Thursday Movie Picks: Secret Doorways/Worlds

In the 30th week of 2020 for Wandering Through the Shelves' Thursday Movie Picks. We go into the subject of secret doorways/worlds as it involves characters going into the world of fantasy and such that is unique. It’s often a popular idea in the world of fantasy films as it help play into a world that is sort of removed from reality. Here are my three picks:

1. The Phantom Tollbooth

From 1970 in a film that mixed live-action and animation which was ahead of its time is this story of a bored boy who is given a present and it’s a tollbooth as he enters into a hand-drawn animated world. It’s an unusual film yet it is an imaginative one that has this boy meet all of these creatures and such while learning the value of imagination.

2. Labyrinth

From Jim Henson and screenwriter Terry Jones of Monty Python fame is a beloved 80s fantasy film about a teenage girl who wishes to be rid of her infant half-brother only for the wish to come true and not in a good way. The girl would enter this labyrinth to reclaim her brother while meeting all sorts of creatures and Jareth, the Goblin King portrayed by the legendary David Bowie. It’s an incredibly rich film with lots of amazing puppets, gorgeous art direction, a spellbinding performance from Jennifer Connelly, and songs by Bowie.

3. The Secret Garden

Agnieszka Holland’s 1993 adaptation of the film is probably one of the most underrated films of the 1990s as well as a children’s film that needs to be seen more for children. Shot by Roger Deakins and featuring Maggie Smith as Mrs. Medlock, it is this rich film about a young girl who finds a mysterious garden that is full of beauty and wonder. There, she takes her sickly spoiled cousin and another boy to the garden as it brings a new sense of hope and understanding as it’s a film that audiences need to see more.

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