I've loved this movie since I was a kid. I saw it on T.V. but could never find it anywhere. My mum's friend ran a video store and I got an ex-rental copy off her before it snuffed it on the VHS-player, we got a DVD and a lame copy (with no extra features) just a few years ago, but I was over the moon that it was actually out there.
This is a Terry Gilliam (Monty Python, Brazil, The Brothers Grimm) movie with John Neville as the Baron, Eric Idle and many others including Jonathan Pryce, the great stage-actor, and its the most hysterical, quirky and bizarre fantasy movie I've ever seen and a pure masterpiece.
My dream project, me writing the script & lyrics for a MUSICAL VERSION with Frank doing the score :rolleyes:
Awesome, AWESOME movie and I advise you to get ahold of it
Some other ones, and they were all given the bum's rush by the studio, "Return To Oz", the magical sequel (made over 50 years later lol) to "The Wizard Of Oz", but a great tribute to the original Baum vision (still, a looot darker). You must see this movie and, again, the DVD is shocking, no features, no nothing, and it could use a cool remaster. The guy who played the Nome King had one of the most frightening egos in the whole 20th century theatre, actors and stage-hands cowered before him (he was also Merlin in the John Boorman movie "Excalibur", ANOTHER favourite which Frank is developing as a musical with Jim Steinman)
Both these movies got the bum's rush when the studios distributing them changed regimes. What a pity. They'll never give the money needed for decent DVD versions with special features, etc. It costs too much money and I don't think either movie recouped (both are famous flops, still enjoyable movies).
Also, to a lesser degree, Steven Spielberg's "Hook", the sequel to Peter Pan, with Dustin Hoffman, Robin Williams, Bob Hoskins and Julia Roberts. I wasn't even aware that this had flopped, I was quite shocked when I read up about it, I'd always thought it was a hit. Our own Leslie Bricusse did the lyrics for Maggie's lullaby on the ship "When You're Alone", intended for a larger project Bricusse had originally tried doing, a musical of HOOK with John Williams score (I think) but this was canned and lead to the movie.
Also, Jim Steinman wanted Spielberg to direct *his* futuristic Peter Pan, "the other side of E.T.," Jim joked in an interview. Six years later Spielberg did "Hook"
Check them out for interests' sake.