The news Bowie was going to be in a Muppet movie must have caught a lot of his aficionados off guard. Aladdin Sane mucking about with a bunch of furry things on sticks? It sounded mental, even for a man who'd pranced about a building site in a silver bodysuit. Fortunately the part of the Goblin King in 1986's Labyrinth turned out to be an inspired move for the actor/musician. He took some convincing, with the script going through multiple drafts as director Jim Henson sought to bring Bowie aboard. Once all the elements were in place however the results were a riotous success, at least artistically. The movie didn't take off at the box office, going on to become a cult hit in later years, and a firm favourite amongst young dudes of a certain generation. The soundtrack boasted five tracks by the King himself, performed in ridiculously tight trousers by a dandelion-headed Bowie. The film was further cemented into pop culture recently when Flight Of The Conchords created a dream sequence in which Jemaine visited Brett dressed as Bowie's Labyrinth incarnation.
I am a journalist and comedian who enjoys American movies of the 70s, Amicus horror compendiums, Doctor Who, Twin Peaks, Naomi Watts and sitting down. My short fiction has been published as part of the Iris Wildthyme range from Obverse Books.
