Tag: The Muppets

Geekscape Movie Reviews: The Happytime Murders

by MCDave

When you consider creative geniuses who left us far too early, Jim Henson has to come to mind. Despite the puppeteer’s decades-long career that defined the childhoods of generations with clean and iconic comedies such as Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock and everything The Muppets, you can’t help but feel cheated that Henson passed away after just 53 years. And while the name “Henson” has long been synonymous with wholesome humor, the legend’s middle child and eldest son, Brian, has journeyed down a shockingly naughty path with his new puppet comedy, The Happytime Murders. This R-rated transition probably isn’t what his father envisioned, yet Brian Henson’s uninhibited and vulgar puppet murder mystery proves more than just a cheap novelty with a unique shtick.

In a world where humans and puppets co-exist, despite the fact that puppets are viewed as inferior citizens, Phil Philips (voice of Bill Barretta) was once the first puppet police officer. However, tragic circumstances cost him his badge and now Phil spends his days as a private detective taking on small cases. But when a mysterious killer begins targeting the stars of a once-popular puppet sitcom, Phil teams up with his former police partner (Melissa McCarthy) to put an end to these murders.

My appreciation for The Happytime Murders will inevitably feel overblown, mostly due to the critical backlash feasted upon Brian Henson’s new film. But despite its desperate quest for laughter at the hands of shock value and gross immaturity, The Happytime Murders offers a well-cloaked mystery delivered at a fantastic pace. The film’s story engages with its hysterical characters and natural fluidity. And although Melissa McCarthy’s time in the spotlight continues to fade, she delays the inevitable with a strongly executed and insanely committed comedic turn. However, the true standout of the film is its clever and concise screenplay. The jokes are relentlessly thrown at you from a variety of angles, and through it all the leading star, puppet Phil Philips, begins to feel more and more human-like, which is a true testament to the writing. The Happytime Murders isn’t a movie designed for all audiences, as it’s obviously short on subtlety and artistry. Yet, if you’re willing to put all seriousness aside and open up to some lewd silliness at the hands of more than just a few crazy puppets, you’ll be able to enjoy The Happytime Murders for the absurd and raunchy comedy that it is.

GRADE: 3/5

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The Muppets Are Getting A Push At The Disney Theme Parks

by Bigyanks

Briefly: I knew that our resident Muppet Historian, Matthew Kelly, was headed to Walt Disney World soon, and me being the Disney addicted man child that I am, I wanted to share all of the new stuff at the parks. Too much to text, I told Jonathan that I would be submitting an article about it. Here’s an excerpt from our daily staff emails.

Jonathan: We will also see a rousing article from BigYanks. What’s it called, Yanks?
Danny: It’s called “A Salute to All Things Disney, But Mostly The Muppets”.
Jonathan: Yanks, are you ready with that article?
Danny: It’s a glorious three-volume book!
Jonathan: You got a six paragraph limit.

The Muppets might be down, but they aren’t out yet.

The Muppets entered into a resurgence with the surprise hit of ‘The Muppets’ movie in 2011 written by Jason Segal. So of course the next logical thing Disney did was went ahead and green lit a sequel. This time with no Jason Segal ‘Muppets Most Wanted’ fell flat and wasn’t so well received. The film didn’t match any of the hype, charm or fandom of the first film. But still The Muppets where still in the spotlight and Disney gave the brand a second chance and went ahead with a television pilot.

The announcement of ‘The Muppets’ television show got the fans up in a frenzy and excited for something fresh. The show was being developed by Muppet Journeyman and ‘Big Bang Theory’ Co-Creator, Bill Pardy. The show brought the gang back taking on more adult themes that were similar to that of The Office and Larry Sanders Show. This left some die hards unsure what to think of it and the show was met with very mixed reviews. Some parents were even outraged that show wasn’t accessible to younger audience members, failing to realize this was a primetime show on a network, not the Disney Chanel. Even with plot changes made to try and bring the viewers it was too little too late and ABC cancelled it at the end of the season.

The Muppet’s Disney future was looking bleak.

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Now news of Star Wars Land and Toy Story Land at Disney’s Hollywood Studio were announced and rumors were swirling of what areas would be razed to make space. With ‘Muppets Vision 3D’ in close proximity of Star Tours it felt inevitable that the Muppets may have met their match at the theme parks. Then it was announced that the The Muppets were indeed staying and getting its own area at the park. The are would getting refurbished along with a name change, Welcome to ‘Muppets Courtyard’. One of the first changes coming soon is the conversion of the old ‘Toy Story Pizza Planet’ into the Muppets themed ‘PizzeRizzo’. The backstory being that Rizzo and has vast amount of family members are running the restaurant much like his French cousin Remy. With no other news of the fate of the remaining structures in the area, i’m hoping for an overhaul. If we can only get a updated ‘Muppet Vision 3D’ attraction similar to that of ‘Soarin’ over at EPCOT. That show is feeling very dated and the theater could use some sprucing up. This attraction was also the only way to see a living Muppet. It being a 4-D Attraction, Sweetums would make a quick appearance while the gang searched for Bean Bunny. Hopefully we can now get the characters back for meet and greets.

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In another surprise move by Disney, they announced this fall, the Muppets will be at the Magic Kingdom Park, where they’ll take part in an all-new live show, “The Muppets Present… Great Moments in American History.”  The show will feature Sam Eagle, Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, The Great Gonzo and James Jefferson, the town crier of Liberty Square. They gather outside The Hall of Presidents to present historical tales as only they can. From the midnight ride of Paul Revere to the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the Muppets appear throughout the day to share with Guests, their own unique take on the founding fathers and the birth of the United States of America. The Shows had their debuts this week and were met with high praise for keeping with the ideology of the Liberty Square area  in a hysterical fashion.

Just one day later, the powers that be decided to dust off the cobwebs out of an old fan favorite and brought back the ‘Muppets Mobile Lab’ over at EPCOT. The mobile interactive show stars Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and his lab assistant Beaker. The characters come to life by interacting with the crowd in simple hysterical experiments all at the expense of Beaker of course.

With such an unexpected push by the company at the theme parks the future is looking bright now for The Muppets. There is no denying that there is some money to be made with the brand but they were striking out in the movies and television department, the next logical step would be to bring back the nostalgia via appearances at the parks. I’m so ecstatic to be able to go back to the parks and catch a real life glimpse of the muppets. Heres to hoping that things take off and we get even more of The Muppets including photo-ops and special events.

New Posters for ABC’s ‘The Muppets’

by Karson

Five new promotional posters have been released for ABC’s The Muppets. The new television series will take you behind the scenes of Miss Piggy’s late-night talk show on which Kermit is the executive producer, Fozzie is her sidekick, and Gonzo is the head writer. It will be a more adult take on the Muppets and make use of The Office style cut-aways and witty pop culture references that we’ve grown to expect from the franchise.

The Muppets premieres Tuesday, Sept. 22 on ABC.

Check out the posters below:

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Are you excited to see the Muppets on television again? Do you like the new posters? Let us know in the comments below.

 

Watch The Pitch That Started ABC’s ‘The Muppets’!

by Bigyanks

ABC today released the first look presentation of the upcoming The Muppets. This presentation first screened back at Comic-Con, and is said to be the pitch that convinced ABC to bring The Muppets to series.

This time around, the show has been given a more adult theme, as evident with the topic of interspecies children between Fozzy Bear and his human girlfriend. The format of the clip was the camera crew/interview style reminiscent of The Office and 30 Rock, which was hilariously mocked by Gonzo. The 10 minute clip was also featured guest stars Topher Grace and Elizabeth Banks. It’s not clear if the show will include skits or musical numbers from the original Muppet Show, but here’s hoping for some Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem covers.

As a Muppets fan, I hope this is successful. I know Muppets Most Wanted couldn’t compare to Jason Segel’s The Muppets, but it still had some charm and catchy songs. I felt that it strayed so far from that first film that interest dropped, and didn’t carry the same fever to to go watch and keep them relevant. The show seems to bring it a bit back to the meta and self awareness of the first movie.

The Muppets is set to premiere this Fall!

https://youtu.be/x2B5d-8H588

‘The Muppets’ Return to ABC With a Wonderful Trailer

by Eric Francisco

Anything great about Jim Henson’s creations have already been said, especially with the incredible The Muppets film from 2011. But now the gang is returning to television with a brand new series coming this fall to ABC, along with a trailer you’ll have on repeat until the premiere.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfJkusicBa4

I admit I didn’t keep up on the developments of this show, but did they change Kermit’s voice? It doesn’t sound like Steve Whitmire.

The iconic The Muppet Show was always a show about putting on a variety show, but the visual language in TV has evolved since the Muppets were last on air. The faux-documentary style of The Office and Parks & Recreation are the new norm in serial comedy, and it’s clear that The Muppets, in using this language, are aiming for an older audience. It looks almost like Modern Family.

I’m not sure how much of that is a good or bad thing, and kids can and totally will watch this show. But barely a minute into this trailer and already they’ve made jokes about having sex with a sock puppet that looks like a bear.

I know it’s bad to admit this, but I’m excited. They poke fun at the documentary style in the cheapest way and actually saying you’re aiming for adults is a little off-putting, but that it’s all coming from the flapping mouths of sock puppets makes me smile. It may feel like your grandpa is making internet memes, but he spent a lot of time researching this stuff just to make you laugh and like him. There’s a charm to this show, no matter how much posturing it might come off as. I do hope this show will ensure these characters will stay fresh for the generations to come, and not become dated relics that even our parents find corny.

Are you excited for The Muppets too? Tell us in the comments below.

The Muppet Show That Never Was: ‘Little Muppet Monsters’

by Dennis Finocchiaro

Jim Henson was a huge influence on many people’s lives, mine included. I’ll never forget watching the old Muppet Show episodes with my parents back in the day. Fozzie’s bad jokes, Gonzo’s crazy antics and Kermit’s loss of all control were a weekly bonding moment for my whole family.

And then came Muppet Babies, which drew us in on Saturday mornings. What a show! The young Muppets, plus their friendly caretaker (all we saw of her were her legs), all in an animated special. As a matter of fact, CBS loved the show (and the ratings) so much that they immediately asked for a spin-off which was eventually named Little Muppet Monsters.

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Never heard of it? Neither did I. I even asked Geekscape’s Muppet expert Matt Kelly, who had read something about the show but didn’t know much more. I’d never heard of it until I was reading an old comic book from 1985 that included and ad for the Saturday Morning Cartoon Lineup of CBS. And right there, under Muppet Babies was the listing for Little Muppet Monsters.

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The show was supposed to bring Muppet Babies from thirty minutes to an hour on Saturday mornings. The hour-long package would have been called Muppets, Babies and Monsters. There were three main characters in the show: Tug, Boo and Molly. They lived with the Muppet rats (which eventually brought about the creation of Rizzo) and would have had cameos from many of the big Muppets, including The Electric Mayhem, Scooter, Kermit, and Miss Piggy.

The show was going to be a mix of live-action Muppets and cartoons. It would have included animated versions of Pigs in Space plus a segment called Kermit the Frog, Private Eye, which would have been introduced by the puppet Kermit. Also included was something called Muppet Sports Shorts that starred Animal. In episode one he was learning about the high balance bar.

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Of course, anytime a person wants to watch something from their childhood for free, they head to YouTube, where I found the first episode. It had that quirky Muppet sense of humor, but I have to agree that it wasn’t very good. The monsters seemed to live in the basement of The Muppets’ home or possibly the theater. The first episode included many of the segments mentioned earlier, plus Fozzie’s Comedy Corner:

Production included eighteen episodes, but only three aired on CBS. Many people, including Henson himself, didn’t think the combination of live-action puppets and cartoons worked, and it was his idea to pull the plug on the show. Here is the intro to the show:

According to Wikia, another problem was with the slow creation of the cartoon segments by Marvel Productions. It was replaced with Muppet Babies reruns from the previous season, and high ratings continued. But either way, the long-lost show gives Muppet fans something to check out while they wait for the next film.

So what do you think? Had you heard of Little Muppet Monsters? Let us know!

Your Computer Now Belongs To Constantine: Here’s The Hilarious Super Bowl Spot For ‘Muppets Most Wanted’!

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: Here’s the hilarious Super Bowl Spot for Muppets Most Wanted, which continues the awesome, ridiculous twitter comments that we first saw in the last preview.

Take a look at the video below, and get excited; Muppets Most Wanted hits theatres on March 21st, so it’s right around the corner!

Disney’s “Muppets Most Wanted” takes the entire Muppets gang on a global tour, selling out grand theaters in some of Europe’s most exciting destinations, including Berlin, Madrid and London. But mayhem follows the Muppets overseas, as they find themselves unwittingly entangled in an international crime caper headed by Constantine—the World’s Number One Criminal and a dead ringer for Kermit—and his dastardly sidekick Dominic, aka Number Two, portrayed by Ricky Gervais, creator of “Derek” and the Golden Globe®- and Emmy®-winning series “The Office” and “Extras.” The film stars Golden Globe-, Emmy- and SAG Award®-winning actress and writer Tina Fey (“30 Rock,” “Mean Girls,” “Date Night”) as Nadya, a feisty prison guard, and Emmy Award winner Ty Burrell (TV’s “Modern Family”) as Interpol agent Jean Pierre Napoleon.

‘Muppets Most Wanted’ Theatrical Trailer Debuts Online!

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: Disney has just released the first, hilarious theatrical trailer for next year’s Muppets Most Wanted.

Just as you’d expect, the trailer is freaking hilarious, and looks to be everything you’d expect from the Muppets sequel. The 2011 film was actually my first Muppets experience, and it remains one of the funniest films that I’ve seen in my entire life. As such, I couldn’t be more excited for this one.

Watch the film’s theatrical trailer below, and let us know what you think! Muppets Most Wanted hits theatres on March 21st, 2014!

Disney’s “Muppets Most Wanted” takes the entire Muppets gang on a global tour, selling out grand theaters in some of Europe’s most exciting destinations, including Berlin, Madrid and London. But mayhem follows the Muppets overseas, as they find themselves unwittingly entangled in an international crime caper headed by Constantine—the World’s Number One Criminal and a dead ringer for Kermit—and his dastardly sidekick Dominic, aka Number Two, portrayed by Ricky Gervais, creator of “Derek” and the Golden Globe®- and Emmy®-winning series “The Office” and “Extras.” The film stars Golden Globe-, Emmy- and SAG Award®-winning actress and writer Tina Fey (“30 Rock,” “Mean Girls,” “Date Night”) as Nadya, a feisty prison guard, and Emmy Award winner Ty Burrell (TV’s “Modern Family”) as Interpol agent Jean Pierre Napoleon.

Watch The First Teaser Trailer For ‘Muppets Most Wanted’

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: I didn’t think that I’d be seeing this today.

Disney has just released the first teaser trailer for their upcoming, wonderful-looking sequel, Muppets Most Wanted.

The trailer is pretty standard fare, highlighting some pretty obvious film facts before introducing us to some of the new stars. That being said, it had me laughing throughout, and I definitely can’t wait to see more.

Take a look at the first teaser below, and be sure to let us know if you’re looking forward to it! Muppets Most Wanted hits theatres on March 21st!

Disney’s “Muppets Most Wanted” takes the entire Muppets gang on a global tour, selling out grand theaters in some of Europe’s most exciting destinations, including Berlin, Madrid and London. But mayhem follows the Muppets overseas, as they find themselves unwittingly entangled in an international crime caper headed by Constantine—the World’s Number One Criminal and a dead ringer for Kermit—and his dastardly sidekick Dominic, aka Number Two, portrayed by Ricky Gervais, creator of “Derek” and the Golden Globe®- and Emmy®-winning series “The Office” and “Extras.” The film stars Golden Globe-, Emmy- and SAG Award®-winning actress and writer Tina Fey (“30 Rock,” “Mean Girls,” “Date Night”) as Nadya, a feisty prison guard, and Emmy Award winner Ty Burrell (TV’s “Modern Family”) as Interpol agent Jean Pierre Napoleon.

‘The Muppets’ Sequel Gets An Official Title, A Synopsis, And A First Image!

by Derek Kraneveldt

Some exciting news for Muppets fans today. Sure, the next film is still over a year away, but you can’t get much better than an official title, synopsis, and image this early in development.

 

The title is very straightforward; you won’t find any silly subtitles or an exorbitant amount of numbers on the end of this one. The next Muppets film is simply called The Muppets… Again.

 

Of course, a lot is changing for this new film. Thankfully, director James Bobbin and songwriter Brett McKenzie return, but The Muppets human stars Jason Segel and Amy Adams are nowhere to be found. This time you’ll get major characters portrayed by Ricky Gervais, Tina Fey, and Ty Burrell.

 

It sounds like this sequel will be on a much larger scale than the last film too; while The Muppets had the gang trying to save their own beloved theatre, according to the synopsis, this time they’re going worldwide!

 

Disney’s The Muppets… Again! takes the entire Muppets gang on a global tour, selling out grand theaters in some of Europe’s most exciting destinations, including Berlin, Madrid and London. But mayhem follows the Muppets overseas, as they find themselves unwittingly entangled in an international crime caper headed by Constantine—the World’s Number One Criminal and a dead ringer for Kermit—and his dastardly sidekick Dominic, aka Number Two, portrayed by Ricky Gervais, creator of “Derek” and the Golden Globe®- and Emmy®-winning series “The Office” and “Extras.” The film stars Golden Globe-, Emmy- and SAG Award®-winning actress and writer Tina Fey (“30 Rock,” Mean Girls, Date Night) as Nadya, a feisty prison guard, and Emmy Award winner Ty Burrell (TV’s “Modern Family”) as Interpol agent Jean Pierre Napoleon.

 

The Muppets… Again is set to hit theatres on March 21st, 2014. Take a look at the first official stills below, and let us know just how excited you are for this one!

 

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‘The Muppets 2’ Gets A Release Date! Starts Filming In January!

by Shawn Madden

After the success of last year’s The Muppets, it’s no surprise that Walt Disney Pictures greenlit a sequel very quickly. Just last week it was revealed that Christoph Waltz (Django Unchained) was set to play an Interpol agent in the film. The sequel is being described as a comedy caper set in Europe.

James Bobin is returning to direct and co-write the film with Nicholas Stoller. Sadly though Jason Segel, who both starred in and co-wrote the first movie, won’t be involved as far as the production but may appear as a cameo. Just today it was revealed that the film is set to hit theaters December 20th, 2013.

The Muppets 2 will be filmed at Pinewood Studio in London from late January until some time in April. The film will feature brand-new songs by Bret McKenzie and may feature a brand-new Muppets in the cast as well. Yes, that means more than just one. Expect more casting announcements for the film very soon.

Source: Collider

Christoph Waltz Enters Talks To Join The Cast Of ‘The Muppets’ Sequel

by Shawn Madden

Academy Award winning actor Christoph Waltz (Inglorious Basterds, Django Unchained) has begun negotiations to join the cast of Disney’s sequel to The Muppets. If Waltz joins the cast he will play an Interpol inspector in the Europe set follow-up.

The studio is currently also on the hunt for “a Russian femme fatale and a male lead whose intentions are always in question”. The film is set to be helmed by James Bobin, who co-wrote the screenplay with Nicholas Stoller.

Source: THR

20th Century Fox To Bring ‘Sesame Street’ To The Big Screen!

by Scott Alminiana

The Hollywood Reporter broke the exclusive news that 20th Century Fox has picked up the movie rights and are planning to make a Sesame Street movie!  You read that right! Big Bird, Mr. Snuffleupagus (my favorite), Groover, Bert & Ernie, and the rest of the gang are coming to a theater near you. You had better get ready to find your way back to Sesame Street because sunny days are here again.

Joey Mazzarino, who is a long-time writer for the show, has been chosen to write the script. It will be produced by 21 Laps Entertainment, Michael Aguilar, Mark Gordon and Guymon Casady. Sesame Workshop, the makers of the show, will also be involved in the movie as well as getting a producer credit.

With The Muppets sequel in the works, as well as a Fraggle Rock movie also in development, it’s a good time to be a Jim Henson fan. Now if only someone could tell me how to get to Sesame Street…

The Muppets 2 will be a Caper!

by Saintmort

In an interview with Movieline Nicholas Stoller said that the next Muppet film will be a Caper in a similar vein of The Great Muppet Caper.  He was quoted saying “I think it’s similar to the first one in that the first one certainly had dramatic connections to the first Muppet movie, but it was a whole new thing, hopefully… This is the same thing. We love The Great Muppet Caper and we love Muppets Take Manhattan and whatnot. So this has some elements of that, but it’s different because it’s in the tone of what James and I like to do.”

I am particularly excited because this means that they read the article I wrote last month.

Jim Henson’s Original Muppet Show Pitch

by Saintmort

I’m not sure who first posted this video today, but I discovered it through Liquid Squid and the Muppets subreddit. Regardless of who shared it first, it’d be a travesty for us here at Geekscape to not also share it with you guys!

Now for people in their 20’s/30’s it’s hard to even imagine that there was a time where Jim Henson couldn’t just say ‘I want to do this’ and people would hand him money, felt and cameras. But in the 70’s Henson was seen as only marketable to small children. He had a dream of making the Muppets a household name that was accessible to all ages. Thus the Muppet Show was born. This was the pitch video he sent out.

There is so much that works in this video. The patriotic music, the increasing excitement of the host, the fourth wall breaking. Regardless CBS (among other studios) turned the project down. It wasn’t until Lew Grade (head of British Commercial Station ATV) offered Henson money to make the project a reality and giving us the Muppet Show we know and love today!

Who’s The Animal Now? Travis Barker Vs. Animal Drum Battle on Jimmy Kimmel

by Saintmort

As Jimmy Kimmel has continually proved, his talk show is one of the most bizarre and interesting late night experiences. This is a man who did full episodes dressed (and acting) like Jay Leno and Conan O’Brien. Most recently he had Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem as musical guests to promote the newly released DVD/Blu-Ray of The Muppets. Joining everything’s favorite felt funk rock group is Travis Barker (drummer of about 10 bands but mostly known for his work with Blink 182). Barker and Electric Teeth Drummer Animal break into a pretty fantastic drum battle in the middle of their hit 1979 song “Can You Picture That?”

The Muppets Get A Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame! Geekscape Was There!

by dickson

Though both Kermit The Frog and Jim Henson both have stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, it wasn’t until today that the furry and felt-made folks of the Muppet clan had their very own collective award.

Created by Jim Henson as a combination of marionettes and puppets, the Muppets have wormed their way into pop culture and the hearts of kids and wanna-be kids the world over. From Sesame Street to the new-to-home-video “The Muppets,” the cuddly creatures have taught generations the value of being good citizens, how to count and that C is for “cookie”.

Through “The Muppet Show”, Kermit led a fabric-ated force of new characters to the living rooms of America, bridging the gap between the preschool set and their long-suffering parents. Celebrity cameos and edgy humor made the show a success with youngsters and adults and secured a legendary status for Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Rowlf the Dog, Gonzo and many others that we now inexplicably know by name.

Tuesday’s ceremony was a great honor, and just happened to coincide with the release of “The Muppets” on Blu-ray and DVD. On hand for the festivities were Disney Studios Chairman Rich Ross and Henson Company CEO Lisa Henson, daughter of Jim Henson. They each gave short (ill-rehearsed) speeches about the value of Muppets in their lives and then made way for a gallery of Muppet honorees, including Frog, Piggy, Bear, Gonzo, Prawn and of course the new and marketable Walter, who appears in the new movie.

Star and writer Jason Segel was seen prowling about, as well as several of the Muppeteers who pilot the iconic characters. Much mention was made of the Oscar-winning song, “Muppet or Man” and the crowd was assured this is only the beginning of the start of a new era for the Muppets.

Personally, I was more of a cartoon kid growing up but I found myself a bit wistful this morning while immersed in Muppetmania. I remembered how neat it was to have a show like The Muppet Show that had my parents laughing as much as I did. I also have a love of puppets in general and to see that art form elevated to its highest popular status is pretty incredible, humbling and inspirational.

Far from simply potholders with arms, The Muppets have now found their place of honor in front of Papa Disney’s El Capitan theater right on Hollywood Boulevard. Synergy at work. Here’s the video I shot of the occasion:

Paul Williams Is Still Alive Documentary Trailer

by Saintmort

Paul Williams is someone who has probably written one of your favorite songs and you most likely don’t know who he is. In the 70’s Paul Williams was a singer/songwriter and while his originals where never huge hits when they were sung by The Carpenters, Three Dog Night or Kermit the Frog they went straight to number one.

This Sunday at SXSW Fest is the premiere of the documentary Paul Williams: Still Alive. The film unlike most documentaries seems more like an obsessive fan’s stalker tape based on the trailer (Think My Date With Drew meets Winnebago Man). When Stephen Kessler discovered his favorite deceased singer/songwriter and Tonight Show guest Paul Williams was actually alive and well, he made it his mission to find out what happened to this once adored renaissance man.

 

I’m bummed that I won’t be at SXSW to see this one so if you’re there, you should put this on your to do list.