TomSimmons

Huge yes. I find this movie terrifying. I think the horror of the threat is brilliantly crafted. The early interviews introduce the threat as something known, concrete, or tangible (a serial killer, a hairy woman, some kind of demonic presence, a bunch of violent rednecks), but then the film constantly redefines and obscures the nature of the threat while simultaneously increasing the danger. Nothing scares me more than the unknown. The Blair Witch, whatever it is, is the perfect expression of that terror.

I enjoy Goonies more, but I think Labyrinth is a better candidate for the Canon. And if we're comparing the vote results of Labyrinth with Breakfast at Tiffany's we should keep in mind that Amy and Devin gave the former a pretty clear no and the latter an enthusiastic yes, which has to have a strong pull on the direction of the vote.

I think that Labyrinth belongs in the Canon for its cultural influence. Labyrinth is a significant and indefinitely relevant cultural reference point. You can increasingly locate Labyrinth's visual influence in works produced today to an extent not matched by films like Goonies. I think you can make a case for the seemingly dull filmmaking in Labyrinth. This is a movie as much about puppetry (muppetry?) as its story, probably more so. Therefore the visual language of the film should facilitate the muppet craft, rather than principally convey the themes of the story. Everything about the film should shape itself to meet the goals of the craft. In order to find that argument compelling, I think you have to get on board with the idea that there is something special to muppets. You need to feel that the existential significance of muppet-ness is meaningful enough to carry a film. A muppet alone it a work of art, which uses the medium to transcend its existence as a physical object operated by a person and become a being dissociated from an external animating consciousness. Art allows a muppet to transcend into an actual being, though one still trapped in a labyrinth of the story it performs. Sarah's assertion of agency over fantasy distinguishes her humanity and therefore allows her to escape the labyrinth of muppet-ness. It's very telling that Jareth's dominance is presented as its own form of slavery. If you're starting frame of reference for interrogating the film is, "what does it mean to be a muppet/human?" then you can start to build a more compelling viewing. Anybody buying that?