![Brian Henson & Lisa Henson Discuss the Magic of Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal! [PRESS EVENT]](https://thathashtagshow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/jim-henson-labyrinth-dark-crystal-digital-4k.jpg)
Celebrating the 4K Digital releases of Jim Henson’s fantasy masterpieces Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal collaboration with Shout! Studios, Jim Henson Studios hosted a special press event! There we got to sit down and talk with Brian Henson and Lisa Henson about the collaboration. Of course, I also asked about their favorite memories of the films. We also got a tour of the Jim Henson studios that is full of memorabilia of iconic films.
Talking with Lisa Henson about The Dark Crystal
When chatting with Lisa Henson about The Dark Crystal she elaborated on the audience’s confusion about the film. “Why is Jim Henson trying to scare our children?” Up to that point, Jim Henson was known for the Muppets and Sesame Street. Fun children’s programming with upbeat songs and bright colors. The Dark Crystal was a huge departure from what was known and expected.
While it wasn’t a huge commercial failure, it “did well enough for George Lucas to help raise the month to do Labyrinth”. It was highly criticized by critics. However, you couldn’t say the same for it today. The film has found its audience, as well as its critics.
When asked if she had any special moments from The Dark Crystal she replied, “I would say the Skeksis Banquet. It’s the most lunatic, crazy. You’re just seeing unbridled weirdness in that from what they’re eating to the way they treat each other…the sort of gaudy narcissism of the whole scene is amazing.”
TALKING LABYRINTH WITH BRIAN HENSON
Labyrinth, while it was originally a huge flop, has become a cult classic. The film stars Jennifer Connelly in the role of Sarah, a determined 16-year-old protagonist, and the legendary David Bowie as Jareth, the enigmatic Goblin King. In a moment of frustration, Sarah inadvertently wished her baby brother Toby away to Jareth. Now she must navigate the intricate maze to rescue him. With each twist and turn, Sarah faces fantastical challenges and creatures all while striving to reunite with her brother.
Labyrinth was initially a box office flop but eventually found its audience via home video and television broadcasts becoming a cult classic. When talking with Brian Henson about the film, he mentioned how it’s sad his father never got to see the success of these two films, but how incredible it is that they have stood the test of time.
“One thing that’s fantastic about Fantasy in general is it doesn’t date itself…it’s really cool and very rewarding that a fantasy movie can keep being credible to a modern audience. The messages and themes work over time and cross cultural lines and all that stuff. So, it’s fantastic…they’ve become more popular now than ever.”
Labyrinth is such a special film for me. As I’ve grown up watching it the messages have changed, and my favorite characters have changed. However, I will have a dogs named Ambrosius and Sir Didymus because of this movie. When asking Brian Henson if there are any special scenes or moments from the film he discusses his fond memories of working with Hoggle. He even did the voice a couple of times which was incredible. However, any scene he worked on with David Bowie was the most fun because “he had a really wicked sense of humor. And he’s such a work-a-holic that, for David, doing Labyrinth was a vacation.”
He also let us know that David came up with the idea that Jareth would never get Hoggle’s name right and had it integrated into the script. This event was a magical time and I’m so glad I was able to be part of it.
Beginning February 6, you can rent or purchase digital copies of both Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal from online retailers. The films will be released individually, as well as in a bundled package on select platforms. For those purchasing through Apple, you’ll also gain access to special bonus features.
