Cool Videos: The unofficial director’s cut of The Dark Crystal is a thing of beauty

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

Jim Henson‘s THE DARK CRYSTAL is a childhood favorite of mine and a testament to the power of Jim Henson‘s creativity. Unlike The Muppets or Sesame Street, THE DARK CRYSTAL’s plush creations inhabit a darker world full of the threat of death and doom. Upon it’s release in 1982, THE DARK CRYSTAL had undergone a significant series of changes to make it less brooding and dark. While this was not Henson’s vision for the movie, he complied.

Now, over thirty years after originally being released, a fan has uploaded a version made by Frank Oz and Henson. Using editing software, this fan remastered the workprint as an amazing tribute to Jim Henson‘s original plan for THE DARK CRYSTAL. Coming together from various sources, including the workprint and other sound sources as well as bonus footage on DVD releases of the movie, we now have a full length look at what THE DARK CRYSTAL was meant to be.

Check out the full video for free on YouTube via the embed below.