The Dark Crystal

[Badgers]

A thousand years ago, this land was green and good. Until The Crystal cracked. For a single piece was lost - a Shard of The Crystal. Then strife began and two new races appeared: the cruel Skeksis; the gentle Mystics.

Here in the Castle of The Crystal, the Skeksis took control. Now the Skeksis gather in the Sacred Chamber, where the The Crystal hangs above a shaft of air and fire. The Skeksis, with their hard and twisted bodies, their harsh and twisted wills. A thousand years they have ruled. Yet now, there are only ten. A dying race, ruled by a dying Emperor, imprisoned within themselves, in a dying land.

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IMDB Trivia

One of my favourite fantasy films this. Went to see it at the cinema (think I was 7 at the time) and the Skeksis gave me the right willies for a while afterwards. Sat through the anniversary edition extras which were really interesting. How they made this film so well with no human actors and before CGI always impresses me.

Everyone had to love Fizzgig too

"I like to think of Dark Crystal as, sort of, a work of art. It feels to me like it is, but it's not a personal work of art. It's not just something I did, but something that, you know, Frank, and Brian, and Gary, and all the performers, so hundreds of people created this thing and, as a work, I think it's something we'll always be happy with. All in all, we spent over five years working on the film. It's probably the hardest thing that I've ever worked on. It was the most work. It was the most difficult, but it was the most fun. It was the most rewarding and, of all projects that I've ever worked on, it's the one that I'm most proud of." - Jim Henson

Urban critics thoughts?

 

[Divisive Cotton]

I thinking about this film yesterday!

There's going to be a follow-up released this year called The Power of the Dark Crystal: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_of_the_Dark_Crystal

 

[strung out]

it's brilliant. love this film.

 

[Badgers]

There's going to be a follow-up released this year called The Power of the Dark Crystal: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_of_the_Dark_Crystal

Not sure if this can be a good thing?
29 years later?

Some bits on YouTube -

 

[spirals]

The other half and I love this film. We watched this last week with the boy child (5yr) He loved it, he clapped with excitement and was shouting 'fly, fly!' at the top of his voice during it and has asked to watch it again several times since. I love the story, its simple yet utterly engaging and the skesis scared me silly when I was younger and still slightly freaked me out last week

 

[xes]

Love it

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm the dark crystal

 

[Badgers]

Aughra's observatory

 

[spirals]

^^I wanted that so badly!^^

 

[MellySingsDoom]

I saw it at the cinema too (I was 11) with my younger brother and sisters. We all loved it bigtime - a great fantasy film with top drawers evil characters, and good guys/gals/creatures you really rooted for. I remember the end in particular being great (was gonna write about it, but don't wanna spoil it for those who haven't seen it). A perfect example of how fantasy films can really carry you away to another place. I must see it again sometime.

 

[Wookey]

Amazing film, ticked all my boxes as a kid.

 

[Pseudopsycho]

love it love it love and have on DVD

 

[Badgers]

From the 1980's I think I can say it is my favourite of this type.
Measured alongside Labyrinth and The Neverending Story mainly.
The Princess Bride is a firm fantasy classic but is more 'swashbuckling' fantasy than the others I think?

The Dark Crystal does not make the 50 IMDB Top Rated "Fantasy" Titles

 

[Wookey]

Not sure if this can be a good thing?
29 years later?

Some bits on YouTube -

Oooh.

 

[Badgers]

Oooh.

Urban 'grown up kids' outing I feel

 

[Pseudopsycho]

The Dark Crystal does not make the 50 IMDB Top Rated "Fantasy" Titles

That's a travesty!

 

[geminisnake]

The Dark Crystal does not make the 50 IMDB Top Rated "Fantasy" Titles

Neither does Labyrinth, and those two are two of my favourites!! I haven't even heard of a lot of the films on that list!!

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

Saw it at the cinema and loved it. Must have been pretty young though, 10 tops I guess?
Anyway, when it came out on DVD I was given a review copy and thought 'yahoo'

About 10 minutes in I had to turn it off. Voiceover laden intros having to explain everything are not a good sign. Still I had to watch the rest later for review. Turns out 10 year old me was wrong and it is an utter pile of unwatchable muppet shit.

 

[Badgers]

Turns out 10 year old me was wrong and it is an utter pile of unwatchable muppet shit.

In your opinion?

 

[strung out]

Saw it at the cinema and loved it. Must have been pretty young though, 10 tops I guess?
Anyway, when it came out on DVD I was given a review copy and thought 'yahoo'

About 10 minutes in I had to turn it off. Voiceover laden intros having to explain everything are not a good sign. Still I had to watch the rest later for review. Turns out 10 year old me was wrong and it is an utter pile of unwatchable muppet shit.

you don't like anything though

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

In your opinion?

Is that not obvious from the fact I wrote it? Do I have to write out - 'disclaimer, this is only my opinion' for the cheap seats, every single time? You can't all be that daft surely.

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

you don't like anything though

I like plenty of stuff. I like a heck of a lot of films.

 

[Badgers]

Is that not obvious from the fact I wrote it? Do I have to write out - 'disclaimer, this is only my opinion' for the cheap seats, every single time? You can't all be that daft surely.

You said 'it is an utter pile of unwatchable muppet shit' which was the first post in the haterz camp so far

It is really aimed at children though and children like the scene to be set

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

You said 'it is an utter pile of unwatchable muppet shit' which was the first post in the haterz camp so far

It is really aimed at children though and children like the scene to be set

Yes, and as I said I enjoyed it as a child. I'm an adult now and even nostalgia couldn't save it for me. Adults also like the scene to be set in a story, this can be done in far less lazy and unimaginative ways, and I can't imagine 15 minute voice overs are somehow more thrilling for children. I think children are just more forgiving when fantasy is involved.

 

[DotCommunist]

I have had three different hippy dippy young women make me watch this film over the years. Labyrinth as well- fucks sake. Thumbs down.

 

[Cloo]

Haven't seen it for years, but I loved it at the time. The Skeksis and Aughra scared the shit out of me then!

 

[Voley]

You only had to say 'Skeksis' to my little brother to utterly terrify him.

 

[emanymton]

From the 1980's I think I can say it is my favourite of this type.
Measured alongside Labyrinth and The Neverending Story mainly.
The Princess Bride is a firm fantasy classic but is more 'swashbuckling' fantasy than the others I think?

The Dark Crystal does not make the 50 IMDB Top Rated "Fantasy" Titles

And why exactly is Amelie on a list of fantasy films?

 

[Captain Hurrah]

I have had three different hippy dippy young women make me watch this film over the years. Labyrinth as well- fucks sake. Thumbs down.

The battle in Goblin City, with that big, ginger rock-lover, and the posh fox on his trusty pooch steed.

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

I have had three different hippy dippy young women make me watch this film over the years. Labyrinth as well- fucks sake. Thumbs down.

yay!

 

[FridgeMagnet]

It was a good kids' film, and still is, but honestly it is not good watching for grown-ups.

What re-watching this sort of film reminds me is how much more sophisticated films (and cartoons) for kids have become since then - not for the sake of the kids, but for the sake of all the adults who have to watch them too. Media for children in general is just better now than it was a couple of decades ago, despite a few stand-out items.