Movie #351 - Labyrinth

Labyrinth
1986 - Rated PG - 1 hr 41 min
Director: Jim Henson
Starring: David Bowie, Jennifer Connelly, Toby Froud, Brian Henson, Dave Goelz

Oh, David Bowie! Oh, baby Jennifer Connelly! And oh, Ludo!

Maybe it's my childhood talking, but I absolutely love this Jim Henson classic.  Looking back on it, I'm amazed that it didn't scare the crap out of me as a child.  Somehow, in that way that only Jim Henson can, the movie tells a story that is both appealing to children and to adults, tackling real-life peril with humor and fun.  Throw in a couple of songs -- and Bowie's outrageous Goblin King pants -- and voila! Instant classic the whole family will love.

Yes, it's weird and quirky and totally fantastical in nature.  Yes, the characters are bizarre. But they're also lovable.  Even if you get mad at Connelly for cursing her brother to the Goblin King in the first place, you'll forgive her within about 5 minutes and root for her all the way to the castle.  Gotta love a good quest story, right?  It's really tough not to love this movie.

Movie #243 - The Great Muppet Caper

The Great Muppet Caper
1981 - Rated G - 1 hr 35 min
Director: Jim Henson
Starring: Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Dave Goelz, Jerry Nelson, Richard Hunt, Charles Grodin, Diana Rigg, John Cleese, Kathryn Mullen, Jack Warden

A lone Muppet movie in the G's is a treat. Yay!  The witty dialogue, sing-along songs, and guest appearances that make the Muppets famous are all alive and well in this classic movie.  Wow... this was made the year I was born. It's ooooollllldddd.

Anyway, Kermit and Fozzy play identical twins turned journalists who travel to England to get to the bottom of a jewelry robbery.  In a classic case of mistaken identity, they think Miss Piggy is Lady Holliday, a wealthy fashion designer who was robbed.  Turns out, her brother is the evil thief.  He falls in love with Miss Piggy (cuz, that's what happens, you know?) and the Muppets have to interrupt the heist to save the day.

So not only do the Muppets go international in this movie, but they're solving crimes! What kid from the 80's doesn't love a good Muppet movie, espeically this one?

Movie #145 - The Dark Crystal

The Dark Crystal
Universal Pictures
1982 - Rated PG - 1 hr 33 min
Director: Jim Henson, Frank Oz
Starring: Jim Henson, Kathryn Mullen, Frank Oz, Dave Goelz

Man, I love this movie.  Despite its insane creepiness, it was always a childhood favorite. A sci-fi/fantasy/romance/adventure with puppets - what's not to love about it? 

Watching it now as an adult, though, it's not really as magical and mystical as I'd worked it up to be inside my head.  The narration's a bit corny.  The story line's a bit weak. The effects are, well, they'r appropriate for 1982.  Skekses are still creepy though. No matter how old I get, those things are creepy as hell. And Lord Chamberlain is the worst of them all... ugh.

So, even though it's not everything I remembered it being, it's still a huge piece of my childhood, of cinematic history, and of pop culture.  If you've never seen this movie, watch it with these facts in mind.  It might not be as flashy and exciting as a modern action flick, but it was a big deal at its time.  And it truly speaks to Jim Henson's legacy.

Movie #109 - The Christmas Toy

The Christmas Toy
The Jim Henson Company
1986 (TV) - 50 min
Director: Eric Till
Starring: Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire, Kathryn Mullen

I saw this movie as a kid and man, it's been a while.  Watching it, I had that vague recollection thing going on and it was kinda weird to be seeing it again.  It's short and sweet, playful in that Jim Henson way, and perfectly timed for a Christmas season viewing.  Ellie enjoyed it too.

However, watching this made me a little bit angry.  If you haven't seen it before, or in a while, seeing it now might give you a sense of deja-vu. Especially if you're familiar with the movie Toy Story.  I'll recap some of the important cross-overs:

1. Toys come to life when you're not looking.
2. The favorite toy is going to be replaced by a new toy.
3. The toys band together to rescue the lost toy from certain doom.
4. The new toy thinks it's really from outerspace and does lots of funny things around the house until it learns it's only a toy... which depresses it tremendously.
5. The old toy learns that peaceful coexistence with the new toy isn't so bad afterall.

Some familiar? I didn't know Toy Story was so blatantly recycled.  Sure, there are differences but it's hard to watch one without thinking of the other.  That said, this was a fun one to revisit from my childhood.