The Muppets

[Ben]

Yes,I went down a Siskel/Ebert rabbit hole last night and saw a fair few of these!

Happily, Ebert's is a point I don’t agree with, and just a critic's opinion at best. There are long stretches of TGMC where it’s just the Muppets taking center stage; I never felt the guest stars were swamping the film. None of them even get their own musical number. As for the club number being a reference to one thing or another, I never got that as a kid, and still don’t think it applies as an "adult".

It’s just a big, razzmatazz-song-n-dance number, reminiscent, yes, of Astaire and Rogers, but not like you have to know that to have fun with it — I certainly don’t think I’d seen Top Hat in 1981, and it didn’t matter. Kermit was just looking smart for his date with Lady Holiday, and Piggy was taking her deception to extremes, turning it into a fantasy number — do we really think the Dubonnet Club has a big pool and fountain in the middle of its ballroom? No, not really. Yes, it’s there, but it’s just building the fantasy to ridiculous proportions, allowing Nicky to join in in perfectly overblown fashion by the end (and use it as plot distraction).

Ebert could have just as easily been swept up in this moment and said he loved the old-time throwback of this sequence and how it brought back that kind of movie musical with knowing nods that will appeal to nostalgic adults. Either way, it’s more Esther Williams than Astaire and Rogers, so he got his references wrong anyway.

If anything — and as much as I *love* The Muppets Take Manhattan — I find the third film to be the slightly lesser one, mainly because it splits the Muppets up for much of it, meaning that ironically they have no-one else to confide in *but* the often-used guest stars, and also because it doesn’t really do anything new creatively or technically that we haven’t seen in the first two. If nothing else, though, no-one can say that Caper is a repeat of Movie, which is a good thing in itself, or that, as the original Henson trilogy goes, all three films are alike.

[EricJ]

Yes,I went down a Siskel/Ebert rabbit hole last night and saw a fair few of these!

I found a YouTube channel that has twenty years of Siskel & Ebert, and I've been down the rabbit hole for two weeks now.

I remember their show airing back in 1978, but once we moved out of the old hometown with a downtown theater, I didn't start to go to movies on my own until '79 (think trying to find the one Boston theater showing the Muppet Movie was my first junior-high solo trip to the big city), so--now that I have a video rental library within walking distance--I'm on a quest to find all those overlooked critic-sleeper "grownup" movies I ignored from '78-'80.
1981, however, was a different matter. But I digress.

(For those who want a more shallow rabbit hole, another brave YouTuber compiled a 13-part record of just the PBS Sneak Previews "Dogs of the Week" from '78-'82: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZhKlwWsEaU )

[Ben]

Last night was our almost-annual double-bill showing of The Small One and The Muppet Christmas Carol, this year by way of D+'s uncut stream. It didn’t look too bad, though softer than the sadly trimmed Blu-ray. The film is soooo much better and whole with the extra song scene in place, and Caine has rarely been better than he was there. Still hopeful for a true 4K, or at least a BD reissue of the full version.

In the meantime, sincerest best wishes to all and everyone here on the AV boards. Although it’s a hobby for us to run this place, what we do we do for you, and you continue to make it all worthwhile. Even as the entertainment, film and animation landscapes go through unprecedented changes, we'll be here to navigate the ride, and will enjoy taking you with us! Thank-you.

As the eve of Christmas Eve falls here in the UK, may I wish you, on behalf of the entire Animated Views Team, a very, very Merry Christmas, and all the absolute best for an extremely happy and healthy New Year!

[Randall]

We just finished watching Muppet Christmas Carol tonight ourselves (my daughter, now 22, still insists we watch it every year), and it never fails to be astoundingly good. And yes, the complete version is the way to watch, for sure.

Merry Christmas to all!!

[Daniel]

A new Jim Henson documentary is in the offing! Anything to touch on his legacy is welcome.

Poster art reveals the title and date:



Nice. Hopefully it's good!

[ShyViolet]

Love it!! Can’t wait.

[Randall]

I'm feeling like it'll be time to pull out the hankies. Should be good.

[Ben]

I've always loved that still. Perfect use as a poster!

Howard's docs including the one on The Beatles have been fantastic, so no reason to think this will be anything otherwise. Not long to wait either!

[Randall]

Between this and Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story, I'm going to be a wreck.

[Ben]

I can tell you’re getting emotional already: fixed Christopher for ya.

[gaastra]

Uh-oh.

https://deadline.com/2024/04/sesame-wor ... 235887298/

[Daniel]

The doc will feature new interviews with Rita Moreno, Lisa Henson, Jennifer Connelly and Frank Oz. First look:

[Daniel]

Trailer:



Warm fuzzies.

[ShyViolet]

Wow!!!!!!!!!!

Can’t wait!

[Ben]

I’d forgotten the name of this talking to someone the other day, and now that I see it again, "Idea Man" can’t even begin to describe Jim in a title. I don’t know what could, and "Muppet Man" is also too obvious (and the name of an unproduced biopic script), but "Idea Man" is just so…bland!

Only just over a month to go, though!