The World of 'The Dark Crystal' (1983 TV Movie) User Reviews

The Ultimate "Making Of" Doc

[webmistress-1 · 24 April 2003]

I first caught "The World of the Dark Crystal" on PBS a few weeks after the film "The Dark Crystal" saw release. The documentary made me dash out to the movie theater the very next day. That alone should speak volumes about its quality.

Unlike so many cold, congratulatory "making of" documentaries available today, this one really gets to the heart of the creative process. The amount of energy that Henson and company invested in The Dark Crystal has only been matched recently ... by Peter Jackson in his Lord of the Rings films.

The documentary now available on the Dark Crystal DVD, and it's every bit as entertaining as the film itself.

Also of interest in "The Making of the Dark Crystal" are the interview segments with Gary Kurtz, the producer of the first two Star Wars movies. There is little doubt that Kurtz's talents had a great deal to do with the success of the original Star Wars, seeing how the series turned to garbage the moment he left.

A very thorough and fascinating behind-the-scenes making of documentary

[Woodyanders · 10/10 · 29 February 2008]

This highly engrossing and informative documentary covers many different bases concerning the making of the fantastic fantasy adventure cult favorite "The Dark Crystal." Among the people interviewed are Jim Henson, Frank Oz, conceptual designer Brian Froud, Froud's wife Wendy Widener, producer Gary Kurtz, Garthim supervisor Fred Nihda, Kira performer Kathryn Mullen, and choreographer Jean-Pierre Amiel. The topics covered herein include the evolution of the creatures from drawings to sculptures, the building of the puppets, how the vile reptilian villains the Skeksis are based on the seven deadly sins, the use of a large and diverse array of technicians for the demanding and ambitious project, casting mimes, dancers and acrobats as performers in the picture, the meticulous creation of a whole elaborate alternate world from the ground up, the occasional artful use of matte paintings, the building of the sets, the great stroke of having ace cinematographer Oswald Morris shoot the movie, the unique decision of having both Oz and Henson collaborate on directing the feature, and the filming of the destruction of the Skeksis castle for the thrilling climax. Everyone involved talks about all the hard work and effort that went into making "The Dark Crystal;" any sense of smug self-congratulation is thankfully absent. Essential viewing for fans of the film.