Contents



Another World, Another Time... In The Age Of Wonder

1982



The Dark Crystal (1982)  

Directed by 
Jim Henson    
Frank Oz    
  
Writing credits 
Jim Henson   (story) 
David Odell    
  
Cast (in credits order) complete, awaiting verification  
John Baddeley ....  Historian (voice)  
Stephen Garlick ....  Jen (voice)  
David Buck ....  Slave Master (voice)  
Barry Dennen ....  Chamberlain (voice)  
Percy Edwards ....  Fizzgig (voice)  
Michael Kilgarrif ....  General (voice)  
Lisa Maxwell ....  Kira (voice)  
Brian Muehl ....  Dying Mystic Master/Skeksis Ornamentalist 
(movement and voice)/Urzah (movement only)  
Jerry Nelson ....  High Priest/Dying Emperor (voice)  
Joseph O'Conor ....  Narrator (voice)  
Billie Whitelaw ....  Aughra (voice)  
Steve Whitmire ....  Scientist (movement and voice)  
Thick Wilson ....  Gourmand (voice)  
Jim Henson ....  Jen/High Priest  
Frank Oz ....  Aughra/Chamberlain  
Kiran Shah ....  Additional Performer  
rest of cast listed alphabetically  
Jean-Pierre Amiel ....  Weaver  
Robbie Barnett ....  Numerologist/Landstrider  
Sean Barrett (II) ....  Dying Master  
Peter Burroughs ....  Additional Performer  
Charles Collingwood ....  Treasurer (voice)  
Sadie Corre ....  Additional Performer (as Sadie Corrie)  
Mike Cotterill ....  Additional Performer  
Malcolm Dixon ....  Additional Performer  
Mike Edmonds ....  Additional Performer  
Lisa Esson ....  Additional Performer  
John Ghavan ....  Additional Performer  
Dave Goelz ....  General/Dying Emperor  
Louise Gold ....  Goumand  
Dave Greenaway ....  Healer  
Mike Iveria ....  Podling (voice)  
Annie Jones ....  Additional Performer  
Natasha Knight ....  Additional Performer  
Swim Lee ....  Hunter/Landstrider  
Hus Levant ....  Scribe  
Patrick Monckton ....  Podling (voice)  
Kathryn Mullen ....  Kira  
Bob Payne ....  Historian  
Toby Philpott ....  Alchemist  
Jack Purvis ....  Additional Performer  
Michael Quinn ....  Slave Master  
Tim Rose ....  Treasurer  
Deep Roy ....  Additional Performer  
Richard Slaughter ....  Additional Performer  
Hugh Spirit ....  Cook/Landstrider  
Gerald Staddon ....  Additional Performer  
Sue Wetherby ....  Podling (voice)  
Simon Williamson ....  Charmer  
  
Produced by 
Jim Henson    
Duncan Kenworthy   (associate)  
Gary Kurtz    
David Lazer   (executive)  
Bruce Sharman   (associate)  
  
Original music by 
Trevor Jones    
  
Cinematography by 
Oswald Morris    
  
Film Editing by 
Ralph Kemplen    
  
Production Design by 
Harry Lange    
  
Art Direction 
Brian Ackland-Snow    
Terry Ackland-Snow    
Charles Bishop (I)    
Malcolm Stone    
  
Costume Design by 
Val Johnston    
Leisja Limmer    
  
Production Management 
Philip Koehler ....  production manager  
  
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director 
Christopher Newman (II) ....  second assistant director  
Dusty Simmonds ....  assistant director  
  
Sound Department 
Ben Burtt ....  sound designer  
Nicholas Stevenson ....  sound designer  
  
Special Effects 
Roy Field ....  special effects supervisor  
Michael McCormick (II) ....  creature fabricator: 'Skeksis' unit  
  
Stunts 
Kiran Shah ....  stunts  
  
Other crew 
Bunny Alsup ....  assistant to Mr. Kurtz  
Jean-Pierre Amiel ....  mime coach  
Sherry Amott ....  podling effects supervisor  
Jerry Andrews ....  creature fabricator: "Mystic" unit  
Martin G. Baker ....  assistant to Mr. Lazer  
George Ball ....  property manager  
Sidney Barnsley ....  unit accountant  
Craig Barron (I) ....  matte camera assistant  
Bill Benson (I) ....  production supervisor  
Max Bowen ....  construction manager  
Derek Bowrie ....  camera operator  
Penny Campbell ....  assistant to Mr. Henson  
Val Charlton ....  landstrider effects supervisor  
Tim Clarke (II) ....  mystic effects supervisor  
Jill Colley ....  assistant to Mr. Oz  
Lyle Conway ....  skeksis/aughra effects supervisor  
Richard Dimbleby (I) ....  creature crew  
Harry Franchetti ....  creature fabricator: "Mystic" unit  
Brian Froud ....  conceptual designer  
Peter Knight (I) ....  orchestrator  
Rollin Krewson ....  fizzgig effects supervisor  
John Leman ....  gaffer  
Peter Mann (III) ....  constructor  
Michael McCormick (II) ....  creature fabricator: "Skeksis" unit  
Gates McFadden ....  choreographer  
Wendy Midener ....  gelfling effects supervisor  
Jim Miller (I) ....  other effects supervisor  
Fred Nihda ....  garthim effects supervisor  
Brian Smithies ....  special creature effects supervisor  
Ann Tasker ....  unit publicist  
Paul Wilson (III) ....  creature crew  
Ian Wingrove ....  creature crew  
Peter Young ....  set designer  
  
 
 


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THE DARK CRYSTAL **** (out of four) "Another world, Another time... In the age of wonder."

-a review by Bill Chambers (Shampoo + conditioner in ONE website! Film Freak Central- http://geocities.datacellar.net/Hollywood/Set/7504 Check out my idiotic film journal, and don't forget to recommend a movie in the 'Can't Miss' section.)

screenplay by David Odell
directed by Jim Henson & Frank Oz

When Jim Henson passed away, he left behind diverse legions of fans and a company whose ultimate success, it now seems, hinged on his input. Jim Henson Productions and The Creature Shop are still thriving financially, but as the last two Muppet films (or that silly computer-generated monkey from Lost In Space) demonstrate, the thrill and genius are gone. I'm not sure THE DARK CRYSTAL, made today, would generate from an audience of kids five to fifty the same awe-filled response.

An all-powerful crystal has cracked, causing the leaders of the green world to split apart into two beings: the big, gentle Mystics, and the vulture-like Skeksis. The Mystics send Jen, a naive Gelfling boy, on a mission to find the shard that cracked away, which must be reinserted into the crystal before the Skeksis become eternal rulers, before the great "conjunction" of three suns. Along the way, Jen encounters and teams up with the only other Gelfling alive, the Rebecca DeMornay-like Kira, an ogre-witch named Aughra, who removes her eyes to look at things, and a spastic-but-friendly, tumbleweed-like animal named Fizzgig.

Much of the beauty in THE DARK CRYSTAL, which is a simple tale (though it does not condescend to any viewer), lies in its art direction and creature design. The puppeteering is phenomenal--observe the scenes in which Jen plays his flute, or the landwalker chase--but I must stress that any thoughts of strings and hands and remote controls all but vanish in the opening moments of the picture, a delicately-narrated (by John Baddeley), absorbing prologue. The voice work in the film, by Muppet regulars and irregulars, is tone-perfect. As well, Trevor Jones' score should not be discounted: it contributes to the film almost as an unseen character. I suppose, due to the complexity involved in executing a movie of this nature, that it couldn't be helped, but I wish the film was longer. Jen and Kira have wonderful...well, chemistry, and more scenes of them quietly conversing would have been appreciated.

THE DARK CRYSTAL has a very small cult following. The weaker Labyrinth is probably better-known, which is upsetting. A friend of mine related a story to me that Henson was pressured into planting humans among Labyrinth's creatures due to the financial failure of people-less THE DARK CRYSTAL. That film never quite found its footing; it played like an acid-trip episode of "The Muppet Show" with David Bowie as guest-host, borrowing from Tolkien and pandering to Tolkien's fan-base. (I suppose I just made Labyrinth sound appetizing to a certain sector of the public.) THE DARK CRYSTAL deserved (and still deserves) a bigger audience. It's the best kind of children's entertainment: elegant, fantastical, and courageously un-hip. Brian Henson, fortunate son, keep looking back at this, your father's masterpiece.

-May, 1998. 



Have I seen this movie: Yes
And what did I think: The Dark Crystal is a wonderful fantasy film featuring great puppeteeing from the masters, Jim Henson and Frank Oz, with the story by Jim Henson and David Odell. This was Jim Henson's first non-Muppet feature film and took 5 years to make. It's the classic good vs. evil story set in a mythical land full of magic and strange creatures. The main character here is a male Gelfling named Jen who must go on a quest to heal the Dark crystal and bring change to his world or else darkness will rule forever. Along the way he meets Kira, the only other Gelfling in the world, and a female to boot. Together they must work together and avoid the evil Skeksis who are out to kill them and stop the prophecy of the big change happening. This is a very dark story and is similar to Jim Henson's other great film, "Labrynth". But while Labrynth isn't that suited for young children, The Dark Crystal is. Yet, adults will also enjoy this, especially ones that were kids when this movie first came out. Even though Jim Henson is long gone, his great work remains here on film. Recently, The Dark Crystal was re-released on video and on DVD. I suggest adding the DVD to your collection because there are a number of nice extras on it, including the trailers, the deleted funaral scenes and an hour long documentary on the making of the film which is quite good and informative. A must add to any good movie collection.

Review written December 24, 1999
I give The Dark Crystal 4 out of 5 stars
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