The NeverEnding Stroy

Release Year: 1984

Starring: Barret Oliver,  Noah Hathaway, Tammy Stronach, Moses Gunn, and Gerlad McRaney

Wolfgang Peterson's film version of  Michael Ende's 1979 fantasy novel was the most expensive German production ever at the time of its release.

11 year old Bastian (Barret Oliver), a quiet bookworm "borrows" an "unsafe" book from grumpy bookseller, Mr. Koreander and hides in his school's attic to read. As Bastian reads The Neverending Story, he learns that the fantasy world of Fantasia is being threatened by an all-consuming entity, known as "The Nothing,"

 

Fantasia's world of the Empresses, Oracles, heroes (Atreyu, Falcor the luckdragon),  villains (Gmork the wolf), the Rock-biter, and countless other creatures is far more interesting a place than Bastian's existence, where his bullied, pushed around, and told to get his head out of the clouds. In the end, Bastian's imagination is the very thing needed for a happy ending.

Director Wolfgang Peterson (the director of 1981's incredible submarine film Das Boot) would eventually come to the U.S. and make many other films; some great (In the Line of Fire, Air Force One), some good (Troy, Outbreak, Enemy Mine, The Perfect Storm), and a really bad one (Poseiden). Limahl, lead singer of the defunct Kajagoogoo ("Too Shy"), would have a major pop hit with the film's self-titled theme song.

With joy you will drink deeply from the fountain of salvation! - Isaiah 12:3