Frank Oz Talking ‘The Muppets,’ ‘Sesame Street’ and Dark Crystal Prequel

[MrBloogarFoobly]

https://www.indiewire.com/2019/03/frank-oz-sesame-street-the-muppets-star-wars-1202050457/

Some pretty damning comments from Oz on the handling of Henson properties:

On Sesame:

“Unfortunately ‘Sesame Street’ is only a shadow of what it was because now they’re just aiming it to little kids. And I’m unhappy about that. I would like to be there. I used to go like two days a year just to show everybody how it used to be,” Oz said.

On The Muppets:

When discussing the recent slate of Muppets films, beginning with James Bobin’s 2011 entry “The Muppets,” Oz seemed to imply that the latest generation of films aren’t as connected to their predecessors as he would like.
“I thought the first one was really smarmy. These are my brothers and sisters working in the movie and they didn’t have a good time. When we did movies, we had a great time because Jim was collaborative. That is not what happened in the first movie,” Oz said. “I thought there was wonderful things in it, but in general…I start to vomit when things get oversentimental and sweet. It’s all because Disney doesn’t understand purity.”

On The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance:

Back in 1982, Oz and Henson co-directed “The Dark Crystal,” a film that may not have found a wide audience at the time, but has developed an intense fandom in recent decades. When asked by an audience member about the upcoming Netflix series, Oz explained why he turned down an opportunity to be involved in the new project.
“I was asked to do it. I declined,” Oz said. “I don’t think about puppets. I think about character. I’m sorry, I’m not trying to be glib. I really don’t think that way. I don’t have any ideas at all.”

Frank Oz pulls no punches.

 

[D'Snowth]

To be fair, he's been saying a lot of these things for years, particularly in regards to SS and the Muppets.

But what he had to say about DC was interesting, because other people within the Henson organization - both past and present - continue to make a big deal, to this day, about how the original movie made such fantastic use of puppetry that you really don't see a lot of in movies anymore in this day of CGI and everything.

 

[datman24]

Oh gee, Frank Oz said something critical about the current state of the Muppets and now the internet news media is going berserk over it. In other news, the sky is blue.

 

[Blue Frackle]

I bet he loves how they said he "voiced" his characters.

It's really shame this guy is a living genius/legend and neither SS nor the Muppets are using him; once he passes, they're gonna be looking around like a ghost went through the room.

Frank Oz pulls no punches.

... and he's on the money as usual.

Peak Muppet ('70s-'80s) was a perfect storm, and it isn't coming back.

 

[minor muppetz]

I wish I could understand what he meant by "I don't think of puppets, I think of character".

With this being the first real Dark Crystal production since its original release, I would think he'd be more okay with being involved, since it is harder to say that it's not true to the characters/franchise than it is about Muppets or Sesame Street.

 

[Duke Remington]

I wish I could understand what he meant by "I don't think of puppets, I think of character".

With this being the first real Dark Crystal production since its original release, I would think he'd be more okay with being involved, since it is harder to say that it's not true to the characters/franchise than it is about Muppets or Sesame Street.

It's very confusing indeed. He's always complaining about the state of the franchises yet he has always turned down every offer given to him to come back and potentially give some input. He already blew his chance when he was offered to perform in The Muppets 2011 and now he has turned down the Dark Crystal. It's like he can't make up his mind--he wants to return but also doesn't want to.

 

[minor muppetz]

It's very confusing indeed. He's always complaining about the state of the franchises yet he has always turned down every offer given to him to come back and potentially give some input. He already blew his chance when he was offered to perform in The Muppets 2011 and now he has turned down the Dark Crystal. It's like he can't make up his mind--he wants to return but also doesn't want to.

And he keeps saying that he never gets asked back.

He says that Disney doesn't ask him to perform the Muppets even though he has said he was asked to be involved with the 2011 film, but I have a feeling that was more of an offer by Jason Segal/Nick Stoller/James Bobin than the Walt Disney Company. But then he has also said that Disney asked him to help come up with a Muppet movie when he pitched/rewrote The Cheapest Muppet Movie Ever Made.

 

[Duke Remington]

And he keeps saying that he never gets asked back.

He says that Disney doesn't ask him to perform the Muppets even though he has said he was asked to be involved with the 2011 film, but I have a feeling that was more of an offer by Jason Segal/Nick Stoller/James Bobin than the Walt Disney Company. But then he has also said that Disney asked him to help come up with a Muppet movie when he pitched/rewrote The Cheapest Muppet Movie Ever Made.

It’s like he’s not telling the whole truth and is just trying to make them look bad.

If Frank really wanted to make a change with the Muppets, he should get off his duff, march into the Disney studio and demand to do something about it.

It’s all so confusing...

 

[dwayne1115]

He wants more creative control. It's not just about preforming with these franchises he feels that he and the other prefomers should have more creative input. The way I understand what he said they either wanted him for voice over work, or puppeteer work, and not directing or anything to do with the creative process. He also he he has no ideas which would also mean, he does not know what to do with the characters.

 

[Grumpo]

...when he pitched/rewrote The Cheapest Muppet Movie Ever Made.

Maybe Frank would like to return (after all, he was getting back to Sesame Street for as long as they let him) but being used to have control over his creations for many years, he's not ready to go through the mill -- like, having his ideas thrown out by people who think they know Muppets better than him, or being laid off for something he believes in. I'm pretty sure that if Mr Oz provided his honest comments on the set of muppets 2015 he would have been dismissed on the spot.

Speaking of which, we know we are supposed to dislike Steve lately - some people were quite vocal about it. Now it seems we are turning on Frank. I'm a bit uneasy about where it all goes. After all, Mr Henson did not quite see eye to eye with Disney execs himself, right?