News

Frank Oz’s illustrious career will be celebrated by the Museum of the Moving Image with screening series “The Magic of Oz: A Frank Oz Retrospective.”

All 15 films Oz directed will screen, ranging from “Little Shop of Horrors” to “The Muppets Take Manhattan” to “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” and “Bowfinger.” Oz’s acting roles in “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Inside Out,” plus his character creations for “Sesame Street” and “The Muppet Show,” will also be part of the lineup. The series will take place from October 4 to November 30.

“Frank Oz has been a revered and adored artist for generations, yet I’d argue he’s under-appreciated for his filmmaking, which he’s dedicated the past 40 years to,” curator of film Eric Hynes said.

“From the beginning he defied expectations, starting with his now-classic homage to the Hollywood studio musical and B-movie creature feature, ‘Little Shop of Horrors,’ and continuing through...

It may not be too much of an exaggeration to say that Jim Henson came up with the concept for an immersive video dome long before Sphere bubbled up in Las Vegas.

In the mid-1960s he developed an idea for a nightclub he called Cyclia – “the entertainment experience of the future” – that would feature crystal panels throughout the ceiling, floor and walls onto which films would be projected.

“Once an hour, a woman in a white leotard would rise from a pedestal in the center of the floor to have film projected on her body as she danced,” writes author Brian Jay Jones in Jim Henson: A Biography.

For better or worse, the psychedelia-inspired concept never became a reality. But it’s an example of the restless imagination that propelled Henson throughout his life. The incredible range of Henson’s creative urges come into focus in Ron Howard’s documentary Jim Henson Idea Man,...

Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street Trailer — Marilyn Agrelo‘s Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street (2021) movie trailer has been released by HBO. The Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street trailer stars Frank Biondo, Linda Bove, Fran Brill, Northern Calloway, Christopher Cerf, David D. Connell, Joan [...]

Continue reading: Street Gang: How We Got To Sesame Street (2021) Movie Trailer: Marilyn Agrelo’s Doc Chronicles the Early Days of the Educational Kids TV Show...

Frank Oz is not interested in talking about Star Wars, so before you ask: No, he hasn’t seen “The Mandalorian,” so the voice of Yoda has no real opinion of its viral infant incarnation. “I have nothing to do with Baby Yoda,” the 75-year-old multi-hyphenate said in an interview this week. “But I heard it’s very cute, and I’m sure Disney has a whole plan for it.”

He tacked on a clarification: “I love doing Yoda. The only thing that bothers me is if people think that I only do Yoda. That’s not a good feeling.”

Indeed, Oz has lived many lives, including a versatile filmmaking career that includes “What About Bob?” and “Bowfinger,” but no legacy has stuck with him more than his work with Jim Henson. The Muppets gave Oz his break, and he never hesitates to celebrate that legacy, even if it means...

In today’s TV news roundup, Sesame Workshop announced a premiere date for “Sesame Street’s Historic 50th Anniversary Celebration” and “Brave New World” adds Sophie McIntosh.

Casting

New Zealand actress Sophie McIntosh has been cast in USA Network’s “Brave New World” series, Variety has learned exclusively. She will play the recurring role of Jane, and joins a cast which includes Alden Ehrenreich, Harry Lloyd and Jessica Brown Findlay. McIntosh is repped by Echo Lake Entertainment, Johnson and Laird Management in New Zealand, and Bloomfields Welch Management in the U.K.

Dates

Iliza Shlesinger’s fifth original Netflix comedy special will premiere Nov. 19 on the streaming platform. In the hour-long special, the newly married Shlesinger will pull back the veil on the dangers of having a zombie bachelorette army while also discussing wedding planning, garters and honeymooning.

Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit behind “Sesame Street,” announced the historic 50th season...

Focus Features is in advanced negotations to acquire worldwide rights to “Street Gang,” Marilyn Agrelo’s documentary exploring the “Sesame Street” phenomenon. HBO has acquired U.S. streaming and broadcast rights, Variety has learned.

Introduced to buyers at the Afm by the Exchange, “Street Gang” is partly based on Michael Davis’ best-selling book of the same name published in 2008. It charts the creation of the groundbreaking puppet series which will celebrate its 50th anniversary next year and has become a cultural and social phenomenon.

“Street Gang” sheds light on the most experimental period of the children’s show, and features behind-the-scene footage, as well as interviews with co-creators Joan Ganz Cooney and Lloyd Morrisett, original head writer Norman Stiles, as well as some original cast members and puppeteers including Big Bird puppeteer Caroll Spinney and Prairie Dawn puppeteer Fran Brill.

“Street Gang” is being by produced by Macrocosm Entertainment and Citizen Skull Productions.

Joan Ganz Cooney, the children’s TV icon and co-creator of Sesame Street, is set to participate in Street Gang, a documentary about the groundbreaking show.

Also lined up to appear in the film — based partly on Michael Davis’ best-selling book and being introduced to buyers at Afm by The Exchange — are fellow co-creator Lloyd Morrisett; several original castmembers and puppeteers, including Caroll Spinney (Big Bird, Oscar) and Fran Brill (Prairie Dawn); composer Chris Cerf; and original head writer Norman Stiles. Spinney, 84, announced recently that he was retiring after doing Big Bird for nearly 50 years.

Marilyn Agrelo is directing ...

Joan Ganz Cooney, the children’s TV icon and co-creator of Sesame Street, is set to participate in Street Gang, a documentary about the groundbreaking show.

Also lined up to appear in the film — based partly on Michael Davis’ best-selling book and being introduced to buyers at Afm by The Exchange — are fellow co-creator Lloyd Morrisett; several original castmembers and puppeteers, including Caroll Spinney (Big Bird, Oscar) and Fran Brill (Prairie Dawn); composer Chris Cerf; and original head writer Norman Stiles. Spinney, 84, announced recently that he was retiring after doing Big Bird for nearly 50 years.

Marilyn Agrelo is directing ...

A trailer has been released for a fantastic looking documentary called Muppet Guys Talking: Secrets Behind the Show the Whole World Watched. It features the five original Muppet actors coming together for the first time to talk about their experiences working on The Muppets show and they also dive into what it was like working with the legendary Jim Henson and discuss the kind of man that he was. 

For the first time ever, five of the original Muppet performers come together to discuss the creation of their iconic characters under the visionary leadership of Jim Henson. With unexpected stories, rare behind-the-scenes footage, and important insights into how Jim led his team, this documentary gives a private glimpse into the true spirit of the Muppets and how a culture of innovation, hard work, and playfulness produced one of the most successful creative endeavors in history.

The documentary was directed by Muppets puppeteer Frank Oz,...

"I think about Jim all the time." The full trailer has arrived for the documentary Muppet Guys Talking, presented and directed by the one-and-only Frank Oz. This amusing film is about what happens when Oz gets together five of the original Muppet performers in one room for a discussion about all kinds of funny topics. The Muppet puppeteers in the discussion are: Frank Oz (Grover, Bert, Cookie Monster, Miss Piggy), of course, plus Jerry Nelson (Count Von Count, Mr. Snuffleupagus), Fran Brill (Betty Lou, Prairie Dawn, Little Bird), Dave Goelz (The Great Gonzo, Bunsen Honeydew), and Bill Barretta (Johnny Fiama, Pepe the King Prawn, Bobo the Bear). They often discuss Jim Henson and his influence and their memories of working with him, along with various behind-the-scenes stories and other funny tidbits of details from their time working as Muppets. This looks wonderful and looks like it will be a total joy to watch.

The A.V Club had a chance to interview Frank Oz, Fran Brill, and a few of the other original Muppeteers about their new documentary, Muppet Guys Talking: Secrets Behind The Show The Whole World Watched. The characters they’ve played have become iconic and influential for people around the world. So of course we wanted to know: Of all the characters they’ve portrayed, who do they identify with most closely?...

At SXSW, assistant editor Alex McLevy had the chance to sit down with Frank Oz, Fran Brill, and a few of the other original Muppeteers. The Muppeteers were in Austin to promotoe their new documentary, Muppet Guys Talking: Secrets Behind the Show the Whole World Watched. Their puppeteering and voice work is iconic and influential across generations, so it’s natural for even the most seasoned of interviewers to be a bit nervous. The Muppeteers, along with the documentary’s producer Victoria LeBalme, decided to torment Alex a bit, conducting the first part of the interview completely deadpan, leaving Alex wondering, “What the hell is going on?”...

We talk to Frank Oz and the other original Muppeteers about creating characters, watching them evolve, and giving them sentience.

After a few moving documentaries about individual puppeteers, this year’s SXSW debuted a new documentary directed by Frank Oz called Muppet Guys Talking: Secrets of the Show the Whole World Watched. The film is an hour-long free form discussion with Jerry Nelson (The Count, Mr. Snuffleupagus), Dave Goelz (Gonzo, Bunsen Honeydew), Fran Brill (Zoe, Prairie Dawn), and Bill Barretta (Pepe, Tree-Face-Guy) loosely moderated by Oz. Because it features so many of the key personalities that have been only briefly touched upon in spotlight docs on Big Bird or Elmo, it’s a must-watch for any Muppet Show obsessive who wants to hear about what it’s like being buried in a room under a fire pit so they could perform a song with John Denver.

You wouldn’t know it from the way they talk...

Filmed in 2012 but proving timeless, Frank Oz’s loving and free-wheeling “Muppet Guys Talking: Secrets Behind the Show the Whole World Watched” is a must-see not only for Muppet fans and the people who made them, but for anyone seeking insight into the power of creativity.

Its title is nearly longer than its 65-minute runtime, but that’s a fine length for a doc that plays like a snappy conversation between pals. Oz assembled said “Muppet Guys” (Oz plus Muppet maestros Jerry Nelson, Dave Goelz, Fran Brill, and Bill Barretta) for an unprecedented gabfest, all filmed and assembled into a satisfying inside look at the people behind (and sometimes under) the world’s most beloved puppets. In his introduction, Oz promises a look at “the spirit of The Muppets,” and “Muppet Guys Talking” delivers on that claim.

Read More: The 2017 IndieWire SXSW Bible: Every Review, Interview and News Item Posted...

Other than Jim Henson, Frank Oz is the most famous man behind The Muppets, as the voice of Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, and Grover, among others. He’s at South By Southwest right now promoting his new documentary, Muppet Guys Talking: Secrets Behind The Show The Whole World Watched. Variety reports that the “film is a candid, often bitingly funny conversation between Oz and four of his closest colleagues: Dave Goelz (Gonzo), Bill Barretta (Rowlf The Dog), Fran Brill (Little Bird), and Jerry Nelson (Count Von Count), who died in 2012.”

Bringing those beloved characters to life might be enough for some people, but Oz went on to become a director for films like Little Shop Of Horrors, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, and In & Out. He also happened to voice another iconic character: Yoda, who first appeared in Star Wars: Episode V—The Empire Strikes Back.

At SXSW, Oz candidly ...

It’s been a few good years for English-born actor, Sam Worthington – making some major bank in blockbusters including, Avatar, Terminator Salvation and Clash of the Titans. Now reports indicate that the action star is going back to his roots, presumably before work on James Cameron‘s sequels, as he’s been hired to lead the upcoming drama-thriller, The Riders, for Australian director Robert Connolly.

Michael Hirst, Francesca Brill and Brooks-Smith adapted the screenplay, which is based from Tim Winton‘s award-winning novel of the same name. The film centers on “Australian expatriate Scully (Worthington) who prepares to start a new life with his wife Jennifer and young daughter Billie in Ireland.” His life is then turned upside down when he goes to the airport to meet up with his family, but only finds Billie and not a word from his now missing wife. “With Billie in tow, he travels...

Don’t you just hate it when you plan to start a new life in another country and make the slog to the airport to meet your family, only to discover one of them is missing, triggering a frantic search across continents? That’s the dilemma Sam Worthington will be facing in a new drama-thriller called The Riders.Robert Connolly is on to direct the movie, which Michael Hirst, Francesca Brill and Susie Brooks-Smith adapted from Tim Winton’s novel.The plot finds Scully (Worthington) and his wife Jennifer travelling through Europe for two years. When they wash up in Ireland, they set their hearts on buying and renovating a farmhouse. Sully stays put to start the work while Jennifer returns to Australia to ship their belongings over. Weeks later, Scully heads to the airport to pick up his wife and their seven-year-old daughter Billie, only to discover the little girl alone,...

Movie Hole is reporting that The Riders starring Sam Worthington has gotten the green light.

Here’s the plot via Movie Hole:

“Australian expatriate Scully (Worthington) who prepares to start a new life with his wife Jennifer and young daughter Bille in Ireland. His life is blown apart when he goes to the airport to meet his family, but finds only Billie and no message from his missing wife. With Billie in tow, he travels to Korcula and Paris in search of Jennifer: beginning a journey of self discovery that will alter the course of his life in ways he could never have envisaged.”

Worthington will be joined by Charles Dance and Timothy Spall.

Robert Connolly is directing. Michael Hirst, Francesca Brill and Brooks-Smith adapted the Tim Winton novel for the screen.

Source: Movie Hole...

The life and times of puppeteer Kevin Clash are brought to the screen in Being Elmo. Here's Michael's review of a charming documentary...

Thanks to the success of the recent Muppets revival flick - a sequel to which has just been cheekily announced by Disney - interest in the work of Jim Henson is higher than any other time in recent memory.

With that in mind, has there ever been a riper moment for a documentary that looks into ‘the soul of a puppeteer’? In a stroke of serendipitous movie magic, this week we are treated to the release Being Elmo, a biographical documentary about Sesame Street puppeteer Kevin Clash. The timing couldn’t be better, and, what’s more, the film isn’t half bad either.

Across a trim 80 minutes, director Constance Marks traverses not only Clash’s personal story, but also a detailed profile of the Elmo character itself.

We’re really excited about an upcoming series we’re doing at the Ritz, the Muppets™, Music & Magic: Jim Henson’s Legacy program! In fact, we’re so excited we put it on the cover of our guide. Why are we excited about the Muppets?

Because Henson’s bizarre children are some of America’s most cherished cultural icons. Whether you identify with the trash-talking Oscar the Grouch, the endlessly-excitable Kermit the Frog, the karate chopping egotist Miss Piggy, or the balcony hecklers Statler and Waldorf, there’s certainly a place deep in your heart for these felt friends. And we want to celebrate that thermonuclear warmth.

We’ve partnered with The Jim Henson Legacy and Brooklyn Academy of Music to present a series of special Muppet-related programming. You’ll see some of the greatest moments of the 50+ year history of the Muppets, rarely seen gems from the Sesame Street vaults,...

The Dallas International Film Festival presented by Cadillac Announces Ann-Margret to receive the Dallas Star Award

Beautiful Boy, Ok Buckaroos and Soul Surfer named as the Centerpiece screeningsAll Selections in the Target Documentary and Narrative CompetitionsThe Dallas International Film Festival presented by Cadillac announced today that award-winning actress Ann-Margret will be honored with the Dallas Star Award at the upcoming festival (March 31 . April 10, 2011). This marks the first announcement of the prestigious Dallas Star Award Honorees.

Poignant dramas Beautiful Boy and Soul Surfer and the world premiere of Ok Buckaroos will be featured in the coveted Centerpiece screening slots. Fourteen films will vie for the unrestricted $25,000 Target cash prize in both the Target Documentary Feature and Narrative Feature Competitions.

The selection of Ann-Margret as a recipient of the Dallas Star Award follows a Dallas Iff Honoree Hall of Fame that features esteemed greats such as Sydney Pollack, Lauren Bacall, Adrien Brody,...

Rating: 3/5

Director: Constance Marks

Cast: Kevin Clash, Bill Barretta, Fran Brill

Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’S Journey is that rare sort of documentary that is easy to forget about – a thoroughly lovely one. It’s a film about a very nice man who gets to play with puppets all day, because he loves it. Kevin Clash is a puppeteer – more specifically, he’s a muppeteer. And, if we’re really getting to the heart of it, Kevin Clash is Elmo, favored Sesame Street muppet of the younger set, famous for tickles and giggles, trademarked by his red fur and off-beat grammatical choices.

Read more on Sundance 2011 Review: Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’S Journey…...

Juanes, Carmen Osbahr and Kevin Clash attending the 2010 AFTRA Amee Awards at the Grand Ballroom at The Plaza Hotel in New York City.Photo copyright by Sylvain Gaboury / PR Photos. "Sesame Street" Cast attending the 2010 AFTRA Amee Awards at the Grand Ballroom at The Plaza Hotel in New York City.Photo copyright by Sylvain Gaboury / PR Photos. Kevin Clash attending the 2010 AFTRA Amee Awards at the Grand Ballroom at The Plaza Hotel in New York City.Photo copyright by Sylvain Gaboury / PR Photos. Robin Roberts attending the 2010 AFTRA Amee Awards at the Grand Ballroom at The Plaza Hotel in New York City.Photo copyright by Sylvain Gaboury / PR Photos. Fran Brill, Juanes,...

• I'm not sure what to make from the Brit List. A trio of films from last year's batch (Nowhere Boy, Never Let Me Go and The Debt) that effectively received a greenlight, and are now in the can, and in the list's inaugural year, Grant Heslov's Men Who Stare at Goats was the top vote-getter. Now in its 3rd year, the "List" of the most liked and recommended unproduced screenplays in the UK and Ireland is complied by only 40 people in the industry. You've got some attention-getting projects among the list below, that I'm sure we'll be discussing in the near future and the Playlist made a good round-up, but for the sake of getting to the cream of the crop, I'll look at the top three screenplays instead. 1. Good Luck Anthony Belcher (Ruby Films)Screenwriter: George Kay Storyline: A high-concept comedy based on an original idea by James Corden,

...