Episode 152 – "End, begin, all the same. Big change. Sometimes good. Sometimes bad."

Greetings, travellers… Our journey through the strange and spellbinding world of 1980s fantasy continues, and this time we venture to the distant planet of Thra—where the suns burn bright, the creatures are unlike anything you’ve ever seen, and balance itself hangs by a thread—in The Dark Crystal. Host Michael Wilson is joined by returning guests—filmmaker and raconteur Michael Whaley, and Lynn (back after Fiddler on the Roof)—to explore Jim Henson’s bold and deeply unusual fantasy epic: a film with no humans, no easy answers, and a world that feels as ancient as it is alien. From the eerie decadence of the Skeksis to the slow, solemn pilgrimage of the Mystics, we dig into the film’s astonishing world-building, its groundbreaking puppetry, and the sheer ambition behind bringing Thra to life. Along the way, we explore its philosophical underpinnings—duality, balance, and what it truly means to be whole—and how influences like Seth Speaks helped shape its deeper ideas. But does The Dark Crystal fully come together? We discuss the tension between its childlike fairy-tale structure and its genuinely dark, often unsettling tone, the limits of its runtime, and whether the story itself lives up to the richness of the world surrounding it. There’s also plenty of love for Aughra (obviously) and Fizzgig (...okay), the unforgettable Skeksis, and the film’s emotional highs, strange quirks, and technical wizardry. Is this a flawed but fascinating experiment, or one of the most imaginative fantasy films ever put to screen? So shard the crystal, trust in the dreamfast, and whatever you do… don’t let the Skeksis catch you.

Links:

Lynn:

• Adventures in Time and Space: A Doctor Who Podcast: https://open.spotify.c...​

• Dr Who Pod Facebook: https://m.facebook.com...​

• Dr Who Pod Instagram: / adventuresintimeandspa... ​

Michael Whaley;

• Instagram:

@alwaysmichaelwhaley

@cmwhaleyphoto

• YouTube:

@turnaphrasefilms

Find Mike and the podcast all over the internet via https://linktr.ee/mikespods

Follow Mike on Letterboxd: https://boxd.it/g479

Follow the podcast on Letterboxd: https://boxd.it/3xH6

Music Composed and Performed by Al Trotter

• Follow Al on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1Dap8b58TT/

• Follow Al on YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCENf_17-Bi8HitVg7w5rd9Q?si=3_7ZCmLXLAp4-f3F

Join the Silver Screen Podcast Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/329752622011042/?ref=share

E-mail us at mwilsonba1982@gmail.com

Created, Hosted and Written by Michael Wilson

Additional Material by Lynn McKinnon

Edited and Produced by Mike Wilson

“When single shines the triple sun,

What was sundered and undone,

Shall be whole, the two made one…”

Episode 151 - "People who have no hopes are easy to control, and whoever has the control... has the power!"

Greetings, travellers… The Silver Screen Podcast continues its journey through the magical realm of 1980s fantasy, and this time we’re heading to Fantasia—via Germany, childhood imagination, and one very suspicious-looking bookstore—to revisit The NeverEnding Story. Host Michael Wilson is joined by regular co-host D.K., along with returning guests Sandy and Lady Vean, as the team dives headfirst into Wolfgang Petersen’s beloved (and occasionally controversial) adaptation of Michael Ende’s novel. From the devastating Swamp of Sadness to the soaring joy of riding Falkor, we explore the film’s enduring emotional power, its fairy-tale quest structure, and its surprisingly early meta storytelling. Along the way, we discuss the film’s troubled relationship with its source material, its ambitious practical effects, and that unforgettable message about hope, imagination, and the dangers of “The Nothing.” Is this a timeless classic that speaks to the dreamer in all of us, or a flawed fantasy weighed down by Hollywood schmaltz? Plus we're bringing you behind-the-scenes stories from a notoriously demanding production, the truth about that traumatising horse scene and an awful lot of gushing about background details and practical effects. We also discuss the merits of the iconic Limahl theme song vs the original German score, and why people without hope are “easy to control…” So climb aboard your luckdragon, hold tight to your Auryn, and remember… Fantasia lives on—as long as we do. But that’s… another story.

Links:

Find Mike and the podcast all over the internet via https://linktr.ee/mikespods

Follow Mike on Letterboxd: https://boxd.it/g479

Follow the podcast on Letterboxd: https://boxd.it/3xH6

Follow Vean on BlueSky: @ladyvean.bsky.social

Music Composed and Performed by Al Trotter

• Follow Al on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1Dap8b58TT/

• Follow Al on YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCENf_17-Bi8HitVg7w5rd9Q?si=3_7ZCmLXLAp4-f3F

Join the Silver Screen Podcast Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/329752622011042/?ref=share

E-mail us at mwilsonba1982@gmail.com

Created, Hosted and Written by Michael Wilson.

Co-hosted and Additional Material by D.K

Edited and Produced by Mike Wilson.

"All right! I'll do it! I'll save you! I will do what I dream! MOONCHILD!"

Cinema Classics Number 26 - "Say, for five hundred dollars I'd climb to Heaven, an' hang by my heels from the pearly gates."

Welcome back film fans and podcast pals. In this Cinema Classics episode we're going back farther than we ever have before. 103 years back in fact, for a review and discussion about the 1923 silent-era comedy Safety Last! Host Michael is joined by co-host D.K, who selected this movie for review and begins by explaining his reasons, how this film came onto his radar, why he likes it and why he thinks it's a good fit for our analysis. He also shouts out a few more silent film favourites and laments the fading popularity of these seminal works. Then it's on to the main analysis. We get into a little about the Behind- the-Scenes making of the film, including that iconic clock-hanging stunt as well as the wall climbing techniques, tricks and skills used to bring it all to life. There's talk about the writing, dealing with relatable and effective comedy vs dated attitudes and some odd structural pacing. The direction and production design comes in for high praise, as does the majority of the acting. As ever the podcast wraps up with an overview of the critics' response to the film, personal favourite things, conclusions and scores. So make sure you catch the right trolley, check your back for "kick me" signs and maybe think twice before scaling any buildings. We promise not to leave you hanging, press play and dive straight into the discussion.

Links:

Find Mike and the podcast all over the internet via https://linktr.ee/mikespods

Follow Mike on Letterboxd: https://boxd.it/g479

Follow the podcast on Letterboxd: https://boxd.it/3xH6

Music Composed and Performed by Al Trotter

• Follow Al on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1Dap8b58TT/

• Follow Al on YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCENf_17-Bi8HitVg7w5rd9Q?si=3_7ZCmLXLAp4-f3F

Join the Silver Screen Podcast Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/329752622011042/?ref=share E-mail us at mwilsonba1982@gmail.com

Created, Hosted and Written by Michael Wilson.

Co-hosted and Additional Material by D.K

Edited and Produced by Mike Wilson.

"Young man, don't you know you might fall and get hurt?"