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Learn moreIn February 2026, the film "The King and the Jester. Forever" will be released, continuing the story of the series of the same name. In this fantasy adventure, the main characters, Gorshok and Knyaz, join forces to save a magical world from an evil Necromancer. Director Rustam Mosafir notes that the film's script is an independent story, accessible to every viewer, even those unfamiliar with the creation of this fairytale world by Mikhail Gorshenev and Andrey Knyazev. The question of why the dead and living characters cannot meet in this magical universe, full of dark wonders, becomes central to the plot.
This approach will undoubtedly resonate with a young audience raised on fan fiction—original stories about characters and universes created by other authors. However, the question remains as to how well these viewers will understand the film language of "The King and the Jester. Forever." Rustam Mosafir draws on the fantasy genre of the 1980s, when computer technology was just beginning to develop. Back then, dragons were created from metal and fur, and the entire world was housed in a studio. The atmosphere was created through the often absurd combination of the everyday with the horrific, the sublime with the disgusting.
It is unknown how exactly these techniques will be perceived in modern cinema. Nevertheless, the film "The King and the Jester. Forever" should be prepared, especially for those who grew up with more recent aesthetic trends that emerged thanks to the development of computer graphics. Film journalist Klara Khomenko has compiled a list of eight films that Rustam Mosafir cites as sources of inspiration.
The Stork Caliph
0+
Year of release: 1981
The director of this work is Valery Ugarov.
Some Soviet animated films are not recommended for bedtime viewing, and Valery Ugarov's "Khalif-Aist" is a prime example. Ugarov began his career at Soyuzmultfilm as an artist, working on the well-known animated series "Well, Just You Wait!", but his debut as a director, the cartoon "Razgrom," which was included in the anthology "Veselaya Karusel," turned out to be completely different from the typical style of that era. In this work, images flow seamlessly into one another, the space constantly transforms, and the characters engage in strange behavior—for example, a hippopotamus voraciously devouring a piano.
Ugarov's filming style evokes a variety of reactions. The four-part children's action film "At the Back of the Classroom" provides viewers with a wealth of positive emotions. Meanwhile, "The Stork Caliph" creates a sense of discomfort. By the middle of the plot, which concerns a caliph bored by his position and who finds himself in the body of a stork thanks to the intervention of a sorcerer and a vizier, the cartoon gradually veers into true body horror territory. The film reaches its peak fear when the terrifying creatures drag the mortally frightened crocodile to the sorcerer: here the grotesque is so closely intertwined with the absurd that even adult viewers begin to feel that reality is slipping out of control.
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Labyrinth
16+
Year of release: 1986
Directed by Jim Henson.
Starring: David Bowie and Jennifer Connelly.
The tale of a girl trying to rescue her brother from the clutches of the Goblin King did not immediately gain cult status. The film was a box office failure, failing to earn even half of its $25 million budget, and faced widespread critical acclaim. Many reviewers struggled to understand how it was possible to combine elements of a musical, fantasy, and a coming-of-age drama. However, today, "Labyrinth" has become a shining example of how a magnificent film can be created using only a soundstage filled with 120 trucks loaded with branches instead of CGI.
Labyrinth director and Muppet Show creator Jim Henson poured everything he had into this project, with more than half the characters being amazing monstrous puppets. They were controlled in the most unusual ways. For example, the cowardly goblin Hogle's facial expressions were driven by eighteen motors, and each part of his face was controlled by separate performers who had to learn to act in perfect synchronization. Meanwhile, the colossal giant guarding the entrance to the goblin kingdom could be controlled by just one puppeteer: his body, reaching four and a half meters in height, weighed several tons, and required a crane to move him.
The only thing created with computer graphics in Labyrinth was the scene of the Goblin King's owl-like transformation in flight. David Bowie, who played this role, became not only the central figure of the film but also a kind of symbol. Jim Henson spent two years trying to persuade him to take part in the project before Bowie agreed to read the script. However, when he finally did, he was so captivated that he wrote five songs specifically for the film, which later became real hits. Thus, the Necromancer, who looks like a glam rock icon, appeared in The King and the Clown. Forever" precisely because of his participation in "Labyrinth".
The NeverEnding Story
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Year of release: 1984
The director of this work is Wolfgang Petersen.
The film stars: Barrett Oliver, Gerald McRaney, Drum Garrett and Darryl Cooksey.
A striking example of the inventiveness of cinema before the era of computer special effects is the film adaptation of Michael Ende's fairy tale. This work was carried out in the largest pavilion in Western Europe, located in Germany, where director Wolfgang Petersen, together with his team, created a truly unique world. Today, three decades later, only James Cameron can offer something similar in level of detail, but he has modern computer technology at his disposal. While Petersen had nothing but the desire to bring his wildest fantasies to life on screen, he had to use only the means at his disposal.
One of the film's key characters was a dragon named Falkor, with the head of a dog and a 15-meter-long craftsmanship of aircraft steel. This mechanism consisted of 16 moving parts, including its head, which weighed 100 kilograms. Filming Bastian's flight on Falkor's back required a full crew of cameramen and specialized equipment. However, when the dragon took to the air on its own, the process was significantly simplified: for these scenes, Petersen used a precise miniature of a large dragon, no more than half a meter long. A similar technique was used with the enormous tortoise Morla: three puppets were created for various scenes, the largest of which reached 15 meters, while the smallest was only 50 centimeters.
It's worth noting that Michael Ende, author of the famous Bastian and the magical land of Fantasia series, ultimately filed a lawsuit against the film adaptation's creators. He claimed the film distorted his fictional world and demanded a ban on its release. Ultimately, he only managed to remove his name from the end credits. The writer was partly right: the adaptation's script turned out to be significantly simplified and less profound than the original work. However, this children's film has a powerful impact, including incredibly dramatic moments involving death, loss, and choice.
The Dark Crystal
12+
Year of release: 1982
The directors of this project Jim Henson and Frank Oz performed.
This production features: Jim Henson, Kathryn Mullen, Frank Oz, and Dave Goelz.
Unlike Labyrinth, where the main characters are people, Jim Henson's The Dark Crystal features exclusively puppets. This makes the film unique, as there has never been a similar work in which all the characters are so different from the audience. Henson, inspired by the works of Tolkien and Lewis, which accompanied him in his childhood, created his own magical world. In this world, mountains can move, each race has its own language, and the Crystal, defiled by evil and crime, needs to be cleansed, which can be carried out by a good Gelfling boy.
The plot of The Dark Crystal generally corresponds to the classic narrative model of the Chosen One, called upon to save the world. However, even upon repeated viewing, for the twentieth time, this timeless story leaves the viewer completely delighted by the boundless imagination and amazing skill of Jim Henson and his team. The puppets in the film do not just smile or move; They are alive: their breathing, blinking, and changing facial expressions are astonishing even when they are simply in the frame. This is a truly magical work of art, created before the age of computer graphics, and it will likely be difficult to reproduce its like. "The Dark Crystal" is a clear example of how the impossible becomes possible if you are passionate about creating something unique in the world of cinema.
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Conan the Barbarian
18+
Year of release: 1982
The director of this work is John Milius.
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Max von Sydow, and Gerry Lopez.
Attitudes toward Robert E. Howard's works about Conan the Cimmerian can vary widely, but one significant advantage should be noted: Conan is not the chosen one. He is simply a wild man who independently overcame the difficult path from mercenary to emperor. In this regard, John Milius's film, released at the time, turned out to be more original in plot than many other films built on the classic template of a hero destined to save the world from dark forces, a fate foretold in prophecy. Conan's adventures are not just a quest, but a quest for revenge. The protagonist, a man of few virtues, pursues the man who killed his mother and ultimately becomes embroiled in events with global consequences.
While some scenes in Conan the Barbarian were filmed on a soundstage, a significant portion of the scenes were shot outdoors using specially constructed sets. These locations were expensive to create, so scale models were constructed for several locations, which were then filmed close-up to create the illusion of life-size. This solution proved highly successful, as in the scene where Arnold Schwarzenegger, for whom the role of Conan was a significant career step, rips out the throat of a vulture. In reality, it was a puppet constructed from parts of a real bird, and the actor clearly disliked the process of having to put it in his mouth.
Schwarzenegger faced significant challenges during filming, caused by the scorching sun, an unusual work schedule, explicit scenes, and the fact that not everyone understood his German-accented English. Furthermore, the actor was attacked by a dog, receiving several bites. When Schwarzenegger complained of his suffering, Milius patted him on the shoulder and said, "All this will be forgotten, the pain will go away—and the film will remain." The director was an ardent admirer of Nietzsche, and his famous quote was included in the film's credits: "Whatever does not kill us makes us stronger." After the triumph of Conan the Barbarian, this phrase became especially popular among millions of boys who dreamed of imitating their favorite hero.
Legend
12+
Year of release: 1985
Director: Ridley Scott
Starring: Tom Cruise, Mia Sara and Tim Curry.
One of the most amazing and at the same time sad examples in the world of fantasy is a film that, like many of its "neighbors", went from a box office failure to gaining the status of a cult work. This was already the second work of Ridley Scott in a row, which did not live up to the expectations of both audiences and critics: before creating "Legend", he released "Blade Runner". Scott sought to create new, unique universes, but they turned out to be not entirely comfortable for the public. Nevertheless, "Legend" was still sold on VHS and watched over and over again, as it possessed many appealing elements: the romance between the charming characters played by Tom Cruise and Mia Sara, the ominous atmosphere of a dying world, and the touching scene of the unicorn's death, which left viewers deeply shaken.
This film used no puppets or animatronics—all transformations were achieved with makeup. Tim Curry, who played Darkness, spent five hours a day in the makeup chair, after which he transformed into a demon with a red, angular face and enormous horns made of lightweight metal. The rest of the crew had it a little easier: their makeup application took about three hours. However, they then had to spend the entire day on set, which was also no easy task. For example, Robert Picardo, who played the swamp monster, had to wear a prosthetic face and remain underwater in filthy water, holding his breath until the director gave the signal.
Tom Cruise also had to dive into the water, although outdoors, not on a soundstage where the magical forest was filmed. This was one of the few scenes shot on location, and it took place in Florida, forcing Cruise to jump into the water, waking up the local crocodiles. As a result of all these tests, the film was two hours long—too long for a film aimed at a family audience. So Scott decided to cut 20 minutes, but later admitted that this negatively affected the quality of the film. Fortunately, the director's cut, running 113 minutes, exists; it is highly recommended.
The Black Cauldron
12+
Year of release: 1985
The directors of this project are Ted Berman and Richard Rich.
Disney Studios once found itself on the verge of creating an R-rated fantasy cartoon, but the project ended in such a failure that its release on VHS was postponed for three whole years. It all began with ambitious plans to tap into a new market segment: fantasy was rapidly gaining popularity, especially among teenagers. As a result, the studio decided to acquire the rights to adapt Lloyd Alexander's The Chronicles of Prydain, intending to combine them into a single cartoon and give it a darker tone, which was considered relevant at the time. What could go wrong?
Disney was faced with such a shocking story that during the first screening, children screamed in horror and adults felt extremely uncomfortable. After heartwarming cartoons about princesses and funny talking animals, to see people's skin peeling off, covered in pustules and writhing in agony, blood gushing from a cauldron and an army of the dead rising on screen... Meanwhile, The Black Cauldron had already been reduced to a PG rating. The film was sent back for re-editing, and its premiere was pushed back to the summer of 1985, where it was subsequently eclipsed by Back to the Future.
What might The Black Cauldron have been like if the studio had retained the original vision of a young Tim Burton, who worked on the project in the early stages of development? What would the film have been like if numerous scenes crucial to the logical structure of the plot had not been deleted? These questions, alas, will never be answered. Nevertheless, even in its current version, The Black Cauldron leaves a significant impression and serves as a reflection of a time when the genre was at the peak of its popularity.
Willow
12+
Year of release: 1988
Director: Ron Howard
Starring: Val Kilmer, Warwick Davis, Jean Marsh.
Dwarfs could often be seen in science fiction films of the 80s, but viewers could rarely see their faces, since most of the actors were wrapped in suits. One such actor was Warwick Davis, who participated in the extras on the set of George Lucas's Star Wars. One day, he had the opportunity to replace his ill colleague Kenny Baker, who played the role of R2-D2, and his performance made a great impression on everyone present on the set. The screenplay for the film was written by George Lucas, and Ron Howard took the director's chair. Thus was born "Willow"—a fairy tale about a young wizard named Willow who, after accidentally finding a baby, finds himself caught up in a thrilling adventure to save the world. "Willow" stands out among other fantasy films of the time thanks to its unconventional approach to production. First of all, the film features 220 real dwarfs, including many actors who later became famous. Secondly, instead of traditional sound stages, filming took place in various parts of the world—from New Zealand to China. This means the film features significantly more real locations than artificial ones. Finally, it's worth noting that the film doesn't feature many animatronic puppets. The scenes where people transform into animals proved too complex for puppetry, so they were hand-drawn and further enhanced with computer animation, a groundbreaking development at the time. Ultimately, Willow achieved commercial success, similar to Conan the Barbarian, though not to the point that Lucas considered a sequel. The world he created with screenwriter Bob Dolman later found its way into literature: first, a novel was published, incorporating many ideas and scenes that didn't make it into the final cut, followed by a whole series of books entitled Chronicle of the Shadow War. 34 years later, Disney, with Howard as an executive producer, released the series "Willow," which develops the storylines of the original film: the girl Willow saved has grown up and taken the throne, and now she needs help for her daughter.
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