I can't find the title of a movie I saw as a kid in the 80s

March 23, 2005 9:29 PM

As a web developer I can usually find what I want on the Internet. This however, has stumped me for over five years. Please help me find any info about this movie. I saw it in the 80s, possibly the early 90s. For the amount of detail I recall about the movie, I can't believe I've never found anything on the net. The description follows:

I'm pretty sure it's live action, but cartoon is possible. It is fantasy, and involved a group of kids (maybe brother/sister) that encountered a palace of some kind, which I believe sat atop a stone peninsula (there is a scene where the kids are travelling along the side of a cliff toward the palace). I believe a witch or evil sorceress lived there. The palace housed a large glass dome, under which a tree bore 'eternal youth' fruit (apples or peaches, I think). The dome protects/preserves the tree and is locked with a big golden key. The climax of the film is when the kids get the key, and somehow break the glass. I don't recall if you see the witch age rapidly, but it's possible. The kids may or may not have been accompanied by friendly monsters (though I think this may be a mixed memory from 'my favorite monster'). Any thoughts, comments and details are *greatly* appreciated.

posted by pelletierm to media & arts (9 comments total)

Is it the Hugga Bunch movie?
posted by gnat at 10:02 PM on March 23, 2005

No, unfortunately. If my movie is a cartoon, it's definitely much closer to 'realism' than the cover art of the Hugga Bunch movie shows. In any case, I'm about 90% sure my movie is live action. I have some vivid visual memories of scenes with the glass dome and the golden key. Thanks though!
posted by pelletierm at 10:08 PM on March 23, 2005

Ah ok, I thought it might be the one because it was live action with puppets.
posted by gnat at 10:13 PM on March 23, 2005

Holy shit, that IS the movie. Apparently the cartoon cover on IMDB and from your link is not the same as the movie itself.

For the record, here is a link to photos from the movie, complete with glass dome, witch, etc. Damn. Thanks!
posted by pelletierm at 10:13 PM on March 23, 2005

I don't know... I tried this google search: and got this forum result. I'm going to agree with gnat on this. Pelletierm, take a second look.

On preview, yeah you got it...
posted by onalark at 10:20 PM on March 23, 2005

Hey, that was fast! I just love AskMetafilter!
posted by abbyladybug at 6:00 AM on March 24, 2005

The plot description sounded really familiar, and when I saw photos of the bookworm's house that triggered a memory -- I think I must have watched that movie when I was a kid.
posted by gnat at 6:17 AM on March 24, 2005

That looks freaky familiar. Did the kids go through a magic mirror to get to the fantasy land? I'm remembering a girl walking sideways on a wall, but always thought it was a Cabbage Patch movie.
posted by rhapsodie at 4:24 PM on March 24, 2005

That's the one. I love trippy made-for-TV movies based on Hallmark characters that shamelessly use ideas from classic fiction (Alice in Wonderland) that embed themselves in your memory for years and years, refusing to give way to more important things like where you left your keys.

There is an animated parody show called 'Robot Chicken' on Sundays on the Cartoon Network's Adult Swim. Last week's episode featured Chucky getting maimed by a cabbage patch full of cabbage patch kids. Quite funny.
posted by pelletierm at 10:45 PM on March 24, 2005