"Monster Maker" is a 1989 45-minute television special, adapted by
Matthew Jacobs from the 1979 novel of the same name by
Nicholas Fisk .
Harry Dean Stanton plays an American Special Effects expert living in
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
, who is befriended by a young fan named Matt Banting (played by
Kieran O'Brien). From
Jim Henson's London-based
Henson Associates, it was produced by
Duncan Kenworthy and directed by
Giles Foster.
The show aired as a standalone special in the UK. In the US, it aired as an episode of ''
The Jim Henson Hour''.
Introduction
Jim Henson talks about the
Creature Shop, showing one of the
devil
A devil is the mythical personification of evil as it is conceived in various cultures and religious traditions. It is seen as the objectification of a hostile and destructive force. Jeffrey Burton Russell states that the different conce ...
s from ''
The Storyteller'' as an example of what the Creature Shop can make. He then introduces ''Monster Maker''.
Plot
English teenager Matt Banting idolizes American special effects creator Chauncey Bellow, and designs his own practical effects in his bedroom as a way to escape from his unhappy home life. When Matt learns that his hero's studio is in his hometown, he visits and shows the staff his creations. Even the taciturn, surly Chauncey is impressed by Matt's work, and agrees to hire him as an assistant. Chauncey begins to mentor Matt in the art of monster making, showing him a giant, dragon-like puppet they're currently building called "The Ultragorgon." But Matt has lied about his age, and when his abusive father finds out he's skipping school to work at the studio, Matt's dreams are threatened and no one can help him — except, perhaps, the Ultragorgon.
Conclusion
Jim Henson mentions that although the creatures look real, they are not actually alive. He tells how many performers were needed for the Ultragorgon (including
Brian Henson operating the head from the Ultragorgon's neck compartment) as the viewers will notice when they see the credits for this special. He also brings out
Kermit the Frog who comments that he liked the special.
Credits
*
Michael Gambon
Sir Michael John Gambon (; 19 October 1940 – 27 September 2023) was an Irish-English actor. Gambon started his acting career with Laurence Olivier as one of the original members of the Royal National Theatre. Over his six-decade-long career ...
as Ultragorgon (voice)
*
Jonathan Coy as Teacher
*
Matthew Scurfield as Vaughn
* Bill Moody as Reg
*
Grant Bardsley as Ben
*
Alison Steadman as Perriwinkle
* Amanda Dickinson as Mother
*
George Costigan as Father
*
Harry Dean Stanton as Chancey Bellow
*
Kieran O'Brien as Matt Banting
Ultragorgon operated by Martin Anthony, Tony Ashton, Michael Bayliss, Marcus Clarke, Sue Dacre, David Greenaway,
Brian Henson, and Christopher Leith.
Notes
* This episode was later re-aired as a stand-alone special without the framing introduction and closing, or The Jim Henson Hour title/logos.
* A puppet later used as The Predator on ''
Dinosaurs'' was first used in this film in the movie Matt is watching at the beginning.
External links
*
Puppet films
The Jim Henson Company films
Television shows based on British novels
Films directed by Giles Foster
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