Movie #243 - The Great Muppet Caper

The Great Muppet Caper
1981 - Rated G - 1 hr 35 min
Director: Jim Henson
Starring: Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Dave Goelz, Jerry Nelson, Richard Hunt, Charles Grodin, Diana Rigg, John Cleese, Kathryn Mullen, Jack Warden

A lone Muppet movie in the G's is a treat. Yay!  The witty dialogue, sing-along songs, and guest appearances that make the Muppets famous are all alive and well in this classic movie.  Wow... this was made the year I was born. It's ooooollllldddd.

Anyway, Kermit and Fozzy play identical twins turned journalists who travel to England to get to the bottom of a jewelry robbery.  In a classic case of mistaken identity, they think Miss Piggy is Lady Holliday, a wealthy fashion designer who was robbed.  Turns out, her brother is the evil thief.  He falls in love with Miss Piggy (cuz, that's what happens, you know?) and the Muppets have to interrupt the heist to save the day.

So not only do the Muppets go international in this movie, but they're solving crimes! What kid from the 80's doesn't love a good Muppet movie, espeically this one?

Movie #208 - Follow That Bird

Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird
1985 - Rated G - 1 hr 28 min
Direcotr: Ken Kwapis
Starring: Carol Spinney, Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Richard Hunt, Kathryn Mullen, Sandra Bernhard, John Candy, Chevy Chase

Oh, childhood memories!  This was fun to watch again, especially with Ellie who was glued to the TV for a good amount of time.  We sang the songs together and rooted for Big Bird to find his way back to Sesame Street.  The cameos were fun to watch as well, now that I'm older and know who these people are.

That's about all I got here. It's just a nice slice of my past, that I can share with my daughter.  I don't think Big Bird really needs a thorough review. His movie is just fun to watch.

Movie #145 - The Dark Crystal

The Dark Crystal
Universal Pictures
1982 - Rated PG - 1 hr 33 min
Director: Jim Henson, Frank Oz
Starring: Jim Henson, Kathryn Mullen, Frank Oz, Dave Goelz

Man, I love this movie.  Despite its insane creepiness, it was always a childhood favorite. A sci-fi/fantasy/romance/adventure with puppets - what's not to love about it? 

Watching it now as an adult, though, it's not really as magical and mystical as I'd worked it up to be inside my head.  The narration's a bit corny.  The story line's a bit weak. The effects are, well, they'r appropriate for 1982.  Skekses are still creepy though. No matter how old I get, those things are creepy as hell. And Lord Chamberlain is the worst of them all... ugh.

So, even though it's not everything I remembered it being, it's still a huge piece of my childhood, of cinematic history, and of pop culture.  If you've never seen this movie, watch it with these facts in mind.  It might not be as flashy and exciting as a modern action flick, but it was a big deal at its time.  And it truly speaks to Jim Henson's legacy.