Labyrinth (January 24 at 8:30 p.m. and January 25 at 7 p.m. at the Nightlight, Akron)

For a film that received wildly uneven critical reactions in its time - some critics were crazy about it, some thought it was an embarrassingly pretentious piece of pop-music/fairytale - the Muppet epic LABYRINTH ...probably still would receive wildly uneven critical reactions in this time. Probably for the same reasons (plus, not enough swag, bribes, prostitutes and drugs given by studio PR to the bought-off internet critics during the all-expenses-paid press junket).

For what it's worth, I am one of this film's admirers, and I've always wanted to write about it. Now it's in revival thanks to VIP cast member David Bowie tragically dying. I am sure his fans will blame me.

Before you gender-confused glam-rock types on heroin and/or nostalgic baby boomer yuppies come after me with your sharpened artificial fingernails and gold-plated pitchforks, listen to me: Bowie was not right-off-the-bat cast as Jareth the Goblin King in the fantasy. I have it on good authority a number of musical icons were under consideration for the role back in 1986, including Mick Jagger and Michael Jackson. I guess if you want to lynch anyone, it's director Jim Henson; HE'S the one you want! If it weren't for him, Bowie might still be alive today! Death to Jim Henson! Death to Jim Henson...oh, right, I forgot. (sigh)

Muppets Most Wanted

Review by Pete Roche

One really couldn’t have wanted for a better Muppets reboot than 2011’s THE MUPPETS.  Over a decade had passed since Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, and the rest of the gang headlined a major motion picture, so—some thirty-five years after the debut of The Muppet Show (1976) on television and release of THE MUPPET MOVIE (1979) in theatres—it was questionable whether Jim Henson’s felt-skinned friends could still fire our imaginations and tickle our funny bones.

Writer / star Jason Segel (I LOVE YOU, MAN) cleverly addressed the Muppets’ relative post-millennial obscurity for their new Disney keepers by setting his human character’s half-pint brother—Walter the Whistler—after Kermit and company in a bid to save their historic studio from a greedy oil tycoon.  The resulting romp packed ample pep for young audiences but was also nostalgic (and smart) enough for parents who grew up watching the show and early films.  The musical numbers were catchy, the gags funny, and the whole “let’s get the gang together again” story sufficiently heartwarming for all.

So how could Disney top Segel’s reunion picture?

The Muppet Movie (August 5th at the Palace Theatre)

[THE MUPPET MOVIE screens Sunday August 5th at 2:00 pm at the Palace Theatre as part of Cinema at the Square.]

Review by Charles Cassady, Jr.

Kids these days have it rough, between cyber-bullying, broken homes, flesh-eating bath-salt zombies, psycho gun nuts at the movies who think they're comic-book villains, and a beckoning adulthood of bleak joblessness, One Nation Under Wall Street, and no talk of "hope" and "change" anymore. You want to stress young people out even further? Tell them that before The Muppet Show was a syndicated 1976-1981 TV smash, Jim Henson's creations had a brief run as part of the original Not Ready For Prime Time Players ensemble on Saturday Night Live. Yes, they did, right alongside John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Gilda Radner etc. there were "Jim Henson's Muppets" in recurring bits. No, they weren't Kermit or Fozzie. They were originals - grotesque, reptilian creatures, similar to those later seen in THE DARK CRYSTAL. The SNL Muppets dwelt in some kind of primordial landscape of jungle ruins and commonly told off-color jokes about their sex lives. True story!

It seemed to be a short-lived comedy experiment, and the Muppets straightaway got a different offer, to have their own TV variety show in England. And, with the success of that, came 1979's THE MUPPET MOVIE.

The Muppets

Review by Pete Roche

It’s been over three decades since Jim Henson’s Muppets first played the music, lighted the lights, and got things started on their popular variety show.  A couple feature films succeeded 1979’s THE MUPPET MOVIE, but later entries like MUPPETS TREASURE ISLAND and MUPPETS FROM SPACE were lost on the franchise’s original audience (who’d grown up) and couldn’t grab new viewers—who’d fallen under the spells of Barney and Teletubbies.  Kermit and friends weren’t entirely forgotten, but after 1990 the ensemble slipped into a sort of limbo.  It’s not easy being green.