Customer Reviews

The Storyteller - Theseus and the Minotaur/Orpheus and Eurydice [VHS]

5 star:		(38)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I have been spellbound by the Storyteller episodes ever since I first saw them. They do credit to the timeless tradition of storytelling. It is a wonderful blend of imagery and story elements. What really impresses me is the seamless way the scenes blend together so that the pace of the story is not lost. There are also some very humorous parts in both Sapsorrow and The Luck Child. If you enjoy The Dark Crystal or enjoy fairy tales, you will love the Storyteller series. My only regret is that they did not make more of them.

Jim Henson's Storyteller is a brilliant series. John Hurt is fabulous, as always, and his dog is a delight. I haven't seen any of the greek myths, yet, but if Derek Jacobi is in at least one them, then I am sure that they must be wonderful. I must say, that I'm a little disappointed to see that John Hurt was replaced by a different actor (I can't really imagine anyone else in his role), but not having seen the Greek incarnations, I really can not judge them, and they are probably very good in their own right. They certainly appear to have recruited top-notch actors. The Storyteller episodes with John Hurt are absolutely wonderful. These are fairy tales the way they were meant to be told. They are witty and sagacious, and thoroughly entertaining. They are not whitewashed, and the endings aren't always happy. The Soldier and Death is probably my favorite (the card game with the devils is classic!). I remember watching this series when I was in highschool, in Canada. The Storyteller was broadcast at the tail end of the Jim Henson Hour (and was, by far, the best part of the show). Unfortunately, I have never had the opportunity to view the series in its entirety. I've seen Sapsorrow and The Soldier & Death, and another one called the Three Ravens (which is equally wonderful!). I am overjoyed to discover that some of the episodes have been transferred to video! Unfortunately, it seems that there are about 4 or 5 others that are STILL unavailable! Does anyone out there know why the others have not yet been released, and/or if there are any plans to release them at a future date? Judging by the copyrights and viewer comments, it looks as though a couple of years have passed, without any move, on the part of the studio, to do so. At any rate, these tapes are well worth purchasing. In my view, they are Henson's best work (and I love the muppets, just so you know).

I'm a college student, which means that technically, i should have left the world of fairy tales behind, but i didn't and neither did many peeople i know. . . so these are for those people. It is a very fresh and entrancing telling, John Hurt's storyteller voice is fantastic, and you can't beat the Creature Shop for making fantasy creatures look and sound real. The techniques and language used are fantastic. I wish there were more of these, but treasure the ones there are.

Superb! I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys Jim Henson's muppet creations, as well as good children's fairy tales (I must admit I enjoy these myself, and I am now 38 years old...!).
I only wish the missing episodes were available. The very best thing, would be the whole collection in a DVD Box Set...!!!

The Storyteller was a sadly short-lived series. I've been feverishly awaiting the arrival of the stories to come to video! I'm still waiting for the OTHER FIVE STORIES I know from the series to come out! The Soldier & Death is a visually stunning story with masterful acting and special effects. The devils are too good to pass up! A Story Short is a wonderful retelling of the Stone Soup folktale. John Hurt is fun, clever and extremely engaging as the storyteller. These tales have elements that would appeal to all ages. I highly recommend them!

It's a crime that Jim Henson's "Story Teller" series isn't available yet in stores, but at least you can get them from Amazon!

"The Greek Myths" branch of this series features good production values and acting. Robert Stephens is a knockout as a very nasty Hades indeed in "Orpheus and Eurydice." These are quite earthy, in keeping with the originals (Theseus is a real cad!), and too frightening in parts for little kids; they're aimed at older children and adults.

For accurate representations of myths and folktales, one can't do better than Henson's "Story Teller" series. The narration is also quite good (John Hurt in the original series; Michael Gambon of "The Singing Detective" in the follow-up "Greek Myths").

Anthony Minghella of "The English Patient" and "The End of the Affair" wrote every episode. It represents some of his and Henson's finest work. (Henson died shortly after finishing "Greek Myths"). Don't miss "The Story Teller" series! You'll be sorry if you do.

I remember watching this show when I was a child; I thought it was one of the best TV shows ever. Unfortunately, not enough people agreed with me;the show got cancelled after about a season. Imagine my surprise when I came across this video! And it contains two of my favorite tales: Sapsorrow (a Cinderella-like fairy tale) and The Luck Child (a tale about prophecies and monsters). Of course, being a Jim Henson production, one cannot be surprised at the imagination and visual splendor that permeates this video. This really is one of the best videos to own, whether you are a Henson fan or not. It really takes you back to your childhood, when stories were simple and true. Buy it if you don't have it!

Jim Henson's The Storyteller was one of the greatest achievements in television history. This commercially underrated series has astounding effects, cinemaphotography, scripts et al. It is about time that these perfectly formed stories have been granted a video release. Lets hope we see the rest of the series released as well as the Greek Myths which followed. Fantastic.

Even though the show was only around for just about one season, Jim Henson's "The Storyteller" was one of my favorite shows growing up. I was fascinated by the tales told on the show and a few of the stories left a deep impression upon me; I've always said that Jim Henson was one of only a few directors who could film a fairy tale right.

My favorite of all the shows was "The Soldier and Death". This episode was based upon an old Russian folk tale. The story deals with a kind, young soldier walking back home on his way from war. Due to a few kind deeds the soldier performs, he is given a magical sack; a ruby whistle; and a magic deck of cards. He uses all of those gifts to the utmost. The tale has several morals, but unfortunately ends rather sadly for the hero.

"A Short Story" was another episode I remember fondly. It is a story about the Storyteller's own life and adventures. It is reminiscent of "1001 Tales of Scherazade" in some aspects. However, the story takes place in Europe, not Arabia and there is a major twist.

Jim Henson was one of the most gifted filmmakers of our time. Perhaps exceeding the accomplishments of "The Muppet Show", "The Storyteller" was a groundbreaking series full of excitement, fun, morals, and lots of good stories. They just don't make television like that anymore.

I love the Storyteller series--my family used to watch them all when the show was aired years ago. I am still waiting for Hans My Hedgehog and the Boy Who Set Out To Find Fear to come out--there were 16 in all, weren't there? When are the rest of them going to be available?