The Dark Crystal

Director: Jim Henson, Frank Oz

Overview

"Columbia TriStar has created a fine edition of Jim Henson's The Dark Crystal. The video transfer is an anamorphic 2.35:1 widescreen presentation and is remarkably clean, with very little scratching or dust. The vibrant colors throughout the Crystal's world retain their depth and brightness. Details, especially of the creatures, are clear, without becoming blurry or soft. On the audio side, Columbia has created a 5.1 Dolby Digital soundtrack, along with a two-channel Dolby Prologic track and a Spanish-language mono track. The Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack is solid, if unspectacular. There is very little use of the surrounds, except by the musical score. Dialogue is clear and the sound effects, such as the chittering of the Garthim, are well rendered. There are several worthy special features. A documentary, ""The World of The Dark Crystal,"" deleted funeral scenes, work print scenes, and the isolated track of the excellent score are all notable. There are also character drawings, trailers, and the ubiquitous talent files and production notes. Kudos go to Columbia for this excellent disc. The film is rendered beautifully. It looks and sounds wonderful, truly showcasing what is probably the pinnacle of Henson's achievements. The presentation, coupled with some excellent extras, make this the definitive edition of The Dark Crystal."

Product Details

Release Date:	10/05/1999
UPC:	0043396028494
Original Release:	1982
Rating:	PG
Source:	SONY PICTURES HOME ENTERTAINMT
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[monaural, Dolby Digital]
Language:	English
Time:	1:34:00
Sales rank:	17,002

Special Features

Digitally remastered audio and anamorphic video; Delux widescreen presentation; Audio: English 5.1 Dolby Digital & two-channel Dolby Surround, Spanish mono; Subtitles: English, Spanish; The World of "The Dark Crystal" making-of documentary; Original language work print scenes; Deleted funeral scenes; Character drawings and profiles; Isolated music score; Theatrical trailer; Bonus trailer; Talent files; Production notes

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Stephen Garlick	Jen
Billie Whitelaw	Aughra
Lisa Maxwell	Kira
John Baddeley	Historian
David Buck	Slave Master
Jim Henson	Jen
Kathryn Mullen	Kira
Dave Goelz	General
Brian Muehl	Ornamentalist/Dying Master
Kiran Shah	Stunts
Percy Edwards	Fizzgig
Sean Barrett	Voices
Jean Amierl	Weaver
Robbie Barnett	Numerologist
Charles Collingwood	Treasurer
Louise Gold	Gourmand
Michael Kilgarriff	General
Swee Lim	Hunter
Joseph O'Conor	Narrator
Bobby Payne	Historian
Toby Philpott	Alchemist
Simon Williamson	Chanter
Barry Dennen	Chamberlain
Jerry Nelson	High Priest/Dying Emperor
Steve Whitmire	Scientist
Thick Wilson	Gourmand
Frank Oz	Chamberlain
Sadie Corré	Actor
Trevor Jones	Composer

Technical Credits

Jim Henson

David Odell

Jim Henson	Director,Producer,Screenwriter
Frank Oz	Director
Roy Field	Special Effects
Gary Kurtz	Producer
David Lazer	Executive Producer
Brian Smithies	Special Effects
David Odell	Screenwriter

Editorial Reviews

A technical masterpiece, The Dark Crystal is a fantasy-adventure entirely populated by puppets, with no onscreen humans or animation. While better known for his cheery gang of Muppets, Jim Henson and his talented staff of puppeteers create a bleak fantasy world where evildoers have taken over. The tale is slow-moving at times, with a lack of action and urgency that is necessary for most fantasy films, and the standard adventure story is grim throughout, with little attempts at comic relief. However, the showcase of the film is the amazing complexity of the visual world hand-crafted with only puppets, matte paintings, and some miniature sets. Without available CGI technology, the special effects and creature designs are still wildly imaginative. While it could be seen as dated, The Dark Crystal remains a high point in the almost extinct art form of live-action puppeteering.