Download the Muppets' Oz Teaser Promo

I do not judge a show by its cover, ever!

"Never judge a SHOW by its cover."

Same to everybody!

Boober Joey (BJ)

I choose the "not like the 1980's but yada yada" i think it looks alright... but it kinda looks cheesy too. I dunno how any one can vote for "best muppet movie ever" not having seen it yet. And how can u vote "its a dissapointment" without having seen the trialer? tsk tsk tsk

It seems strange to me that there isn't a positive vote option other that the 'best ever' category. The options given either force a person to sound disappointed (3 choices) or extremely enthusiastic (1 choice).

I think it will be pretty good, and I'm happy with anything Muppet. Of course, I've been happy with anything Muppet since I first saw them. (Okay, I didn't like Christmas Carol, but that's another story)

I'm excited about Oz, and I'm ready to be marketed to! (I want a Miss Piggy as Witch of the West costume )

Well, I throroughly enjoyed the trailer up until the whole Dorothy being a singing star bit. If it's not going to be a musical, why cast a singer just so she can get face time?

I know this wont be the worst Muppet movie ever; but I doubt it will be the best. Although for all I know it could be! I've heard snippets of two songs over the two trailers I've downloaded and they seem pretty good. I'm not shunning this film until the day I see it.

I'm sorry, but it sucks. There is none of the charm of previous Muppets films from the eighties... non of the classy re-invention of the mid nineties. Its all downhill from here.

My Muppet passion has died a slow and horrible death, and its time to move on...

Bye bye

this has to be the best post on the subject. Chris Curtain, JHC...ya listening?
Thanks for raping and pillaging the legacy of what had been set forth. For most of us all we can do is watch this train wreck of the 'modern' Disney Muppet era and shake our heads.

Then again, this new millennium is not being marked by innovation, but by stifling complacency and medicority.

Its my Birthday today. Im 35. I'm feeling somewhat reflective....

I built a carear on a dream in the late 80's that involved working at Hensons. By 93, it was looking promising, and K Clash seemed to really enjoy my work..... However, I sat and watched the company die a slow and painful death, and finally the final insult was watching the Jim Henson part of the Muppets legacy stripped from the brand in that ABC promo.

So, time to have a Muppet Spring Clean and to move on... so the Christmas Carol Crew Jacket, Jerry Juhls' directors chair and all the signed Muppet books filled with empty promise from Kevin is either heading to the trash can, or E bay....

Keeping the spirit of the Muppets was an impossible task.... the charm went "by the by" a long time ago, and I dont think it can be attributed to anyones passing on...... I think the rot set in as far back as the Muppets go to Di$neyland Special. I think its just down to not knowing what to do with a good thing. With the Mastercard ads and the superbowl pizza hut spots, I see my childhood hero's now being corperate whores, on spots dreamed up by wannabe muppet fans who think that such a campaign will tap into my nostalgic side and make me want to part with my hard earned cash. Im sorry fella's, but allyour doing is taking what was once the flagship brand from one of the most daring artists and watering it down to not even a shadow of its former self.... I used to consider Hensons as the pinacale of Puppeteering, but I see the UK output from Hensons these past 10 years awash with a closed shop mentality, and iffy performances mired by that closed shop, Puppet Mafia mentality where anyone who actuallyhas a voice stands little chance of getting a job, just in case it upsetrs the status Quo. It was heart breaking to hear that Kevin Clash was asking why the **** I was not on Treasure Island, only to find out that he was told that I was not available..... which as it turns out is a lie, perpetuated by the leaders of said closed shop. And its all down to one thing, That kinda thing would never happen in Jims day.... this self preservation, look after the boys mentality that have invaded the UK puppet scene..... and if you look at the UK output from Hensons, I promise you wont find one single performance that is worth writing home about.... (apart from Storyteller, butthat was a long time before the rot set in).

My friend M****s was also a very talented Puppeteer, and would have easily have created a performance of astounding quality at Hensons, but he too, like me has a voice and somehow that voice didnt fit in with the Camden Mafia and so he just did the right thing and set up his own shop.... So, unless there is a change of guard, I think that the Henson output from the UK will always be so so, and until that day happens, I will continue on my CG quest, of killer robots and Martian invasions until someone at Hensons actually has the balls to put someone who has a passion for performance and a REAL passion for the Muppets in charge of who gets work, as oppossed to the chaps in charge at the mo who just want to give jobs to the boys, regardless of whether or not they are actually any good. And as you may be able to tell, this had a real negative effect on my childhood dream....... I was one of the few people I know who actually wanted to do this, and didnt just fall into it from Acting, or Dance or who knows what. I made a concerted effort to follow this dream that I had since 79.

Anyway, this is starting to get personal, so let me get my original thoughts back on track....

So, if you want a Crew Jacket and the other stuff, PM me before it goes for good, because I have no use for it now... I just see it as a dollar value waiting to be realised.
How terrible is that??? I never thought I'd see the day.

Kermit and Gang, you inspired me, and helped me realise a dream (for a while) but now, well...., your no more special than Rollie Poly Ollie and the Teletubbies..... and thats a real heart breaker.

We'll always have Manhatton and Ice skating Penguins

C


PS: Here is the killer birthday Vibe.... It was on Feb 13th, 1990 that I was stood in Jim's Hampstead house, in the lounge, with Brian, in front of a massive mirror... puppeteering. I was invited to the creature shop for the day and it was all down to the fact that I was after a Job and B asked me to come in for a chat..... so that was 15 years ago today.... spooky..... because in 15 years, I have watched a dream crumple in such a devastating manner, im really not enjoying this birthday at all. To be in that house, surrounded by things created by one mans imagination.... the Skeksis throne at the end of the hallway, the bronze piggy on the mantle..... THAT was the stuff that someone with a dream just loves, its like the best trip ever.... Now, im 35, very imbittered towards what has happened with the creative legacy and see no way that London could ever be the creative hub that it was at the time of my first visit.

Its now just money men, yes men and people that work in marketing. Listen to what Bill Hicks once said about those type of people and you may too have a glance at where your favourite brand may be heading.

Call me back once you get it sorted, ive got better things to do....

You know, when your 24, and doing a workshop with Kevin, its never a good idea to slope off to the toilet for a pee, because invariably he will shout out for you and ask you to take the puppet off of the guy who is HELPING HIM teach US, a puppeteer of some standing in these here parts... simply because this 2nd teacher just cant fathom the routine that Kev is trying to teach the rest of the class.... neither could the 3rd teaching assistant.... Kevin got two of the UK's most experienced puppeteers to help in a workshop, and they were really no more better than the people that Kev turned down in the elimination stages... and I think that went down like a ****** sandwich with that 2nd puppeteer.... (the third, I dont know...) and that may be why I was not on treasure Island.... and he is now in charge of the puppet stuff in London and the people he hires are actually the people who didnt even get through the elimination stages of the workshop..... Can you imagine, I was over the moon that Kev was shouting for me to come rushing from the loo to releive this other teacher of his Fraggle because it was a hopeless task getting him to perform this routine that simply require two backing singers for Aretha's RESPECT to move in sync with a complicated routine to compliment the main fraggle as she lip synced to the song..... So, there we are, Elmo and my fraggle cutting up the floor where moments earlier, I was having a pee.... Man, this is why the output from the UK sucks....... Thats the mentality that is crippling Hensons UK.... anyway, none of the above will make any sense if you were not there, but if you happen across KC one day, tell him I said hi,

Brian, get your house in order man, its falling apart. Especially over here in the UK...

Not that this has anything to do with what was just said....

In the teaser trailer. The scene where Queen Latifah (Auntie Em.) Is sitting at a table in a type of audience (I'm going from memory here so work with me.) In the lower part of the screen...Check it out. So is it David Golez sitting there or is it not????

I saw that too, and I'm 99.9% sure that it is Dave.

I cropped your quote down a little so I hope you do not mind. Talk about watching a dream die. After Jim passed I was expecting the Muppets to fade away, when they did not I think I felt what Muppet fans across the country felt a sense of joy, and expectation. My whole life I wanted to perform with the Muppets and in truth I can do a better Kermit voice than Steve can and a much better Sam the Eagle than the new guy, I am working on Dr. Teeth and Floyd. When Muppets Tonight aired I watched 2 episodes and stopped watching, not only was it stupid, and at times disgusting, or overly sexual the magic was gone. I wrote Henson CO. a 2 page letter expressing not only my own discontent but also my younger siblings who could not understand what had happened to there friends the Muppets. Henson co wrote a snide little letter back to me thanking me for my input, but Muppets Tonight was a show for the 90's geared towards a 90's audience and they would take my suggestions under advisement.

Well the 90's were all about moving away from family and family values, television became more adult and edgy, and we suddenly were lowering the bar about what was and was not acceptable to say, and show on TV. The Muppets were no acceptation, while Muppets Christmas Carol was by all accounts and excellent film, which breathed life back into the Henson body, there characters them selves were breaking down. By the time we hit Muppets from Space, and It's a very Merry Muppet Family Christmas, the Muppet family had some how become dark, over the top edgy, foolish, childish, and well lets face it down right dirty, rude and just plain dumb.

In my mind the core values have slowly died away, and the Muppets have by all accounts sold out. It is now days more about turning a buck, and the almighty dollar sign $, than it is about producing a quality program, with good old fashioned values. Muppets have always done commercials, but those of the 50's, 60's and 70's we innovative, fresh, and interesting. Now days Miss Piggy is more like a parody of herself, a cartoon of her once graceful beautiful, aggressive self. She has become a farce, they all have, and kids to day do not know what they are laughing at.

Look at films like "the Cat in the Hat" or Scooby Do, which nothing more than toilet jokes, potty and sexual humor, and why are kids laughing at it. What are we teaching them, no longer are the Muppets educators using humors irreverence and sincerity to convey real information, they have sold out. The worst part is that it becomes more and more morally acceptable to watch that kind of crap and call it good family entertainment.

I had opportunity to talk with one of the producers of Sesame Street about 4 years ago. They used to produce 100 shows a season, but with other crummy programming like tela tubbies, Barney, and a few others. they now only produce a little less than half, the Henson of the 70's and 80's is gone, it is gone for good my friends, and the work horse known as Disney will only continue to pump out below standard films riding the success of thee once timely classics into the ground.

Muppet films Like Disney Animation was something that used to be a fine craft, it took months often years to create. The writing was not only thought provoking, but intelligible, endearing, loveable and could stand on its own with out any jazzing up. The jokes had a fresh decency, and we all felt better after experiencing the film. When I was a boy it was standard after a Disney film there was applause, not any more, not theses days, now we are out the door before we realize it is over and on to the next thing.

OZ is a story that is over 100 years old, it was written in a fresh, brilliant style, with humor, and fun built right in, it is full of good values, morals and a friendly philosophy built right in. Things that the Muppets used to use to there advantage, I am disappointed and regret to say that this Muppet Oz thing looks like a total flop......and I regret holding on to my own dream for so long.

I am 29, and as a cold hard dose of reality there is only one boy in this entire world who will never grow up, and he died a long long time ago when Hook was eaten by the Crock.

I'll be the first to admit that most of TV and movies is nothing but crud. However, it's true filth sells. To change that you'd have to change America. And well most people would rather watch trash than good clean (I mean completly clean no innuendos, cuss words, nada) family entertainment. (I hated the rave idea and scene in VMMC) However, I still have a glimmer of hope for the Muppets. Can't help it I just do. I gave up on Disney long ago. I'm sorry for your bad experiences Craig. I'm sure that you have good memories though. Hold on to those. Call me ignorant, young, blinded whatever. Whatever the truth is and whereever the Muppets and Henson Co. is heading I'll never know. Frankly I don't want to know. Where there's still time left. There's still hope. Nothing's gone until it's completly dead. Which the Muppet's aren't..yet.

But there is always hope I guess that OZ will turn out ok in the end.

It sure is.

teaser.

Well i guess my macintosh is too darn old or something because I cannot play the teaser. I have seen the stills from it, but I can not get it to play. If some one has it in a formatt a mac can read please let me know.

To Craig Crane:

Thanks so much for posting, rarely do we get an indepth personal puppeteer's view. I am so sorry you never got to work on that Muppet film and get a career with JHC. That truly sucks.

I think it's denial on the part of fans, but truly the dream has crumbled. And it isnt all the EMTV and Disney buyouts. The fact the workshops were closed down, and the UK becoming not quite the creative output it once was for JHC...I mean the spiritual mecca of the Muppets is no longer NYC, but some studio closet in Burbank now.

To the good doctor, yes the Muppets have always been about core family values, there has always been an edge to the Muppets. Unfortunately, the Muppets have now gone down the sterile 'safe family fun' tubes to the other extreme now that Disney has got em. There is no balance anymore, tho I was probably one of the few people really cheering on the Muppet Fox Prime Time thing.

I know and I respect the Muppet fans are willing to take scraps...ABC posts what has to be the most lame duck, anti creative dreck since Classic Fairytale Theatre and people think it's the bomb.

the sooner we get into the reality of the situation, the sooner we can figure out how to process this unfortunate state of affairs.

Like I said, The Muppets 1955-2004

I converted the WMV file into QuickTime MPEG4, and higher quality MPEG. If you want I can e-mail or AIM it to you. The MPEG4 file is 1.3 mb's and the MPEG file is 11.8 mb's. The 11 mb one I would have to send over AIM, but the 1 mb one I can e-mail.

Please email the quicktime to me @ scaecrow34@hotmail.com.

In fact any one can email meif they want to.

Sent.

It's scarecrow34@hotmail.com though, isn't it?

Hey man thanks fro sending that, I got it and just realized that there is some kind of blocker her at work so we cannot watch video here. Now that I am out of the house i will have to see about getting the net turned on at the new place.

I am so dumb I cannot believe I spelled my own email address wrong.

scarecrow34@hotmail.com

Like I said any one can email me.