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MEMORIES:
PHOTOS:
Cast:
Jen (voice) ... Stephen Garlick
Slave Master (voice) ... David Buck
Chamberlain (voice) ... Barry Dennen
Fizzgig (voice) ...Percy Edwards
General (voice)... Michael Kilgarrif
Kira (voice)... Lisa Maxwell
Dying Mystic Master (movement)...Brian Muehl
Skeksis Ornamentalist (movement and voice)...Brian Muehl
Urzah... Brian Muehl
High Priest (voice)...Jerry Nelson
Dying Emperor (voice) ... Jerry Nelson
Narrator (voice) ... Joseph O'Conor
Aughra (voice) ... Billie Whitelaw
Scientist (movement and voice)... Steve Whitmire
Gourmand (voice) ... Thick Wilson
Jen (movement)...Jim Henson
High Priest (movement)... Jim Henson
Aughra (movement)...Frank Oz
Chamberlain (movement)... Frank Oz
Additional Performer ... Kiran Shah
Weaver...Jean-Pierre Amiel
Numerologist...Robbie Barnett
Landstrider ... Robbie Barnett
Dying Master ... Sean Barrett
Additional Performer ... Peter Burroughs
Treasurer (voice)... Charles Collingwood
Additional Performer ... Sadie Corre
Additional Performer ... Mike Cotterill
Additional Performer ... Malcolm Dixon
Additional Performer ... Mike Edmonds
Additional Performer ... Lisa Esson
Additional Performer ... John Ghavan
General...Dave Goelz
Dying Emperor ... Dave Goelz
Goumand ... Louise Gold
Healer ...Dave Greenaway
Podling (voice)... Mike Iveria
Additional Performer ...Annie Jones
Additional Performer ... Natasha Knight
Scribe ...Swim Lee Hus Levant
Podling (voice) ... Patrick Monckton
Kira ...Kathryn Mullen
Historian ... Bob Payne
Alchemist ... Toby Philpott
Additional Performer... Jack Purvis
Slave Master ...Mike Quinn
Treasurer...Timothy M. Rose
Additional Performer ... Deep Roy
Additional Performer ... Richard Slaughter
Cook...Hugh Spirit
Landstrider ... Hugh Spirit
Additional Performer ... Gerald Staddon
Podling (voice) ... Sue Wetherby
Charmer ... Simon Williamson
Studio:
Release History:
Jim Henson, Frank Oz, and their huge company of puppeteers and voice artists created this 1982 fantasy, but it was a good deal closer to Tolkien than to Miss Piggie. The Dark Crystal was a classic good vs. evil fantasy tale, set in a richly imagined world of curious creatures.
A thousand years before the story takes place, a mighty race called the urSkeks decided they would abolish every drop of evil from their bodies. Planning to burn the evil out at a mystical moment when their planet’s three suns were all in alignment – the “Great Conjunction” – they focused the combined light through a powerful crystal. But instead of disappearing, the evil only separated from the good. Two separate races resulted: the evil, vulture-like Skeksis, and the peaceful Mystics. The crystal turned dark, smashed by one of the Skeksis so that a shard separated.
The next Great Convergence, according to prophesy, was supposed to see an elfish Gelfling return the shard to the crystal, ending the benighted reign of the Skeksis. To prevent this, the Skeksis send the Garthims, their huge servants, to murder every last Gelfling.
Cut to the present day. A Gelfing named Jen, who believes himself to be the last of his race, sets out to fulfill the destiny foretold in the prophesy. Along the way he meets Kira, a female Gelfling. Joined by a bent old witch called Aughra, and of course Kira’s pet, the voracious Fizzwig, the Gelfings continues on their quest to make the crystal whole. But their increased numbers can’t keep them out of danger as they try to get around the nasty Skeksis and their wicked Chamberlain.
It was indeed a dark tale, but most fairy tales are. In theatrical release the film was financially disappointing, especially considering the huge success earlier the same year of the somewhat dark E. T. – The Extraterrestrial. Still, a loyal, though fairly small, cadre of committed fans continues to prize this puppet fantasy tale.
