Why settle in for a day of Netflix when you can embark on a quest for the crystal shard?
But maybe you’re a millennial and have no idea what that could possibly mean. In that case, the 1982 Jim Henson movie “The Dark Crystal” — a fantasy film starring the Gelflings, a non-Muppet elfin people played by puppets — will be back in theaters for two days in February for a Fathom Events screening.
The film’s story, set in the world of Thra, follows a Gelfling named Jen (played by Henson himself, and voiced by Stephen Garlick), who is tasked with finding the crystal shard after a fracture in a magic crystal causes the creation of two races, the good Mystics and the evil Skeksis, who destroy most of the Gelflings. Sure, you may dismiss crystal-based healing as pseudoscience, but Jen’s quest is daunting — he holds the power to restore peace to the universe.
“The Dark Crystal,” directed by Henson and Frank Oz (“Little Shop of Horrors”) and produced by Gary Kurtz of “Star Wars” fame, will be in select theaters nationwide at 2 and 7 p.m. on Feb. 25 and 28. A featurette with Lisa Henson, Henson’s daughter and CEO of the Jim Henson Company, will accompany the film. Select theaters will have the movie restored in 4K.
The return of “Crystal” follows revivals of various 1980s favorites, including “Jem,” “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” “Blade Runner” and “Ghostbusters.”
But this isn’t just some nostalgic ’80s trip — the world of the Gelflings is getting its very own revival in the form of a new “Dark Crystal” Netflix prequel series from the Jim Henson Company. The series, called “The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance,” will, in true Henson style, incorporate puppets. (Announced in May, the show was set to begin filming in the fall.)
“Of all projects, it’s the one that I’m the most proud of,” Henson, who died in 1990, said of the fantasy film in an old interview used in a series trailer.
“The Dark Crystal” is just one of a variety of classic, vintage or previously released films, including the 1984 movie “The NeverEnding Story” and the 2003 trainwreck “The Room” — thanks to James Franco’s Golden Globe-winning turn as director Tommy Wiseau in “The Disaster Artist” — to see Fathom Events screenings.
After the film’s return to theaters, “The Dark Crystal” will be released on 4K Ultra HD via Blu-ray and digital on March 6.
To see where “The Dark Crystal” (rated PG) is playing near you or buy advance tickets, visit fathomevents.com
Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at akuperinsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @AmyKup or on Facebook.