The Dark Crystal with Author Caseen Gaines

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Film Print courtesy of Exhumed Films.

About

The Colonial Theatre and Reads & Company are thrilled to welcome back Caseen Gaines, author, director, educator, and popular culture historian to discuss his book “The Dark Crystal The Ultimate Visual History,” which will accompany a screening of Jim Henson’s film The Dark Crystal on 35mm.

Books will be available for purchase during the event.

ABOUT THE BOOK

A true masterpiece brought to life by the ingenious puppetry and peerless storytelling of Jim Henson, The Dark Crystal is revered by an entire generation of fans. For the first time, this deluxe and highly comprehensive book tells the complete story of this deeply personal Henson project, highlighting the unique creative journey and groundbreaking techniques that brought the film to the screen. Drawing from unseen archive interviews with Jim Henson and new interviews with the film’s behind-the-scenes creative team, The Dark Crystal: The Ultimate Visual History leaves no stone unturned in chronicling the entire production, from the initial concept based on themes close to Henson’s heart to the ingenious conceptual design, puppet construction, and logistics of the shoot itself. The book also delves into the wider world of The Dark Crystal, exploring the creation of comics, novels, and other official projects inspired by the film.

This deluxe coffee-table book contains an in-depth look at the day-to-day production of the film and showcases a huge range of incredible visuals, including candid set photography, previously unseen concept art, storyboards, production notes, and more. The book also features a plethora of amazing removable items, such as script pages, notes and sketches from Henson, and other unique treasures. Definitive, enthralling, and revelatory, The Dark Crystal: The Ultimate Visual History is the last word on an enduring modern classic and the book that fans of the film have been waiting for.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Caseen Gaines is an author, director, educator, and popular culture historian.

His work has received praise from media outlets around the world including NPR (“impressively exhaustive . . . enthusiastic and thorough”), The Hollywood Reporter (“revealing”), Esquire (“fascinating”), and Publishers Weekly (“enthusiastically comprehensive”). His “muscular reporting” has been celebrated by several New York Times bestselling authors, including Michael Davis and Brian Jay Jones, who have found his work to be “deeply researched and engagingly written.”

Beyond his books, he has been published at Vanity Fair and New York Magazine — and has written original features for Rolling Stone, The A.V. Club, and Decider. He has also worked as a consultant and ghostwriter on several narrative nonfiction projects.

Gaines holds a Master’s Degree from Rutgers University in American Studies, where he focused on racial representations in popular culture. In addition to writing, he directs theater and teaches literature and writing, drama, journalism, and a course on race at a high school in New Jersey, where he lives. Visit him at caseengaines.com.

ABOUT THE FILM

Jen, raised by the noble race called the Mystics, has been told that he is the last survivor of his own race, the Gelflings. He sets out to try to find a shard of the dark crystal, a powerful gem that once provided balance to the universe. After the crystal was broken, the evil Skeksis used sinister means to gain control. Jen believes that he can repair the dark crystal and bring peace back to the world, if he can only find the remaining shard.