geekosystem

We don't usually go in for music videos here unless there is something really amazing that we strongly feel you need to see. Ben Folds Five doing what amounts to a very brief, musical episode of Jim Henson's classic Fraggle Rock for their latest video is precisely both of those things. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did. Oh, and make sure you stay all the way to the end. Just sayin'.

The part of us that says yes to anything with a Muppet in it is very excited about this, the rest of us are very skeptical as to whether this would even work. Cookie Monster can't very well work blue. Uh, no pun intended. On the other hand, it be a homecoming of sorts for the Muppets: Jim Henson had a puppet sketch series in the first season of SNL that was the very beginnings of The Muppet Show. Well, if you're less conflicted than we are, check out the Facebook page for Cookie Monster's campaign. Otherwise, you're free to go about your day-to-day. We know you were waiting for our permission. You're welcome. (via Neatorama.)

Jim Henson, artist, puppeteer, freaky long-haired dirty cynical hippie, and source of a large percentage of what was good in our (and I daresay your) childhoods was born seventy-six years ago today. You may also have noticed that Elmo is prominently featured next to the YouTube logo today. We have no idea whether these things correlate in any way, but you can watch Elmo's new YouTube interview below. There's also something for those of you who think he's a "furry red menace," too.

It's one thing to watch this video and see the rare sight of Jim Henson interacting with his creations instead of performing as them. It's another to hear his undisguised voice, which still has so much of Kermit in it. But it's nothing short of stunning to watch a few very talented people take some scraps of cloth, styrofoam, and double-sided tape, and make living characters out of them in a matter of seconds. To look at something that isn't real, and think "Oh my god, that's a person." That, ladies and gentlemen, is the magic at the heart of good storytelling.

This past weekend marks the twentieth anniversary of the death of Jim Henson, and there really aren't any words to describe the effect that his art has had on the lives of people all across the world. Sesame Street, the longest running children's show in history, is still teaching the ABCs; the Muppets are enjoying a resurgence on YouTube, a medium they were practically born for; and even Fraggle Rock is out on DVD and has its own comic series. Disney, after a six-year indecisive lull, is finally making good on the Muppets as a brand. A new Muppet movie, ambitiously titled The Greatest Muppet Movie Ever, is in the works, and I have high hopes for Jason Segel's writing. There are many ways I could give tribute to Mr. Henson, but I'm pretty sure that the video montages, nostalgic reminiscing, and philosophic treatises are already out there for the Googling.  So I am going to talk about the Muppet movies.  The good ones, and the not so good ones, and what differentiates them.  Here's hoping the next one is among the former!

The Dark Crystal is the very definition of a cult classic: It's really quirky and forces you to take it on its own terms, it seems like a children's movie but is secretly disturbing, and Jim Henson was involved. (R.I.P.) It stands to reason, then, that a Dark Crystal sequel will be greeted with a mix of hope and fear -- hope that the beloved old thing is coming back, and fear that it'll be botched somehow, particularly when the word "3D" is involved.

Earlier today, the team behind the movie put out a press release announcing that the movie is on: Titled Power of the Dark Crystal, it'll be directed by the team of brothers behind Daybreakers (good), though that means it won't be directed by Genndy Tartakovsky as previously thought (bad); Iloura is involved (goodgood), and while there will for sure be 3D (bad), there'll also still be a healthy dose of puppets (good).