Muppet Movie Credits Questions

Muppet Master

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 14, 2014
Messages
2,742
Reaction score
1,560
I was wondering while watching some of the theatrically released muppet films how some of the credits for the films are extremely short, while others I fast-forward. For instance, here's TMM's end credits.


It doesn't even reach 3 minutes in length at 2:52 while some films have credits 10 minutes long! Here are the credits for GMC, and they stand even shorter than TMM being only 2:32!



That's pretty dang short for a big-budget film chock-full of special effects. In fact, if both films had normal credit time-spans then they'd be well over 100 minutes in length. For whatever reason, considering a lower budget than GMC, MTM has the longest credit time-span of the original muppet movie trilogy, with 3:26, but still not long!


Then, we roam into the second trilogy of muppet films. MCC at 4:23, and even with a much shorter run-time and a less-expensive film, it still has longer credits than the first three. Then with MTI the credits are a whooping 6:44, which is basically on par with how long some movie credits are nowadays, and with the big special effects, I can see why the credits border 7 minutes. MFS, then has a running credits time of 6:21. Then as we reach TM the credits time decreases to 5:57. Since I have no MMW data, I'll end it there, so why do some of the muppet movies have such short credits while low-budget ones like MFS flirt with the 7-minute mark?
 

JimAndFrank

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 10, 2013
Messages
1,021
Reaction score
1,647
I was wondering while watching some of the theatrically released muppet films how some of the credits for the films are extremely short, while others I fast-forward. For instance, here's TMM's end credits.


It doesn't even reach 3 minutes in length at 2:52 while some films have credits 10 minutes long! Here are the credits for GMC, and they stand even shorter than TMM being only 2:32!



That's pretty dang short for a big-budget film chock-full of special effects. In fact, if both films had normal credit time-spans then they'd be well over 100 minutes in length. For whatever reason, considering a lower budget than GMC, MTM has the longest credit time-span of the original muppet movie trilogy, with 3:26, but still not long!


Then, we roam into the second trilogy of muppet films. MCC at 4:23, and even with a much shorter run-time and a less-expensive film, it still has longer credits than the first three. Then with MTI the credits are a whooping 6:44, which is basically on par with how long some movie credits are nowadays, and with the big special effects, I can see why the credits border 7 minutes. MFS, then has a running credits time of 6:21. Then as we reach TM the credits time decreases to 5:57. Since I have no MMW data, I'll end it there, so why do some of the muppet movies have such short credits while low-budget ones like MFS flirt with the 7-minute mark?
You've got to remember that the original Muppet triology still followed the old-school tradition of placing the major credits in the opening, which is why the introductions are particularly lengthy.

In the 90's triology, the films were subjected to the more modern set-up of crediting the director, producer(s), music composer, lead actors, etc at the beginning and leaving the majority until the end credits. Which is why MTI and MFS have such long end credits.

The two modern movies (which I sincerely hope become a triology) are just like the 90's triology when it comes to crediting.

It's not the movies budget that matters, but the time in which it was made. I hope this answers your question on the matter :smile:
 

minor muppetz

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 19, 2005
Messages
16,044
Reaction score
2,642
I wonder if speed makes a difference in credit sequences regarding whether they're all stacks of credits that show up, then disappear, then another stack (which comprises all of TMMs credits but only parts of the other credits) vs. having the credits scroll up.

The first few times I saw The Muppets Take Manhattan, I thought that the end credits were too long. Which is a silly thing to think, since it's over, what's my hurry?, and I don't have to watch all the credits (though when I watch many Muppet productions, I often feel the need to sit through the whole credits, even when there's nothing really interesting. Though I've haven't really watched the full end credits for MCC that often).

I have seen TV airings of The Muppet Movie where it ends halfway through the end credits. The recent ABC Family airings do have the full end credits, but at the usual halfway spot replace the action with the credits on a black background.
 

Muppet Master

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 14, 2014
Messages
2,742
Reaction score
1,560
You've got to remember that the original Muppet triology still followed the old-school tradition of placing the major credits in the opening, which is why the introductions are particularly lengthy.

In the 90's triology, the films were subjected to the more modern set-up of crediting the director, producer(s), music composer, lead actors, etc at the beginning and leaving the majority until the end credits. Which is why MTI and MFS have such long end credits.

The two modern movies (which I sincerely hope become a triology) are just like the 90's triology when it comes to crediting.

It's not the movies budget that matters, but the time in which it was made. I hope this answers your question on the matter :smile:
Hmm, that is true, thanks for clearing that up, now that you mention it I should have remembered how Fozzie awed in GMC how there were so many credits at the beginning or how long the opening "scat" scene in MTM lasted, and all the credits before Rainbow Connection and after the movie theater seen in TMM.
 
Top