Another interesting choice for Alamo’s 70mm series. I haven’t seen The Dark Crystal in years. I want to say I may have via Somara’s DVD collection but I keep thinking back to my senior year of high school when it was on Showtime. All those times we kept imitating the Skeksis chancellor during gym class or singing “flicker ball” like the Mystics to tell gym teacher Mrs. Kuch what we wanted to do.
The print was rather worn, mostly reddish and brown. It was probably shot in 35mm and then blown up to 70 as per what we learned years ago when Alamo started this series.
Crystal‘s overall story remains as weak as I remembered in 1982, rushed, little time for character development. Maybe it would’ve worked better as a miniseries. The Muppets remain spectacular. You can see all the Brian Froud-inspired details in their skin and clothing, namely the Mystics, Skeksis, the witch and the little pod people. All the practical effects remain believable with one exception, the Gelflings who happened to be the heroes; their faces are stuck in this expressionless mode which makes Kristin Stewart look rubbery.
I’m glad we went though. Even a bad Jim Henson movie is better most of the junk Hollywood accountants promote as “family friendly.” This failure would lead to Henson and Froud trying again with the much stronger Labyrinth. Can’t remember what the hit movie of Xmas 1982 was neither, thankfully not the unfunny Modern Problems starring Chevy Chase.
Alamo Extras: The Muppet Show clips with Steve Martin, Don Knotts, Elton John, John Cleese and Bob Hope; Pigs in Space!; HUD ad with the Muppets promoting the FHA; the infamous Wilkins Coffee commercials with porto-Kermit; Trailers for Labyrinth, Goliath, The Never Princess, Sinbad and the Magic Ring; Clash of the Titans (the original), Tom Thumb, Puss in Boots with Christopher Walken! and Roger Corman’s version of The Raven starring Vincent Price, Boris Karloff, Peter Lorre and Jack Nicholson.