Episode 151 - "People who have no hopes are easy to control, and whoever has the control... has the power!"

Greetings, travellers… The Silver Screen Podcast continues its journey through the magical realm of 1980s fantasy, and this time we’re heading to Fantasia—via Germany, childhood imagination, and one very suspicious-looking bookstore—to revisit The NeverEnding Story. Host Michael Wilson is joined by regular co-host D.K., along with returning guests Sandy and Lady Vean, as the team dives headfirst into Wolfgang Petersen’s beloved (and occasionally controversial) adaptation of Michael Ende’s novel. From the devastating Swamp of Sadness to the soaring joy of riding Falkor, we explore the film’s enduring emotional power, its fairy-tale quest structure, and its surprisingly early meta storytelling. Along the way, we discuss the film’s troubled relationship with its source material, its ambitious practical effects, and that unforgettable message about hope, imagination, and the dangers of “The Nothing.” Is this a timeless classic that speaks to the dreamer in all of us, or a flawed fantasy weighed down by Hollywood schmaltz? Plus we're bringing you behind-the-scenes stories from a notoriously demanding production, the truth about that traumatising horse scene and an awful lot of gushing about background details and practical effects. We also discuss the merits of the iconic Limahl theme song vs the original German score, and why people without hope are “easy to control…” So climb aboard your luckdragon, hold tight to your Auryn, and remember… Fantasia lives on—as long as we do. But that’s… another story.

Links:

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Music Composed and Performed by Al Trotter

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E-mail us at mwilsonba1982@gmail.com

Created, Hosted and Written by Michael Wilson.

Co-hosted and Additional Material by D.K

Edited and Produced by Mike Wilson.

"All right! I'll do it! I'll save you! I will do what I dream! MOONCHILD!"