Fairy tale movies
I guess since it's October I should be making a list of horror movie recommendations, but I felt like listing some of my favourite fairy tale movies instead.
If you do want some horror movie recommendations, I made this list on my old blog back in 2011, and I think they are still great picks.
Of course, some of these fairy tale movies would count as horror movies as well.
The Company of Wolves (1984)
Depending on which day you ask me, this might be my favourite movie of all time. It is based on a short story by Angela Carter, inspired by Little Red Riding Hood.
I think I did read the story at some point and I'm sure it was great, but it didn't stay with me like the movie. I should reread it one of these days.
The Company of Wolves is a portmanteau of sorts where every story has a werewolf theme. However, each story has a completely different take on this theme. This also makes for the most incredible parade of different werewolf transformation special effects.
In short it is the perfect, dreamlike fairytale movie, also Angela Lansbury plays a great part in it!
The Singing Ringing Tree (1957)
This is a German movie about a petulant princess who needs to go through lots of trials and tribulations to become a good person and later to save her prince.
I have a great weakness for petulant princess characters, so I just love the princess in this movie.
It's great story, but it's also one of the most beautiful movies I know. The princess's bedroom inspired the decor in my own bedroom, and the magical land where she spends most of the movie inspired the decor of my art studio.
The costuming is gorgeous as well, perfect pseudo-medieval 1950s glamour.
Jack the Giant Killer (1962)
This is a similarly glamorous mid century movie. Great costumes and even greater monsters! Go read this post on my old blog for more details and screen caps.
La Belle et la Bête (1946)
A classic and very influential fairy tale movie by Jean Cocteau. If you are at all into movies and/or fairy tales I'm sure you have already seen it.
This movie probably has my favourite Beast design, and it's an all around beautiful and magical film.
Panna a Netvor (1978)
Another Beauty and the Beast adaption, this time from Czechia. There are so many great Czech fairy tale movies, but this is one of my favourites.
This is clearly heavily influenced by Cocteau's movie while still being very much its own. It has a wonderful gothic atmosphere, stunning Bosch-inspired artwork by Josef Vyleťal, and one of my favourite movie soundtracks.
However, there is a scene where the beast hunts a real deer in what seems like an unnecessarily cruel way, so consider yourself forewarned if you think this will bother you.
Honourable mention to Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs since it's so ubiquitous that is seems almost unnecessary to include. It is just beautiful and has been a great influence on both my artwork and aesthetic preferences.
I also considered adding The Red Shoes to this list since it is definitely a fairy tale movie, and also one of my favourites, but since it is set in the real world with the fairy tale being more of an allegory, it didn't seem to fit with the rest. I highly recommend it though!
I'm sure I left out something important, like all the great Russian fairy tale movies by Aleksandr Ptushko and Alexander Rou, but that will have to wait for another time.
I would love it if you posted some of your favourites in the comments!