in a recent Dungeons and Dragons campaign) and introduced the second character in the cast, Justin Shavers's Aramil, the Half-Elf Ranger. I really enjoyed writing his chapter because it was a lot more action oriented. It was also interesting to get under the skin of this very serious guy and to give you guys more insight into the world of the Wold, Beniro and Doktham City. Check it out and please leave some criticism, advice and questions. I'll have the next chapter up this coming Friday.

2. MUSICAL MONDAY! FRIGHT NIGHT: THE MUSICAL

I loved writing this post because a) I got to talk about the Kaplan Brothers for a little bit and b) I got to explain why Fright Night is my favorite vampire movie by dissecting the transformations of my three favorite characters.

"You're so cool, Brewster!" -Ed, Fright Night (1985)

1. WTF WEDNESDAY 2 THE BOOK OF POKEMON Pt. 1

This post is the one that I think really sells my talent as a writer and observer of nerd culture. It is an absolutely ridiculous biting satire of the pokemon anime mythos (I am a huge Pokenerd). I use it as an excuse to poke fun at the ridiculous story at hand, while adding my own insanity. This is my favorite post of the week.

Enjoy it while you can, zombie bait.

MIXED BAG. WELCOME NEWCOMERS.

 BLOG CARD

I'll be handing out these babies this week to all those people out there that have heard about my blog but haven't checked it out.

If you're new and just got one of these cards feel free to check out the past pages of my blog. Here is a link to my schedule that gives you an idea of what I will post on a daily/weekly basis:

CLICK HERE FOR MY BLOG PLANS!

 This blog is all about entertainment, so I promise I don't go into silly political rants or talk about religion or how my day sucked (unless the latter happened to be interesting). And now for something completely different.

OSB, TSF. CLASSIC LOLZ 1

Sometimes I feel lazy and just want to post something humorous. Tadah!

Word of the Day. 9/18/11

Word of the Day

Today's word of the day is actually quite serious business. Not only is it one of my favorite words of all time, it also the title of my favorite Jim Henson movie and, perhaps, my favorite architectural structure. Today's word is...

labyrinth [lab-uh-rinth]

noun

1. An intricate combination of hallways, paths and passages that make it difficult to reach the exit.

2. A maze made of tall hedges, either built for the amusement of trying to find the exit or for the aesthetic complexity.

3. A complicated and/or confusing arrangement of streets.

4. A bamboozling complex or bewildering puzzle

I could use the word to talk about the Minotaur of Crete and Theseus but I think I'll leave that sort of talk for another article. Today and hey, this week, I want to talk about Jim Henson's 1986 film, Labyrinth. 

GOBLIN KING, GOBLIN KING 

We ain't in Kansas no more.

This film is special. It is the Wizard of Oz of my childhood (and we had Wizard of Oz too). Yet, something about Wizard of Oz is so different. The difference being the dark imagination of illustrator Brian Froud was brought to life by the puppet sculpting genius of Henson Studios, a story by the collective mad genius of Jim Henson, Dennis Lee, Terry Jones and Elaine May, and all feeding off the charisma of David Bowie. Everyone has their own idea of Bowie in their mind's eye. Some people see the Bowie of Ziggy Stardust, some see the more settled Bowie who sang Drummer Boy, but I see the Bowie as the Goblin King. I love the story told here but its easy to forget where it all begins.

Thanks to Jennifer Connely's performance as Sarah I will always have a bit of my heart out there for bookish girls with dark hair. Sarah is a 15-year old girl who enjoys acting, reading and, therefore, lives much of her life in her imagination. More than anything, Labyrinth is a tale of her growing up from a child (or is it?) The story begins with out heroine returning home in a rain storm, her pretty gown costume sopping wet and her mother irritated with her (Her "evil" stepmother won't even let the English Sheepdog inside the house because he is wet). She is then informed that she is responsible for babysitting her infant brother until the two return from an evening party. Sarah probably laments that she is given all this responsibility and is still treated like a child. Sarah is like Belle from Beauty and the Beast. She spends all her time reading books (nothing wrong with that) and is obsessed with fairy tales (so much so, her imagination can get away from her).

She goes to her room and when he spots that one of her many stuffed animals, Lancelot, has gone missing she becomes a little upset. She becomes absolutely petulant when she discovers that her stepmother gave it her baby brother, Toby. Sarah becomes angry, taking the toy away (on one hand, immature, but on the other, why doesn't Toby have his own stuffed bear?) and this makes Toby start to cry. Desperate to have him stop and a bit apologetic, she takes her baby brother and tells him a story to calm his nerves.

She begins telling him the story of a Goblin King and a girl he gave special powers because of their love. She then tells him that one day the girl grew furious with her baby brother crying all the time and she wishes the goblins to take him away (they did). Meanwhile, hiding behind the 4th wall of her reality are a bunch of silly looking goblins waiting to hear her say "I wish..." When she leaves Toby in the bed, still crying, she turns off the light and says, "I wish the goblins would come and take you away. Right now."This off-hand remark is enough. Toby stops crying. Concerned,she rushes back into the room to find that Toby has disappeared. 

This is when our antagonist makes his most dramatic appearance. A large owl flies in the window and transforms into Jareth, the Goblin King (David Bowie). This bewitching wizard expects a thank you from Sarah for granting her wish and getting rid of the babe. She tells him that she didn't mean it. This begins the game. Jareth, is a pretty damn powerful wizard and so he makes a deal. If she can make it to the center of his Labyrinth in 13 hours, she can have Toby back. If she fails, he will be turned into a goblin!

Doesn't look so hard.

Thus begins Sarah's quest to find her brother in the wacky world of the Labyrinth. Rather than keep synopsis the story I want to analyze Sarah as the symbol of adolescence.

 This is one of Jennifer Connely's first roles so her performance isn't award worthy but for the role it is just fine. Furthermore, she gives, at the very least, a much more believable performance than Judy Garland's Dorothy. Sarah is an archetype that borrows from Alice in Wonderland and the Wizard of Oz. The girl on the cusp of womanhood thrust into a dangerous and fantastic world. Yet, unlike Alice or Dorothy here quest is not strictly a selfish one. She is there to save her little brother. This means she has far more to lose than just being trapped in the fantastic land. In fact, several times, Sarah is tempted to stay. She is torn between two worlds.

On one hand, she is still in love with childhood. Growing up, for many, means letting go of fantasy and sinking into the dull rhythm of reality. This manifests in her selfishness in her scene where she takes the bear away from Toby. Her possessions are like little treasures to her but they seem to hold her back (at least when thought of as so important). This gets her into real trouble when she is seduced by a trash witch who brings her into her old room. The witch begins literally piling all of her possessions onto her back but she realizes that they're not treasures. They're just things! She refuses the material culture of childhood and breaks free of the witch's grasp. This shows she is able to overcome her desire to live in a fantasy world.

The next challenge, is her desire to grow up. In the film, this is related with Jareth tempting Sarah with power and adulthood. He tricks her into eating a poisoned peach (innocence) and she falls into a dream. In the dream she is at a masquerade and is the gorgeous center of attention. All the while, the Goblin King is trying to seduce her. It is a bit dark to think of Gareth, played by a middle aged Bowie, trying to seduce the young woman but remember that this world is (for better or worse) made up of Sarah's fantasies. There is nothing creepy about a teenage boy fantasizing about an older woman so why is it wrong for her to fantasize about a KING? In the end, she not only resists these temptations but breaks away from him. She realizes that adulthood is not so simple.

Being an adult doesn't mean you should abandon all childish things. The characters of our imagination helped establish right from wrong and created friendships that don't end. The beauty of it all is that though she has to return to reality and begin accepting reality, her friends will always be there. As Hoggle says, "Should you need us."

Party Time!

Tomorrow I will cover Jareth and the music of Labyrinth.  The word of the day will have to do with Hoggle. I'm going to try and give you guys a lot of Labyrinth articles so forgive me for my silliness.

Word of the Day. 9/17/2011

Word of the Day

"SPIDERMAN! HSSSSSSS!"

goblin [gob-lin]
noun
1. An evil and/or grotesque mythical creature described as mischievous or malicious toward humans.

GOBLINS ARE PEOPLE TOO.

I think all Dungeons and Dragons players have a favorite monster or type of monsters. For many, they love the classic powerhouse of a dragon, the scheming immortal undead lich or other D & D classics, like the displacer beast. These monsters are alot of fun to use but they lack a certain something.My favorite monsters don't usually have lots of powers or wealth. They have faults, quirks and most importantly, personalities.My favorite monsters in Dungeons and Dragons are goblins.

Goblins, as we dungeons and dragons players know them, was really given its shape by the expert hand of Tolkein in the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings. A Lich King, a turncoat wizard, Nazghul, orcs and a mostly naked crack addict (Gollum) are the biggest threats to the fellowship. In the Hobbit, the biggest threat is an army of goblins led by a goblin prince.

The idea of a scheming green humanoid got my attention. If orcs are the match for men than goblins were the match for dwarves. Goblins don't win through brute strength. Goblins when through scheming, deception and numbers. They make excellent minions, to quote the old idiom, "Throw goblins at a problem until it goes away. At the very least you'll have less goblins." I love goblins because they make great adversaries for low level (heroic level) heroes and in D & D most games are played at this low level. Perhaps one of the greatest strengths of using goblins as a dungeon master is to take advantage of their versatility and variety. 

In Dungeons and Dragons there are 3 main varieties of goblins that a hero has to contend with. They each share common characteristics; large and pointed ears, a prominent jaw filled with pointy teeth and a small nose.The 3 varieties are:

GOBLINS

 The smallest variety of goblins and the most numerous. They tend to have yellow-green skin, dark hair and beady eyes. Goblins are known for their wickedness, ill-tempers and cowardice. 

HOBGOBLINS

 The clever and militaristic race of hobgoblins are about human size, with reddish skin, dark hair and often facial hair. These warriors are disciplined and intelligent and can organize goblin and bugbear tribes into a formidable force.

 

BUGBEARS

These large, brutish and burly goblins are known for a surprising skill in stealth and though, not at intelligent as their smaller cousins, they can usually get ahead by bullying others or stealing what they want.

"Psst? Did he say we're people too?"

Yet, I see goblins different than most Dungeon Masters and most fantasy authors. In Beniro, the main setting I DM and write fantasy in looks at goblins with a different view. On one hand, traditionalists still view them as brutish monsters. Yet, some goblins strive for more, some goblins just want to be like everyone because goblins are people too.

For some this concept is completely silly. Yet, in Beniro, goblins, hobgoblins and even bugbears immigrate more and more often to the capital city. Yet, why would they leave their traditional homes for an urban life?

I suppose the first goblins to move to the cities were mercenaries and soldiers. Hobgoblins are the most civil of the three races and, therefore, as long as they could mind their Ps and Qs make excellent mercenaries. The next in line? Priests. In the Great Spine, the largest mountain range in the Wold (yes that's the name of the planet), a religious movement is spreading through the peoples

The Cult of Bung is a religion of peace and love. It was started by a goblin monk named Bung who is said to sit on the tallest mountain, praying for goblins and all monsters. His main message is that goblins and other intelligent creatures need not be monstrous. "Goblins are People Too." He would say. The idea spread through goblin and bugbear tribes and has caused a great pilgrimage of goblinoids to the human capital of Beniro. Initially, the people were weary but, despite their still being xenophobic tensions, they have become part of every day life. Each type has found a special function in the city.

The goblins make up the poorest slums of Beniro and are commonly found cleaning sewers, sweeping floors and doing dirty jobs nobody wants to do. Furthermore, they have found a special talent for salesmanship. One tribe of goblins, the Hands, are renown for their salesmanship. In our current campaign, they have met Scrib Hand, who tried to sell them such things as frozen yogurt and magic armor.
I love playing goblins as the nastier match up to halflings.

Next up, we got hobgoblins. As I mentioned before, they're renowned for their military prowess and are commonly found in mercenary guilds. Yet, the most important hobgoblin that the characters in my campaign know is their butler, Friday. Friday is the perfect butler, professional, clever and loyal to a point. Hobgoblins are great to play for their nasty but fair dealings.

Finally we got bugbears. To be fair, I have really had to stretch how people look at bugbears. Sure, most of them are still dumb as a brick, but I have also taken advantage of their talents. Being the best bullies, assassins and thieves what business would do bugbears better than professional crime? The most important bugbear the heroes have met in Beniro, is Michael Accordion AKA the Bugfather. He is the head of the mafia and founder of the Western Mercenaries guild. There is also a bugbear on the Guard, so they're not all criminals.

Yet, that's what I love about goblins. I love redefining them for my more Renaissance period kingdom of Beniro. Goblins are great for analogies and because their variety work for everything from indentured servants to illegal immigrants. I love goblins.

Don't give me that look. We'll talk about you tomorrow. Wink.