The
"Definitive" Storyteller Collection DVD
The
complete Emmy Award winning series debuts in a 2-disc DVD set May
23rd; A timeless anthology of fairy tales and myths featuring Academy
Award Nominees John Hurt, Miranda Richardson and Brenda Blethyn
Courtesy
of The Jim Henson Company
March
13, 2006
From
The Jim Henson Company and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment comes
Jim Henson's The Storyteller: The Definitive Collection, a 2-disc
DVD compilation featuring all 13 spellbinding episodes of this Emmy®
Award winning television series, available May 23 for the SRP of
$19.94.
Featuring
an all-star cast including Academy Award® nominees John Hurt
(V for Vendetta, Hellboy), Miranda Richardson (Spider, Sleepy Hollow)
and Brenda Blethyn (Secrets & Lies), Jim Henson's The Storyteller:
The Definitive Collection also includes stirring performances from
Sean Bean (Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings), Gabrielle
Anwar (Scent of a Woman) and Jennifer Saunders (TV's "Absolutely
Fabulous").
Blending
a rich literary base of classic stories with the magical effects
and animatronics of The Jim Henson Company (The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth
and the newly released DVD/PSP Mirrormask), Jim Henson's The Storyteller:
The Definitive Collection offers a rare combination of ancient tradition
and modern technological artistry.
Disc
one features the first nine episodes of the series and tells classic
fables and fairy tales. Disc two features the retelling of four
popular Greek myths. The series launched to critical acclaim on
NBC in 1987 and then re-aired in its entirety in 1999 on HBO. This
collection is filled with wonderful creatures that have a wisp of
J.R.R. Tolkien (The Lord of the Rings) fantasy, and all but four
of the episodes were written by Academy Award-winning writer/director
Anthony Minghella (The English Patient, The Talented Mr. Ripley).
EPISODE
GUIDE
Dissc
1: THE STORYTELLER
Episode
1: “The Soldier and Death” - A soldier returns from
20 years of war with nothing but three biscuits in his sack. Soon
he must outwit devils, save a kingdom and try to outwit death.
Episode
2: “Fearnot” - The Storyteller recounts the adventures
of a boy who goes out into the world to learn what fear is.
Episode
3: “The Luck Child” - An evil king sets out to kill
a ‘luck child,’ the seventh son of a seventh son,
whom it is prophesized will one day be king. The child's luck
is a gift and cannot be undone. The same is true of prophecies.
Episode
4: “A Story Short” - An adaptation of the stone soup
fable, the Storyteller must spin tales to stay alive.
Episode
5: “Hans My Hedgehog” - A woman bears a hedgehog-child,
who grows up to live alone in a castle until he does a king a
favor—and gets the princess's hand in return.
Episode
6: “The Three Ravens” - A princess must keep silent
while she works to free her brothers from an evil spell.
Episode
7: “Sapsorrow” – To avoid marrying her father,
a princess runs away and disguises herself as an ugly forest creature—until
she meets a handsome prince.
Episode
8: “The Heartless Giant” - A young prince sets out
to help a heartless giant find his heart.
Episode
9: “The True Bride” - A wicked troll treats his orphan
servant cruelly, but the girl has a destiny – she is the
True Bride. One day, a lion with magic gifts appears to help her
on her way.
Directed
by Jim Henson, Steve Barron, Jon Amiel, Charles Sturridge, Paul
Weiland and Peter Smith; cinematography by John Fenner; edited
by David Yardley; music by Rachel Portman; produced by Jim Henson,
Duncan Kenworthy, Mark Shivas and Martin G. Baker.
DisC
2: THE STORYTELLER: GREEK MYTHS
Episode
1: “Perseus and The Gorgon” - When the evil king threatens
Perseus' mother, he must bring back the head of Medusa - whose
stare will turn anyone who looks upon her to stone. Will the help
of the gods be enough to aid in this seemingly impossible task?
Episode
2: “Daedalus and Icarus” - Daedalus, one of the greatest
inventors of ancient Greece, and his son Icarus are betrayed by
cruel King Minos, and must flee for their lives. To escape, Daedalus
creates wings so they can fly to safety, but will the young Icarus
heed his father's instructions or will their dreams melt away?
Episode
3: “Theseus and The Minataur” - With the help of a
beautiful princess, Theseus tracks down the man-eating Minataur—half-man,
half-bull—tto prove his courage and loyalty. A fight to
the death ensues and a shocking secret emerges.
Episode
4: “Orpheus and Eurydice” - The great musician Orpheus
vows to bring back the soul of his beloved Eurydice from the depths
of Hades. But the task he must complete to reunite with his love
turns out to be as torturous as the fate he will have to endure.
Directed
by John Madden, David Garfarth, Tony Smith and Paul Weiland; cinematography
by Roger Pratt; edited by David Martin, Laurence Méry-Clark
and Ian Weil; music by Rachel Portman; produced by Jim Henson
and Duncan Kenworthy.
MORE
HENSON NEWS
• Jerry
Nelson tribute at The Moving Image Museum October 27
• Jim
Henson's Pajanimals debuts on NBC Kids Saturday July 7
• The
New York Pops play The Muppets at Carnegie Hall April 14
• Henson
announces "Sid the Science Kid: The Movie" in 3-D
• The Jim Henson Company Puppets to perform at the 2011 Grammys
• "Pioneers of Television" special
to honor Jim Henson
• Classic "Henson's Place" special
arrives on DVD August 3
• Frank
Oz unveils tribute to the "Henson Pipes" at NBC Studios
|