Dark Crystal and Labyrinth

Tom takes Morgan back to the 1980s – when fantasy movies were everywhere and full of animatronics and puppets instead of CGI and green screens.

This episode delves into the brilliant mind of the late, great Jim Henson, and two of his non-Muppet movies: The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth. Movies that were not huge successes at the time, but have grown to become cult favourites.

We discuss everything from David Bowie’s bulge, scary bird things and whether pretending you were the baby in Labyrinth wins you any friends at uni.

Beer choice: Little Creatures

Developments since broadcast:

• The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance was released on Netflix to great acclaim in 2019. It was a prequel to the original film, and it was one of Tom’s favourite TV shows of the 2010s. We even went to the show’s launch in London!
• As of 2021, the Labyrinth sequel is still in the works. Doctor Strange’s Scott Derrickson will direct, with Maggie Levin co-writing with him, and The Jim Henson Company’s Brian Henson as executive producer.
• We eventually did a whole episode dedicated to David Bowie in film and TV, so you should check that out too.