Don't be a Muppet

...go and see the new Muppet movie!

Today I had originally planned to catch up on some review posts I have promised to various people (whoops, sorry!), but there's been a last minute change of plans. I have just coming home from seeing a very wonderful and brilliant film; a film that made me laugh like a hyena with an ice-cream, grin like a giddy serial killer, sing like I was auditioning for an episode of Glee and - I'm not ashamed to admit - cry like a baby whose candy had been stolen.

Unless you're a bit of an idiot or you have problems reading blog post titles, you will probably have guessed by now that I'm talking about the brand new offering from The Muppets. I'm no Jonathan Ross, but I personally loved this movie and highly recommend that you see it (warning - it will put you in the best mood of all time). This release has inspired a number of online folk to talk about the incredibly iconic characters that make up everyone's favourite fabric friends, but I want to go back to the source - the great and powerful Jim Henson.

I don't want to regurgitate a Wikipedia history about this wonderful man, so here are five facts about the fantastic Mr Henson. You probably know some of this already, but I think it's still worth celebrating:

1. If you were born in the 70s or 80s (such as myself), it's highly likely that this man is responsible for completing your childhood. Not only was Jim Henson the creative brain behind The Muppets and Sesame Street, but his production house, the Creature Shop, also produced Labyrinth, Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles and The Witches. He may also be responsible for a majority of your childhood nightmares...
2. The first Muppet Movie, filmed back in 1979, made a whopping $65.2million domestically. I'm no mathematician, but I would say that this roughly equates to $500billion today* (*This definitely isn't correct, but the point is that that sort of money was a lot for back then. I like over-exaggerating. Don't judge me.).
3. He had a bloody brilliant beard. That's not even a matter of opinion, it's a cold hard fact.
4. He was the original voice of the world's most famous front man, Kermit The Frog. It is also well-known that Henson considered Kermit to be his alter ego, and he was even quoted as saying, "[Kermit] can say things I hold back". That's all well and good, but let's not forget that it's not easy being green...
5. Jim Henson tragically died in 1990 from organ failure as a result of Streptococcus pneumoniae, but his legacy shows no sign of faltering. Alongside all of his commercial success, the Jim Henson Foundation, founded in 1982, continues to promote and develop the art of puppet theatre in the United States. I think you'll agree it's pretty incredible for someone so successful in their field to want to help others achieve the same dream, and I'm sure he'd be thrilled to know that that is still happening today.

I realise that this post is a lot longer than usual, so here's a little comic relief - a clip from one of my favourite ever films, The Muppet Christmas Carol. Enjoy, and feel free to sing along!

What are your favourite Muppet memories? Have you seen the new film? I'd love to hear your thoughts and feelings on the subject!

Much love,

Frankie

Swell Vintage

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