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The Dark Crystal (1982): Jim Henson’s Most Confusing—and Controversial—Fantasy
🎬 Episode Summary
This week on VHS Therapy, Mary and Teddy revisit The Dark Crystal, Jim Henson’s ambitious and controversial fantasy that confused, unsettled, and possibly traumatized a generation of kids. Marketed as a family film in the early 80s, The Dark Crystal drops viewers into a fully realized fantasy world with no hand-holding, no human characters, and a heavy reliance on symbolism, puppetry, and atmosphere.
🧠 What You’ll Hear in This Episode
Why The Dark Crystal struggled to find its audience as a “family film”
How puppetry changes the way we read emotion, performance, and story
Jim Henson’s technical brilliance—and where it works better than the story
Why modern audiences may resist movies that require patience and interpretation
The one scene that still absolutely works: the legendary puppet party
⏭️ Up Next on VHS Therapy
Next episode, we’re heading into very different territory with Shining Through, starring Melanie Griffith and Michael Douglas—a movie we definitely watched growing up and are very curious to revisit.
⭐ Support the Podcast
If you enjoyed this episode:
Follow VHS Therapy wherever you listen
Leave us a review—it really helps new listeners find the show
Join us each week as we revisit the movies we probably shouldn’t have seen as kids
View all episodes
By Mary Meyst-Huset and Teddy Micklos🎬 Episode Summary
This week on VHS Therapy, Mary and Teddy revisit The Dark Crystal, Jim Henson’s ambitious and controversial fantasy that confused, unsettled, and possibly traumatized a generation of kids. Marketed as a family film in the early 80s, The Dark Crystal drops viewers into a fully realized fantasy world with no hand-holding, no human characters, and a heavy reliance on symbolism, puppetry, and atmosphere.
🧠 What You’ll Hear in This Episode
Why The Dark Crystal struggled to find its audience as a “family film”
How puppetry changes the way we read emotion, performance, and story
Jim Henson’s technical brilliance—and where it works better than the story
Why modern audiences may resist movies that require patience and interpretation
The one scene that still absolutely works: the legendary puppet party
⏭️ Up Next on VHS Therapy
Next episode, we’re heading into very different territory with Shining Through, starring Melanie Griffith and Michael Douglas—a movie we definitely watched growing up and are very curious to revisit.
⭐ Support the Podcast
If you enjoyed this episode:
Follow VHS Therapy wherever you listen
Leave us a review—it really helps new listeners find the show
Join us each week as we revisit the movies we probably shouldn’t have seen as kids