Landis, Tim Burton, and many more dozens of puppeteers in the finale shot of The Muppet Movie
John Landis (b. 1950) is a film director who has helmed such films as The Blues Brothers, An American Werewolf in London, Twilight Zone: The Movie, Into the Night, Spies Like Us, and Animal House. In many of these films he has cast Frank Oz in bit roles, and An American Werewolf in London even features a scene from The Muppet Show.
His earliest Muppet connection was as a performer in the finale of The Muppet Movie. In a scene filled with hundreds of Muppets and performers, Landis manipulated Grover.[1]
In 1990, Landis directed the Muppets in Disneyland's 35th Anniversary Celebration.
Landis also made several cameo appearances in Muppet productions; including in The Muppets Take Manhattan as Broadway producer Leonard Winesop, and as himself in the "She Drives Me Crazy" music video and the Muppets 2007 Presentation Pilot.
Outside of the Muppets, Landis' other directing credits include Three Amigos, Beverly Hills Cop III, and the Michael Jackson music videos for "Thriller" and "Black or White."
Inside jokes[]
- In addition to the Oz cameos and An American Werewolf in London clip, Into the Night (1985) features a cameo by Jim Henson (talking to Bernie) and a PA voice calling "Mr. Frank Oznowicz." See article for more details.
Trading Places[]
Trading Places boasts, clockwise, Frank Oz, Richard Hunt, Doug Brody, and the voice of the Chamberlain.
The 1983 film featured brief acting roles by both Oz (as a corrupt cop) and Richard Hunt (as Wilson, a commodities brokerage employee), as well as others with Muppet/Henson connections.
- Connections
- Dan Aykroyd played Louis Winthorpe III
- Jim Belushi played Harvey
- Elmer Bernstein composed the score
- Bill Cobbs played a bartender
- Jamie Lee Curtis played Ophelia
- Barry Dennen played Dimitri
- Bo Diddley played a pawnbroker
- Giancarlo Esposito played a cellmate
- John Bedford Lloyd played Andrew
- John McCurry played a cop
- Eddie Murphy played Billy Ray Valentine
- Robert Paynter was director of photography