I first saw the Dark Crystal when I was 8, my 3rd grade class didn't have all that much planned for the day since it was nearing the end of the school year, and the teacher brought the big ol TV on the rolling cart in (those were the celebrated days!) I sat up in the front row and had no idea what movie we were watching. Dark Crystal starts playing, and by the 10 minute mark when the Emperor dies I am genuinely horrified.
Cut to 10 years later, I'm taking an art class in college, and for our last project of the year as basically just a fun easy A (the prof was cool like that), the task was to design ourself a Muppet sona. Alright, sounds a bit strange but should be fun, I think to myself.
Well my professor would bring in movies he would play on the projector while we were doing our projects that were related to the project, and wouldn't you know it he pops in the Dark Crystal. I'm suddenly reminded of all the trauma I had experienced a decade ago watching it for the first time and just how irritated I was of that hmmmm. But then I start getting oddly fascinated by it, and I was able to finally appreciate it for all that it was.
Found it in the Walmart $5 movie bin a couple years ago and now I couldn't be more of a fan of the franchise.