The Princess and the Goblin, Lost in Adaptation ~ Dominic Noble

A comparison of the 1990 animated movie The Princess and the Goblin to the 1872 book it's based on by George MacDonald.
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[@Tadicuslegion78]

See if the Goblins would just accept David Bowie as the once and future King of Goblindom they wouldn't have so many problems.

[@joey1723]

Dance, magic dance...

[@nostalgicarchives9463]

I would honestly blame their problems on when 13 dwarves and a hobbit showed up unannounced and then had their wizard kill their last leader: things haven't been the same since they lost King scrotum beard

[@RhyperiorRanger]

But David Bowie is just a guy with a hand fetish who wants to live a quiet life in the city of Morioh

[@Tadicuslegion78]

@@nostalgicarchives9463 And the fact they've been having some frightfully bad family drama with their cousins the orcs and the Uruk-hai over the Great Goblin's will and the fact that Saruman chap had been doing some very naughty things with them over in Isengard and that there's this weird glowing ranger over in Mordor who's brain washing Uruk kind to serve something called the Bright Lord....And that their very distant relations over in Azeroth can't be bothered and their even more distant relations over in the Warhammer Old World are a bunch of violent crackheads always getting in trouble with the law....that should cover all the fantasy orcs and goblins right?

[@Tadicuslegion78]

@@RhyperiorRanger HERESY! HAHAHAHAHA

[@kendobunny]

Very late, but the follow-up book ("The Princess and Curdie") actually ends on a huge downer. Basically, Curdie and Irene save the kingdom again, their perfect virtue makes everyone realize they're a perfect match, and they marry. But, it is explained that while they vastly improved the lives of their subjects while they lived, they had no children, and after their deaths, the kingdom fell into decay and ruin and so our narrator is the only person left who knows the story, and such is the way of life. It's basically "Ozymandias" for kids.

[@jaegermeister6329]

Dam thats depressing as shit, now i cant watch the movie without thinking about how sad it will all end lol

[@farkasmactavish]

Wow, the author really did believe royals are literally made of magic, huh...

[@highfae]

When you read it, it really isn’t that depressing. Everyone reaps what they sow. The same exact storyline is true of the Lord of the Rings, btw. He just didn’t release the planned sequel because he faced a lot of backlash about it ruining the ‘success’ of Frodo’s journey. However, authors dealing with these themes always are clear about the cyclical nature of those who choose love and those who choose fear- ‘evil’ is always one choice away.

[@farkasmactavish]

@@highfae See, I don't agree with that last bit. I'm a soft determinist, first off, so I believe "free" will is extremely limited. Your behavior is a product of genetics and environment, neither of which you can control. You can learn healthier ways to react to it, for sure, but again, you need to be exposed to those ways in your environment. And I very firmly believe that "evil" isn't real, just an oversimplification of humanity's complex behaviors that we don’t always take the time to actually wonder about. Everybody has equal value, and everybody’s behavior makes sense to them. You just need to try to take their perspective, which is hard.

[@Redrally]

Honestly I'm not surprised by the children acting "perfect" in the book. It was written in the Victorian times and back then, good children were thought of as and encouraged to be patient, quiet, helpful and obedient. As a child, being mischievous or throwing a tantrum would get you caned.

[@bar1scorpio]

To take that a step further, by 3:00 Dom seems well on his way to completely miss the point of the accent, a "real" princess. As opposed to a spoiled brat who just happens to have "Princess" written out in glittery letters on a shirt bought at the mall. The narration seems well aware that not every girl claiming to be, or even called one by others, is genuinely worthy of the title "Princess".

[@miriambarattoniequiclicker6481]

Agreed. A victorian 12 years old miner was practically an adult, having already worked for several years

[@SwiftFoxProductions]

@@bar1scorpio Exactly. It's not a completely unique concept in fiction for a character to be considered a "real" princess by virtue of her behavior/character, rather than simply an official title or wealth. The idea is that without "nobility" (in the true sense of the word), one can not be a "true" princess. "If I am a princess in rags and tatters, I can be a princess inside. It would be easy to be a princess if I were dressed in cloth of gold, but it is a great deal more of a triumph to be one all the time when no one knows it." - Frances Hodgson Burnett (A Little Princess)

[@SwiftFoxProductions]

@ The quote is from the book "A Little Princess" written by Frances Hodgson Burnett (who, also, wrote "The Secret Garden"). It's been adapted into a film a couple of times. I'm, actually, surprised Dom hasn't done a Lost in Adaptation video on it yet! 😳He really should!

[@kittycheshire5099]

@@bar1scorpio Ah yes, the Barbie definition of "princess" I'm kidding. I know that definition of "princess" was used everywhere, from The Princess and the Pea to A Little Princess. It's just whenever I hear about how hard work it is to be a princess and how princesses are supposed to be perfect and hold themselves to a high standard and be kind and compassionate and everything, the song "To Be A Princess" from Princess and the Pauper plays in my head.

[@thequietdreamer2186]

Okay, the “Mixed Messages” commercial was amazing...

[@PS-dm1dq]

I love it when Dom cosplays! 😁

[@johnoneil9188]

"Honey, I need to buy a blonde wig so I can dress up as a rather obscure princess." Very possibly a quote from the every day life in the Noble-Calluna household.

[@Redrally]

*cough* Smith-Calluna

[@flyingkitty67]

I'm guessing they already had the wig on hand. ;)

[@RabblesTheBinx]

@@Redrally **cough** Smith-McDonald Fun fact: Calluna's character name comes from the fact that her first name is Heather. Or, at least, I _assume_ that's the case. If it's not, that's one _hell_ of a coincidence.

[@delcidkidv250]

@@RabblesTheBinx why are you two correcting it?

[@SingingSealRiana]

@@delcidkidv250 the first to be an annoying know it all, the second to disprove it

[@RoninCatholic]

"Curdie, the salary of a King's Guard is higher than your wages as a miner." "In that case, forget the mines! I can support my parents better with this job."

[@immyclara5572]

Nathan Is a Mouse I feel like the first few years whilst you're training probably wouldn't be paid

[@Mailed-Knight]

@@immyclara5572 No but you're next meal is guaranteed.

[@ButterflyScarlet]

@@Mailed-Knight Your next meal is guaranteed meaning you could potentially send food home, and soldiers usually sleep in barracks meaning your parents could use your room for other things

[@Prizzlesticks]

It's okay, he marries her in the sequel novel. ....although, it's not exactly a happy ending...?

[@Mailed-Knight]

@@Prizzlesticks What's the sequel called.

[@TreantBalewood]

Oh mighty algorithm we humbly ask of you to spare this video your wrath

[@Dominic-Noble]

Amen

[@Remoniq]

Sorry, the Llama king said no.

[@bepkororoti8019]

Example interaction

[@KTheorem]

+

[@helenakri7282]

Alas, the unforgiving youtube deity.

[@allymcnally6639]

"addicted to murder" made me literally lol.

[@biancabrooks280]

I cackled. My sister was all “wtf?”

[@lilchristuten7568]

Me too.

[@Daelyah]

Perfection 😂

[@marcusgutierrez9382]

Lol! Dominic saying “great big bushy beard” like a pirate is my everything.

[@Stormkrow280]

Marcus Gutierrez hot fuzz reference

[@piyam5000]

That's a policeman not a pirate

[@DoctorInk20]

Rest in fictional peace, Sgt. Popwell.

[@biancabrooks280]

I cackled.

[@Forgefaerie]

@@Stormkrow280 YES, literally just wanted to cackle and gush over that reference from one of my fave movies, glad that others did as well :D

[@nostalgicarchives9463]

0:53 First: If that many famous authors were inspired by him, then you know he is good Second: The beard will ALWAYS be a game changer in the world of authors

[@quizzicalsphinx]

Oddly, one of MacDonald's other books, The Lost Princess, contradicts the message of "nobility is naturally better" by having the protagonist be a very naughty, spoiled princess stolen away by a wise woman who teaches her how to be a decent person (though it's kind of undone by contrasting her with another equally awful peasant child on whom the lesson doesn't take).

[@BorisCroire]

In general, I think that we need to be wary at how quickly we attribute these "lessons" on the "better" nature of aristocracy to fairy tales -- especially George MacDonald's. Not only are many fairy tales just as likely to illustrate the peasantry as equally or more capable of goodness, but the culture of the time expected good behavior of nobility due to position rather than nature. So when we see the princess being ideal, it isn't necessarily a genetic predisposition, but more likely an expected skill to learn by higher standards. Granted, that higher standard occasionally made them see themselves "better" in their eyes, but by degree, not type. Then, when you take into account George MacDonald's own upbringing and understanding of goodness, he very much applies it to people of all places. In Princess and the Goblin the traditional tropes of fairy land fill the cast of characters, but the goodness of the Princess is matched by Curdie, and their respective fathers match each other too. We can also look at other tales of his such as At the Back of the North Wind wherein the main character is an idealistic good little boy who lives in essential poverty, sleeps in a holey attic above a horse's stall, and is frequently sick, yet is the best of the people around, especially next to the more "rich/noble" characters. George's characters are often impoverished yet idyllic and when they are more typical fairy tale roles, they subvert as much as fulfill expectations of the modern accepted fairy tale tropes. The "lesson" of "nobility is naturally better" is more apt to be a misinterpretation of message due to genre tropes than an intended conclusion. A misinterpretation that needs to be dealt with due to a very real effect, but a differentiation between the intention and the malformed result ought to be made.

[@rickwrites2612]

This. Noblesse Oblige was meant to limit vice in the powerful.

[@Solarn40]

To be fair, apart from a few instances, I wouldn't call the art bad so much as jarring. There are several styles mixed together that really don't fit each other well. For example, the king is drawn in the style of a prominent Hungarian animator at the time, while the goblins are obviously done by someone who usually works on anime.

[@Azmodeus87]

The collaboration part of the production could probably account for that. Different studios with different prefferences handling different parts. Sometimes it can work, but others eeeeh not so much

[@breedlejuice8691]

The water also had a completely different style from either of those! Seemed more abstract, yunno?

[@daredrogers3884]

@@Azmodeus87 So this is basically the film version of one of those reanimated collabs?

[@Florithia]

I never found this movie hard to watch. Lol it was actually one of my favorites as a kid

[@TaikenUchida41]

@@Florithia I remember liking the part where Lootie took a really long fall by tripping on some bed sheets.

[@KatBlaque]

Oh my god, I also have this medieval sounding music in my music library.

[@douglasfreer]

Loved this film as a kid. Yes the animation is weird but the acting makes up for it. Never realized the book was older than Oz.

[@andrewollmann304]

The probable reason Irene is pronounced “Irenie” is because the original Greek form is “Eirene” (Eye-rehn-neh). It means “peace.”

[@chrismanuel9768]

Still weird, because that's neither the British nor American pronunciation of the name, the two biggest markets this movie would have been targeting as an English language child's animation.

[@Snowfoxie1]

I was obsessed with that movie when I was little! My mom _hated_ it. Also, I always love the Sir Terry Pratchett references. GNU

[@eliyahumahler2280]

But is it smoking?

[@JosephDavies]

GNU Terry Pratchett

[@emilymoran9152]

Re. Terry Pratchett reference - he actually has a whole book ('Snuff') in which goblins are a downtrodden magical race, and the police commander character discovers one land owner who is literally enslaving them on his tobacco farm. Makes me wonder if he read this book and had the same thoughts about human-goblin interactions resembling gentrification/colonialism.

[@sorcerersapprentice]

Never knew that. Need to check that book out sometime. But yeah, knowing his other works, I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case.

[@Carewolf]

And surpringly good at working machines.

[@brandonlyon730]

I hope you one day do a lost in adaptation on Black Cauldron/Chronicles of Prydain, that be a very interesting episode.

[@JosephDavies]

I would love to see that.

[@EmphaticNod]

I wouldn't even care if he decided to forget about the adaptation itself and JUST talk about the books. Really, I just want someone to talk about those at length and spread awareness; they really deserve more recognition than they get...

[@JosephDavies]

@@EmphaticNod Absolutely.

[@stephaniewozny3852]

That would be an interesting episode. I've seen other videos going over the history of the production, so adding THAT to the standard movie vs book discussion would be great.

[@JosephDavies]

@@stephaniewozny3852 It would make for a pretty unusual adaptation review due to it borrowing heavily from the second book (with a light sprinkling of elements from later ones). It's a complicated (and messy) adaptation, but I still love the movie. The art is gorgeous. It's a shame what happened to it during production. The book series is absolutely terrific, of course. Highly recommended!

[@neilprice513]

Late 80's/early 90's kids animated films and TV were generally done on a budget of a shoestring and a packet of gum, With the exception of Disney and Warner Brothers animated movies of course. That changed with Batman The Animated Series when companies were shown generally kids animation could be considered art and make money. After Batman: The Animated series showed the way kids animation started getting decent budgets.

[@E44JJ]

The animation vaguely reminds me of the animation used for that Legend of Zelda series except it looks a tad bit better.

[@daredrogers3884]

Get back in the evil jar!

[@Badenhawk]

Well exCUUUUUUZE ME!!!!!

[@patchworkundead4787]

Glad I'm not the only one who saw it

@@patchworkundead4787 nice to see my country acknowledged in something other than:"being neighbours to Dr doom's country".

[@bruhandthemoments7445]

MY BOY

[@kellyannpatin3298]

If Rankin/Bass had gotten a hold of this, we might've had a regular Last Unicorn on our hands. Great work as always Dominic!

[@johnvinals7423]

Jay Ward's "Fractured Fairy Tales" series did a parody of this book where the Goblins are nice.

[@poisonivystar4]

One of the things subtly hinted at in the book was the fact that Irene didn't dismiss Lutie because she didn't have the power. She instead threatened to speak to her father and have him dismiss her instead. (Minor point, but I felt like making it.) Overall, I thought the movie deserved the title "Princess and the Goblin" a lot more than the book since, as you said, there was never just ONE goblin in the book, but the movie did a remarkable job of bringing only a few goblins to the forefront and focusing primarily on them. Also laughed at your "Mixed Messages" commercial, because it totally was. : )

[@miraxraxminr.1520]

Sometimes I wonder who has more dresses the Dom or his girlfriend. He can totally work it though😁

[@PrincessAshley972]

MiraXRaxmi Nr. 15 somehow Caluna doesnt strike me as the type to wear a lot of dresses xD

[@takkycat]

So the boy is a minor miner?

[@phastinemoon]

...You lost me.

[@GoatAndDog]

@@phastinemoon Don't know if you're being sarcastic or not but A word for a child is minor and the in this case works in a mine As people who work there are also called miners hence the joke minor miner

[@phastinemoon]

Goat And Dog It’s a reference. Galaxy Quest. “Could they be the miners?” “Yeah, right? They’re, like, six years old.” “...Miners, not minors.” “...You lost me.”

[@GoatAndDog]

@@phastinemoon Thanks for telling me I have no idea what galaxy quest is so I didn't get the reference

[@takkycat]

Goat And Dog I highly recommend it if you want some fluff sci-fi! Think a parody of Star Trek (particularly the first series!). It also co-stars Alan Rickman (Snape), which is always a plus!!!

[@MogamiKyoko13]

"Look at me! I'm Cersei Lannister! I'm just gonna drink wine on the balcony for two seasons!" 😂

[@novaquartz5049]

The prepaid card was on my VHS too. I stopped because the actress was pretty, but fastforwarded when I found out she was selling me stuff.

[@oldschool3424]

“Get down to the biscuits” is now my new favourite phrase

[@bethanymcmurtrey9542]

So George MacDonald is to literature what Arthur Brown is to rock and roll. Few knew their names, but plenty take inspiration.

[@olessiatchijova8605]

I used to absolutely love the movie when I was little. Ah, the nostalgia 😊

[@porfiriodiazcarrillo7551]

ok, if you wanted to be Cercei Lanister at least you could asked Terrence to be Jamie.

[@erinalvena8404]

I felt like nostalgia slapped me in the face when I saw this notification

[@SupremeViola]

For anyone who's curious, The Princess and the Goblin is available on Project Gutenberg for free!

[@michaeloconnor5904]

Sucks we never got to see Rik Mayall's performance as Peeves. That sounds like it would have been fantastic.

[@MeganKoumori]

That was perfect casting. I want that footage.

[@jintym2951]

OMG! This movie was such a huge part of my childhood! Used to force my Mum to rent it every time we went to the Co-op (yes that's how long ago 😂) xx

[@Mailed-Knight]

Co-op like Video Ezy only American?

[@jintym2951]

@@Mailed-Knight The Co-operative is basically a British all-in-one store chain. In the 90's a small selection of video rentals was 1 of their services (or at least it was in my local store) 😊 xx

[@Mailed-Knight]

@@jintym2951 So not British Video Ezy?

[@jintym2951]

@@Mailed-Knight after quickly Googling Video Ezy I can safely say no 😂 Global Videos would have been the equivalent back in the day (which was ironically right across the road from the Co-op, & where I always picked Basil the Great Mouse Detective... Wow I was a creature of habit 😅) xx

[@Mailed-Knight]

@@jintym2951 Aw isn't that nice I learned a piece of British history and you learned a piece of Australian history. Basil the Great Mouse Detective loved that movie as a kid. Weird dance scene notwithstanding.

[@LittleMissLounge]

"EYE-ree-nee" is another legit way of pronouncing Irene. In fact, that's how you're meant to pronounce Irene Adler's name, but that gets... lost in adaptation.

[@RabblesTheBinx]

Actually, "ī-RĒ-nē" is the _British_ pronunciation of the name (which is why it's often used in adaptations, though others have used the French and German pronunciation, "ē-RĀ-nə"). Since the books and short stories never explicitly state how the name is to be pronounced, the logical and correct pronunciation of Adler's first name _should_ be the American pronunciation of "ī-RĒN", since she's from New Jersey.

[@lmallia6719]

Hearing the director's name *laughs in Magyar*. Unfortunatley Hungarian is just one of those languages where it's really hard for english-speakers to guess the pronounciation. I should know; I've been trying to learn the language for a while.

[@ShadowACS1]

Never heard of this one. Definitely looks like an early inspiration for what would later become the fantasy genre. I'm sure that if Disney had picked up this story during their renaissance in the early 90's, they would've done a far superior job with it.

[@hitsujikumasheepbear967]

I think the animations - as in the movements - are actually really good! It is the overall character design, which makes it somewhat scary looking, in my opinion. In a non moving medium, I think it would give a different impression.

[@aprettygothichick]

I absolutely LOVED this movie as a kid! I still watch it every once in a while.

[@cerberus144]

It flopped so hard in the US that unlike other similar animated films, I've never even HEARD of this before today.

[@lockretvids]

The pronunciation of the director is: /jo:ʒef ge:meʃ/ About the animation, I'm reminded of the Hungarian animation style, so maybe that was more prevalent.

[@OreoBrawl]

HOW DARE THIS RESURFACE FROM MY CHILDHOOD!!!!

[@rachelranderson]

I'm so excited you decided to do this movie/book! I remember the "Irine's Grandmother" commercial in the beginning, but it wasn't until I was older that I understood what a phone card was. I thought it was like those 800 numbers you called to "talk" to cartoon characters back in the day.

[@brittanywetherill472]

I would add that oddly, the sequel to the book, "Princess and Curdie" is so much better. There are themes about choosing to be a good person no matter your station in life- and it is one of my favorites. :)

[@Robi-Chaud]

You left out the best part of the phone card commercial. The card didn't work. At all. So spend your money on this phone card to contact your parents if you get lost.....and then find out that it's a total scam

[@robertgronewold3326]

Mine worked, though it was my mother who used the minutes to call from a payphone once.

[@Robi-Chaud]

@@robertgronewold3326 You must have been one of the lucky ones

[@kouusa]

I never got one of them so I never realized that was a problem. How did you find out it was that bad?

[@Whooachannel]

I never had the card myself but I've heard from many many others that their cards worked just fine, many would even spend their cards money on talking to the characters so much they never had any left when they needed to call their parents. More likely you got a dud.

[@aliendroid666]

I remember this movie! Didn't know it was a book.

[@JustAnotherPerson4U]

I loved this as a child. I watched this over and over again and have waited for this forever! I kind of agree about the animation. Not the best out there although the backgrounds are really pretty. I think they're watercoloured. The main thing that kept me coming back was Curdies song which when I was a nipper I could not find on youtube. *grandparent voice* Because you see, there was no youtube back then. At least not as we have it now. But yeah, I never noticed when I was young that they were saying Irene it sounded like Ireney... wait, I'm just a dumb person. I read the book years later and it was quite cool actually how involved Irene is with the plot not just by being a princess to kidnap but how she actively tries to help Curdie and does venture out. So, I enjoy both versions in their respective worlds. It's in the sequel book where she becomes a bit more... shall we say, useless.

[@ashleyhudson8253]

wait there's a sequel? also I never knew this movie was based on a book.

[@JustAnotherPerson4U]

@@ashleyhudson8253 yeah, the sequel is called The Princess and Curdie and is set years later. The king and Irene have gone off to another town for political reasons and Curdie heads off and ends up at the same place for a reason I forget. It's basically Curdie fighting against corrupt officials and lords. I say Irene's useless in the second book. It's not by way of her not doing anything. Her character is just mostly useless cos the book is almost exclusively focused on Curdie.

[@bookshelfhoney]

I was so scared of this movie when I saw it as a kid, I think I was maybe 4 or 5, I remember being terrified that there were goblins living in my basement or outside my house!

[@GriffinPilgrim]

Quite a few fairy tales seem to end in murder and/or genocide.

[@NotSpecialDude]

Goblin Slayer wants to know your location.

[@Formoka]

Thank you for the Hot Fuzz reference. I appreciate it.

[@eldorados_lost_searcher]

A GREAT BUSHY BEARD!

[@bar1scorpio]

It was done for.. the greater good.

[@imjustdandy9799]

Wow, they really went all out coding the goblins by giving them lighter palms...

[@Salotl]

YEAAAAAH... I’m surprised that wasn’t pointed out because some of them were Real Uncomfortable caricatures. Like.... yikes.

[@legzfalloffgirl5148]

Okay... I kinda wish you'd kept the wig on😻😻😻

[@CaladonianQueen]

I know right!💖💖💖

[@tinahawley320]

Thank you for including your bloopers. They're always hilarious!

[@josiebenitez9411]

Lol i love it when dominic "dresses in drag and does the hula"

[@eldorados_lost_searcher]

Luau!

[@ilonanispen24]

I love this movie! Its one of my favourite movies of all time! And prince froglip is my most beloved and most favourite character of all time! I love your froglip impression its so amazingly funny and awesome I cant tell you enough how much i love it and how talented you are for being able to do that so well! I disagree about the animation its very flowing and detailed especially the backgrounds. Honestly i dont think there will ever be a better adaptation of the fairytale i think the designs of the goblins are brilliant especially froglips design and i love the song a spark inside us.

[@Vaati1992]

I hadn't heard of either the book or the movie, so thanks for introducing both to me.

[@charleston1789]

Your frequent references to Blackadder, Red Dwarf, and other such greats (and staples of my youth) bring me nothing but joy! Thank you The Dom you fabulous human being x

[@hollygeisinger8783]

I love that you covered this! I was a big fan of the film as a kid. I even wrote an embarrassing fanfiction cross over between it and Harry Potter, trading the goblins for dementors. I read both novels. I highly recommend the sequel. There is a cursed creature in it named Lina, who stole my heart as a little girl. Thank you for covering this classic.

[@nobledamask]

I think can see where C.S. Lewis took some inspiration from this. The goblins in this give me some big Silver Chair vibes. Also, the llama king bit felt very Filmcow. Caaaarl, that keeps people from becoming Patrons!

[@CaladonianQueen]

Wonderful vid as always Dominic. And you look incredibly beautiful in a long flowing wig and flower crown.💖

[@EmilyExplosion27]

That calling card commercial is such a key part of my childhood. I mean, I watched this video multiple times a week. It was in constant circulation with The Last Unicorn and The Wild Swans/The Snow Queen.

[@orly2me]

I remember finding this movie again in college and seeking out the book. While Curdie is 12 years old and most of the miners already see him as their next town leader/mayor, super clever and wise and capable, Irene is supposed to be 4-6 YEARS OLD! And they make a point that there will be a relationship between these two in the future. But the kingdom falls apart after their kids are grown, so it’s an existential story where the legend of the people of the kingdom are forgotten to history, and Irene’s purity and Curdie’s perfectness were for nothing. Nice bedtime story

[@AllWIllFall2Me]

Oof, you aren't kidding, this is much worse looking than I remember it being.

[@blackkitty369]

mee too and I watched it like crazy as a kid!

[@starbird3939]

Yeah. Holy shot the animation is baaaaad

[@Japaneseanimeguy]

I've seen worse.

[@phastinemoon]

It's very uneven -- like, some shots look nice, and there's places where it looks perfectly acceptable, until it shifts to the next frame and then suddenly AUGH! It felt like they had good designs and storyboards, intending to hand it over to Rankin-Bass or some people from Studio Ghibli... and then the budget fell through and they scrambled to find even remotely competent animators.

[@PS-dm1dq]

This is probably just pure nostalgia talking, but I always found the animation kind of charming.

[@sebastiangreenan1774]

"Great sketch Dom, now take off that wig." "Yes take off that wig, not put on my bald cap"

[@winterrose7094]

I loved this movie growing up. One of my friends and I appear to be the only kids that grew up watching this and we are so disappointed that so few people know about it, and George MacDonald. Glad you did this one.

[@whateverworks3383]

This was one of my FAVORITE movies when I was a kid!

[@idiotfiend4584]

We need a full 'Too Sexy' Dominic cover

[@NarutovsLuffyGirl]

I've been waiting so long for this episode! I've seen the movie and the book (the sequel's ending is pretty messed up), and your parody of the magic phone card was spot on.

[@Olivia-jw5sd]

As someone who sucks at talking, I really appreciate when you include your bloopers lol I make the same noises when I flub a word

[@avosmash2121]

Im so happy you did this. The film was my whole childhood. The book was um. Interesting. It has passages that made my eyebrows crease. And the personal life of the author is um. Well. Yeah.

[@horseenthusiast1250]

Oh nice, I was just wondering what video to watch and this popped up! Thanks, Dom!

[@troublesomezorua]

I always liked the movie but was also a bit disappointed. From the title and trailer, for some reason, I had assumed that the princess and goblin prince were going to end up falling in love and uniting their kingdoms. I liked the movie but preferred my version. Maybe that's why I liked Strange Magic so much. It was pretty much how I imagined this movie going down when I was little. I also had no idea the book was that old. Also I just have to mention that (as someone not fond of hot or bright weather) I still refer to hot temperature obsessed newscasters (of which we have many here) as "sun people". I still mix up the Goblin Queen from this with Gnorga from A Troll In Central Park.

[@lilchristuten7568]

Maybe because they both enjoy being evil?

[@cindybenforever7647]

This reminds me of a story I wrote in my sixth grade English class. (This is a bit different from the original version as we had a limit of 130 words and some explanations to stupid things I wrote) In the beginning, there was a large civil war were people who tried to rebel against the new king, as he is tyrannical and corrupt. Unsurprisingly, an army of average commoners couldn't hold up against trained knights and their towns were burnt to the ground. Lilian's mother is killed by the king. So, at the age of twelve, she escapes and starts to work at a marquis' home and gradually builds up her rank. During her stay there she befriends an old woman but gets creeped out by her when she starts calling her witch and chasing her out of her home. After, managing to convince her employers to give her a letter of recommendation to work in the castle she gets a job as a middle-ranking maid. There a romance blossoms between her and the king's son. She is unaware of this and becomes enamoured with him. She finds out he's the prince one night after working as a server when one of the maids was ill. This brings a drift into their relationship. They do work this out, however, this starts to bring her idea of getting revenge into question. In the end, she decides to kill the king by replacing the server and poisoning his food. However, the king feeling ill decides not to eat. Knowing that after this her scheme would be found out she takes a knife from the table and plans to stab him to death. However, during this, the necklace from her mother shatters and stops her from killing the king, as she doesn't want her daughter to become a murderer. Soon, thereafter Lilian is hung. The prince feels betrayed by Lilian as the past of the king in history books he is told to be a hero. His father dies a few years later from an illness. The prince rises to the role of the king and starts to realise the corruption and tyranny of his father, but he stays in denial that his father was a murderer in the past. Finally, he falls into a depression after he learns that the past of his father from the same old lady that Lilian became friends with. He turns the kingdom that was once ruled in tyranny into a happy place filled with peace. Every day he laments on his past love. In order to have a ruler, he adopts a child and dies once his son is able to take over the throne. I plan to rewrite the story and naturally, of course, change the ending. The plot will stay similar, it will just be a lot better. If you want to read it, it'll be published on Wattpad under the name: The Golden Brooch: Lady and Prince. (Still working on the name)

[@KenjuKizawa]

You too??? I mixed those movies up in my head. I remember seeing this but oof the details are fuzzy. And god is this movie ugly.

[@shayshay513]

If you want a movie like that check out strange magic!

[@KarmaNeverTouches]

I grew up with this movie. It's still a childhood favorite. I don't know why but it just hits a calming button for me.

[@milkiecookies4788]

God this was my FAVOURITE FILM growing up I’ve never known anyone else whose watched, you don’t even know how happy I am to see this lol

[@Balagergo]

I know it's really not important, but if anyone's interested József Gémes should be pronounced more as "Yoh-sheph Gay-mesh" (ˈjoːʒɛf ˈɡeːmɛʃ). Also, another irrelevant fun fact, Hungarians order names in reverse, so the guy was actually called Gémes József.

[@littlearies3862]

Like how the Japanese put their "last name" in front of their "first name?'

[@Balagergo]

Yup, just like that!

[@axeltenveils6816]

Calling her Irenee, is probably more correct as the name started from the Greek Word for peace. Unless there are other roots that could create such a name.

[@ariesdelbosque3268]

Omg this is a movie is a movie I forgot i even forgot about. I most definitely owned the vhs with the phonecard commercial! I LOVED this movie. Watched it so many times

[@rachelporter-chastain6067]

I saw this movie when I was a kid and I loved it. I watched it so many times. And I remember seeing that commercial. 😂

[@JackedThor-so]

OMG I actually watched that movie on KZbin when I was younger - before copyright really became a thing.

[@miao2572]

Reminds of the Legend of Zelda CD Rom games. Nice dress by the way

[@Whooachannel]

This was one of my favorite movies growing up

[@cadv7723]

this was my MAJOR childhood movie- like- i watched this movie 24/7. i recently watched it again, and realized how i liked it so much- mainly the wacky designs and such. because i was like 6 or so-

[@DoctorInk20]

I recall seeing this in a old video shop back when I was little. I wisely chose to rent Duckula instead. 😆

[@francesconicoletti2547]

Do we think that Sir Terry was kicking shit out of this book in particular when he wrote Snuff ? The country estate with the mysterious goblin tunnels. Or was he going after the tropes the book was part of ?

[@cadydenning-kras2907]

Omg I loved this movie as a child.

[@IlNeige]

This is one of those movies where I feel like I watched it a ton as a kid, but only retained a handful of random plot points. Like “hey, the Queen’s shoes,”’ was just freshly unearthed in my memory.

[@LordOdor]

Another thing I wanted to comment on. I saw an argument in the comments about if the goblins stood for racism, because it was a racist time vs dragging an innocent tale through the mud. Alright, here is the thing: Discussing this is great. Arguing about it is like arguing about wheter there is a god. There are no proofs, just indicators that must be interpreted through an entirely subjective lense, or, even better, a set of different subjective lenses. See, I'm an author. In my experience I write a story first, then I'm amazed at what deep levels of meaning can spring from it. For example, I'm writing a book in which one of the characters is a werewolf. I draw from my well of experiences and to me, his struggle to keep the beast in check is eerily similar to my own battle against chronic depression and the strain it puts on my loved ones. A reader might be convinced it is an allegory for alcoholism. Another one the destructive instincts dwelling in all of us, another one it is silly for the character to feel guilty at all, cause it wasn't his fault he got bitten in the first place. In truth, the werewolf was never intended to be a perfect allegory for depression. After all, I never hurt anyone in my suffering - they are suffering because they love me and it makes them sad and helpless to watch me. Writing a story that says 'mentally ill people are dangerous and should be chained up during an episode' is a horrible message! But I had people in my life who basically said that. And those might feel validated by my text. I didn't make it that way, just as I didn't set out to write an allegory for alcoholism. But none of those interpretations are invalid. It's the beauty of art. It evokes emotion and thought. None of them are intrinsically in the words, they are a product of the art plus everything the reader brings to the table. Just because the feelings of guilt and struggle I drew from to create it came from depression that doesn't make it a metaphor for depression. Guilt and internal struggle are universal. Everyone knows them and will compare them to something that has meaning to themselves. It then becomes a metaphor. Sure, some works of art are explicitly intended as a metaphor, but guess what - someone will find a whole different meaning in it and their emotions are just as valid and important. The experiences of the author cannot be replicated. The emotions and thoughts a book envokes must be able to stand on their own or it will fade and blur and be forgotten. Some simple stories can stick with us over millenia, because they illustrate concepts that are simple and universal. What do I want to say in the end? I am a little tired of seeing people get mad at each other about what this or that part of a story means or doesn't mean. As it is, a goblin is just a goblin, a werewolf is just a werewolf and the one ring is just a magic ring. But just as the author didn't pluck the words from the aether, innocent as fresh snow with no meaning apart from the literal, no story is ever "just a story". But unless you specifically ask the author, you don't know what went on in their mind at the time and even if they tell you, they don't know what went on in their subconscious and what they might have been working through at the time. And from my point of view, as one of those storytellers, it doesn't matter what went on in my head while I wrote it. It will never ever be the same as what goes through your head when you read it. It won't even be the same as what comes up when you read it again two years later. So, as it is with all good discussions, you are both right. But none of you has any claim to objective truth. What we get from a piece of art first and foremost tells us something about ourselves and, if we listen, about each other. It's beautiful. Don't get mad at someone for disagreeing. And feel free to disagree with me. ; )

[@manicpixiefangirl4189]

Any goblins that are not Hobbit-related I immediately assume are under David Bowie’s command.

[@helenl3193]

But then they'd surely not have any problems with singing/musical numbers?

[@helenl3193]

Sorry... It's a good system, other than that! :)

[@raye-raphaelsashay8521]

I was so happy to see this video, both the book and the movie are absolutely my childhood. Nothing hits my nostalgia buttons more than that getting-rid-of-some-goblins-song.

[@snakesonaplanerox]

We used to read this book every summer when we visited my great aunt. It was perfect for holing up in her cabin in the woods and then going for our own adventures!

[@sabrinaloizides-merideth9874]

I clicked on this so fast! Also, great Hot Fuzz reference!

[@michellee1190]

Had to pause the video after the Hot Fuzz reference. Can’t stop laughing! Lololololololololol!

[@alexandracaldas5629]

I loved this movie as a kid and have been a huge fan of this channel for ages. How did I miss this?!

[@cooperminion825]

I loved this movie as a kid! I used to watch it all the time. I just wish it had more popularity tho

[@jaegermeister6329]

true but thats why they call them unknown gems haha

[@stefanfilipovits21]

Check out Falling Angel by William Hjortsberg and it’s film adaptation Angel Heart. It’s supernatural noir, think Chinatown meets Rosemary’s Baby.

[@GoatAndDog]

I drop everything when I see when I see a notification from Dominic and I do mean that. --(unfortunately I'm a brain surgeon 😂)-- *Edit* "a great big bushy beard" I love the Hot Fuzz reference

[@klisterklister2367]

I know I have watched this movie, but I can't for the life of me remember the plot as you re-tell it. It feels like watching a childhood dream you only remember tiny shards of.

[@neuroticheroine]

The bloopers gave me a good giggle, thanks for that!