Hmm, well, I looked back at my original list of ideas for this themed set of blogs and I only had four options on it. And I've used them all. So I set about thinking what would the fifth option be for today. And I decided to go with a suggestion for this one because, let's face it, it is a bit overlooked. Labyrinth hogs all the glory with its songs and its goblin and its terrifying David Bowie tights but this deserves a bit of attention too.
Day Five - The Dark Crystal
Yep, it's a bit of Jim Henson and we all know of my fondness for anything Muppet-related. The difference being that this one used to terrify the hell out of me as a small child. Not so much the Skeksis although they were pretty creepy. No, it was the Garthim - those huge clicking, chittering beetle-like monsters that are sent out to do the Skeksis dirty work. There was something about them that filled me with a sense of dread.
It's a great fantasy film and pretty dark for a family film - a far cry from Kermit sitting in a swamp singing about rainbow connections. I mean, I see why Labyrinth gets more of the attention - you can sing along to it and it's got funny moments; the Dark crystal is fairly bleak most of the way through - but I still have a fondness for it.
Fact It Good
- It's the first film to feature an entirely puppet-based cast with no humans.
- The Skeksis were originally supposed to speak in their own language with subtitles but test audiences didn't like it so that was dropped.
- A CGI sequel has been in the works for some time. This fills me with foreboding.
Right then, that's your lot for this week. Everyone off down the pub. It's your round, mind.
2 comments:
I, like you, enjoy this one more than Labyrinth, even though the latter features a young Jennifer Connelly.
The story is pretty straight forward and somewhat obvious. But, still, it's enough to hold your attention the whole way through.
Plus, this is an 80s film that my wife adores that I'll actually watch with her.
"Really? Goonies? Again?"
Hi Baldy,
If you are going to keep on rummaging through my DVD's you really should stop long enough for a cup-a.
Or is there a hole in a time warp somewhere. In the Eight's it was my teen-aged kids that were the ones I was watching these with for the first time.
Good movies none the less.
Euphoria
Post a Comment