News Update: August 16, 2012

NEWS UPDATE: August 16, 2012

One of our favorite actors, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, (of 500 Days of Summer and The Dark Knight Rises) fame appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live Tuesday night to discuss things that shouldn't really connect to Muppets... but somehow they did, and JGL's love for our fuzzy friends was revealed! Check out the fantastic clip from the show below to hear Joseph Gordon Levitt and Jimmy Kimmel discussing Murray Monster, The Muppets, and amazing footage from Emily Blunt!



The fine folks responsible for the amazing documentary Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey have alerted us to the fact that the film is up for a PBS Independent Lens Audience Award! Up against many other PBS documentaries, Being Elmo has some stiff competition, but as Muppet fans, I think we've proven time and again that we're capable of rocking the vote in our favor! All you have to do is click the link above, scroll down to Being Elmo, and vote it 5 Stars and your vote is in! It's that simple! So get out there and help our this fantastic, moving film!

Muppet fan Davide Maugeri contacted me recently with information on a non-profit project he and a team are working on as a tribute to the classic Jim Henson/Disney television sitcom Dinosaurs. Check out the work Davide has already done with a little snippet of information about the project: "Recently I've teamed up with some workmates to make a CG tribute to Jim Henson. A one and a half minute animated short featuring two characters from one of our favorite Jim Henson shows, Baby and Earl Sinclair from Dinosaurs. We'd like to stress that it is only meant as a homage and tribute to the genius of Jim Henson which made the series possible. Since this was a big hit in the early 90's and it ended up forgotten, our main goal is to bring these characters back to life and remind people they still exist, and they still can make us laugh like they used to. Here is a sneak-peek picture that shows both the characters as they appear in their new CG look. The short should be complete by the holiday season (December)."

Last week marked the end of the 2012 Summer Olympic Games, but I was in Walt Disney World so I missed some exciting news from the games: Grover, Elmo, and Abby Cadabby were present in London for a few days mingling with Olympic athletes and just having fun! Our friends at ToughPigs.com have a fantastic round-up of the video appearances the trio made across the pond, and be sure to check out the official Sesame Street Olympic Photo Album on Facebook!

Speaking of Sesame Street... they are currently in the process of an open casting call for a new human cast member on the show! Live in the New York area? Free on August 20th? Are you an actor fluent in Spanish and English? Then this audition is for you! Check out all the official information from Sesame Workshop below...
Male or female actor, 18-25, fluent in Spanish and English, comfortable with multiple Spanish dialects and accents. Good sense of humor. Must sing well. Actor should be comfortable with both physical and improvisational comedy. Actor should be warm, likable and engaging. Must be prepared to sing a cappella in Spanish and English.
DATE: Monday, August 20th
TIME: 10am – 2pm
LOCATION: Roseland Ballroom, 239 West 52nd Street, New York
Please bring a headshot and resume if you have one.
If you have any further questions, please contact Joe Lopick of McCorkle Casting at joe@mccorklecasting.com.

In "no one could have seen this coming" news, Legendary Entertainment Alliance announced early last week that they would be releasing the hilariously weird television special A Special Sesame Street Christmas on DVD on November 6 of this year. You can pre-order the DVD for only $12.98 right now on the L.E.A. website. Never heard of this infamous special? Check out the trailer for the special/DVD below (or just look at the awful DVD cover art at right) and you'll see what makes this piece so fantastically strange. I know I'll be owning it!









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

BEING ELMO: A PUPPETEER'S JOURNEY DVD Review

BEING ELMO: A PUPPETEER'S JOURNEY

DVD Review

Available on April 3rd

Ryan Dosier - Every once in awhile a film comes along that is equal parts inspiring, heart-warming, tear-jerking, funny, fun, and beautiful. One of the few films I've come across recently that has all of these characteristics and so many more is Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey. This near-perfect piece of filmmaking is the work of dedicated and talented folks like director Constance Marks, producer Corinne LaPook, and a whole host of others who did all they could to bring the incredible story of Kevin Clash to the public. As you all (should) know, Being Elmo is currently available on Netflix Instant as well as on iTunes digital download, but on April 3rd (this Tuesday) you'll be able to watch Kevin's amazing life-journey any time you want when the film comes to DVD!

I was lucky enough to receive an advance copy of Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey on DVD from the filmmakers, whom I can't thank enough for their continued generosity. I don't know that I, personally, have ever expressed my thoughts on the film itself. There's not enough time for a full, detailed review here (which this film absolutely deserves), but I think I can get my point across by saying that Being Elmo is the greatest documentary I have ever seen--not just Muppet/Sesame Street related. The film has inspired me in more ways than I can express. Following the magical journey of Kevin Clash from child to puppeteer to TV actor to Muppeteer to major Muppeteer to Elmo to producer to director to mentor is truly, truly incredible. No matter your own feelings on Elmo, Kevin Clash is a man to adore and aspire to be. In fact, by the end of the film when Kevin is mentoring young puppeteer Tau Bennett, it is nearly impossible to not be inspired by Kevin and not fall in love with him.

As for the DVD itself, it contains an amazing collection of behind the scenes footage from the film, further interviews, appearances, and more. Of course, it will just leave you wanting more (because as insatiable fans, it's our job to want more, more, more), but what is here is absolutely amazing. I'll break down the collection of features below...

 Some Thoughts from the Filmmakers

This is the longest special feature at 15 minutes, but it is absolutely incredible. There are interviews with the men and women who made this film possible as they talk about (and show off) footage that didn't make it into the film. There are some truly tear-jerking moments here, such as Kevin meeting a fan whose life he influenced greatly, some amazing moments, such as Kevin's mother talking about mowing the lawn (trust me on this), and some laugh out loud, hysterical, perfect moments, such as Bill Barretta stopping his interview to call Kevin and berate him about crab cakes. Yes. Crab cakes. You have to see it to believe it. It's awesome.

Sundance Premiere Q&A with Kevin and the Filmmakers

This is another really cool feature, and one that I think appeared on YouTube back when the Sundance Film Festival was happening. It features some truly moving moments from Kevin as he talks to the audience who saw one of the first screenings of the film. He brings out Elmo for some fun with Tau and his puppet and it includes the moment where Elmo makes a pregnant woman's day. Another wonderful inclusion on this DVD!

Tau Performs in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

This is the most magical of the features on the disc. At only four minutes long, it is still just completely moving and perfect. It features young Tau Bennett as we get to watch him live his dream of performing with the Muppeteers on the Sesame Street float in the Macy's parade--just as Kevin did when he was younger. The feature gives us moments with Matt Vogel, Tyler Bunch, Fran Brill, Carmen Oshbar, Loretta Long, Roscoe Orman, and so many others. But the true magic comes from Kevin and Marty Robinson. Kevin, who greets Tau excitedly and helps him get situated on the float, and Marty, who performs Telly while Tau performs Baby Bear. Marty is hysterical as Telly and Tau has a ton of fun right next to him. It is truly amazing.

Interview with John Tartaglia

When I first saw that this feature would be included on the DVD, I was confused and wondered how it would fit... but it fits so, so beautifully. John Tartaglia, Tony Award-nominated puppeteer explains how he was inspired by Jim Henson and then in turn by Kevin Clash. Kevin went on to mentor John, giving John unprecedented insight. This interview is both insightful and entertaining. John is a Muppet fan who made it big and it's a true treat to hear his stories.

The bonus features for Being Elmo on DVD, and the content int he film itself, almost make up for the lack of Muppeteer presence in The Muppets bonus features. Being able to see these artists at work is just incredible. The candid, one-on-one interviews with folks like Fran Brill, Bill Barretta, Marty Robinson, Caroll Spinney, and even Frank Oz are just pure magic in the film. I could sit for hours and just listen to them talk.

But the true joy of this DVD is Being Elmo itself. It is a work of true artists bringing the story of another true artist to the public. Kevin Clash's story may be old news to some of us Muppet fans, but even so, you are guaranteed to learn something while watching this. Likewise, you are guaranteed to tear up, laugh out loud, get shivers, and be inspired by Kevin's incredible life story and all the good he has done for the world. 

In the film, Kevin says that his goal was to make Elmo about love. He obviously succeeded, but so have the makers of Being Elmo. They have shown the world that not only is Elmo about love, but so is Kevin. His love for Elmo, his love for Sesame Street, his love for Jim Henson, his love for his fans, his love for his family, his love for his co-workers, his love for puppetry, his love for people all shine through like glorious stars as you watch the film. Moments where Kevin sees a sick child or talks about Jim or shows other puppeteers the ropes are the reason this DVD is a must-own for every Muppet fan.

If you haven't already, I highly suggest pre-ordering Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey on DVD from Amazon or just saving up $20 to buy it on April 3rd. You will never regret it and you are sure to treasure this work of art in your collection.

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

Being Elmo Comes to DVD and The Muppets "Feel the Hunger"

In lieu of a News Update this week (since there isn't all that much to update you on), we're pulling the two biggest stories and combining them for this one post. I know... I'm excited too.

First, the critically acclaimed, delightful, charming, beautiful, moving, and inspiration documentary about Kevin Clash, Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey is finally coming to DVD and digital download on April 3rd! It is currently available for live streaming on Netflix Instant, but how can you pass up buying a physical copy of this near-perfect film? You can already pre-order the DVD now on Amazon.com and we've already got an official list of bonus features straight from the press release for the DVD! The list of bonus features is below...

• Some Thoughts from the Filmmakers
• Sundance Premiere Q&A with Kevin Clash and the filmmakers
• Tau performs in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
• Interview with John Tartaglia
• Documentary Trailer

I don't know about you, but I absolutely cannot wait to bring this DVD home. Being Elmo is truly wonderful and it deserves a spot in my DVD collection.

In other Muppet-films-coming-to-DVD-soon news, The Muppets Studio recently released yet another parody trailer this week, this time promoting The Muppets on Blu-ray/DVD combo pack. The new trailer lampoons the popular book and movie The Hunger Games. For those of you wondering about the poorly-CGI'd plunger-and-arrow Gonzo is shooting, that was added because archery is a big feature of The Hunger Games. I think. Anyway... enjoy the awesome below!

I love the "Feel the Hunger" trailer... but I can't describe how glad I am that I don't have to do a trailer breakdown for it since we've all seen the movie already. It's the little things...

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

News Update: March 2, 2012

NEWS UPDATE: March 2, 2012

In news about something you should do right this second if you have Netflix: Go watch Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey. The touching, heartwarming, beautiful documentary about Kevin Clash and his journey into the world of Jim Henson is now online for instant streaming on Netflix and you can watch it right this second. So why aren't you?! Work? School? Personal responsibilities? Fuh! Go watch! I finally got to see this wonderful film for myself last week and I was more than moved. I teared up, I had shivers, and I was blown away by how amazing Kevin's story truly is. Be sure to check this out for yourself if you can... but if not, Being Elmo will be available on DVD in April.

Major crazy/random news this week as everyone's favorite go-fer, Scooter, made an appearance and gave a speech at the TED Conference in Santa Barbara, California. Yes, that Scooter. By himself. Giving a speech. In 2012. I don't know how it happened either, but the TED Blog has a recap of the events and our pals at Muppet Wiki somehow found a video of the incredible appearance which you can watch below. But first... how awesome are Scooter, David Rudman, The Muppets Studio, and TED for making this happen? SO awesome.



As you all (probably) know, the Academy Awards were last weekend and The Muppets took home an Oscar for "Man or Muppet" (which was probably the most awesome thing since the movie). Well, you probably also know that there was a massive amount of pre-show content on both ABC and E! Well, on the latter, Kermit the Frog made an appearance with Glee's Darren Criss. The talented duo performed Kermit's classic "Rainbow Connection" before the Red Carpet began and... well, it was beautiful. You can watch and listen to the song on E! Online!

Speaking of the Oscars, you should also know that Kermit and Miss Piggy appeared at the ceremony to introduce Cirque du Soleil (we don't wanna talk about it). Well, the frog and the pig also made the red carpet rounds and appeared only very briefly on the red carpet telecasts. Their appearance caused such a fervor, however, that people all over Twitter mentioned Miss Piggy in their tweets with the hashtag "#bestdressed." So many people tweeted that Piggy was the best dressed, in fact, that she was the fifth most tweeted Best Dressed celebrity on the red carpet. Do you realize how major this is? Miss Piggy was voted the FIFTH BEST DRESSED ahead of Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Lopez, and countless other starlets. Also very much worth mentioning... the Best Original Song win for "Man or Muppet" was the fifth most tweeted about moment of the entire Oscars telecast. That's huge. Muppet domination isn't going anywhere, people!

And now, probably the biggest news since Scooter presented at the TED Conference (probably even bigger than that), according to huge entertainment resource, Vulture, The Walt Disney Company has tapped director of The Muppets James Bobin and co-writer Nicholas Stoller to write another Muppet movie!! This is MAJOR news. Literally less than six months after the release of The Muppets, another film has already been put into the works by Disney. If that doesn't spell confidence in the characters and the filmmakers and the performers, I don't know what does. You will, of course, notice that Jason Segel is not writing the script this go around--but not because Disney doesn't want him to. Jason is a star with huge commitments--currently starring in two feature films, writing another, and starring in his hit sitcom How I Met Your Mother. He is simply too busy to commit to writing another movie. There is no saying that Jason won't produce or appear in the movie, but it is far too soon to tell. Just don't get in an uproar, Muppet fans... unless it's an uproar about how unbelievably thrilled you are that another Muppet movie is in the works already!

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

The Ramblings of Jarrod Fairclugh, Muppet Nerd - Part 4

Jarrod Fairclough Presents:  The Ramblings of a Muppet Nerd – CLASH of the Titans

Jarrod Fairclough - The other day I was lucky enough to catch a screening of the documentary Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey, all about the life of Kevin Clash, who, as we all know, is Elmo. If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend it, because it is by far one of the best documentaries I've seen in a long time.  There are very few documentaries I'd ever want to own. This one, along with Conan O'Brien Can't Stop, are the only ones I'll have in my collection. At least the only ones that will get a regular watch, anyway. But alas, this is not a review of the movie. This is my account of my meeting with Kevin Clash in 2008.

As I've said a few times on this site, on December 18th, 2008, I was given the opportunity to spend a few hours on the set of Sesame Street. For those playing at home, when I was there they were filming episode 4192, "Y a Quest? Y Not?." I watch that episode and think to myself "Hey, I'm like four feet away from that!" It was a great day, made possible by the fantastic guy Matt Vogel.

After meeting Matt, he went over and tapped a large man on the shoulder. This man I recognized as Kevin Clash, and he walked on over with a HUGE smile on his face. He shook my hand, and I told him what a giant fan I am of his, and how much I love Elmo. We spoke about Elmo's interviews on Rove. (A talk show in Australia. If you haven't seen the interviews, YouTube them, preferably the ones where Elmo is in the studio--they are much better than any of the Jimmy Fallon interviews, in my opinion, anyway) He told me those were some of his favorite ever interviews. And they must be, because part of one of the interviews made it into Being Elmo. He then told us to go wait in the arbor, and he'd be over there in a moment with Elmo...

Um... OKAY! Off Kevin went, and a few moments later he returned and put on Elmo. I can tell you now, that was one of the most bizarre, but most awesome moments in my life. As anyone who has met a Muppet will tell you, you totally forget that they aren't real. I could clearly see Kevin standing there, but I was having a conversation with Elmo, and he was responding and having fun. In true Elmo form, he was very inappropriate, and very funny. After a photo, and after I gave him a hug, Elmo responded with "You're all going to get wasted this weekend. Especially you!" as he pointed to me. At that point I was only 19, so I was legally prohibited from drinking in America, which I told him. Elmo told us "Well, Elmo will come out with you. He'll talk the barmaids into giving us drinks." I told Elmo that I only had another two years to wait until I could drink legally in the U.S. Elmo sighed and said, "Elmo got the bum deal. Elmo's gonna be three and a half forever..."

Kevin removed Elmo, and a wrangler took him away. I shook Kevin's hand and thanked him again, and said I'll be in touch with Elmo to organize a drinking session. He laughed, and asked what the legal drinking age is in Australia. I told him that it's 18. He looked a little confused, and then asked what age we get our license... I told him that it's also 18. Kevin smiled and said, "So you can legally buy beer on the same day you can legally drive on your own?" We all sort of nodded, because we realized how ridiculous it was. Kevin smiled, and as he walked off, laughed as Elmo, and said, "Ridiculous."

So that was my Kevin Clash experience. He was lovely, and funny and a genuine joy to be around. But something else happened that day that I want to talk about. It's no secret that Sesame Street is a common place that sick children go to through the Make a Wish Foundation, a group of people that do incredible work. On the same day I was visiting the set, a little girl and her family arrived a little after us. We watched as Leslie Carrera Rudolph and Abby Cadabby spoke to the kids, and the girls dad got a photo with Telly, which made us laugh. But when Kevin got Elmo and went over to the kids, it was magic. This little girls eyes lit right up, and she immediately grabbed Elmo and hugged and kissed him. In Being Elmo, there's a segment on Kevin and Elmo doing this sort of stuff for young sick kids. And what you see there is absolutely how it was when I watched this happen.

I'm assuming it's fairly common that these kids get a video of them meeting their favorite character. I've seen a couple on YouTube, and 99% of them are with Elmo. So, I sat on the stoop of 123 Sesame Street, next to Matt Vogel, Paul McGinnis, and Eric Jacobson, and we watched Kevin film with Elmo and this little girl. I can barely remember what he said  Off the top of myself, the girl couldn't really say much, and Elmo just kept hugging and kissing her. She was in a wheelchair, and the video ended with Elmo jumping on her wheelchair and demanding to go home with the family. It was funny, and everyone laughed and applauded. And then, as Elmo was given to a wrangler, I watched as Kevin turned around, smiled at the girl's mother, and hugged her while she had a little cry.

The fact that this man can bring so much joy, and so much happiness to people from all ages, really is a compliment to the magnificent skills of Kevin Clash. This is a man who had a small red puppet thrown at him, and turned it into a worldwide phenomenon. I called this thing CLASH of the Titans. But I think that's wrong now. Because, in my opinion, Clash IS the titan.

Tune in next time for MOJA – The Museum of Jarrod Art, where I talk about my little drawings and doodles of the Muppets and Sesame Street. And stay tuned for my articles throughout the year, such as my wait for The Muppets movie, my collection of t-shirts, my various attempts to get my niece to watch Sesame Street, and much more!

Wanna come drink with me and Elmo next weekend?
Jarrod

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

News Update: October 27, 2011

NEWS UPDATE: October 27, 2011

The Disney Store has released a bunch of new Muppet stuff online and in their physical store locations. Among these are four brand new Muppet mugs featuring Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, and Gonzo the Great--only available in-store, along with some new t-shirts, and eight wonderful new Muppet plush toys of Kermit, Piggy, Fozzie, Gonzo, Animal, Beaker, Rizzo, and... Pepe the King Prawn! This is the first time a Pepe plush has been widely available, so be sure to get yours today, okay! All of these are available at DisneyStore.com | The Muppets and I've been told that even more stuff--including a Walter plush--will be coming out soon. So be on the look out!

The Muppets have released three brand new videos recently: two promoting their involvement with Alamo Rent-A-Car Company, and the other featuring Sam the Eagle as he shills out for "likes" in The Muppets Fan-A-Thon in the most patriotic way possible. Check out all three videos below--and make sure you bring an umbrella. Rowlf's tongue is flying!







A slew of great new interviews with cast and crew of The Muppets have filtered out onto the internet recently. Variety has a great little piece with Christophe Beck, composer for the film. In it, Beck talks about his exposure to the Muppets, why he enjoys them, and why he has loved working on The Muppets. An interview with Zack Galifianakis on BuzzSugar.com talks a little bit more about Zack's cameo in the movie as a character called "Hobo Joe." He also talks a little about his hope for the film and love of the characters. Director of The Muppets James Bobin talked with Film Journal International at great length and opened up about his love for the Muppets and his love for The Muppets. He really comes across as a great fit for the characters--which should be very satisfying to a lot of fans.

Kermit the Frog recently stopped by Toronto to visit and co-host the popular morning talk show CP24 to promote The Muppets and announce that he and the rest of the Muppets would be appearing in the annual Toronto Santa Claus Parade on November 20th. Luckily, CP24 posted two videos from Kermit's gig on their website and, as always, the Frog was fantastic. Take special notice of how he rolls around in the chair and be sure you watch both videos and stay till the end. There's a very special, adorable, understated musical treat.

Whilst in Toronto, Kermit met up with friend and co-star Jason Segel and the two talked about The Muppets with various news outlets. Toronto.com has a great piece and small interview with both the Frog and the writer/actor. In the interview, Jason talks about the fart shoes and explains why he thinks they work and people are over-reacting. It's basically what we said here the other day... you know how Segel likes to take all of our ideas. I mean, I was talking about a Muppet feature film long before he was!

In the major recent explosion of promotion for Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey, Kevin Clash stopped by some talk shows for some rare appearances without a furry red sock on his arm. Our friends over at ToughPigs.com have the full collection of appearances, but check out below for the video from The Daily Show with Jon Stewart for my favorite of the appearances. Also, take note, that The Muppet Mindset has interviewed someone that Jon Stewart has interviewed. How awesome is that?!

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Kevin Clash
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor & Satire Blog The Daily Show on Facebook

The Muppets are the stars of the November 2011 issue of WIRED Magazine subtitled "Fuzzy Logic." The cover features Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker and inside, seven pages are wonderfully overflowing with Muppets including Sam the Eagle, Janice, Statler and Waldorf, Gonzo, and a lot more. I can't recommend going out and buying this magazine for yourself highly enough. It's a wonderful item to have with a great piece on Jason Segel included (which has pictures like the one at right). However, if you can't afford the magazine or can't seem to find it for yourself, the wonderful folks over at ToughPigs.com have scanned the whole thing just for you (probably not just for you)... so check it out!

Our friends over at We Love Fine T-Shirts are hosting a Muppet t-shirt design contest and voting is--and has been--open. Voting ends on November 4, so get in there and vote for one of the shirt designs that are actually good, not some of the poorly Photoshopped uses of already existing material. The piece at right, designed by friend of the blog Dave Alvarez, is just one of the examples of amazing Muppet art in this contest. Go vote so you can get to wear one of these on your torso!

There are two great new promotional videos for The Muppets appeared on Disney.com recently. Thanks to our friends over at Muppet Musings, these two videos are now on YouTube for all to see! The first, "The Muppets: 10 in 60" features Jason Segel and Kermit the Frog as they attempt to answer ten questions about The Muppets in 60 seconds. This video features some fantastic new shots from the movie and some great interaction between Kermit and Jason. The second is the Disney Movie Surfers showcase of The Muppets wherein Kermit deems both Jason and the random girl interviewing them as honorary Muppets. Why wasn't I in that room at the time? Anyway... enjoy both below!

And, finally, there is a brand new final parody trailer for The Muppets now available for a bazillion viewings online!! Here it is--in all its amazing glory. The Muppets just parodied their own parody. That just happened. Watch it now!









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

"Being Elmo" Kicks Off its Theatrical Run October 21st

As you all surely know by now, Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey is the wonderful new documentary spotlighting the life and career of Kevin Clash and showing how Elmo has affected his life and the world at large. Don't believe me? Then you should watch the wonderful trailer, sent to us by the film's director Constance Marks and one of the film's producers Corinne LaPook. Enjoy!



But did you know that, starting October 21st, Being Elmo will be making its way to U.S. theaters around the country? Starting in New York City and spreading to other cities through 2012, Being Elmo is probably coming to a theater near you! Check out the official play dates listing for a full list of the cities, theaters, and dates where you can find Being Elmo in the coming months.

And if you aren't aware, here is the full synopsis and description of Being Elmo (which should be more than enough to prompt you to go see it).

Every day, millions tune in to Sesame Street to see one of the world's most adored and recognizable characters—a furry red monster named Elmo. Yet, with all of Elmo's fame, the man behind the icon is able to walk down the street without being recognized.

Meet Kevin Clash.

As a teenager growing up in Baltimore in the 1970s, Kevin had very different aspirations from his classmates—he wanted to be a puppeteer. More specifically, he wanted to be part of Jim Henson's team, the creative force responsible for delivering the magic of Sesame Street on a daily basis. With a supportive family behind him, Kevin made his dreams come true. 

Combining amazing archival footage with material from the present day, filmmaker Constance Marks explores Kevin's story in vivid detail and chronicles the meteoric rise of Jim Henson in the process. Narrated by Whoopi Goldberg and including interviews with Frank Oz, Rosie O'Donnell, Cheryl Henson, Joan Ganz Cooney and others, this intimate, captivating and award-winning documentary offers up a rare, behind-the-scenes look at Sesame Street and the Jim Henson Workshop.

So yeah... you should probably go see this movie if you get the chance. I know I will be! And if you happen to be in the New York area, on October 22 and 23, Kevin Clash and Elmo will both be present at the screenings of the film at the IFC Center. Just another reason why you should get out there and see this film!

For any and all information about Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey, be sure to check out the film's official website at www.beingelmo.com

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

News Update: August 11, 2011

NEWS UPDATE: August 11, 2011

Amazon.com recently released previews of all the cover tracks from Muppets: The Green Album, set for release on August 23rd. This means that now we can hear a snippet off every song on the album and get a good feel for what the song will sound like. I really enjoy most all of the songs covered--and of course a few stand out above the rest--but I think I'll just have to hear the whole album before I decide anything firm. So... in conclusion, bring on this album!

Speaking of bringing things on connected with Muppets: The Green Album, in a YouTube video posted the other day, OK Go's Damian Kulash announced that the band would be making a music video together with the Muppets centered around OK Go's cover of "The Muppet Show Theme Song" from The Green Album. This is hugely exciting news for many reasons: one, it's a brand new Muppet music video coming our way; two, it's OK Go, who, no matter what you may think of their music, make incredibly innovative and instantly-viral music videos; and three, putting the Muppets' power of instantly making music videos go viral with OK Go's means instant web sensation. No word on when the music video will be out, but a very reliable source (read: a Muppeteer) has revealed that filming for the video commenced this week. 

After months of praise and adoration from the film-going public and critics alike, the highly acclaimed documentary chronicling the careers of both Kevin Clash and Elmo, Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey, is finally going beyond the film festival circuit and reaching public theaters all around the country in big cities including Los Angeles, Seatle, San Francisco, St. Louis, and many more. Starting on November 4th in three theaters and spreading to a total of 22 theaters by the end of its release run, Being Elmo should be coming to a theater near you. For a complete list of theaters and cities showing the film, click the link to Being Elmo's official Theatrical Press Release.

Our friend Matt James from Party Ideas By a Pro has sent us a link to the website where one of their latest blog posts is all about fantastic Elmo Birthday Party ideas, including food recipes that all look like Elmo (see right), party favors, decorations, party games, and more all themed around everyone's favorite furry red monster. If I had a little kid I know I couldn't keep myself from throwing him/her an Elmo-themed birthday bash... so now all of you readers with kids have to do it so I can live vicariously through you.

Awhile back we mentioned that the SpiritHoods company was making a series of Muppet-themed SpiritHoods (which are basically furry little hat-arm things). We have semi-exclusive pictures to reveal here for you featuring kid and adult SpiritHoods themed around Kermit, Miss Piggy, Gonzo, and Animal. Check out the pictures below!

 Gonzo Hood (Kid's)

 Kermit Hood (Kid's)

 Animal Hood (Kid's)

 Animal Shawl (Adult)

 Kermit Hood (Adult)

Miss Piggy Shawl (Adult)

These SpiritHoods obviously aren't for everyone. But we'd love to hear your thoughts on them!

Check back tomorrow for an exciting update on Sesame Street's 42nd season!





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