Muppet Wizard of Oz to film in September

[GelflingWaldo]

The cameos in Muppets from Space really di dnot do anything for that film. I mean it seemd like they were trying to hard to re-capture what worked in The Muppet Movie, and well it just did not work in my view.

I think all the cameos worked except two; the Dawson's Creek cameo and the Hollywood Hulk Hogan cameo seemed a bit forced and unnatural. They were still funny, but not real natural. Other than that I think they all worked fine.

I think Ray Liotta, David Arquette, Kathy Griffin, F. Murry Abraham, Rob Schneider, David Lenthall, Andie McDowell, Pat Hinge, Josh Charles, Richard Fullerton, and Mark Joy (I think I'm missing one or two, my memory is not that great) all fit into the movie fine and their cameos were great.

 

[McFraggle]

The cameos in Muppets from Space really di dnot do anything for that film. I mean it seemd like they were trying to hard to re-capture what worked in The Muppet Movie, and well it just did not work in my view.

I would certainly agree.

 

[beakette]

ooo

natalie portman may be appropriate.

 

[The Good Doctor]

Muppets head for OZ

I am guessing that they will try and do the cameo thing in the upcomming OZ film as well. One thing I think would be really cool is if they actually used some of the remaining Munchkins from MGM's film in there film. I think there are about 7 of them still alive and makeing guest apperances. That kind of a cameo would really be neat.

 

[GelflingWaldo]

I am guessing that they will try and do the cameo thing in the upcomming OZ film as well. One thing I think would be really cool is if they actually used some of the remaining Munchkins from MGM's film in there film. I think there are about 7 of them still alive and makeing guest apperances. That kind of a cameo would really be neat.

Of Course there will be cameos. The Muppets have alway had cameos is almost every production (except TMCC and MTI). The last TV Special, the Very Merry Muppet Christmas Move had them, The Muppet Movie had them, The Muppet Caper had them, The Muppets Take Manahattan had them, Muppets from Space Had them, almost everything had them; it is a Muppet tradition to have cameos. I would not be surprised if this had them too (I would be surprised if it didn't).



As for the remaining Muchkins from MGM's film, I think this production should try to stay away from the MGM production and be distinct on it's own. Encluding the Muchkins as a referance to the MGM movie would just be admitting that MGM made the standard for The Wizard of Oz, and that all others are inferior to it, and the muppets are using it get somewhere. Even if it is too make fun of it, the joke requires you to know the other movie (the MGM movie), and this Wizard of Oz should be fun (and funny) to someone not familiar with the story (or the MGM production).

I think Disney and the Muppets should stay away from refercening the MGM production in their retelling of the classic book if they want people to take is as a serious retelling of the story with a zany muppet twist rather than a cheap parody/rip-off of the MGM movie with the Muppets. If the muppet version has too many referances to the MGM movie it will become nothing but a cheap muppet parody of that movie, rather than a zany retelling of the book.

As funny as it would be, I would hate to see the Muppets stoop to the type of level to mock quotes, characteristics, and additions only found in the MGM movie, no matter how famous and the line has become; like this
Piggy: I'll get you my pretty and you'r little shrimp too!
Pépe: I'm not a shrimp, I'm a king prawn..Okay.

I don't mind the muppets refernacing outside works, and doing parodies - I actually enjoy it alot - but in this case, being the story has been done (and too the point people know that movie's "story" better than the actually story found in the book and other productions) - doing referances to the MGM production would be conferming that it is "the" wizard of oz, when really it is just "a" wizard of oz. They need to steer away from the movie in order to show they are doing a retelling of the book, not a retelling of the MGM movie.

 

[The Good Doctor]

MGM VS Muppets

I don't mind the muppets refernacing outside works, and doing parodies - I actually enjoy it alot - but in this case, being the story has been done (and too the point people know that movie's "story" better than the actually story found in the book and other productions) - doing referances to the MGM production would be conferming that it is "the" wizard of oz, when really it is just "a" wizard of oz. They need to steer away from the movie in order to show they are doing a retelling of the book, not a retelling of the MGM movie.

Actually I would agree 100%, linking the Muppet OZ to MGM film is a bad idea. However you may recall the made for TV film "The Dreamer of OZ, the L. Frank Baum Story", staring John Ritter as Baum, the dreamer/ creator of OZ. This was the story of Baum’s life and how he came about writing The Wonderful Wizard of OZ and in one very short sequence Munchkins from the MGM film was used as Munchkins from the Baum book. In fact with out knowing any better the audience could not have guessed that one of the Munchkins in Dreamer of OZ was the same Munchkin who handed Judy garland the lollypop in MGM's OZ. In the same way I think it would be cool if there little folks played Munchkins once again, in almost a tribute to Baum.

MGM has unfortunately set the standard for OZ, in that there film has become an American legend in its own right. In terms of special effects, makeup and set design there has yet to be a production of OZ to rival it. How ever Wiz Comes close, but the story is really very fair removed from the original tail.
My hope for the Muppets is that there production will be like the MGM film, in set design, costume, script, and effects, (but very much there own with a new look and feel better than MGM could ever be) but not in story. The story needs to be uniquely there own, and belong to the Muppets themselves. As much as I love the MGM film it is time for a New Story of OZ to shine out in the darkness as an unmatched masterpiece, a technical wizardry of OZ!

 

[lowercasegods]

I personally feel that, though it combined two Oz books into one and took only a couple liberties, Return to Oz is the best cinematic interpretation of Baum's work yet. And since Lyle Conway, who practically headed Jim Henson's Creature Shop in the early days, was in charge of Return to Oz's creature effects (along with voicing the Gump), it was almost (and I stress almost) as good as having the Henson folk do a loyal interpretation of Oz. Having Brian Henson perform and voice Jack was the icing on the cake.

 

[McFraggle]

I too would like to see them give their own unique spin on the story.

 

[beaker]

By cameos I meant obscure Muppet cameos: JHH, TMS, etc.

just a thought - i could lease disney the electric mayhem bus ( aka the bus )for the wizard of oz? they could get George Carlin or Bill Cosby to play the professor/wizard and drive the bus ? anyone want to start a rumor? have there people contact my people wait a minute i don't have any people so have them contact me.
p. s. i'm emailing pictures to the webmaster this week in preporation for an article on The Bus. roger

I saw ya post in another thread, it's very good to see the person who bought the EM bus on here So yes, welcome to Muppet Central. I think weve seen that ebay auction come up from time to time since 1998, good to see someone finally got it. AND THANK GOODNESS it is with a real fan, and not in some Disney lot as what would have happened if JHC bought it back.

 

[The Good Doctor]

Return to OZ

I personally feel that, though it combined two Oz books into one and took only a couple liberties, Return to Oz is the best cinematic interpretation of Baum's work yet. And since Lyle Conway, who practically headed Jim Henson's Creature Shop in the early days, was in charge of Return to Oz's creature effects (along with voicing the Gump), it was almost (and I stress almost) as good as having the Henson folk do a loyal interpretation of Oz. Having Brian Henson perform and voice Jack was the icing on the cake.

I actually love Return to OZ, I saw it when I was like 10 or something and it scared the *%*&! Out of me. It is probably the best look we have ever had at Baum’s OZ, and I love it. I just wish the story would have been a little bit better/ stronger. The gnome king would really never quest to be human; he would loose all his powers and his underground Kingdome.

As many times as he has plotted to capture the Emerald city in the Baum and Thompson books I always wondered what he would do with the city once he got it. Considering that as a gnome he hated being above ground and in the bright sunshine.