T is For The Muppet Movie

 A to Z Challenge

A Month At The Movies

Hello and welcome back to A Month at the Movies,  my contribution to the A to Z challenge for 2023.

This year I am copying from a myriad of other A to Z  challengers by reprinting the same synopsis about my theme with every letter.  You can skip over this part if you want to.  

I love movies and have decided to share with you a movie each day that I have enjoyed to one degree or another.  With each entry, I'll give a brief synopsis of the film, share a positive and negative review from Rotten Tomatoes ( a website, I didn't use much at all until preparing for the challenge), discuss its resiliency (the theme of the A to Z challenge this year), and other tidbits like whether the film may appear in my top 100 film list, which I have been revamping this year. I think that's enough in the way of introduction, considering you'll be reading it (hopefully) 6  more times this month.

Film: The Muppet Movie (1979)\

Director: James Frawley

One of our most famous family quotes goes like this.  My wife was asked why she didn't like a certain movie.  Perhaps it was Princess Pride, perhaps it was something else  Her reply was:

"I like movies about real things, like the Muppets."

I don't remember if she was being serious or silly, but there is a degree of seriousness we can find in it.  Just like Roger Ebert talks about in the review below, in a way, The Muppets are real.

  

Positive Tomato: Jolson sang, Barrymore spoke, Garbo laughed, and now Kermit the Frog rides a bicycle... If you can figure out how they were able to show Kermit pedaling across the screen, then you are less a romantic than I am: I prefer to believe he did it himself. Roger Ebert - Chicago Sun-Times

Negative Tomato: while The Muppet Movie is certainly entertaining, the shift to a coherent, linear, feature-length narrative deprives the film the show's brilliantly structured inanity. James Kendrick - Q Network Film Desk 

The Muppet Movie is a movie within a movie.  We watch the Muppets screening The Muppet Movie, a movie about how The Muppets became rich and famous.  For those who grew up watching The Muppet Show, we are familiar with the basic concept, Muppets and humans interacting together in the real world.  

  

 

Resiliency: In the show the world was limited to the Muppet Theatre.  In the film, The Muppets are in swamps, churches, county fairs, restaurants, bars, and Ghost towns, all on their way to Hollywood. Jim Henson and all the Muppeteers had to show great resiliency in performing and filming. Click here to get an idea of what Henson had to go through to film the opening sequence of the movie.

Kermit at the Smithsonian

Scooter and Steve Martin on The Muppet Show

On The Muppet Show, the Muppets did perform many musical numbers but the majority of these were either pop tunes or standards.  The Muppet Movie is a musical and none of the songs existed until Paul Williams wrote them for the movie.  If you ever wonder whether the Muppet Movie has any lasting impact, try to imagine a world without Rainbow Connection or Movin' Right Along.

  

Top 100:  I have mentioned before that I basically have 3 favorite movies of all time that are essentiallly in a tie for my favorite film.  In the Challenge so far, I have revealed that 2 of these films are It's A Wonderful Life and Ordinary People.  The Muppet Movie is the third.  

Next Time: Used T.V Station available cheap.  

SILVERADO (1985) Featurette – A Return To Silverado with Kevin Costner

Earlier today I posted about the 1985 film silverado. This featurette is a nice interview with Kevin Costner about his experience with the movie.

S is for Silverado

 A to Z Challenge

A Month At The Movies

Hello and welcome back to A Month at the Movies,  my contribution to the A to Z challenge for 2023.

This year I am copying from a myriad of other A to Z  challengers by reprinting the same synopsis about my theme with every letter.  You can skip over this part if you want to.  

I love movies and have decided to share with you a movie each day that I have enjoyed to one degree or another.  With each entry, I'll give a brief synopsis of the film, share a positive and negative review from Rotten Tomatoes ( a website, I didn't use much at all until preparing for the challenge), discuss its resiliency (the theme of the A to Z challenge this year), and other tidbits like whether the film may appear in my top 100 film list, which I have been revamping this year. I think that's enough in the way of introduction, considering you'll be reading it (hopefully) 7 more times this month.

Film: Silverado (1985)

Director: Lawrence Kasdan

Silverado is exactly what a Western should be.  In the 80's Westerns were few and far between and when Silverado came around in 1985 it revitalized the genre. The photography is breathtaking, The writing and the acting complement excellent direction and production by Lawrence Kasdan. This trailer gives you an idea of what to expect in this wild western romp of a movie. 

 

 Positive Tomato: This is a story, you will agree, that has been told before. What distinguishes Kasdan's telling of it is the style and energy he brings to the project. Roger Ebert - Chicago Sun-Times

 Negative Tomato: ...In other words, there's a lot less going on in Silverado than pleases the eye. Gene Siskel - Chicago Tribune

Scott Glenn as Emmett

Kevin Cline as Paden

Danny Glover as Mal 

Kevin Costner as Jake

Brian Dennehy as Cobb

John Cleese as Sherriff Langston

The movie is very nuanced.  In many ways it plays as a straight western filled with, scenic vistas and plenty of shootouts, saloons, and stampedes.  It is both plot driven and character driven and has plenty of humor weaved in throughout the movie. One of my favorite bits that's thrown in just before a jail break sequence is when John Cleese is playing chess with his deputy on the day of a scheduled hanging.  He is contemplating his next move, and he just turns the board around so he is now playing his deputy's pieces.  Moments like these are unexpected in a movie that's not a comedy but they certainly enhance the picture.

Resilience: At one point in the film, Mal (Danny Glover) finds out from Sherriff Langston (John Cleese)  that he can't stay (or be served food or aclohol)  in that town because of his race.  Mal states "that ain't right." and Langston replies that he decides what is right in his jurisdiction.  Later when the 4 heroes are in Silverado they again encounter injustices.   The 4 have the resiliency to stand up to "what ain't right" even when they are seemingly standing alone.  

Top 100: Silverado is my all time favorite western and has really opened the genre up to me.  Thanks to Silverado there  are 6 or more Westerns that will make it on to my top 100.  Silverado just misses out of my top 10 and is currently ranked at 11.

A To Z Connection: This is the 2nd film in the challenge to star Kevin Kline (Dave).

Next Time: The Talented Mr. Ribbit.