The Year Without a Santa Claus (1974)

Another Rankin Bass Christmas special. In this adorable cartoon, Santa catches a cold right before Christmas Eve. He decides that not only is he sick, but no one really cares about Christmas anymore. He decides to cancel Christmas so he can stay in bed on Christmas Eve. It is up to two young elves, Jingle and Jangle to prove to Santa that the Christmas spirit is not dead and that the world still needs him. In the midst of this they get mixed up with dogcatchers who mistake their reindeer for a stray dog and the brothers Snow Miser and Heat Miser. It is a fun movie. They made a live action remake in 2006 but it did not have the charm of this original Christmas classic.

Santa Who (2000)

Just after discovering some long lost letters in a coat pocket that he hasn’t used in decades, Santa falls out of his sleigh and hits his head. Suffering from a bad case of amnesia, he is found by reporter Peter Albright, one of those letter writers who never got his Christmas wish. Peter sets out to find “Santa” his family for Christmas, never for a moment suspecting who he truly is. It takes the imagination of his girlfriend’s son, Zack, to help Santa remember who he truly is and make sure everyone has a magical Merry Christmas.

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer by Robert L. May

Begun as a promotion campaign by Montgomery Ward, Rudolph has remained a holiday classic. It is a story about a little reindeer bullied because instead of the traditional black nose, Rudolph has a big glowing red nose instead. Everyone’s opinion changes when there’s a horrible fog on Christmas Eve and Santa is having a hard time seeing to deliver the presents. When he gets to Rudolph’s house, the light from Rudolph’s shiny red nose helps guide him through the house. Santa wakes Rudolph to ask him to guide his sleigh through the fog and snow. A classic story about how we can all make a difference. The book itself has inspired countless sequels and movie adaptations.

It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

It’s a Wonderful Life is perhaps one of the most inspirational Christmas movies of all time. It shows us all that we can all make a difference in this world no matter what. When the main character, George Bailey contemplates suicide at the beginning of the movie, he doesn’t really realize how his life has affected so many people in so many little ways. It takes the intervention of his guardian angel, Clarence, to realize that the world really would be a lesser place without him. It is a lesson we all need to learn. We do matter in this world. It truly is A Wonderful Life.

The Lucky Coin by Barbara Metzger

Found in Regency Christmas Wishes, this is the story of Sir Adam Standish. Down on his luck, Sir Adam seemingly finds a magical lucky coin that gives him everything he desires. Needing money, a friend that he loaned money to years ago suddenly finds enough spare cash to pay him back in an old coat ect. Of course this is a love story, and Sir Adam does find love with Jenna. And perhaps the lucky coin works again to endear her father to his proposal even when he is still slightly down on his luck!

The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks

The Sword of Shannara is the first book in the Shannara chronicles. It tells the story of Shea who is the last of a long line of Elvish warriors and the only one able to wield the magical elf stones. He is recruited by a mysterious druid to find the Sword of Shannara and end the power of darkness over the land. The book is quite good, but you can defiantly see the influence of Lord of the Rings. We even have our wizard like figure “die” while falling off a bridge fighting a shadow monster! But where Lord of the Rings takes place in a mythical past, Shannara takes place in a post-apocalyptic landscape. A land where the apocalypse was so long ago that no one remembers what the world was like before the break down of society;  it is not even written down in the history books. Magic has crept back into the world and we have returned to a dark mythic world view. It is an interesting concept, and Brooks does a good job of exploring it.

Planet of Peril by Otis Adelbert Kilne

Planet of Peril, like John Carter on Mars, lies somewhere between science fiction and fantasy. Our main character, Robert Grandon, volunteers to be part of an experiment in which he will swap bodies with a Prince of Venus. He must battle horrible monsters and win the heart of the local princess. This is where the fantastical comes in because this world seems more like a fantasy world than a science fiction one. The story is fun and engaging and is part of a series of books. Some take place after Planet of Peril and others before with a different character who swapped bodies with a prince of Mars.

You Wish (1997-1998)

You Wish (1997-1998)

This show was part of the TGIF line up along with the original Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Boy Meets World. It starred Harley Jane Kozak as a single mother who releases a Genie trapped in a Persian carpet. This genie becomes her own personal servant, much to her dismay. I remember loving this show as a child. It was fun family entertainment and one of my favorite actors, John Rhys Davies, made an appearance as well. One of my favorite episodes was the one where Salem from Sabrina swallowed a time ball and sets off a chain reaction through all the shows on TGIF. It’s also the only time I liked the last show in the TGIF lineup, Teen Angel.

Voyage of the Basset/Unicorn

The Voyage of the Basset by James C. Christiansen

In this original story, Professor Aisling and his two daughters Miranda and Cassandra travel in a magical ship captained by dwarves to the mysterious land of Imagination. They meet such legendary characters as Oberon and Titania, Medusa, and the Minotaur. Throughout all their adventures, they learn to rely on each other and that By Believing One Sees. The ship is loosely based on the HMS Beagle on which Darwin sailed in his trip to the Gallipolis Islands.

The Voyage of the Unicorn (2001)

Because not many people would understand the reference to the Basset, the name of the ship was changed to the Unicorn since that sounded more fantastical. The movie stayed pretty close to the book, adding only a prophecy to give a reason for the trip to Imagination. That the travelers will be known by a ship, a sword, and a banner thus: Credendo Vidas by believing one sees!

Night at the Museum (2006)

Strictly speaking this not a mummy movie, but it has a mummy in it, so I’m counting it in my lineup. The movie centers around new night watch man Larry Daley that learns that deep in the museum is a magical talisman that brings all the exhibits alive during the night. Accompanied by Teddy Roosevelt he has to try to keep everything moving smoothly night after night. When the former night watch men steal the talisman because it helped them feel younger he has to rally the museum exhibits together to steal back their talisman and continue in their existence. This movie was followed by two sequels. The second one is good. I’ve never seen the third one.

Mummy Cat by Marcus Ewert, Illustrated by Lisa Brown

This is actually a very cute picture book about a little mummified cat who searches the dark tomb for his princess. As he searches, you see the story of his life with his princess and how they both died from a poisonous snake. He finds her tomb, but she never seems to waken. Then finally after many long centuries, she does and holds and pets him again. They are finally reunited in the afterlife, as mummies.

The Mummy (2001-2003)

The Mummy 2001-2003

Based on the movies with Brendan Fraser, this TV cartoon took ideas in the movies and brought them to the small screen. Some things were different however. For instance the show completely deleted the character Anaksunamun, and Imhotep is mummified alive because he wants to rule the world.  The show also has Imhotep rise again despite the ending in the second film. Still the show is a fun addition to The Mummy franchise with favorite characters such as Ardeth Bay and Jonathan making an appearance.

The Mummy with Brendan Fraser

The Mummy (1999)

An update of the Boris Karloff version, this is by far my favorite version. Brendan Fraser in his heyday! And the female, Evie, is a librarian. They have to defeat the evil Imhotep, who is once again trying to raise his dead lover. In this version, Imhotep is a much more powerful enemy bringing with him, the Plagues. The story is fun and engaging with lots of one liners that brings the horror down a notch. A great movie for this Halloween season!

The Mummy Returns (2001)

They manage to bring back Imhotep so the bad guys can find the Scorpion King (The Rock in his first ever movie roll) and raise his army of creepy Anubis soldiers. In this one Evie and Rick have a son who is really quite annoying. Also the special effects are not as great as the first movie. Still a fun addition to the franchise!

The Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008)

This is the weakest of the trilogy. Rachel Wiez doesn’t come back as Evie and I really feel that Evie and Rick were superfluous. This one takes place in China with the idea of the terracotta warriors being enchanted mummies. The first time I watched it I hated it because I had such high expectations. The second time I watched it my expectations were significantly lower. I enjoyed it that time around!!!

The Mummy (1932)

All subsequent versions have been remakes of this movie with Boris Karloff. Karloff plays the titular mummy who is raised to death by a group of archaeologists after they read his curse tablet. Ten years pass and the mummy Imhotep seeks out the children of his “saviors” and gives them the location of his one true love Anaksunamun. When he meets the young woman Helen he is convinced that she is the reincarnation of his beloved and intends to kill her so that he can make her his eternal bride. The movie has been remade four times with three of those remakes having consequent sequels.

Thundarr the Barbarian (1980-1981)

Set in a post apocalyptic world where the moon has been split in two by a passing planet creating a new earth, Thundarr and his companions Ariel and Ookla must travel a world whose ruins are much like our own battling evil wizards and sorcerers who plan to use the technology of Old Earth to take New Earth over. Thundarr has a magic sword capable of shooting out light and reducing to just a hilt when not in use (basically a light saber). The show is wonderful in its simplicity and fun adventure.

Marvel

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has spanned over ten years and dives both into fantasy and science fiction. For the sake of time and space I am only including the first movie where the characters appeared and then only ones I like J.

X Men (2000)

The first in the current running X Men cinematic universe. Hugh Jackman in his heyday makes for a wonderful conflicted Wolverine. He doesn’t need anyone but as they fight Magneto he joins up with the X Men to save the young Rogue from Magneto’s evil plans. Such a great movie with a conflicted villain that doesn’t actually seem all that bad.

The Fantastic Four (2005)

I love Ioan Gruffudd and I love his adaptation of Reed Richards. A sort of shy absent minded professor who really only wants to do the right thing. I guess the one I always felt the worst for was the Thing. The rest could pretend to be human, but Ben was always stuck looking like a rock monster.

The Amazing Spiderman (2012)

This I think is my favorite version of the hero bit by the radioactive spider. I guess because I think Andrew Garfield is cute. Anyway it is the same story just perhaps a little better written.

Iron Man (2008)

The first of the official Marvel cinematic universe. Iron Man is egotistic and a little annoying, but he admits this and continues with his life trying a little to stop the weapons that he created. You can get behind a hero like that.

Thor (2011)

And now we get to where science fiction meets fantasy. Thor is a part of Earth’s mythology. He is the Thunder god. But in this version he is simply a greatly advanced alien but with a little bit of magic thrown in. It is one of my favorites in the Marvel universe.

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

When watching this movie you can relate the words of Mrs. Whatsit, “There is such a thing as a tesseract.” Captain America is perhaps one of Marvel’s most noble of heroes. He’s fighting for a cause he feels is right (against the Nazis and Hydra) and is all together a good guy. Perhaps why this one is also a favorite.

The Avengers (2012)

And everyone comes together to defeat Loki and a bunch of aliens. What’s not to like?

The Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

The first time I watched the trailer for this movie I couldn’t get over that two of its main characters are a raccoon and a talking tree. But afterwards I really enjoyed it. Because of its subject matter it doesn’t take itself too seriously and I love it!

Doctor Strange (2016)

A character that shows who really does show character growth, Doctor Steven Strange goes from being a very self-centered surgeon to a slightly humbled wizard. And that’s what makes this story so great, he is a wizard!

This is of course only a small sampling of all the Marvel movies made over the years but enjoy all the same. 

Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story (2001)

Everything you know about Jack and the Beanstalk is a lie! The giant was kind and loving and Jack was truly a thief and murderer killing the Giant when he tried to recover the treasures stolen from his kingdom. Since 1611 all the consequent Jacks have been paying the price for their ancestor’s treachery, dying before they reach their 40^th birthday. Jack’s mother has in turn been cursed to live down through the centuries watching as one son after another dies. When the original Jack’s 15th great grandson learns of his forefather’s treachery he returns to the Giant Land in order to try to right the wrongs. Will he succeed in his quest? Only time will tell.

Mairelon the Magician by Patricia C. Wrede

Mairelon is no ordinary street magician, as Kim soon finds out. He is a real wizard with real magic and now he needs Kim’s unusual skill set to right a wrong four years in the making. Because Mairelon has been accused of stealing a priceless magical artifact and he needs a thief to help him steal it back and salvage what is left of his reputation. So Mairleon, Kim, and Mairelon’s servant Hunch must leave London for the English countryside. A great magical mystery. One of my favorite books.

The Rescuers (1977)

The Rescuers is another great movie from Walt Disney. In it we meet two small mice from the Rescue Aid Society: Belgium’s Miss Bianca and the janitor, Bernard. When a little girl named Penny sends a message in a bottle asking for help it finds its way to the Rescue Aid Society. Miss Bianca asks to take the case and chooses Bernard as her partner, perhaps because he was the only male not clamoring to be a part of her adventure. Bernard is highly superstitious, disliking the number 13 for instance while Miss Bianca is thrilled with the adventure. It is a charming movie, and as a rarity in Disney sequels, the next one The Rescuers Down Under is also a lot of fun. Enjoy them both!

The Swan Maiden by Howard Pyle

The Swan Maiden is another story where the girl has to save the boy, or perhaps mutually save each other might be a more apt description. The youngest King’s son finds out that a beautiful swan has been stealing his father’s golden apples. When he captures the swan, she turns into a beautiful maiden. She tells him that she is being held captive by an evil witch. The Prince goes to save the girl and is given three impossible tasks. The Swan Maiden does them all for him. They then escape and live happily ever after. It has always been one of my favorite fairy tales.

Gods of Egypt (2016)

Gods of Egypt is based very loosely on Egyptian mythology. The original myth tells how Set murdered his brother Osiris and how Horus, Osiris’ son, avenged his death. The movie basically tells the same myth but adds in a couple of mortals that help Horus achieve his goals. Also the gods are a noticeable presence in this world, showing up as giants opposed to the smaller mortals. Some may argue that this movie is too white-washed. I don’t think there are a lot of Middle Eastern people in this movie. But for me, if the acting is good I can still enjoy the movie! Plus I really know very little of the original mythology so I enjoyed this movie.

Curiosity Thrilled the Cat by Sophie Kelly

Kathleen Paulson is a small town librarian with some quite extraordinary cats. Owen can disappear at will and Hercules can walk through walls. When these two felines discover that their beloved owner is accused of murder, it is up to these four legged fur balls and their clever owner to get to the bottom of the mystery.

The Black Cauldron (1985)

The story is based off the book by Lloyd Alexander of the same name. I have read the first book in the series The Book of Three but never ventured farther into the series. The movie tells of the “Assistant Pig Keeper” Taran and his quest with three misfit friends to outwit the Horned King and prevent him from using the titular Black Cauldron to raise his zombie army. Perhaps not one of Disney’s best movies but still good and worth a second look.

Sandry's Book by Tamora Pierce

The children seemed to have nothing in common. The noble. The unlucky Trader. The former thief. The girl who could call the lightning. But somehow they all ended up at Winding Circle. Soon they realize why they have been brought to this remote location. They all have magic, and only here at Winding Circle can they learn to use and control it. The four children are forced to create a deep and abiding bond that no one can break in order to survive earthquakes and storms and none of them will ever be the same again. The first in Tamora Pierce’s The Circle of Magic Series.

The Thief of Baghdad (1940)

King Ahamad is tricked out of his kingdom by the evil magician Jafar. He meets a thief named Abu who helps him escape. Along the way of their adventures Ahamad falls in love with the princess. Abu helps him both regain his throne and his chosen love. There are genies, magic jewels, and evil spells. This movie is one of my all time childhood favorites. As an adult I realized how many similarities it had to Disney’s Aladdin. I seriously think the screenwriters of Aladdin either watched this movie or the older, silent one with Douglas Fairbanks that came out in 1924 or perhaps both! (For the record I have never seen Fairbanks’ version). Watch all three and decide what you think!!

A Spell for Chameleon by Piers Anthony

A Spell for Chameleon is the first of the Xanth books. There are currently 41 books with 42 and 43 scheduled for publication. In the land of Xanth, all people are born with a magical talents that they have to perform at some point to stay in the land of Xanth, otherwise they are banished to Mundania (our world). Some of these talents are ordinary like making a spot appear on the wall, others are magician caliber. Bink has magician level magic, unfortunately he has no idea what it is therefore he cannot manifest it. He is thrown out of Xanth where he meets the “Evil” Magician Trent who was thrown out of Xanth years ago. He is trying to get back into Xanth and decides to use Bink to do so. And by the end, it is Bink and his mysterious talent that will indeed save the day. A great introduction to a wonderful world.

The Wolf's Children by Amanda Kuhs

Duncan Faolchú, Earl of Grayscale is unsure what to do when a young boy with extrodinary talents is thrust upon him. But then Duncan is not ordinary himself, being the Alpha Wolf of the Seelie Court with connections to two royal houses. When he is called upon by the King and Queen of Spring to find their runaway youngest daughter, Duncan is plunged into a mystery that has spanned the centuries and has influence upon his own life. Then there is the possible romance with the King and Queen oldest daughter…
This book is available on both Nook and Kindle.

The Argonautica by Apollonius

Strictly speaking the Argonautica is a myth and not a fantasy. The ancient Greeks believed that the events detailed in this ancient epic actually happened in that time before time when gods and monsters stalked the earth. It is here that the complete story of the Jason and the Argonauts and their quest for the Golden Fleece is detailed. It tells of his relationship with the priestess Medea and how she helped him win the Golden Fleece away from the King of Colchis. The story is fragmented in parts, but interesting in its entirety, as long as you take it in the spirit of which it was written. Worth a study when reading ancient mythology.

Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1996-2003)

Sabrina was based on the Archie comic about the same title character. It tells the story of Sabrina Spellman, a teenager who finds out that she has magical powers. She lives with her aunts, Hilda and Zelda because it is implied in the series that her warlock dad is off doing warlock things and she can’t currently live with her mortal mom without killing her until she gets her powers under control. There is also Salem, a warlock being punished for trying to take over the world, who is currently a cat. (Hilda joined in his revolution. Her punishment is that she has to take care of Salem.) The series involves Sabrina’s attempts to get control of her powers and have a normal teenage life along with her boyfriend, Harvey, her arch nemesis Libby and her various friends.

One of my favorite episodes is Troll Bride where a troll that helped Sabrina find her math book claims her as his bride. Harvey then has to rescue Sabrina in a fairy tale sort of way to bring her back to the mortal world.

The Borrowers

The Borrowers was written in 1952 by Mary Norton. It tells the story of Arrietty Clock, a miniature “borrower” who along with her family borrow items from the “human beans” so that their family can survive. They live under the floorboards of near the clock, thus their name. When Arrietty is “seen” by the Boy. They actually start up a friendship, but the evil cook decides to get rid of the borrowers by fumigating the house, the Clocks manage to escape and have many more adventures.

The Borrowers (1997)

When the Lender family move into their aunt’s home they find that it appears that she didn’t leave a proper will behind. Her lawyer, Mr. Potter, wants to demolish the house and tells that they have until Sunday to move away. Pete Lender has struck up a friendship with Arrietty Clock and tells them that they will have to move as well. Arietty and her brother PeaGreen fall out of their transport and go back to the house finding out that Potter lied about the will. They then start on a quest to retrieve the will and get the house back to the Lenders and the Clocks. This was one of my favorite movies growing up.

A fun fact, three of the actors in the Borrowers went on to play characters in the Harry Potter franchise: Jim Broadbent, Tom Felton, and Mark Williams. 

Darkwing Duck (1991-1992)

Darkwing Duck is an egotistical superhero who protects St. Canard from the strange and bizarre criminals that haunt it. He does this with the help of Lauchpad McQuack (a crossover with DuckTales) and Gosalyn, his adopted daughter. The story is a good one that plays not only on Disney’s genius at making humanoid animals, but also the idea of superheroes and super villains. He is the terror that flaps in the night!

Neverland

Peter Pan by J.M. Barrrie

Peter Pan first appeared as a character in 1902. This is the boy that will never grow up. He lives in a magical place called Neverland with pirates, mermaids, and fairies. One day he takes a normal girl, Wendy and her two brothers to live with them so that they too can experience the joy of never growing up. But the Darlings decide to return to the real world, leaving Peter Pan alone.

Peter Pan (1953)

Disney’s foray into the classic tale; it is actually fairly close adaptation of Barrie’s original story. One thing I love is the ending where Mr. Darling says he remembers seeing Hook’s ship before.

Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson

An origin story of Peter Pan and the first of the Starcatcher series. In it Peter discovers extraterrestrial gold “star stuff”. It is this that gives him the ability to fly and keeps him a child. He has to keep it out of the hands of nefarious people who would use the star stuff for their own personal gain. It is really a charming series.

Peter Pan (2003)

Following the plot of the play a little more, Peter in this version is displayed as a sort of demigod of Neverland. When he is away from Neverland everything becomes cold and wintery. He is also able to get people to magically say they believe in fairies when Tinker Bell lies dying. (In the original play this is accomplished by Peter breaking the fourth wall and asking the audience to clap if they believe in fairies). A good adaptation of the original story.

Fairy Dust and the Quest for the Egg by Gail Carson Levine

One of the many authored Disney Fairies of Pixie Hollow books, Levine introduces us to Prilla. As a fairy she seems to be a failure, acting more like a human than any proper fairy should. But Prilla does have a Talent that only she possesses and when Mother Dove is threatened, it is Prilla who has the power to save the day.

Hook (1991)

This movie brings up an interesting concept, where Peter has grown up and doesn’t remember who he is. When Hook kidnaps his children, Peter is forced to go back to Neverland and reclaim his legend in order to save them. Robin Williams plays Peter to perfection.

Neverland (2011)

Another origin story. Peter is an orphan in the back streets of London. He thieves for his mentor James Hook. When they magically get transported to Neverland, Peter suddenly has to decide who he can really trust in this strange new world. 

Magic Island (1995)

One of those movies I would watch whenever it came on TV. It stars Zach Tyler from Home Improvement as Jack, a 13 year old boy who is convinced by his nanny to read a book entitled Magic Island. As he reads the story he is literally sucked into the world of the book and he has to join forces with Prince Morgan and his crew of Buccaneers in their search for hidden treasure in order to return to the real world. There are also evil pirates led by the infamous Blackbeard that they have to defeat and a mermaid named Lily who becomes a friend/love interest for Jack. I love this movie and wish I could find it!