Very Merry Muppet Christmas reairs on NBC December 6th

[petrieboy]

"Henson can't please everybody. If they make a purely kiddie movie, they'll alienate many adult fans. The classic Muppets are not Sesame Street and the target audience isn't pre-school kids."

Wrong. Henson CAN please everybody. "The Muppet Movie" and "The Muppet Show" appeal to children and adults, with a sweet spirit, wicked creativity and good writing- nothing "kiddie" about them, and nothing vulgar or questionable either. Roger Ebert has always said that any good "children's" film will be just as enjoyable for adults, or else it's not that good. No one here wants Sesame Street, and no one is looking for pre-school entertainment. There's a wide open field between that and IAVMMCM that could have been explored. This was a sell-out project through and through. And I'm a sell-out for purchasing the dvd, just to complete my Muppet collection.
I suggest that those who were offended and want the "true" Muppets to return, write to fanmail@henson.com and voice their concerns.

 

[rexcrk]

There is not one laugh-out-loud moment.

Actually, I found myself laughing out loud at the part where Howard grabs Kermit's butt and says "Love that tushy!" and I loved the part with Kermit at Club Dot and Sam the Eagle is swinging glow sticks around, Beaker is the bouncer, Scooter in the cage, Bunsen as the door manager, Johnny selling drinks, Statler and Waldorf not buying drinks for "the ladies", it was great!

 

[Skeeter Muppet]

It's not gonna happen. There's no way that the Muppets can go back to the way they used to be.

Unless you know of some way to ressurect the dead.

-Kim

 

[beaker]

It's not gonna happen. There's no way that the Muppets can go back to the way they used to be.

True. JHC didnt start doing 'remakes of classic stories' as features until post JH.

Anyways, glad they reshowed this. If Muppet Movie is a full course, this is just an appetizer and should be viewed as such. I actually now find it more enthralling to see more of a edgy/inappropriate side, given most the fans seem to be the older nostalgia crowd.

My top ten fave things about VMC:

1. Kermit referencing Muppet Central
2. The Two Bossmen!
3. Pepe
4. Buff Beaker
5. penguins!
6. nite club scene
7. return of the theatre
8. Cirque de su l'ame(so bizarre!)
9. Moulin Scrouge
10. Seeing obscure and older Muppets return

I say get the dvd, if nothign else than for the Pepe Actors Guild parody thingy.

 

[Don'tLiveonMoon]

To be honest, I wasn't that crazy about IAVMMCM. I guess it was all the adult humor in it, and I found Joan Cusack really annoying. Whoopi didn't bother me that much, though it did seem like her presence might have been making some kind of political / theological statement. I don't know. I like Whoopi, so I didn't really care, but I found the movie on the whole to be disappointing. And part of it may be that "It's A Wonderful Life" just doesn't seem like a movie you ought to remake. "A Christmas Carol" worked, and I loved that movie, but that one's been done so many times anyway that it was almost expected the Muppets would have done a version. There are scenes in IAVMMCM that I thought were really good, like the whole thing where Fozzie was on his fruitless quest, but I'd probably say it's my least favorite of the Muppet movies.
Erin

 

[Don'tLiveonMoon]

1. Kermit referencing Muppet Central

I remember noticing that last year. I thought that was pretty cool!
Erin

 

[rexcrk]

LOL! Is Kermit referencing Muppet Central when he makes the comment about "one of those Internet Muppet fan sites"?

 

[jediX]

Well, sorta. Wasn't a direct reference, but... oh well. Not worth debating either way.

I really liked seeing Scooter back...that's probably what makes the show watchable for me now (at least the parts w/o Whoopi...I've never cared for her much)... I skip over that beginning crap with David Arquette. I really liked Scoot's comment "my Uncle used to own the theatre!"

What was my fave part? That it ended! Just kidding... of the whole thing I liked... um...I don't know. Just that Scooter was there, I guess. I missed that guy.

Besides, Muppets weren't exactly intended for JUST children to begin with. It saddens me they put the TMS discs in the children's section instead of the tv or comedy. As far as I'm concerned, the ONLY intended-for-children mainstream "Muppet" films or projects are Muppet Babies, toon Fraggle Rock, Little Muppet Monsters, Xmas Toy/Secret Life of Toys, Fraggle Rock (to some extent...I guess it was intended for kids at the time but it has carried over to popularity among people of our age brackets) and Tale of the Bunny Picnic (I don't consider 'Bear' Muppet whatsoever). Are any of those shows 'risqué'? No way -- they're even cleaner than the garbagey children's shows of today. I'll STILL throw in one of my Muppet Babies tapes to this day and get a decent laugh from them. Now THAT was A+ children's material.

Bottom line -- there are enough Muppet Christmas specials and movies. I'l stick w/ my good ol' Muppet Family Christmas anyday. And I'll watch my VHS copy from the original airdate, not that sadly butchered DVD. Ahhh... memories

Second bottom line -- I'm sick of all the blasted "classic tale" remakes/retellings. I've watched the three "classic" films (The Muppet Movie, Great Muppet Caper, Muppets Take Manhattan) exponentially more than the post Jim ones. Heck, I hadn't seen Muppet Christmas Carol since the theater release until this weekend when I got the DVD.

That's my two cents... I'm out.

 

[Chilly Down]

Maybe I am just a little old fashioned, but the idea of the Muppet theater having a topless dancing license seems a bit inappropriate. Just as Kermit's approval of getting the license is a little too tacit.

The joke was that Kermit is technically "topless" -- i.e., except for his collar, he isn't wearing anything. Just as Mickey Mouse is technically "topless." The Muppets have done jokes like that before, but I think the problem was with the execution on this one. Most people (including myself) completely missed the gag the first time around, and had the same shocked reaction you had.

 

[Super Scooter]

All this debate about kids entertainment and adult entertainment reminds me of something. The other night, PBS showed a documentary on The Jack Paar Show, and one of the scenes shown was of when the Muppets did "I've Grown Accustomed to Your Face" on the show. Afterward, it was interrupted by a telethon, and one of the hosts commented.: "I didn't remember the Muppets being so crude. Yuck!"

Hehe! Just goes to show you, the Muppets haven't changed much in the last 40 years.