The 10th Kingdom

"My name is Virginia, and I live on the edge of a forest. Well, sort of."

Alright. I recently re-watched the epic 7-hour miniseries "The 10th Kingdom", and I realized a few things about myself, and about the things that I love. But first, about the show:

"The 10th Kingdom" is about a girl named Virginia from New York who lives with her father in an apartment on the edge of Central Park, completely unaware that a magic mirror from a parallel world of fairy tales has opened up in the park. While Virginia is on her way to work, the portal opens up and she is greeted headlong by a number of characters from the other world. Through a series of unfortunate events, so to speak, she and her father end up in this fairytale world, but most unfortunately of all, it lands them right in the middle of the Snow White Memorial Prison.

This other world is essentially the world of Grimm's fairy tales, only 200 years have passed since the 'Golden Age' of Cinderella, Snow White, Red Riding Hood, etc, etc. Snow White's great grandson, Prince Wendell, has been turned into a dog so that his evil step-mother, the wicked witch, can destroy the 9 kingdoms of that land and declare herself queen. Virginia must discover her destiny and try to make it back safely to her home in the '10th kingdom' Along the way they meet a half-wolf played by the amazing Scott Cohen, Acorn the Dwarf played by my favorite little person, Warrick Davis, and a myriad of other fantastical characters.

It is a tale of epic proportions, but possibly the most amazing thing is that it maintains a humorous tone throughout, and strikes a perfect balance between dramatic character development and very funny and witty comedy. From magic mushrooms to tooth fairies to barbaric trolls to a town full of Little Bo Peep's descendents, and my personal favorite, the witch's Huntsman played by Rutger Hauer, the story has many twists and turns, and no matter where you stop it for a break, it always leaves you wanting to watch more.

But now that I've written my little review, I want to talk about what it means to me personally. I first watched this miniseries when I was in high-school. I borrowed it from a friend who had it on VHS because it looked intriguing, and as soon as I popped in the first tape, I was spellbound. But it wasn't till I recently re-watched it (my third complete viewing) that I realized it's impact on me. I usually cite George Lucas' masterful Star Wars films for inspiring me to want to create fun, enjoyable entertainment with psychological undertones and epic character development. But the 10th Kingdom, while slightly more jocular, accomplished this in a completely different world, yet in many ways, just as amazing as watching Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Princess Leia, and just as magical (only now in the literal sense). As a movie maker, These type of movies are what I live for, and someday hope to create myself.

I could go on forever, but suffice to say I hold this miniseries in the highest regards, and recommend it for anyone interested in entertaining, brilliant and epic stories. I hope someday I get the chance to tell a story like the 10th Kingdom, and inspire others in the same way.

That is all.


"You're cold. You're cold, Virginia. How did you become so cold? You are still lost in the forest. But lonely, lost girls like us can rescue themselves. You are standing on the edge of greatness."