#and dark crystal / labyrinth style fantasy creature puppets

[onefey]

*eyes snap open and i sit up in bed covered in sweat* if they wanted to do a good live-action minecraft movie they should've done it with jim henson puppets

[dawnmarszarafuller]

Brian Froud is an English fantasy illustrator and conceptual designer. He is most widely known for his 1978 book Faeries with Alan Lee, and as the conceptual designer of the Jim Henson films The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth. I have much admiration for Jim Henson for his work on the muppets. But I was unaware he worked with Brian Froud to create movies like Labyrinth. So before I talk to much about Jim Henson my focus is Brian Froud. I’ve never actually seen Dark Crystal so I can’t comment to much about my like or dislike for the movie however from looking at snippets and screen caps of the film I find the puppets slightly unsettling but they have unusually large glossy eyes which I think counteracts this and makes them appear friendlier. My actual point of discussion is within Brian Froud’s artwork. On just my initial reaction I think his art is very beautiful where you can see how much thought has been put into the details. Personally I find his style reminds me greatly of something I’d see in a book. His colour is very muted and appears to have the texture of pencil grain. But on occasion I think there could be some evidence towards water colour to wash over. It’s notable where you can see the more delicate, younger characters in his drawings as they tend to have softer features and less harsh lines. The more human characters also have these softer lines as opposed to the “creatures” who are drawn in a much angular harsh manor. For instance the gelfing who were a sentient species native to Skarith. They were a peaceful people who lived in harmony with the natural world and had a rich culture which valued song, dance and storytelling. As opposed to the Skeksis the antagonists, who are said to be the making of the dark crystal. The drawings for the Skesis direct themselves towards being bird inspired with the beak inspired moth and eye position.

[world-of-puppets]

Hi there, I'm a really big puppetry fan, and besides the Muppets, my favorite puppets would be the Nickelodeon Pinwheel puppets, the Eureeka's Castle puppets, and the Puzzle Place puppets. My least favorite ones are the Mr. Meaty puppets. What are your favorite and least favorite puppets?

The Jim Henson creature style puppets are definitely some of my favourites. Especially those from fantasy films/series like Labyrinth, The Storyteller and The Dark Crystal (both the 1982 movie and Age of Resistance).

Another style I’ve recently fallen in love with is the work of Richard Teschner. His rod puppets have such an elegant style to them. They’ve captured my imagination unlike any other non-Henson puppetry has in a while.

In terms of style alone, I’d say my least favourite would be any type of puppet with a fixed expression. I.e. puppets that have a huge smile on thier faces 24/7 (stuff like Torchy the Battery Boy, BJ and Dirty Dragon and the infamous Wiggles puppets being good examples) Not only does this often lead to some uncanny, unintentional nightmare-fuel, it also just never looks appealing.

[ramajmedia]

10 Of The Most Iconic Jim Henson Creatures (That Aren't Muppets), Ranked

Most of us are familiar with the genius of Jim Henson, whether from The Muppets, Sesame Street, or any number of his films. The famous puppeteer and creator certainly had a gift for creating memorable and visually stunning characters. So much so, in fact, that an entire workshop was created dedicated to the production of some of these famous creatures.

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Classic shows like The Storyteller and Fraggle Rock (and movies like Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal) owe everything to this visionary. Some of their most wonderful creations were all conceived in Jim Henson's Creature Shop. Today, we're having a creature feature as we spend some time with ten of the Jim Henson Company's greatest creature creations. Oh, and don't worry: as you can see, we haven't forgotten the Muppets; they've been ranked separately!

10 Bear in the Big Blue House

We'll start our list with a howdy from the big bear himself, Bear from Bear in the Big Blue House. One of the largest creatures created by Henson's company (along with characters like Sweetums), Bear was the warm and inviting star of his own show. It aired on the Disney Channel in the 90s.

In the mornings, Bear would welcome viewers into the titular Big Blue House for a day with all his friends, such as Treelo, Ocho, Pip and Pop Otter, Shadow, and Luna the Moon. Bear was as big and warm as his personality, and he always made his viewers feel welcome. What better way to start out our list?

9 Rankle, Rose, and Edgar

What do a reanimated cat mummy, a zombie raccoon, and a werewolf with a sweet tooth have in common? They are all friends of the quirky and charming Christine McConnell. These three are certainly some of the more adult characters the company has created, but at the same time, they are as charming as any Muppet or other creation.

RELATED: Sesame Street: 10 Best Celebrity Guest Stars Of The Last 50 Years, Ranked

Brought to us by Henson Alternative, Rankle, Rose, and Edgar are easily the highlights of the show. Rankle is snarky, sarcastic, and mildly sinister, Rose is bawdy and loud, and Edgar is a teddy bear with a horror-movie-quality exterior. What's not to love?

8 The Sinclair Family

Created in memory of the famous Muppet-maker, Dinosaurs was a sitcom that centered around the prehistoric happenings of the Sinclair family. For four seasons, viewers tuned in to the lives of Earl, Fran, Robbie, Charlene, and their hatchling, Baby Sinclair. The show was a weird but wonderful combination of creatures and comedy that had quite the following.

Despite its use of creatures, the sitcom jumped through all the genre hoops in the way of Family Matters, Full House, and Boy Meets World. It had the family-centric narrative, but also tackled some interesting issues, including a controversial season finale. It was a strange show, but certainly one we can appreciate.

7 Gelflings (2019 Version)

The Dark Crystal is arguably one of Jim Henson's greatest creations; essentially his Lord of the Rings. As much as we wanted to include Jen and Kira from the original film, the prize has to go to the newer Gelflings featured in the new Netflix series.

The Gelflings, as their name might allude, are elf-like creatures from the land of Thra. In Age of Resistance, there are even tribes of them somewhat akin to the elves of Tolkien. Rian, Brea, and Deet are three of the new Gelflings, and they could not look better. They have better puppet models, a more high-fantasy design, and their different personae are absolutely enchanting. Color us impressed.

6 Skeksis

On the other end of the Dark Crystal spectrum, we have the sinister and insidious Skeksis. This breed of nightmare fuel is quite possibly the most horrifying thing Henson ever dreamed up. With their beaks, claws, teeth, and aristocratic sense of style, there's definitely something outright evil about their persona.

From the snarling Emporer Skeksi to the creepily charming Chamberlain, the Skeksis have ruled Thra with an iron claw, bewitching and deceiving their world to their whims. They are truly as hideous on the outside as they are within, but we still love watching them. They're easily one of our favorite monsters.

5 Creatures of the Labyrinth

Though we have a soft spot for Sir Didymus, we couldn't pick just one creature for this spot. For those who haven't seen this marvelously magical film, Labyrinth is Jim Henson's collaboration with the legendary David Bowie, which resulted in one of the most iconic fantasy films of the 80s.

RELATED: 10 Things You Didn't Know About Labyrinth

Jareth, Hoggle, Ludo, and all the legions of monsters that inhabit this mystical magical world were just too many to count. Worthy of a list all their own, the creatures from the titular labyrinth could rival those of Dark Crystal fame, but we'd be lying if we said Bowie didn't give them an unfair advantage.

4 The Fraggles

Dance your cares away and let the music play, down in Fraggle Rock with these colorful creatures. The Fraggles are small, carefree critters who, along with the workaholic Doozers, live their lives and go on adventures in the caves of Fraggle Rock.

RELATED: 10 Most Underrated Jim Henson Creations

Gobo, Mokey, Wembley, Boober, and Red are just the starring cast of Fraggle Rock, but there are legions more of the fuzzy creatures living beneath the home of Doc and his dog, Sprocket. These lovable creatures are some of Jim Henson's most memorable characters, and we can see why. Much more than Muppets, the Fraggles delighted kids for five seasons and 96 episodes.

3 Aughra

Frank Oz couldn't have put it better any other way: she's so ugly she's beautiful. Yes, we've mentioned the rest of the Dark Crystal characters already, but we can't leave out Aughra. Aughra is one of the most powerful beings in the realm of Thra, as well as one of the most uniquely-designed creatures the Creature Shop has ever created.

Born from the rocks before even the race of Gelflings, Aughra is the only one of her kind. She's a mystic, a wizard, and a cosmic being all rolled into one. As one of the most strange and mystifying creatures on our list, you can bet we applauded her return in Age of Resistance. 

2 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Bringing Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michaelangelo to the big screen outside of animation was no easy feat. Enter Jim Henson's Creature Shop to bring them to life. Using a mix of puppetry and full-body effects, the turtles sprang from the sewers and onto the big screen for the very first time.

Though the characters themselves were not created by Henson or his crew, the technology to bring them to life was. This led to the creation of the Henson Performance Control System, which revolutionized puppeteering and practical effects. If it wasn't for this film, who knows where the creature shop would be.

1 Big Bird

Arguably the most famous resident of Sesame Street, Big Bird has entertained legions of children and even adults since he first appeared in 1969. The large yellow avian has represented every curious child to ever tune in to the popular PBS program, teaching them the value of imagination and an appetite for learning.

From his bright, yellow, fluffy exterior to his enormous heart, Big Bird has delighted millions of viewers the world over. Though not a product of the Creature Shop, without Big Bird there might not even be a Sesame Street. Adorable, curious, and even a trendsetter, how could we not give the big guy our number one spot?

NEXT: Sesame Street: 10 Hilarious (And Adorable) Bert And Ernie Memes

source https://screenrant.com/jim-henson-most-iconic-creatures-besides-muppets/

[wonderfulworldofmichaelford]

Michael After Midnight: The Dark Crystal

What the fuck Jim Henson. What the actual fuck.

This is my reaction after watching The Dark Crystal, a fantastical, bizarre, ambitious, and very hard to truly understand my feelings on movie. It’s pretty safe to say there is absolutely no movie like this one; it is absolutely one of a kind, even within the confines of Henson’s other work. Even Labyrinth and Fraggle Rock, his other famous fantasy works, had a bit of lighthearted whimsy in them… The Dark Crystal, on the other hand… well, it’s right there in the title. This movie is fucking DARK. This movie is as if someone decided to make The Lord of the Rings with puppets, or if the Muppets decided to make a Final Fantasy movie.

Now what could the story of such a thing be like? Very complex; there’s a lot of world-building exposition in the beginning, to great effect. The story goes that long ago the titular crystal was whole… but then it was fractured on the day of the Great Conjunction, and two races appeared: the aggressive, nasty Skeksis and the passive but good Mystics. Centuries later, the Skeksis discover a prophecy saying the Gelflings, elf-like creatures, will bring an end to them, and so send their massive insectoid golem creatures known as Garthim to commit mass genocide. Only two survive: Jen and Kira. Together, these two journey across the land to fulfill the prophecy and end the Skeksis reign and heal the crystal. Can they do it?

So, holy shit, this movie looks absolutely incredible. The entire film is done with animatronics and puppets, no human characters like in the Muppet films or Labyrinth, and so it is easily the most complex work Jim Henson ever did. This definitely pays off, because the creatures are as interesting to look at as anything in his other works, and the world of Thra is so well-designed and visually stimulating. This movie is a treat for the eyes, with almost every shot being worthy of being framed and hung up on a wall. Particularly noteworthy is the Skeksis themselves; no two of them look alike. It would have been so easy to make them all the same to save time, but each of them has a different look to them so that you can easily tell them apart. This film just has an incredible attention to making every facet of this world look incredible, and it really pays off. This of course plays into the dark, disturbing nature of the film; the designs of the Skeksis and Garthim are utterly terrifying, and there are some other monstrous creatures and visuals in the film that could easily scar the mind of any youngster watching. Of course, that’s all part of the fun.

Now, while the visual style is absolutely phenomenal, and the movie is an incredible spectacle, the writing and dialogue is a bit average. It’s mostly your typical fantasy stuff with chosen ones and all that. It’s easier to swallow than most films with this problem though, because the visual style makes  it feel more fresh, though it’s definitely not aged quite as well as the other aspects of the film. This is kind of why I have such a mixed opinion on the film; on the one hand, it has some of the most absolutely brilliant worldbuilding and character design you will ever see in any film, and is incredibly ambitious and spectacular. On the other hand, the writing is not quite up to the level of the visuals, which is disappointing as all hell. Again though, if you’re enjoying everything else, it’s easy to overlook the cliché-ridden dialogue.

This is truly a one-of-a-kind movie. Does that make it great, or even good? It’s hard to say. The film has its problems, but it’s also so incredibly ambitious and well-executed for the most part, I can’t really say that it’s bad. Whether it’s great is up to you, but I will say it’s good, and a very unique piece of early 80s fantasy that is definitely worth a watch. All that being said, I DO prefer Labyrinth and the Muppet films, but it’s still easy for me to see why this movie became the nostalgic cult classic it is today.

With a prequel Netflix series coming up, now is the perfect time to revisit the series. Can the series surpass this film, or will it flop? Only time will tell. All that can be said is that now is the perfect time to watch or rewatch The Dark Crystal and come to your own conclusions about it.