Sources: Wikidata · OpenAlex. The record of the motion picture, not an assessment of this cell.
FILM NOTES
FILM NOTES
Labyrinth arrived in 1986 through Tri-Star Pictures, a joint venture between Jim Henson, George Lucas, and director Jim Henson himself at the helm, blending Henson's puppetry with Lucas's production muscle. It underperformed on release but grew steadily into a cherished cult object, prized for its practical creature work, its Bowie-driven soundtrack, and its place as one of the last great large-scale puppet fantasies before digital animation reshaped the industry. Today it stands as a touchstone for collectors of both Henson's studio output and eighties fantasy cinema more broadly.
This cell, simply called The Labyrinth, points to the film's central stage rather than a single figure or scene, the sprawling maze that gives the story its name and its structure. For collectors, a piece tied directly to the labyrinth itself carries weight as a symbol of the whole picture, evoking the puzzle-driven world Sarah must navigate. As a keepsake it functions almost like a title card in spirit, a marker of place and premise rather than incident, anchoring the film's identity in physical form.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm colour release print of Labyrinth (1986)
Gauge
35mm, four perforations per frame on both edges; the strip holds three frames
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges, evenly spaced, cleanly punched with no torn or deformed holes visible
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical soundtrack track is visible running along one edge beside the picture area
Edge print
Not visible in this capture
Base & colour
Base appears with a slight warm-yellow tint; the dye image renders in deep blue-violet tones on a dense black ground, consistent with a colour print stock
Projection history
Two continuous white horizontal lines are visible across the lower portion of the strip, consistent with base-side scratch marks from projection or handling
Picture
Positive colour image; all three frames appear to carry the same repeated graphic pattern, suggesting a title-sequence or graphic-design frame rather than live-action consecutive frames; the stylised labyrinthine letterform design is consistent with the title card imagery associated with the film on record
Era check
The variable-area optical soundtrack, colour dye image on a safety base with warm tint, and perforation style are all consistent with a 1980s theatrical release print
Read from the original intake capture shown below. Observations only — film is authenticated, not graded.
This original motion picture film element has been examined and authenticated by Crown Grading in partnership with National Film Vault, and encapsulated for archival preservation.
Why so little survivesRelease prints were leased to theaters, not sold. When the run ended they went back to the distributor to be destroyed, and most were. What collectors hold today came from the prints that escaped that order, and no new 35mm prints of these films are being struck.
CROWN SERIAL 000063042
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
