“You remind me of the babe.”
“What babe?”
“The babe with the power.”
The full campy splendor of David Bowie’s “Magic Dance” will be on full display when cult fave Labyrinth returns to movie theaters next month.
The 1986 fantasy staring Jennifer Connelly and the late “Thin White Duke” himself celebrates its 35th anniversary this year, and Fathom Events is holding limited screenings to fête the occasion. A featurette of behind-the-scenes footage will precede the film in theaters.
Fathom describes the film this way:
Frustrated with babysitting on yet another weekend night, Sarah (Jennifer Connelly), a teenager with an active imagination, summons the Goblins to take her baby stepbrother away. When little Toby actually disappears, Sarah must follow him into a fantastical world to rescue him from the Goblin King (David Bowie). Guarding his castle is the labyrinth itself, a twisted maze of deception, populated with outrageous characters and unknown dangers. To get through it in time to save Toby, Sarah befriends the Goblins, in hopes that their loyalty isn’t just another illusion in a place where nothing is as it seems!
“One of our most frequently requested titles, Labyrinth enjoys a huge and devoted fan base,” Tom Lucas, Fathom Events vice president of studio relations, says in a release. “We are pleased to bring this fan-favorite from The Jim Henson Company to cinemas nationwide, and especially so for its 35th anniversary.”
This year also marks what would be the 85th birthday of Jim Henson, the puppeteer and director who created the magical film (along with Sesame Street, The Muppet Show and other television and film properties). Henson died in 1990, but The Jim Henson Company — led by Henson’s children — continues to develop characters for a variety of entertainment projects.
George Lucas of Star Wars fame served as executive producer for Labyrinth.
Several Greater Cincinnati theaters will screen Labyrinth in September:
Sept. 12
- 3 and 7 p.m. AMC Newport on the Levee 20 (1 Levy Way, Newport on the Levee)
- 7 p.m. Western Hills 14 (5870 Harrison Ave., Western Hills)
- 7 p.m. Oakley Station (3025 Disney St., Oakley)
Sept. 13
- 7 p.m. AMC Newport on the Levee 20
- 7 p.m. Regal Deerfield Towne Center Stadium 16 (5500 Deerfield Blvd., Mason)
- 7 p.m. Regal Fairfield Commons 20 (2651 Fairfield Commons, Beaver Creek)
Sept. 15
- 7 p.m. Western Hills 14
- 7 p.m. AMC Newport on the Levee 20
- 7 p.m. Oakley Station
Tickets for Cincinnati screenings of Labyrinth are available now on the Fathom website.
Below, watch a clip of Bowie singing “Magic Dance” with goblins (and some very tight pants).
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This article appears in Aug 5-17, 2021.