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Remembering Jim Henson

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You’ll have to bear with me. I am particularly sensitive about the things that made a major, lasting impact in my life and the people who created them. Gene Roddenberry’s Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the starship Enterprise. George Lucas and his galaxy far, far away. Jim Henson and his beloved creations, the Muppets. 16 years ago today Jim Henson died all too suddenly at the age of 53. A good, caring person who never wanted to be a burden to anyone, he waited too long to tell anyone that he was sick and died from pneumonia. I remember the day very well and I remember feeling very sad and somewhat numb. I was still fairly newly married (1 year, 3 days) and in many ways was essentially still a kid. And here one of my childhood heroes was dead. I had only recently fell under the spell of Labyrinth which brought with it a whole wave of Muppet nostalgia and the heart and soul of the entire thing was gone. The loss of one whose work I treasure effects me that way. I’m sorry.

The anniversary reminds me of that sadness. If you grew up in my generation Jim Henson most likely affected your imagination profoundly. Whether it was through his Sesame Street creations, the vaudevillian brilliance that was The Muppet Show, the wise “do or do not, there is no try” Jedi Master Yoda or any combination of the above, Jim Henson left an indelible mark on your childhood. Through his groundbreaking puppetry and the creation of the Jim Henson Creature Shop the genius and heart of Jim Henson continues to touch our lives today.

Back in August, Disney released the first of what will hopefully be all 5 seasons of The Muppet Show. I have coveted the season one collection for some time and in anticipation of this anniversary I decided to give in to my wants last week and I finally purchased this set.

Season One contains all 24 episodes of that first year and I cannot begin to tell you how fun it is to sit and relive parts of my childhood. Some of these episodes I haven’t seen since I was a kid. Some I don’t remember at all. There are characters that I know, remember, and love and some that I had forgotten about. In addition to some wonderful extras on of the greatest things is the ability to turn on “Muppet Morsels”, which is pop-up facts about different aspects of the show as you are watching it. This is The Muppet Show in all its glory. Season One includes the original, slightly less plump-faced Miss Piggy:

and we get to witness her first punch and later karate chop of her dear, froggy paramour.

We get the very worst of bad jokes from Fozzie Bear:

The Great Gonzo and his doomed acts of death defying entertainment, the moralizing and high-mindedness of Sam the Eagle,

the early manipulation by Scooter, the bad jokes on the ballroom floor, tunes from Dr. Teeth and Electric Mayhem…its all there. All there and more! There are scenes that were only available when these aired in the UK that were cut from the US episodes. There are wonderful guest stars who today make you feel like you are watching old Love Boat reruns. And there is the trademark corny, pun-filled humor that endeared me to Jim Henson from the very start. I was never more entertained than when Fozzie, or anyone else, was being heckled by Statler and Waldorf.

Statler: “Speaking of lunch, I wonder what the Swedish Chef has up his sleeve.”

Waldorf: “A summons from the board of health, I’d wager”.

In addition it is great to watch all the Muppet firsts. The introduction of the aforementioned Swedish Chef, the first Veterinarians’ Hospital sketch, the Muppet Newsflashes, the first episode with a running gag throughout, Marvin Suggs and the Muppaphones. As we watch I am anxiously awaiting the first Pigs in Space sketch. It is also fun to catch the adult humor that I no doubt missed when viewing these episodes as a child. And Henson and company just made so many memorable characters who I remember being so fascinated with as a child. In addition to the ones mentioned there were Dr. Bunson Honeydew and Beaker, Lew Zealand, Janice, Floyd Pepper, the Mad Bomber, Wayne and Wendy…and the whole Muppets performing a variety show for other Muppets gave the characters life.

It is so great for Mary and I to watch these with fond memories while sharing them with Tori for the first time.

Jim Henson was not only a creative innovator in the world of television and film but more importantly was a genuinely good person who believed that fundamentally we were all okay and that we should use our time to be nice to one another and to enjoy those around us. This spirit translated itself into the work that he did. Because of who he was and his passion for his work Jim Henson was able to draw wonderful, talented people around him who created characters so real that people often talked directly to the puppets even when the creators were right there in view. On one of the extras it is mentioned that Rowlf, in his early incarnation in Jimmy Dean commercials, was so well performed that the cue card holder in the commercials would often hold up the cards to the Muppet rather than the performer.

Jim Henson had what has to be one of the coolest and most touching funerals ever. The crowd was filled not only with the flesh and blood people who had been touched by the life of Jim Henson but by his creations as well. Some of Henson’s favorite songs were sung by the Muppet Performers including a very upbeat song “Lydia, the Tattooed Lady” from a very hilarious Kermit number in the second ever Muppet Show broadcast. In his DVD commentary for the movie Love Actually, writer/director Richard Curtis said, “At the end of (the funeral)…Frank Oz was talking and he suddenly lifted up Kermit’s puppet and started to sing this song called ‘One Voice’. And it turned out that all the guys in the memorial service had brought their puppets with them, and they lifted them up, and when you turned around and looked backwards there were fifty puppets all singing. And Big Bird walked down the aisle of Saint Paul’s Cathedral, and they all came forward and just this massive chorus of puppets all singing…It was an extraordinary thing…” I can’t imagine how powerful that memorial service must have been.

In the end I could be written off as being silly and sentimental about a bunch of puppets. But if you feel that way you have forgotten about the things in your childhood that were magical to you. For me that weekly airing of The Muppet Show was indescribably exciting and wonderful and the exposure to that kind of humor and creativity has stayed with me to this day. I miss Jim Henson. I look at Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal and can only imagine what he would have done if he was still alive today. There would no doubt be more classic Muppet films touching new generations today. The legacy of Jim Henson is a powerful one and I am happy to honor him today just by saying a heartfelt, sincere ‘thank you’ for the impact you have had on my life. You are truly missed.

Film

On a Clear Day

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To A Child Dancing in the Wind

Dance there upon the shore;
What need have you to care
For wind or water’s roar?
And tumble out your hair
That the salt drops have wet;
Being young you have not known
The fool’s triumph, nor yet
Love lost as soon as won,
Nor the best labourer dead
And all the sheaves to bind.
What need have you to dread
The monstrous crying of wind?

~W. B. Yeats

Thus begins the small, unassuming film On a Clear Day from writer Alex Rose and director Gaby Dellal. On a Clear Day is the antithesis of the summer blockbuster. No explosions, car chases, aliens or costumed do-gooders and was exactly what Mary and I wanted to celebrate our 17th wedding anniversary (Saturday, the 13th). On a Clear Day is a quiet, touching film about relationships and change and being the hero of your own life.

The movie stars Peter Mullan (of My Name is Joe and Session 9 fame) as Frank, a 55 year old shipbuilder who is unceremoniously let go from his job. Having no clear direction as to what to do with the rest of his life he spends his time with what is seemingly his only passion, swimming. When one of his fellow unemployed friends makes a comment about swimming the English channel, a spark is lit in Frank’s imagination. With the help of his rag-tag mates he begins training while trying to keep his plans secret from his wife and family. What you soon learn, however, is that On a Clear Day is not just about Frank. Each character has some secret or regret or lack of direction of their own and their interaction with Frank in pursuit of his new dream ignites change in their own lives.

Peter Mullan is great. He plays Frank as a very stoic, lost man and brings him to the screen in a very real way. Frank’s wife is played lovingly by the very beautiful Brenda Blethyn (Pride and Prejudice). Their performances are very subtle and it gives their film relationship a very palpable reality. I enjoyed On a Clear Day for the same reason I enjoy films like Return to Me and I.Q., iti s the banter between the group of fellas that makes this film. Frank’s friends are all stock characters but they are played so well that it gives each character dimension. Sean McGinley (Braveheart), Ron Cook (Chocolat), Billy Boyd (Lord of the Rings) and Benedict Wong make up Frank’s gang of accomplices. They each have humorous lines and aspects to their characters but Billy Boyd is the true comic relief of the movie and he is hilarious. He did such a great job and it was so good to see him in a film post Lord of the Rings. I hope he makes many more.

Ultimately On a Clear Day could be accused of being a feel good film with a predictable outcome. What transforms it into a remarkable film is a combination of a wonderful screenplay, lovingly crafted performances, and terrific water cinematography. There is more than I have revealed going on under the surface of this film as to do so would spoil the experience. If you have a chance to see it in theatres or when it comes out on DVD I predict you will enjoy it. Our friend Pat met us at the theatre Saturday night to watch this film. As the credits rolled she turned to me and said, “What a delightful film”. Those four words are all the review that you really need.

Art/Photography, Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites: Jeff Soto

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(The Protector. All pictures copyright Jeff Soto)

A little over a year ago I picked up my first copy of Juxtapoz magazine and was fascinated by the many and varied examples of underground, urban art. I occasionally pick up a copy depending on my interest in the featured artist and I can always count on coming across at least one work by Jeff Soto.


(November Beehive)

There is so much going on in a Jeff Soto painting and that amalgam of images and symbols along with the warm, vibrant colors are what immediately caught my eye and is part of what keeps me coming back for more. There is a wackiness to Jeff Soto’s work that is very attractive. That and the fact that there are robots! (Do you sense an ongoing theme here?)


(Savechildren)

It is always interesting to read interviews with artists whose work you connect to. Sometimes the differences between you and the artist is a chasm and other times there is an instant kinship that illuminates a reason for your attachment to their work. The connection in the case of Jeff Soto is due to childhood interests.


(Film Monster)

Born in 1975 Jeff grew up fascinated with Star Wars, Robotech and Transformers. Those things, and nostalgia for his childhood in general, are reflected in his creations. Jeff Soto is a man after my own heart: he continues to collect toys, build models, and embraces his childhood through his work.


(Butterfly Swarm)

Jeff Soto’s art is filled with the things that interest him: the aforementioned robots, cacti, retro science fiction, the skateboard scene, graphitti. I also see a 70’s sensibility given a modern twist. In an interview here he expresses that he likes to juxtapose images of nature with man-made things like weapons. He states, “I like to combine beauty with destruction”.


(The Duel)

Despite some obvious state-of-the-world reflections in his art Soto’s desire is to convey hope with his paintings. That hope can be seen in the flowers and plants and other things of nature in his work.

Jeff Soto’s works are often a combination of layers of painting, collage, drawing…he builds on each piece until he feels it is finished. Jeff’s more recent works show a trend towards painting only though these continue to exhibit depth. I also enjoy the fact that Jeff Soto often paints on old pieces of wood, etc. that lend an interesting texture to his work.


(Box Jellyfish: an example of collage can be seen in the naked lady in the lower right-hand corner and the writing up above)

As I mentioned before, one of the things that struck me right away was the colors Jeff employs. There is a unity in the color scheme and the warm tones blend together so well. I especially love the pinks and greens. The images themselves are often so outlandish and bold that I appreciate Soto’s use of a more delicate palette that enhances rather than detracts from the images. There appears to me to be an Asian influence in Jeff Soto’s work as well. Not traditional Asian, but the kind of influence reflected in the vinyl toy craze that is sweeping Japan and making its way over here. Jeff Soto is actually on the forefront of blending these two mediums as one of his characters has been made into a toy and a really cool vinyl toy is in the works (prototype viewable here. It has to be really cool to see one of your two dimensional creations being made into a 3 dimensional product, especially when it is being done so well, and I am really excited for him.


(Halifax)

In addition to his painted work Jeff Soto has done alot of what is termed “installations”. An example can be seen here. These art installations include paintings and other 2 and 3 dimensional items and the results look so cool that it has to be amazing to see one of his gallery shows.


(Snowmaker Octopi)

The art of Jeff Soto and a few of his contemporaries (who I may feature in the future) is really enjoyable and I remember being so floored by it the first time I saw it. Week after week it can be hard to describe a person’s artwork in such a way that is different from what I said about the last work I featured and that is why I am so glad that I can post pictures. That way I can just say “Look! Enjoy!!!”.


(American Dream)

And the works of Jeff Soto can be looked and and enjoyed over and over. The amount of detail going on encourages repeated viewings and while the work can seem somewhat abstract there is a concreteness to the subject matter that ties it all together.

Some weeks I know way ahead of time what I am going to post on for Friday Favorites…next week for example is all planned out and it will make perfect sense when you read it. This week, however, I really poured through my favorites files to find something that would jump start me. I always want to do justice to the artists whose creations I bring to you. I was feeling so uninspired until I got down to Jeff Soto and it was almost like I could here Emeril’s “Bam!” in my head and I knew this was the week for Soto.


(Flying Projectors)

I have really enjoyed sharing Jeff Soto’s work with you and want to point you to some more sites to take in more of his fascinating paintings. You can see a picture of Jeff Soto here. Much more of Jeff Soto’s work can be found at the Jonathan Levine Gallery. You can find even more examples of Jeff’s work here and here. Jeff Soto also has a book out with some of his artwork entitled Potato Stamp Dreams (limited edition and regular edition can be seen here).


(Falling)

Have a creative, inspiring Friday and rest of the weekend everyone!

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Robot Love and Movies to boot.

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Saw a link to this over on Bolt City today and couldn’t resist posting it. Can the Millenium Falcon chess set from Star Wars be far behind??? Watch it here. Great stuff!
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We kicked off the summer movie season by hitting opening night of Mission Impossible: III and that combined with Jenn See’s recent posting of the new Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest trailer led to tons of internet trailer watching and so I’m posting links below.

If you haven’t seen the new Pirates trailer it is phenomenal and is by far the movie I am looking most forward to this summer based on this trailer alone. On the main site click on the ‘view trailer’ icon on the right side to open up a window to pick larger sized versions of the trailer. I have not been excited about Superman Returns at all but thanks to Tom pointing out this new trailer over the weekend my interest level is going up, up, and away…sorry. There is also a new X-Men III trailer out that shows a little more of the storyline and if the movie is as good as the trailer it looks like the X-Men franchise has another winner.

I have liked Sandra Bullock from the moment I first saw her in Speed and am interested in her upcoming re-teaming with Keanu Reeves in the time-shift romance The Lake House (click on link and the trailer will start). It may end up being a stinker but the trailer at least has me hopeful. I know I will get the inevitable arguments about Keanu Reeves being an airhead but I have to say for the record that I’m a fan. Loved him in A Walk in the Clouds, Matrix, etc. and I enjoy these “chick flicks”.

Another film I am excited about is On a Clear Day. I first saw this previewed on the front of the Pride and Prejudice DVD. It has evidently had its theatrical release and DVD release overseas and is finally making its way here. My recent Fine Arts email indicates that it is coming to the screen soon and Mary and I will definitely be going to this one. It will be fun to see Billy Boyd again.

Like all good M. Night Shyamalan fans I am also anxiously awaiting his newest film, Lady in the Water which is scheduled for a late July release. Having Bryce Dallas Howard and Paul Giamatti leads me to have high hopes for this film. There is a new trailer that can be viewed here.
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Watch some trailers and robot fights, dream of the weekend, and soldier on people, its Wednesday…we’re half way there!

Science Fiction

Homunculus by James Blaylock

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Picture this: The year is 1875, the setting London. A dirigible on a pre-set course helmed by a skeleton sails the night sky and a city full of would-be heroes and thieving scoundrals watch for its inevitable crash landing in the hopes of retrieving the homunculus…the little man in the little box rumored to hold the key to eternal life. Sound bizarre? You haven’t heard the half of it. Enter the world of James P. Blaylock’s Homunculus and you will see this and more.

Scientist Langdon St. Ives and the rest of the amatuer scientists and philosphers of the Trismegistus Club have their work cut out for them as they are slowly but surely drawn into the plot of the homunculus. If they are to keep this powerful being from falling into the wrong hands they will have to out think and outwit a cast of nefarious villians including an insane street evangelist who believes he is the new Messiah, his congregation of corpses reanimated by the hunchback vivisectionist Ignacio Narbando, the alchemist Will Pule who sports a bad complexion and is hell-bent on stealing the heart of an innocent young girl, and many more too numerous to mention. Everyone wants to possess the box, made by a craftsman named Keeble, to use the homunculus’ powers to their own ends. To add to the confusion there isn’t just one Keeble box, and no one knows exactly which box he is in.

Homunculus belongs to the genre of stories known as steampunk. A simplistic definition is that steampunk “concerns works set in the past, or a world resembling the past, in which modern technological advances occurred earlier in history, but were accomplished via the science already present in that time period”. A more detailed dissertation on steampunk can be found on the Wikipedia site here (It is worth reading simply for all the marvelous books, comics, games, etc. that the article references).

Homunculus is a modern treasure of a story in that is an amalgam of plots and settings and characters reflected in the classic works of Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, G. K. Chesterton, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Edgar Allan Poe and P.G. Wodehouse. It also calls to mind the graphic novel work of Alan Moore in his League of Extraordinary Gentlemen volumes. It is a tale that is by turns dark and menancing, and at times absurd and humorous. The heroes are noble and upstanding though some have skeletons in their own closets whose revelation adds to the intricacy of Blaylock’s twisting and turning plot. Homunculus boasts bad guys who are insane, bad guys who are sinister, and bad guys with the vaudevillian traits of Snidley Whiplash and similar villians from the classic melodramas. James P. Blaylock’s writing style in this novel is very reminiscient of Chesterton’s The Man Who Was Thursday and the plot is every bit as deliciously convoluted as that work.

Any book that contains perpetual motion dirigibles, alien space craft, zombies, carp bladders, hunchbacked mad scientists, toy-makers, giant emeralds, kidnappings, suspense, mystery, wild inventions, diabolical schemes, drunken slow-witted philosophers, wet cigars, pea-pots, misdirection, explosions, disguises and the rich atmosphere of 19th century London cannot be anything but enjoyable and I wish I could convey the sheer pleasure I received from reading this book. Its style rewards the careful reader and there is a large enough cast of characters that you do have to pay attention at times to keep everything straight. Reading this novel one can envision how much fun it would be to do as a movie or television show similar to the classic Wild, Wild, West or the more recent Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.

James P. Blaylock has written a sequel of sorts with the same cast of characters entitled Lord Kelvin’s Machine: A Novel that I have ordered from the library and cannot wait to read. I had to utilize the library for Homunculus as well because it has been out long enough to not be readily available in the bookstores. The same characters can also be found in two short stories in the book Thirteen Phantasms and Other Stories which I reviewed back in January.

My only real complaint about the novel is the terrible packaging. As bad as the mass market paperback cover is, the trade paperback is even worse. Lord Kevin’s Machine has a really fun hardback version with a cover that reminds me of Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. I hope someday someone with some clout falls in love with this story and republishes it in a worthy format.

If you are in the mood for something outlandishly fun, dripping with atmosphere, somewhat challenging and a reflection of some work of the masters of classic adventure/science fiction and if lines like “Does the night seem uncommonly full of dead men and severed heads to you?” tickle your fancy then I highly recommend that you scour up a copy of Homunculus and give it a good read. It is a wacky, whimsical, farcical science fiction historical mystery that is simply too good to pass up.

Eclectic Musings of a Renaissance Geek