Customer Reviews

Jim Henson's The Storyteller ~ The Complete Collection

5 star:		(69)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I'm amazed that this series has gotten so little attention. This is Jim Henson and crew at their best, making fun of the lines between fantasy and reality, costume and puppetry, and new storytelling and old stories.

All of these short pieces were unfamiliar to me, at least in part. 'Sapsorrow' turned out to contain a story I knew, or thought I did. Part of the reason these fairy tales were unfamiliar was their authenticity. These stories were originally meant for adults. They had hard, dark edges, and were not the vapid Disneyfied versions that most people know.
Lots of kids will like these stories as much as adults do, but this may be too much for younger children. This isn't Sesame Street - it's one of the dark alleys off to the side.

The narrator is one of the unexpected treats on this disk. He opens and closes each short story, talking to his dog on a fire-lit night. The narration is a treat, too. It has a wonderful rolling cadence, too musical for regular speech but too prosaic to be a chant. It may give you some idea what the old epic poems must have sounded like in their original settings.

This is for anyone who likes fantasy, who likes a rich visual experience. You just have to see it for yourself - written words can't begin to give the experience you'll find in this collection.

//wiredweird

My 9-year-old and I are thoroughly enjoying these half-hour films from the old HBO series (which I had not seen before). Each story is based on some old, mostly European, folk tales - the "real" kind with mayhem, a bit of violence, and some sad endings, not the Disney kind. Thus, you may find them a tad upsetting for younger kids who have been raised to expect happy endings.

For example, in "The Heartless Giant," an imprisoned Giant lies to a young prince to effect his escape, and meets a sad end at the hand of the prince's brothers. In "The Soldier and Death," a generous soldier receives a magic bag and uses it to imprison Death himself (a very scary-looking guy). Despite dominion over Death the soldier is unhappy by the end.

So, these are stories with an almost adult level of sophistication. The production values are wonderful and the performances steller (I especially like John Hurd as the Storyteller character, who appears in all the episodes).

BUT - watch the episodes first to make sure your own young ones won't be overwhelmed. My 9-year-old is just barely old enough. My 5-year-old: not yet.

First off, I will warn you and say I'm a bit biased because I am a Jim Henson fanatic (Muppets, Fraggles, etc). And when I saw this DVD I flipped out. This is one of the best purchases I've made in awhile. The Storyteller Collection is great for 3 reasons. The first- It is some of Jim Henson's best work. The Henson Creature Shop succeeds in bringing fantastic characters to life, such as the Griffon (The Luck Child) and the Grovelhog (Hans My Hedgehog). Second- John Hurt is wonderful as the Storyteller, and his cranky dog is great . Third- These are actual fairy tales, meaning that they aren't all happy endings, yet all are beautiful stories. So if you are thinking of getting this for kids you may want to watch them first. But the bottom line is that this is a fantastic DVD collection and a must have for any fans of Jim Henson or of fairy tales.

One of Jim Henson productions brought life to the 9 ancient stories into your viewing pleasure in the comforts of your home. Perfect for kids all ages up to adults in the household.

I remember waking up early in the mornings when I was a kid just to watch the Storyteller (John Hurt), telling his stories to me through the television by his fireplace and his silly talking dog. Thanks to Jim Henson,he has managed to capture my imaginations by retelling these stories through his special gentle creative touch.

Creatures such as the Grim Reaper, Lion, Hans the Hedgehog, devils and more within the stories represented professionally with Jim Henson's puppets, bringing actual life into the stories, in his own speacial way.

This DVD contained nine episodes that last for about 216 minutes, and is being shown in full screen. Stories featured are

1) Hans My Hedgehog
- A story about a child who was born as a Hedgehog, with his father loathing him and the whole town treating him badly while he grew up. He then decided to ran away on his rooster and a few animals with him. He lived farway in the castle where a king, who was lost, found his way there, twenty years later, and helped him back to his kingdom. As a reward, Hans wants whatever came to greet him first. Unfortunately for the king, his daughter greeted him first

2) The Heartless Giant
- A tale about a young prince who released a heartless giant, who was being prisoned in the king's dungeon, in result unleashing terror across the land. The young prince became a servant to the giant so he could find his hidden heart.

3) The Three Ravens
- An evil witch charmed her way to marry a widowed king and decided to get rid of his children who were on her way to full power. She discovered the place where the king hide his children from her and turned his sons into ravens. The princess however save decided to not speak for 3 years, 3 months and 3 days, to break their step mother's spell. One day she met a prince, only to know her step-mother has became his stepmother. Giving her grieves all the way, tempting her to talk.

4)The True Bride
- About a girl who was adopted by an abusive troll, who made her do the impossible chores, and helped released by a magical while lion. When her love didn't returned after a trip, she found out the troll's daughter ha sput a spell on him.

5) The Soldier & Death
- Returning form a war, a soldier trades his last biscuit with a magical sack, where whatever he summoned, have no choice but to abide and get in the sack. He trapped devils and death himself.

6) Fearnot
- A tale of a young man who's name is FearNot, who searched for the ability to feel fear, what he was lacked of. Nothing scares him, even monsters and ghosts don't even make him shudder.

7) A Story Short
- The storyteller talking about himself living in his younger days when he was serving the king with his stories, as a punishment for bamboozling the royal cook out for a free meal.

8) The Luck Child
- News come to the king, that a luck boy has been borned to take over his kingdom. In fear, he set out to kill this baby only to find out he grew up under a childless couple who raised him as their own. The king send him off to the castle, with a letter ordering his queen to kill the young man off.

9) Sapsorrow
- The king was lonely and wish to remarried, offers a ring to any woman in the land, of whoever fit it must marry him. Unexpected results, one of his 3 daughters' fingers fit and as the law he had set, he had to married her.

Jim Henson's most famous contribution to the entertainment world is obviously "The Muppets", but if you're looking for his best work (in terms of both visual brilliancy and depth of theme and meaning) the award would have to go to "Labyrinth" and "The Storyteller." The former is of course the famous movie starring David Bowie, but the latter was a television series that was made up of a collaboration of Anthony Minghella's screenplays that drew on a range of folklore and ancient storytelling, Jim Henson's amazing puppets and John Hurt's performance as a nameless, gnome-like storyteller who sits by the fire with his (extremely talkative) dog, speaking directly to the viewer of the marvellous things he's seen and done in his lifetime.

There are nine episodes altogether, each one about twenty-five minutes long, with a separate tale in each one. Each one is both narrated by the Storyteller, but also acted out by a separate group of actors with which the Storyteller and his dog interact with - and it's not just them entering the world of the stories (such as the Storyteller performing a card trick in the court of the king)- sometimes the stories invade their fireside hearth: figures appear in the flames of the fire, shadows perform on the sides of pots and cups, the dog looks into his bowl to see faces looking up at him, and often the Storyteller produces objects that feature in the stories as proof of their reality.

Each story is very different, both from each other and from their original source material in order to create tales that are new, but also deeply familiar. Archetypes such as foundling children, wicked stepmothers, fay-like helpers, magical implements and triad motifs are prevalient, and you'll be surprised at how many familiar faces turn up! Some of the episodes are melded from several stories (such as "The Soldier and Death" which uses three Slovac tales to piece together a longer story) but others simply change a few details from their original sources ("The Three Ravens" uses ravens instead of swans as seen in the myth "The Children of Lyr" or Hans Christian Anderson's later retelling "The Seven Wild Swans") Spotting the similarities is part of the fun of watching, but a warning to parents - not all of the stories end happily, and often the content itself can be violent, scary, enigmatic or even mildly sensual.

"Hans My Hedgehog" is the winner of several television awards, and tells a darker version of "Beauty and the Beast" and "East O' the Sun and West O' the Moon", of a woman who makes a wayward wish for a baby and ends up with a hedgehog for a son.

"Fearnot" is the story of a young man that is so cheerful and simple that he has no idea what it's like to quiver and shudder in fear. Determined to know what the sensation is like he sets of - but the answer to being afraid may lie closer to home than he thinks...

"The Heartless Giant" is the bittersweet tale of a young prince named Leo who befriends a giant that has a nest of wasps in place of his heart. But can such a creature be trusted?

"Sapsorrow" is an interesting take on the "Cinderella" legend, as well as "Donkeyskin" in which a young woman seems to be forced to marry her own father if he does not hide herself within an elaborate disguise.

"The Three Ravens" is one of my favourites - three brothers are turned into ravens by their stepmother, and it is up to their sister to break the curse by never speaking a word. But when she falls in love and finds her beloved's stepmother is the witch that caused her brother's grief her danger intensifies: her children begin to disappear, and she cannot speak to defend herself.

"The True Bride" is the story of Anja, the slave of a troll who is helped by a beautiful white lion into getting her fortune. But when her financee (Sean Bean!!) is kidnapped by the troll's daughter, she leaves all her riches in order to get him back.

"The Soldier and Death" tells of a soldier who manages to a deal with devils that results in him capturing Death itself in his sack. The portrayal of Death is fascinating, and the puppetry of the devils is amazing.

"A Story Short" is the Storyteller's own story about beggars and fleas, a cruel wife, a deal with a king and a pot of boiling oil. This is another of my favourites.

Finally, "The Luck Child" concerns a young man named Lucky who is fated to be the next ruler of the land. The jealous king sends him on a dangerous quest to prove his worth, instructing him to bring back the griffin's golden feather. The puppet of the griffin is amazing, and the humour in this episode is great: "No, you're a sensitive monster!"

Although some of the techniques used for scenery looks a little dated by today's standards, the puppets are as ingenious as ever, and "The Storyteller Collection" is an educational and intriging display of storytelling that I highly recommend.

I also just received this today.
I have yet to set aside the time to watch it entirely. But I had to write a review as soon as I could!

No doubt about it, these are the 9 wonderful Storyteller episodes. (Hopefully they will also release the Greek Myths.) All I've been able to do so far is browse the menu and watch a couple of minutes just to see how it was arranged. But of course I remember how spectacular these were. I saw most (if not all) of them on the Jim Henson Hour. It was a long time ago (I was only 10 or 11!) but these leave a lasting impression (especially "Soldier and Death") and I recall that I was heartbroken when the series was cancelled. I am really looking forward to reacquainting myself with these little masterpieces.

There are no extras on this DVD but, hey, who cares? Just like any other DVD you have the option of selecting which episode to watch or to play them entirely from first to last episode.

I can't recommend this highly enough. I think it can appeal to everyone. Although I would use a little caution - as I would with the equally fantastic Dark Crystal & Labyrinth movies - with very young (pre-school - 7 years) as they can be a little scary at times. My own 2-year-old daughter will just have to wait! :)

Just want to end in saying that Jim Henson was truly a genius and a great human being all around. Love his work. Not much else I can add that hasn't already been said here!!

Get this DVD, it's a keeper!!!!

I've been lobbying the folks at Henson to release this series on DVD for years. Now, with little fanfare but much anticipation, it's here.

As the description notes, this highly imaginative series was one of Henson's finest works, helped in no small part by the artful writing of Anthony Minghella who would go on to great success in Hollywood. The production values on every one of these episodes are higher than they have any right to be and should stand as an example to many of today's TV producers. Words, images, and music blend together into the kind of poetry that film rarely achieves, much less television.

I have fond memories of watching the Storyteller as part of the Jim Henson Hour with my family back in the eighties. When the series was bought by HBO and rebroadcast about six years ago, I eagerly taped them all (including the Greek Myths). It's been great having them, but I always hoped for a DVD to present them in the best possible quality. Now it's here!

This collection includes all nine of the original half-hour Storyteller episodes. Each episode consists of a traditional European fairy tale (most of them of Celtic, Germanic, or Russo-Finnish heritage) told by the Storyteller, played by John Hurt, and his talking dog, who more or less plays the straight-man. Great British talent like Miranda Richardson, Jonathan Pryce, Sean Bean and many others fill out the cast. Characters in the stories occasionally walk through paintings behind the Storyteller, peer through the fire, and generally give the impression that these are stories woven into being, not simply told. Some are a little better than others ("The Soldier and Death" was always my favorite) but all are excellent and gripping from start to finish.

None of the four Greek Myths episodes are included, but I remain hopeful that those too will see a DVD release. While not on par with their European brethren, they are still very well done. Michael Gambon's narrator is no substitute for John Hurt's charismatic Storyteller, but he does a good job (he IS the next Dumbledore, after all). And the production values are just as high. So another set to look forward to down the road.

I grew up watching Jim Henson shows: from SESAME STREET to THE MUPPET SHOW to FRAGGLE ROCK. However, THE STORYTELLER remains the Henson series that I remember most vividly and I believe it had a huge influence upon my life, illustrating to me the power of a good story and that fairy tales really do make great television viewing. Only about half of the nine episodes collected here originally aired in the U.S. The rest aired nearly a year later. The episodes in the series (and on the DVD) are as follows:

"Hans My Hedghog"--a story about a boy born half human/half hedgehog. The boy leaves home, builds a castle, and grows into an adult. He eventually saves a king's life and marries the king's daughter. Through the relationship, the princess learns lessons about the negative power of gossip and how truth and love can conquer all.

"The True Bride"--a princess has her fiance taken away by a female troll. The story illustrates the power of true love.

"Fearnot"--Fearnot is a young man who has no fear. Monsters and people with axes are nothing but curiosities to him. After searching the world to learn fear, he is shown what true fear is by the person he loves most.

"The Luck Child"--On the birth of the 7th son of a 7th son, a prophet predicts that the child will one day be king. The cruel king does everything in his power to kill the youth, but is unsuccessful at every turn. The evil king eventually learns that greed is not good.

"Sapsorrow"--a twisted version of the Cinderella story where a young woman weaves a cloak of animal fur and feathers and runs away after she is supposed to marry her father. She becomes a fearful and loathsome creature but helps a prince destroy his pride.

"The Three Ravens"-- a story about a wicked witch who marries a king a secretly turns his three sons into Ravens. The king's daughter discovers the truth and is the only person who can break the witch's evil spell.

"The Heartless Giant"--a sad story about a boy who risks all to give a heartless giant his heart back.

"The Soldier and Death"--this is my favorite STORYTELLER episode. It's about a soldier who through his kindness is given a magic sack. Using the sack, the soldier captures food, demons, and eventually even Death. However, a sinful world without death isn't necessarily a perfect world. This episode was directed by Jim Henson.

"A Story Short"--the only story where the Storyteller himself is the main character. He tells the tale of the time when he was a court storyteller and was forced to tell a story a day for a year, but came up on the last day a story short.

The only negative thing about this DVD is that there are no special features. However, that's a minor point. The main thing is that all episodes are now together at last.

I remember seeing this series for the first time years ago and thinking it was one of the most beautiful things I'd ever experienced. I still believe that when I watch it now. These stories, based on old folk legends (some woven together), have a great deal of resonance - that is why they have endured. Fairy-tales are not dumb, or childish, but rather are for those who still have the ability to enjoy the extraordinary, without needing to continually question the logic and criticise the rationality. Jim Henson was himself a modern-day storyteller, and is very much missed - they are a rare breed.
The stories are wonderfully crafted, if you wnat to be picky, some of the visual effects are a little dated (hey, it's 1987), but who cares when you're listening to such great tales!?
John Hurt is fantastic as the intriguing Storyteller, and even gets a well-deserved episode all about himself.
Hans My Hedgehog was always my favourite episode, and IMHO the Grovelhog costume is incredibly impressive. It's a genuinely touching story, and for me is on a par with The Elephant Man in terms of the tissue factor. I really wish that more of these had been made, but the ones that exist are a real blessing.
Show Storyteller to your children (I know some of you are worried about age, but I say go for it, children are darker than you think) and I am sure they will thank you profusely when they get older. As some have pointed out, they aren't always happy tales, but here is the valuable lesson - life isn't always happy. But it's still beautiful, and someting to marvel at, and learn from. Just like this DVD.
Oh, and if anyone tries to tell you it's just kid's stuff, let it go. They've lost their heart.

I did not have the luxury, when I was growing up, to see these stories as they were originally shown on the Jim Henson Hour which aired in America and not until much later, in Australia. I happened upon the videos (these nine episodes were set on three videos) in a local rental shop and under extreme duress, my father rented them for myself and my sister. Much like we had done with the Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal, we were transfixed by each and every episode. The thing we loved most about them was that they weren't your usual Disney-esque fluffiness. They were based on German, Russian and Celtic folklore and are in many cases, even today, still considered quite dark tales.

Now, many, many years later, I found and bought the DVD and am quite happy to say that the Jim Henson magic is still very much there. Sure, there's no special features on the DVD and I admit I would have liked to have seen some behind-the-scenes productions that are so accessible in this format of entertainment, but what was most important is that we got the series. To be honest, I couldn't complain about the quality of the DVD, it seemed pretty good to me. If the picture was blurry, it added to the atmosphere of the story rather than from detracted from it.

Some people who are not familiar the Jim Henson Creature Shop would find these productions stupid, cheesy and very out of date, but please remember, Jim Henson was a puppeteering pioneer and set many a standard for the fantasy genre. It was also well before the marvels of CGI were used on a regular basis, so please, don't complain when you see a puppet squirrel or badger flit across your screen and say that it would have been much better as a computer animation.

If you want seamless realistic graphics, go and watch the new Lord of the Rings epics, or The Matrix movies.

If you want to recapture a charming, fanciful bit of your childhood, when we didn't need thrills and spills to entertain us, watch The Storyteller series. You won't be disappointed.