The Sopranos as an 80’s Dark Fantasy Film
If you’re wondering what the hell this is, well it’s a Youtube trend where people take a familiar concept and use AI art to render it in a different aesthetic or genre. The most popular one so far has been taking something and making it look like it was from an 80’s dark fantasy film like “Excalibur” or “Labyrinth” or something like those.
Aside from the just the novelty of seeing something unique like this, people seem to be drawn to the aesthetic of the 80’s in particular. Pictures like these instantly conjure up memories of fuzzy VHS tapes played on a big CRT television, even if you’re like me and too young to have actually been around when this style came out. It also harkens back to an age of practical effects and a more extravagant styles, when everything didn’t have to be so muted and realistic.
The following images were made with Midjourney, an AI image generation tool. Midjourney is free for a limited trial, though at the moment you need to connect your Discord account to their server and use the tool there. If you want to try it out yourself, you can go to www.midjourney.com. (Note I used it for this project but I make no recommendations for or against the company)
The prompt I used was dvd screengrab from 1982 dark fantasy film, "excalibur", --ar 3:2. You just add the specific character or thing you want in quotation marks after “excalibur”. You can of course play around and use different prompt, this was just what I found after a little research into how people were making these videos.
Below you can check out the images I generated and a little fluff I thought up for the Jersey Roundtable and the Kingdom of Newark!
King Tony Soprano, First Of His Name
King Anthony of House Soprano is the ruler of the Kingdom of Newark. Though powerful and respected by his loyal knights, the King suffers from a foul curse called “depression” that causes him to pass out at inconvenient times. In addition to keeping this secret from the court, King Tony must also protect his kingdom from the dark warriors of the FBI.
Queen Carmela
Queen Carmela is the wife of the King. Though she loves her lord husband, she loves the jewels and fine clothes that he provides for her more. She was once engaged in a love affair with King Tony’s most loyal knight, Sir Furio.
Sir Christopher
The nephew of the King Tony. Sir Christopher is a brave knight, though his reckless ways make his king doubt if he will ever be ready to lead the Roundtable one day. Sir Christopher also has a secret addiction to opium he must keep from his lord, lest he be slain.
Paulie, Lord of Walnuts
The eccentric lord of lands of Walnuts, Paul is a warrior respected throughout the kingdom. Though living alone in his manor, he’s become peculiar over the years. He’s terrified of ghosts, obsessed with avoiding the plague, and tends to ramble on and on.
Jun the Muff Wizard
The wise old wizard of the Kingdom, Jun offers guidance to King Tony in his hour of need. However there are many in the kingdom that fear the sorcerer. It’s whispered that he knows the dark and forbidden magic of pleasing a woman with his tongue.
Lady Adriana the Fair
Lady Adriana is one of the most beautiful maidens in the realm, and the betrothed of Sir Christopher. However her beauty and her innocence make her a target of the dark forces of the FBI, and even catch the eye of her king.
Princess Meadow
The daughter of the king and queen, Princess Meadow grows from a spoiled and entitled brat, into a stalwart defender of the innocent from the evils of the federal government.
Melfi le Fay
Everyone knows psychology is a dark art practiced only by the most evil of witches. However King Tony must turn to the sorceress Melfi le Fay in order to cure his affliction. However can she be trusted, or is she trying to seduce him to the dark side?
Phil, the Radiator Knight
The most feared knight in the Kingdom of New York, Phillip bears a grudge against King Tony after his brother William was treacherously slain by the king’s wayward cousin. After returning from a 20 year exile, he has sworn to destroy the knights the Jersey Roundtable no matter the cost.
Ye Old Satriale’s
Ye Old Satriale’s is a favorite spot of rest and relaxation for the knights of the roundtable. Run by the pigman Satriale, the tavern offers many delicious meats and treats for travelers.
North Caldwell Castle
Sitting atop a great hill, the castle of North Caldwell is the home of King Tony and his family. Though in practice, the king prefers to rule the realm from the Badabing Fortress, which offers more… entertainment for his knights and lords.
Some Other Ideas that Didn’t Make It In:
There were a few other characters I tried to make work, but the images didn’t come out the way I wanted them. Here were some ideas:
AJ as the court jester
Silvio as the grand vizier to the king
Artie as a medieval chef
If you want to try making your own, feel free to share them in my Discord! https://discord.gg/aJH4yGXH9M
