On August 9th, Vickie, Kina, Rich and I went to see a fantasy double feature of Labyrinth and The Neverending Story at the Castro Theater. Moral: movies that you once loved as a child are still equally dazzling as an adult. And why? Yes, the bizarre and outlandish characters, are part of it, see Sir Didymus, at right, the fox terrier who believes he is a chivalrous and heroic knight, which is a fine caricature of a creature with delusions of grandeur.
Also fantastic is the fact that puppets create this world of fantasy.
But at its core, these movies take us to a place of make-believe in which fantastical characters would engage our imaginations and sense of play.
In some ways, to relate these films back to consciousness, it's as though they allowed us to believe in an alternate reality. We know talking puppet foxes riding dogs aren't real, but they allow us to suspend our disbelief and invest in these creative Henson imaginings. They are the essence of faith. What do I mean by that?
For some who study consciousness, there is the belief in alternate realities. Like some people believe in aliens. Fantasy films allow people to engage not only their imagination, but their sense of "what if something I can't see really exists?" Something called Blind Faith? Could it be that fantasy and faith are somehow intertwined? I am not suggesting that there are races of puppet people out there who are shaped like Jim Henson creations, but merely allowing for the possibility that perhaps these fantasies, in which foxes can speak, and so forth, I mean-- sorry-- even look at the film Babe. I love that film. Something about talking animals and goblins and other things that talk resonates with people. But why is that? Think about it, and get back to me. Please. I don't think it's a simple a thing as just anthropomorphism.
Remember the quote from Babe that said (and I am paraphrasing here), "Ad the pig knew that in those ideas that nagged, and niggled, and refused to be forgotten, that in them, lie the seeds of destiny."
Have I gone too far out here? Let me know by posting a comment.
