Follow That Bird Discussion Thread

[bradley]

Hey, I'm new. Not sure why I was looking up Sesame Street but I've always had a soft spot for the Muppets and Sesame Street. On Tuesday night I watched a behind the scenes segment that was shown on Australian tv. I live in Australia. Now this Big Bird film "Follow That Bird" I know that I've seen way back in the 80s. And I'd really love to be able to watch it again, but this film hasn't had a dvd release here. Reading this thread, I see it has been released in America? This film seems so rare. It would have been out on video all those years back here. I have the view finders for "Follow That Bird". And I also had (not sure if we still have), the colouring book for the film. I would love to collect Sesame Street at some point in the future.... I think I'll be forcing any children of mine (if I have any in the future) into Sesame Street. hehe. I collect Smurfs so they are my main passion.

I also went to an early Sesame Street Live show. Not too sure what year. Wonder if I still have the badges me and my brother got from there.. The things you start to remember. The 30th Anniversary (I think around 97?) I collected some of those beanie soft toys. I'm still kicking myself over not buying Bert and Ernie

Brad.

 

[AAO]

If anyone has a copy of this movie and go to the big chase scene...There's a funny lil' blooper I stumbled on while watching the DVD on the computer. I noticed it better because the picture was clearer. If you watch as Big Bird is being taken away and Gordon and Olivia are getting into the VW watch just as the camera backs up a lil and look in the right window - it's sort of tinted. You'll see a boy in a red shirt sitting watching Big Bird drive off...I was like, "Holy crap! Where'd he come from?!" U can also see someone else in the distance if you pause it in teh right places...Keep looking for lil' things like that in the film...!!

 

[rowlf84]

A Local Connection

Just thought it was interesting. When the Sleaze brothers are first introduced in the movie, one is reading a newspaper with the headline "Big Bird Flies Coop." That newspaper, the Belleville News-Democrat, is a real paper. Belleville is a town very close to where I grew up. I know that production took place in Canada, I wonder why they chose the News-Democrat? Belleville is in the midwest, where the story takes place. When they show Big Bird's path on the map, it passes right through where Belleville should be. Mayhaps someone did their research? I wonder if someone on the production team used to live around there and did it as a little tribute? Well, I think it's neat...kind of my own little personal connection. BTW, there's no Toadstool anywhere near Belleville.

Also, someone was mentioning earlier in the thread about Rosie O'Donnell's show modeling her set after Sesame's... She actually filmed it on the Sesame Set, they didn't build anything. They brought in risers for her studio audience to sit on.

Also some more...from what I hear, the "Blue Bird of Happiness" Big Bird still exists in storage.

 

[KermieBaby47]

Hey AAO, is your DVD in widescreen?

I ask because I recently bought a full frame version DVD from an Easter dispaly at Wal*Mart for $4.88. I usually only buy widescreen, but I've never seen this movie before so I had to get it for 5 bucks y'know?

Thanks,
Anthony

 

[minor muppetz]

Hey AAO, is your DVD in widescreen?

I ask because I recently bought a full frame version DVD from an Easter dispaly at Wal*Mart for $4.88. I usually only buy widescreen, but I've never seen this movie before so I had to get it for 5 bucks y'know?

I have read that the DVD is only available in full frame.

 

[AAO]

Yeah...it's only in full screen...but it's an awesome movie! And that Rosie O'Donnald thing that rowlf84 was talking about is true...she did film her show on Sesame Street...I swore it...then I was told that they replicated the set...so I thought I was wrong and proceeded to believe it...but thanx to u, i can believe what I did before..LOL! But where did u hear that The Blue Bird of Happiness Big Bird Puppet is being stored? As I grew older, I wondered, once I realized "Big Bird was only a puppet", what they did with that puppet? Was it destroyed? Were the Dodo's and Miss Finch destroyed? I'm still needing answers!! When will it end? LOL! I just wish there were more to this movie - like behind the scenes and so on..

 

[minor muppetz]

I don't know what condition Miss Finch and the Dodos are in, but Miss Finch, Donnie, and marie all appeared in The Muppets: A Celebration of Thirty Years, which was mad ethe same year as Follow That Bird was released.

 

[rowlf84]

I heard about the blue bird of happiness from a friend at Henson. As for the others, I'm not sure. I'm sure that, unless they would be more valuable as scrap pieces, big puppets like that would be kept in storage.

 

[FutureMuppeteer]

My teacher worked on that movie...and I live in Belleville...another small connection to the movie...

 

[minor muppetz]

My teacher worked on that movie...and I live in Belleville...another small connection to the movie...

Do you think you can get some behind-the-scenes information from your teacher? What did your teacher do?