Midnights at The Baxter: Jim Henson Double Feature November 10

This Saturday November 10 the Midnights at The Baxter film series has an excellent double feature.

Jim Henson Double Feature: "The Dark Crystal" at 10PM and "Labyrinth" at midnight

According to Wikipedia "The Dark Crystal is a 1982 fantasy film directed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz. Like most of Henson's other work, its characters are Muppets. The Muppet Show characters for which he is famous do not appear, but some of the same performers are used. Character and creature designs in the movie are by Brian Froud. The screenplay was written by David Odell, who had worked with Henson as a staff writer on The Muppet Show. Trevor Jones provided the film's atmospheric music. The movie makes an attempt to study the nature of good and evil in terms of conscience, vital drive, and the triune nature of harmony. The film was produced by ITC Entertainment - the British production company responsible for producing The Muppet Show.

The film takes place on Thra, a planet with three suns; the Great Sun, the Rose Sun and the Dying Sun. Many creatures and races inhabit the planet, but the dominant race is the urSkeks, who are the guardians of the Crystal of Truth. The Crystal harnasses the forces of nature, especially the light of the three suns, for the benefit of all on Thra."

I remember it being a lot more fun than the wikipedia description makes it sound like. Wikipedia's description of Labyrinth is much better though.

"Labyrinth is a 1986 fantasy film directed by Jim Henson, produced by George Lucas, and designed through the art of Brian Froud. Henson collaborated on the screenwriting with children's author Dennis Lee and Monty Python alumnus Terry Jones. The leads are David Bowie as Jareth the Goblin King, and a teenage Jennifer Connelly as Sarah Williams. The plot revolves around Sarah's quest to rescue her little brother from the Goblin King while trapped in a world that is an enormous fantasy maze.Most of the other significant roles are played by puppets or by a combination of puppetry and human performance. It was shot on location in New York and at Elstree Studios in the UK. It was the last feature film directed by Henson before his death in 1990."

That's right David Bowie as the Goblin King.  Clearly the people at Baxter Avenue are fine, upstanding people who love us all. They must be to give us such a great double feature for all us kids of the 80s.

Video clips of both films after the jump.