Labyrinth Articles

These articles are pulled from magazines, newspapers, online essays, and scholarly journals.  The purpose to help present a more in-depth analysis of the film.  If you have something written that you want added to the list, please email me.

 

Unknown Date

• Through the Labyrinth, And What Sarah Found There by Lorelei

• Little Magpie's Film Analysis

• Various Interpretations from Labyrinth Wiki

• young girls journey into adolescence: a comparative essay

• O W L S Or, "If it weren't for Jareth..." 

• The Romance (of Labyrinth)

• Sarah and Jareth from Jim Henson’s Labyrinth. By: Sammi Young by Sammi Young (*.docx)

• “Queen of the Underworld and Mistress of the Labyrinth;” An Exploration and Critique of Females in the Bildungsroman by Melissa Aucompaugh

• Labyrinth (1986 Film) by GradeSaver

• Labyrinth by Josh Larsen

 

By Date (old to new)

• Review of 'Labyrinth' by Roger Ebert by Roger Ebert, June 27, 1986

• Labyrinth and legend, big screen fairy tales by Ron Magid, 1986

• Labyrinth: Jim Henson's 'Game'of Children's Literature and Film by DR White,1993

• Labyrinth, Reader Review by JunJun, March 15, 1999

• Review: Labyrinth by Nick Schager, Slant Magazine, Mar 3, 2003

• Material Girl in The Escher Room by Jessica Elsaesser, 2005

• Thoughts on aforementioned critical analysis of Labyrinth by BlogofStench, April 18, 2006

• Movie Review – “Labyrinth” (1986) by scififantasylitchick, Nov 1, 2006

• Analyzing Jareth's Feelings For Sarah by Lone She Wolf, June 14, 2009

• The Heart of the Labyrinth: Reading Jim Henson's Labyrinth as a Modern Dream Vision by Shiloh Carroll, Middle Tennessee State University, 2009

• Great Geek Debates: Legend versus Labyrinth by KEN DENMEAD, Wired, MAR 23, 2010

• Bowie’s “Labyrinth” – Esoteric Analysis, pt. 1 by Jay Dyer, April 16, 2010

• Is Jim Henson’s ‘Labyrinth’ an Allegory for Date Rape? by Adam Quigley, April 1, 2011

• Don Your Tights, Glitter and Goblin Horns—It’s Labyrinth Day! by Emmet Asher-Perrin, TOR, June 27, 2011

• The Power & Subtext of LABYRINTH by Owain Paciuszuko, June 30, 2011

• Labyrinths and Coming-of-Age: “Labyrinth” (1986) and “Pan’s Labyrinth” (2006) by Ashakerandamover, July 26, 2011

• “Labyrinth” Starring David Bowie: A Blueprint to Mind Control by Vigilante Citizen, Nov 4, 2011

• Bonfire of the Nerderies – “Labyrinth” by Fluffrick, Nov. 6, 2011 

• Suburban Fantasy, Gender Politics, plus a Goblin Prom: Why Labyrinth is a Classic by Bridget McGovern, Nov 21, 2011

• The Two Kings and the Two Labyrinths: Escaping Escapism in Henson's Labyrinth and Del Toro's Laberinto by T Miller, 2011

• Labyrinth, Part 1: Be Careful What You Wish For (5 parts) by John H, Jan 24, 2012

• Film Review of 'Labyrinth' by Thomas Caldwell, 2012, Cinema Autopsy 

• Anti-Consumerism in Labyrinth by DR Burns, 2012  Also HERE

• Entering the Labyrinth: How Henson and Bowie Created a Musical Fantasy by E Guiffre, 2012

• Finding Your Way Through Labyrinth by Tom Holste, 2012

• "Helping" Hands by David Butler, May 4, 2012

• Labyrinth by Soylent GreenScreen Podcast, May 25, 2012

• Why ‘Labyrinth’ became a cult classic by Brian Watanabe, Honolulu Magazine, January 8, 2013

• Labyrinth review (soundtrack) by Ben, Feb 14, 2013

• A critical analysis of David Bowie’s crotch bulge in Labyrinth by Rob Bricken, April 17, 2013

• My sister asked if the events of “The Labyrinth” are meant to be Sarah dreaming, or are they real? by Glamdamnit, July 17, 2013

• This Elaborate Fan Theory About "Labyrinth" Will Blow Your Mind. Why is the King of the Goblins abducting babies from teen girls anyway? by Donna Dickens, Aug 2, 2013

• Jareth and The Labyrinth - A Theory by LikeGrantingWishes, Nov 12, 2013

• Finding Your Way Through Labyrinth by Tom Holste, 2013

• Suburban Fantasy, Gender Politics, Plus a Goblin Prom: Why Labyrinth is a Classic by Bridget McGovern, Tor, Jan 8, 2014

• Micu, I. (2014). Six Impossible Things Before Breakfast: Dream-worlds, Labyrinthine Journeys, Imaginary Shapes (I). Ekphrasis Journal, Vol. 11, Issue 1/2014.

• Sarah's Room, Labyrinth by Shawn Robare, March 20, 2014

• Labyrinth (1986): Power, Sex, and Coming of Age by Monique, May 2, 2014

• Toby, the Baby from Labyrinth, Grows Up to Be a Goblin King—in Portland by Aaron Scott, June 19, 2014

• Toby Froud’s New Puppet Film Returns Us to the Magical World of ‘Labyrinth’ and ‘The Dark Crystal’ by Aaron Scott, Portland Monthly, 6/23/2014 

• Why I'd like to be … Jennifer Connelly in Labyrinth by Liz Cookman, Aug 12, 2014

• Labyrinth (1986) by Neil Sharpson, Sept 11, 2014

• Labyrinth Doesn’t Make Any Dang Sense by Ryan Veeder, Dec 12, 2014

• Cult Film Review: Labyrinth (1986) by John Kenneth Muir, Dec 16, 2014

• Fairy Tales and Freud: A Genre Analysis of Labyrinth by Katie Gill, 2015 (*.pdf)

• "You Remind Me of the Babe With the Power": How Jim Henson Redefined the Portrayal of Young Girls in Fanastial Movies in His Film, Labyrinth by Casey Reiland, 2015 (*.pdf)

• Henrigillis, J. M. (2015). You Couldn't Handle Real Life: The Villains of Labyrinth and MirrorMask (in Jim Henson and Philosophy). Jim Henson and Philosophy: Imagination and the Magic of Mayhem.

• Fairy-Tale Files: The Labyrinth Edition by Trisha Smith and Jon Riccio, March 20, 2015

• Journey Into Sarah's Subconscious by Jay008, April 21, 2015 

• Getting Lost Inside The Labyrinth (1986) by Barry P, 4/22/2015 

• What Does Art Do? Enter the ‘Labyrinth’ with David Bowie, Francis Bacon and Salvador Dali by Nick Marzano, April 26, 2015

• This Lost ‘Labyrinth’ Interview With David Bowie Is (Dance) Magic by Brenna Ehrlich, June 10, 2015

• The 100 Thoughts Of Someone Watching Labyrinth For The First Time by Dave Melamed, June 23, 2015

• We Love Villains: The Strange Appeal of Jareth From Labyrinth by Carrie S, July 28, 2015

• Why is the Labyrinth movie so great? by C.J. Brightley, Sept 2, 2015

• “You Have No Power Over Me” : Why the movie Labyrinth matters by Stephanie Whelan, Dec 18, 2015

• Imaginary Worlds, Labyrinthine Journeys, Stories of Birth and Rebirth by Iulia Micu, 2015

• "You Remind Me of the Babe With the Power": How Jim Henson Redefined the Portrayal of Young Girls in Fanastial Movies in His Film, Labyrinth by Casey Reiland, McAnulty College of Liberal Arts (Spring 2015, Issue 1, Article 7), 2015

• 'Labyrinth: The Computer Game' Deserves A Reboot by Erik Kain, Jan 11, 2016

• LABYRINTH: AN APPRECIATION by Anne Perry, Hodderscape, January 11, 2016

• 15 necessary life lessons that David Bowie taught us in 'Labyrinth' by Andrea Romano, Jan 11, 2016

• How Labyrinth led me to David Bowie by Charlotte Richardson Andrews, Jan 12, 2016

• If you are a child of the ’80s, you probably lucked into a brilliant education in David Bowie by Jenni Avins, Jan. 15, 2016 

• Review : Labyrinth by Film Geeky, Jan 17, 2016

• Labyrinth's 'babe with the power' is all grown up as he remembers David Bowie by Claire Rutter, Jan 18, 2016

• The Binge Watcher: Labyrinth and Bowie  by Sara Terrell, Feb 8, 2016

• Theory on The Masked Man by Agatha Jakabok, 6/2016 

• Labyrinth - Film Review by yggdrasille, June 5, 2016

• Labyrinth turns 30: 16 reasons it's the best film ever by Ella Alexander, 6/20/2016, Glamour Magazine 

• Labyrinth is now 30 years old. Here’s how this gloriously weird movie became a cult classic. by Tanya Pai, 6/24/2016, Vox 

• Look Inside Archaia’s New Children’s Book, JIM HENSON’S LABYRINTH TALES (Exclusive) by Rachel Heine, 6/27/2016 

• On this day in pop culture: ‘Labyrinth’ opened in theaters by Emily Rome, 6/27/2016 

• Show off your bulge and dance moves, it’s the 30th anniversary of Labyrinth by Rob Dean, 6/27/2016, AV Club 

• Do You Remember These Super Creepy Labyrinth Plot Points? by ELIZABETH KIEFER, Refinery29, JUNE 27, 2016

• THE ROMANTIC REBEL: FALLING IN LOVE WITH JARETH THE GOBLIN KING by Amy Hubbard, One Room With A View, June 27, 2016

• Labyrinth and the Dark Heart of Childhood by Alison Stine, 6/29/2016, The Atlantic 

• Why Labyrinth is so memorable by Luke Buckmaster, BBC, 27th June 2016

• The Esoteric Messages in 'Labyrinth' by Jessie Desmond, 9/19/2016 

• How David Bowie, Practical Magic, And An Army Of Fans Turned ‘Labyrinth’ Into A Transcendent Cult Film by Alyssa Fikse, 9/20/2016, UpRoxx 

• Home Geekonomics: Dance, Magic, Dance for LABYRINTH’s 30th Anniversary by Jenn Fujikawa, Sept. 25, 2016, Nerdist 

• 9 gorgeous Labyrinth secrets – told to us by the man who made it by Rosie Fletcher, Oct. 18, 2016 

• Things You Never Noticed in Labyrinth by Jessie Desmond, Oct. 24, 2016 

• Catching Up with the Baby from ‘Labyrinth’ by Chris Bilton, Vice, October 28, 2016

• Hosting A Labyrinth Party by Jessie Desmond, Dec. 19, 2016 

• what 'labyrinth' taught us about sex, danger, family, and fear by  WENDY SYFRET, Wired, Dec 26, 2016

• Goblin King in Labyrinth: An audio-visual close reading of the songs by David Bowie by Sanna Qvick, ResearchGate, December 2016 (*.pdf)

• Allison, D. (2017). The Enchanted Screen: Picturehouse Presents A Season Of Folk And Fairytale Films. Picturehouse Publications. Pages 40-43.

• Why Labyrinth Is The Nicest Fandom by Julie Weiner, January 25, 2017 

• The Darkest Parts of Labyrinth That No One Talks About by Grunge Staff, Grunge, Feb. 14, 2017 

• DAVID BOWIE’S LABYRINTH SOUNDTRACK IS GETTING A VINYL REISSUE by Jenn Fujikawa, Apr. 27, 2017, Nerdist 

• WALTZ LIKE THE GOBLIN KING WITH LABYRINTH DANCE CLASSES by Jenn Fujikawa, Aug. 1, 2017, Nerdist

• HOW DAVID BOWIE CREATED MAGIC FOR ONE CHILD AT A LABYRINTH SCREENING by Eric Diaz, Nerdist.com, Oct. 9, 2017 

• Labyrinth Comic Reveals David Bowie's Goblin King Origin by Ryan Scott, Movie Web, NOV 15, 2017

• Things You Only Notice About Labyrinth As An Adult by Cat Lafuente, The List, Dec 12, 2017

• The Hidden Meaning of 'Labyrinth' by L.A. Banks, GEEKS, 2017

• Journey to the Center of the Psyche: Mental Breakdown in Labyrinth by Erin Thompson, The Backseat Driver Reviews, Jan 24, 2018

• Key Movies Of My Life: Labyrinth (1986) by S.R. Kheas, Feb 1, 2018

• Who Is Jareth In Labyrinth (1986) and Why Has He Got a Bulging Penis? by Elizabeth Howlett, The Film Magazine, September 25, 2018

• “Queen of the Underworld and Mistress of the Labyrinth;” An Exploration and Critique of Females in the Bildungsroman by Melissa Aucompaugh, March 5, 2019

• ‘Labyrinth'(1986): Navigating the Maze of Womanhood by Flip Screen, Apr 12, 2019

• Labyrinth and the Occult by Elizabeth Kim, June 17, 2019

• Labyrinth: David Bowie in an '80s Fantasy Classic by Louisa Mellor, June 27, 2019

• Labyrinth: 10 Things That Make No Sense About Jareth by SARA SANDERSON, Screenrant, MAR 15, 2020

• Why ‘Labyrinth’ Is the Perfect ‘80s Movie by Patrick Holman, April 28, 2020

• The Ending of Labyrinth Explained by Sezin Koehler, Looper. JUNE 23, 2020

• DANCE, WOMAN, DANCE: REVISITING JIM HENSON’S LABYRINTH by Shelby Cooke, Obscure Magazine, June 27, 2020

• GOBLIN KING, GOBLIN KING, GIVE ME BACK MY CHILDHOOD? LABYRINTH FILM REVIEW by I've Seen It All, July 2, 2020

• Movie Review of "Labyrinth" by Children & Media Australia, July 16, 2020

• “How You’ve Turned My World:” Growing Up in the Labyrinth –“Labyrinth” (1986) film analysis by Shoujo, August 1, 2020

• The Quarantine Stream: ‘Labyrinth’ is Jim Henson’s Dark, Weird Trip Through Wonderland by Hoai-Tran Bui, Slash Film, Sept 29, 2020

• “Just let me rule you”: the strange sexual parable of Jim Henson’s Labyrinth by Zelda Cahill-Patten, Jan 11, 2021

• Kid’s Stuff: Labyrinth and the illusion of adulthood by Simon McNeil,  March 8, 2021

• Labyrinth at 35: Goblins, Bowie and Greatness by TOM JOLLIFFE, Flickering Myth, JUNE 20, 2021

• Labyrinth: the Unsettling Second Character Played by David Bowie by Louisa Mellor, Den of Geek, June 27, 2021

• David Bowie and Jennifer Connelly's 'Labyrinth' Masquerade Ball Scene Was Inspired by Real-Life Party by Joe Bergren, ET Online, June 27, 2021

• How Labyrinth’s Fandom Is Stronger Than Ever After 35 Years by Kayleigh Donaldson, IGN, Jul 31, 2021

• Labyrinth – Why It’s Better Than You Remember by David Moya, Fandom Wire, September 2021

• Michael Jackson Could've Starred In Labyrinth Instead Of David Bowie by JOSHUA MEYER, Slashfilm, SEPT. 16, 2021

• Melissa Febos on Why Labyrinth Is a Queer Film by Melissa Febos, Lit Hub, September 30, 2021

• Why Labyrinth’s goblin king is the most important role David Bowie played by Marc Burrows, New Statesman, Oct 4, 2021

• Writings from a Flick Chick: Female Sexuality in Jim Henson’s Labyrinth by Jo Urbinati, Scribe, December 8, 2021

• Ch-ch-ch-changes: David Bowie's Generic Influence on Jim Henson's Labyrinth Film Franchise by Dean-Liathine McDonald, December 2021

• The Goblin King, Absurdity, and Nonbinary Thinking by AM Venters, 2022

• “Just let me rule you”: the strange sexual parable of Jim Henson’s Labyrinth by Kaly Cerqueira, Jan 11, 2022

• The Clocks of Jim Henson’s Labyrinth by KOMakesThings, August 22.2022

• “Labyrinth” (1986) and Fairy Tales by Simon Maass, December 9, 2022

• ‘Labyrinth’ Is a Coming-of-Age Story With Puppets by Molly Henery, Certified Forgotten, January 11, 2023

• Culture Re-View: Labyrinth is released - a tale of fantasy, puppets, and sexual awakening by Saskia O'Donoghue, June 27, 2023

• Jim Henson’s Labyrinth – Where Everything Seems Possible and Nothing is Real by KOMakesThings, July 16, 2023

• Jareth, Playing to The Whims of Wishers *.pdf by Jessie Desmond, Aug 16, 2023

• The Future of The Jim Henson Company Has The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth in Its DNA by Tara Bennett, Paste Magazine, February 21, 2024

• Film Review: Theatrical Re-Release of Labyrinth by Lia Fiffles, April 9, 2024

• Every Character From “Labyrinth” Ranked by Their Appearances in Our Bizarre, Confusing Sex Dreams by Dan Rice, The Hard Times, August 8, 2024