As a kid, this was cool. Scary as a kid was when a man rips the cheeks off his face and it falls into the sink, like Poltergeist. I started shaving at 11 years old and began dreaming of my cheek falling off into the sink and I'd put it back, but it would go too far in and so my tongue would have to get the two surfaces of skin to line up and my hand would have to hold my cheek while my tongue was working or the whole thing would fall back into the sink. I'd wake up screaming "Damn that Poltergeist" while in elementary school and middle school.
One of my favorite quotes from Pratchett: "Later on they took the blood out to make the stories more acceptable to children, or at least to the people who had to read them to children rather than the children themselves"
Henson was asked on this once too, saying how children NEED to experience small fears, the dark, scary animals, pretend monsters... and that how seeing those small ones being conquered helped prepare them to face bigger, real ones as they grow.
This movie changed my life as a little boy when I watched it for the first time and realized that puppets could be realistic ,creepy- cool and didn't have to be fluffy kiddie Sesame Street looking things. It made me the special FX make up artist and puppeteer/ entertainer I am today. ❤
I only realized this movie can be seen as scary/creepy when I watched it later as an adult. As a child I absolutely loved it and thought it looked so beautiful. Sometimes as adults we see too many shadows, where children just take in stride. A child's imagination is complex, there is room for some darkness, as long as it's ludic, imaginative and constructive.
The maddest thing about Dark Crystal is the Netflix show they did a few years ago, which is an extremely dark tale of genocide. Brilliant though, such a shame they only did the one season.
The show was amazing. A great set up to see how the downfall of the Gelfling happened and see what the Gelfling civilization was like. Netflix with their "divine" wisdom canceled it. Who knows, maybe one day The Jim Henson Company can find a new home for it, or make a new film to wrap up the story.
@@trence5I'm willing to bet it was because people weren't actually watching it. Of everyone I know, hardly anyone had even heard of the show until I mentioned it. And of those who did start watching it, they only ended up watching an episode or two before dropping it. (The long episodes could get very boring if you weren't fully invested... so I kinda get it.) In the end, I was the only one [of all the people I know] who actually managed to watch the whole thing. So, if I had to take a wild guess, it would definitely be that Netflix felt the show wasn't popular enough. The viewership was probably way too low compared to the expense of making it. (It was very expensive to make.) It's extremely disheartening, because I was SO ready for a season 2. T^T
It's hard to state how much seeing this film at age 10 or 11 formed so much of my imagination and fantasies. I can totally see now how it would seem scary to many kids (and did!), but for me and some of the other budding fantasy nerds out there this was like a pure shot of wonder and inspiration right to the brain. It's one of my favorite childhood films.
Couldn't agree more. This was the first time a movie sparked an interest in not just the movie but the world it took place in as a whole, the races, creatures, and lore were absolutely enthralling.
My Mom introduced The Dark Crystal when I was a baby and I loved it. It never became nightmare fuel so I was allowed to watch it all the time. To me it's grotesquely beautiful.
My mom took me to see this at the theatre when I was 6. I’m 47 now and it’s still one of my favorite movies. I love the production, originality, music, etc. Yes, the Garthim gave me bad dreams, not gonna lie. Just a note: the movie had a number of deleted scenes and concepts (such as the Skeksis not speaking English; you can still hear their original language in the work prints). One line that was in other sources but was deleted from the final cut was Kira explaining her wings: “Once female Gelflings could fly, not merely flutter to the ground.” By the time the movie takes place, female Gelflings’ wings had atrophied to the point they could no longer fly, only glide.
I absolutely love this movie and love the Netflix series age of resistance. I was actually able to take my 8 year old daughter to go see The Dark Crystal when it was in select theaters a few years ago. We were the only 2 in there. So it was like we were on the couch watching it. We got to talk about it while it was playing. She loved it also.
The Netflix show The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance is one of the best epic fantasy TV series ever. (And it's all puppets too like the original movie) It's a prequel to this movie, and it makes this movie even sadder. It's so freaking good.
I miss those kind of movies. Also I always thought that the 80's took children much more serious. Complex emotions and interesting characters.. and not just cuddling and 'safe' spaces. I like this sorts of movies, even though some scenes scared me or made me uncomfortable, I still, or maybe because of them, I enjoyed the movie. And it still holds up Edit: to how we watched this as kids? Easy. Our parents plopped us in front of the TV, ut the VHS tape into the player and pushed play, then left to meet with the neighbors in the garden while we watched fascinated. So.. pretty easy ;-)
Preach! You want smart kids? Treat them like smart kids! Don't water stuff down. Teach them to handle it seriously. They'll be fine, and better off for it!
@@matthill5426 Also, now as an adult with children of my own, I love the questions they come up with after watching Neverending Story, Dark Crystal, Last Unicorn and Fire and Ice. I had some very dearing conversation with my 12 year old daughter and she ask me stuff that I never really thought about. Children are amazing if you treat them seriously and with respect
As a child of the 70s and 80s, I found this movie to be an escape from the real-life nightmare of the Cold War. My nightmares were about dying in nuclear explosions, and films like this (and Neverending Story, etc...) were a welcome distraction.
Yes absolutely. This was my time too. Couldn't count all the films that were about Nuclear disasters and the miserable short life existence of survivors. Hated them but loved the distraction of Henson movies and never-ending stories that had hope in them. Thank God for them. Just managed to keep sane. At least, I assume so. 😊.
Need to watch the Dark Crystal prequel series...even tho it's only one season. I was 9. Saw it in the theaters. No nightmares. Best thing Henson has ever done.
I'm so glad you liked this movie. It was fun watching your watching. I saw this in theaters as a tiny person - no nightmares. It was one of the things that cemented my love for fantasy. If you look behind the scenes, the puppeteers went thru heck with hella heavy puppets. And you nailed it with calling stilts on the landstiders. Imagine having to be on all fours on stilts. This was genuinely a labor of love
I remember seeing this in the movies with my mother when it came out. I was 6 or 7 and was enthralled. It does have scary moments but I have always loved this movie.
Thank you for watching this with me. My name is "Jen", and I grew up as a "tomboy" girl. I was born in 1982. This hero bearing my own name meant so much to me growing up. The fantasy and action. Watching this movie meant so much to me as a child.
This movie didn't give me nightmares when I was a kid, but, "Old Yeller" sure did! I was Tommy Kirk and my dog Bruiser was Old Yeller. Much of that dream is still vivid to me decades later. If you like the design of the creatures in this movie and "Labyrinth" I recommend checking out the illustration work of the films' concept artist Brian Froud. Cool stuff!
I grew up with this movie. It's always been one of my childhood favorites. I don't remember ever experiencing any trauma from it, I just always had vivid memories of certain scenes that have stuck with me for 40 years. Kira was the coolest character to me.
I was 13 when this came out, and an avid D&D gamer. My friends and I thought this one was very cool, and loved that even though it was a "muppet" production, it didn't talk down to us or present another kids' story, instead giving us a real adventure with real stakes. None of us were traumatized by the movie or given nightmares.
All of the sets had a raised floor so that the Skeksis could be operated by multiple performers. This movie sets the gold standard for live-action, puppetry
I saw this when I was a kid and enjoyed the creepy aspects of it. Outside of Harry Potter, you don't see too much children's projects that have scary or creepy elements in them these days
Good old creepy 80s kids films, made us fearless growing up. If an 80s kid were to be approached by Pennywise, we'd kick him in the nards and steal his pom-poms.
My Grandmother took Me to see this when I was about 9 - Was a bit freaked out by the Skesis to start with but by the end of the movie I was super inspired - even made a home-made Dark Crystal board game. It is a movie that is made great by the accumulation of all its parts (As the overall story is very simple). That creepiness is what is missing from most of the kids stuff today - and one of the key reasons Jim Henson wanted to make this (And also his "Storyteller" TV series - which was also quite "creepy"). Was very happy that the Netflix series was surprisingly good and was VERY disappointed when they cancelled the 2nd season.
It was a really good show, I’m sad it ended, it really fleshed out the world! And the digital enhancements didn’t detract from the excellent art and puppetry!
I watch this movie on my birthday every year because we were born on the same day, December 17th 1982. My birthday isn't complete until I see that crystal healed.
This movie was a masterpiece in my day. My children could not get enough of it. We passed the VHS tape from family member to friend to family member. We even had the Jim Henson making of the film. This calmed the scare from a lot of the children. But I must say it opened up a lot of imagination.
My older cousins put this on the VCR when I was 5. I was so scared, left the room after about 10 minutes in. I adore the design and the insane work that went into this. Look up some of the behind the scenes stuff on YT, it's absolutely amazing.
This is the first fantasy movie I have ever seen. In encapsulates everything fantasy had ever ment to me. And I am really happy to see that new generations keep watching it 😁
Child of the 80's here. The things that stand out from my memory of seeing it as a kid are the doggo popping out of the stump, the beetle things killing the rabbit stilt creatures, and then the girl getting stabbed at the end (even if she was brought back.) If you're going down this rabbit hole, you might as well hit Return To Oz to round out the trifecta with Labyrinth and Dark Crystal of traumatizing puppet movies.
My first memory of this film was watching it on tv, but my best memory of watching it was in a movie theater with a classic showing. I really enjoy this movie a lot.
Yeah, I grew up with stuff like this and Disney movies, and they all had very dark undertones to the overall story. When we first took my son to Disneyland at 4 or 5, the first dark ride we put him on was Snow White(as it was the shortest line that day), and he freaked. It was just so dark and scary and he didn't take it well at all. But for me as a kid, I grew up on this stuff, and the "dark" was what made the "light" more meaningful once you got there. Another pretty dark animated movie I would recommend is "The Secret of NIMH" it was made by Don Bluth(a former Disney animator), when Disney was making shit animation in the late 70's, early 80's. It's a great movie based on a book, but it's pretty dark as well, but as stated, it makes for a great film by the end.
Many people have either forgotten about this movie or never heard of it in the first place. I saw this in theatres when it first came out and it has stuck with me (I'm 55 now). It was/is such a unique movie. Many years later, I realized the original version of the song Trip Like I Do by the Chemical Brothers has the "story" of the crystal (from this movie) as the first part of the song. And the song actually works with the vibe of the movie.
"Trip Like I Do" was by The Crystal Method. And I totally agree! When I heard this version for the first time (before that I was only familiar with Filter's remix for "Spawn The Album"), I was amazed to hear some of those opening lines from the movie. So good!
This is one of those "core memories" movies when years can go by without seeing it and my whole brain falls right on sync when it starts. Not only saw it a ton but had a follow-along tape that i would listen to a lot. Lots of takeaways from this including evil people being necessary. The way the Skeksis dying led to a Mystic dying was just so poetic and informative. And you'll hear Chamberlain's "hmmmm" all the time in your head when someone is being tricksy. But, yep, we kids grew up on a diet of Garthim swooping in to snatch up people to suck dry for essence. Builds character.
I was 8 years old when I saw this movie back then. Nope, no nightmares. I actually thought it would've been cool to have Fizzgig as a pet lol. I have always loved this movie even as a kid.
saw it in theatres as a kid..it was absolutely the shit of my nightmares..and I loved it..I have a tour of the Atlanta center for puppetry arts museum on my channel from when they ran a henson exhibit and the new dark crystal show was premiering on Netflix..it was incredible to see the stuff up close!
This was, in many ways, the last major, direct product of The Muppet Show (1976-81), and what Henson learned and was unable to achieve on The Great Muppet Caper (1981) also poured directly into the melting pot here. As I understand it, modern animatronics essentially began with Jim's drive to see this vision realized at least in part as it appeared in his head.
This movie FREAKED ME the FUCK OUT when I was a little kid! I love it so much! It was those beetle soldiers that did it for me. With age, Ograh the witch is the best character, with that freaky eyeball of hers. :D
The puppet work in this is insane. There’s some neat bts footage showing how the puppeteers operated everything. The Netflix prequel was awesome but cancelled after 1 season.
So the bit from the trivia read at the end about each skeksis having a primary puppeteer supported by four additional assistants operating cable driven mechanisms? The scene at 7:40 in the reaction where the Chamberlain is being defrocked by the rest of the Emperor's court … that's FIVE people underneath EACH Skeksis all having to weave around each other as the characters circled. All without getting their cables tangled.
I looooved this movie as a child. It still blows my mind for its accomplishments as an adult. And I like sounds. The sounds in this movie are incredible. As a kid, the part that really scared me was early on, the death of the Skeksies emperor, when his faces horrifically crumbles away. But the thing is that the movie continually shows you as a kid that your fears are both understandable and yet not quite as well founded as you at first thought. When we first meet Fizzgig, he's scary but instantly lovable after that. We're continually impressed that the Skeksies and the Mystics are balanced, and for each time we see them they're more balanced by their flaws and quirks. The Garthan are nothing but terrifying though, definitely the stuff of nightmares. But! They're too big. They can't get you if you climb into a quiet corner. Kids can hide so well.
I’m a 90’s kid so I saw this and lots of other “creepy” Jim Henson stuff growing up. It was always my favorite types of special effects. Still love puppets so much more than CGI
I saw this when I was very young, maybe 3 or 4, and I LOVED IT. I enjoyed any sort of fantasy and particularly creepy things when I was young (and even now). There were lots of creepy things but it was fun-creepy as a kid. Throughout my childhood, my family and I would randomly burst into badly harmonized chanting sounds like the Mystics. 😆 When Kira reveals her wings, that was a mind-blowing moment as a kid!
As a kid in '83, I stood outside a shop at Christmas that had set up a TV and video and watched the whole movie utterly transfixed. I was 9 years old and had never seen anything remotely like it. There is something wonderous about knowing enough to realise that the figures are being manipulated, but that still gives a very real impression of something brought to life, enough to make you forget. The Muppet Movie was a joyful bundle of silly fun and catchy songs, but The Dark Crystal was possibly the greatest realisation of a fantasy world up to that point. Highest tier of childhood films for me.
I'm a big fan of Jim Henson Studios. I was in High School when this came out, already interested in all the film and theater classes that were available to me. I am also a big fan of the Farscape (1999-2003) television series and feature-length "movie" finale, which is another big Jim Henson project. It is interesting to re-watch and compare the jerkiness of the movement and the lighting & textures of the models in this older film and compare it to the advancements he made in Farscape, working with puppets, animatronics and such.
I was 11 when this came out. I don't remember if I saw it in theaters or on video first. There was a great making-of documentary you can look for. I don't know of a word to describe the vibe of this movie that is creepy and wonderful and makes me smile and weep as much now as then.
I'm GenX, we were tough kids. This was a great film that didn't give anyone nightmares. What gave us nightmares was that there were no ratings on advertising, so in between episodes of Batman 1966, Australian TV was (for weeks) airing trailers for Tobe Hooper's adaptation of Stephen King's Salem's lot. Imagine your after-school shows being (at 4pm, so no parents around) interrupted by various trailers for that which was at the time unlike anything seen on television.
You might have been tough as kids, but it was also your generation that became the parents that started wrapping your own kids in cotton wool and tightening the rating system.
@@somerandomguy2073 Possibly my Gen. Definitely not my house. My kids were watching A Clockwork Orange (as mid-teens), Terminator (as young kids) and Saving Private Ryan (in the cradle). You can't blame me for the actions of sad people in the same generation.
An all time childhood favorite for sure. I do recall being scared of the beetle monsters and the skekses but that was wiped away by the happy ending. Never had nightmares as a child from this. I always used to get choked up when Keira got stabbed in the back and then revived. I remember watching The Wold of The Dark Crystal as a kid as well. Its like an hour special of the making of the film.
We watched Watership Down as kids, now THAT was a traumatic movie! It's an animated movie about rabbits. Sounds cute, eh? We were very quickly disabused of those notions 😂😂 Deffo add this to your list of movies to watch 👍
While nothing in "The Dark Crystal" was nightmare fuel for me, The General from "Watership Down" certainly was. I LOVE "Watership Down," but the disturbing imagery and perilous confrontations in that movie *did* haunt me afterwards. Absolutely terrifying. 45 years ago this month, believe it or not. I was just about to turn 8 when the film came out and it definitely affected me. I'd still get the heebie-jeebies watching the movie on VHS as a teenager because the fear I felt as an 8-year-old hadn't completely dissipated. That's an effective movie, for sure. Thank God for Bigwig. Underrated classic, in my opinion.
I had to have seen this movie for the first time in the late 80's when I was three or four years old or so and grew up watching this movie. One of my favorite movies and one of the hardest to find fellow fans of. I've seen most of Jim Henson's movies, and I believe this movie to be his darkest film. Each of the Skecsis were based on one of the deadly sins.
Saw this plenty of times as a kid in the 80’s. Probably haven’t rewatched this in 20+ years. Doesn’t bother me now, but it definitely affected me as a kid. Nightmare fuel for a 5-8 year old.
Saw this in the theater at 4 years old. I loved it, had it on VHS and watched it many times after. Brought this to camp where one of my friends brought her two 8 year old twins. I brought this as well as other kids movies I had on DVD at the time. They were mesmerized and also loved it.
Finally a reaction to one of my favorite childhood movies! I saw it twice in the theater and the scenes with the essence-draining scared the bejeebus out of me, but I loved it!
I couldn't get enough Jim Henson as a child, and so my dad took me to see this at the dollar theater in 1983 when I was four. I remember being scared but also fascinated at the darkness of the movie. It was a formative moment for me. Ever after, I was in love with gothic, dark movies and books. If a movie is too bright and happy, the possibility of the death of the main characters just isn't felt. The Dark Crystal was the first movie I saw where the "kiddy" veil was lifted and the brutality of reality shone through the screen. And I loved every minute of it.
35:40 There is a strong French influence on languages in this film. When Kira talks to Fizzgig here, it sounds like "À voyez Jen" which could be rough French for "See Jen." And earlier, when Aughra is dismissing the plants hiding her cave, she says "Bougez, bougez, bougez!" which is French for "Move, move, move!" And they did make a video game of this, actually! Sierra On-Line - an ancient game company that is now part of Activision - released an adventure game based on this for Apple II.
Interesting. But even more I think there´s a strong russian influence. For example when Kira begins seeing Jen" Covyen? Odkuda ?" -"Odkuda" IS russian and in deed just meens " from where (you are from )?"....
I find Atreyu's character and his role as a willing hero deeply compelling. There's something uniquely rewarding about following a character who willingly steps into the unknown, only to discover just how much they don't know. Atreyu's journey resonates with me because it mirrors the human experience of facing challenges and uncertainties head-on. His determination to save Fantasia, despite the odds stacked against him, is a powerful metaphor for our own journeys in life. We all encounter moments where we must confront the unfamiliar and find the strength within us to persevere. Atreyu's transformation from an inexperienced hero to a wiser and more capable individual is a testament to the potential for personal growth through courage and determination. Choosing Atreyu as the hero archetype I connect with highlights my belief in the capacity for individuals to grow and learn through their adventures and challenges. It's a reminder that our willingness to take on the unknown can lead to profound self-discovery and empowerment. Atreyu's story is a source of inspiration, reflecting the timeless theme of heroism and transformation that continues to captivate audiences in literature and film.
One of my favorite ever, I was like 12. When you are a kid you can be sensible to drama. That is hope, death and endevour. And the scare was really good.
This is one of my favorite movies when I was young and it still holds a soft spot in my heart. It wasn't until later that I found out that the creature design was done by Brian Froud who is one of my favorite artists. I have many of his art books including the one for this movie. I remember reading the novelization until the cover fell off lol. They came out with a Netflix series that sadly did not get a second season but is worth watching for the puppetry and creature designs as well as the expansion of the lore. This movie and Labyrinth inspired my enduring love for puppetry.
as I child, this was one of the best movies ever made to me. Yes, it was scary, but the imagination of the landscapes and creatures, the clear cut divide between good and bad, and the hopeful outlook from the ending made the entire experience a wonderland. I liked the scares, loved hating the evil Skeksis, saw myself as the innocent Jen, and dreamed of existing in swampy realms full of strange but peaceful creatures. Jim Henson was an architect for all of the good in my heart.
The first movie that I can remember giving me nightmares was Aliens when I was 12. I was 7ish when this movie came out, and my nightmares at that time were about falling down the stairs, or not being able to talk, or shout.
Saw this as a kid (12) and it played a role in building my love of the fantasy genre. Looking back on it now as an adult gives me so much appreciation for the work that went into the puppetry and the sets. A true classic.
They showed this to us (more than once) in elementary school when we had movie day. Haven't seen it in decades and it still holds up. Such a great movie!
Not only did I watch the hell out of this back in the 80s, I was heartbroken when the land striders died and when Kira gets killed. I was in awe of the mystics. I still watch this film to this day. I love puppetry. It was huge part of the 80s. I never saw this stony faces of the gelflings. I was in the adventure the whole time. And to this day, I will always look at my hand when it gets cut and think of that scene where the mystic mirrors the skeksis. Love this movie.
One of the creature creators for this film had a baby boy. That baby boy was the babe in Labrynth that his father also did creature effects for. Then that baby grew up and learned his father's trade and they both worked on the new Dark Crystal series. :)
Just to make sure we have the right perspective here: No bluescreen, no animatronics, no computers. Any servos in the larger costumes were controlled manually, and a lot of it was just mechanical linkages rather than electrically powered. Jim Henson and pals had been puppeteering for decades by this point. All of the effects were either practical, composited in film, or done as in-camera or on-film visual effects.
Nightmares? Hardly! I was entranced and fascinated by this one. I was about second grade, and my school would have a yearly Book Fair (you guessed right: book SALE) with new and popular kid's books. I got a big summary/adaptation of this story featuring many photos from the film. One taken of the podling's village accidentally had a puppeteer in the background that made me chuckle. I LOVE-loved the garthim and the crystal bats best, but for sets, Ogra's celestial coffee grinder easily beat everything else.
Movies are a perfect place to explore dark or scary themes. One can experience and overcome fear without actually being in danger. Fables are so grim because when children do encounter danger or other stress in their lives, they have something--a person, book, a movie, etc.--to draw courage from and emulate. Furthermore, children may not be as afraid as you might think. They haven't yet learned what they're supposed to be afraid of. ANYWAY, the soundtrack makes this movie. I still listen to it alone.
Such a great classic movie I saw it when it came out in 1982. I was 9 years old and now at 50 I still love it. My wife and I quote lines from it all the time. The puppetry and the practical effects were so good for the day. No one can hold a candle to Henson, OZ and Fraud when it comes to movies like these. CGI is a pale imitation to this artistry. When this was about to be released in the malls would have a kiosk TV screen showing this trailer and would show this scene exactly. This impressed the hell out of a 9 year old. And every time I went to that mall I would sit for hours watching while family would do what they came to the mall for.
I was born 6 months after Sesame Street debuted. I grew up watching it, then later the Muppet Show, Muppet movies and The Dark Crystal. I am a fan of Henson. I can't say this ever gave me nightmares (I was 12 when it came out, so) I highly recommend Muppet Treasure Island (with incredible original songs), and Muppets From Space.
My bro-in-law loves this movie. He watched it as a kid and show me when we were in college together. When we are together we often vocalize like the Mystics (both of us have low voices.) It's a lot of fun.
I was 11 when this movie came out. It was advertised heavily on the back cover of pretty much every comic book of the time, and I was already a big fan of Henson and the Muppets. It didn't give me nightmares, but it was a creepy movie. 1982 was such a great year for movies with this, Star Trek 2, ET, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Poltergeist, Tron (not to mention movies that I enjoyed when I was older like Conan the Barbarian, Tootsie, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, and Rocky 3).
We are a lover of sounds here. I will forever love this movie and the Netflix prequel (which continues the Henson tradition of incredible practical puppets with a touch of cgi that doesn’t distract from the physical medium and is truly used just to enhance the already incredible visuals.
I remember watching this when I was a kid in the 80's and early 90's. These were the kind of movies I grew up with. I always enjoyed them. Also in the 1980's and 1990's they could get away with more stuff in movies and TV shows that they can now.
1982. I was in 2nd grade. And I wouldn't have it any other way. I grew up on The Dark Crystal, Rock & Rule, Labyrinth, Legend, The Last Unicorn, The Secret of Nimh, The Neverending Story... To name a great few. In toys, video games and movies, kids ruled the 80's. Our stories and villains WERE scary! But good always won, and we knew it. So bring on the darkness 🤘🏼👶🏼
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*Creepy? The 70s-80s are the time of the Muppets. How are they creepy?*
The new series is very good.
As a kid, this was cool. Scary as a kid was when a man rips the cheeks off his face and it falls into the sink, like Poltergeist. I started shaving at 11 years old and began dreaming of my cheek falling off into the sink and I'd put it back, but it would go too far in and so my tongue would have to get the two surfaces of skin to line up and my hand would have to hold my cheek while my tongue was working or the whole thing would fall back into the sink. I'd wake up screaming "Damn that Poltergeist" while in elementary school and middle school.
Definitely a childhood favorite. Kids can handle a lot more than people realize. No trauma, just joy and entertainment!
80's kids definitely can.
One of my favorite quotes from Pratchett: "Later on they took the blood out to make the stories more acceptable to children, or at least to the people who had to read them to children rather than the children themselves"
So true. Watching this as a kid, in the theater, sittting in the front row was and still is one of my most cherised childhood memories.
Henson was asked on this once too, saying how children NEED to experience small fears, the dark, scary animals, pretend monsters... and that how seeing those small ones being conquered helped prepare them to face bigger, real ones as they grow.
and that explains a lot about the modern world, the sanitisation of stuff@@wardenm
This movie changed my life as a little boy when I watched it for the first time and realized that puppets could be realistic ,creepy- cool and didn't have to be fluffy kiddie Sesame Street looking things. It made me the special FX make up artist and puppeteer/ entertainer I am today. ❤
I only realized this movie can be seen as scary/creepy when I watched it later as an adult. As a child I absolutely loved it and thought it looked so beautiful. Sometimes as adults we see too many shadows, where children just take in stride. A child's imagination is complex, there is room for some darkness, as long as it's ludic, imaginative and constructive.
The maddest thing about Dark Crystal is the Netflix show they did a few years ago, which is an extremely dark tale of genocide. Brilliant though, such a shame they only did the one season.
I think I heard about it. Damn, Imma have to look it up now!
Only got to do one season. They had a plot plan laid out for more, but Netflix screwed them over.
The show was amazing. A great set up to see how the downfall of the Gelfling happened and see what the Gelfling civilization was like. Netflix with their "divine" wisdom canceled it. Who knows, maybe one day The Jim Henson Company can find a new home for it, or make a new film to wrap up the story.
Yeah, I thought it did well. DId they ever give a reason why they canceled it?
@@trence5I'm willing to bet it was because people weren't actually watching it. Of everyone I know, hardly anyone had even heard of the show until I mentioned it. And of those who did start watching it, they only ended up watching an episode or two before dropping it. (The long episodes could get very boring if you weren't fully invested... so I kinda get it.)
In the end, I was the only one [of all the people I know] who actually managed to watch the whole thing. So, if I had to take a wild guess, it would definitely be that Netflix felt the show wasn't popular enough. The viewership was probably way too low compared to the expense of making it. (It was very expensive to make.)
It's extremely disheartening, because I was SO ready for a season 2. T^T
It's hard to state how much seeing this film at age 10 or 11 formed so much of my imagination and fantasies. I can totally see now how it would seem scary to many kids (and did!), but for me and some of the other budding fantasy nerds out there this was like a pure shot of wonder and inspiration right to the brain. It's one of my favorite childhood films.
Couldn't agree more. This was the first time a movie sparked an interest in not just the movie but the world it took place in as a whole, the races, creatures, and lore were absolutely enthralling.
Yes, indeed. I was 10, and you literally couldn't have stopped me from going to see this!!
Wouldn't shut up about it for months, either.
indeed.... shortly after, i discovered Pen&Paper role-playing games for me...
such a good movie...
Four of my favorite childhood fantasy movies: The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth, Dragonslayer and Krull
This movie has been my favorite since I was like 3!
My Mom introduced The Dark Crystal when I was a baby and I loved it. It never became nightmare fuel so I was allowed to watch it all the time. To me it's grotesquely beautiful.
My mom took me to see this at the theatre when I was 6. I’m 47 now and it’s still one of my favorite movies. I love the production, originality, music, etc. Yes, the Garthim gave me bad dreams, not gonna lie.
Just a note: the movie had a number of deleted scenes and concepts (such as the Skeksis not speaking English; you can still hear their original language in the work prints). One line that was in other sources but was deleted from the final cut was Kira explaining her wings: “Once female Gelflings could fly, not merely flutter to the ground.” By the time the movie takes place, female Gelflings’ wings had atrophied to the point they could no longer fly, only glide.
Same age, didn’t get to see it in theater, but wore out our Betamax copy of it lol.
Same here. I'm 45 and I saw this at the theaters and then a ton of times on cable or VCR the following years. I LOVED it.
I absolutely love this movie and love the Netflix series age of resistance.
I was actually able to take my 8 year old daughter to go see The Dark Crystal when it was in select theaters a few years ago. We were the only 2 in there. So it was like we were on the couch watching it. We got to talk about it while it was playing. She loved it also.
Netflix cancelling Age of Resistance after just one season was a crime against the art of cinema.
The Netflix show The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance is one of the best epic fantasy TV series ever. (And it's all puppets too like the original movie)
It's a prequel to this movie, and it makes this movie even sadder. It's so freaking good.
As a child of the 80’s, this was one of my favorite movies. And to answer your question, I never had any nightmares.
Yeessss!!! Dark Henson! The Netflix series also blends CGI with puppetry extremely well.
I was so mad they cancelled that show
I miss those kind of movies. Also I always thought that the 80's took children much more serious. Complex emotions and interesting characters.. and not just cuddling and 'safe' spaces. I like this sorts of movies, even though some scenes scared me or made me uncomfortable, I still, or maybe because of them, I enjoyed the movie. And it still holds up
Edit: to how we watched this as kids? Easy. Our parents plopped us in front of the TV, ut the VHS tape into the player and pushed play, then left to meet with the neighbors in the garden while we watched fascinated. So.. pretty easy ;-)
Preach! You want smart kids? Treat them like smart kids! Don't water stuff down. Teach them to handle it seriously. They'll be fine, and better off for it!
@@matthill5426 Also, now as an adult with children of my own, I love the questions they come up with after watching Neverending Story, Dark Crystal, Last Unicorn and Fire and Ice. I had some very dearing conversation with my 12 year old daughter and she ask me stuff that I never really thought about. Children are amazing if you treat them seriously and with respect
"...and not just cuddling and 'safe' spaces" Ex-fucking-actly! 😃
I always respected the authors/playwrights/screenwriters who respected that kids could handle serious themes.
Have you ever seen "Fox and Hound" ? A movie to cry all through and it was made for kids...
As a child of the 70s and 80s, I found this movie to be an escape from the real-life nightmare of the Cold War. My nightmares were about dying in nuclear explosions, and films like this (and Neverending Story, etc...) were a welcome distraction.
Yes absolutely. This was my time too. Couldn't count all the films that were about Nuclear disasters and the miserable short life existence of survivors. Hated them but loved the distraction of Henson movies and never-ending stories that had hope in them. Thank God for them. Just managed to keep sane. At least, I assume so. 😊.
Need to watch the Dark Crystal prequel series...even tho it's only one season.
I was 9. Saw it in the theaters. No nightmares. Best thing Henson has ever done.
I will forever be mad that Netflix canceled it after the first season when it was so good
Once again, an example of practical effects (if done right) ruling. I'll take 'em every time. Jim Henson was a genius.
I'm so glad you liked this movie. It was fun watching your watching.
I saw this in theaters as a tiny person - no nightmares. It was one of the things that cemented my love for fantasy.
If you look behind the scenes, the puppeteers went thru heck with hella heavy puppets. And you nailed it with calling stilts on the landstiders. Imagine having to be on all fours on stilts.
This was genuinely a labor of love
I'm 43 and I LOVED this movie as a child. One of my absolute childhood favorites.
Also 43 . Being a true 80s kid was the best. Being scared by our children's media was a right of passage.
I just turned 40, and I third that remark!
I remember seeing this in the movies with my mother when it came out. I was 6 or 7 and was enthralled. It does have scary moments but I have always loved this movie.
I loved this movie growing up, and the netflix series was a lot of fun. I wish it got a second season.
One day by another company hopefully
I was just thinking that ❤️
Thank you for watching this with me.
My name is "Jen", and I grew up as a "tomboy" girl.
I was born in 1982.
This hero bearing my own name meant so much to me growing up.
The fantasy and action.
Watching this movie meant so much to me as a child.
This movie didn't give me nightmares when I was a kid, but, "Old Yeller" sure did! I was Tommy Kirk and my dog Bruiser was Old Yeller. Much of that dream is still vivid to me decades later.
If you like the design of the creatures in this movie and "Labyrinth" I recommend checking out the illustration work of the films' concept artist Brian Froud. Cool stuff!
I grew up with this movie. It's always been one of my childhood favorites. I don't remember ever experiencing any trauma from it, I just always had vivid memories of certain scenes that have stuck with me for 40 years. Kira was the coolest character to me.
I was 13 when this came out, and an avid D&D gamer. My friends and I thought this one was very cool, and loved that even though it was a "muppet" production, it didn't talk down to us or present another kids' story, instead giving us a real adventure with real stakes. None of us were traumatized by the movie or given nightmares.
All of the sets had a raised floor so that the Skeksis could be operated by multiple performers.
This movie sets the gold standard for live-action, puppetry
I saw this when I was a kid and enjoyed the creepy aspects of it. Outside of Harry Potter, you don't see too much children's projects that have scary or creepy elements in them these days
I didn't fully appreciate this film until I watched the prequel series, the Dark Crystal Age of Resistance. It's grotesquely underrated.
The dark crystal series is pretty amazing too
Good old creepy 80s kids films, made us fearless growing up. If an 80s kid were to be approached by Pennywise, we'd kick him in the nards and steal his pom-poms.
My Grandmother took Me to see this when I was about 9 - Was a bit freaked out by the Skesis to start with but by the end of the movie I was super inspired - even made a home-made Dark Crystal board game. It is a movie that is made great by the accumulation of all its parts (As the overall story is very simple). That creepiness is what is missing from most of the kids stuff today - and one of the key reasons Jim Henson wanted to make this (And also his "Storyteller" TV series - which was also quite "creepy"). Was very happy that the Netflix series was surprisingly good and was VERY disappointed when they cancelled the 2nd season.
It was a really good show, I’m sad it ended, it really fleshed out the world! And the digital enhancements didn’t detract from the excellent art and puppetry!
I loved the story teller ❤❤
I watch this movie on my birthday every year because we were born on the same day, December 17th 1982. My birthday isn't complete until I see that crystal healed.
This movie was a masterpiece in my day. My children could not get enough of it. We passed the VHS tape from family member to friend to family member. We even had the Jim Henson making of the film. This calmed the scare from a lot of the children. But I must say it opened up a lot of imagination.
My older cousins put this on the VCR when I was 5. I was so scared, left the room after about 10 minutes in. I adore the design and the insane work that went into this. Look up some of the behind the scenes stuff on YT, it's absolutely amazing.
This is the first fantasy movie I have ever seen.
In encapsulates everything fantasy had ever ment to me.
And I am really happy to see that new generations keep watching it 😁
Child of the 80's here. The things that stand out from my memory of seeing it as a kid are the doggo popping out of the stump, the beetle things killing the rabbit stilt creatures, and then the girl getting stabbed at the end (even if she was brought back.) If you're going down this rabbit hole, you might as well hit Return To Oz to round out the trifecta with Labyrinth and Dark Crystal of traumatizing puppet movies.
My first memory of this film was watching it on tv, but my best memory of watching it was in a movie theater with a classic showing. I really enjoy this movie a lot.
I love how the Mystics and Skeksi's are connected to each other. One can't live without the other.
Showcases true maturity is a balanced nature.
Yeah, I grew up with stuff like this and Disney movies, and they all had very dark undertones to the overall story. When we first took my son to Disneyland at 4 or 5, the first dark ride we put him on was Snow White(as it was the shortest line that day), and he freaked. It was just so dark and scary and he didn't take it well at all. But for me as a kid, I grew up on this stuff, and the "dark" was what made the "light" more meaningful once you got there.
Another pretty dark animated movie I would recommend is "The Secret of NIMH" it was made by Don Bluth(a former Disney animator), when Disney was making shit animation in the late 70's, early 80's. It's a great movie based on a book, but it's pretty dark as well, but as stated, it makes for a great film by the end.
Yep, I was 5 when I saw it in the theater. LOVED IT!
Many people have either forgotten about this movie or never heard of it in the first place. I saw this in theatres when it first came out and it has stuck with me (I'm 55 now). It was/is such a unique movie. Many years later, I realized the original version of the song Trip Like I Do by the Chemical Brothers has the "story" of the crystal (from this movie) as the first part of the song. And the song actually works with the vibe of the movie.
Just reminded me that i still have my VHS copy in the lovely clamshell case. 😮
Oh! Great call on "Trip Like I Do!" Love that song, SUPER love this movie!
"Trip Like I Do" was by The Crystal Method. And I totally agree! When I heard this version for the first time (before that I was only familiar with Filter's remix for "Spawn The Album"), I was amazed to hear some of those opening lines from the movie. So good!
This is one of those "core memories" movies when years can go by without seeing it and my whole brain falls right on sync when it starts. Not only saw it a ton but had a follow-along tape that i would listen to a lot. Lots of takeaways from this including evil people being necessary. The way the Skeksis dying led to a Mystic dying was just so poetic and informative. And you'll hear Chamberlain's "hmmmm" all the time in your head when someone is being tricksy.
But, yep, we kids grew up on a diet of Garthim swooping in to snatch up people to suck dry for essence. Builds character.
I was 8 years old when I saw this movie back then. Nope, no nightmares. I actually thought it would've been cool to have Fizzgig as a pet lol. I have always loved this movie even as a kid.
The level of imagination, world building and practical effects in this film out strips nearly every “fantasy” film today.
saw it in theatres as a kid..it was absolutely the shit of my nightmares..and I loved it..I have a tour of the Atlanta center for puppetry arts museum on my channel from when they ran a henson exhibit and the new dark crystal show was premiering on Netflix..it was incredible to see the stuff up close!
Those are permanent exhibits at the museum
This was, in many ways, the last major, direct product of The Muppet Show (1976-81), and what Henson learned and was unable to achieve on The Great Muppet Caper (1981) also poured directly into the melting pot here. As I understand it, modern animatronics essentially began with Jim's drive to see this vision realized at least in part as it appeared in his head.
This movie FREAKED ME the FUCK OUT when I was a little kid! I love it so much! It was those beetle soldiers that did it for me. With age, Ograh the witch is the best character, with that freaky eyeball of hers. :D
Not only did I see this movie as a child. But I adore this artistic masterpiece.
The puppet work in this is insane. There’s some neat bts footage showing how the puppeteers operated everything. The Netflix prequel was awesome but cancelled after 1 season.
So the bit from the trivia read at the end about each skeksis having a primary puppeteer supported by four additional assistants operating cable driven mechanisms? The scene at 7:40 in the reaction where the Chamberlain is being defrocked by the rest of the Emperor's court … that's FIVE people underneath EACH Skeksis all having to weave around each other as the characters circled. All without getting their cables tangled.
I was 8 years old when I saw this movie, and I fell truly, madly, deeply in love with this puppet, Jen. Don't judge me!
I looooved this movie as a child. It still blows my mind for its accomplishments as an adult. And I like sounds. The sounds in this movie are incredible. As a kid, the part that really scared me was early on, the death of the Skeksies emperor, when his faces horrifically crumbles away. But the thing is that the movie continually shows you as a kid that your fears are both understandable and yet not quite as well founded as you at first thought. When we first meet Fizzgig, he's scary but instantly lovable after that. We're continually impressed that the Skeksies and the Mystics are balanced, and for each time we see them they're more balanced by their flaws and quirks. The Garthan are nothing but terrifying though, definitely the stuff of nightmares. But! They're too big. They can't get you if you climb into a quiet corner. Kids can hide so well.
I’m a 90’s kid so I saw this and lots of other “creepy” Jim Henson stuff growing up. It was always my favorite types of special effects. Still love puppets so much more than CGI
Nightmares? This is fantastic.
The draining of the essence is pretty scary lol
This was such an epic undertaking for it's time.. a full-scale fantasy of live-action puppetry. And truly a dark kids movie. The best times.
I saw this when I was very young, maybe 3 or 4, and I LOVED IT. I enjoyed any sort of fantasy and particularly creepy things when I was young (and even now). There were lots of creepy things but it was fun-creepy as a kid. Throughout my childhood, my family and I would randomly burst into badly harmonized chanting sounds like the Mystics. 😆 When Kira reveals her wings, that was a mind-blowing moment as a kid!
As a kid in '83, I stood outside a shop at Christmas that had set up a TV and video and watched the whole movie utterly transfixed. I was 9 years old and had never seen anything remotely like it. There is something wonderous about knowing enough to realise that the figures are being manipulated, but that still gives a very real impression of something brought to life, enough to make you forget. The Muppet Movie was a joyful bundle of silly fun and catchy songs, but The Dark Crystal was possibly the greatest realisation of a fantasy world up to that point. Highest tier of childhood films for me.
I'm a big fan of Jim Henson Studios. I was in High School when this came out, already interested in all the film and theater classes that were available to me. I am also a big fan of the Farscape (1999-2003) television series and feature-length "movie" finale, which is another big Jim Henson project. It is interesting to re-watch and compare the jerkiness of the movement and the lighting & textures of the models in this older film and compare it to the advancements he made in Farscape, working with puppets, animatronics and such.
Jim passed away in 1990. His son Brian showran Farscape.
Glad you got to see this masterpiece. The soundtrack is beautiful IMO.
I was 11 when this came out. I don't remember if I saw it in theaters or on video first. There was a great making-of documentary you can look for. I don't know of a word to describe the vibe of this movie that is creepy and wonderful and makes me smile and weep as much now as then.
I'm GenX, we were tough kids. This was a great film that didn't give anyone nightmares. What gave us nightmares was that there were no ratings on advertising, so in between episodes of Batman 1966, Australian TV was (for weeks) airing trailers for Tobe Hooper's adaptation of Stephen King's Salem's lot. Imagine your after-school shows being (at 4pm, so no parents around) interrupted by various trailers for that which was at the time unlike anything seen on television.
I'm a Millenial, but grew up on these movies. Funnily enough the only thing that freaked me out in this movie was the creatures the gelflings ride lol
You might have been tough as kids, but it was also your generation that became the parents that started wrapping your own kids in cotton wool and tightening the rating system.
@@somerandomguy2073 Possibly my Gen. Definitely not my house. My kids were watching A Clockwork Orange (as mid-teens), Terminator (as young kids) and Saving Private Ryan (in the cradle). You can't blame me for the actions of sad people in the same generation.
An all time childhood favorite for sure. I do recall being scared of the beetle monsters and the skekses but that was wiped away by the happy ending. Never had nightmares as a child from this. I always used to get choked up when Keira got stabbed in the back and then revived.
I remember watching The Wold of The Dark Crystal as a kid as well. Its like an hour special of the making of the film.
This was my favorite movie growing up. Still my favorite 40 years later
We watched Watership Down as kids, now THAT was a traumatic movie! It's an animated movie about rabbits. Sounds cute, eh? We were very quickly disabused of those notions 😂😂 Deffo add this to your list of movies to watch 👍
Omg yes
While nothing in "The Dark Crystal" was nightmare fuel for me, The General from "Watership Down" certainly was. I LOVE "Watership Down," but the disturbing imagery and perilous confrontations in that movie *did* haunt me afterwards. Absolutely terrifying. 45 years ago this month, believe it or not. I was just about to turn 8 when the film came out and it definitely affected me. I'd still get the heebie-jeebies watching the movie on VHS as a teenager because the fear I felt as an 8-year-old hadn't completely dissipated. That's an effective movie, for sure. Thank God for Bigwig. Underrated classic, in my opinion.
I had to have seen this movie for the first time in the late 80's when I was three or four years old or so and grew up watching this movie. One of my favorite movies and one of the hardest to find fellow fans of. I've seen most of Jim Henson's movies, and I believe this movie to be his darkest film. Each of the Skecsis were based on one of the deadly sins.
Saw this plenty of times as a kid in the 80’s. Probably haven’t rewatched this in 20+ years. Doesn’t bother me now, but it definitely affected me as a kid. Nightmare fuel for a 5-8 year old.
Saw this in the theater at 4 years old. I loved it, had it on VHS and watched it many times after.
Brought this to camp where one of my friends brought her two 8 year old twins. I brought this as well as other kids movies I had on DVD at the time. They were mesmerized and also loved it.
Finally a reaction to one of my favorite childhood movies! I saw it twice in the theater and the scenes with the essence-draining scared the bejeebus out of me, but I loved it!
I couldn't get enough Jim Henson as a child, and so my dad took me to see this at the dollar theater in 1983 when I was four. I remember being scared but also fascinated at the darkness of the movie. It was a formative moment for me. Ever after, I was in love with gothic, dark movies and books. If a movie is too bright and happy, the possibility of the death of the main characters just isn't felt. The Dark Crystal was the first movie I saw where the "kiddy" veil was lifted and the brutality of reality shone through the screen. And I loved every minute of it.
No worries Shanelle, it’s not just you. Dark Crystal has ALWAYS been a pretty creepy movie.
I was surprised by the ending and simultaneously embarrassed that I didn't see it coming
EVER SEEN "LEGEND" WITH TOM CRUISE & TIM CURRY?
THAT FILM ALONG WITH THIS ONE FREAKED ME OUT AT AN 80s YOUNGLING
Definitely one of childhood favorites, I guess we were tougher back in the 80s 😊
Please give the Star Trek franchise a chance.
Yes but before you watch Wrath of Kahn you should watch the original series episode “Space Seed” that sets up the Kahn character.
Funny you mentioned Trek on this video
There's a Dark Crystal connection to TNG.
@@d_jedi1 I thought there was a Labyrinth connection to TNG. Gates McFadden (Dr. Beverly Crusher) was the dance coordinator on the film.
@Madbandit77 well, yeah
But the crystal shard from The Dark Crystal is on Picard's desk and he plays with it from time to time.
35:40 There is a strong French influence on languages in this film. When Kira talks to Fizzgig here, it sounds like "À voyez Jen" which could be rough French for "See Jen." And earlier, when Aughra is dismissing the plants hiding her cave, she says "Bougez, bougez, bougez!" which is French for "Move, move, move!"
And they did make a video game of this, actually! Sierra On-Line - an ancient game company that is now part of Activision - released an adventure game based on this for Apple II.
Interesting. But even more I think there´s a strong russian influence. For example when Kira begins seeing Jen" Covyen? Odkuda ?" -"Odkuda" IS russian and in deed just meens " from where (you are from )?"....
I find Atreyu's character and his role as a willing hero deeply compelling. There's something uniquely rewarding about following a character who willingly steps into the unknown, only to discover just how much they don't know. Atreyu's journey resonates with me because it mirrors the human experience of facing challenges and uncertainties head-on.
His determination to save Fantasia, despite the odds stacked against him, is a powerful metaphor for our own journeys in life. We all encounter moments where we must confront the unfamiliar and find the strength within us to persevere. Atreyu's transformation from an inexperienced hero to a wiser and more capable individual is a testament to the potential for personal growth through courage and determination.
Choosing Atreyu as the hero archetype I connect with highlights my belief in the capacity for individuals to grow and learn through their adventures and challenges. It's a reminder that our willingness to take on the unknown can lead to profound self-discovery and empowerment. Atreyu's story is a source of inspiration, reflecting the timeless theme of heroism and transformation that continues to captivate audiences in literature and film.
Also full disclosure, I was having a time of it trying to articulate my thoughts on why I chose Atreyu over Jen, so I asked GPT to help.
One of my favorite ever, I was like 12. When you are a kid you can be sensible to drama. That is hope, death and endevour. And the scare was really good.
This is one of my favorite movies when I was young and it still holds a soft spot in my heart. It wasn't until later that I found out that the creature design was done by Brian Froud who is one of my favorite artists. I have many of his art books including the one for this movie. I remember reading the novelization until the cover fell off lol. They came out with a Netflix series that sadly did not get a second season but is worth watching for the puppetry and creature designs as well as the expansion of the lore. This movie and Labyrinth inspired my enduring love for puppetry.
as I child, this was one of the best movies ever made to me. Yes, it was scary, but the imagination of the landscapes and creatures, the clear cut divide between good and bad, and the hopeful outlook from the ending made the entire experience a wonderland. I liked the scares, loved hating the evil Skeksis, saw myself as the innocent Jen, and dreamed of existing in swampy realms full of strange but peaceful creatures. Jim Henson was an architect for all of the good in my heart.
The first movie that I can remember giving me nightmares was Aliens when I was 12. I was 7ish when this movie came out, and my nightmares at that time were about falling down the stairs, or not being able to talk, or shout.
I’ve watched this movie ad nauseam throughout my childhood. An amazing work of fiction. An epic fantasy world
Saw this as a kid (12) and it played a role in building my love of the fantasy genre. Looking back on it now as an adult gives me so much appreciation for the work that went into the puppetry and the sets. A true classic.
They showed this to us (more than once) in elementary school when we had movie day. Haven't seen it in decades and it still holds up. Such a great movie!
Not only did I watch the hell out of this back in the 80s, I was heartbroken when the land striders died and when Kira gets killed. I was in awe of the mystics. I still watch this film to this day. I love puppetry. It was huge part of the 80s. I never saw this stony faces of the gelflings. I was in the adventure the whole time.
And to this day, I will always look at my hand when it gets cut and think of that scene where the mystic mirrors the skeksis. Love this movie.
we were blessed to grow up with masterpieces like this.
We loved this as kids! We left the theater and snuck back in to watch it a second time!
Born in 75, totally saw it in the theater since we didn't own a VCR until late 80's. Still see some of those scenes in my head.
One of the creature creators for this film had a baby boy. That baby boy was the babe in Labrynth that his father also did creature effects for. Then that baby grew up and learned his father's trade and they both worked on the new Dark Crystal series. :)
Just to make sure we have the right perspective here: No bluescreen, no animatronics, no computers. Any servos in the larger costumes were controlled manually, and a lot of it was just mechanical linkages rather than electrically powered. Jim Henson and pals had been puppeteering for decades by this point. All of the effects were either practical, composited in film, or done as in-camera or on-film visual effects.
There were 1 or 2 shots where they used blue screen, but yes, it was mostly visual effects.
Nightmares? Hardly! I was entranced and fascinated by this one. I was about second grade, and my school would have a yearly Book Fair (you guessed right: book SALE) with new and popular kid's books. I got a big summary/adaptation of this story featuring many photos from the film. One taken of the podling's village accidentally had a puppeteer in the background that made me chuckle. I LOVE-loved the garthim and the crystal bats best, but for sets, Ogra's celestial coffee grinder easily beat everything else.
Movies are a perfect place to explore dark or scary themes. One can experience and overcome fear without actually being in danger. Fables are so grim because when children do encounter danger or other stress in their lives, they have something--a person, book, a movie, etc.--to draw courage from and emulate. Furthermore, children may not be as afraid as you might think. They haven't yet learned what they're supposed to be afraid of.
ANYWAY, the soundtrack makes this movie. I still listen to it alone.
Such a great classic movie I saw it when it came out in 1982. I was 9 years old and now at 50 I still love it. My wife and I quote lines from it all the time. The puppetry and the practical effects were so good for the day. No one can hold a candle to Henson, OZ and Fraud when it comes to movies like these. CGI is a pale imitation to this artistry. When this was about to be released in the malls would have a kiosk TV screen showing this trailer and would show this scene exactly. This impressed the hell out of a 9 year old. And every time I went to that mall I would sit for hours watching while family would do what they came to the mall for.
Not only was the creature creation amazing, but the soundtrack was the best
I was born 6 months after Sesame Street debuted. I grew up watching it, then later the Muppet Show, Muppet movies and The Dark Crystal. I am a fan of Henson. I can't say this ever gave me nightmares (I was 12 when it came out, so) I highly recommend Muppet Treasure Island (with incredible original songs), and Muppets From Space.
“it’s giving them buccal fat removal”
lol
the only thing about this that gives me nightmares is the fact that the age of resistance was never finished. ugh.
My bro-in-law loves this movie. He watched it as a kid and show me when we were in college together. When we are together we often vocalize like the Mystics (both of us have low voices.) It's a lot of fun.
I was 11 when this movie came out. It was advertised heavily on the back cover of pretty much every comic book of the time, and I was already a big fan of Henson and the Muppets. It didn't give me nightmares, but it was a creepy movie. 1982 was such a great year for movies with this, Star Trek 2, ET, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Poltergeist, Tron (not to mention movies that I enjoyed when I was older like Conan the Barbarian, Tootsie, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, and Rocky 3).
We are a lover of sounds here. I will forever love this movie and the Netflix prequel (which continues the Henson tradition of incredible practical puppets with a touch of cgi that doesn’t distract from the physical medium and is truly used just to enhance the already incredible visuals.
I remember watching this when I was a kid in the 80's and early 90's. These were the kind of movies I grew up with. I always enjoyed them. Also in the 1980's and 1990's they could get away with more stuff in movies and TV shows that they can now.
1982. I was in 2nd grade. And I wouldn't have it any other way. I grew up on The Dark Crystal, Rock & Rule, Labyrinth, Legend, The Last Unicorn, The Secret of Nimh, The Neverending Story... To name a great few.
In toys, video games and movies, kids ruled the 80's. Our stories and villains WERE scary! But good always won, and we knew it. So bring on the darkness
🤘🏼👶🏼
Such a classic! Those beetle guard things creeped me out when I was a kid!😁
I thought they were the coolest lol