I love to talk with people about their favorite movies and what they mean. It is always so fun to gush over favorite characters or movie scores. However, it seems that every time I bring up a movie that I loved as a kid, no one ever seems to know them. I didn’t originally think that my movie tastes were that different from everybody else. I loved Scooby Doo and the Barbie movies as much as the next person, but they didn’t stick out to me as some of the objectively niche movies of my childhood. Therefore, I have compiled a list of some of my favorite movies from my childhood that no one seems to know about.
Ferngully: The Last Rainforest
If I could equate this movie to anything that was a bit more well known, I would say this movie is the rainforest version of The Lorax. This movie from 1992 is a mix of fantasy and real world conservation. In this Australian rainforest, there are fairies that live in and take care of it. You meet many different characters spanning from fairies, to humans, to animals. The rainforest is exceptionally peaceful until humans come with large metal machinery to cut down the trees for lumber. The humans aren’t the only antagonist as the main villain comes in the form of talking, singing, plume of smoke (which has one of the best songs in the entire movie in my opinion).It is now the main character, Crysta the fairy’s job to stop the logging company and save the rainforest.This movie has the amazing voices of Robin Williams and Tim Curry that add a familiarity to the otherwise quirky characters. It is a movie filled with catchy music and pondering life lessons about forest conservation and consumption.Â
Eragon
For anyone who enjoyed Narnia or Lord of the Rings, the movie Eragon is another epic fantasy. It is the story of a boy named Eragon who finds an egg that eventually hatches into a dragon. Eragon raises the dragon and then sets off to defeat the evil ruler Galbatorix and restore peace to his homeland. I will be honest and say that this movie did not get very good reviews. The movie was originally a book with the same name and fans did not believe that the movie did not live up to the hype. I, however, was mesmerized by this story and the visuals. I remember watching Eragon as a child and immediately wanting to ride a dragon and fight the forces of evil. I never read the book which may be why I loved the movies as much as I did, but I believe it is a great starter fantasy movie.
Bedknobs and Broomsticks
I scoured the internet to find this movie from my childhood and it did take a little research to find the full movie. Bedknobs and Broomsticks is the story of three children who were sent away during World War 2 and the student witch who takes them in. Miss Eglantine Price is studying to become a witch and it isn’t long after she takes in the three children that she discovers that a very powerful spell is missing from her spellbook. With a magic bedknob that travels between places as well as the help of the head of the witchcraft school Miss Price attends, Eglantine Price and the three children search for the missing pages to stop the Nazis from invading their home. The music in this movie is similar to the classics of Mary Poppins with that old disney magic. Released in 1979, Bedknobs and Broomsticks has both live action and animated elements separating this movie from others of its time. For a lighthearted and magical singalong, I would highly recommend this movie for your next watch.
Mama
This movie is a very different kind of movie than the others on this list. I wouldn’t necessarily call it a horror movie; it is more like a paranormal thriller. The story is about two young girls that were taken by their father to a cabin deep in the woods. The father plans to kill the two children and just as he is about to, a vengeful spirit kills the father to protect them. The spirit, referred to by the two girls as “Mama” takes care of them in the forest cabin. The main part of the story takes place a couple years later when the girls are found by police and given to a couple to take care of. The two young girls, who have been living in the woods, are seen as feral and need to be integrated into society. However, Mama grows angry at her children being taken away from her and begins to haunt the couple. This movie is a dark twist on a coming of age movie and shows how the little girls grow to no longer need mama as well as adapt to human society. Even though this movie is seen as a scary ghost story, I found it to be incredibly heartwarming and I felt bad for Mama throughout the movie. I would say this is a great first scary movie for beginners that has many other elements besides horror.
These movies made up my childhood and I honestly get kind of sad when I realize there is no one to talk to about them because they’ve never heard of them. If you have ever watched these movies or have heard of them, I would love to have a conversation on what you enjoyed about them and give you more interesting recommendations. If you have never heard of them, I have just given you several movies to add to your watch list. You’re Welcome!