The Dark Crystal, the fantasy adventure film from 1982 by Jim Henson, is my most favourite film of all time. There are quite a few that range up there with it from Indiana Jones to the original Star Wars trilogy just to name a few. But it's this one that ranks in the top spot. Most people that I encounter have never even heard of it and if they have they'll remark with, "Seriously?!" Yes, seriously. They're bringing it back to theatres in February and there is a prequel set for Netflix, slated to come out next year. I was slightly disappointed that the sequel film, The Power of the Dark Crystal, never happened; though they've started a 12-issue comic series for it recently instead. I'm a little gun-shy on purchasing those and we'll discuss why, along with my love for the film. So, The Dark Crystal is getting re-released in theatres this February as stated by Nerdist.com. I won't be going to see it. If I ended there and you read the rest of this post (after the following photo), you'd certainly be wondering why. It is because of the Mississippi Bicentennial which occurred all last year. We were celebrating 200 years of statehood with all sorts of things happening all over the state all throughout the year. In my city we have this month long arts event called Festival South every June. As part of that, they had a special showing of The Dark Crystal at the local movie theatre. Why would they do this? Because Jim Henson was born in Mississippi. They even had a touring exhibit all about him and his work for the festival and the Bicentennial. At first it was stated as being free, which was exceptionally wonderful. Honestly the people running the show here in this city aren't all that together on anything really. These sorts of cock-ups happen all the time; ranging from the absurd to the disastrous. So, really it ended up being $8. That seemed like a very fair and reasonable price to see my favourite film in the theatre. Now there is the historic Saenger Theatre downtown, which did open as a film theatre in the late 1920s, but was also home to my dance recitals as well as other things throughout the years. Every so often they will play films for $5. But this is a "let me put the DVD in the player here and we'll hope for the best on the sound" sort of deal. It is worth it since I have seen Metropolis and The Birds in this manner (although the sound for The Birds was terrible and loud), as well as other films. I'm seeing (some films) that I've never seen before, and others in an Art Deco theatre experience. However, this was not that type of deal. It was the real film that Festival South had to pay money for so that they could run it on a real theatre projection. It is exactly what people will be seeing in select theatres in February. So, I've done it (possibly twice if I really did go in December of '82, which I'm inclined to think that I did), and recently at that, so there is no need to do it again. I have the memory fresh in my mind of seeing that film in theatres. The Jim Henson company has also partnered with Netflix to produce a 10 epi prequel entitled Age of Resistance, which is slated to be done in 2019. Super excited about this and I can hardly wait to see it! There is debate amongst my family if we all saw this as a family, in the theatre, or not. It came out in December of 1982, which made me a little over 2 years old. I had a feeling that I saw it in the theatre, but couldn't really remember. My family will say yes... and also no; depending on the day and their memories I suppose. I probably did, but I vaguely remember it, so it only partway counts really. This, however, is how I remember watching it. My grandmother gave us a Video Disc player with loads of films like Star Wars (A New Hope, except it wasn't subtitled that then), Emmet Otter's Jug-band Christmas, The Ten Commandments (with Yul Brynner and Charlton Heston), as well as this one. Not many people owned Video Discs, or else I've not met/encountered them. It was the precursor to Laser Disc, only you never had to handle the disc. You'd put it into the slot exactly as you see here, then a mechanism would grab those tabs to keep the interior disc packaging inside the machine, while you pulled the outer case back out. It was also double sided like a record. So, at a certain point in the film, the screen would go black and you'd have to insert the case to reinsert the disc, bring it out, flip the case over, and do the reinsertion process over again on the flip side. It seems tedious by todays standards of entertainment, but it was actually really fun. I'm not certain the stopping points of any other film, but for The Dark Crystal it was right before the drawing of the essence scene where the Skeksis are going to drain the living essence from the Podling. Very dramatic and scary scene, so you'd quickly flip the disc to get to the rest of the scene. When the player died, I kept the discs for Star Wars and for The Dark Crystal. They're useless of course, except as really great vintage technology and art. I know at one point it was in our den for the entire family to enjoy, but perhaps that came later because my parents didn't want their two year old messing with it? Didn't work. From my earliest memories it was in their bedroom hooked up to their small TV on their high dresser. I'd wake up early in the morning, todder into their room while they were asleep, crawl up my mothers chaise lounge to the top to reach everything. I'd turn the TV and put the disc in, then crawl back down to perch on the foot of their bed and proceed to recite every single line from the film, which they'd wake up to at about the time that either the Skeksis are first shown or else the Mystics; much to their chagrin. That was pretty much my every day routine as an early child, unless they kicked me out of their room. That or I'd be found in there at all ours of the day watching that film. After our Video Disc player died, our grandmother gave us hers at some point in my pre-teens. She had one for her house for when my siblings and I would visit. I would still watch this film and others in my own bedroom on a similar tiny early 80s telly. Until it too died. I was probably about fourteen or fifteen. These were the dark times indeed. There was other way to obtain this film. They had not released it on VHS and DVD was still a few years off. It was like a wasteland void of comfort, because I find that film comforting. I wasn't clinging to the walls or needing a padded cell, but it was sad that I could not longer watch it. My other grandmother would give money at Christmastime. It was 2001 and I was on the other side of the state window shopping in Big K-Mart with my sister, and there it was in the movie section. Just two copies of this fancy Collector's Edition. It was $25, which is not a price I ever pay for films. I'm still waiting for the second Thor film to go on sale enough that it's actually not ludicrous to purchase. I always wait. Speaking of waiting for films on DVD and Star Wars since I've mentioned it enough. I really wanted the original trilogy on DVD. Had it on VHS since I was about thirteen or fourteen, but one of the tapes was wonky (after so much play). They weren't really releasing them. It was all the newer trilogy (epi's I-III) and then only the originals with later Lucas additions, which were not versions that I wanted (though I did watch the updated version of Star Wars (ya know, epi IV A New Hope) in the theatre, because it was the closest I was ever going to get to seeing a film that came out three years before I was born). Then they released super deluxe versions that were like $35 a pop. The original theatrical versions coupled with addition versions and tons of bonus features. Too fancy, so I was hoping they'd bring out a no frills version of the original versions. But then, the price dropped a little and Target was running this super special. I got all three for $20 total. The only downside is that you have to remember to put the 2nd disc into your player or else you'll be watching the film saying, "something's not right here" and by 20 minutes in you'll exclaim, "damnit all to hell, this is the updated version!" So, needless to say, I could have waited on The Dark Crystal, but I didn't know if they'd release it any other way (which they did - a simple and cheaper DVD), plus it was free money... and it's not like they were ever selling this version in my town, which was quite a bit larger than Natchez. So I'm not at all remissed that I sprang for this one when I saw it, in fact, I'm still glad. My childhood friend knows of my love for The Dark Crystal. Hell, she watched it enough times at my house when we were kids. And she started purchasing items for me when she'd find them. The first item was this button, which depicts The Great Conjunction and the Universe as known to Aughra and the world of Thra. The second item was this ginourmous books. It's really massive in height and width and basically tells you all about the world of Thra. It's really, really cool and I can't recommend it enough. Book 1 was a gift from that same childhood friend. Book 2 I purchased for myself when I found myself inside of a Barnes & Noble and they happened to have it. This series was really great... and then it wasn't, because they had one book left to publish and they just didn't. Big let down Tokyopop. Big let down. You can't just stop with one book left! I mean, I guess they technically can, but it's bad business. Or it was probably good business, but bad for me and anyone else really wanting to finish this. Had my parents get this for me as a gift one year. An original film to book publication. I'm not worried with pristine condition or first editions. It's good enough and I just like that it came out at the time of the film. The Sister attended Free Comic Book Day before I even realized they were a thing. She picked this up for me which was promoting the upcoming Creation Myths series of books that were slated to come out starting later that year. Had my parents get all of these as gifts for me over a Birthdays and Christmases. The Creation Myths series was really really good... and then it wasn't. The last book really fell flat. Books one and two were the same story leading up to something, leading somewhere; but the third book felt like they slapped some stuff together hurriedly for the publishers. And it was almost like the beginning of completely different story, which was a bit disappointing. I'm still keeping them and I'll still read them again later, but just check them out from the library if you're so inclined to read them. I'm not a huge Funko fan, as in I don't want hardly anything they've created, but this I wanted. Aughra was always my favourite character. I only wish Fizz-Gig had come with her as a mini Pop or something because he is my second favourite character from the film. This I had my parents get me as a Birthday or Christmas gift last year.
I do have a Funko 'Dorbz now because of that same childhood friend. She also realizes my love of Pee-Wee Herman, so that is who the 'Dorbz is. He was a Christmas gift. Well technically from her parents, but she said, "Yep! This is definitely what you'll need to get for Sarah." and she was correct. None of this, obviously, is to imply that I'm THE mega fan or anything. It's just a pretty dominant aspect of myself. It's something I really like so let's share in my excitement and the related items that I own or experience that I have. I probably will not be purchasing The Power of the Dark Crystal comics for several reasons. A three part book, Legends of, was never finished. The last book in Creation Myths was haphazardly thrown together for a release date and didn't actually finish the story it started out with. And there was the little incident of a book series called Hallowmere by Tiffany Trent. It was wonderful and glorious and they were three books to the end and the publishing company canceled it to focus all of its energies on Magic. Her contract apparently gave up all of her rights and instead gave them to the publishers. And I have five books on my bookshelf of a series that I desperately wish to finish. Comics, unlike Graphic Novels or Manga's, probably do get finished no problem, but twelve is a lot and I'm not ready to disappointed again. Perhaps if all twelve come out and people say it is actually a complete story and worth it... and they still have the back issues available, then I might think about purchasing them.
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AuthorA girl from South Mississippi who finds herself in exploration. Archives
November 2019
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