Posts Tagged ‘Jim Henson’
Big Bird
December 9, 2019Media Update 7/11/19
July 11, 2019
Defunctland
I am one of the biggest fans of amusement parks who also does not really like going on rides. I did not like them as a kid and I have shied away from them ever since. However, I am a huge nerd when it comes to the construction and design of amusement park rides, attractions, and haunted houses. Recently, I discovered this YouTube documentary series which charts the rise and fall of amusement park elements and whole parks. It explores the creation and destruction of rides and attractions that range from the nostalgic to the super obscure. The show tackles all of the creative, bureaucratic, and logistical decisions that led to each subject and their demise. For example, the series charts the entire career of Michael Eisner, a household name from my childhood. While the series is largely Disney-based so far, it also covers Six Flags, Cedar Fair, and some more obscure independent parks and attractions. There are also two companion series in the form of DefunctTV and podcasts. The podcasts are often hour-long interviews with people like puppeteers, Imagineers, urban explorers, cultural historians, and many other experts in their fields. DefunctTV is a series of deep dives on now-defunct television shows, usually involving puppets. They are currently telling the entire history of the Jim Henson Company from Sam and Friends currently up to the Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss and everything in between. I definitely recommend this series.
Slasher
I love horror movies and the slasher movie is part of the popularity and longevity of the horror genre by giving the genre a boost in the seventies. This show is a tribute to that subgenre with each season exploring a different story about a costumed serial killer. Each season also has to do with the main characters having to deal with the buried past and what happens when that past comes back to haunt you. I am currently on the first season which concerns The Executioner and it definitely feels like a comfortable tribute to horror. There are elements of The Silence of the Lambs, Scream, Halloween, Sleepaway Camp, and Prom Night. The show definitely has both horror and mystery elements as the main characters try to figure out who the killer is and who will be targeted next. As a horror buff, I do not find the show to be very scary as the jump scares are not frequent. However, there is definitely quite a bit of gore in some of the kills. Not insane amounts but a few so far have surprised me a bit. The show has a great ensemble cast but a special shout out to star Katie McGrath who struggles between playing detective and running from her past believably. I definitely recommend this one too.
Agatha and the Truth of Murder
It took me a long time to do so but recently I finally read some Agatha Christie books and now I see why she is so iconic. While not all of her books are for me, I recognize that she is one of the true giants who helped grow the Mystery genre. A while ago I discovered the famous tale about 11 days that were missing from Agatha Christie’s life. She had apparently blacked out and could not remember where she had been for nearly two weeks. This urban legend has now been proven false by historians. The truth is that Christie checked into a spa for that time while trying to mentally deal with her failing marriage. This movie tells a story trying to fill in those 11 days by sending Christie on a real-life murder case. The story dips into the real reasons behind her disappearance but in a more fanciful, positive way. The movie starts slowly with a lot of nods toward Christie’s early career. I was about ready to give up on the movie but then it kicked into gear and I ended up really liking it. It plays with a lot of Agatha Christie tropes and archetypes but also real-life criminal investigations. Ruth Bradley is a great, spirited Agatha Christie who learns how to turn things around in her darkest hour. I recommend it.
Music of the Week:
Billie Eilish – ilomilo
Logic – 1-800-273-8255 ft. Alessia Cara, Khalid
Blue October – How to Dance in Time
Chloe x Halle – The Kids Are Alright
Ed Sheeran – BLOW (with Chris Stapleton & Bruno Mars)
Weekly Update:
– This week’s theme is “Digging Up the Past”
– I watched more Game of Thrones Season 3
– I watched more Arrow Season 7
– I watched more How to Get Away With Murder Season 1
– I watched more Losers Season 1
– I watched more The Flash Season 5
– I finished Legends of Tomorrow Season 4
– I started watching Star Trek: Voyager Season 3
– I started watching Designated Survivor Season 3
Media Update 5/16/19
May 16, 2019
The Dark Crystal
This is one of those movies that I felt like I had seen but as soon as it started rolling, I knew that I had not. This is a shame as I am a huge fan of both Jim Henson and Frank Oz. However, while the concept was created by Jim Henson, a lot of credit also goes to Brian Froud and David Odell. From what I have read, Henson and his wife came up with the story while snowed in an airport hotel. He brought that to Odell who was able to put it all into a screenplay. Meanwhile, Henson had fed his early concepts to Froud who acted as the designer for the movie. Everything in the world of the movie sprung from the conceptual drawings of Froud. His visionary artwork created unique characters and a wonderful new world. The story is about two young creatures called Gelflings who must prevent the Skeksis from conquering and possibly destroying the world. The work he did here is what he would later do with Labyrinth. The difference here, in my opinion, is that this is a simpler and more beautiful story. This is a complete world of fantasy with no humans in a world foreign to us. It is a world of two people adopted into different cultures, using their different learned skills to save the day. I definitely recommend it unless I am the last person alive who had not seen the movie.
The Lego Movie Part 2
When the first Lego Movie came out, nobody expected it to be any good. It sounded like a cheap movie created to cash in on something most of us were nostalgic about. When the movie actually came out, it surprised a lot of us. It definitely surprised me in that it was so good and original and yet did reference a lot of things that I grew up loving. This movie continues in that vein, allowing the characters to grow a bit and explore their world more. This time equal time is given to both Lucy (played by Elizabeth Banks) and Emmet (played by Chris Pratt). Since the two are separated, they are allowed to be the heroes of their separate (yet intertwined) stories. Their story is about how sometimes we should change but also sometimes we should not lose the good parts of ourselves. Will Arnett is back as Batman, a minor but hilarious part. Alison Brie, Charlie Day, and Nick Offerman all return with smaller roles but just as funny as the first one. We get the new appearance of Stephanie Beatriz who adds a lot of dry humor to the movie. What really makes this movie feel new, though is the addition of Tiffany Haddish who infuses the movie with a different vibe which is important to the story. It also has more upbeat pop songs. I definitely recommend this one too.
Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween
I remember reading the Goosebumps books when they first came out as they were all the rage at one point. That is part of the reason why I watched the first Goosebumps movie because it looked like a nostalgic walk through the world of the book series. It definitely was and I liked it a lot mostly because of Jack Black’s performance as Slappy the Dummy and RL Stine himself. They created a world where all of the books could exist in our world by literally bringing all of the old books alive. This movie instead more or less pulled the characters into a Goosebumps book. This movie actually felt more focused than the first film because it more or less had a central villain. It felt more like the Goosebumps books that I read long ago. Instead of following Jack Black, it followed a new cast of kids who had to combat Halloween itself. I am also kind of a sucker for stories where Halloween magically becomes real. Mick Wingert takes over as Slappy and, if you do not recognize the name, he is famous for taking over for Jack Black as he also took over the role of Ping from Kung Fu Panda. The movie stars Madison Iseman as the older sister who stands up for her little brother and the whole town. Jeremy Ray Taylor is the little brother (who also appeared in IT Part 1). Finally, there’s the fast-talking friend played by Caleel Harris. There are also great small roles from Wendi Mclendon-Covey, Ken Jeong, Chris Parnell and a cameo from Jack Black which connects this movie with the first one. Besides being more focused, I felt like this movie was creepier than the first one. It definitely had some creepy moments that stuck with me while still keeping things fairly light and family friendly. I definitely recommend it.
Music of the Week:
Vic Mensa – Rollin’ Like A Stoner
Bebe Rexha – Last Hurrah
FLETCHER – Undrunk
Hunt the Dinosaur – Destructo
Vampire Weekend – Harmony Hall