Piggy power to keep film fans fired up until The Force takes over
The Force won’t arrive in stores until Nov. 1 when George Lucas releases the summer smash “Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith,” but until that time, video viewers have Piggy power to keep them fired up. Miss Piggy and her colorful cohorts returned to the limelight earlier this week thanks to the release of two colorful titles, “The Muppet Show: Season One” (Buena Vista; $39.99, DVD only) and “The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz” (Buena Vista; $24.99, tape and DVD).
“The Muppet Show: Season One,” a highly anticipated four-disc set, features all 24 digitally remastered episodes of the syndicated program that was created by Jim Henson and aired 1976 to 1981.
“This whimsical mixture of puppets and people was probably the most widely viewed television program in the world during the late 1970s,” Tim Brooks and Earle Marsh write in “The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows.” “Originated by an American (Henson) and produced in England (by Sir Lew Grade), it was seen in more than 100 countries by upward of 235 million people.”
Kermit the Frog hosted each episode and attempted to control the antics of Miss Piggy, Rowlf, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo, Animal and other feisty Muppet characters. The guests on “Season One” include Joel Grey, Rita Moreno, Lena Horne, Sandy Duncan, Ben Vereen, Phyllis Diller, Vincent Price, Valerie Harper and Ethel Merman.
The extras on “The Muppet Show” disc set include Henson’s pitch reel (in which he showed how puppets, guest stars, original songs and sketch comedy could be blended for a television audience), the original pilot and a gag reel.
In “Oz,” Miss Piggy plays the witches and is joined by Kermit, Fozzie, Gonzo and Pepe the King Prawn as the Scarecrow, the Lion, the Tin “Thing” and Toto, respectively.
This adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s children’s novel, which originally aired earlier this year on television, features characters created by the late, great Jim Henson and numerous performers who join them along the Yellow Brick Road. They include singer Ashanti (as Dorothy), Queen Latifah (“Chicago”), director Quentin Tarantino (“Kill Bill, Vol. 1”), Jeffrey Tambor (TV’s “Arrested Development”), David Alan Grier (TV’s “Life With Bonnie”) and a cameo by singer Kelly Osbourne (TV’s “The Osbournes”).
This version is an extended cut of the TV broadcast with 20 minutes of previously unseen footage. The extras on the DVD of “The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz” include outtakes, bloopers, an interview with Tarantino and a making-of featurette.
Fred & Ginger
swing and sway
Those who were captivated this summer by the Fox reality series “Dancing With the Stars” should feel like high stepping while watching two screen veterans gracefully swing and sway as they glide across the screen.
“The Astaire & Rogers Collection: Volume One” (Warner; $59.99) features five of the greatest titles – “Top Hat” (1935), “Swing Time” (1936), “Follow the Fleet” (1936), “Shall We Dance” (1937) and “The Barkleys of Broadway” (1949) – ever created by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Each title has been digitally remastered so that it glistens and is also available for individual purchase ($19.99 each).
Rogers was an established star and Astaire a screen newcomer when they first appeared together in “Flying Down to Rio” (1933). Their dance number was considered the highlight of that film, and soon they were teamed in a series of popular films. They reunited on screen for a final time in “The Barkleys of Broadway.”
Fans of Astaire and Rogers will wish there had been more extras, but those who just want to face the movie music and let them dance will be rewarded by their stunning moves that sparkle more than ever thanks to these new pressings of some of their greatest movies.
Coming Soon!
The following titles either have been or soon will be released to video stores.
If your local outlet doesn’t stock them, the tape and disc offerings can be mail ordered by calling (800) 523-0823 or going to the Web site www.moviesunlimited.com or www.amazon.com, unless otherwise noted.
Movies
– “The Ballad of Jack and Rose” (Sony; $99.99, tape; $26.99, DVD; Aug. 16) with Daniel Day-Lewis (“My Left Foot”) and Catherine Keener (“Being John Malkovich”) in an R-rated family drama about a former hippie commune leader from the 1960s who questions how his lifestyle has influenced his 16-year-old daughter.
– “The Brown Bunny” (Sony; $24.99, DVD; Aug. 16) with Vincent Gallo (“Buffalo 66”) and Chloe Sevigny (“Boys Don’t Cry”) in a controversial unrated road picture that concludes with a graphic sexual encounter.
– “Jamboree” (Warner; $19.99, DVD; Aug. 16) with Kay Medford and Robert Pastine in a 1957 movie about a couple of singers whose relationship is threatened by their battling managers. The picture features early rock ‘n’ roll performances by Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Slim Whitman, Frankie Avalon, Connie Francis and Fats Domino.
– “The Mambo Kings” (Warner; $19.99, DVD; Aug. 16) with Antonio Banderas and Armand Assante as Cuban musicians/brothers bringing their Latin sounds to America. The R-rated picture, based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Oscar Hijuelos, features performances by Celia Cruz, Tito Puente and Arturo Sandoval.
– “Sin City” (Dimension; $29.99, DVD; Aug. 16) with Mickey Rourke (“Year of the Dragon”), Jessica Alba (“Fantastic Four”), Bruce Willis (“Die Hard”) and Clive Owen (“King Arthur”) in director Robert Rodriguez’s stunning R-rated adaptation of Frank Miller’s graphic novels dealing with tough criminals, devoted cops and shady ladies.
– “The Wedding Date” (Universal; $29.99, DVD; Aug. 16) with Debra Messing (“Will & Grace”) and Dermot Mulroney (“Must Love Dogs”) in a PG-13 romantic comedy about a single woman who hires a male escort to accompany her to the marriage of her spoiled half-sister.
Television
– “The Simpsons: The Complete Sixth Season DVD Collection” (Fox; $49.99, DVD; Aug. 16) with Homer and family in a four-disc set with all 25 episodes from the animated show’s sixth year.
Comedy
– “Dave Chappelle: For What It’s Worth – Uncensored and Unrated” (Sony; $19.99, DVD and UMD; Aug. 16) with the Comedy Central favorite in a stand-up performance taped last year at the Fillmore.
Documentary
– “Hoover Street Revival: Life, Death & God in South Central LA” (Tartan; $19.99, tape and DVD; now available), director Sophie Fiennes’ documentary about Bishop Noel Jones and his work with the congregation of the Greater Bethany Community Church in a blighted Los Angeles neighborhood.
Music
– “ABBA: The Movie” (Warner; $19.99, DVD; Aug. 16) with director Lasse Hallstrom (“The Cider House Rules”) capturing the members of the pop group in a 1977 tour that included hit songs such as “Dancing Queen,” “Waterloo” and “Mama Mia.”
Children
– “Dragon Tales: Sing and Dance in Dragon Land” (Sony; $9.99, tape; $14.99, DVD; now available), an animated Sesame Workshop co-production with sing-along songs designed to reinforce positive themes, provide educational activity and teach different languages.
– “The Jeff Corwin Experience: Out on a Limb – Monkeys, Orangutans and More!” (Sony; $14.99, DVD; now available) with the adventure-loving “Animal Planet” personality in three episodes – “Zanzibar: Dr. Corwin I Presume,” “A Wild Man in Borneo” and “Indonesia: The Orangutan Freedom Journey” – from his cable show about wildlife.
– Two animated titles – “My Neighbors the Yamadas” and “Pom Poko” (Disney; $29.99 each, DVD; Aug. 16) – from the Japan-based Studio Ghibli, co-founded in 1985 by Hayao Miyazaki (“Spirited Away”). “Neighbors” looks at the home life of a quirky family, while “Pom Poko” follows raccoons being forced out of their forest due to urban development.