Cover Story
Part One

Jim Henson Awaiting "Labyrinth"

As he readies his forthcoming goblin fantasy, the master muppeteer reviews
"The Dark Crystal," "Dream Child" and other creature accomplishments.

by Dennis Freeland
Goblins & JH
Labyrinth leader Jim Henson.
� � � It was spring 1982 when Jim Henson first screened a rough cut of The Dark Crystal. The film wasn't scheduled to be released until Christmas - fortunately.
� � � "The audience resented the Skeksis and Mystics speaking in, respectively, Greek and Egyptian," Henson says. "So, we had to go back and rewrite English dialogue that fit the mouth-moves - we couldn't reshoot. So, we rewrote the film - almost twice."
� � � It's a tribute to Henson's genius and attention to detail that the result doesn't look like The Creeping Terror. It is, in fact, seamless. One of the people who was, according to Henson, "very useful" in reworking The Dark Crystal was George Lucas, now Executive Producer of Henson's summer 1986 fantasy, Labyrinth.
� � � "George came to one of the early screenings of Dark Crystal," Henson recalls, "and offered some very good suggestions.
� � � "One of the main reasons I wanted George involved in Labyrinth is because I think he balances me. I'm stronger than he is, on character and personality, while he's very strong on plot and structure - far more than I am." [Next]
� � � Although endless parallels have been drawn between the character of Jim Henson (STARLOG #85) and that of Kermit the Frog, the Rowlf the Dog connection has gone incomprehensively unnoticed. Rowlf and Henson both speak in an understated, philosophical growl; both weather the hardest of times with a shrug and a grin. Rowlf's grin of course, is permanent, built-in, yet Henson's more occasional smile is just as infectious and disarming.
� � � Ironically, remembering a bad review can sometimes bring out that smile. "The New York Times' review of Dark Crystal was one of the few reviews I've gotten where I wanted to argue with the guy," he chuckles. "I mean, most of the time, a negative review just tells you about flaws you already are aware of - all too well. But the Times criticized the basic design of the film. I thought, 'If there's anything you can praise about the film, it's the overall design.' Brian Froud did a wonderful, wonderful job on that movie."
� � � It was the design of the heroes, Henson admits, that did cause some problems with Dark Crystal.
� � � "It was a choice that we made. I wanted the Gelflings to be very attractive, human-like -but not-quite-human. I wanted a 'bridge' character, someone with whom the audience could identify. Gelflings were physically correct for an epic - if we had made them more elfin-like, it would have pulled down that epic sense. It probably would've made the film much warmer, and it very likely would have worked better - the Gelflings certainly would've been more dimensional that way."
A goblin
After making a clean break with The Dark Crystal, Henson was
able to make his Labyrinth beasties more Muppet-like.
� � � Henson has solved these problems in Labyrinth in two ways. First, he has added human characters this time - 15-year-old actress Jennifer (Creepers) Connelly is the film's heroine. Its villain, Jareth, is played by David (The Man Who Fell to Earth) Bowie who has written some songs for the movie to complement Dark Crystal composer Trevor Jones' original score.
Blind Beggar
Beware this poor beggar - he's actually wicked
Goblin King Jareth (David Bowie) in disguise.
� � � Second, Henson has made the creatures in Labyrinth "more puppet-like than those in Dark Crystal. It has more puppet-like moments - Labyrinth is lighter and more comedic."
� � � Henson holds up both hands, a foot apart. "Making a clean break from the Muppet movies with Dark Crystal made it easier to do Labyrinth. After Dark Crystal, we're able to do something that's-," he diminishes the space between his hands, "-slightly more towards the Muppets."
Cyclops goblin
This one-eye weirdie gives Labyrinth the lighter,
more comedic touch Henson desired.
[Next]

� � � Another non-Muppet project that Henson and his colleagues worked on was the under-rated Dream Child (STARLOG #101).
� � � "Did you see it?" he asks, leaning forward. "It was a beautiful little film, about the real Alice in Wonderland. We built six creatures for it. It's unfortunate that it was released by Universal Pictures - they only got it as part of a deal with a bunch of films that EMI made.
� � � "I was also unhappy with their of The Great Muppet Caper. Universal didn't support it. You must support a film with a lot of money. What happened with Dream Child is that they didn't release it with enough of an advertising budget to give it any presence in the market."
Tri-Star Pictures, which is releasing Labyrinth, previously distributed Muppets Take Manhattan. They were quite pleased with it - even though it was not a huge success," Henson notes.

Cleaners
Labyrinth marks Jim Henson's return to
feature film puppetry.
___________________________________

The residents of Henson's far-off fantasy realm
are strong on personality and character.

Trash Lady
[Skip to end]

� � � The discussion of film handling - and mishandling - inevitably leads to the increasing importance of the home video market.
� � � "Besides the fact that 40% of the screen space is gone on a TV screen," Henson says, "what bothers you is that when you're designing and shooting a film, you're thinking only of 'The Big Screen.' You see dailies that are big, beautiful pictures. Trouble is, most of the audience that sees your movie is going to see it on a little TV set.
� � � "It's one of the realities of the world," he says, with a Rowlf-like shrug. "It won't be long until the technology catches up, and we have big, high-definition TV screens in homes.
� � � Henson - together with Frank Oz (STARLOG #84) and the entire company of ha! (henson associates) - have done such impressive, innovative work, it's hard to believe they've only been making motion pictures since 1979, the year The Muppet Movie was released. They're still best known for their work on television, a medium they've never completely abandoned.
� � � "I was very excited about television, right from its inception," Henson remembers. "We had gotten a set just a few years before doing Sam and Friends [a local late-night show in Washington, D.C.]. I wanted to work on TV - I really had no desire to work with puppets. It was only after I had been working with puppets - for a few years - that I decided that there was something exciting about puppets as a medium, as a theatrical form."
� � � The inspiration to break into TV through puppetry emerged from the popularity of the late Burr Tillstrom in the '50s. Tillstrom was the first performer to use video technology in puppetry - an idea that Henson has brought past the boundaries of imagination.
� � � "For 10 years, Tillstrom was the highest-paid entertainer on television. Not too many people know that," Henson says. "He was a lovely man. He had begun doing puppetry before TV, so his technology was a hybrid. He worked behind a scrim, with his hands in front, watching the puppets from behind.
� � � "He also worked with a monitor to the side. We were the first puppet group that designed everything with TV in mind - we had no knowledge of puppetry, aside for Tillstrom and Bill Baird's work. We started by imitating what they did, technically. Then, there was a point of departure."
� � � Was Henson given a behind-the-scenes tour of Tillstrom's work? How was he able to imitate and improve upon Tillstrom's innovations so remarkably?
� � � The matter muppeteer grins: "I saw them on TV. That's all."

Sundial

� � � Henson's most recent TV work is the animated Muppet Babies & Monsters. The Saturday morning show may appear to be "slumming" for the puppet master, but pensively stroking his salt-and-pepper beard, he speaks of responsibility and children's programming.
� � � "When CBS approached us with the idea of doing an animated series around the Muppet Baby characters, I wanted to do something that competes in that area, a show that doesn't just push expensive, high-tech plastic toys," he explains. "My own favorite kid's toy was always a cardboard box - we wanted to do a show that was based on kids using their imaginations. And, in fact, we've had several episodes where the Babies play with cardboard boxes, pretending they're airplanes and castles.
� � � "We've been doing Sesame Street for more than 17 years now, and when you work with really young children, you're very aware of the fact that you're presenting a view of life. It's difficult to even think negatively when you're talking to a four-year-old. You don't want to encourage kids' fears. You want to give some comfort and show them some way of dealing with their fears.
� � � "You know, it was nice in those early years of Sesame Street. The late '60s/early'70s was a time of great emotional depression in this country, but we couldn't be jaded and cynical.
� � � "I've always tried to present a positive view of the world in my work," says filmmaker/muppeteer Jim Henson. "It's so much easier to be negative and cynical and predict doom for the world than it is to try and figure out how to make things better. I feel we have an obligation to do the latter."

DENNIS FREELAND is a New Jersey based writer who has contributed to Penthouse, Music & Sound Output and Aquarian Arts Weekly.

STARLOG / June 1986 � 1986 by O'QUINN STUDIOS, INC.
All Labyrinth photos: � 1986 TRI-STAR PICTURES.

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This page was last updated or modified on December 10, 1997 by [email protected].