July 29, 2004

A Rat Named Tatooey?

Muppets_Take_Manhattan_The_Rat_Scat.thumb.jpgAs suggested to you Manhattan based cinecultists last week, Cinecultist attended a midnight screening of the Muppets Take Manhattan (1984) at the Sunshine Landmark theater on Friday night and thus, brings you a little mid-week, gratuitous Muppet action. Why? Just because we feel like it. To love the Muppets needs no rhyme or reason, dear friends, no reason at all.

Something we never noticed before when watching this movie, how odd are the names of the rats in Manhattan? Rizzo (which comes from Midnight Cowboy of course), but Masterson, Chester, Tatooey and Yolanda? Wacky. The music in Manhattan isn't as strong as some of the other features, probably its most famous track is the Muppet babies theme whose doo wap refrain (mama, dada, boop boop, shewawa) had the hipster kids singing along as we crossed Houston after the movie. CC finds this song annoying to skin itching levels, despite the utter cuteness of the baby Scooter, so in the On The Soundtrack section at left we bring you 5 minutes from the finale, "Somebody's Getting Married." There's quite a chorus of Muppets on this track, the whole freakin' gang is here.

From a fashion point of view, Miss Piggy's early 80s hairdos look quite dated but the scene between her and Joan Rivers at the makeup counter, where Rivers gives Piggy a makeover to cheer her up is utterly classic. CC wonders if someone has that overly rouged and eyebrowed Miss Piggy puppet somewhere?

Sadly, there's not too much Waldorf and Statler in this picture, but hey as they say in The Muppet Christmas Carol and as Cinecultist quotes to her sister Laurie all the time, "It's good to be heckling again." To which she replies, "It's good to be doing anything again."

muppets.jpg

Who's your favorite Muppet and why? Let us know in the comments (extra points for quotation).

Posted by karen at July 29, 2004 8:03 AM
Comments

The Swedish Chef. Or possibly Beaker. In both cases, it's all about the voice. Inarticulate, and yet perfectly comprehensible.

Posted by: Jim Biancolo at July 29, 2004 10:28 AM

I must admit I go for Gonzo, to the point where I violated my Starbucks no-buy rule and bought the finger puppet. Come on! He loves chickens! I mean, he luuvvvs chickens...
But if we're talking quotes, I give you the immortal Sam the Eagle, "You are. ALL. Weirdos."

Posted by: Seattle Maggie at July 29, 2004 1:08 PM

Hard to pick just one, but I always dug the perpetually blue and out of it sax player Zoot. Something about him seemed so cool when I was a kid.

Come to think of it, all the members of The Electric Mayhem were pretty awesome.

Posted by: Filmbrain at July 29, 2004 2:07 PM

i know that it would probably be cooler to go with a more obscure Muppet, but i've always been partial to Fozzie Bear. look past the horrible stand-up skills and you'll see a bear whose commitment, support and friendship to the rest of the Muppet crew is unwavering, even in the face of mean-spirited criticism and life-threatening danger. WOCKA WOCKA WOCKA!

Posted by: Uncle Grambo at July 29, 2004 4:16 PM

Grambo --

That is a most eloquent and accurate description of Fozzie Bear. Beautifully stated, thanks.

Posted by: Filmbrain at July 30, 2004 2:16 PM

The funniest moment in TMTM is when everyone is back together and talking in unison and Miss Piggy yells quiet, everyone shuts up but Janice who finishes, "I'm not taking my clothes off for anybody, I don't care if it IS ar-tis-tic."

Posted by: Ralph McGinnis at August 1, 2004 4:52 PM