Watch Fairy Tales

Fairy Tales is a 1978 musical fantasy comedy film that spins a unique, adult take on the classic stories we all grew up hearing before bedtime. It's a surreal and whimsical journey through a world where familiar tales take an unexpected turn. In this fantasy world, where innocence meets lasciviousness, anything is possible, and everything implies an offbeat and ribald twist to the fairy tales that have been etched into the universal consciousness.

On the occasion of his twenty-first birthday, the story follows the young and hapless Prince, played with charming befuddlement by Don Sparks. According to the laws of his kingdom, he must venture on a quest to find his one true love in order to ensure the continuity of his royal line. Embarking on this fairy-tale quest, which takes on more of a bawdy adventure, the Prince stumbles upon an array of characters derived from well-known stories, albeit not quite as the Brothers Grimm intended.

Throughout his journey, the Prince meets a tapestry of colorful characters, each delivering his or her own story and lessons. There's stand-up comedian and actor Irwin Corey, who infuses his eccentric brand of humor into the film, while Sy Richardson adds his own distinct flair to this unusual tapestry of fairy-tale figures.

One notable aspect of Fairy Tales is the musical element which punctuates the escapades throughout the film. The characters often break into catchy, and sometimes suggestive, song and dance numbers that echo the sentiments of 1970s-era cheesiness with a dose of whimsy. The musical compositions contribute to the film's quirky and comic atmosphere, creating an air of lightheartedness that belies the more adult themes running beneath.

In a way, the film serves as a satirical reflection of classic stories, critiquing the sanitized versions of the tales we know, suggesting that beneath the surface of these seemingly innocent narratives lies a world of adult complexities and desires. The delivery of this satire is through humor that is often slapstick and camp, with double entendres and visual gags that poke fun at the innocence of fairy tales and the more mature nature of their origins.

Fairy Tales thrives on its subversive humor, with one scene after another offering a bawdy reinterpretation of characters like Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, and Cinderella. These characters don't just wait around for a prince to come—they're much more proactive, assertive, and sensual in their pursuits. The film takes delight in upending expectations, resulting in a romp that's as much an exploration of sexuality as it is a send-up of fantastical storytelling.

With the design and costuming of the film, there's a deliberate push to blend the medieval with the psychedelic—a sort of 'Middle Ages meets 1970s disco' aesthetic. Lush colors, glitter, and flamboyant outfits abound, helping to underline the film's sense of excess and playfulness. The sets and locations similarly suggest a mishmash of time periods, keeping the viewer firmly entrenched in a world that's out of time and chimerical.

The cinematography of Fairy Tales adds to the film’s surreal quality, with camera angles and shot selections designed to emphasize the outlandish and exaggerated nature of the story. The director intermittently uses close-ups and wide shots to focus on the expressions of befuddlement, amusement, or desire on the characters’ faces, which serves to enhance the comedic and exaggerated storytelling.

It should be noted that the tone of the film, while lighthearted and comedic, is intended for mature audiences. The humor is often risqué, and the scenarios and costuming leave little to the imagination. Fairy Tales pushes the envelope of the time, exploiting the permissive mood of the late 1970s to deliver an adult twist to what would traditionally be family-friendly entertainment.

In summary, Fairy Tales from 1978 is a melange of familiar, yet distorted fairy-tale imagery combined with off-color humor and bawdy musical numbers. In this fantasy realm, nothing is quite what it seems, and everything is fair game for a laugh. It is a product of its time, embracing the libertine spirit of the era with abandon, while offering a comic critique of the innocence of the classic tales that have captivated the imaginations of generations. This film serves as a reminder of the power of storytelling and the ways in which we can reinterpret the stories we know so well to find new meaning—and humor—in them.