Best Fantasy Movies of 1998

When the grim reaper comes to collect the soul of megamogul Bill Parrish, he arrives with a proposition: Host him for a "vacation" among the living in trade for a few more days of existence. Parrish agrees, and using the pseudonym Joe Black, Death begins taking part in Parrish's daily agenda and falls in love with the man's daughter. Yet when Black's holiday is over, so is Parrish's life.

Chris Neilson dies to find himself in a heaven more amazing than he could have ever dreamed of. There is one thing missing: his wife. After he dies, his wife, Annie killed herself and went to hell. Chris decides to risk eternity in hades for the small chance that he will be able to bring her back to heaven.

When guardian angel Seth - who invisibly watches over the citizens of Los Angeles - becomes captivated by Maggie, a strong-willed heart surgeon, he ponders trading in his pure, otherworldly existence for a mortal life with his beloved. The couple embarks on a tender but forbidden romance spanning heaven and Earth.

After going their separate ways, Scooby-Doo, Shaggy, Velma, Daphne, and Fred reunite to investigate the ghost of Moonscar the pirate on a haunted bayou island, but it turns out the swashbuckler's spirit isn't the only creepy character on the island. The sleuths also meet up with cat creatures and zombies... and it looks like for the first time in their lives, these ghouls might actually be real.

London publicist Helen, effortlessly slides between parallel storylines that show what happens when she does or does not catch a train back to her apartment. Love. Romantic entanglements. Deception. Trust. Friendship. Comedy. All come into focus as the two stories shift back and forth, overlap and surprisingly converge.

Sally and Gillian Owens, born into a magical family, have mostly avoided witchcraft themselves. But when Gillian's vicious boyfriend, Jimmy Angelov, dies unexpectedly, the Owens sisters give themselves a crash course in hard magic. With policeman Gary Hallet growing suspicious, the girls struggle to resurrect Angelov -- and unwittingly inject his corpse with an evil spirit that threatens to end their family line.

When missile technology is used to enhance toy action figures, the toys soon begin to take their battle programming too seriously.

The church enlists a team of vampire-hunters to hunt down and destroy a group of vampires searching for an ancient relic that will allow them to exist in sunlight.

On her 13th birthday, Marnie learns she's a witch, discovers a secret portal, and is transported to Halloweentown — a magical place where ghosts and ghouls, witches and werewolves live apart from the human world. But she soon finds herself battling wicked warlocks, evil curses, and endless surprises.

Babe, fresh from his victory in the sheepherding contest, returns to Farmer Hoggett's farm, but after Farmer Hoggett is injured and unable to work, Babe has to go to the big city to save the farm.

During the times of King Arthur, Kayley is a brave girl who dreams of following her late father as a Knight of the Round Table. The evil Ruber wants to invade Camelot and take the throne of King Arthur, and Kayley has to stop him.

A successful physician and devoted family man, John Dolittle seems to have the world by the tail, until a long suppressed talent he possessed as a child, the ability to communicate with animals is suddenly reawakened with a vengeance! Now every creature within squawking distance wants the good doctor's advice, unleashing an outrageous chain of events that turns his world upside down!

The legendary wizard tells his story of his war against Queen Mab of the Sidhe and his creation of Camelot.

As a child living in Africa, Jill Young saw her mother killed while protecting wild gorillas from poachers led by Andrei Strasser. Now an adult, Jill cares for an orphaned gorilla named Joe -- who, due to a genetic anomaly, is 15 feet tall. When Gregg O'Hara arrives from California and sees the animal, he convinces Jill that Joe would be safest at his wildlife refuge. But Strasser follows them to the U.S., intent on capturing Joe for himself.

"Once upon a time... no, no.. that's not the way to start. You'll think this is a fairy tale, and it isn't." Merlin tells his tale in this magical adventure. It is the story of how Queen Mab created Merlin as her champion in the war that threatens magic and the Old Ways. His purpose is to make people believe in her and the Old Ways again, make sure it is not forgotten. But Merlin has other plans, and that is not taken lightly by Queen Mab.

The legendary wizard tells his story of his war against Queen Mab of the Sidhe and his creation of Camelot.

A father, who can't keep his promises, dies in a car accident. One year later, he returns as a snowman, who has the final chance to put things right with his son before he is gone forever.

It's a heartwarming story of a newlywed couple on their wedding night. Grant, the husband, starts experiencing strange, supernatural powers and Kerry, the wife, can't cope. Whenever Grant thinks of something, it becomes reality, yet he doesn't know where these magical powers come from.

Suburbia 1967. Eleven-year-old Susan Bradley has only one thing on her mind, and it's not schoolwork. It's Mike Nesmith of The Monkees, the popular pop group made famous in the television sitcom of the same name. Susan, with "boyfriend" Nesmith, lives in a daydream, a sixties riot of psychedelic colors and goofy, soft-focus, teenage-girl love scenes. Her well-meaning parents try to snap her back to reality, but it takes an informative copy of Teen Life to finally open Susan's eyes.

Gabriel returns to try to destroy the human race he despises so much, with the help of a suicidal teen and the opposition of the angel Daniel.

20th century computer games designer Scott exchanges love letters with 19th century poet Elizabeth Whitcomb through an antique desk that can make letters travel through time.

The royal couple Odette and Derek face yet another evil magician, this time a woman named Zelda. Lusting for the treasure of the Forbidden Arts, which will give her absolute power, Zelda kidnaps Odette as ransom. Derek and several animal friends head off to rescue Odette

One of the late '90s biggest selling titles, Gino Colbert's award-winning Three Brothers still holds up incredibly well. The three hunky, hung, and uncut real-life Rockland brothers, in various combinations, star in a bundle of very hot action-packed "short story" vignettes (and they're all tops). The stories are called "Cabin Fever," "Body Parts," "Three Men and a Blond," and "Hard Help is Good to Find."

Billy and Sheena visit their Uncle Harold on an island in the Caribbean, but while exploring under water they find something terrible lurking deep below the sea.

When a warlock threatens Wendy the Good Little Witch, she and her aunts hide out at a resort where Casper the Ghost is vacationing with his uncles. Although Casper and Wendy are told ghosts and witches don't get along, the two are kindred spirits! This spooky family-friendly adventure finds Casper and Wendy bridging the ghost-witch divide to battle the warlock who is intent on destroying Wendy.

When Hannah Fairchild meets her new neighbor, Danny Anderson, she thinks he's a bit weird...could he be a ghost?

After receiving a mysterious shrunken head from his Aunt Benna, young Mark travels to the jungle island of Baladora where he finds his Aunt has disappeared.

Jessica, a teenage girl obsessed with money but greedy when it comes to sharing it, is swept away into a surreal small town environment and learns the hard way that being greedy gets you nothing but trouble.

The end of the millenium has taken on a certain significance in modern day prophecies. What happens if Jesus Christ has second thoughts about the Apocalypse? It is December 31, 1999 and New Year's Eve takes on new meaning when the Devil, Jesus Christ, and Christ's assistant Magdelina discuss and debate the end of the world, the opening of the seven seals, and the essence of being human.

The young Jeremiah grows up in a priest's family in the village of Anathoth, near Jerusalem. God appears to Jeremiah in different human guises on several occasions, and makes it clear to him that he has been selected to announce God's message to the people of Jerusalem

A vampire in London is searching for the ideal woman to 'redeem' him.

Sabrina goes to Rome, with Salem stowaway-ed in her backpack, to free her 16th-century aunt Sophia who was banished for divulging her powers to a non-witch.

Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus: The Movie is a short film adaptation of the game, consisting of modified cutscenes along with additional footage made specifically for the film. After the destruction of Rupture Farms and the liberation of his fellow Mudokons, Abe unearths another sinister secret ingredient - the Magog Cartel are digging up their ancestors' bones, so he sets out with his friends to put a stop to the industrial menace once again, the only way he knows how - terrorism!

An homage to silent films and the great puppet animator, Ladislas Starewicz. It is the story of a little hermit who is visited by playful goblins.

A con artist escapes a deal gone wrong in New York and winds up in the Aussie outback in a strange town whose inhabitants are an oddball collection of misfits.

Strange Parallel is a documentary/short film revolving around the American singer/songwriter Elliott Smith. The film features interviews with Elliott himself as well as fans, friends and other acquaintances of his (including Gus Van Sant, Larry Crane, and the members of Quasi). The film also includes snippets of Elliott Smith performing as well as footage of him recording an unreleased song, "Brand New Game". The film sometimes moves out of reality, with acted-out, metaphorical sequences that involve Elliott considering purchasing a mechanical hand (a "robot hand" ) to improve his music.

While looking for paradise, a cab driver suddenly falls in love.

Women dress and undress while pretending to be vampires.

Merlin, an elderly man telling his life story, describes a Britain faced with rulers and invasion that are increasingly destructive to its people. Queen Mab seeks to reclaim her power by drawing people back to the "Old Ways". To do so, she creates a wizard named Merlin, whom she intends to champion her crusade. Merlin's mother dies giving birth to him and he is raised by his guardian, Ambrosia, until his magic emerges.

Haunted by disturbing dreams from an inherited book, a young man becomes interested in the writings of H.P. Lovecraft.

Allison accidentally kills a cat on her bike. But she soon finds out that this kitty has nine lives.

A young woman battles against a series of giant spiders, spawned by toxic waste, in her new suburban home.

A modern adaptation of the classic children's story 'Alice through the Looking Glass', which continued on from the popular 'Alice in Wonderland' story. This time Alice is played by the mother, who falls asleep while reading the the bedtime story to her daughter. Walking through the Looking Glass, Alice finds herself in Chessland, a magical and fun world. There she meets the Red and White Queens, as well as many other amusing friends on her journey across the chessboard countryside onto become a crowned queen.

Presented in the form of a feverish love dream, 1001 Nights is the first and only installment of the ground-breaking "Filmharmonic" project, which presents original compositions created by pairs of A-list film composers and directors.

Gomez is a middle-aged man who dreams of buying a gorgeous white suit in a nearby store, but doesn't have enough cash. He finds 4 more people of same size, who each give $20 and get to wear the suit for an hour each in return. But the suit is not just a suit - it makes wishes of the one wearing it come true.

Vampire fledgling Michelle Morgan has escaped the grasp of her master Radu Vladislas. Found by a woman named Ana, she is taken to a hospital where a doctor claims to be able to cure her vampirism. Radu, recovering from the near-death delivered by Michelle and her friends, travels to Bucharest to follow his fledgling. He visits the vampire Ash's stronghold. Ash and his protege Serena plot to destroy Radu and employ the help of the humans, Ana and the Doctor.

A polar bear breaks out of his enclosure to bring a little girl's teddy bear back to her. While she cares for him, the bear takes her on a magical journey. Based on Raymond Briggs' best selling storybook, this enchanting animated tale is from the makers of The Snowman.

The Addams Family goes on a search for their relatives. Gomez and Morticia are horrified to discover that Grandpa and Grandma Addams have a disease that is slowly turning them "normal". The only chance they have of a cure is to find a family member hoping that they know a home remedy.

Yet another variation on Mark Twain's "A Connecticut Yankee At King Arthur's Court." Here, a computer malfunction causes a science researcher to be sent back in time with her laptop, which she uses to amaze the court.