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UCLA Film & Television Archive and the Hammer Museum present

The Dark Crystal

The Dark Crystal
June 23, 2019 - 11:00 am

All Family Flicks screenings are free and do not require tickets; seating is first come, first served.  The Billy Wilder Theater opens 15 minutes before each Family Flicks program.

The Dark Crystal  (1982)

When orphaned Gelfling Jen (Stephen Garlick) is tasked with repairing his planet's ruptured, beloved crystal, he embarks on a quest with the brave and far-more resourceful Kira (Lisa Maxwell) to stop the malevolent, reptilian Skeksis from assuming eternal power. Longtime collaborators Henson and Oz team up for the first time as co-directors to create the mythical planet of Thra and all of its inhabitants, miraculously without resorting to a single on-screen appearance by an identifiable human being. Notably darker than the standard Muppet fare, this fantastical hero’s journey mixes traditional puppetry with groundbreaking animatronic technology for a timeless adventure tale of singular, dreamlike wonder. Henson’s insistence that it isn’t “healthy for children to always feel safe” results in a classic story of good, evil and their struggle to coexist, with enough ingenious world-building to satisfy the appetite of ardent fantasy enthusiasts young and old.

70mm, color, 93 min. Director: Jim Henson, Frank Oz. Screenwriter: David Odell. Cast: Stephen Garlick, Lisa Maxwell, Billie Whitelaw, Percy Edwards, Barry Dennen. 

Recommended for ages 7+

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