Muppet Central News - Labyrinth's 20th anniversary screening July 20 in Beverly Hills

Brian Henson, Brian Fround, Toby Froud, Dave Goelz, Jane Gootnick, Karen Prell and Mira Velimorivic will attend this rare screening open to the public.

Courtesy of The Jim Henson Company
July 6, 2006

An evil goblin king, a talking door knocker, fairies and a colony of goblins will join producer/director Brian Henson and members of the Jim Henson Creature Shop at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ 20th anniversary screening and onstage discussion of “Labyrinth” (1986) on Thursday, July 20, at 8 p.m. at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.

A post-screening conversation featuring the creative team behind “Labyrinth,” including Henson, who is the voice of Hoggle and co CEO of the Jim Henson Company, will offer the public a rare opportunity to hear from animatronics specialists both behind and infront of the camera.

Starring David Bowie and Oscar-winner Jennifer Connelly (“A Beautiful Mind”), “Labyrinth” follows the fantastical adventures of Sarah (Connelly) as she attempts to rescue her baby brother Toby (Toby Froud) from being transformed into a goblin by Jareth, the goblin king (Bowie).

“Labyrinth,” a milestone in the development of animatronic technology, utilized a very early version of what would ultimately become the Henson Performance Control System, which in 1991 received a Scientific and Engineering Award from the Academy for allowing a single puppeteer to remotely control up to 32 isolated facial movements in an animatronic character. The technology made it possible to express complex emotions through the character and simulate a live performance in real time.

The Academy’s current exhibition “It’s Alive!: Bringing Animatronic Characters to Life on Film,” which contains original animatronic puppets from the film, will be open for viewing immediately following the screening.

Tickets to “Labyrinth” are $5 for the general public and $3 for Academy members. Doors open at 7 p.m. Seating is unreserved.

The Samuel Goldwyn Theater is located at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. Free parking is provided in the garages located at 8920 and 9025 Wilshire Boulevard. For additional information, call (310) 247-3600.

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