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TV Tonight: The Muppets Take Sacred Heart

BuzzSugar — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 11:35:28 -0800

When the puppets of Avenue Q stopped by Scrubs a while back, the result was a fun and slightly off-color musical romp through Sacred Heart. Tonight, some more familiar Muppets - including Grover, Oscar the Grouch, and Elmo - are swinging by the hospital, and while this episode seems a little sweeter, it looks like it will still have a lot of laughs.

I mean, just look at that picture! In this episode, Oscar briefly pretends to be the new chief of medicine, Grover goes around looking for a "high four," and Elmo tries to make the blunt Denise care. But I'm not sure how well that's going to turn out; the official episode description says "J.D. learns the hard way that not even Elmo can teach the gift of compassion to those who don't care to learn."

Oh, and the episode's title? "My ABC's." Of course! To check out a couple of clips, read more.

The Muppets Are Back With Letters to Santa

BuzzSugar — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 11:30:08 -0800

The Muppets seem to be having a bit of a resurgence lately, what with Jason Segel working on a new Muppet movie and maybe even an updated Muppet Show. But those projects are still a ways off, so while we're waiting, it might be worth checking out NBC tonight for a new Muppet holiday special, A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa.

In the special, which airs tonight at 8 p.m. (EST/PST), the Muppets accidentally intercept three letters that should be headed to Santa's mailbox instead. It's already Christmas Eve, so they must hurry up and make it to the North Pole before Santa takes off on his gift-dropping trip around the globe - or else three wishes will go unfulfilled. Of course, there are obstacles (Miss Piggy was planning on a tropical vacation), but in the end, I'm guessing that Christmas ends up happy for all.

The special is full of guests, including Uma Thurman, Jane Krakowski, Nathan Lane, and Whoopi Goldberg - but really, I'm just in it for Kermit, Fozzie, Gonzo, and the rest. There's singing and dancing, of course, and you can check out one of the songs, plus a behind-the-scenes clip from the special, if you read more.

Photos courtesy of NBC

Link Time! 11/20

BuzzSugar — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 13:30:16 -0800

Dear Gossip Girl: Please get rid of Aaron Rose. XOXO. - Buddy TV
Ben Lyons sucks some information from Twilight director Catherine Hardwicke. - E!'s Lyons Den
Should Disney make the fourth Pirates of the Caribbean movie in 3-D? - Cinematical
Check out James van der Beek on One Tree Hill. - Give Me My Remote
Bryan Singer opens up about Valkyrie and we get a new photo from the film. - MTV Movies Blog
It's a new Andrew Bird song! Happy day. - You Ain't No Picasso
Hot dogs and ostrich eggs? Go talk Top Chef! - YumSugar
Aw, check out these underappreciated Muppets. - Pop Candy
See? We're not the only ones feeling desperately protective of Privileged! - Popwatch

Photo courtesy of The CW

Buzz Gift Guide: Cool Stuff For Kids

BuzzSugar — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 06:30:10 -0800

Welcome back, folks, to my Buzz Gift Guide series for all the entertainment lovers in your life. Last week I tackled the adults in the family, and today I'm focusing on the budding pop culture nuts in your life.

I'll admit, I would have killed for these gifts as a kid, and I'd probably treasure them as an adult were I to receive them (what can I say? I'm a child at heart). Take, for example, this amazing service from FAO Schwarz to create your own Muppet! You can play around with the different combinations online or order a special gift kit. I bet any little puppet-loving child in your world would think it's a pretty spectacular gift.

Speaking of Muppets, I really think each generation should be exposed to Fraggle Rock, which is why this complete DVD series is so cool (um, I might buy it for myself). If that special little person in your life is a Pixar fanatic, then this DVD set is for them. Finally, for those musically inclined kiddos (and parents), check out the Rockabye Baby series in which you can find lullaby versions of songs by the Beatles, Coldplay, Metallica, Bob Marley, Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones, the Cure, you name it. Now that's one hip baby.

Make Your Own Muppet at FAO Schwarz ($90-130)	Rockabye Baby ($13.99)
Pixar Ultimate Collection ($109.99)	Fraggle Rock: The Complete Series Collection ($89.99 )

Check out HolidaySugar for all of our holiday coverage and gift guides.

Henson Co. Working on Puppet Mystery Movie for Adults

BuzzSugar — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 12:31:28 -0700

Fans of Avenue Q, The Dark Crystal, and the general concept of inappropriate things coming from the mouths of puppets may want to pay special attention to this news: The Jim Henson Co. is working on a film noir comedy-slash-murder mystery movie called The Happytime Murders.

In the world of The Happytime Murders, puppets and humans co-exist together, but puppets are viewed as second-class citizens. According to the Hollywood Reporter:

When the puppet cast of an '80s children's TV show called The Happytime Gang begins to get murdered one by one, a disgraced LAPD detective-turned-private eye puppet - with a drinking problem, no less - takes on the case.

A drunken, disgraced private eye . . . puppet? Investigating the tragic murders of other puppets? Sign. Me. Up.

Even better, according to the Reporter, there are tons of awesome influences at work for this project, from Avenue Q to LA Confidential to Pulp Fiction. Jim Henson's son Brian is signed up to direct.

There's been lots of cool Muppet-related news lately, but this just might be my favorite. What do you all think? Anyone else share my enthusiasm for foul-mouthed puppets?

Source

Would You Watch a New Muppet Show?

BuzzSugar — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 15:30:36 -0700

You know, I was already really excited about the news that Jason Segel was working on a new Muppet movie. But could he also be plotting a new version of The Muppet Show? According to a report from the UK, the answer is yes. Segel's movie script apparently "involves all the Muppets uniting to save their studio with one last variety show," and it leaves open the possibility of continuing in TV form - presumably if the movie does well.

Maybe it's just because I recently watched a few vintage Muppet Show episodes (with guests Peter Sellers and John Cleese!), but I think a modern-day Muppet Show could be fantastic - if it could recapture the spirit of the original. (That's where I think the 1996 ABC/Disney update, Muppets Tonight, fell short.) What do you think?

Source

What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 20 May 2008 08:15:57 -0700

All of the new DVD releases hit stores (and Netflix) on Tuesdays. So each week in What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday, I sort through the best of the batch and tell you what to add to your queue. Pickings were a bit slim, I have to say. But hey, it's nice outside. We should all get some fresh air anyway this week, right?

National Treasure: Book of Secrets
Just as the big action-adventure blockbusters roll into theaters this summer, here's a blast from the past (er, a blast from last December). National Treasure: Book of Secrets is available for home viewing, just in case you want more of that genre right now. This is the second in the successful Disney franchise about a group of adventure seekers looking for treasure via American history. In this installment, Nicholas Cage stars as Benjamin Franklin Gates and goes on the hunt with his pals for the truth behind the assassination of President Lincoln by John Wilkes Booth.

It's a wee bit hokey and a lot goofy, but at the end of the day, a lot of moviegoers really like these flicks. Plus, it is nothing if not a family-friendly PG-rated action-adventure that kids will get a kick out of. Special features include cast bloopers and outtakes and featurettes titled "The Book of Secrets: On Location," and "Street Stunts: Creating the London Chase." One featurette struck me as particularly funny: "Inside the Library of Congress" (woo-hoo!).

One more kid-friendly title so read more.

The Muppet Show: Season Three
It's hard to believe some of my favorite shows of the past are still not completely available on DVD (hello, people in charge of Ally McBeal: come on already!) and The Muppet Show is no exception. The show was on the air from 1976-1981 and and now Season Three is yours to love and adore at home. Season Three took place from 1978-1979 and included guest stars ranging from Gilda Radner, Raquel Welch, Sylvester Stallone, Big Bird, and Alice Cooper. I'm still amazed at the diverse group of celebrities the creators of the show were able to convince to hang out with a bunch of Jim Henson puppets.

It's a great show to introduce to a new generation of kids and so much fun for those of us raised on it to take a trip down memory lane. Special features include featurettes title, "Muppets On Puppets" and "A Company of Players" as well as some muppets commercials.

Jason Segel to Make Muppet Movie

BuzzSugar — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 13:29:30 -0700

This is some of the most endearing movie news I've heard in a long time: Jason Segel (star of Freaks and Geeks, How I Met Your Mother and the upcoming comedy Forgetting Sarah Marshall) will collaborate with director Nick Stoller on a new Muppets movie. Here's the cute part, though: He got the idea from his Forgetting Sarah Marshall character. Variety has more:

In Sarah Marshall Segel's character writes a Dracula musical performed by puppets. Those cloth creatures were custom-made by the Henson puppeteers, and the experience emboldened Segel to pitch his concept for a Muppets movie when he was invited in for a general meeting with exec Kristin Burr. Segel got a deal in the room and enlisted Stoller to co-write and direct the project.

I just love the idea of Segel being struck with the inspiration to do a Muppets movie while working with puppets, it makes me think that he could sense Jim Henson's spirit. Or something. In other Muppet news, did you know that there is a MuppetWiki? It's true!

Are you excited to see the Muppets on the big screen again?

Segel photo courtesy of CBS
Source

Link Time! 12/12

BuzzSugar — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 13:22:35 -0800

Porta-potties and music promotion don't mix - Idolator
Design Within Reach makes the "Ugly Betty" set anything but - Design Notes
Is Zach on "Heroes" gay or not? - AfterElton
Handicapping the Best Song Oscar race - Popwatch
Send a Christmas card to Tim Gunn - Blogging Project Runway
Or, celebrate Christmas with the Muppets - Cinematical
Prince's weird Super Bowl promo video puzzles us - Best Week Ever
"Lost" fans create their own endings for the show - BuddyTV
Where's the beef? Giant rounds up a treasure trove of '80s TV commericals - Popcandy

Where the Wild Things Are: A Passionate Ode to Childhood

BuzzSugar — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 04:30:00 -0700

There's been a bit of a controversy over how to market Spike Jonze's adaptation of Maurice Sendak's classic children's book, Where The Wild Things Are. Is it for kids? Adults? Adult hipsters?

The answer is anyone who wants to feel what it's like to be a child, and not in the fun-loving, no-responsibilities way. As adults, we tend to forget the insecurity and fears we had as kids, which the film's young character Max is in the throes of. There's just enough exposition before the fantasy begins: Max has a single mom (Catherine Keener) and an older sister who has recently outgrown him. His first few acts at home show his innocence and the savage emotions under the surface. He knows it as being "wild."

Where the Wild Things Are isn't a heavy-handed allegory, or an edgy children's movie; it's a loyal tribute to the way kids think and feel. To see what else I thought of the film, just read more.

Max reaches the world of the wild things after throwing a particularly heinous fit, prompting his mother to yell, "You're out of control!" After running away, Max finds himself on a boat that finally brings him to a strange land. This is where the wild things are. The creatures Jonze has created are aesthetic wonders: creepy, hostile, and huggable at once. These aren't Jim Henson's Muppets, but real characters, led by Carol (voiced by James Gandolfini). The rest of the group is comprised of Lauren Ambrose as aloof KW, Catherine O'Hara as prickly Judith, Paul Dano as timid Alexander, Chris Cooper as Douglas, and Forest Whitaker as Ira.

Each creature has a fully realized personality, with flaws and varying temperaments; their faces are so emotive and their dialogue so human that their scenes with Max are as real as those with his mother. This group is not easily classified as friend or foe - they're dysfunctional in their relationships and don't always treat each other well. One of the most successful elements of the movie is the dialogue of the wild things, which is rooted in Max's head.

In many ways, screenwriter Dave Eggers's job was tougher than Spike Jonze's, because it's imperative to remember the way children think. Max's interactions with Carol and his new clan are made up of the kind of things a kid would hear from his parents and peers and then internalize. In fact, in the wild world, Max declares himself king to bring order, and he summons up speeches from the authority figures that he's pulling away from in his real life. Naturally, he's too young to recognize how his subverted position is significant.

Max's relationship with Carol is most telling. As the de facto leader of the group who can't handle sadness, loneliness, or jealousy, he acts out as a mirror of Max while still being his own character. The richness of Carol and the creature cast stays with you; when Max has to say goodbye to his friends, your heart breaks.

Jonze impressed me with his non-conformity; in another movie, Max would have demonstrated the grand lessons he learned from his time on the island, but in this one, he doesn't have to learn anything. He just gets to feel and experience and appreciate his emotionally fragmented new friends. It's devastating as a viewer, especially if you can put yourself back in that childlike place when your feelings were so raw and simple.

Photos courtesy of Warner Bros.