The Return of the Iconic THE LABYRINTH and THE DARK CRYSTAL

 

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to digital from Shout! Studios is the return of director Jim Henson’s THE LABYRINTH and directors Jim Henson and Frank Oz with THE DARK CRYSTAL.

In THE LABYRINTH, Sarah (Jennifer Connelly) is a 16-year-old who is frustrated with her family. Late coming home from a trip to the park reading her book The Labyrinth, she has to babysit her constantly crying infant brother Toby (Toby Froud). Making matters worse is discovering that Toby has taken her beloved bear Lancelot! At her wits end, she calls out to the goblins from the book to take Toby away.

When the house goes silent, Sarah realizes something is wrong. Going to Toby’s room she discovers him missing and standing before her is the Goblin King Jareth (David Bowie) offering her a deal. When she doesn’t take it, he gives Sarah thirteen hours to solve the labyrinth or Toby will be gone forever.

In the King’s world, Sarah meets Hoggle (Brian Henson/Shari Weiser) and once escaping a trap, Hoggle runs into Jareth who uses him to get at the girl. Sarah meets Ludo (Ron Mueck/Rob Mills) by helping him get free but loses him quickly. When they meet up again, a trapdoor takes them to the Bog of Eternal Stench. Guarding the smell is Sir Didymus (Dave Goelz/David Shaughnessy) and his steed Ambrosius (Steve Whitmire/Kevin Clash/Percy Edwards). But a peach changes everything as once again Sarah is rescued by her friends.

Jareth learns that the group is close and sends in his army of goblins and as much as Ludo wants to help Sarah, she realizes that she must take on the Goblin King alone.

Connelly as Sarah portrays how most teens feel about babysitting any sibling let alone one that seems to spend his babyhood wrapped in a veil of tears. Once the chase is on to recover him, she begins to soften her feelings knowing that the only thing she wants from the whole experience is to have her little brother back. Connelly is so young, charming and endearing in this role and I hope she knows how many of us not only love this film but love her in it.

Bowie as Goblin King Jareth is absolutely wonderful. They found the right person to wear the costume and give us all in 1982 a reason to embrace this bad-guy character. Bowie lulls us with his unique and mystical voice all the while trying to find a way to trick a rather smart young lady. It truly is a thrill to see him in this film again and again.

Other cast/puppets include Karen Prell/Timothy Bateson as The Worm, Frank Oz/Michael Hordern as The Wiseman, Dave Goelz/David Shaughnessy as The Hat, and Karen Prell/Denise Bryer as The Junk Lady.

  

In THE DARK CRYSTAL directed by Jim Henson, is a darker story yet iconic and embraced by those who love the puppetry he uses in this tale.

On Thra, there was once a Crystal of Truth and when it was shattered, two new races came into being. The Skeksis who found ways to extend their life and the urRu/Mystics who live in the Valley of Stones. They are a gentler race and their leader is UrSu the Master. UrSu is raising a Gelfling who lost his family to the Skeksis and his name is Jen (Stephen Garlick).

Now, the Great Conjunction is happening and UrSu tells Jen he must find a way to heal the Crystal and to get the Shard from Aughra (Billie Whitelaw). If he doesn’t before the three suns meet, then the Skeksis will take over. In the meantime, SkekUng (Michael Kilgarriff) is the new emperor and wants to capture Jen.

Jen meets Aughra and he finally gets a lesson about the Conjunction as he chooses the correct Shard. Before they can talk any further, Garthim and the army arrive to take Aughra as Jen manages to escape. In the swamp, Jen sees another Gelfling in Kira (Lisa Maxwell) and discover they share memories.

Jen and Kira find a deserted Gelfling city and the prophecy that can help them. SkekSil (Barry Dennen) tells them about what happened to the Gelflings. Getting away once again, Kira, Jen and Fizzgig (Percy Edwards) are now in the catacombs trying to get inside the castle. SkekSil finds them and chaos breaks out.

Will Jen and Kira make it in time before the three suns Align to bring the Crystal of Truth together once again?

Other cast include Jerry Nelson as SkekZok, Steve Whitmire as SkekTek, Hugh Spight as Swee Lim, Toby Philpott as UrTih the Alchemist, Hus Levant as UrAc the Scribe, Simon Williamson as UrSol/ the Chanter, Jean Pierre Amiel as UrUtt the Weaver, Hugh Spight as UrAmaj the Cook,and Joseph O’Conor as UrSkeks and Narrator.

Launched in 2003, Shout! Studios is a multiplatform media company specializing in film and TV distribution, development, and production. Shout! Studios owns and manages a large portfolio of contemporary and classic feature films, series, animation, and documentaries. The company’s creative acquisition includes Aardman Animations, ALF, The Carol Burnett Show, Stephen J. Cannell Productions, the Roger Corman New Horizons Pictures Library, GKIDS, Studio Ghibli, ITV Studios, The Johnny Carson Show, LAIKA Studios, Mystery Science Theater 3000 (in partnership with creator Joel Hodgson), and Sesame Street, alongside many others. For more please visit www.shoutfactory.com.

The Jim Henson Company has remained a leader in family entertainment for over 65 years and is recognized as an innovator in puppetry, animatronics, and digital animation. Henson’s most recent credits include the Oscar®-winning Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio for Netflix, the Emmy®-winning Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock for Apple TV+, and the feature film The Portable Door for MGM+.

The bonus offerings for APPLE iTunes Extras include:

THE LABYRINTH - Commentary with Brian Froud, Reordering Time: Looking Back on Labyrinth, The Henson Legacy, Remembering The Goblin King, Anniversary Q&A, Inside The Labyrinth, Original Theatrical Trailer, Original Teaser Trailer and Original TV Spot.

THE DARK CRYSTAL - Commentary with Brian Froud, The World of “The Dark Crystal”, Storyboard Track, The Myth, Magic and the Henson Legacy, Light on the Path of Creation, Shard of Illusion, Deleted Funeral Scene, Original Skeksis Language and Photo Galleries.

These two films are the amazing creation of Jim Henson (along with Frank Oz) and they have become too iconic to the generations. I saw these films first, then my kids and now my grandchildren are seeing the wonders that were created and hold as timeless. The imagination and creativity it took to bring both of these films to the big screen is nothing short of genius.

Now, they are back to entertain families once again with their beauty because, and it must be said, that the craftsmanship of the characters and the puppets is breathtaking at the very least. The scenery that becomes another character in the story telling is a story in itself. That being said, it is time to cuddle up the family, bowls of popcorn to go around and watch LABYRINTH and THE DARK CRYSTAL back-to-back. It is generational must see!

In the end – return to the mystic and the magic!

LABYRINTH Celebrates its 35th Anniversary

 

Jeri Jacquin

Coming in 4K Ultra HD and Bluray pack from director Jim Henson and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is a celebration of the 1986 musical film LABYRINTH.

Sarah (Jennifer Connelly) is sitting in the park with dog Merlin and the book The Labyrinth. Going home in the rain, stepmother Irene (Shelley Thompson) and father Robert (Christopher Malcolm) leave her with little baby brother Toby (Toby Froud).

Not keeping a sharp eye, Sarah is enraged when she discovers that Toby has her bear Lancelot. Angry, the young girl wishes that goblins would take Toby away. What she does not know is that the goblins are waiting in anticipation for her to say the words.

Jareth (David Bowie), the Goblin King, takes Toby and tries to make a deal with Sarah but she wants her brother back. She has thirteen hours to get through a labyrinth or else Toby belongs to the Goblin King. Along the way she meets Hoggle a grumpy dwarf and asks for help in getting through the labyrinth and also meets the beast Ludo.

Being watched along the way by Jareth who does his best to keep Sarah from completing the Labyrinth. The guard of the swamp Sir Didymus and dog Ambrosius joins in the group that is helping Sarah. But Jareth is not done with his traps when he invades her dreams, but the young girl is stronger than she could have possibly imagined!

Connelly as the young Sarah is adorable, sweet and everything you would expect from teenager who is unhappy babysitting a crying toddler. She plays so convincingly to the Henson puppets that have been created for the film.

Bowie as Jareth is absolutely stunning and adding his musical talent to the film is equally awesome. Personally, I have always adored this film before the loss of Bowie, but seeing the film again makes me nostalgic for his creative talent and ability to adapt his look and sound through the years we were fortunate to have him.

Henson’s puppets are stunning, delightful and a tad scary at times. LABYRINTH was an amazing opportunity to go beyond Sesame Street and show the endless possibilities. The ‘hand’ puppets are so very cool, and Henson made that scene very memorable, especially for a kid!

Shout out to Toby Froud who got to be a baby in this musical fantasy!

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment encompasses motion picture production for television, digital content and theater releases. The studios include Columbia Pictures, Screen Gems, TriStar Pictures, Sony Pictures Animation, Stage 6 Films and Sony Picture Classics. To see what is coming to theaters and to home entertainment please visit www.sonypictures.com.

The Special Features of the 4K Ultra HD Disc includes The Feature Presentation in 4K resolution and Dolby Vision, Deleted & Alternate Scene Oubliette – Over twenty-five minutes of never-before-seen lost and alternate scenes, with all-new commentary from Brian Henson, and Sarah’s Screen Test – A collection of rare, original screen tests for the role of Sarah featuring Molly Ringwald, Trini Alvarado, Tracey Gold, Claudia Wells, Jill Schoelen, Maddie Corman and Danielle von Zernick.

The Bluray Disc includes Feature Presentation, “The Henson Legacy” Featurette, Labyrinth Anniversary Q&A, Remembering the Goblin King Featurette, The Storytellers, Commentary by Conceptual Design Brian Froud, Original Making-of Documentary “Inside the Labyrinth”, “Journey Through the Labyrinth: Kingdom of Characters” Documentary, “Journey Through the Labyrinth: The Quest for Goblin City” Documentary and Theatrical Trailers.

LABYRINTH is still as brilliant today as it was thirty-five years ago when it was released. The fantasy, puppetry and musical film is a tad dark, but I was twenty-five when this film was released, and I loved every minute of it.

Re-watching it today on a big television with a sound bar reminded me easily of being in the theatre all those years ago. The film is the story of friendship, being a teenager, regret, learning, growing, understanding and being true to what is right in the face of adversity. Those are a lot of lessons wonderfully wrapped up in LABYRINTH.

The set designs and puppets have their own story to tell with their fantastical laughs, loving looks, comical attitudes, and ease in which we love them all. Henson brought his best and brightest to make this story come to life and I, for one, am grateful.

George Lucas was the executive producer; Terry Jones wrote the first script draft in the early 80’s and the concept design came from Brian Froud. Along with Henson, LABYRINTH has become a cult classic and that is a fine place to be.

In the end – it is where everything seems possible, and nothing is what it seems!

Continue the Adventure with Beloved Characters as SONG OF THE DARK CRYSTAL Arrives

Jeri Jacquin

In bookstores this week from Penguin Random House are beloved characters that have been lovingly cared for by writer J.M. Lee with the release of Song of the Dark Crystal.

The year was 2013 when The Jim Henson Company along with Grosset & Dunlap of the Penguin Young Readers Group put out the call for author submissions. The Dark Crystal Author Quest sought a prequel to Jim Henson’s 1982 iconic The Dark Crystal. Seeking a new novel over 500 writers took up the challenge.

It would be J.M. Lee’s story The Ring of Dreams that would take the prestigious Author Quest and lead to Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal: Shadows of the Dark Crystal. Released in 2016, the story is years before The Dark Crystal in Thra as Naia, a young Gelfling, takes on the quest of proving the accusation of her twin brother’s treason to be false.

Her journey leads her to clues to prove his innocence but also something dark is in Thra and Naia is headed straight into the heart of it. You’re thinking ‘that’s it?...going to leave me hanging like that?’ The answer to that is – would I do that to you?

This week J.M. Lee brings readers of all ages back to the lands of Gelfling with Jim Henson’s Song of the Dark Crystal. The journey from Thra to the Gelfling Capital is even more intense as Naia seeks to warn others about the Skeksis. It won’t be easy as something is following them making trusting anyone difficult.

Born and raised in Minnesota (one of my favorite states), Lee is also a graduate from the University of Minnesota with a degree in linguistics. He has not only taken up the mantle of The Dark Crystal but also is the writer and creative consultant on the Netflix prequel series The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. 

I had the wonderful opportunity to speak with author J.M. Lee about his own journey into The Dark Crystal as its new story teller and keeper of reader’s dreams.

Jeri Jacquin: Good morning Joe, thank you so much for taking the time to talk with me this morning.

Joe Lee: Thank you too.

JJ: I’m very excited to talk to you because my kids have been fans of The Dark Crystal since forever. They are in their mid-30s now so that tells you how long that fandom has been going on.

JL: That’s so great.

JJ: Tell me how you got involved with writing the next chapters of The Dark Crystal storyline?

JL: Sure, in 2013 Grosset & Dunlap sent out a call for submissions specifically for this project. My agent emailed me letting me know it was going on and wanted to know if I’d be interested. She didn’t know this but The Dark Crystal was one of my favorite movies growing up as well. So I said ‘yes I do’ and read what they were looking for. I wrote my submission and a couple of years later the first book Shadows of the Dark Crystal came out. That’s how that happened and here we are with the second book Song of the Dark Crystal coming out.

JJ: When you were writing your submission, that had to not only be intense but you are delving into something so iconic.

JL: Absolutely, when I first was reading through the material that was presented for the submission I had seen the movie but didn’t know there were so many other publications produced. There were the graphic novels and so it was all pretty new to me. I was very excited to know there was so much existing mythology for The Dark Crystal so I nerded out on it. There is so much extended world information. At the time when I was first writing my submission there wasn’t that pressure yet, it was more just entering a contest. I think it was when Penguin called me and said I was a finalist and wanted to know where I would take the story as a full length novel that I began to feel the pressure. It was very intense in the beginning but I think now I’ve become acclimated to it. I think there is so much that I wanted to make sure it was on brand and cannon.

JJ: Did you know that you were going to get so involved even further into it as you are now?

JL: No, I had no idea! The original contest was for one novel and when we were wrapping up Shadow’s of the Dark Crystal my editor came to me and said, ‘it just occurred to me to ask if you wanted to do more, I just assumed you did’. I said absolutely and the books were happening and then the involvement on the television series was a total treat and a surprise for me. The whole thing has been a fun and crazy ride.

JJ: Speaking of the series that had to be the ultimate geek-out! In my family you have three generations of The Dark Crystal fans so watching your words spring into being had to be amazing.

JL: The book writing process is so long, it takes time to write and edit and it can be years between writing a book and finding it on the shelf. You think you are ready for it but there is something so special seeing a book on a shelf in a store and especially seeing The Dark Crystal logo on it. There is something that doesn’t feel totally official until you see it in a story, it’s like magic.

JJ: The interest part of this for me is that kids still want to actually read a book, with all the technology out there it’s easy to get away from an actual hold-in-your-hand book. It is amazing to see the ‘new’ generation of kids reading The Dark Crystal and you are responsible.

JL: I was at a teen literature conference here in the Twin Cities and it was on a Saturday held at a high school. I wondered how they were going to get teens to come back to their high school on a Saturday. It was packed! The kids were so excited to meet authors and to buy books and to share with each other. They were having the best time and I am so happy to be part of that. I think that there is something so special about fiction for young people. There is something about the way teens love fiction and especially love books. There is some sort of notion with adults that there is a pressure to choose which book is the best and which ones aren’t and with kids all books are the best. They have arms full of books from all different genres but they are going to love them equally. To be able to give them more stuff that they love is why I write.

JJ: That’s thrilling to me watching kids get focused on a series of books, and I know a few kids like that who love a certain writer or story and turn their rooms into libraries. Don’t need to paint the walls just put up book cases and books become the paint and you are now part of that so congratulations sir.

JL: Thank you and let me say I’m so happy to be here.

JJ: To go back into the world of The Dark Crystal you said you had to do research of your own, was that process difficult because you don’t want to repeat what is already there. You want to bring your own vision into the mix as well so was that on your mind as part of the process, finding that balance between the source material and are your own thoughts?

JL: It was definitely part of the process. I’m a very collaborative person and I’ve done it with other writers and other situations like this. I really enjoy the collaborative aspect and in my opinion the more the merrier to a point. The one thing I really appreciated about that is that The Dark Crystal books had a story that was unique to them but also fit into the mythology of The Dark Crystal world. So there is definitely a balance that had to be found that was a balance between were can we go that we haven’t gone before and a great opportunity before me. This is the first time that a novel that would be in this mythology. You can do a lot in a novel that you can’t do in a graphic novel and vice versa so there was a lot of opportunity there. There is also maintaining The Dark Crystal world and I wanted to make sure that it is true to The Dark Crystal, it’s true to the film and it’s true to the character of the property. I would never say that it was a challenge really in the sense that it prevented me from writing something. In every case where I ever felt I needed to search for new material, there was something there that existed in The Dark Crystal. So it was more of collaboration rather than a challenge.

JJ: I told people I was speaking to you this morning and I just mention the words The Dark Crystal and there are gasps. They are very curious to know what’s in the story and of course they worry about losing their childhood memory of the original. They want things to be as they were and yet at the same time they want the story to grow.

JL: Yes, I think there is some anxiety from the fan base because every time something new comes out from an existing storyline they get nervous wondering if they are going to like it. I would say speaking for myself that whenever I would worry about letting fans down or not doing it right I think to myself that The Dark Crystal means as much to me as it does to a person who is a creator in that world. That is the same with anyone that I have worked with who is part of The Dark Crystal, we are all fans first which is why we want to do this. I think that whenever I would get stressed out by that pressure I go to the feeling that I love The Dark Crystal and that’s why I’m doing this – I am a fan. That always pointed me in the right direction thinking as a fan what would I want to read about or see. That has served me pretty well.

JJ: I think that is very important to tell the readers who are waiting for this. You are a fan and you embrace it as much as they do and knowing that should alleviate their anxiety. Now that you are engrained and you can’t get away, from The Dark Crystal world where do you see this going for you?

JL: I don’t really know because there are so many places to take The Dark Crystal. There is endless opportunities and from a nerd perspective <which made me laugh>, seriously if you look at the mythology of The Dark Crystal it’s a huge universe, a huge world and a huge timeline. There are nooks and crannies that we can explore so it’s up to Jim Henson and everyone involved who want to know where we can go next and I’m here for that and totally up for it.

JJ: I’m giggling to because this is Comic Con week so this is the best place for The Dark Crystal to be and there is always a group dressed as the characters. I love what they do because you can see the love they have for the characters and story being part of their lives. The best part right now is I’m talking to the person keeping that story alive and now that you’ve done it everyone is going to expect you to stay!

JL: That’s alright, I’m here and ready!

JJ: When people of all ages come across Song of the Dark Crystal what would you like them to take away from the story?

JL: For me as a child, The Dark Crystal had a couple of major take-aways that have lasted a lifetime for me. I think that one of the major themes from The Dark Crystal film is one that I have been trying to really reinforce in the books which is harmony. The harmony between people and their different ideas or the harmony between the land, the earth and the people who are here to take care of it. There is always the idea of challenges or problems but that harmony is the key to solving or surmounting those challenges. That is the big concept takeaway. The smaller level take away is that everybody has something special about them that they can use to make the world a better place.

JJ: I like that, that’s really important because most of the young readers are looking for is someone to say ‘it’s okay!’ and it’s okay to have a love of the written word and it’s okay that you are not on a computer or playing a video game. Most of all that it’s okay to pick up a book and go into another world.

JL: I think the main character of Shadow in the first book is a tough, athletic girl and she is trying to find her place in the world. The main character in the Song of the Dark Crystal that is coming out tomorrow actually is kind of a bookworm and sort of a nerd. The book is about how he doesn’t have to be like his friends in order to be important or to have something to say in about helping the world. It’s about embracing who you are even if that’s a bookworm and that story is close to my heart.

JJ: Congratulations on the book and I can’t wait to jump back into that world and see where you will take us next.

JL: Thank you!

After speaking with Joe I am anxiously waiting for the book to be in my own hands. The Dark Crystal is part of our family as well and I am always ready to pass down to my grandkids the love of adventure through holding a book in their hands. In this world of The Dark Crystal are themes of loyalty, trust, relationships, good vs. evil and most of all learning to be true to one’s self.

Lessons we all truly need to embrace and, on occasion, remind ourselves that it is still truly possible. This week from J.M. Lee and Penguin Random House is a reason to curl up in our favorite chairs and go on an adventure with The Dark Crystal.