Wednesday, June 5, 2019

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Might Just Be the Best Thing To Happen To Netflix Since Roast Nebrie!


Hey guys! Something special dropped on the internet last week in the form of a teaser trailer, and what a glorious trailer for the awaited ...


That's right, I said glorious. Sure, there are some good trailers, some bad and some great, but with this prequel series of the original 1982 film, Jim Henson Company and Netflix have teamed up for a fantasy spectacle that is deserving of a big screen run (for context, check out the trailer below). When this series was announced a couple years ago, it was pretty exciting. Many view The Dark Crystal as a flawed masterpiece, namely because of the contrast of a very compelling dark fantasy world that begs to be explored and the preschoolish, connect-the-dots telling of the heroes journey (not to mention there are no human characters to be found). But as a kid, watching the movie at an early age (I was born in 1982, so that's telling you something), it was a blast, and one of many classic, heavy-on-the-practical-effects films that inspired me to write in the first place.

Oh, in case you're wondering what a Nebrie is, find out more here.

So what's so special about a trailer for a prequel series? Rather than abandon the old ways and go full-on CGI, the series will be practical effects heavy, and it's been said that there will be very little CGI, and most of it will be used to remove wires and puppeteers. Essentially, they've made a Jim Henson production in a way that could never be done in the 80s. Key words like action-oriented puppetry only add to the excitement and a refreshingly answered call to fantasy fans who are tired of CGI being overused. If anything, the use of CGI will be there as a tool to refine the details, but not serve as the canvas. All the tools needed to fully dive into this world are now available.

Seriously, watch the trailer. You can hardly see where the CGI is!

On top of all this, the cast for this show is stacked! Mark Hamill, Simon Pegg, Anya Taylor-Joy, to name a few. Should this series be successful, it may send a message to the gurus of entertainment that audiences still enjoy practical effects, and maybe we'll see more subtle uses of CGI in future sci-fi and fantasy works, and stoke the fires of other highly anticipated Netflix live action projects like Cowboy Bebop and The Last Airbender. We'll know for sure on August 30th. I hope it is successful, mostly because of all the projects Jim Henson worked on, he said The Dark Crystal was the most rewarding, the film that he most enjoyed making. And it shows. I have no doubt he would be proud to see his legacy endure for another generation to enjoy.

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IWSG Question for June 2019: Of all the genres you read and write, which is your favorite to write in and why?

Great question! Although I started out writing science fiction, I would say fantasy is where I lean toward most nowadays. It's true escapism. If I so wished it, I could be swept away to another place and enjoy the growth of others through the trials and struggles unique to their world. It's also a medium where I can work out my demons and recapture the joys of life and youth. It's my therapy, my motivation and my guide in this journey that we call life.

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Update: Having realized how divided my time has been and wanting to be more consistent with my output, I'm focusing solely on Zombie Summer: Part Two while my dragon novel gets professionally edited ... and possibly self published in the near future. It's done, it's good, and I'm ready to move on to new things. I'll keep you posted on that. Also did a little updating/housekeeping on the blog, which it needed. And as always, thank you for visiting my corner of the interwebs!

Have you ever seen The Dark Crystal? What's your favorite Jim Henson creation? What's your favorite genre to write in? Why?

I'm David, and please click on the trailer below ... please ...

 

25 comments:

  1. We watched the trailer - it looks amazing! We always liked that movie and glad the series will stay with the original vision and feel.
    Good luck with both novels!

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  2. I got chills watching the trailer. I absolutely loved the movie (you were born the year it came out!) and it's my favorite "Muppet" movie.

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  3. Focus is one of the key secrets to writing successfully I think. Mark Twain always had 2 novels on the stove, so to speak, and when he hit a snag on one, he would to the other, letting the first go fallow. It worked for him. But then, he was a genius ... to hear his ghost tell it that is!

    I am looking forward to the Dark Crystal prequel, too. :-)

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  4. I never watched the original Dark Crystal. Good luck with your writing projects.

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  5. What a good feeling to be done with a book and ready to move on to other projects. I don't think I've seen the original Dark Crystal. The remake sounds awesome!

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  6. The trailer is awesome! Worth a look in August.

    Congrats on finalizing your novel. That's a huge accomplishment. I write horror for the same reasons you mention - it gives me an opportunity to work out demons and find some semblance of sanity in the real world.

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  7. That's awesome that your dragon novel is done! Good luck working on your current project!

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  8. Congrats on finishing your book. That's a great accomplishment. I've seen the trailers for this and it looks good.

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  9. I never saw The Dark Crystal but will have my eye out for the series on Netflix. Sounds like something I'd like. And congrats on finishing your book. I hope someday I can say that too.

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  10. I'm a total 80's child, so I LOVE the Dark Crystal. I always wanted a little, fluffy dog I could name Fizzgig. Needless to say, I'm looking forward to the Netflix series.

    Congrats on completing the dragon novel! Best of luck with your zombie project.

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  11. "...recapture the joys of life..." is a great way to put it. I love fantasy too.

    Anna from elements of emaginette

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  12. A Dark Crystal prequel series sounds wonderful and fun! The cast list is impressive!
    And the other projects sound exciting, too. My family and I love The Last Airbender animated series.
    Best wishes for all of your projects!

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  13. I enjoy romantic fantasy, as a believer in dragons and all things mystical.

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  14. I have seen the Dark Crystal and will tune into the new series. Looks so good.

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  15. The Dark Crystal passed me by entirely. I was totally of the age to see it, but I never did. I'm happy for all of you that are excited for it, but I'll pass.

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  16. Wow, where have I been. Never heard of the Dark Crystal, but I'm interested in finding out now all about it.

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  17. I loved Dark Crystal as a child. So exciting. I had no idea. Congrats on your new book. Happy IWSG!

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  18. What I thought was neat was how much it looked like the original. I like that they didn't want to change it or make it more hi-tech with CGI.

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  19. Congrats on getting that book almost done! It's great to move on to other books that have our attention!

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  20. Practical effects are feeling more and more like a lost art, so that's awesome how this Dark Crystal series will continue to embrace 'em!

    And I love the escapism of fantasy, too, along with the therapeutic qualities of it. Such a fun genre, for sure! Can definitely see why you'd gravitate toward it...

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  21. For no specific reason that occurs to me, I have never seen The Dark Crystal!

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  22. I don't know anything about this movie, but I agree that CGI is really overdone these days, so it's almost taken for granted. This will be a nice change!

    Glad things are moving along on your writing. Beautiful answer on why you love fantasy. We all need an escape!

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  23. I know I saw that Dark Crystal back in the eighties, but I don't remember anything about it now. That seems like such a long time ago. But limited to no CGI sounds like a welcome respite from all the CGI laden stuff that's been coming out. CGI was kind of neat to begin with (and I still enjoy it when used well), but now it's become overkill with too many absurd effects.


    Arlee Bird
    Tossing It Out

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  24. I am beyond excited about The Dark Crystal. SOOOOOO excited. I have already watched the trailer a million times because I can't wait for it to get here. And I love all things Jim Henson.
    ~Jess

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  25. The Dark Crystal, Ladyhawk and the Princess Bride are my three favourite movies of all time!! I'm super excited about this new series.

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