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Lab Report 25: 5 Obscure Movies MTG Players Secretly Love

 

Lab Report 25: 5 Obscure Movies MTG Players Secretly Love

By madsaxxon, Tibalt's Apprentice

If you love Magic: the Gathering, you’re already a fan of strategy, story, and spells that go way off the stack. But when you’re not slinging cardboard or scheming up your next win-con, what do you watch?

Sure, everyone knows Lord of the Rings or Stranger Things scratches the fantasy itch, but what about the deep cuts? The VHS-fueled fever dreams? The stuff you’d find on a dusty shelf behind a stack of outdated rulebooks and someone's unopened Homelands booster?

Here are five cult-favorite movies that MTG players will probably vibe with—whether you run mono-green stompy or five-color chaos.

1. The Secret of NIMH (1982)

  • What it is: A mother mouse taps into arcane secrets to save her child. Also includes: sword-wielding rats, bio-magic, and betrayal.

  • MTG energy: This is a black-green saga waiting to happen. Think Descendants' Path meets Deadly Dispute.

  • Why it’s a hit: Mature animation with real stakes. You’ll never look at rodents the same way again.

2. Wizards (1977)

  • What it is: Post-apocalyptic fantasy where elves and demons battle over magic and technology.

  • MTG energy: This is what happens when someone builds an Urza vs. Mishra Commander deck and animates it on acid.

  • Why it’s a hit: Utterly bizarre, totally unique. Exactly how we like our decks.

3. The Flight of Dragons (1982)

  • What it is: A nerdy scientist is pulled into a fantasy realm to help stop an evil sorcerer—and turns into a dragon.

  • MTG energy: Feels like watching Arcades, the Strategist do book club with Nicol Bolas.

  • Why it’s a hit: Explores the clash of magic and reason. Beautiful and brainy.

4. The Dark Crystal (1982)

  • What it is: A dark puppet fantasy epic about ancient relics, creepy bird-wizards, and healing a broken world.

  • MTG energy: If you’ve ever tried to resolve Urza's Ruinous Blast or lived that Phyrexian Rebirth life, this one’s for you.

  • Why it’s a hit: Gorgeous world-building and weirdness that’s aged like a fine Mirrodin artifact.

5. Ink (2009)

  • What it is: Indie sci-fi/fantasy film where dream-world forces fight over the soul of a child, and one broken man is caught in the middle.

  • MTG energy: A sleeper hit like Aether Vial before people figured it out. Full of planeswalker-level mind games.

  • Why it’s a hit: Stylish, surreal, and surprisingly emotional—like an Esper deck that actually has a heart.

Final Thoughts:

These films might not be household names, but they share the same DNA as Magic: the Gathering—layers, conflict, beauty, weirdness, and above all, imagination. So the next time you need inspiration for a deck, a flavor text deep-dive, or just something to watch while sorting your bulk rares, give one of these a spin.

You just might find a new favorite plane in your own collection.

—

Signed,
madsaxxon
Tibalt’s Apprentice

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