Muppet Retro Reviews: Gonzo Presents Muppet Weird Stuff

Michael Wermuth, Jr. - "Gonzo Presents Muppet Weird Stuff" is one of ten compilation videos released by Playhouse Video in 1985 that spotlight The Muppet Show. Most of those videos had different hosts, settings, and themes. This one is hosted by Gonzo, accompanied by Camilla, and is themed around the shows weirdest moments. The video's linking footage takes place at Gonzo's home, which he tries to pass off as a mansion, but it quickly becomes clear that it's really a trailer home. At one point Kermit pays a visit, and keeps innocently referring to the trailer home.

Guest stars who appear in clips on this video include John Cleese, Jean Statpleton, Dom DeLuise, Vincent Price, Madeline Kahn, and Julie Andrews. The many weird clips include "Hugga Wugga," "Under My Skin," a couple of Kermit's news reports from Koozebane, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew inventing various forms of exploding clothes, and very wisely includes the "Jabborwocky" sketch, which Scooter himself refers to as "the weirdest thing we've ever done on this show!" The video even includes a couple of segments ("All of Me" and "You've Got a Friend") which would later be cut from the DVD release of the first season.

Of course you can't have a collection of weird moments hosted by Gonzo without segments featuring Gonzo, and this has a lot of them. Among the Gonzo moments featured include him eating a tire, hypnotizing himself, catching a cannonball, and balancing a piano. Gonzo also shows a reel of his best acts back-to-back-to-back, which even includes some Gonzo clips from the movies. The video also highlights Gonzo's love life, making Camilla jealous. We get to see Gonzo's first act with a chicken, Gonzo flirt with a cow, and his rendition of "The Wishing Song." We also get to see the first time Gonzo met Camilla, the number "Won't Somebody Dance with Me."

"Gonzo Presents Muppet Weird Stuff" is one of my favorites of the compilation videos I have seen. It's a shame that these videos haven't been re-released. It has many of my favorite moments from The Muppet Show, and a lot of the linking material is great as well.

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