Fantasy: 264

Ghostbusters II (1989) is a sequel to the popular American supernatural comedy directed by Ivan Reitman and written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. In this installment, the Ghostbusters are facing legal repercussions after saving New York City from a dangerous deity known as Gozer five years ago. As a result, they are no longer allowed to investigate paranormal activity and have been forced to close their business. Each member of the team has taken on new roles: Ray Stantz now owns an occult bookstore and also works as an ...

Always (1989), an American romantic fantasy film directed and produced by Steven Spielberg, is a remake of the 1943 romantic drama A Guy Named Joe. Set during World War II, it follows Pete Sandich, an aerial firefighter whose girlfriend Dorinda Durston doubles as an air traffic controller for the firefighters. Pete’s risky behavior in the air troubles both Dorinda and his best friend Al Yackey, who is also a firefighter pilot. After another dangerous flight that Pete brushes off as usual, Al suggests he take a safer job training firefighting pilots in Flat Rock, Colorado. Despite his initial refusal, ...

The American fantasy comedy-drama film Big (1988), directed by Penny Marshall and starring Tom Hanks, follows the story of twelve-year-old Josh Baskin. Josh attempts to impress a girl at a carnival ride, but is turned away due to his height. Feeling down, he puts a coin in an old fortune-teller machine named Zoltar and wishes to be ‘big’. To his surprise, the machine grants his wish, but he soon realizes it had been unplugged the whole time. The next morning, Josh wakes up as an adult and immediately sets out to find the machine. However, he discovers that the ...

Beetlejuice (1988) is a movie directed by Tim Burton, which falls under the genre of American fantasy horror comedy. In Winter River, Connecticut, a married couple named Barbara and Adam Maitland spend their vacation decorating their picturesque country home. During a drive back from town, Barbara swerves to avoid a dog which results in their car crashing through the side of a covered bridge and into the river. Upon returning home, they notice that they no longer have reflections. When Adam tries to leave the house, he finds himself in an otherworldly desert-like landscape filled with large ‘sandworms’. ...

Mio in the Land of Faraway (1987) is a fantasy film directed by Vladimir Grammatikov that tells the story of Bosse, an orphan in modern Stockholm. Neglected by his guardians Aunt Edna and Uncle Sixten, as well as bullied by his peers, Bosse’s only solace is his friendship with Benke. One night, he runs away in search of his father and meets Mrs Lundin, a kind shopkeeper who gives him an apple and asks him to mail a postcard to the Land of Faraway. As he mails the postcard, the apple turns golden and reveals a trapped genie. In shock, Bosse accidentally drops the apple and frees the genie.

An animated comedy horror, Scooby-Doo Meets the Boo Brothers (1987), was created by Hanna-Barbera as part of their Hanna-Barbera Superstars 10 series. Shaggy inherits a Southern plantation from his late uncle Colonel Beauregard. However, upon arrival, they are warned by Sheriff Rufus Buzby that the estate is haunted and should be avoided. Despite his warning, they continue on and encounter a variety of spooks including a ghost witch, Headless Horseman, ghost wolf, and the alleged ghost of Colonel Beauregard himself who warns them to leave or face consequences. Along the way, they are also interrupted by Sheriff Buzby’s call about an escaped circus ape.

Wings of Desire (1987) is a romantic fantasy film, both written and directed by Wim Wenders. Set in a divided Berlin, two angels, Damiel and Cassiel, watch over the city. While invisible and unheard by humans, they observe the thoughts of its inhabitants. These include a pregnant woman being rushed to the hospital in an ambulance, a young prostitute standing on a busy road, and a broken man feeling betrayed by his wife. As Cassiel puts it, their purpose is to ‘gather, bear witness to, and preserve’ reality. These angels have always existed; they were present in Berlin before it was even established as a city ...

Peggy Sue Got Married (1986), an American fantasy comedy-drama directed by Francis Ford Coppola, follows the story of Peggy Sue Bodell. She attends her 25-year high school reunion in 1985, accompanied by her daughter Beth instead of her high-school sweetheart and husband, Charlie. They married soon after graduation when Peggy Sue became pregnant but have since separated due to Charlie’s infidelity. At the reunion, she reconnects with her old high school friends Maddy and Carol while ignoring Charlie’s unexpected arrival. The emcee then announces the reunion’s “king and queen”: Richard ...

In the film Santa Claus: The Movie (1985), directed by Jeannot Szwarc, a woodcutter named Claus and his wife Anya deliver hand-carved toys to the children of their village every Christmas with the help of their reindeer Donner and Blitzen. However, one year they become lost in a blizzard and pass away from the cold. Through a magical turn of events, they are resurrected at the North Pole where they meet a group of elves who have been expecting them. Lead elf Dooley reveals that it was foretold that Claus would come to the North Pole and fulfill his destiny of delivering toys made by the elves to all children around the ...

The American fantasy romantic comedy film, The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985), was written and directed by Woody Allen. Set in 1935 during the Great Depression, Cecilia, a waitress from New Jersey, faces challenges in her job and marriage to her unfaithful husband Monk. Despite her struggle to leave him, she finds solace by watching the same movie repeatedly at the theater. Her focus shifts towards Tom Baxter, an archaeologist character in the film who falls for a Copacabana singer. As Baxter notices Cecilia’s gaze on him, he becomes smitten with her and breaks out of the screen to be with her. This unexpected turn ...

Legend (1985) is an American epic dark fantasy adventure film directed by Ridley Scott and written by William Hjortsberg. The Lord of Darkness, aiming to create eternal night, instructs the goblin Blix to kill the unicorns in the nearby forest and bring back their horns. Blix enlists her companions Pox and Blunder, who follow Princess Lili as she visits her lover, Jack in the Green. Jack teaches Lili how to communicate with animals and then blindfolds her before taking her to a stream where unicorns play. When Lili reaches out to touch one of the creatures, Blix shoots it ...

Amazing Stories (1985–1987), an American anthology television series created by Steven Spielberg, originally aired on NBC in the United States from September 29, 1985 to April 10, 1987. During its run, it received nominations for 12 Emmy Awards and won five. One of its first-season episodes, The Amazing Falsworth, even earned writer Mick Garris an Edgar Award for Best Episode in a TV Series. Despite these accolades, the show did not perform well in terms of ratings, placing 40th in Season 1 and 52nd in Season 2. As a result, the network chose not to renew it ...

Ivan Reitman directed the American supernatural comedy film Ghostbusters (1984), which was written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. After their first encounter with a ghost at the New York Public Library, Columbia University parapsychology professors Peter Venkman, Ray Stantz, and Egon Spengler are fired by the university dean due to the lack of credibility in their paranormal research. Undeterred, the trio establishes ‘Ghostbusters’, a service for investigating and eliminating paranormal activity from an ...

Frankenweenie (1984) is an American featurette boasting elements of science fiction, comedy, and horror. Tim Burton directs and co-writes the film with Leonard Ripps. The story follows young Victor Frankenstein, who enjoys making movies with his pet Bull Terrier Sparky. Tragically, Sparky is hit by a car and passes away. However, while learning about electrical impulses in muscles at school, Victor is inspired to use his scientific knowledge to bring his beloved pet back to life. He sets up an intricate lab in his attic and uses lightning to reanimate Sparky. Though ...

Splash (1983) is an American romantic fantasy comedy film directed by Ron Howard. In 1964, eight-year-old Allen Bauer and his family are enjoying a boat tour at Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Fascinated by something below the surface, Allen jumps overboard despite not knowing how to swim. He then comes across a young girl who shares an inexplicable connection with him when they hold hands underwater. However, Allen is eventually rescued and separated from the girl. As no one else saw her, he starts to believe it was all just a near-death hallucination. It’s revealed that the girl actually is a mermaid as the boat pulls ...

A dark fantasy film The Dark Crystal (1982), directed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz, tells the tale of two new races that emerged on the planet Thra a thousand years ago. This occurred after a Shard broke off from the Crystal of Truth. These races are known as the Skeksis, who use the corrupted Crystal to prolong their lives and the gentle Mystics, also known as urRu, who reside in the Valley of Stones, patiently awaiting their fate. UrSu, the leader of the Mystics, adopts Jen, a young Gelfling whose clan was killed by the cruel Skeksis. As the momentous Great Conjunction ...

Vincent (1982) is a stop-motion animated short film, written, designed, and directed by Tim Burton and produced by Rick Heinrichs. However, there are only a few bootleg releases available for individual viewing. The narration is done by the iconic actor Vincent Price, who has been a lifelong idol and source of inspiration for Burton. Their collaboration also continued in Edward Scissorhands. In fact, Price himself ...

Herbie Goes Bananas (1980) is an American adventure comedy film directed by Vincent McEveety and written by Don Tait. Taking place shortly after the Trans-France Race, Pete Stancheck inherits Herbie from his uncle, Jim Douglas. Together with his friend Davy ‘D.J.’ Johns, they journey to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico to retrieve the beloved car. With help from Paco, a mischievous orphaned pickpocket, they locate the car lot. However, due to Paco taking their wallets, they are unable to pay the holding fee and quickly set off in Herbie to find him. Meanwhile, Paco ...

Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo (1977) is an American sports adventure comedy directed by Vincent McEveety and written by Arthur Alsberg and Don Nelson. Protagonist Jim Douglas, accompanied by his partner and mechanic Wheely Applegate, heads to Paris for the chance to participate in the Trans-France Race (a fictional version of the famous Monte Carlo Rally) in hopes of reviving his racing career. The competition includes three formidable opponents: veteran German driver Bruno Von Stickle, French racer Claude Gilbert, and the ...

Herbie Rides Again (1974) is a comedic American film helmed by director Robert Stevenson and written by Bill Walsh, based on a story by Gordon Buford. Alonzo A. Hawk, a well-known real estate mogul and expert in demolition, has plans to construct his latest project, the 130-story Hawk Plaza in San Francisco. However, the only standing structure on the site is the 1892 firehouse currently occupied by Mrs. Steinmetz, the late Fire Captain Steinmetz’s widow and Tennessee Steinmetz’s aunt. Despite multiple attempts ...