Excellent Frank Oz Interview (2014)

[jvcarroll]

Bottom line, when the leader and visionary of a franchise passes away, they aren't easily replaced. After Walt died, Disney was pretty much gone for two decades, and frankly, even after their comeback in the '90s, things were never quite the same. I watch Sword in the Stone or Sleeping Beauty, and I see atmospheric, moody yet touching films made for everyone, not just children. The '90s Disney films, yes some adults liked them (my Dad liked B&B at least), but they were decidedly more kid friendly than past films. Eisner's main priority was Happy Meals.

Don't get me wrong, I was a big fan of the '90s Disney films at the time; but looking back they did end up pushing aside or ruining edgier, more thoughtful animation (i.e. Don Bluth). That was a crime and I'm sorry I was too young to realize it. This is why I never buy the argument "well it's not meant for you, it's mean for kids." Kids don't always know what's best for them, heh.

Frank is very right about the Muppets representing anarchy. The current "creative" minds behind the Muppets translate that to mean "stupid." No further comment on that. There are clearly so many other artists who could have taken the Muppets on, with a much better grasp of their humor and style. Clearly they just didn't know the right people. Such is Hollywood.

I would say the Muppets are more savvy in MMW than they were in MTI or MFS, but it seems that critics and audiences prefer a more lobotomized version of them. Successful humor these days seem to be rooted in either meanness or idiocy. All nuance is kind of lost and that's where I believe the Muppets' classic humor resides. People blame Hollywood for much. I blamed the industry for not giving the Muppets a solid shot at doing what they do, but when MMW underperformed it was clear to me that audiences desire this dumbing-down of entertainment. I hope I'm wrong. I really do. It just seems that people like you and I are being left out while mainstream audiences are getting the films they deserve -Teenage Mutant Ninja Computer Effects.

I just saw a couple of really good films this weekend that didn't fare well at the box office. Red State (that admittedly came out a few years back) and Snowpiercer that received a limited release due to the director declining to hack it to bits. And then I went over to Rotten Tomatoes to read some user reviews of the re-release of Ghostbusters only to find that there's an entire generation of people who actually hate the film. Unspeakable! I don't want to sound like some geezer, but I just don't know anymore. Darn kids. They're just brain-dead these days. GET OFF MY LAWN! Hehe.

 

[CensoredAlso]

but when MMW underperformed it was clear to me that audiences desire this dumbing-down of entertainment.

Do I give the impression that I desire dumbed down entertainment?

And then I went over to Rotten Tomatoes to read some user reviews of the re-release of Ghostbusters only to find that there's an entire generation of people who actually hate the film.

Well I agree, there does seem to be an entire generation who were brainwashed into thinking pretentious brooding and CGI explosions equals deep. We've really lowered the bar, lol. Anything that attempts to have a sense of humor is declared "too cheesy." Though to be fair, it's not just young people. I've seen plenty of older people who have bought into that nonsense. They were probably the type of people who only ever loved Star Wars for the light sabers and got bored with all the talking in between, lol. Suddenly Hollywood is rewarding these people and yeah, people like you and me are suffering for it.

 

[jvcarroll]

Do I give the impression that I desire dumbed down entertainment?

Not sure what you mean by that.

MMW is very much a return to form rather than its more simplified predecessor.

 

[CensoredAlso]

Don't worry about it. I'd rather not open myself up to more attacks (not by you. The users know who they are).

 

[Muppet Master]

Jim reportedly was having some reservations due to dealings with Eisner (and Disney's interest in Sesame Street), but I think the sale would have gone through. Oz was already off doing his own thing and Jim kind of wanted the ability to do the same without worrying how it all would get funded. People forget just how much he had to hustle the Muppets in the old days. Other studios probably had second thoughts greenlighting Henson's projects after Labyrinth's underwhelming performance at the box office. Giving Disney first bite would solve all of this and he wouldn't be bogged down with having to sell and market his ideas. And the Muppets would be taken care of without Jim's constant shepherding. In return, Disney would get an in-house innovator like Walt. It really was a dream deal. And with Jim there, Frank would have the peace of mind in the direction of the Muppets.

I have no doubt there would have been more Muppet movies and other great things from the partnership.

Well, we will never know, maybe Disney would have been more interested with SS, and that Jim would get frusterated about it, even though Jim did do a pretty good thing with the partnership which would allow him to have his full attention on productions, who knows what could have gone wrong.

 

[MrBloogarFoobly]

Only if he is saying nice things about it and acknowledging that the Muppets being at Disney is what's best for them, especially since Henson wanted it that way anyway.

Do you live in some magical fairlyland dictatorship where everyone shares your extremely limited view of the world and no one ever has a differing opinion?

 

[Muppet Master]

Do you live in some magical fairlyland dictatorship where everyone shares your extremely limited view of the world and no one ever has a differing opinion?

Thank you, it seems like everyone on this forum has this weird image that Disney is the best home for the muppets, and if anyone says anything against it then they are burned at the stake. I even had to delete a post of mine saying that I think the muppets should be owned by a different company, because a member threatened to ignore anyone who thought against it. I mean not everyone thinks that Disney is the best for the muppets, in fact most people outside this forum think the opposite of it, thank you again for standing up for your opinion.

 

[D'Snowth]

This is what I'm talking about: this is part of the problem around here, where you can't have a difference of opinion without somebody whining that there's too much "negativity" on the forum.

Seriously, this guy has been this way for years. I remember back when news of THE MUPPETS (2011) first started surfacing on the internet (including here)... a lot of people were all peaches and cream, because hey, it's Disney, Disney wouldn't dare do anything wrong with the Muppets... and Jason Segel is attached to the movie, he's a huge fan of the Muppets, he's perfect. Well, I thought otherwise, and my reasons were justified: for one thing, up till the movie, Disney repeatedly revealed news of certain new Muppet projects they were working on (a new 10-episode show, a Halloween special, among other things) that they ended up shelving shortly afterwards, how did we know this wasn't going to happen to the movie as well? Also, Jason Segel? His sense of humor tends to be rather filthy, the Muppets were always better than that. Basically, I kept saying in regards to the movie that I would believe it when I see it, and if I see it, I will be happy to be proven wrong. And the whole time, this guy's ragging on me, "D00d! Ur ruining the sanctity of Muppet Central wif negativity! Y u so negative! Ur negativity is ruining the whole forum for evry1! Waaahhhh!"

This is the problem with the forum today: it's not negativity, it's people who can't respect other people's non sugar-coated and sunkissed opinions and whine about said opinions smothering MC with so-called negativity that's the real problem.

 

[Muppet Master]

This is what I'm talking about: this is part of the problem around here, where you can't have a difference of opinion without somebody whining that there's too much "negativity" on the forum.

Seriously, this guy has been this way for years. I remember back when news of THE MUPPETS (2011) first started surfacing on the internet (including here)... a lot of people were all peaches and cream, because hey, it's Disney, Disney wouldn't dare do anything wrong with the Muppets... and Jason Segel is attached to the movie, he's a huge fan of the Muppets, he's perfect. Well, I thought otherwise, and my reasons were justified: for one thing, up till the movie, Disney repeatedly revealed news of certain new Muppet projects they were working on (a new 10-episode show, a Halloween special, among other things) that they ended up shelving shortly afterwards, how did we know this wasn't going to happen to the movie as well? Also, Jason Segel? His sense of humor tends to be rather filthy, the Muppets were always better than that. Basically, I kept saying in regards to the movie that I would believe it when I see it, and if I see it, I will be happy to be proven wrong. And the whole time, this guy's ragging on me, "D00d! Ur ruining the sanctity of Muppet Central wif negativity! Y u so negative! Ur negativity is ruining the whole forum for evry1! Waaahhhh!"

This is the problem with the forum today: it's not negativity, it's people who can't respect other people's non sugar-coated and sunkissed opinions and whine about said opinions smothering MC with so-called negativity that's the real problem.

My point exactly, just because this is a muppet fan site does not mean that everything that is not good news should be sweetened. About the Jason Siegel thing, was he even good in TM'11, I did not notice, because he spent half the time writting in way too many scenes for himself, and then mediorcerly acting, and even then acting like he was in The Oggieloves, for goodness sakes dude this is a muppet film not, not this preschool film that you envisioned in your mind, sheesh all he did was have a dumb grin on his face, and horribly act like he was a muppet fan, there I do not care how negative I was, but that is my real opinion on Jason Siegel in the film. Now here are my thoughts on Disney. In the original deal did they really want the muppets? They just wanted to get them as an excuse to talk Jim Henson into selling SS to them, why else did they cut the deal when Jim Henson was no longer there? Now that they actually own them, I do not really like that whatsoever. It is bad enough that they do not once put Jim Henson's name anywhere near the muppets anymore, but to never release so many muppet productions, refuse to even mention that the word puppeteer exists, and to put your name all over everything the muppets do is going way too far. Really, it is always DISNEY PRESENTS: DISNEY'S the muppets, seriously, the DVDs and Blu-Rays they make give the word Disney half the space on the DVD, and everything the muppets do has Disney, big and bold, right next to it. Like Disney Drive On: with the muppets, really? They fill up the show with Disney advertismenets, and leave a really small time for an actual plot? Okay, I have said what I think, if you can not stand it, then do not read it, but that is my true opinion on Disney and Jason Siegel.

 

[MrBloogarFoobly]

Agreed with both of you. And if people are so certain that their opinion is correct, where is the harm in debating it? That's insecurity.

I remember back when The Muppets was coming out, I posted some kind of opinion against the cult of Disney. I received a warning for my post from the admins. Absurd.