New Pics: Jason Segel and the Muppets at the L.A. movie set

[GoboDeadly95]

That was discussed months ago... suffice to say, the Chef IS still there, and fully represented in everything else they did (he was in a good fraction of the web videos). Angelo is and only will be in the Cat Cora Kitchen, and unless they have a few more they're saving, that's about it. He may just make a "we need enough completed puppets to fill out a crowd scene" in any future project... but don't worry... he was just for that specific web video show.

Still think Kermit should have hosted it, though.

Oh totally I love Kermit. He should have been there instead of Pepe. I love Pepe but Kermie is classic.

 

[dwmckim]

Getting caught up on forum reading and just read this entire thread. Some various thoughts on recurring themes here...

A lot of people know how i feel about posers vs real Muppets. Hey they're great for getting some types of shots you can't easily otherwise get but the Muppets have become way too relient on them. A poser no matter how good it is can't capture the same kind of look a puppet can because the hand inside gives it its expression. Even the skilled poser photographer who's worked with posing Muppets for years can't get the kind of life out of the characters that a puppeteer with its hand inside can provide. Look at the shots of Kermit on the cover and contents pages of The Works compared with all the poser shots in the same book. Look at how beautiful all the older Muppet photos in the collage on the cover of Gikow's SST 40 yrs book are and how generic and awful the newer poser photos are. Posers should be the understudies for photos - the stunt men called in to do stuff the star can't do - rather than the "go to" Muppets to use. Remember those wonderful hilarious photos from last year of Super Grover, Maria and a sandwich? Perfect example of why real Muppets are always ready for their closeup, Mr. DeMille. And the dvd cover of C Is For Cookie a perfect example of why posers should be nixed.

In regards to Disney leadership in terms of Muppets' current support/success (this will be another familiar rant for older readers), yes i am thankful that the Muppets have the full support of the upper management of Disney especially befitting the 2011 movie but lets not ignore the heads of the Muppets Studio itself, specifically the current leader Lyelle Brier. Chris Curtin had lots of great ideas when he was first named chief. But when he was replaced for no other reason than internal politics when Iger first took over from Eisner and replaced with that awful Baby Einsteins guy who had no love of the Muppets nor idea of what to do with them, that was what hurt the Muppets after MWOO. All of CC's plans came to a screeching halt and Guy #2 (whose name i always forget mainly because he's best forgotten!) would have been perfectly contend to let them sit on the shelves and just be a nostalgia merchandise-only property.

Thankfully he was replaced with LB who loves the Muppets, understands them and has fought to make them what they are today (not only in terms of quality and big plans but also with securing aforementioned commitment and support from Disney's upper echelons). So any discussion of who within Disney should be given credit for and thanked for The Muppets' upswing would be severely amiss without bringing up Lyelle.

 

[Drtooth]

And the dvd cover of C Is For Cookie a perfect example of why posers should be nixed.

Actually, that's one of the better Cookie Posers. I guess when it comes down to it, the hand of the puppeteer gives the characters their shape that just can't can't be replicated, especially with more glove like puppets (Kermit, Walter...etc) where the hand can simulate a range of emotions.

Complicated bigger puppets don't have quite the same problem, sure, but there's just an amount of lifelessness that the posers seem to give off. Though it is also true that there are times when you can't get the puppeteers to make those sorts of poses.

The puppeteers give these lifeless foam and felt bodies and that's almost impossible to replicate with wire framed armature versions of the same characters. I've seen some great poser photos before, but just not recently.

Whatever, as long as we don't have hollowed out Kermit plush ever again

 

[dwmckim]

I really loathe that C is For Cookie cover - it looks like Baby Cookie Monster.

Back to the film, i was thinking of the cameos and had some thoughts...

We need to get Candace Bergan as a cameo guest in one of the Muppet Movies - both her parents have had a turn after all!

We have people cast as Lady Gaga's entourage and it seems like they want LG to be in it though its not yet been confirmed - so if they can't get LG herself, there are some other great cameo opportunities to play the part of Gaga - couldn't you picture for example Cyndi Lauper playing LG - or maybe even a Muppeteer cameo with Stephanie or Leslie being LG (whether or not they're Muppeteering in this one or not)

If the "grand finale" of the movie is still what was in the original leaked script (i won't spoil it), that would be a great place to throw in "cameos" from post-TMS Muppets!

I know Charles Grodin originally said he couldn't do the movie due to schedule conflicts - but at that time it was assumed it would be going in front of the cameras earlier than it ultimately did - i still hope that can get him in it...and unlike the other cameos keep it a secret until one goes in to watch the film!

 

[beaker]

Getting caught up on forum reading and just read this entire thread. Some various thoughts on recurring themes here...

A lot of people know how i feel about posers vs real Muppets. Hey they're great for getting some types of shots you can't easily otherwise get but the Muppets have become way too relient on them. A poser no matter how good it is can't capture the same kind of look a puppet can because the hand inside gives it its expression. Even the skilled poser photographer who's worked with posing Muppets for years can't get the kind of life out of the characters that a puppeteer with its hand inside can provide. Look at the shots of Kermit on the cover and contents pages of The Works compared with all the poser shots in the same book. Look at how beautiful all the older Muppet photos in the collage on the cover of Gikow's SST 40 yrs book are and how generic and awful the newer poser photos are. Posers should be the understudies for photos - the stunt men called in to do stuff the star can't do - rather than the "go to" Muppets to use. Remember those wonderful hilarious photos from last year of Super Grover, Maria and a sandwich? Perfect example of why real Muppets are always ready for their closeup, Mr. DeMille. And the dvd cover of C Is For Cookie a perfect example of why posers should be nixed.

In regards to Disney leadership in terms of Muppets' current support/success (this will be another familiar rant for older readers), yes i am thankful that the Muppets have the full support of the upper management of Disney especially befitting the 2011 movie but lets not ignore the heads of the Muppets Studio itself, specifically the current leader Lyelle Brier. Chris Curtin had lots of great ideas when he was first named chief. But when he was replaced for no other reason than internal politics when Iger first took over from Eisner and replaced with that awful Baby Einsteins guy who had no love of the Muppets nor idea of what to do with them, that was what hurt the Muppets after MWOO. All of CC's plans came to a screeching halt and Guy #2 (whose name i always forget mainly because he's best forgotten!) would have been perfectly contend to let them sit on the shelves and just be a nostalgia merchandise-only property.

Thankfully he was replaced with LB who loves the Muppets, understands them and has fought to make them what they are today (not only in terms of quality and big plans but also with securing aforementioned commitment and support from Disney's upper echelons). So any discussion of who within Disney should be given credit for and thanked for The Muppets' upswing would be severely amiss without bringing up Lyelle.

I'm still waiting for collector market Muppet Replica Posers that actually *look* just like the posers we've grown accustomed to(from 1980's Muppet Magazine spreads to 1990's parody calendars to today)

And it has been a long wait and struggle with Disney since they got the brand, but sometimes things take a long while. I'm curious as you all are as to what the heck Disney and the marketing has up their sleeve for the year. Hopefully by Toy Fair we'll know more.

 

[Drtooth]

I really loathe that C is For Cookie cover - it looks like Baby Cookie Monster.

There's worse... I swear I saw one years ago that made him look like a stuffed couch. Cookie's posers never looked right to me... not 1970's Flat Head Cookie (even though the puppet looked like that, it still didn't have the same appearance as the actual puppet did) and especially the new age Fluffy Puff stuffed Cookie toy. None of them have the same complexity as the actual thing

 

[Beauregard]

Looks like the fashion world just picked up on the fact Miss Piggy will be in Vogue...Lots of websites just ran the article and they all seem excited!

Is this a new picture of Piggy: http://nymag.com/daily/fashion/2011/01/miss_piggy_plays_a_french_vogu.html

 

[Puckrox]

Oooooh! Piggy's looking very stylish!

 

[Beauregard]

Oh! Seems to be a hot news day!

TP just posted a new photo with Scooter and the Newsman here.

Scooter Scooter Scooter!

 

[Puckrox]

Scooter and Billy Crystal! *Kermit-esque arm flail* YAAAAAAAAY!