Title sequence
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This has probably been discussed to death somewhere on the forum but I can't find the relevant thread.
The original title sequence - is the rider a young Treguard on his way to liberate Dunshelm from the Gruagach? Or just a knight on his way to tackle the challenge of Knightmare Castle?
There are parallels between this animation and Gandalf's ascent of Minas Titith in the Return of the King film. Someone with more time and better video editing skills than me could probably re-edit the sequence to the KM theme tune. Maybe someone has!
This observation led to a daydream about what a S9 title sequence could be (with unlimited budget) - a shot for shot live action remake of the original! The only change I'd make - the creature behind bars would be a goblin and the accompanying sound effect would be a goblin horn (original of course!).
Well, that's my Tuesday night Knightmare fantasy (partially caused by boredom; bread week on the bake off - never my favourite )
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I'm pretty sure that it's just a representation of a dungeoneer on the way to the castle to begin a quest. Portraying the challenger as a knight was probably just a nod to how dungeoneers would be portrayed in an ideal world in which the budget extended to a full suit of armour. Not really possible for all manner of reasons, including that armour needs to be made to fit the individual - with about ten dungeoneers a season, that would get expensive, and cause a lot of delays.
If the figure were meant to be Treguard in his novelised youth, then Folly would appear in the sequence as well.
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The original title sequence - is the rider a young Treguard on his way to liberate Dunshelm from the Gruagach? Or just a knight on his way to tackle the challenge of Knightmare Castle?
I'm inclined to regard the title sequence simply as variations on the theme of 'knightmare'. In fact, knightmare may have been the gist of the animators' brief. If bli is still contactable, he might be able to shed some light. Having said that, the description of Dunshelm's location in the first book seems pleasingly to be based on the cartoon castle.
You might enjoy the fanfic The Adventurer's Adventure, which is all about the knight.
I like the idea of a revamped title sequence having different monsters, obstacles and prisoners a la The Simpsons' couch gags.
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I'm pretty sure that it's just a representation of a dungeoneer on the way to the castle to begin a quest. Portraying the challenger as a knight was probably just a nod to how dungeoneers would be portrayed in an ideal world in which the budget extended to a full suit of armour. Not really possible for all manner of reasons, including that armour needs to be made to fit the individual - with about ten dungeoneers a season, that would get expensive, and cause a lot of delays.
If the figure were meant to be Treguard in his novelised youth, then Folly would appear in the sequence as well.
I'm of the same opinion. Couldn't visualise it being Treguard. Plus for the s6 to s8 sequence a dungeoneer was used.
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What's the monster that appears and spits out the word 'Knightmare'?
I don't like that part.
That part used to scare me as a child, I had to look away. Especially with it being accompanied by "Psycho" like strings in the theme music (series 4-5).
Though it doesn't spit the word out, it just appears in front of its eyes.
I always thought the monster was to stop people trying to gain access to level 3 and "cheat". The only way in is to start from the castle at the top and work your way down.
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It's some kind of demon/apparition as far as I can tell. I think it was meant to imply an illusion, because once the title has settled into place on the screen, the creature has mysteriously vanished. Probably an attempt to underline the "Nothing here is real" concept, so that the show is scary without being horrifying.
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The knight has clearly moved on; the creature hasn't vanished.
If you look, the creature manifests in a tunnel, but after the title disappears, the knight's on the edge of a chasm.
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It's some kind of demon/apparition as far as I can tell.
Really? The rest of us thought it was human.
Anyway, it happens in a cave way underneath the castle. Notice the camera zooming in on the tunnel as the knight rides by.
As fluttermoth says, it doesn't vanish. The next we see the knight and horse, they are much higher up on a ledge, and about to jump a chasm. Obviously forced up there because there are monsters such as the one we have just seen, blocking caves and other entrances to the dungeon.
Thus forcing adventurers to make their way to the castle and start their quest from the top, as intended. Makes sense to me.
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Well the dungeon is under the castle, they don't use the same path back.
It's not just the creature that's odd, but having the title show half way though is what I find quite strange. Kinda breaks the flow of the sequence.
The other big question is who is locked in that jail?
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The creature (looks like something out of Ghostbusters) bursts out of the ground. He doesn't create the gap, this happen at ground level inside a tunnel (over grown thorns) The title comes up, and the next time we see the knight his further along the path and about to jump over the gap.
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The knight has clearly moved on; the creature hasn't vanished.
If you look, the creature manifests in a tunnel, but after the title disappears, the knight's on the edge of a chasm.
That 'tunnel' is actually a canopy of trees surrounding the ledge. It's true they've disappeared afterwards, but the hole in the pathway is still directly ahead, where the demon appeared - hence the horse has to leap over it - so I don't think he has moved on.
Really? The rest of us thought it was human.
I was answering Wombstar's question, when he asked what the monster was. Is it a problem for you that it's even being discussed?
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The creature (looks like something out of Ghostbusters) bursts out of the ground. He doesn't create the gap, this happen at ground level inside a tunnel (over grown thorns) The title comes up, and the next time we see the knight his further along the path and about to jump over the gap.
The thing is, when the demon appears, the horse rears up, and it's still doing so after the title has vanished - you can see its front hooves dropping back onto the pathway.
A hole appears in the path and the horse rears up. Then a few moments later it comes to another hole in the path and it rears up again? Well, it's possible of course, but I'd say it looks a lot likelier that it's just the one hole, and the disappearance of the trees is just an animation mistake. (Or perhaps they were part of the illusion of the demon?)
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I don't think so. The monster is on the ground level hidden in that over grown thorn bush. The other hole is further up the causeway, it's clear to me his on a ledge at this point but was on the ground when the monster appeared, it then cuts to the knight at the top entering the castle. So we see him at three different locations along the path.
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Looks like a ledge to me. You go to earlier in the sequence, when we first see the castle, it looks like a ledge lined with trees/thorns. If you look in the background, you can see hills surrounded by clouds at the same altitude as the path, implying this is quite high up. There's also no indication in that picture of where the 'land' gives way to a ledge.
I'm pretty sure the discontinuities are just mistakes; the background is completely clear of clouds after the demon is gone.
Out of interest, assuming your view of it is right, how did the horse get over the gap created by the demon? If the canopy of thorns was still there, there wouldn't be room for the horse to jump over it.
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The creature (looks like something out of Ghostbusters) bursts out of the ground. He doesn't create the gap, this happen at ground level inside a tunnel (over grown thorns) The title comes up, and the next time we see the knight his further along the path and about to jump over the gap.
Yup that's how I see it too. After all it's an animation sequence not a documentary. We can allow for time jumps. I also agree that it looks like something out of
Ghostbusters and I have previously thought the same thing myself!
I am glad the person behind the bars was removed from series 4 onwards. Too cartoony and distracted from the feeling of fear created by the otherwise atmospheric titles.
Since we're on the subject of "What's that thing" in the opening titles, whose hand comes out the wall in series 6-8? Always thought it looked a bit like Lord Fear's but then why would he help?
Speaking of the opening titles there was a funny line about the dungeoneer in the series 6 titles in Knightmare Live. On stage something scary happened, can't remember what, and the dungeoneer literally legged it out the door. Treguard commented that finally a dungeoneer actually runs. We saw it for years on the opening titles but never on the actual show until today I loved the sarcasm in that show and the fact that it wasn't afraid to laugh at itself and be poked fun at. Best way to be in my opinon. By the way, is sarcasm allowed here?
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The monster didn't cause a huge gap, a horse could step right over that, and we're not too sure how high those thorns are overhead. The knight must have banished the monster with his sword.
At that point they are at the foot of the mountain. Before the Knight enters that thorn tunnel you can see the castle up high in the background. Lots of trees and other growth before it. There is no sight of trees once he passes the monster.
If it's an error it a mighty big error.
The other possibility is the monster in fact casted a spell (which is why the name comes up and flashing on screen) which teleports the knight closer to the castle?
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