# Muppet News Flash! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 2, 2005, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muppet-news-flash/297427 "2005-04-02T18:51:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2005, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muppet-news-flash/297427/1 "2005-04-02T18:51:22Z")
[IMDB](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0422778/) Muppets Wizard of Oz. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2005, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muppet-news-flash/297427/2 "2005-04-02T18:56:26Z")
Ironically, Frank Oz isn’t involved. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2005, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muppet-news-flash/297427/3 "2005-04-02T18:58:44Z")
Hey, it’s directed by the punk on the bus Spock nerve-pinched because he wouldn’t turn down his ghetto-blaster in “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home”! ---
**Author:** ![Baggins111](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9fc29f/32.png) [@Baggins111](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baggins111)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2005, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muppet-news-flash/297427/4 "2005-04-03T02:35:27Z")
Tarantino is in it! "When you came pulling in here, did you see a sign out in front of my house that said “Dead Muppet Storage?” Queen Latifa as Auntie Em and David Alan Grier as Uncle Henry. Hmmmmmm. Might have to watch this. Just to see. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2005, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muppet-news-flash/297427/5 "2005-04-03T03:34:52Z")
> [@Revtim](#): > > Ironically, Frank Oz isn’t involved. So, has he retired from Muppeteering? ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2005, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muppet-news-flash/297427/6 "2005-04-03T03:39:34Z")
Interestingly, Scooter is listed. I thought they retired him after Steve Whitmire died. Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2005, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muppet-news-flash/297427/7 "2005-04-03T03:40:55Z")
> [@zev\_steinhardt](#): > > Interestingly, Scooter is listed. I thought they retired him after Steve Whitmire died. > > Zev Steinhardt I’m sorry, I meant Richard Hunt, not Steve Whitmire (who is very much alive). Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2005, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muppet-news-flash/297427/8 "2005-04-03T03:46:33Z")
Scooter was dusted off and revived in the Muppet Christmas special from a couple of years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2005, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muppet-news-flash/297427/9 "2005-04-03T03:55:41Z")
Tarantino will play himself. There will be a fight scene involving Miss Piggy and a witch. Tarantino will stop the film and explain what he would do it if he was in charge. ---
**Author:** ![Reepicheep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@Reepicheep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reepicheep)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2005, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muppet-news-flash/297427/10 "2005-04-03T03:59:46Z")
> [@Scott\_plaid](#): > > Tarantino will play himself. > > There will be a fight scene involving Miss Piggy and a witch. Tarantino will stop the film and explain what he would do it if he was in charge. OK, I now have to see this movie. ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2005, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muppet-news-flash/297427/11 "2005-04-03T13:41:58Z")
Firday, May 20th, 1am. 🙂 [Cite](http://toughpigs.com/images/ozcontents07.jpg) People will hate me if it turns out not to be true. I was sure I was it [HERE](http://toughpigs.com/index.htm), but I can’t find it now. I was sure I also saw it in a copy of The Hollywood Reporter, but I no longer have the print copy in which I saw it in. Oh wel, we’ll see.l ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2005, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muppet-news-flash/297427/12 "2005-04-03T13:47:50Z")
Oh how I love me some muppets! Thanks for the link. ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2005, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muppet-news-flash/297427/13 "2005-04-03T13:51:39Z")
I spoke to soon, for I was till shorting through links. According to [Dark Horizons](http://www.darkhorizons.com/news04/040826e.php), I’m right, but I cites an article which doesn’t go into as much detail, [here.](http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/tm_objectid=14571986&method=full&siteid=89488&headline=puppet-fiction-name_page.html) Odd. Well, below is the summary I read. [spoiler]Tarantino Teams with “Muppets” Source: The daily record Posted: Thursday August 26th, 2004 4:37pm (Au-EST) Author: Garth Franklin The Daily Record indicates that Quentin Tarantino, the director behind “Pulp Fiction” and “Kill Bill” will play himself in a Muppets adventure movie for ABC based on L. Frank Baum’s classic tale “The Wizard of Oz”. R&B singer Ashanti plays aspiring performer Dorothy Gale, who works at the diner of her Auntie Em in a small Kansas town while dreaming of hitting the big time. One day, a tornado sweeps up the trailer where Dorothy lives, and she finds herself in a Muppet version of Oz. There, she meets the Munchkins (played by the Muppet rats), the Scarecrow (Kermit the Frog), the Tin Man (Gonzo) and the Lion (Fozzie). The group’s quest to get the Wicked Witch (Miss Piggy) culminates with a fight scene between Dorothy and the witch. The film cuts to Tarantino pitching to Kermit how the scene should be done. Queen Latifah is in final negotiations to appear as Auntie Em. There will be several musical numbers but it is NOT a musical. Thanks to ‘Dust Buny’.[/spoiler] ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2005, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muppet-news-flash/297427/14 "2005-04-04T22:35:01Z")
> [@Shirley Ujest](#): > > [IMDB](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0422778/) > Muppets Wizard of Oz. Some of us have known [since Thanksgiving](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=288314&highlight=muppets). 😛 ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2005, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muppet-news-flash/297427/15 "2005-04-04T23:42:41Z")
I am hoping for the line “I’ll get you, my Piggy. And your little hog, too.” ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2005, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muppet-news-flash/297427/16 "2005-04-04T23:46:32Z")
They’re also getting their own [US Postage stamp](http://shop.usps.com/cgi-bin/vsbv/postal_store_non_ssl/browse_content/stampReleaseDisplay.jsp?OID=8588) (along with Henson) this year as well. ---
**Author:** ![Silentgoldfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@Silentgoldfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silentgoldfish)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2005, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muppet-news-flash/297427/17 "2005-04-05T03:07:31Z")
The muppets have sucked since Jim Henson died. Sad but true ☹ In their prime though… ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2005, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muppet-news-flash/297427/18 "2005-04-05T08:52:37Z")
> [@Silentgoldfish](#): > > The muppets have sucked since Jim Henson died. Gonna disagree. It hasn’t all been golden, but there’s been plenty of good stuff. **The Muppet Christmas Carol** was great. > [@](#): > > “I am Charles Dickens and I am here to tell you the story of a Christmas Carol” > > “And I am Rizzo and I am here for the food.” **Muppet Classic Theater** , a straight to video release from about ten years ago, was very funny and repeated the inspired choice made for **Christmas Carol** to draw attention away from the departed Henson’s alter-ego, Kermit, by having Gonzo and Rizzo host as a team. Steve Whitmire and David Goelz are hilarious together as Gonzo and Rizzo- and this is a pairing that hadn’t been explored until after Henson’s death. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched **Muppet Treasure Island**. Such a funny movie. The “Cabin Fever” sequence was one of their best musical numbers ever. Billy Connolly’s performance at the beginning of the movie was enough in its self to make this worth watching. Again, we get to follow the hilarious Gonzo/Rizzo team through the plot. > [@](#): > > **Rizzo** : He must be some sort of blind pew. > **Gonzo** : Actually, they prefer “visually challenged” pew. > **Piggy** to Tim Curry: “Hello, _Long_ John.” > **Kermit** : “Aw no! Him too???” > **Piggy** : “Well, if you’d have married me. . . !” The prime time T.V. series **Muppets Tonight!** was really great. I hope they release it on DVD. This series was really never given a chance to succeed. A real shame. On this series Kevin Clash (most known for Elmo) got to take on a much bigger role as host of the show as a character named **Clifford** and Bill Barretta was hilarious as **Pepe the Prawn** (who was introduced in **Treasure Island** ). **Muppets From Space** was horrible. Just plain bad. Completely uninspired. They broke up the Gonzo/Rizzo team to have Gonzo mope on his own throughout the whole thing (Gonzo does not work in a vacuum). Then they demystified Gonzo at the end of it all! A horrible idea! For over 25 years Gonzo had always been described as being a “Whatever”. No one ever had clear idea what Gonzo was and Gonzo was FINE WITH THAT! That’s what made him so singular. He was never going to fit neatly into anyone else strictly defined categories for anything and he wouldn’t have had it any other way. He was a true individual who needed no explanation. Then, in **Muppets from Space** suddenly Gonzo is really sad and lonely and wishes there were others like him and he’s oh so distraught over questions of his origins and wishing for a place where he belongs. Surprise, surprise: Yes! There is a neat convenient explanation for Gonzo’s identity! He’s an alien and there are lots more like him and they left him on Earth by accident and have come back to show him who he truly is. Lame. Nothing since **Muppets From Space** has been amazing but there are usually a few laughs- certainly nothing has been as _bad_ as **Muppets From Space**. I keep watching new Muppet stuff, but I don’t go out of my way like I used to. But to say that it has all sucked since Jim Henson died? I really can’t imagine anyone who truly liked the old stuff not liking at least the stuff from the 90s. ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2005, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muppet-news-flash/297427/19 "2005-04-05T19:31:18Z")
> [@bienville](#): > > Nothing since **Muppets From Space** has been amazing but there are usually a few laughs- certainly nothing has been as _bad_ as **Muppets From Space**. **It’s a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie**. Leagues worse than **Muppets From Space**. Truly dreadful. ---
**Author:** ![BoringDad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ad7895/32.png) [@BoringDad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BoringDad)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2005, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muppet-news-flash/297427/20 "2005-04-06T03:38:23Z")
> [@bienville](#): > > Gonna disagree. It hasn’t all been golden, but there’s been plenty of good stuff. > > **The Muppet Christmas Carol** was great. Amen to that and **Muppet Treasure Island.** Jacob and Robert Marley. Heh. Tim Curry rocked as Long John Silver. Oh, and amazingly, **Elmo’s adventures in Grouchland** was pretty good. More of a kids movie obviously, but still lots of stuff for grownups to enjoy. In this one, Mandy Patinkin rocked. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muppet-news-flash/297427.md?page=2)