Best of Sesame Street Spoofs! DVD Review

Best of Sesame Street Spoofs!

DVD Review

$15.00, available wherever DVDs are sold

Ryan Dosier - Today saw the release of a brand new 2-Disc set of classic Sesame Street magic at its very best. Best of Sesame Street Spoofs! is a must-buy for all Sesame fans, featuring over two hours of classic, hilarious, and smart parodies of some of the most famous music, television shows, movies, and more of all time, put on by the Muppets of Sesame Street. This includes old favorites such as "Monsterpiece Theatre," "Born to Add," and "Beat the Time" along with more contemporary spoofs like "Mad Men," "30 Rocks," and "The Closer." Sesame Workshop did double-dip with some sketches that had been previously released on DVD, but there are quite a few included on this 2-Disc set that have never been available to own until now.

Much like the 2009 2-Disc set, Sesame Street: 40 Years of Sunny Days, the Spoofs are separated onto two discs by the years they were made. Disc 1 focuses more on Old School, classic sketches from the beginning of Sesame Street in 1969 to the late 1980's, while Disc 2 has contemporary parodies from the 1990's all the way until Season 41. All of the sketches that are included in the set are absolutely brilliant. There isn't one weak link as you sit and enjoy it, parody by parody.

I hadn't seen many of these sketches before so it was a real treat for me to enjoy one of my favorites like Forgetful Jones' "Oooo-klahoma!" one second then a gem like "Casablanca Alphabet" the next ("Say it again, Sam..."), which I had never seen before. That's what is so great about major Sesame releases like these... there's always a great mix of old favorites and exclusive rarities to entertain and dazzle.

The run time of Disc 1 (called Volume 1) is 62 minutes and the run time of Disc 2 (Volume 2) is 59 minutes, so for just $15, you get over two hours of terrific Sesame spoofs--along with bonus spoofs included on each disc. The set is packaged much like the 40 Years of Sunny Days set, in that both discs come in two thin, plastic DVD shells which are both encased in a thin cardboard box. Perhaps my only complaint about this set is that the box is very, very thin... but it seems that it will hold up if you don't put too much wear and tear on it.

The set is being billed as "Volume 1 and 2," meaning that there is quite a good chance we'll be seeing future releases in the Best of Sesame Street Spoofs series. Personally, I hope to see future "Best of" releases that aren't merely restricted to Spoofs. I would love to see "Best of" specific characters (e.g., Bert and Ernie, Grover, Big Bird), "Best of" sesame Street Travels (e.g., Hawaii, New Mexico, etc.) packaged in great, 2-Disc sets spanning the entire run of the show. It seems likely that we'll see more releases like this... fans of the classic and contemporary Street should certainly cross their fingers for such a thing.

In the end, I can't recommend this DVD highly enough. It's a magnificent collection of brilliant Sesame Street gold, showcasing the talents of the Muppet performers, the Sesame writers, and even the versatility of characters like Cookie Monster and Grover. You get 2-Discs, over 2 hours of Sesame Street, all for under $20... what's not to love about Best of Sesame Street Spoofs! Volume 1 and 2? Not much.

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, ryguy102390@gmail.com

The Diary of an Obsessed (British) Muppet Fan, Part 2

Last known location of TBC

Dear Diary,
Have I ever mentioned how much I adore the way your binding curves so delicately? Well, if I have not, allow me to do so now. It is just so perfectly bindery. You are very welcome. What is that? Pardon me? Oh, well, thank you. I agree that my eyebrows are very rustic, and how very generous of you to comment on the cosmic form of my particularly British stiff upper lip.
 
For, yes, you have sussed it correctly, indeed, it is I, the British Correspondent, still holding hostage the Diary of one Ryan Doozer.

And speaking of Diaries, I am rather assuming that sooner or later we shall be reading some sort of "How I Met your Muppet" tell-all bio-backstage-diaries from our friend Jason Segel. (Seriously, am I the first one to use that joke? May I once again applaud my A-list comedic talent...)

Speaking of comedic talent, who knew that Zack and Cody could work that brilliant "pause-for-the-laugh-track-styled" comedic timing even when speaking in mock Swedish accents?

Well, clearly the marvelous producers over at The Muppets Studio had some inking of this fact when they invited the Muppets over to Studio DC to join a bunch of our favourite (?) Disney Channel mini-stars for an Almost Live double-bill television show available in the United Kingdom on Extended Edition DVD. Now, the fact this show hit Region 2 dvd first is just one reason I am proud to be British (breakfast of boiled eggs with dippy soldiers being another.)

I had some reservations with the original broadcast of this semi-live show in its condensed form where, in my opinion (and a lot of other people's opinions) it felt rushed, choppy and as if the Muppets’ presence was something of an after-thought to the all-star talent of the Disney children such as Miley Cyrus, Ashley Tisdale, Demi Lovato and also-appearing-in-The-Muppets-movie-quite-likely-on-the-phone Selena Gomez (not to mention those man-child Brothers Jonas and the ever a-peel-ing Wizards of Weaverly place guys... seriously... do not mention them).

However, when sitting down to the Extended Edition version of the show I was surprised to find I actually enjoyed watching DC’s usually too-cool-for-school young actors and singers getting a chance to ham it up for the cameras, to poke fun at themselves and pretty much throw cream pies! It was refreshing to see the Muppets again, regardless of the format, and it provided a great platform for our favourite performers to improvise and mess about onscreen (and below screen) without a giant big-budget movie rolling around them.

Plus, everyone buying the DVD also found themselves in possession of a special Backstage pass that brought us a Pepe-tastic All-Access Tour behind the scenes where the Muppets and Muppeteers truly had an opportunity to throw themselves fully into the crazy, funny, amusing antics of the Muppets off-screen.

So, if you find yourself living in a Region labeled with a giant “2” and alone in the DVD aisle of your local supermarket, be sure to pick up a copy of The Muppets Studio Presents Studio DC Almost Live Extended Edition on DVD now!

...hang on a minute...

How did I NOT see this diary entry morph into a DVD review...again. Subtle.

Well, diary, I am sorry to say, I shall be sending this page to Ryan later as proof that you are still alive...with a warning. Full Mindset Access... or your diary remains as Mine.

Love and kisses,
The British C.

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier

Sesame Street Saturdays: Silly Storytime DVD Review

Sesame Street: Silly Storytime

DVD Review

 
Michael Wermuth, Jr. - Silly Storytime is the latest Sesame Street DVD. Themed around fairy tales, it includes three street stories, four Sesame Street News segments, and two additional segments. Like many of the Sesame Street DVD releases comprised primarily of street stories, this one does not have any linking footage, unless you count the animated title sequences and transitions between segments.

The three street stories are "The Tale of Rapunzoe," "Sleeping Grouchy," and "Jack and the Green and Growing Beanstalk." "The Tale of Rapunzoe" involves Zoe wishing for her hair to be longer like Rapunzel’s, and then getting her wish from her Hairy Godperson. "Sleeping Grouchy" involves Oscar reading the story of Sleeping Grouchy (portrayed by Grundgetta). And "Jack and the Green and Growing  Beanstalk" involves Telly and Leela helping Jack of “Jack and the Beanstalk” fame figure out how to grow a beanstalk. Of these three stories, my favorite is Sleeping Grouchy. My least favorite of the three is "The Tale of Rapunzoe."

Two other stories represented are a "Musical Fairy Tale" segment on Little Red Riding Hood, and an animated segment with two kids telling the story of the Frog Prince, while various drawings are made in the sand. I don’t know if there were any additional "Musical Fairy Tales" segments, but the title card is omitted from this release.

But if you’re like me and a big fan of classic Sesame Street clips, "Sesame Street News," and/or Kermit the Frog’s Sesame Street appearances, then I’m sure you’re most interested in this release for its inclusion of four Sesame Street News segments. I sure was excited about this, so much that I recently wrote an article on the Top 15 Sesame Street News Sketches. A news segment follows each story except for The Frog Prince. Each segment included has to do with the fairy tale it follows, meaning it includes Kermit’s reports concerning Rapunzel, Sleeping Beauty, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Little Red Riding Hood. Two out of four of those have previously been released commercially.

Finally, this DVD includes one bonus feature, "A Wish for Grover." "A Wish for Grover" is a storybook video, much like the Golden Book Video releases from the 1980s. The story is told from Grover’s perspective, with Eric Jacobson providing the voice. The story involves Grover wishing on a star to live in the jungle, and then imagining living a life in the jungle. The story isn’t bad, and the animation is better than it was in those Golden Book Video releases, but I would have preferred they use the extra space to have included some additional Sesame Street News segments.

So whether you’re a fan of classic Sesame Street, Kermit the Frog, fairy tales, or even just Sesame Street in general, I highly recommend this release.

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier

It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie 2010 DVD Review

It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie

2010 Widescreen Edition DVD Review

Ryan Dosier - Universal just released It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie on DVD again today. It is being called a "Digitally Remastered" "Widescreen" release and comes with two discs, one of the movie and a few bonus features, and one that includes nine holiday songs. Let me preface this review by saying that this is a very odd release... for more than a few reasons. Let's go through them, shall we? For one, no one at all predicted a release of an unknown 2002 Muppet Christmas special that isn't owned by Disney being released. 

Second, this release is billed as being "Digitally Remastered in Widescreen for the First Time Ever!" and, well, it certainly is! A few inches is added to the right and left side of the screen and those trademark black bars are tacked on the top and bottom of the screen. Is it enough to make a noticeable difference? Let's put it this way... I had to put in my other DVD of the special to really see the difference. Here, see for yourself...

The old, fullscreen presentation.

New, larger, obviously improved widescreen presentation. Notice Dr. Teeth and Robin are now fully in frame, and another chicken (along with the Muppeteer under it) can now be seen.

This release is also getting a very odd special treatment from Universal. The DVD comes in an O-Sleeve and the packaging has an awesome design to it. It's only ten bucks at Wal-mart, so go get it if you don't already own it... but should you get it if you don't already own it? I have no idea. If you're a Muppet completist and you love It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie like I do, then yes, go spend a measly ten bucks and pick it up. The new, apparently digital remastering looks fantastic and the widescreen is nice. It's especially fun in group shots like the Muppets having their meeting in the theater seats and the whole "Moulin Scrooge" number.

The weirdest part of this release, however, is the totally pointless and very, very strange second disc. As I mentioned earlier, the second disc is a 9-song music CD filled with Christmas music. You would expect this to be Muppet Christmas music, right? Well... you're wrong! So terribly, terribly wrong... terribly because what is in place of Muppet music is terrible. The CD has nine songs sung by some random, nameless, bad-voiced guy just pushing out Christmas music for a quick paycheck. Universal really pushed the envelope with this CD.

But aside from that this really is a nice DVD. The bonus features included are deleted scenes and bloopers--all of which can be found on the 2003 DVD as well. Oddly enough, each of the deleted scenes and bloopers have retained the "Inside Pepe's Studio" watermark at the bottom right hand corner. This is odd because Inside Pepe's Studio isn't mentioned once on this DVD. Seems like they were just too lazy to take off the logo... or the clips don't exist without it. Either way, all of the deleted scenes and bloopers were included on the 2003 DVD--including the hidden Easter Egg scenes.

Overall, I do recommend this DVD. It's not the best release from the Muppets... but for a DVD released by a studio other than Disney, it's pretty impressive. The box art is wonderful--especially the big group picture on the back--and the menus are a LOT less annoying than the 2003 DVD. Thankfully nothing moves or talks to you... there's just a nice instrumental of "Deck the Halls" that plays over the menu.

Should you buy this DVD if you already own the 2003 release? Well... that's entirely up to you. As a Muppet fan, I'm obligated to say yes--especially since it's only $10 at Wal Mart--but as someone who understands lack of cash flow... I'd say just think about it or ask for it for Christmas or something. If you don't get it, you're not missing too much, but if you do you've got a shiny new Muppet DVD to add to your collection! And... a crappy Christmas CD to microwave!

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier

DVD Review: Henson's Place

Henson's Place: The Man Behind The Muppets

DVD Review

$12.50 on Amazon

Ryan Dosier - I'm thrilled to say that Lionsgate has done it again. They've taken an extremely rare Henson special, and released it on DVD for a new generation to enjoy. They started with Song of the Cloud Forest, carried on with Dog City: The Movie, and blew our minds with a release of Sesame Street: 20 Years and Still Counting! Now, they've truly outdone themselves with the release of Henson's Place: The Man Behind The Muppets, a 1984 documentary that takes us inside the world of Jim Henson, giving us a glimpse at how he worked.

This is another Lionsgate DVD release that required the cooperation of the big three: Disney's Muppets Studio, Sesame Workshop, and The Jim Henson Company. It's really incredible that Lionsgate has gotten the three companies to cooperate, and it can only lead my optimistic Muppet fan mind to hope for releases of specials like The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson, The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years, and A Muppet Family Christmas on DVD some day. But who knows if that's at all probable.

As for the special itself, it's fantastic. I had never seen the documentary before watching it on DVD, and I have no idea why. It was marvelous and funny and thrilling. At one point, Big Bird walks into Jim Henson's office, offers him some chips, and props his feet up on the desk--just like a spoiled actor would do. It was priceless! Also priceless is hearing the likes of Michael Frith, David Lazer, Jane Henson, and more discuss their work with Jim.

The documentary is book-ended by "interviews" with Kermit and Miss Piggy. First, they're asked "Who is Jim Henson?" and the answers are predictably hilarious. At the end of the special their relationship is called into question... and you can probably also predict the hilarity here too, but I think the answers will still delight.

The special highlights Jim's early career with Sam and Friends, and his success with Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock, The Dark Crystal, and a heavy focus on The Muppet Show. All throughout the special, various Henson high-rollers come in to discuss the genius that is Jim Henson; including Lord Grade and Frank Oz--both of whom are bald. There's a great moment where Frank discusses performing Piggy, Fozzie, and Animal. I had never really heard Frank talk about Animal, and it was awesome.

All in all, this special is wonderful and highly recommended. The whole thing is a delight from start to finish. The DVD is also the best that Lionsgate has released yet. Mostly because it's the first to truly come with a special feature--and it's an amazing one: a look inside The Amphibian, the 1985-1986 Henson Associates "yearbook." It's just incredible to look inside this historical document at all the faces who made up Henson 15 years ago. For me, this feature alone was worth the $10 the DVD cost me. The yearbook is introduced by Michael Frith and then the DVD takes you through every page individually with music playing in the background. It's truly awesome.

Unfortunately, the only place I've been able to find this DVD for sale is online. I've heard rumors that it's available at Fry's Electronics stores, but your best bet is to probably order from Amazon or the like. I can't recommend this DVD enough--especially because if enough people buy it, we're more likely to see more rare Henson specials on DVD.

The only small complaint I have about the DVD is that the picture quality is rather low, but then, what do you expect from a 1984 documentary? It's not enough to take the rating down from 5-Fozzies out of 5, and it really doesn't effect the special at all.

So, in conclusion, Lionsgate has done it again, and you should go support them by buying this awesome DVD!

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier

Sesame Street: 20 Years...and Still Counting DVD Review

Sesame Street: 20 Years...and Still Counting!

DVD Review

Ryan Dosier - It's another month, and that means another exciting DVD release from Lionsgate that spans the history of The Jim Henson Company. We've had The Song of the Cloud Forest, The Animal Show, and Dog City: The Movie. This month, we get Sesame Street: 20 Years...and Still Counting, the fantastic 1989 TV special hosted by Bill Cosby that showcases everything that had made Sesame Street fantastic for the 20 years leading up to this special.

I'll come right out and say that this is my favorite Sesame Street anniversary special ever (followed closely behind by Elmopalooza!), so my review will probably reflect that. Everything about this special works brilliantly. From Bill Cosby asking Big Bird why he's still six after 20 years on TV, to Placido Flamingo meeting and singing with his namesake, Placido Domingo, this special is awesome at every turn.

My favorite part of the special is when Bob, Susan, and Gordon sit around a counter and talk, as Bob McGrath, Loretta Long, and Roscoe Orman, about the show. This is where we get Susan saying, "Well, I'm up for 20 more years, how about you guys?" which is eerie since they all stuck it out for 20 more years.

I'm thrilled to note that the special is entirely uncut. Kermit the Frog remains to ask folks the Question of the Day ("Can you tell me how to get to Sesame Street?"), The Count continues counting the commercial breaks, even though there aren't any on the DVD, and, probably most exciting of all, the original introduction by Jim Henson and Kermit the Frog remains entirely intact and is just as awesome as you'd expect.

In the way of bonus features, there are virtually none. There aren't even trailers for Lionsgate's other DVD releases, which is also odd. There is a fully-functional DVD menu that features rotating clips from the show, a chapter selection menu, and a set-up menu. Beyond that, this is a strictly bare-bones release, which is the only thing holding it back from a 5-Fozzie rating. I'm wondering if maybe there were legality issues between Lionsgate, Sesame Workshop, and The Muppets Studio that prevented any further bonus features from being added.

Even though there's nothing to the DVD beyond the special, it's still a DVD that all Muppet fans must own. This is the best Sesame Street special that has been produced and it contains countless priceless moments. Elmo and Bill Cosby discuss the show's curriculum ("What curriculum mean?"), Jim Henson and Joan Ganz Cooney discuss the show's success, and the whole cast sings the best version of "Sing" you'll ever find.

This is an amazing instance of all three of the big Muppet-divisions; The Muppets Studio, Sesame Workshop, and The Jim Henson Company; working together and putting aside legality issues to release a fantastic DVD. Here's hoping this could mean big things (*cough* Muppet Family Christmas *cough*) in the near future!

This DVD is not supposed to be released until next Tuesday, July 13th, but I was lucky enough to find it released early at my Wal-Mart store, so it might be worth checking it out now to see if your Wal-Mart made the same mistake. The DVD was only $10.00 at Wal-Mart, making this an even more fantastic deal.

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier

Dog City: The Movie DVD Review

Jim Henson's Dog City: The Movie

DVD Review

Ryan Dosier - Dog City. The Jim Henson classic film-noir special produced for The Jim Henson Hour is one that yours truly had never seen until a few days ago. This was mostly because it had never been commercially released within my lifetime until last Tuesday, when Lionsgate, the company who has brought us The Song of the Cloud Forest, a stand-alone set of Fraggle Rock season 4, and will bring us Sesame Street: 20 and Still Counting and Henson's Place later, released the classic special on DVD.

Dog City stars doggy detective Ace Yu (that's a pun, folks) as he attempts to change "The Dog House," a bar he inherited from his uncle Harry in Dog City, into a quarter-way house for orphans (that's another joke). The only problem is merciless doggy gangster Bugsy Them (you see when this starts to get hilarious?) isn't about to let that happen since he wants all the money the bar brings in. After Ace refuses and insults Bugsy, he vows to get back at Ace. The rest of the special follows Ace and Colleen Barker, a female dog scraping the bottom of the barrel, as they outwit and out-pun Bugsy and his gang.

Now, knowing Lionsgate's previous track record with DVD releases, I knew I could expect two specific things: an awesome Jim Henson classic and very few, if any, true bonus features. And that's exactly what I got with Dog City: The Movie. But was it worth the $10 I paid for it? Absolutely.

The first thing that obsessed Muppet fans will notice from the DVD packaging is Rowlf the Dog prominently featured on the cover, implying that his scenes are completely intact in the special. They are, in fact, and he's awesome throughout. Having Rowlf there is just one of the extremely awesome parts of this special. It also means that Disney's Muppets Studio was able to play nice with The Jim Henson Company and Lionsgate to allow Rowlf to remain in the special. That's a very good sign for future Muppet releases.

Dog City itself is a hilarious, fast-paced, puppet masterpiece. The characters are all gorgeously designed and perfectly performed. Ace is Kevin Clash in a fantastic turn while Bugsy is Jim Henson in a voice that he had never used before.The greatest part about the special, however, is the brilliant dialogue. There are more puns about dogs or dog behavior in this special than I've seen in all of the bad CGI talking-dog movies of the past ten years combined. Just the "Yu" and "Them" exchange is enough to have you howling with laughter. (See what I did there?)

All in all, this DVD is highly recommended for anyone with a funny bone (that you haven't already buried in the yard). The only bonus features on here are some concept art for the special, but it doesn't really matter because the fantastic special seems to outweigh the need for more.

So do yourself a favor and take that ten dollars you've got lying around and spend it on a classic, hilarious, and wonderful Jim Henson production!

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier