Once you’ve done Ebenezer Scrooge, the next logical step is Long John Silver, right? That’s what Disney, Jim Henson Productions, and director Brian Henson apparently thought. After the success of 1992’s The Muppet Christmas Carol, the Muppets stuck with literary adaptations, this time plugging them into Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1883 novel Treasure Island.
On this episode, screenwriter Bri Azmoudeh joins us to talk all about 1996’s Muppet Treasure Island. We’ll discuss why making a pirate movie in the mid-1990s was such a bold move, how Henson’s film works as an adaptation of Stevenson’s book, and — naturally — the splendor that is the great Tim Curry’s performance as the duplicitous Long John Silver.
Following the death of Jim Henson, the Muppets were absent from the big screen for nearly a decade. But under the guidance of director Brian Henson, Jim’s son, Kermit the Frog and company finally returned with a twist in 1992. And 30 years later, The Muppet Christmas Carol is one of the most beloved installments in the Muppet movie franchise.
In this episode, film critic Morgan Roberts joins us to discuss how The Muppet Christmas Carol marked a new beginning for the Muppets. We’ll cover how Jim Henson’s death informed the movie, the decision to put the Muppets into a literary adaptation, Michael Caine’s iconic Scrooge, and why the removal (and recent restoration) of a certain song matters.
First, the Muppets got a movie. Then, they solved a great caper. But taking Manhattan? In this economy?! Well, that’s next in our Muppets mega-series. In 1984’s The Muppets Take Manhattan, Kermit and company aspire to become Broadway stars. And director Frank Oz brings as much heart and unforgettable songs as fans would expect from a Muppet movie.
The Vern from Cinema Recall joins the show to delve deep into the third theatrically released Muppet film. We’ll discuss how Oz’s film meddles even more with the Muppets’ already loose canon, which musical numbers tug at our heartstrings the most, and The Muppets Take Manhattan‘s standing as the final entry in the franchise featuring Muppets creator Jim Henson.
