Jim Henson: The Filmmaker

[muppetfan89]

Everyone knows him as Kermit, Ernie and others, but I think he's underrated as a filmmaker. I think had he still be living, he would be taking a bigger dip into filmmaking and make a more inovations with puppetry and special effects in films, just as Walt Disney did with animation. I think would've made all puppet films and maybe end giving puppetry its own genre, just as animation is it's own genre. To me, The Dark Crystal is his best work, not just because it was puppetry, but the story really goes deep into certain themes and the film itself just looks beautiful.

Plus, even before he reached fame with Sesame Street and The Muppet Show, he made several short films. The most famous being, Time Piece, which to me is an absolutly brilliant film. It really shows how time can be short and how we try to run from time. It's also ironic how Jim's own life was like this. He had so many ideas and some were never made because he just didn't have the time, which eventually ran out for him. Even The Cube was very good.

honestly, I do wish puppetry was it's own genre, because it's truly an amazing art form that requires skill and puppeteer is really an actor, but hidden.

So, back to the subject at hand. I think Jim Henson was really much more than a great puppeteer and television producer, but a terrific filmmaker, who's talent wasn't fully seen in the few films he's made. I think he would've done a great job making not only puppet films, but also some straight foward films, like the ones he did early in his career.

your thoughts?