I noticed on eBay that a Special Edition of the Muppet Christmas Carol was released in Australia. Will a SE Edition be coming out in the US anytime soon? Doesn't Disney realize that they have one of the most beloved versions of Dickens' classic tale on their hands? Releasing Muppet Christmas Carol on a 2-disc, SE DVD would be a great way to get the Muppets even more in the public eye.
And while we are on the subject of Muppet DVDs, which Muppet films does Disney currently own? The company won't own It's A Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie (2002) for quite some time, will it?
The Muppets
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I wouldn't be surprised if all the Muppet Movies came to disc by next Christmas, through Disney.
The Columbia TriStar discs out now are woefully under-stocked, with the original Muppet Movie actually a slightly bizarre trimmed version, with an overly loud music track that cancels out a lot of dialogue (compare to my earlier VHS release, in which all comments in the theater they watch the movie in can be heard and the full movie-stage-blowing-up climax is present).
Of the two Disney ones, the region 1 editions are labelled as "Special Editions", with commentaries and some EPK footage, but they are FULL SCREEN only!
What's the new Australian edition? I know they're in widescreen in the UK, if that helps...
Disney won't own IAVMMCM for a long time yet. Plus, technically, it's a TV movie and not part of the series. NBC also part funded it, and I think actually holds the copyright, so who knows how that one will end up.
Likewise with Manhattan, which is actually owned by TriStar (Henson does not own the copyright on this film), so the Mono-only DVD out now for that film may be the best we ever get.
That's what happens when a series doesn't have a secure studio backing, but hopefully now the characters will be treated properly!
The Columbia TriStar discs out now are woefully under-stocked, with the original Muppet Movie actually a slightly bizarre trimmed version, with an overly loud music track that cancels out a lot of dialogue (compare to my earlier VHS release, in which all comments in the theater they watch the movie in can be heard and the full movie-stage-blowing-up climax is present).
Of the two Disney ones, the region 1 editions are labelled as "Special Editions", with commentaries and some EPK footage, but they are FULL SCREEN only!
What's the new Australian edition? I know they're in widescreen in the UK, if that helps...
Disney won't own IAVMMCM for a long time yet. Plus, technically, it's a TV movie and not part of the series. NBC also part funded it, and I think actually holds the copyright, so who knows how that one will end up.
Likewise with Manhattan, which is actually owned by TriStar (Henson does not own the copyright on this film), so the Mono-only DVD out now for that film may be the best we ever get.
That's what happens when a series doesn't have a secure studio backing, but hopefully now the characters will be treated properly!
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Here's the Australian version I was talking about: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 59690&rd=1 . (Don't worry, that's not me selling it.)
I am disappointed by the demise of It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie. It's a pretty good movie, all things considered. Still, something I hadn't thought of is that no telling how many of the film's cameos featured NBC-related material, such as the scenes with Scrubs and Last Call w/ Carson Daily. This will make it even more difficult for Disney to obtain the rights to the movie.
Something that confuses me, though, is how can Columbia release a new DVD of Manhattan, when it now features another studio's characters? I hope that Columbia sells Manhattan to Disney, so Disney can obtain every Muppet movie made. Columbia must not care too much about the film anyway, since I got my copy of Muppets Take Manhattan off of a cereal box.
How about Muppets from Space? Who owns that?
I am disappointed by the demise of It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie. It's a pretty good movie, all things considered. Still, something I hadn't thought of is that no telling how many of the film's cameos featured NBC-related material, such as the scenes with Scrubs and Last Call w/ Carson Daily. This will make it even more difficult for Disney to obtain the rights to the movie.
Something that confuses me, though, is how can Columbia release a new DVD of Manhattan, when it now features another studio's characters? I hope that Columbia sells Manhattan to Disney, so Disney can obtain every Muppet movie made. Columbia must not care too much about the film anyway, since I got my copy of Muppets Take Manhattan off of a cereal box.
How about Muppets from Space? Who owns that?
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He doesn't seem to list any extras, but I would wager that it's the exact same edition as this one in the UK:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASI ... 97-7710844
Note that this sells with Treasure Island as well, which is also a "Special Editon".
These were both released in the US, but be aware that the US version was pan-and-scam, PLUS the US edition of MCC is the cut version, where the song "When Love Is Gone" has been removed. Your best bet at the moment is the UK, widescreen, uncut editions.
As for Manhattan...who said anything about a new DVD of it? The low sales that this generated last year would say to me that, as I said above, this is the best we'll get for now.
Sony also own Muppets From Space, a co-pro between Henson and Columbia. My guess is, as with when Sony had a deal with the Muppets and the two Disney films were the outstanding ones, that Columbia will still own those two, unless they come to some kind of agreement.
A boxed set of the theatricals would be super cool!
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASI ... 97-7710844
Note that this sells with Treasure Island as well, which is also a "Special Editon".
These were both released in the US, but be aware that the US version was pan-and-scam, PLUS the US edition of MCC is the cut version, where the song "When Love Is Gone" has been removed. Your best bet at the moment is the UK, widescreen, uncut editions.
As for Manhattan...who said anything about a new DVD of it? The low sales that this generated last year would say to me that, as I said above, this is the best we'll get for now.
Sony also own Muppets From Space, a co-pro between Henson and Columbia. My guess is, as with when Sony had a deal with the Muppets and the two Disney films were the outstanding ones, that Columbia will still own those two, unless they come to some kind of agreement.
A boxed set of the theatricals would be super cool!
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It's all content, amigo.
They may consider it, given the circumstances. They sold Casino Royale to MGM so that MGM could own all the Bond films (but then they did buy MGM itself, so got that back)!
Then again, a license split could be arranged, as has happened with Warners' Stanley Kubrick box set, which includes the Columbia owned Dr Strangelove (its on Sony video, but in the box with the same pack design).
Anything's possible. Just whether Disney and Sony can be bothered. I wouldn't hold my breath.
They may consider it, given the circumstances. They sold Casino Royale to MGM so that MGM could own all the Bond films (but then they did buy MGM itself, so got that back)!
Then again, a license split could be arranged, as has happened with Warners' Stanley Kubrick box set, which includes the Columbia owned Dr Strangelove (its on Sony video, but in the box with the same pack design).
Anything's possible. Just whether Disney and Sony can be bothered. I wouldn't hold my breath.
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Muppets Oz DVD Aug 9?
Just curious if any other details came about? How do we know the specific release date already?
Guys,
They haven't even shown this movie on TV yet! (Yes, it's a made-for-TV movie. Gives you an idea of the budget and probable overall quality.)
The movie's airing on ABC this Friday at 9 PM EST I think...
Don't think I'd bother with a DVD of it. I haven't seen a great Muppet Movie since the early 1980s...
They haven't even shown this movie on TV yet! (Yes, it's a made-for-TV movie. Gives you an idea of the budget and probable overall quality.)
The movie's airing on ABC this Friday at 9 PM EST I think...
Don't think I'd bother with a DVD of it. I haven't seen a great Muppet Movie since the early 1980s...
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As far as I know, I'm not bothering with the DVD of it, but I could be wrong. Remember that some very good movies were made for television. Tuesdays with Morrie and Life with Judy Garland are two excellent examples of this. Nonetheless, I just don't find the commercials for Muppets Wizard of Oz to be very appealing, but that doesn't mean I won't give the film a shot anyway. After all, I don't think the film will be any worse than Muppets from Space.
Besides, even if the movie was Muppet Dude, Where's My Car, I would still watch it, just because I don't want to see the Muppets buried away in a closet somewhere.
Besides, even if the movie was Muppet Dude, Where's My Car, I would still watch it, just because I don't want to see the Muppets buried away in a closet somewhere.
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I love the Muppets and will probably pick this up, since we won't get it in the UK for a while, possibly not until Christmas (we had to wait a year for the last Christmas one too).
The only thing I've really felt let the franchise down recently was Kermit's Swampt Years, which was extremely lame. Even Muppets From Space had some fun sequences and put the center of attention on Gonzo, and let's not forget that a LOT of the Muppets TV output in the 1980s (after the Muppet Show) was fairly lacklustre as well.
George - you really didn't like Muppets Christmas Carol? I thought that was the last time they really captured the early magic.
The only thing I've really felt let the franchise down recently was Kermit's Swampt Years, which was extremely lame. Even Muppets From Space had some fun sequences and put the center of attention on Gonzo, and let's not forget that a LOT of the Muppets TV output in the 1980s (after the Muppet Show) was fairly lacklustre as well.
George - you really didn't like Muppets Christmas Carol? I thought that was the last time they really captured the early magic.
Nope... I really can do without yet another version of A Christmas Carol. The latest version of that story that I like is Mickey's Christmas Carol. Otherwise, the 1950s-before cinema versions are the best.
As far as Muppet movies go, I really only care for the first two. That's when the Muppets were still good -- for me, at any rate. For whatever reasons, and well before Jim Henson passed away, the magic left the Henson Company and its movies have basically been an exercise in developing animatronic tech better, but still lack the humor and gravitas of the first two Muppet movies.
Seriously, I think The Great Muppet Caper was the last good Muppet movie I've seen. The Dark Crystal was an interesting failure, but still not a great movie, either.
I think maybe the world's passed by the Henson hippie brand of humor, or maybe the Henson Company just forgot how to pull it off. Remember, I said that its time passed well before Jim Henson himself died so I don't blame his heirs for the problems that the company's had with making successful movies. Sometimes, things just have a built-in expiration date and don't work so well after a certain point in time. You can't always peg it down to solid reasons like bad casting, bad direction, bad writing, and general ineptitude. I don't think that's necessarily the case with the Muppets or the Henson Company in general unlike what's been going on with both Disney and DreamWorks the past decade or so...
As far as Muppet movies go, I really only care for the first two. That's when the Muppets were still good -- for me, at any rate. For whatever reasons, and well before Jim Henson passed away, the magic left the Henson Company and its movies have basically been an exercise in developing animatronic tech better, but still lack the humor and gravitas of the first two Muppet movies.
Seriously, I think The Great Muppet Caper was the last good Muppet movie I've seen. The Dark Crystal was an interesting failure, but still not a great movie, either.
I think maybe the world's passed by the Henson hippie brand of humor, or maybe the Henson Company just forgot how to pull it off. Remember, I said that its time passed well before Jim Henson himself died so I don't blame his heirs for the problems that the company's had with making successful movies. Sometimes, things just have a built-in expiration date and don't work so well after a certain point in time. You can't always peg it down to solid reasons like bad casting, bad direction, bad writing, and general ineptitude. I don't think that's necessarily the case with the Muppets or the Henson Company in general unlike what's been going on with both Disney and DreamWorks the past decade or so...
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I thought Muppets Take Manhattan had a lot of heart. That, for me, was the last of the truly great classics, but thought that Muppets Christmas Carol pulled off the trick of making a Henson movie without Jim pretty well (and is my favorite Caine performance ever).
Caper would be my all time favorite, but that's mainly due to it being one of the first ever movie sets I was allowed to roam free on and spent all my time at. The songs are also great in that one!
Caper would be my all time favorite, but that's mainly due to it being one of the first ever movie sets I was allowed to roam free on and spent all my time at. The songs are also great in that one!
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Muppets Wizard of Oz
I just finished watching Muppet's Wizard of Oz and I have to say it was one of the best movies I've seen in a while and by far the best Muppet movie. Also, this wasn't a cheesy remake (like Ebbie for the Christmas Carol), this was a well done version that didn't confuse itself with the MGM version and gave the Muppets signature. The whole movie was great and I really hope it got good ratings. I love that they used rare characters like the Sweedish Chef, Pepe, Rizzo and Sam Eagle. If you didn't see it because you thought it would be horrible, I highly suggest seeing it (either when it goes into repeat or on DVD). If and (hopefully) when you see it, don't compare it to the MGM version because they are nothing alike. Each are good in their own way.
-Michael
-Michael
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