Horror History: Jim Henson’s THE DARK CRYSTAL Was Released in 1982
Mike Sprague
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On this day in horror history, Jim Henson and Frank Oz’s The Dark Crystal brought nightmares to kids all around the world back in 1982.
The film centers on Jen, the last survivor of the Gelflings. He sets out to try to find a shard of a powerful gem that once provided balance to the universe. Jen believes he can repair the dark crystal and bring peace back to the world if he can only find the remaining shard. But the evil Skeksis now control the broken crystal.
David Odell, a staff writer for The Muppet Show, penned the screenplay. Gary Kurtz produced. Trevor Jones composed the score. Stephen Garlick leads the cast which also includes Lisa Maxwell, Billie Whitelaw, Percy Edwards, and Barry Dennen.
Famous fantasy illustrator Brian Froud provided the film’s primary concept art. Froud and Henson also collaborated on Henson’s next project, Labyrinth.
The puppet fantasy film’s animatronics were groundbreaking at the time. In fact, most creatures required around four puppeteers to achieve full manipulation.
Netflix’s prequel series, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance was recently canceled.
Universal Pictures distributed the film, which sports a solid 79% approval rating over on Rotten Tomatoes. The Critics Consensus reads: The Dark Crystal’s narrative never quite lives up to the movie’s visual splendor, but it remains an admirably inventive and uniquely intense entry in the Jim Henson canon.
Do you dig Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal?
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