h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: 'Labyrinth' - The Film - A87786058
Author: Bluebottle - U43530

Okay, I've added it to the end of the entry (and before anyone asks, yes, I've included the phrase 'disturbingly tight trousers' as per your requests - I know where you've been looking.)

<BB<

BB -

About this first paragraph:

Labyrinth is a British-American 1986 fantasy film starring Jennifer Connelly and David Bowie set in a fictional world populated by goblins. Directed by Jim Henson, creator of the Muppets, most of the characters seen in the film are played by puppets. A family film able to be enjoyed by young and old alike, this feel-good film leaves audiences singing along to the catchy songs for days after viewing.

Okay, it is better, but it is still a bit formal, and not a 1st para that makes me want to keep reading.

I want you to tell me 5 reasons, or 4 or 3, why this is the movie I should rent tonight. Just in this thread, okay please?

I've re-written the introduction.

Just watch the film if you want to.
You have free will and so are perfectly entitled to spend your leisure time however you want to, and if you chose not to watch this film, then that's your loss.

You can get it for only around £2 in HMV (Other video & music shops were available in the UK, but they seem to have all closed. Many branches of HMV have closed. It is also available on various websites, many of which do not pay tax.)

<BB<

I think you misunderstood HN. She didn't want to question that everyone should watch the film, she thought it would help you with the introduction to think about why somebody should watch it.

I'm not sure what more can be said. Surely you would know whether you are the sort of person who would enjoy a highly-regarded fantasy film with muppet characters and catchy songs or not?

I could include numerous exclamation marks, such as: Songs! Puppets! Dangers Untold! Hardships Unnumbered! Civic Amenity Sites! See the Bog of Eternal Stench! Lose all track of which way is up in the stunning conclusion! but that seems quite tacky.

<BB<

BB,

When that movie came out in theaters, I saw it two weekends in a row. I already know why I love it. I wanted you to tell me why you love it so that I could help you make a lead paragraph that draws the reader in.

In my opinion, this sounds a bit dry and stuffy:

"Labyrinth is a highly well-regarded British-American 1986 fantasy film considered to be a classic."

That makes it seem like I should see it because it is good for me, you know, like diet and exercise.

I may be wrong, but what I think Happy Nerd might be trying to say is about opening paragraphs and how they need to really capture the reader.

This is after all Peer Review where the critique is always setting out to be constructive, or at least it's supposed to be

With any piece of text that when you first look at it appears long, you have to keep the reader's attention, you have to grab them and make them want to keep reading. If an entry is just a long piece of factual information, the reader will end up losing interest half way through, if they even start reading it.

We need to grab their attention to read the entry and we need to keep their attention through to the end. I'm not very good at it myself, I tend to go too far the other way and everything I write ends up being first person anecdotes that no-one finds funny

The article itself I find very complete, it seems to make mention of every aspect of the film. I'm personally adverse to lists (things like the cast list which can easily be found by going to IMDB or similar) as I find they break up the narrative of the entry, but that is my *personal* opinion, and I'm only one reader. Having said that, I do find them very helpful when trying to find something quickly.

I do *love* the ending of this entry: "the only thing people remember is that David Bowie wore disturbingly tight trousers..." That is just accurate, and so very much *exactly* how I imagine a conversation/argument about the film in a pub ending. A group of friends not agreeing about anything about the film until that, and then nodding and going off to get another round of drinks.

I think the first paragraph merely needs mention that the movie is a musical involves heaps of flying muppets and David Bowie in a pair of memorably tight trousers. The film's two most fundamental features only become clear many paragraphs into the review. Even if you thought the trousers needn't get a headline mention, at least the fact that it is a puppet movie could be transformative to the tone of the initial paragraphs.

I think letting the disturbingly tight trousers be the article's last image is enough, without letting them be the headline introduction. Believe it or not, I happily watched Labyrinth many times without noticing anything, well, below board before the trouser phenomenon was pointed out to me.

Why do I love Labyrinth?
It is a visually exciting film. Every time I watch it, I notice a level of detail in the background I'd not seen before, especially now I'm no longer watching on VHS.
All the characters are realistically portrayed – you lose all sense that you are watching puppets as everyone seems so life-like, especially Hoggle.
The facial look and wig of David Bowie is arresting and stands out – no other character in any film recaptures it.
When I was quite young I thought that Jennifer Connelly was one of the most beautiful women in the world, with those facial features especially her eyes perfectly framed by the impossibly dark, long, straight hair.
It's a little bit naughty – when you first meet Hoggle, he's urinating into a pool. What child doesn't find that sort of toilet humour that your parents wouldn't approve of a bit exciting?
The plot is simple but effective and has many, many possible meanings.
The film is a wonderful piece of escapism – who hasn't wished they could leave a mundane world of housework and babysitting for a magical, challenging world?
Have you heard the soundtrack? It's brilliant! And when you hear the music in the film and see the images that go with it, such as the Magic Dance sequence, the body-swapping Chilly Down firey song and the Escher-esque 'Within You' – it's breathtaking.
Most children's musical films, such as Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang or The Slipper and the Rose or even Grease have songs that you fast-forward through, so you skip the boring melancholic romantic bit. 'Labyrinth' is different – it's song sequences are ones you rewind for a second or even third viewing.

<BB<

The soundtrack is one of the very few film soundtracks I've bought! It's superb!

"I may be wrong, but what I think Happy Nerd might be trying to say is about opening paragraphs and how they need to really capture the reader."

That was my take too. So you can have this one for free:

"When future historians come to write the book on fantasy films, there are those that will point to The Wizard of Oz as the pinnacle of the genre. Others will hold up Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings. And both groups will be wrong.

Because for those of a certain generation, the greatest fantasy story ever told isn't about Hobbits or Munchkins. It's about a pop legend, the contents of Jim Henson's creature shop, and some very memorable wardrobe choices."

What I think is really positive is that Labyrinth is a film that holds great meaning to the h2g2 community. With the exception of Tav, who hasn't seen it, everyone who has commented has mentioned how important this film is to them.

Galaxy Babe has said that the GB Juniors watched this film 'multiple times', although she herself hasn't seen it all the way through (only the scenes containing David Bowie's trousers, apparently...)

Happy Nerd said she knows why she loves the film, the puppetry in the film is amazing and when it was released she saw it two weekends in a row.

This is one of the few film's that Florida Sailor has enjoyed many times over, and he loves the firey dance.

Mr 603 is still disturbed by David Bowie's trousers (every day now I check to see whether he's written an article entitled 'David Bowie's Disturbingly Tight Trousers' – surely this is the next Talking Point or Collaborative Entry?)

It is one of Magwich's favourite films ever.

Pastey loves the soundtrack so much, it's one of the few he's bought.

To write about something which everyone cares about so much is certainly a privilege, and so I'm fully dedicated to trying to ensure that this entry gets the opening paragraph it deserves. (Though, as I've allowed the trousers to have the last line and last laugh, I don't think they need to be in the introduction. Noteworthy as they are, they don't actually play a part in the plot)

<BB<

I've not got a rather bizarre image in my head of David Bowie disturbingly tight trousers laughing

Interesting. Labyrinth was introduced to me by my daughters as "a muppet film with David Bowie in tights". Were they in fact tights?

I'll just leave that here:

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vEyflPYy0Yg/SEC0sAVsNcI/AAAAAAAAAF8/1QKhdRwmS4Q/s400/bowie+labyrinth+14.png

Hey, I'm good. I compared Labyrinth to LotR and Wizard of Oz this morning, and now I've just seen the Total Film top 50 Fantasy Films

1. Wizard of Oz
2. Lord of the Rings
3. Labyrinth

http://www.totalfilm.com/features/50-greatest-fantasy-films/labyrinth-1986

"Jennifer Connelly’s petulant teen. Jim Henson’s seamless puppetry. David Bowie’s, er, music…"

Go on, tell us the Lottery Numbers!

<BB<

Much better, thank you, BB.

Hi <BB<

That is a much improved introduction

>This is one of the few film's that Florida Sailor has enjoyed many times over, and he loves the firey dance.

You take me far too literally, I have a collection of a several dozen films on tape and disk, I started recording films for my library on an old open reel recorder that I bought from someone who had purchased one of the first Beta-Max recorders sold in the US

Since then I have had several VHS and DVD recorders, as well as purchasing several pre-recorded DVD's. In my comment what I really meant was, that of the thousands of films produced, you keep selecting those that are high on my list

I just didn't want it to sound like every film you review is one of my favourites. In fact at the risk of being called a heretic, I was glad to see your link for LOTR went to the book and not the film, but I will resist going off-topic


FS