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The Muppets' Music Man Bret McKenzie on His Oscar Nod and Taking a Silly Job Seriously

Lindsay Miller — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:50:41 PST

Bret McKenzie is up for an exceedingly rare honor this year, with his ballad "Man or Muppet" earning one of just two nominations in the Oscars' best song category. I caught up with The Muppets' musical supervisor today at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank to chat about the awards attention and the unique experience of penning music for Kermit and company. The New Zealand native talked about fighting the temptation to use the word "motherfrogger" in his songwriting and the roundabout way he came on board The Muppets project in the first place. Bret - who previously was best known as one half of the musical comedy duo Flight of the Conchords - also shared his hopes of bringing FOC to the big screen. Check out our conversation below:

PopSugar: It's got to be an honor to be nominated for an Oscar, but also in a year when the Academy only bothered to nominate two songs.
Bret McKenzie: They barely nominated anyone! When I found out, it sounded like there'd been a mistake, and yeah, it's a huge honor. It's great and it's really exciting, and I'm not complaining that there's only two nominees the year I'm nominated. I mean, this is the best chance I'll have of winning an Oscar, ever. It couldn't have been better, unless there was just one nomination, and then it would be a very dull ceremony . . . There's a lot of legendary musicians - tunesmiths - in that list of possible nominations. So it's all very surreal to think that I got in ahead of Elton John.

PS: And Madonna. Those two had a little rivalry going on.
BM: I know. I got nervous about what Elton John's husband was going to say about me. It's crazy, and it's great for The Muppets film, because we're all really proud of the film and it wasn't ever really going to get a best actor. Hey, Jason's good, that's not what I mean, but Kermit, Miss Piggy - they can't win these awards - and comedies don't generally get recognized at these awards ceremonies, so it's kind of cool. It's almost like the film as a whole is being recognized with this category.

For more from our chat with Bret, including what he says about his plans for a Flight of the Conchords film, coaching Jason Segel, and the pressure he felt on the project, just

read more! PS: What was the biggest unexpected challenge for you writing music for the film? I know you talked about one draft of a song where you referred to a Muppet as a piece of felt and were told you couldn't do that. BM: Yeah. Little piece of felt, and you couldn't say things like motherfrogger, even though it's very tempting. There were lots of hard parts to it. The Muppets can't sing certain notes. They can't sing too high or the voice changes and doesn't sound like the right character. There were so many weird things. I spent hours recording penguins and rats, and what's weird is that it's such a silly job, but you have to take it very seriously. So I would be in the studio for days, maybe a whole day recording penguins, and then I'm like, "I'm not happy with how the penguins are sounding! Where's penguin four?" You know, getting demanding. "We lost penguin track four! I can't hear the penguin!" PS: I was watching the movie again last night and watching Jason Segel's performance of "Man or Muppet." Did you coach him on any of his rockstar moves? Because he pretty much nailed it. BM: He nailed it. That's my favorite moment in the film. When he buckles down in the rain, that was one of my favorite shots. I was so proud of what James [Bobin, the director] and those guys achieved, because I wasn't there on set, I just saw them syncing the video, and I was like, "Wow, guys. You nailed it." What we did do in the studio, as Jason and I had a technique where I would sing a line, and he'd watch me through the window, and then he'd sing it back. So we did this thing where, I was really into the drama of it. So, I was like, "Am I a Muppppettt?" [balling his hands into fists] And he'd be like, OK, record. "Am I a Muppppettt!" So we kind of worked together to get that style. PS: Did it shatter some of your childhood illusions to have the guy that does Miss Piggy's voice come work with you [in the recording studio]? BM: Yeah. Well, it wasn't Frank Oz. The guy Eric, who does it now, yeah. That was strange. And the day that we recorded Kermit the Frog doing "Rainbow Connection" - I was sort of pinching myself, because that was probably one of the real moments for me where I realized that my world had really changed. That I'd come from New Zealand, I'd grown up with Kermit the Frog, and now I was in Hollywood in a studio recording Kermit the Frog. It felt like worlds had collided. PS: Was there pressure knowing there was already this great catalog of Muppet songs? To try to add to that or top it in some way? BM: I knew I wouldn't top "Rainbow Connection," but I was very intimidated, but the way I worked on the job was it actually started with me just writing one song, so I didn't feel the pressure of writing the whole movie. I think it would have been different if I'd been hired from the outset to do all the music. So I wrote one, then another, and gradually wrote more and more, so that helped. PS: What song did you write first? BM: The opening song. That's the one they needed, that's the one James asked me to write first. The script was probably on a second draft, and they were in preproduction, so I came in quite late. And the way they were doing it was, they got 100s of demos submitted from all sorts of songwriters, and surprisingly - even though they got some really great people to do demos - people weren't quite hitting the right tone. The Muppet tone. I'd just come off the Conchords tour and I had some time, and James asked if I was interested in doing that opening song, because he had a kind of specific thing he needed from that song. He needed it to be really Muppet-y, that song, and he had a great idea for the whole town joining in, it starting off small and becoming a big musical number, and that came together really well. PS: Is this experience maybe something you want to bring to a Flight of the Conchords movie? BM: Yeah, exactly. Having done this movie now, we're in a much better place to do a Conchords film, because James is more experienced - well, we're all more experienced. Not specifically, but James Bobin - well, we're all very keen to do another studio musical, because I really enjoyed being able to do comedy musical numbers on such a grand scale, and I think next time, I really think it will just get better and better. Because it's such a fun genre, and we've done like 50 songs for TV now, and now The Muppets movie, and I feel like we've accidentally sort of become musical comedy experts. PS: What do you imagine Bret and Jemaine from Flight of the Conchords are up to these days, in their universe? BM: In the Lower East Side? That's a good question. I reckon they probably got a regular gig now. Like, at a Chinese restaurant. Photo courtesy Disney

Link Time - First Photo of Klaus From The Vampire Diaries

BuzzSugar — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 13:30:45 PDT

Take a look at The Vampire Diaries's Klaus - Zap2it
Sean Hayes will play Larry in the Three Stooges movie - /Film
Keanu Reeves talks Bill and Ted 3 - Moviefone
On the set with the cast of The Vampire Diaries - TV Squad
Charlie Sheen spoofs his 20/20 interview - PopWatch
Flight of the Conchords' Bret McKenzie will play an elf in The Hobbit - Vulture
Decorating inspiration from Water For Elephants - CasaSugar

R.I.P. Flight of the Conchords: My Favorite Musical Moments

BuzzSugar — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 08:10:00 PST

Even though evidence has been mounting that Flight of the Conchords wouldn't be coming back for a third season, I'm still supremely bummed that Bret and Jemaine have confirmed that they won't be coming back via their website.

So, since the majority of you said that you'd also be disappointed if the show didn't return, I think you'll appreciate my video tribute to the Conchords. Sure, the humor of the show was hilarious, but the guys' biggest impact came from their original songs like "Business Time." Luckily, with their albums and DVDs, I can still count on the guys to make me feel like the most beautiful girl in the room whenever I need a pick-me-up.

Check out some of my favorite musical numbers from the show when you

read more. "Sellotape" "Carol Brown" "If You're Into It" "Most Beautiful Girl (In the Room)" Photo courtesy of HBO

The Conchords May Not Fly Again - Are You Bummed?

BuzzSugar — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:30:00 PST

The Flight of the Conchords released a new album just a few weeks ago, but we may be seeing less of the goofy New Zealanders in the future. In a recent interview, Jemaine Clement hinted there might not be a third season of their HBO series. He said, "It very likely might not. . . We've got to write the series, but we've also got to write the songs, and just dividing your time into those two writing tasks is really tricky."

I still love watching (and listening to!) the Conchords first season, though I admittedly was less enthused about the second set of episodes. Still, I would be sad to see them go. What about you - are you bummed about this news?

Fall in Love With Flight of the Conchords Again (or At Last)

BuzzSugar — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 08:30:43 PST

Flight of the Conchords isn't necessarily one of those shows I watch for the plot - it's mostly just for the laughs and the goofy songs - but just in case you're confused when your friends prattle on about Bret and Jemaine, HBO can help you out. Yup, it's another of those ". . . in four minutes" videos, this one introducing you to Murray the band manager, superfan Mel, and Sally (you know, the "prettiest girl in the whole wide room").

Awesomely, that's not the only Conchords video treat I have today. One of my favorite minor Conchords characters, Dave, runs a comical pawn shop that the show checks in on from time to time, and now we're getting a look at the ads Dave made for his shop. I imagine these things running on public-access TV late at night. And, well, let's just say Bret and Jemaine aren't the only people on the show capable of writing catchy jingles.

To check out the videos, just

read more. Can't get enough? Giggle's got one more Conchords video. Source

Whee! Check Out a New Flight of the Conchords Promo

BuzzSugar — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 15:30:08 PST

Via the Watcher comes the most delightful 40 seconds of my day: a new promo for Flight of the Conchords. The HBO comedy, with New Zealanders Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement singing goofy song parodies and trying to make it big in New York, begins its second season Jan. 18.

The show's second season may be its last, so I for one am planning to soak in every minute of ridiculous comedy this Winter. This promo is short, but it's also pretty representative of the Conchords dynamic: Jemaine wants to make a serious promo for the show; Bret wants to be a gangster. To check it out, just

Listen to the Flight of the Conchords Album Online

BuzzSugar — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 06:30:00 PDT

One of my true pleasures this summer has been watching "Flight of the Conchords" on HBO each Sunday night. Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie never fail to crack me up playing versions of themselves in a struggling folk parody duo - New Zealand's fourth most popular folk parody duo, in fact - as they navigate New York life and try to shake off their one persistent, stalker-ish fan.

Their songs, which satirize everything from French pop to soul to power ballads, are a highlight of the show, and now a bunch of them have been collected on the band's EP, The Distant Future, which hit stores this week. The album is currently streaming over at AOL's Listening Party, and it's got some of the greatest hits from the show, including "I'm Not Crying" ("it's just raining/on my face"), as well as three live tracks, one of which is "Robots," a personal favorite.

I was worried the songs wouldn't be as funny without Bret and Jemaine's facial expressions and awkward dances, but luckily for all of us, they hold up just fine. If you'd rather watch an awkward dance, though, you can check out the guys' take on a cutesy French pop song from the most recent episode of the TV show if you

Check Out "The Flight of the Conchords" Online!

BuzzSugar — Thu, 17 May 2007 08:30:54 PDT

Do you ever see a relatively unknown actor or actress in something, then suddenly start seeing him or her everywhere? That's happening to me right now with Jemaine Clement. First, he played the nerdy Jarrod in Eagle vs. Shark, one of my favorite movies of the year so far. And now, he's about to star in the HBO comedy "Flight of the Conchords," which is maybe my most-anticipated summer series (OK, second after "Creature Comforts").

Here's the deal: Clement and Bret McKenzie have been performing for years as Flight of the Conchords, "New Zealand's fourth most popular folk parody duo." They've been the subject of a BBC documentary and an HBO special and have played at Bumbershoot and on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien." Now, they've moved to New York, where they're writing new material, meeting (and alienating) women and frequently breaking into song at random times. Their 12-episode series will start airing June 17 after "Entourage," but you don't have to wait till then. For this week (until May 21) the episode will be available in full on MySpace; after that, it will be on the show's HBO site and other online video sites.

I think there's a certain kind of person who will find this show hilarious, and I'm definitely that kind of person. One of show's other writers also wrote for "Da Ali G Show," so that helps explain what you're in for. If you don't have time for the whole pilot, I have a couple of short song clips that you can watch if you

What to TiVo: Monday

BuzzSugar — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 23:59:30 PST

8:00 The Bachelor (new)
10:00 Castle (new)
12:00 Jimmy Kimmel Live (new, with guest LL Cool J)

8:00 How I Met Your Mother (new)
8:30 2 Broke Girls (new)
9:00 Two and a Half Men (new)
9:30 Mike & Molly (new)
10:00 Hawaii Five-0 (new)
11:35 Late Show With David Letterman (new, with guest Sarah Michelle Gellar)
12:37 The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson (new, with guests Mark Harmon and Martha Plimpton)

8:00 House (new)
9:00 Alcatraz (new)

8:00 The Voice (new)
10:00 Smash (new, series premiere)
11:35 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno (new, with guest Dwayne Johnson)
12:35 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon (repeat)

8:00 Gossip Girl (new)
9:00 Hart of Dixie (new)

The Oscar Nominations: Snap Judgments

Shannon Vestal — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:24:33 PST

The Oscar nominations were announced this morning, and now that we've had time to digest the news, we have a few reactions to share. From the positive and excited to the slightly disappointed, check out our thoughts on the 2012 Academy Award nominations, and be sure to share yours too.

It's rare for a comedy to be able to compete with all of the heavy dramas of award season, especially an R-rated comedy, but Bridesmaids impressed us by not just nabbing a supporting actress nomination for Melissa McCarthy, but for best original screenplay for Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo. Nice work, ladies!
We were happy to see acting nominations for Nick Nolte in Warrior and Gary Oldman for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. Both men have been left off a lot of lists (like the Golden Globes), but we're so glad that they pulled in Oscar nominations since these were two performances we felt strongly about.
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo may have been passed over in most major categories, but its lead actress, Rooney Mara, was still recognized. The Academy seems to love its ingénues, and we're glad they chose Rooney for her brave breakout role.
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close has suffered from some bad reviews, but not from the Academy: it scored a best picture nomination and a nod for supporting actor Max von Sydow. We liked him in the role, but it's still a surprise to see the movie come up so strongly.
The Tree of Life was a similar surprise, since the Summer release had polarized reviewers and audiences and didn't seem to have much award season steam. But the movie still managed to join the race with nods for best picture and best director for Terrence Malick.

To read some more of my Oscar snap judgments, just keep reading.