Everything Action Theater: Labyrinth (1986)
While it underperformed when it opened in 1986, Jim Henson’s Labyrinth has become a beloved cult classic, and you can watch for the latest Everything Action Theater.
Starring Jennifer Connelly and the immortal David Bowie, Connelly plays Sarah, whose infant brother goblins snatch away to a fantastic world. Following her brother, Sarah meets the enigmatic Jareth, The Goblin King (Bowie), who challenges Sarah to reach the center of the Labyrinth in 13 hours or else Toby will be turned into a goblin. Sarah assembles a motley crew of friendly creatures as companions, including a dwarf named Hoggle (Brian Henson), a fox terrier knight named Sir Didymus (David Shaughnessy), and a giant but lovable creature named Ludo (Ron Mueck). The movie is jam-packed with Henson’s mastery of every kind of puppetry, from giant costumes worn by multiple performers to using several performers’ hands to create images and characters. It’s also crammed with iconic music, including “Magic Dance” and several other songs from Bowie. The movie has only grown in popularity recently, with comic book continuations of the story, elaborate board game versions, and a 4K release in 2021. Shout Factory! currently has the rights to the film and is pushing it out to various streaming platforms, including YouTube, which you can watch below.
