Many other LucasFilm alumni contributed to the film including Kenny Baker (played R2-D2 in the various Star Wars movies), Warwick Davis (played Wicket the Ewok and others in the various Star Wars movies), and Jack Purvis (played a Jawa, Ugnaught, and Ewok in the various Star Wars movies).ĭanny John-Jules, who later played Cat in the cult sci-fi comedy Red Dwarf, provided the voice for two of the Fireys.īrian Froud's real son, Toby, plays Sarah's baby brother Toby. (With the exception of Brian and Kevin, none of these performers contributed voices to the film.) Meanwhile, another Muppet veteran, Louise Gold, appeared as a dancer in the ballroom scene, but did not puppeteer on the film. Many other Muppet alumni contributed to the film, including Karen Prell (as the Worm), Kevin Clash (the lead Firey), and Cheryl Henson. Frank Oz performed a wise old man, and Goelz performed a strange creature that came out of the Wiseman's hat. Dave Goelz performed Sir Didymus, and Steve Whitmire performed Didymus' "trusty steed" Ambrosius. Brian Henson provided the voice and performed the remote-control mouth movements for Hoggle. Many Muppet veterans worked on some part of this film.
It was while in discussions for a sequel to Labyrinth that the idea for the movie MirrorMask was created. Though not a box-office hit in its initial release, the film has performed steadily for Columbia TriStar over the years in various VHS and DVD editions. Jim and George had a long collaborative history together, as Lucas had worked closely with Jim on the creation of Yoda for the Star Wars movies.ĭespite its dynamic creative team, audiences still stayed away. To help secure funding for the film, Jim called upon George Lucas to executive produce. For production design, Jim once again employed Brian Froud, and Trevor Jones (who had scored Dark Crystal) returned to provide a still fanciful but more lighthearted soundtrack. For music, Jim turned to David Bowie, who wrote all of the songs and also played the lead villain. Along the way, she enlists the assistance of Hoggle, a grumpy dwarf Ludo, a large horned monster with a heart of gold and Sir Didymus, a knightly dog whose courage far exceeds his capacity to actually do anything useful.īurned by the mixed reception that met The Dark Crystal, Jim Henson set out to make a film that was every bit as technically innovative as his last film, while incorporating the humor and music that audiences loved from Sesame Street and The Muppet Show.įor the humor, Jim enlisted Terry Jones, formerly of Monty Python, to write the script. Sarah must find her way to the Castle at the center of the large labyrinth within 13 hours, or she will lose her brother forever. Based on Carl Sagan’s book, so you know it’s well researched.A teenage girl named Sarah ( Jennifer Connelly), tired of babysitting for her little brother, idly wishes that the goblins would come and take him away-then must make amends when Jareth, the Goblin King ( David Bowie), takes her up on the offer. As a nerd who works in IT, this is one of the few films I feel gets working in a STEM field right. I have yet to hear someone who did not enjoy watching this movie.) A little more art film than some of my other recommendations but I think it’s a good one to get your feet wet in the art film world. The Great Beauty (subtitles, one of the best reflections on superficiality vs authenticity in art I have seen and one of the most life affirming films I have seen.Pulp Fiction (it’s just fun, heavy adult content).The Tale of Princess Kaguya (As someone who owns every film Ghibli has released, this is their best film in my opinion, a little slower and more artistic than some of the Miyazaki offerings though.This French musical is extremely influential for both Damien Chazelle (La La Land) and Wes Anderson (Grand Budapest Hotel).) If you have seen La La Land and want a more adventurous analogue to it- check out The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. La La Land (modern musical, lighthearted.A Clockwork Orange (adult content warning, entertaining but also intellectually stimulating, artistic masterpiece… anything Kubrick made is honestly worth a watch.).Parasite (edge of your seat, unique story, social commentary that isn’t cliche, subtitles).The Grand Budapest Hotel (very quirky, great visuals, extremely engaging and interesting story).Goodfellas (top tier gangster film, more exciting than The Godfather).Some of these are fairly far from your examples in content- but they are in my mind equally entertaining (as opposed to many great art films) and equally well critically received (as opposed to many enjoyable blockbusters) as the movies you listed. Here are some top tier films I think you might greatly enjoy based off those examples. Thank you- knowing your tastes helps a lot.