Talk:The NeverEnding Story (film)

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I started this article so the original page could be used to describe the novel and give a brief description of the franchise. This film is important enough to have it's own article anyway. Buzda - 4 Oct 2005

Contents

[edit] Movie dates

I reverted the movie dates, the correct information was there previously, and consistent with IMDB:

http://www.imdb.com/find?q=neverending%20story;s=all

[edit] Length of plot "summary"

Am I the only one who feels that the plot summary delves into a bit too much detail? I really think plot summaries are supposed to give the reader a general idea of the plot of the film, not to serve as a suitable replacement for watching the movie. I've voiced this opinion in other articles related to entertainment media (such as TV shows) and have been shot down either by fans or those who feel there is no such thing as 'too much' information on Wikipedia. I was just wondering what the general consensus was in this case. =) — Indi [ talk ] 15:04, 12 February 2006 (UTC)

Agreed, the sumary itself realy drops in terms of detail about half-way through, making it seem a bit inconsistant anyway. It could easily be trimmed into a two to three paragraph summary without straying too far from what we have now.

[edit] Breaking the Fourth Wall

People who've seen the movie are already quite familiar with the way the narative relates Bastian in 'reality' to the characters in the book. While it does technicaly go beyond breaking the fourth wall in terms of metafiction (as, for example, Atreyu can hear bastian screaming as he reads the book...) However, I find that people are genuinely ignorant of the film's further attempt to break the naratives actual fourth wall and make the characters take notice of the film audience. The most obvious example (and frequently overlooked among movie viewers for some reason...) involves the Childlike Empress's dialogue to Atreyu in which she explains to him that 'others' are sharing in Bastian's story in the same way he is sharing in Atreyu's. I've added a bit to the Trivia section, as it seems to be the best place to put it right now... if it belongs somewhere else (such as the sumary of the book, I don't know if the same method is incorperated to point Bastian to the reader) or in the summary somehow, I'd greatly appreciate this fact finding a place on wikipedia, as my experience finds it to be overlooked far to frequently by the general public.

[edit] Article name

If, as the article says, the movie is "better known by its English title 'The NeverEnding Story'" then shouldn't that be the title of the article? -- Chuq 08:57, 29 August 2006 (UTC)

Yes; that is actually official policy:

Generally, article naming should give priority to what the majority of English speakers would most easily recognize, with a reasonable minimum of ambiguity, while at the same time making linking to those articles easy and second nature. (from Wikipedia:Naming conventions)

--SigPig 16:19, 29 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Requested move

Die Unendliche Geschichte (film) → The NeverEnding Story (film) – English title is better known in English-speaking world; should therefore be named in English in accordance with Wikipedia:Naming Conventions policy; article was originally named The NeverEnding Story, but moved to current title on basis of its entry at IMDb (IMDb is NOT the final arbiter of what movies are called on Wikipedia) SigPig 16:31, 29 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Survey

Add "* Support" or "* Oppose" followed by an optional one-sentence explanation, then sign your opinion with ~~~~

  • Support. (Obviously). --SigPig 16:33, 29 August 2006 (UTC)
  • Support. This is English Wikipedia so the title should be in English despite what the title was in the original language.--NeilEvans 18:59, 29 August 2006 (UTC)
  • Support per naming conventions.--Srleffler 01:42, 30 August 2006 (UTC)
  • Support - I'll give it another day and if they is no opposition I'll move the article. (Shouldn't be a problem considering that the page was moved here without a vote at all) -- Chuq 02:51, 30 August 2006 (UTC)
  • Support ~ trialsanderrors 05:53, 30 August 2006 (UTC)
  • Support Daniel.Bryant 10:33, 30 August 2006 (UTC)

Consensus reached; page has been moved -- Chuq 00:09, 2 September 2006 (UTC)

Actually, revisiting this, I don't see the need for the (film) suffix. I just redirected The NeverEnding Story here. ~ trialsanderrors 23:23, 19 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Structural Organization of Page

I think this page should be reorganized. I see no reason to omit a well written and full plot summary, although, it would make sense for there to be a smaller summary at the top (a paragraph would do). There should also be a full analisys section. Discussion of breaking the fourth wall would best go there and could link to many other stories, plays and movies that conceptually fall into the same category. Pointing out differences between the original source material and the story presented in the movie would also be useful. -- Jcolbyk 16:19, 22 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Trivia

I just found the following line on the book article; I wanted to move it here, but wanted to see if anyone else could verify it first before I post it. samwaltz 22:52, 24 March 2007 (UTC)

  • In the scene where Artax the horse dies in the swamps of sadness the horse had to be tied down to a lowering platform to keep it in place. The horse was supposed to 'sink' but he really did. The platform lifts failed after "cut" was shouted, the platform got stuck under the sludge, and the horse died.
Nice coincidence. I tried to source it a couple of days ago. Couldn't find one. (except forums and wikipedia mirrors). I wouldn't post it. Garion96 (talk) 22:09, 25 March 2007 (UTC)
It's an urban legend. I found two sites with Google (Keywords: artax horse died filming) that said the horse was trained to allow himself to be lowered neck-deep in mud. However, it still panicked, and hurt Noah Hathaway so that he had to be checked at a hospital.

The film’s most difficult scene took place in "The Swamp of Sorrow. "Hathaway spent four weeks covered in mud, during one of Germany’s hottest summers in 200 years. During the scene, Atreyu’s horse, Artax, must also be buried in the mud. The horse used in the shot had to be trained for several months, to prevent its panicking while buried up to its nose in mud. To celebrate the end of filming under such harrowing circumstances, the actors and crew engaged in a giant-and messy-mud fight.

Swamp of Sorrow

Bordering on cruelty to animals, the horse portraying Artax was chained to a lifting platform which could slowly be lowered into the swamp. To ensure that the horse would not be mentally damaged, he was carefully trained for weeks by horse coach Tony Smart. In addition, a deep ditch was dug between the accommodation halls and filled with water through which the horse was led again and again. The training was nevertheless insufficient, as R. Eyssen tells in his book, for the horse did not let the sadness of the swamp get to him and he did not go down without a fight. With an energetic jerk of the heading, the horse caused Noah to splash into the swamp and hurt his leg to the edge of the lifting platform. As dirty as he was, Noah was immediately driven to the hospital. The physician on duty must really have been surprised to treat a mudd-covered Indian boy carried by a man in a white paper suit and hearing a tale about lifting platforms, swamps and horses. Fortunately Noah was back on the set after a mere two days.

quoted from R. Esseyn —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 71.38.212.4 (talk) 01:02, August 22, 2007 (UTC)

This scene was also problematical to shoot for other reasons: according to what a guide on a tour through the Bavaria Studios told, they simply used mud from the riverbank of the Isar. But this mud has been full of mosquito larvae which, caused by the heat of the spotlights, eclosed. So the hole Studio was full of mosquitos, which had to be blown out with fans. --84.159.231.185 (talk) 17:53, 14 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Release dates

Do we really need all those release dates for the different countries. I think it would be better if it only states the dates of its first international release.--NeilEvans 16:39, 26 March 2007 (UTC)

I still have to check the original release, but since it was a US and German co-production I kept the US and German release dates. I removed the other ones. Garion96 (talk) 17:58, 26 March 2007 (UTC)
Yeah that looks a lot better, we could go on forever adding release dates for different countries.--NeilEvans 21:16, 26 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Neverending Story 4?

Hey, I was recently in Israel and I was flipping through European cable channels when I found a movie titled "The NeverEnding Story 4." It was in English and the actors were speaking in American accents. It's been years since I last saw the old movies (although they were favorites of mine as a kid) and almost as long since I read the book, but I managed to recognize Atreyu. I tried to sit through it for a while out of morbid curiosity, but it was just too painful. Later, I tried to look it up online, but there was nothing listed anywhere. What the heck did I see? -- 6 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] This was in the Trivia section...

  • In the scene where fantastic creatures gather in the ivory tower, you can see the figures of Gumby, Mickey Mouse, E.T. and a few Ewoks at the back of the crowd.
Honestly, I can't remember this, so I moved that here as an unsourced statement. 夢の騎士Yume no Kishi - Talk 11:31, 16 April 2007 (UTC)

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