Follow That Bird Discussion Thread

[Censored]

Also, what ever happened to the Blue Big Bird puppet? I'm guessing they either destroyed it or it's in storage.

Was it actually a different puppet or did they just use trick photography and lighting to make the regular one look blue?

 

[Censored]

But Follow That Bird was, in my opionion, the best movie ever! Having 8 feet tall Big Bird jump from a moving truck was great!

That was great! When I first saw the movie, all during the chase scene, I kept wondering how this was possibly going to be resolved. In any other kind of movie, the heroes would have caught up with them and gotten into a fight to stop the bad guys, but I knew that this wasn't an option in a Sesame Street movie. It was a very clever way out.

 

[Censored]

Although, I noticed in the chase scene, Ernie and Bert are nowhere to be seen until the final scene of the film where they're in the crowd. Yet, they're only seen in the carts of the Ferris Wheel keeping a look out. It would have been ten times better if they would have had Ernie and Bert fly over the truck to distract the Sleaze Brothers.

Ernie and Bert's roles could have been a little bigger in Follow That Bird, but the scenes they were in really worked. I certainly liked their parts better in Follow That Bird than Elmo In Grouchland; in the latter, they weren't even part of the story.

 

[AAO]

Well, I think the puppet was really blue for if you look, the strands in the feathers have a yellow fade to them. The chase scene had a lot of sunlight spotlighting Big Bird (blue) , so I think they dyed the feathers a baby blue. I read in SS Unpaved that they make like a new Big Bird puppet every, what, five or six years? They dye the feathers and such so, it seems to be that they made a special Big Bird puppet for the '85 film.

 

[Ziffel]

Well I finally got around to watching "Follow That Bird" again. Been too long since I last watched it. A real delight, as always, from start (oh what a start! Oscar's anthem!) to finish (oh what a finish! The Count counting the credits! Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah!). And The Count's line to Big Bird, "Don't forget to count!" as well as his line when Linda got the keys, "I will count all the keys!" and Telly stops him, "Nooo!!!" were both vonderful!

That was great! When I first saw the movie, all during the chase scene, I kept wondering how this was possibly going to be resolved. In any other kind of movie, the heroes would have caught up with them and gotten into a fight to stop the bad guys, but I knew that this wasn't an option in a Sesame Street movie. It was a very clever way out.

Yes great scene indeed and also provided another hilarious line: Big Bird saying to Gordon, "Why don't we ask them to stop the truck?"

Also a couple of belly laughs from Chevy Chase incorporating a little Mr. Rogers in the weather report, and mispronouncing Sesame Street as Ses SAME Street.

Like BEAR said, it's just such a beautiful movie. Can't help shedding a tear or two when Maria shouts to Big Bird as he's leaving, "We love you!". And also at the two scenes where Big Bird and Snuffy embrace.

Nice to see they put Sherlock Hemlock in a street scene. But at that same part where Herry Monster appears and says a line, it doesn't sound like him. Jerry Nelson is listed in the end credits but not for any of the muppet voices, so I wonder if someone else said his line (which was simply something like, "Monsters" after Maria said there are monsters on the Street in her "one big happy family" speech).

One more note: Nice to hear Mr. Hooper's name mentioned in this movie (Big Bird tells the kids to call "Mr. Looper's store"), since this was a 1985 film and SS had already done that classic show in 1983 acknowledging and dealing with his death. I'm not sure how long SS continued to call his store "Mr. Hooper's store" after he died. So maybe they were still doing so in '85 when this movie was released. If not, it was a pretty special reference. But even if so, it was still nice to hear the name (and that even after his death that BB would continue to struggle with pronouncing it!).

 

[AAO]

Last week I went to the beach and of course, took Follow That Bird with me on my portable DVD player. It's great to watch this sort of road movie while...ON THE ROAD! lol...

 

[BEAR]

Ernie and Bert's roles could have been a little bigger in Follow That Bird, but the scenes they were in really worked. I certainly liked their parts better in Follow That Bird than Elmo In Grouchland; in the latter, they weren't even part of the story.

I think they had a nice size role in the film. I mean, they did get their own musical number. The only other two characters that got their own songs were Big Bird and Oscar. Maybe it just didn't seem like their part was so big because they didn't interact very much with the other characters. The only scene they shared with the others during the time of the trip was at the gas station when they are sitting in Oscar's car and Ernie is talking about how Bert lost Bird.
I guess they are only in a few scenes, but i always felt their presence.

 

[BEAR]

Well I finally got around to watching "Follow That Bird" again. Been too long since I last watched it. A real delight, as always, from start (oh what a start! Oscar's anthem!) to finish (oh what a finish! The Count counting the credits! Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah!). And The Count's line to Big Bird, "Don't forget to count!" as well as his line when Linda got the keys, "I will count all the keys!" and Telly stops him, "Nooo!!!" were both vonderful!



Yes great scene indeed and also provided another hilarious line: Big Bird saying to Gordon, "Why don't we ask them to stop the truck?"

Also a couple of belly laughs from Chevy Chase incorporating a little Mr. Rogers in the weather report, and mispronouncing Sesame Street as Ses SAME Street.

Like BEAR said, it's just such a beautiful movie. Can't help shedding a tear or two when Maria shouts to Big Bird as he's leaving, "We love you!". And also at the two scenes where Big Bird and Snuffy embrace.

Nice to see they put Sherlock Hemlock in a street scene. But at that same part where Herry Monster appears and says a line, it doesn't sound like him. Jerry Nelson is listed in the end credits but not for any of the muppet voices, so I wonder if someone else said his line (which was simply something like, "Monsters" after Maria said there are monsters on the Street in her "one big happy family" speech).

One more note: Nice to hear Mr. Hooper's name mentioned in this movie (Big Bird tells the kids to call "Mr. Looper's store"), since this was a 1985 film and SS had already done that classic show in 1983 acknowledging and dealing with his death. I'm not sure how long SS continued to call his store "Mr. Hooper's store" after he died. So maybe they were still doing so in '85 when this movie was released. If not, it was a pretty special reference. But even if so, it was still nice to hear the name (and that even after his death that BB would continue to struggle with pronouncing it!).

It is a gorgeous movie. Not only in the story and writing, but also in the camera work. It is visually attractive. One of my favorite moments was when Big Bird is backstage in his cage and the kids sneak in to see him. The close up on the real tear rolling down his beak gives me chills every time. I loved that.

I think Herry sounded just like Herry has always sounded. So I don't see how or why Jerry Nelson wouldnt have done the voice. I am sure he wouldn't be doing anyone else in that scene because Count didn't speak then.

To this day, the soda shop is still called Hooper's Store. This is one thing that I am sure will never change. However, I also appreciate the reference to Hooper and Big Bird's endearing mispronuciation is still a sentimental treat and lovely tribute to him. Hooper will always be alive in the famous store, the cartoon drawing in Big Bird's nest and in our hearts. In "The Street We Live On" there was a lovely nod to Hooper by Grover when he takes Elmo on the taxi ride back in time and they show an old clip of Hooper with some kids:

Elmo: Who is that? That's not Alan.
Grover: That is Mr. Hooper. It is Hooper's Store!

It was nice considering Kids today who watch Sesame Street wouldn't know who he is.

 

[Ziffel]

It is a gorgeous movie. Not only in the story and writing, but also in the camera work. It is visually attractive.

Yes for sure. Every time I've watched this movie, including tonight, I've thought about how visually attractive it is. That's one of the reasons it is a delight from start to finish for me.

To this day, the soda shop is still called Hooper's Store. This is one thing that I am sure will never change.

Oh ok what I must have been thinking of was the time that SS had someone else start to run the store (there was a period after Mr. Hooper passed away that there wasn't anyone shown in the store, right?). That's nice that they decided to leave the name of the store the same.

 

[AAO]

I adore this film. Back in 8th grade, I did a complete social studies fair of Jim Henson titled, "Jim Henson & His Muppets"...I used a rare Grover puppet and added "rods" to his arms. I used all my muppet characters - ones from the 80's! I designed the board like the Muppet Show Stage. I had a large curtain pulled back with Jim Henson's picture with The Muppets and a small stage with the stuffed animals sitting around in a certain pose. This was before I got a copy of "Of Muppets And Men"...I sat out the book to the film "Follow That Bird" and one of the judges said that it was oneo f their favorite muppet films! I did a Henson timeline and even dedicated a spot for "Follow That Bird". I even got from "Parade Magazine" a one on one interview they had with Caroll Spinney! I cut out the entire interview and picture and put it on the board... You'd be surprised at how people react when you describe operating the Big Bird puppet. I won in the school, then county, and the week before i went to state ,the Hurrican Series for Sesame Street was starting up. So, Biography did the special and I got to learn ten times more on the Muppets than I already had! But come to find out, "Follow That Bird" was not mentioned in the biography special. Though, I did hear, in a clip where they're making "the Hurricane Series", i hear the woman that plays Susan say, "Yeah, like 'Follow That Bird'". I rewinded it so many times to make sure. So then I thought that maybe they had discussed "Follow That Bird", they just wanted to cut it out for time or another excuse. Though it should have been included!