Legend

Horrorphile

follow this blog

1064 followers

1147 daily readers

rank of 1

E-mail Subscription

Receive an e-mail notification of new posts on this site:

Legend

September 10th 2010 02:20

Based on a novel by William Hjortsberg, who wrote Falling Angel which Angel Heart (1987) was based on, Ridley Scott’s Legend (1985) was Scott’s third (and final) foray into the realm of pure fantasy, albeit not quite as adult or visceral as the two masterworks which preceded this. Legend tells the tale of forest boy Jack (Tom Cruise) and Princess Lily (Mia Sara) in a land before time, when unicorns, elves and faeries played free, magic, love and laughter was in the air, but goblins and trolls ran amuck, and the Lord of Darkness (Tim Curry) was making evil plans, “Mother Night, fold your dark arms around me, protect me in your black embrace!”

Tom Cruise as Jack

Legend has garnered its own folklore over the twenty-five years since it was first released. Like Blade Runner (1982), it had a troubled reception. Shot almost entirely on the huge sound stages of Pinewood Studios in the UK during 1984 and costing thirty million (a big budget for the day) it was released throughout Europe, finally arriving in America in April 1986, but in quite a different version. Shorn of twenty minutes and Jerry Goldsmith’s evocative orchestral score, the US cut instead featured a synth-driven soundtrack from New Agers Tangerine Dream and an alternate more fairy-tale ending. It was the US cut that became most commonly seen (and released on VHS). Finally with the advent of DVD Ridley Scott was able to release his preferred director’s cut (essentially the extended European version).

Mia Sara as Lily

Legend is a supernatural odyssey of love; Jack and Lily embark on a romance, and Jack introduces her to the last of the unicorns (a stallion and mare), sacred creatures; guardians of purity, not to be seen or touched by mere mortals. But Jack is mischievous leading the Princess to where they frolic, and Lily can’t help herself, entranced by their beauty, she grazes one on the snout, then plays hard to get, “It is my right to set a challenge for my suitors. I shall marry whoever finds this ring,” and she blithely tosses her opal and onyx ring into a deep pond. Jack dives in further quest.

Tim Curry as Darkness

Darkness has issued his goblin minion Blix (Alice Peyton) with a mission, to kill the stallion and steal the alicorn, so that he may seduce and marry the Princess, sunlight (“… is my destroyer!) will vanish and the world will be thrust into eternal night, the Lord’s kingdom and playground. Blix and his trusty sidekicks, Pox (Peter O’Farrell) and Blunder (Kiran Shah) return victorious, and it is up to Jack and his companions, elfin Gump (David Bennett), dwarves Screwball (Billy Barty) and Brown Tom (Cork Hubbert), and pixie Oona (Annabelle Lanyon), to enter the ominous Great Tree, descend into the lair of the Lord of Darkness to rescue the abducted Lily, retrieve the alicorn and save the world from the clutches of Darkness.

Alice Peyton as Blix

Not without its flaws, most notably in some of the irritating cast (chiefly Tom Cruise and David Bennett), Legend is a marvel of cinematography, production design, art direction, and special effects. Made several years before the arrival of CGI, which these days would swamp a movie like Legend, the lush forest and underworld sets are awesome, but it is the prosthetic work of Rob Bottin that is most astounding. Blix the goblin is a terrifically grotesque misfit, and when Tim Curry’s Lord of Darkness is properly revealed an hour into the movie he is truly something to behold; crimson-skinned, with sturdy goat legs and hoofs, an enormous pair of formidable black horns, snake-like pupils, and talons for fingernails. Oh, and that voice, that gorgeously tenebrous voice.

David Bennett as Gump

My favourite Bottin creation, however, is the nightmarish swamp hag Meg Mucklebones (Robert Picardo), whom Jack and his posse encounter while making their way toward the Great Tree. Meg rears up out of the seething quagmire, all icky-green, glassy-eyed and hideous, and observes, “What a fine, fat boy you are, Jack.” Jack has to use all his wits to prevent becoming Meg’s lunch, “You don’t really mean to eat me do you ma’am?” Meg cackles maniacally, “Oh, indeed I do!” It’s probably my favourite scene of the whole movie, but a pity it doesn’t last very long.

Innocence and Purity

Annabelle Lanyon as Oona

It is the scene with Meg Mucklebones, the troll cooks butchering victims for their Lord’s stew, and moments of sensuality that push the movie away from being strictly children’s fare. In fact, Legend was never really intended to be a children’s movie, but it does suffer on occasion from being a little too Labyrinth-cute; the rapport between the dwarves especially, and Jack and Lily's scenes together grate. The shadow waltz scene is a highlight, when Lily is seduced by Darkness with the promise of fantastic jewelry, but instead is overwhelmed and transformed into a black-clad bride to be. She resists, which ignites the Lord’s short temper, and provides Jack and company time to set up their elaborate escape route.

Robert Picardo as Meg

Alice Peyton not only plays and voices Blix, but she also provided the dubbed voice for Gump. Mia Sara, who was only fifteen when filming began, puts on her curious English accent, and convincing too, keeping in mind she’s from Brooklyn (she repeated the accent in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off). She is perfect as the Princess, and looks stunning in her darkened guise. Why she never became the huge star she looked set to be is one of Hollywood’s mysteries. Tom Cruise seems perpetually crouched in an annoying squat, with that annoying fringe covering his face, but amusing to note his crooked teeth pre-Top Gun. It is Tim Curry who steals the limelight with his brilliant brimstone and treacle performance; it’s almost Shakespearean in its arrogance, angst and scheming intent.

Lily as fiancee to Darkness

Don’t bother with the US cut; you see Darkness all-too-early, Lily is a Lady, not a Princess, Tangerine Dream’s music is ill-conceived, as are two songs (one sung by Jon Anderson and another by Bryan Ferry), and numerous scenes are shortened or simply deleted. Instead seek out the full-length director’s cut with Goldsmith’s music, more of Meg Mucklebones, the Lord’s impressive entry, and the original ending where Jack declares he belongs in the forest and Lily promises she’ll return on the morrow, an ending that quietly suggests … was it all a just a terrible dream?

Here’s the UK trailer:

Here’s a curious US teaser trailer featuring someone else - not Tim Curry - voicing Darkness:

And here’s the scene with Jack and Meg, ‘cos I love it so:

114

Vote

subscribe to this blog

follow this blog on Orble

start your own blog

[ Link ]

Posted By: Bryn - Category: movie reviews

Related Posts:

Relate This Post

[ Previous - Autopsy ]

[ Next - The War Zone ]

Comments

14 Comments. [ Add A Comment ]

Comment by Deni

September 10th 2010 07:00

Abstract Magick
Cinema Herald

Bryn, I agree with everything you said on this one (although I liked David Bennent). I own both versions. I would have loved to see more of Meg Mucklebones and Tim Curry as Darkness was just mesmerizing. I pull this one off the shelf every 4 months or so.

BTW, I finally hunted down and finished watching The Tin Drum with David Bennent - he had to have been the most eeriest looking child I've ever seen. Very bizarre and surreal film.

Have you seen it?

Comment by Bryn

September 10th 2010 07:03

Horrorphile

Cheers Deni,
yeah I love The Tin Drum (and much prefer Bennett in that)
I reviewed it for my Cult Projections site here

Comment by JohnDoe

September 10th 2010 18:36

Film & TV on DVD

Seems you liked this a lot more than I did. Recently revisited it to see if had aged well and sadly the answer was no.

I've never seen the extended cut but the original release is a disappointing fantasy that fails on many levels.

The film looks pretty and Curry is great. Beyond that Legend falls flat for me.

Comment by ShaunK

September 10th 2010 23:02

Screen Adventure

I know I'll be given the 'broaden your horizons' answer, but this reeaaally doesn't appeal. At first I read about the two versions you spoke of and I thought it might be interesting to hunt down a european version, but then the more you told of the story the less and less I wanted to see it.

Maybe when I'm feeling brave, but that wont be any time soon. sorry.....of course an always finely written review

Comment by Deni

September 11th 2010 01:57

Abstract Magick
Cinema Herald

LOL

You guys, it's a children/adult fantasy movie that deals with "dwarves, elves, and unicorns" - how deep do you expect it to be? Just my cheeky 2 cents worth

Comment by Bryn

September 11th 2010 04:19

Horrorphile

Sheesh, you guys are harsh! Well, each to their own ...

Comment by Anonymous

September 12th 2010 16:30

Finding out that there is a UK extended version of Legend excites me! I have been fascinated with this movie since I first saw it many years ago. I think my fascination to this movie lies in the hearts of most imaginary minds. Legend for its time, was truly one of a kind. There is much room left for the reader or viewer to escape in its world. It has it all romance, seduction, folklore, etc...

Comment by Bryn

September 13th 2010 01:10

Horrorphile

Anon, great to hear from another fan. So I'm assuming you're only familiar with the US cut with Tangerine Dream's score, the short Meg Mucklebones scene (amongst other cuts), and the alternate ending? You can buy a 2-disc DVD edition with both versions (known as the Ultimate Edition) from Amazon. It also features a long alternate opening sequence that was jettisoned which featured a fourth goblin known as Tic (who looked very similar to Blunder), and Darkness as a phantom.

Comment by JohnDoe

September 14th 2010 16:42

Film & TV on DVD

Hi Bryn,, As I said I have never seen the Euro cut so my opinion is based on the US edition.

I do intend to check out the longer version, but the edit I saw was uneven in tone and pace. Never allowed me to escape into the fantasy despite stunning cinematography. Tim Curry and Sloane were great but Tom was a weak link too.

Comment by Bryn

September 14th 2010 22:46

Horrorphile

Tom is a weak link for sure, and there's no way of escaping that.LOL @ "Sloane" ... But ...
You must check out the director's cut, Goldsmith's score alone transforms it. The longer scene of Meg Mucklebones is worth the price of admission (so to speak). And the ending isn't nearly as cutesy, although it's still a fairy tale after all. Drop the cynicism, and embrace the old school.

Comment by Natalina

September 14th 2010 22:49

My Life My Muse
Beta Girl Blog

Well... one of my faves of all time. There I said it.

Now, I have the 2 disc set with both versions as well, and as an adult I enjoy the Director's Cut far more than the original.

BUT.... the child in me is somewhat partial to the American release, because that's what I grew up with and fell in love with as a kid. Even the Tangerine Dream track which is silly... brings back memories. And the song at the end... as cheeeeeeeeeesy as it is... I just remember being a little girl wanting to be a princess, running with Unicorns and singing... "Legends can be now and forever... teaching us to love for goodness sake! Legends can be now and forever...Loved by the sun, loved by the sun."

Comment by JohnDoe

September 14th 2010 22:54

Film & TV on DVD

I will check out the longer - after all I am fantasy fan and Labyrinth, Willow, Ladyhawke and several others are childhood journeys I can return too.

Comment by Bryn

September 14th 2010 23:43

Horrorphile

Well there you go ... Come on, Tim Curry as Darkness. He's fucking awesome.

Comment by Bryn

September 14th 2010 23:48

Horrorphile

Nat, lovely to see you! How gorgeous and classy is Mia? Only fifteen for Chrissake! When she's dolled up in the dark attire! And pre-dodgy boob job too. She outshines Tom. And I'm sure you love Meg too! And of course, Tim ... in Rob Bottin's extraordinary design.
Have you watched that extra lost scene? With Darkness as a phantom and the other Goblin Tic?
I love how the movie utilises all these effects that now would be done by CGI ... It dates the movie of course, but somehow makes it more ... dare I say it, magical.

[ Previous - Autopsy ]

[ Next - The War Zone ]