The Dark Crystal
1982 Directed by Frank Oz, Jim Henson
Synopsis
Another World, Another Time... In the Age of Wonder.
On another planet in the distant past, a Gelfling embarks on a quest to find the missing shard of a magical crystal and restore order to his world, before the grotesque race of Skeksis find and use the crystal for evil.
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Boy do I wish I could've seen this movie as a child. Henson's ambitious and wonderfully fantastical adventure carries an irresistible charm with it that surely would've amazed me at a very young age but even seeing it for the first time at age 20 is an enriching experience. The world that is created in this has a tangible quality to it that can only be achieved through actual sets, props, costumes and make-up rather than CGI. The importance of these things have never been made clearer than in this, as physicality and presence are things the audience can feel. Thanks to the meticulous craft that went into every one of these aspects even shoddy effects such as the merging…
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Jim Henson. Just the name alone conjures wonderfully vivid memories of fantastical creatures, anarchic humour and countless hours of enjoyment had whilst sitting in front of one of his many creations. For anybody in their 30s and early 40s his work left an indelible mark on their childhood and even in adult life I still have a great affection for all the films, television programmes and colourful characters he helped bring to life. One such creation left a significant impression - the ambitious, technically dazzling, scary and wonderful The Dark Crystal.
The world of the Skeksis and Mystics is a million miles away from the joyously daft humour of The Muppets and colourful education of Sesame Street. No wonder it…
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IM BACK BITCHES!!!!
Vegas was fun but man on man am I happy to be home! Something about sleeping in your own bed with your own pillow.... SO AWESOME
should have take today off to to recover hahah oh well .
The Dark Crystal is one of my favs growing up. HOLY HELL THE Skeksis still creep me out ! I love re watching old movies like this where u can see and appreciate all the time and hard work and creativity that went into making a movie like this.
Im pretty sure I want my own Fizzgig too...
http://purplehoneycreeper.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/fizzgig.gif
MISSED YOU GUYS!!! xoxo
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Very fond memories of watching this, curled up on the couch on Christmas Eve with the smell of the Christmas Tree wafting downstairs.
Both scary as hell and amazing and magical, it took a long time for me to be able to watch this movie without having my parents nearby.
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I had never seen this before so I was concerned that I wouldn't like it since there would be no nostalgia there. I loved it! I was surprised at how dark this film was (I know, I know it's called the DARK crystal) but as a muppet movie I wasn't expecting what I got. The puppet work here is outstanding and I was blown away at how intricate the puppets were. I honestly miss these types of films. There is so much imagination and hard work put into every aspect, I mean the entire landscape is all puppet work at some points. That is amazing!
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For me, this film embodies the concepts of "flawed masterpiece" or "wonderful failure" or even "bold, if creaking, experiment." Photographed entirely through use of puppets using the Jim Henson 'muppet' technique, the film is a wonderfully creepy, unsettling and visually splendorous celebration of 1980's dark fantasy that can excite adults and scare kids equally.
The film is, however, undone to a large degree by its creaking and ponderous, paint-by-numbers, Hero's Journey plot and perfunctory scenes and dialogue that robs the film of much of its potential power. None-the-less, there is no film in the world quite like this and for that reason alone it resides as a magnificent example of creative expression and outside-the-box filmmaking. The story provides nothing new, watch it for the dazzling ideas and puppetry!
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The beautiful puppet designs by Jim Henson alone is worth checking out.
Side note: Awesome movie too. -
Boy do I wish I could've seen this movie as a child. Henson's ambitious and wonderfully fantastical adventure carries an irresistible charm with it that surely would've amazed me at a very young age but even seeing it for the first time at age 20 is an enriching experience. The world that is created in this has a tangible quality to it that can only be achieved through actual sets, props, costumes and make-up rather than CGI. The importance of these things have never been made clearer than in this, as physicality and presence are things the audience can feel. Thanks to the meticulous craft that went into every one of these aspects even shoddy effects such as the merging…
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Crazy stuff
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This film use to be a lot scarier and cooler as a kid. Now it seems long winded and a little disappointing to revisit.
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I saw this, as a birthday treat, when it first came out (yes, old monster is *old*) but from that day onwards, it has sat on my 'All Time Favourite Films List' even before such a thing came into being.
I can think of no other film that is as beautiful or as unique as this. I keep hearing about a sequel but how such a thing could touch the original is a mystery to me.
From Kira's matter of fact statement as to why girls are better than boys (which explained a lot to an eight year old!) to Aurgra being awesome, this is one film that stands the test of time.
Recommended
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All the magic of a Miyazaki movie, without any of the whimsy or charm, this all-muppet fantasy epic disaster is only fun if you're willing to riff on it. I think Frank Oz and Jim Henson were on some kind of dark crystal when they made this...
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Jim Henson embarked on the most ambitious project in his career that brought us a mesmerizing exotic journey into the imagination that is competitive with the world of Tolkien, yet The Dark Crystal is Henson's own world that has its own rules and creatures that haven't been imitated.
There is nothing like a pair of little pointy-eared Gelflings, a gang of depraved ugly Skeksis, or a ball of growling fur. Trevor Jones' exotic and spiritualized score enhances the feeling of wonder at this alien world where no humans are seen and magic is found in unexpected places. Its creatures do get over-the-top a great deal, particularly the Skeksis and Aughra, but when have puppets never been over-the-top. They do what…
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This is one of my favorite films from childhood so I was so glad to see that on a re-watch, I still really enjoyed this film. The puppet work here is unfreaking believable! The world that Henson creates is so rich and beautiful. Although, as an adult, the story development leaves a bit to be desired, this film still holds up for me.
And I have to wonder, why did my parents let me watch this when I was little? I mean, they are draining the life essence out of the Gelflings! Crazy, creepy, and demented.
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Sure, I didn't feel like sleeping at all. Seriously, I watched this before going to bed in my hotel room in the dark before a long day ahead of me...
I didn't sleep all night. To be fair, it wasn't that creepy. Just the muppets, which, by the way, are outstanding. They're wonderfully done, their movements are highly realistic and are creepy as well as enchanting.
The story seems to borrow heavily for the first half from Star Wars, death of the Master, young boy going on a quest, but it doesn't matter, it works.
This is one of those films where there's such a wide array of characters, everybody has their respective favourite. I think mine was Chamberlain. He…