It’s time yet again to Social Distance the heck out of this epidemic and watch a movie together while still staying in three different states: North Carolina, Florida, and California. Next up this week, a Christmas movie that somehow none of us have ever seen: The Muppet Christmas Carol.
The Netflix Watch Party app ended up being a little complicated, so we just set a time to hit “play” and then chatted through instant messenger. Click the jump to read some highlights from the conversation.
The Players: Elizabeth, Hannah, Kathryn, Nathan, and the parents (Parents represented here by Marian, because Dad would chisel a message in a stone tablet before typing anything on a phone.)
Kathryn
One minute warning!
Elizabeth
Ready when yall are!
Hannah
Waiting on Mom
Kathryn
1992, wow, I don’t know this was made that far back.
Hannah
… still waiting
She’s looking for her phone
Ok ready
Elizabeth
I feel like this movie just missed being a family classic with us by a couple years.
Ready to hit play!
Kathryn
Playing!
Hannah
Playing
Elizabeth
Playing!
Nathan
This would have been right after Jim Henson passed away, right?
Elizabeth
I think so?
Kathryn
French horn intro, strangely appropriate.
Elizabeth
So Natasha’s son and his friend say the costumes are apparently seriously well researched.
Nathan
Was wondering which Muppet would be Scrooge, but I see they bypassed that entirely.
Hannah
Already charmed by the music
Kathryn
…Marleys? Plural?
Elizabeth
Seriously Hannah, that woman you read about who researches costumes in movies, I need to look and see what she says about this one
Love the street choir ladies
Hannah
The Bill And Ted Test
She’s been doing the BBC Pride and Prejudice recently
Elizabeth
Noice
Kathryn
..”thank you for making me a part of this.”
Elizabeth
“…thank you for not shouting at me”
Kathryn
The whole eviction element is quite timely, innit?
Nathan
I believe Rizzo the Rat is based on Dustin Hoffman’s character in Midnight Cowboy.
His name was Ratso Rizzo.
Elizabeth
heh
Kathryn
HEAT WAVE
Elizabeth
HEAT WAVE
Kathryn
Jinx
Nathan
We’ll see if he yells, “I’m walking here!” At some point.
Hannah
I’m going to be disappointed every time I don’t recognize a human actor in this
Elizabeth
Do we know who Fred is?
Hannah
I don’t know him
Kathryn
Mee mee mee meee!
Nathan
MEEP!
Nathan
Hannah
Barry on WFF talking about how most Muppets are left-handed because the puppeteers are right- handed
Elizabeth
That makes a LOT of sense
Making a puppet swallow is a heck of a talent
THAT WAS NOT A EUPHEMISM
Hannah
HAHAHA
“… no that was the frog’s idea”
Kathryn
They did a great job casting Kermit’s voice.
Hannah
I .think. I saw that he does multiple characters, too
Elizabeth
Hee, penguins
Hannah
Still not as absurd as the ice- skating scene in THE BISHOP’S WIFE…
Elizabeth
heh
Kathryn
“Why are you whispering?” “It’s for dramatic emphasis. “
Hannah
Gonzo’s stuff is like 100 percent Dickens, apparently
Kathryn
I believe it.
Elizabeth
I was just thinking it sounded familiar, but not from any of the movies
Kathryn
Ah, Marleys, NOW I understand.
Elizabeth
Holty toity mister god like smartypants
I love these two
Hannah
Which one is Statler and which is Waldorf?
Elizabeth
I never knew
Nathan
Does it matter?
Hannah
I’m just glad I finally memorized their names
Marian
Isn’t it Statler and Hilton?
Nathan
Waldorf
Elizabeth
Yep, waldorf
Marian
Poo. I remembered it wrong
Hannah
Mom’s naming hotels again…
Elizabeth
Hee
Hannah
Omg that kiss had to be improvised
Elizabeth
So cute!
Kathryn
I don’t recognize this muppet
Hannah
She’s a bit Uncanny Valley ain’t she
Nathan
Creepy is the word you’re looking for.
Hannah
I mean, that’s what happens in the Valley
Nathan
True.
Elizabeth
Hee, the cat chasing him in the background
Well I want all of those Muppet statues on my shelf.
Hannah
Yes!
Kathryn
Those are a nice touch.
Hannah
The voice of Christmas Past is the same child as the one in the GBBO intro
Elizabeth
WHAT
Hannah
(This is false. Just trolling Mom)
Elizabeth
hahaha
Kathryn
You got me there.
Elizabeth
Hee, Sam the Eagle
Kathryn
I wish I could remember who it was on Twitter who said Sam was one of her first childhood crushes.
Hannah
There was someone on the Do the Right Thing podcast who mentioned that he once had a crisis when he realized he was naked under his feathers
Elizabeth
hahah
Kathryn
Heh.
So we’re getting no mention of his sister Fan?
Hannah
FOZZIEWIGS OLD RUBBER CHICKEN FACTORY
Kathryn
FOZZIEWIG
They saw an opportunity with that and ran with it there.
Hannah
LIGHT THE LAMP NOT THE RAT
Elizabeth
Yay Animal!
Kathryn
ANIMAL
Nathan
I’m sorry, Statler & Waldorf were never young!
Elizabeth
Yay for the band!!
Kathryn
I’m surprised at some of the stuff they’ve cut from this version, but they’ve made it work.
Hannah
I always thought the nearby clock was Big Ben?
Now I realize I don’t know when Big Ben was built
Elizabeth
I don’t think I ever thought about it, I just thought it was clock in his house
Hannah
Heh I think LMM ripped this off for the first song in Moana
Elizabeth
Hee, the horses crack me up
Hannah
Omg Muppet partygoers
Kathryn
Apparently the guy who plays Fred was in the TV show Luther.
Elizabeth
Oh wow, I watched all of those and have zero memory of him
Hannah
Feckin 20 years older tho
Elizabeth
ayup
Hannah
“The secret to roast potatoes is goose fat. I usually use a whole jar.”
“Per tray?”
“Per tato”
Elizabeth
Heh, I forget where that’s from
Hannah
HvF
Elizabeth
YES
Kathryn
Okay this is all adorable, but I never liked Miss Piggy and you can’t make me.
Hannah
SAME
Nathan
Neither do I!
Kathryn
So what exactly DID kill Tiny Tim?
Hannah
What is this coughing-limping disease?
Elizabeth
Too Good For This World?
Nathan
Saintliness?
Elizabeth
Same thing that got Beth
Hannah
BLOODY BETH
Kathryn
Sacrificed For The Furtherance Of The Plot.
Hannah
Nothing but love for MY Baby Yoda
Elizabeth
Awww
Kathryn
This is nicely creepy
Hannah
The cinematography is surprisingly excellent
Elizabeth
Nice way of ditching the comedic element for a bit there
Kathryn
Funny but appropriate choice to have the peanut gallery bow out there.
Elizabeth
Jinx!
Hannah
Agreed!
Kathryn
Heh
Elizabeth
Excellent idea to cast those guys as pigs
Hannah
Mrs Dilber in the George C Scott is so good
Elizabeth
I love both her and old Joe in that one
Hannah
Optimistic clarinet gonna break my heart
That street has mad Beetlejuice vibes
Elizabeth
So does this graveyard
Well, Tim Burton vibes anyway
Kathryn
I do feel like the George C Scott version was a huge influence on this.
Hannah
I agree
There’s been a lot of “You boy, what tier is this?” from Brit Twitter this weekend
Elizabeth
Heh
You can see his footprints in the snow, I like that attention to detail
Kathryn
Aw, I was just thinking his outfit needed some color.
Hannah
I never realized how much Michael Caine looked like Tim Curry
Elizabeth
There’s totally a resemblance
Hannah
East London genes
Elizabeth
Those little mice puppets are next level adorable
Hannah
I feel like the day off thing is really confusing in the Scott version
Elizabeth
Agreed
Kathryn
Well that was super sweet
Elizabeth
So cute!
Hannah
So fun
Elizabeth
And hey! Just this past August the @BillAndTedTest retweeted a thread talking about the costumes in the movie!
Hannah
Nice!
That is an excellent thread
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