Everyone loves the Muppets. That is simply a truism in life, for anyone with a working pulse and a healthy joy gland. And so therefore everyone loves Jim Henson, the godlike creator/inventor/father figure of the whole Muppet project, whose creations — the colourful ensemble of goofy, absurdist, felt-based marionette-puppets — have become a beloved staple of film and television for seven decades.
This is a lovely feature-length documentary portrait of the Muppet man, as gentle and warm-hearted as the legend himself, if not exactly challenging or overly probing. It comes from director Ron Howard, these days as much a documentarian as anything else (in the last decade he has made roughly as many nonfictional films as he has fiction). Howard gives the piece some sparky, peppy visuals, via animated flourishes — Henson’s personal sketch book comes to life at one point — and a visual backdrop for its talking heads nodding to The Cube,...
This is a lovely feature-length documentary portrait of the Muppet man, as gentle and warm-hearted as the legend himself, if not exactly challenging or overly probing. It comes from director Ron Howard, these days as much a documentarian as anything else (in the last decade he has made roughly as many nonfictional films as he has fiction). Howard gives the piece some sparky, peppy visuals, via animated flourishes — Henson’s personal sketch book comes to life at one point — and a visual backdrop for its talking heads nodding to The Cube,...
- 5/31/2024
- by John Nugent
- Empire - Movies
It may not be too much of an exaggeration to say that Jim Henson came up with the concept for an immersive video dome long before Sphere bubbled up in Las Vegas.
In the mid-1960s he developed an idea for a nightclub he called Cyclia – “the entertainment experience of the future” – that would feature crystal panels throughout the ceiling, floor and walls onto which films would be projected.
“Once an hour, a woman in a white leotard would rise from a pedestal in the center of the floor to have film projected on her body as she danced,” writes author Brian Jay Jones in Jim Henson: A Biography.
For better or worse, the psychedelia-inspired concept never became a reality. But it’s an example of the restless imagination that propelled Henson throughout his life. The incredible range of Henson’s creative urges come into focus in Ron Howard’s documentary Jim Henson Idea Man,...
In the mid-1960s he developed an idea for a nightclub he called Cyclia – “the entertainment experience of the future” – that would feature crystal panels throughout the ceiling, floor and walls onto which films would be projected.
“Once an hour, a woman in a white leotard would rise from a pedestal in the center of the floor to have film projected on her body as she danced,” writes author Brian Jay Jones in Jim Henson: A Biography.
For better or worse, the psychedelia-inspired concept never became a reality. But it’s an example of the restless imagination that propelled Henson throughout his life. The incredible range of Henson’s creative urges come into focus in Ron Howard’s documentary Jim Henson Idea Man,...
- 5/18/2024
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
The Muppet Babies say they’ll make our dreams come true but do they mean it? How long has it been that you’ve seen an episode of Muppet Babies? For some of us maybe since it went off the air in 1991 while the rest of us probably most recently caught it during its reruns not long after. And unless we’re talking bootlegs or VHS rips, that will probably be the last time we see the animated show. So what gives? Where are the diaper-clad versions of Kermit, Piggy, Fozzie, and the rest of the gang?
According to Guy Gilchrist, who worked under Jim Henson (albeit not on Muppet Babies), the reason we will never have the show has to do with rights. If you remember, the show would frequently incorporate clips of classic movies, TV shows and more as part of the Muppets’ fantasies, putting them in the...
According to Guy Gilchrist, who worked under Jim Henson (albeit not on Muppet Babies), the reason we will never have the show has to do with rights. If you remember, the show would frequently incorporate clips of classic movies, TV shows and more as part of the Muppets’ fantasies, putting them in the...
- 12/27/2023
- by Mathew Plale
- JoBlo.com
There’s never been a creative artist quite like Jim Henson. The Mississippi-born Henson was arguably the world’s most famous puppeteer, but he was much more than that. A cartoonist, actor, inventor, animator, writer and filmmaker, Henson was in a class by himself, whether his work appeared in films or on television. In addition, Henson founded the enormously successful Jim Henson Company, an entertainment mainstay that has lived on to produce family entertainment long after Henson’s untimely death in 1990.
After Henson got his start at age 18 creating puppets for a local station in Washington, D.C., he was approached by the Children’s Television Workshop to help develop a new series for PBS, “Sesame Street.” Soon kids around the world were marveling at the antics of Big Bird and his friends, and the show’s success led Henson to expand his Muppet empire with such further successful series...
After Henson got his start at age 18 creating puppets for a local station in Washington, D.C., he was approached by the Children’s Television Workshop to help develop a new series for PBS, “Sesame Street.” Soon kids around the world were marveling at the antics of Big Bird and his friends, and the show’s success led Henson to expand his Muppet empire with such further successful series...
- 9/20/2023
- by Tom O'Brien, Chris Beachum and Misty Holland
- Gold Derby
Synopsis
Broadway bound, the Muppets take Manhattan by storm in this magical musical about breaking into show business! Fresh out of college, Kermit, Fozzie, and the entire cast of Kermit’s musical “Manhattan Melodies” head for the Big Apple with plans to turn their small play into a big hit! All they need now is someone to produce their show! But when no one in town will even meet with them, it’s up to Kermit to believe hard enough for all of his friends that the show Will go on! Family entertainment has never been more fun than this comedy marking Frank Oz’s solo directorial debut.
Disc Details & Bonus Materials
4K Ultra HD Disc
Feature remastered in 4K resolution from the original camera negative with Dolby Vision, plus all-new Dolby Atmos immersive audio 4K picture and Atmos sound mix approved by director Frank Oz Also includes English 5.1 + mono...
Broadway bound, the Muppets take Manhattan by storm in this magical musical about breaking into show business! Fresh out of college, Kermit, Fozzie, and the entire cast of Kermit’s musical “Manhattan Melodies” head for the Big Apple with plans to turn their small play into a big hit! All they need now is someone to produce their show! But when no one in town will even meet with them, it’s up to Kermit to believe hard enough for all of his friends that the show Will go on! Family entertainment has never been more fun than this comedy marking Frank Oz’s solo directorial debut.
Disc Details & Bonus Materials
4K Ultra HD Disc
Feature remastered in 4K resolution from the original camera negative with Dolby Vision, plus all-new Dolby Atmos immersive audio 4K picture and Atmos sound mix approved by director Frank Oz Also includes English 5.1 + mono...
- 8/29/2023
- by ComicMix Staff
- Comicmix.com
Existence is absurd.
At least, that’s what Nathan W. Pyle believes. Birthed out of his very cute and very literal comics, Pyle’s upcoming Apple TV + series “Strange Planet” dares to grapple with the oddity that is life and how we all manage to get through it.
Since the start of 2019, Pyle has been drawing the webcomic series under the same name. Little alien-like characters he called the Beings lived in shades of pink, blue and purple, trying — in a very matter-of-fact way — to process emotions and the difficult stages of life we all go through. Pyle traded words like alcohol or food for “mild poisoning” and “sustenance,” or hug for “limb enclosure.” In just four little squares, Pyle was able to poke fun at the strangeness of human life by rewiring the way people think about language. In a little over four years, he amassed 6.5 million followers on his “Strange Planet” Instagram page,...
At least, that’s what Nathan W. Pyle believes. Birthed out of his very cute and very literal comics, Pyle’s upcoming Apple TV + series “Strange Planet” dares to grapple with the oddity that is life and how we all manage to get through it.
Since the start of 2019, Pyle has been drawing the webcomic series under the same name. Little alien-like characters he called the Beings lived in shades of pink, blue and purple, trying — in a very matter-of-fact way — to process emotions and the difficult stages of life we all go through. Pyle traded words like alcohol or food for “mild poisoning” and “sustenance,” or hug for “limb enclosure.” In just four little squares, Pyle was able to poke fun at the strangeness of human life by rewiring the way people think about language. In a little over four years, he amassed 6.5 million followers on his “Strange Planet” Instagram page,...
- 8/9/2023
- by Sophia Scorziello
- Variety Film + TV
Every few months, it seems someone from Hollywood says the same thing: There are no true movie stars anymore. Blockbusters are now carried by brands and franchises, and the days of actors being able to sell a movie on their marketability alone have long since passed. How did this happen? There are a variety of possible reasons, but we’ll propose just one: movies just don’t have The Muppets in them anymore.
It has been almost 10 years since Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie, Gonzo, Scooter, and their various crafted cohorts graced theater screens in “Muppets Most Wanted,” which saw the acclaimed comedy group stage a prison break. Since then, the beloved creations of Jim Henson have been confined to the small screen, where they captured the hearts and minds of audiences everywhere via a strong candidate for the most influential sketch comedy series of all time: 1976-1981’s “The Muppet Show.
It has been almost 10 years since Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie, Gonzo, Scooter, and their various crafted cohorts graced theater screens in “Muppets Most Wanted,” which saw the acclaimed comedy group stage a prison break. Since then, the beloved creations of Jim Henson have been confined to the small screen, where they captured the hearts and minds of audiences everywhere via a strong candidate for the most influential sketch comedy series of all time: 1976-1981’s “The Muppet Show.
- 5/12/2023
- by Wilson Chapman
- Indiewire
Jim Henson’s Muppets mesh so well with Christmas. Crazy and chaotic as they are, the characters are just one big family. They are a collection of personalities that reflect Henson’s optimism. And what is Christmas if not a madcap holiday that promotes optimism and family? It’s no surprise that before and after Henson’s death, his felt creations have been in countless Christmas-related films and shows.
We here at Den of Geek have decided to rank these Christmas entries from worst to best. In terms of ground rules, we’re only going with the baseline Muppet stuff. There are a million Sesame Street Christmas things and we’re not touching them. Same goes for Fraggle Rock and Muppet Babies. We’re focusing on Kermit’s crew, stories where Kermit is the host, and one case where one major Muppet makes his debut.
But now let’s get things started.
We here at Den of Geek have decided to rank these Christmas entries from worst to best. In terms of ground rules, we’re only going with the baseline Muppet stuff. There are a million Sesame Street Christmas things and we’re not touching them. Same goes for Fraggle Rock and Muppet Babies. We’re focusing on Kermit’s crew, stories where Kermit is the host, and one case where one major Muppet makes his debut.
But now let’s get things started.
- 12/22/2022
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
The Muppets’ top entertainers answer your questions about festive traditions, Miss Piggy and working with their good friend Michael Caine
Let’s talk size here, guys: are you, Kermit, a very big frog, or are you, Fozzie – like Tom Cruise – a very small bear? Abney15
Kermit: I’m your average size frog, especially in my family. As one of more than 2,000-plus siblings, I’m smack dab in the middle in order of height: not as small as my sister, Kismet, or as big as my brother, Kromit.
Fozzie: Tom Cruise is a bear? I didn’t know that. I’ve got to go see his movies again. You’d think I’d notice something like that.
I imagine you’d be great teamed together on the BBC’s Bargain Hunt. Would you be up for it? Murdomania
K: Bargain Hunt sounds like fun. But if you want a real bargain hunter,...
Let’s talk size here, guys: are you, Kermit, a very big frog, or are you, Fozzie – like Tom Cruise – a very small bear? Abney15
Kermit: I’m your average size frog, especially in my family. As one of more than 2,000-plus siblings, I’m smack dab in the middle in order of height: not as small as my sister, Kismet, or as big as my brother, Kromit.
Fozzie: Tom Cruise is a bear? I didn’t know that. I’ve got to go see his movies again. You’d think I’d notice something like that.
I imagine you’d be great teamed together on the BBC’s Bargain Hunt. Would you be up for it? Murdomania
K: Bargain Hunt sounds like fun. But if you want a real bargain hunter,...
- 12/15/2022
- by As told to Rich Pelley
- The Guardian - Film News
When you hear about people suffering for their art, you probably think about Dickens, Plath, Kafka, or Van Gogh. But Jim Henson and his merry band of Muppets performers should probably be somewhere on that list. During production on 1979's "The Muppet Movie," the team created a whole assortment of innovations to allow Kermit, Fozzie, and the whole gang to interact with the real world as regular people do. For example, the Studebaker featured in the iconic musical numbers "Movin' Right Along" and "Can You Picture That?" had a monitor and a steering wheel in the trunk so that it could be driven from the back while Henson and Frank Oz were hidden in the floor and dashboard at the front of the car.
But that's just the tip of the iceberg for the precarious positions that Muppets performers have found themselves in over the years. And following a recent...
But that's just the tip of the iceberg for the precarious positions that Muppets performers have found themselves in over the years. And following a recent...
- 10/18/2022
- by Ben F. Silverio
- Slash Film
What do you want to ask the comedy besties as they get ready to celebrate three decades since the release of The Muppet Christmas Carol?
They say a friend in need is a friend indeed – and mates don’t come more solid than Kermit the Frog and Fozzie Bear. Kermit gave failed standup comic Fozzie his first break in 1976-1981 variety revue The Muppet Show. Since then, Frog and Bear have starred in eight Muppets movies, travelling everywhere from Manhattan to Treasure Island, co-staring with everyone from Richard Pryor and Steve Martin to Ricky Gervais. In 1981’s The Great Muppet Caper, the duo even played identical twin brothers, decades before the rest of Hollywood dared to embrace colour-, fur-, and species-blind casting.
Off camera, the besties have always been there for each other. In 2015, Kermit and Miss Piggy consciously uncoupled just before TV sitcom the Muppets, set behind the scenes of Piggy’s late-night talkshow,...
They say a friend in need is a friend indeed – and mates don’t come more solid than Kermit the Frog and Fozzie Bear. Kermit gave failed standup comic Fozzie his first break in 1976-1981 variety revue The Muppet Show. Since then, Frog and Bear have starred in eight Muppets movies, travelling everywhere from Manhattan to Treasure Island, co-staring with everyone from Richard Pryor and Steve Martin to Ricky Gervais. In 1981’s The Great Muppet Caper, the duo even played identical twin brothers, decades before the rest of Hollywood dared to embrace colour-, fur-, and species-blind casting.
Off camera, the besties have always been there for each other. In 2015, Kermit and Miss Piggy consciously uncoupled just before TV sitcom the Muppets, set behind the scenes of Piggy’s late-night talkshow,...
- 9/29/2022
- by Rich Pelley
- The Guardian - Film News
When Muppets creator Jim Henson died in 1990, the future of the Muppets franchise felt up in the air to its fans. At the time, Disney had already been in negotiations to purchase the Muppets, but Henson was on record with his refusal. Disney, still with a foot in the door, co-financed two Muppet feature films in the 1990s -- "The Muppet Christmas Carol" and "Muppet Treasure Island," both directed by Henson's son Brian -- which proved to audiences that the Muppets were capable of living on. Indeed, the two films provided a fascinating new premise for the Muppets: they would be stock players in adaptations of classic literature. Sadly, this tack did not play itself out, and after the not-very-good, straight-to-video "The Muppets' Wizard of Oz," that angle was abandoned.
Come now, Disney, "Muppet Midsummer Night's Dream," "Muppet Dracula," and "Muppet Moby-Dick" await.
"The Muppet Christmas Carol" (1992) is both one...
Come now, Disney, "Muppet Midsummer Night's Dream," "Muppet Dracula," and "Muppet Moby-Dick" await.
"The Muppet Christmas Carol" (1992) is both one...
- 9/14/2022
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Ready or not, here The Muppets come.
When last we tuned into Disney Channel’s Good Luck, Charlie, the Duncan home had been decimated by termites. Cue extreme makeover, yes?
More from TVLineXL Bluey Special Sets Disney+ Viewership Record for SeriesSurprise! A New Bluey Episode Is Coming, and It's Sooner Than You ThinkCandace Cameron Bure in A Christmas Less Traveled: Get Exclusive First Look at New Great American Family Movie
Hmm, don’t back up that bus just yet. In the Season 4 opener, airing Sunday at 7:30/6:30c, Teddy (played by actress/recording artist Bridget Mendler) is gung-ho about...
When last we tuned into Disney Channel’s Good Luck, Charlie, the Duncan home had been decimated by termites. Cue extreme makeover, yes?
More from TVLineXL Bluey Special Sets Disney+ Viewership Record for SeriesSurprise! A New Bluey Episode Is Coming, and It's Sooner Than You ThinkCandace Cameron Bure in A Christmas Less Traveled: Get Exclusive First Look at New Great American Family Movie
Hmm, don’t back up that bus just yet. In the Season 4 opener, airing Sunday at 7:30/6:30c, Teddy (played by actress/recording artist Bridget Mendler) is gung-ho about...
- 4/25/2013
- by Matt Webb Mitovich
- TVLine.com
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