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Muppets from Space

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Title.mfs
CHARACTERS • HOME VIDEO
SOUNDTRACK • MORE
Released July 14, 1999
Duration 87 minutes
Director Tim Hill
Written by Jerry Juhl, Joey Mazzarino
and Ken Kaufman
Music Jamshied Sharifi
Studio Columbia Pictures / Jim Henson Pictures
Rated G
Mfsposter
Gonzolooks
MFS-Gonzo-and-CosmicFish
Brick-house
MuppetsFromSpace-UFO-Mania
MuppetsFromSpace-BoardhouseGang
Invisibilityspray1
MuppetsFromSpace-Bobo-and-Singer

Bobo as Rentro and Jeffrey Tambor as K. Edgar Singer

MFS-EscapingCOVNET
MFS-CapeDoomSpectators
Celebration2

Some of the Alien Gonzos.

Celebration3

Muppets from Space is the Muppets' sixth feature film, released in 1999.

Synopsis[]

Gonzo has previously been classified as a "whatever," but after he begins to have disturbing dreams of abandonment, he begins to realize just how alone he is in the world. After an alien race appears to be trying to send him a message through his bowl of Kap'n Alphabet Cereal, Gonzo realizes that he may not be so alone after all and climbs to the rooftop to start watching the sky. His dreams are realized when he's hit by a bolt of lightning that serves as a conduit that allows him to communicate with a pair of Cosmic Fish, revealing to him that he is, in fact, an alien from outer space.

While Kermit and his friends refuse to believe his wild ravings, Gonzo is lured into the clutches of K. Edgar Singer (Jeffrey Tambor), a government agent who has also taken note of the aliens' attempts at communication and believes that Gonzo is his key to convincing his superiors that aliens do in fact exist. Kermit and the gang spring into action to rescue Gonzo, with the help of some handy inventions courtesy of Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker.

After a talking sandwich reveals to Gonzo the location of the eventual alien landing site, the Muppets (along with a crowd of alien-happy spectators) await their arrival. The ship comes to Earth and the aliens, who all look suspiciously like Gonzo, apologize for abandoning him but welcome him back to the fold. At first, Gonzo considers going with them, until he realizes his true home is on Earth with his surrogate family and friends.

Soundtrack[]

The Muppets' other feature films have been musical comedies. Following a different path, Muppets from Space uses a soundtrack of funk songs from the late 60s and 70s. One song is performed on-screen by the Alien Gonzos, and the Muppets sing a line of the opening song; otherwise, the songs function as a typical movie soundtrack.

The songs in the movie are as follows:

  • "Brick House" (The Commodores, 1977): The Muppets wake up at the boarding house, and prepare for their day.
  • "Get Up Offa That Thing" (James Brown, 1976): Inspired by his otherworldly experience, Gonzo uses the lawnmower to mow a message in the lawn that can be seen from space.
  • "Dazz" (originally performed by Brick, 1976): Gonzo hosts a hot-tub party on the patio for the alien relatives that he hopes will arrive soon.
  • "Survival" (The O'Jays, 1975): Rizzo undergoes a series of uncomfortable experiments in the C.O.V.N.E.T. lab.
  • "Getaway" (Earth, Wind & Fire, 1976): Having rescued Gonzo from the C.O.V.N.E.T. lab, the Muppets run through the hallways, avoiding the security guards.
  • "Outa-Space" (Billy Preston, 1971): Gonzo and the Muppets arrive at Cape Doom to wait for the aliens to arrive.
  • "Celebration" (Kool & the Gang, 1980): The Alien Gonzos greet their long-lost relative.
  • "It's Your Thing" (The Isley Brothers, 1969): The Alien Gonzos celebrate their reunion with Gonzo by loading him into a cannon and shooting him into the air.

Production[]

Jerry Juhl wrote an initial draft on the script, which was later handed off to Joey Mazzarino to take a pass at. At this point, Randal Kleiser (director of Grease) was attached to direct the film.[1] Mazzarino later recalled his script draft and the eventual changes brought on afterwards:

“I wrote a very parody-heavy script. We parodied Men in Black, Contact, Alien, and we were very close to shooting. Then I got a panicked call from Henson saying that they were firing Randal. They said, "We don’t feel like he’s bringing enough vision." I said, "But we got the green light! We’re going!" So they flew me out to LA to pick a new director, and we picked a director who was a very nice guy, and he did a decent job, but he wanted to get rid of all the parody stuff. He wanted it to be more real, and the ending, I hate the ending. In my draft, the aliens were getting the signal of old Muppet Shows, and they made themselves look like Gonzo because he was the ultimate being to him. And then they peel back to reveal themselves to be these hideous creatures. And it’s not about family being those guys, his family is the Muppets. So he’s still a whatever, he’s not an alien in the end. So the fact that they made him an alien bugs the crap out of me. Anyway, they hired him, he wanted to make all these changes, and I just left.[1]”

The film was shot at Screen Gem Studios in Wilmington, North Carolina, beginning in November 1998.[2]

Notes[]

  • A similar story was written by Kirk Thatcher, called "Muppets in Space." In the screenplay, aliens abducted Kermit because they believed him to be their leader, leading the other Muppets to attempt to save him. A set of Welch's Jelly Glasses were produced based around this theme.
  • The film is the first to employ a technique used in every major Muppet production since, where the puppets' arm rods (and occasionally arm sleeves of the live-hand characters) are digitally removed in post-production.
  • This is Scooter's first appearance since Richard Hunt's death.
  • The trailer features a few scenes that are not in the finished film. They include a scene during the breakfast sequence where Pepe says, "The kitchen is closed!" (which appears in the outtake reel on the DVD) and a scene with Rizzo talking to Gonzo on the roof.
  • During the breakfast scene, Kermit reads the "Hensonville News Observer."
  • The film was nominated for a 2000 Young Artist Award for Best Family Feature Film - Comedy; it was beaten by Stuart Little.
  • During the scene where the Swedish Chef says that the raspberry flapovers went "ka-boom-boom!" Pepe says they will now be serving bologna sandwiches, but with no bread. However, when Kermit is talking to Gonzo a moment later, Gonzo is seen starting to eat toast.
  • For many of the set days, Frank Oz was not available; so stand-in performers puppeteered his characters, including Peter Linz (Miss Piggy), John Kennedy (Fozzie, Sam Eagle), and Rickey Boyd (Animal), and Oz dubbed the voices in later.
    • Linz's undubbed Piggy vocals can be heard in some promotional material for the film, including one line in the original trailer ("The mood is tense, my hair looks great!") and a Wendy's tie-in advertisement. Kennedy's vocals as Fozzie are heard in the trailer as well. Bill Barretta's voice as Gonzo is also heard in the trailer saying "The mothership is calling me home!"[3]
  • This film marks the first appearance of Pepe the King Prawn in a Muppet movie, as well as the first time that he appears without his Muppets Tonight cohort, Seymour. This is also the first Muppet film to have any Muppets Tonight characters in general.
  • The scene where Statler wonders to Waldorf if there is life on other planets and Waldorf responds "What do you care? You don't have a life on this one!" is repurposed from episode 211 of The Muppet Show.
  • The fourth wall is broken in the scene where everyone is at Cape Doom waiting for the spaceship and Joshua Jackson and Katie Holmes (uncredited but apparently playing their characters from Dawson's Creek) are standing with Pepe and Clifford. "Joey" says "It's too bad Dawson isn't here for this," and "Pacey" says "The whole thing is like something out of one of his sci-fi movies." Pepe proclaims, "But this is a Muppet movie! It's much more realistic and... romantic, okay."
  • To promote the film, The Jim Henson Company and Columbia Tristar Films hired Dream Theater Interactive to create an immersive Flash website, Muppetworld.com, which eventually grew to represent the whole Muppet brand online, incorporating 3D Muppets created especially for the site - Kermit, Miss Piggy, Pepe, Animal, Fozzie, Rizzo and more.
  • While promoting Die Muppets in Germany, Kermit told ENERGY Berlin 103,4 that "with all due respect to Muppets from Space, um, you don't want that to be the last movie you ever do. You want to do a better one." (YouTube)

Cast[]

MFSMuppeteers
MFS-FrankPerform
MuppetsFromSpace-BrianHenson-and-TimHill

Brian Henson and Tim Hill.

MFS-Promo-TheMuppets&TheMoon
Mfs-closing
MFS storyboard Gene Barretta 01

storyboards

  • Muppet Performers
Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire, Bill Barretta, Jerry Nelson, Brian Henson, Kevin Clash, Frank Oz, Rickey Boyd, Alice Dinnean, John Henson, Adam Hunt, John Kennedy, Peter Linz, Drew Massey, Ed May, Andy Stone, Kim Allen, Evy Berman, John Boone, Dennis W. Britt, Tyler Bunch, Lisa Consolo, Rowell Gormon, BJ Guyer, Greg Jarnigan, Rob Killen, Jim Kroupa, Bruce Lanoil, Bob Lynch, Pamella O'Connor, Tim Parati, Thom Stanley, Lisa Sturz, Mark Sutton, Allan Trautman, Jay Tyson, Gregg Wallace; Uncredited: Kristina Donnelly
  • Human Cast
Jeffrey Tambor as K. Edgar Singer
F. Murray Abraham as Noah
Rob Schneider as UFO Mania Producer
Josh Charles as Agent Barker
Ray Liotta as Gate Guard
David Arquette as Dr. Tucker
Andie MacDowell as Shelley Snipes
Kathy Griffin as Female Armed Guard
Pat Hingle as General Luft
Hollywood Hogan as Man in Black
Veronica Alicino as TV Stage Manager
David Lenthall as Mikey the Cameraman
Richard Fullerton as Gate Guard
Mark Joy as Gate Guard
Carl Espy as TV Associate Producer
Deron Barnett as Child
Chrissy Mullins as Little Girl
Elaine Nalee as Mashed Potato Lady
Katie Holmes as Joey (uncredited)
Joshua Jackson as Pacey (uncredited)
Gary Owens as "UFO Mania" Announcer (voice, uncredited)

Muppet Cast[]

  • Muppet Characters
Gonzo, Rizzo the Rat, Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Pepe the King Prawn, Animal, Bunsen Honeydew, Beaker, Bobo the Bear, Dr. Phil van Neuter, Ubergonzo, Robin the Frog, Clifford, Statler and Waldorf, the Swedish Chef, Scooter, Sweetums, Sam the Eagle, Sal Minella, Johnny Fiama, Bean Bunny, Cosmic Fish, Bubba, Fast Eddie, Troy, Shakes, The Birdman, Dr. Teeth, Floyd Pepper, Carter, The Sandwich
  • Background Characters
Janice, Zoot, Lew Zealand, Link Hogthrob, Beauregard, Rowlf, Marvin Suggs, Crazy Harry, Chip, Zondra, Zippity Zap, Baab the Sheep, Dr. Julius Strangepork, Chickens, Cows, Fish, Moose Head, Smerdley, Giraffe, Lydia the Ostrich, Tommy the Thomson's Gazelle, Doreen the Camel, Penguins, Alien Gonzos, Custer the Bison, Monica the Musk Ox, D'kembe the Gemsbok, Swifty the Cheetah, Geri and the Atrics drummer
  • Photograph Characters
Ma Bear, Andy and Randy Pig, Mice Girls

Additional Credits[]

Galleries[]

Concept art[]

Costume design[]

Storyboards[]

Production and promotional stills[]

Other[]

Sources[]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Hennes, Joe. "A Chat with Joey Mazzarino, part 2", ToughPigs.com. February 25, 2009.
  2. ↑ Hollywood Reporter via Reno Gazette-Journal November 14, 1998
  3. ↑ Personal communication with performer by Anthony T.

See also[]

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