Bill Barretta Movies
L. Frank Baum's enduring fantasy story gets a new and very funny spin in this made-for-TV comedy. Dorothy (Ashanti) is a young woman who works in a diner in Kansas owned by her Aunt Em (Queen Latifah) and dreams of one day making it big as a singer. When a tornado makes its way through the trailer park Dorothy and Em call home, the young woman is spirited off to a magical land known as Oz, where she accidentally kills the most wicked witch in the land. Dorothy, however, isn't so sure she wants to stay, and sets off to find a wizard who might be able to help her. As Dorothy searches for the wizard's castle, she makes some friends along the way -- a scarecrow (Kermit the Frog, voiced by Steve Whitmire), a cowardly lion (Fozzie Bear, voiced by Eric Jacobson), a combination robot and computer made of tin (The Great Gonzo, voiced by Dave Goelz) -- but she also has to fend off The Wicked Witch of the West (Miss Piggy, voiced by Eric Jacobson), whose sister fell victim to Dorothy upon her arrival in the strange new land. Featuring most of the best-known Muppet Show characters, The Muppets' Wizard of Oz also features guest appearances by Jeffrey Tambor, David Alan Grier, and Quentin Tarantino. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ashanti, Queen Latifah, (more)
- 2002
- G
- Add Kermit's Swamp Years: The Real Story Behind Kermit the Frog's Early Years to QueueAdd Kermit's Swamp Years: The Real Story Behind Kermit the Frog's Early Years to top of Queue
Intended as a component of a marathon "History of the Muppets" cable-TV special, this feature-length slice of whimsy chronicles the early life of Mr. "Not Easy Being Green" himself, Kermit the Frog. At age 12, Kermit and his two best buddies, a wise-guy frog named Croaker and a Woody Allen-esque amphibian named Goggles, decide to venture out of their pond and into the "real world." Along the way, Kermit makes the acquaintance of a highly imaginative preteener named Jim Henson (Christian Kebbel). By the time Kermit's Swamp Years premiered over the Starz! Family channel on August 18, 2002, its running time had been pared down from 82 to 48 minutes; however, a full-length version was released on DVD some three weeks later. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2002
- Add It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie to QueueAdd It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie to top of Queue
What would life amongst the Muppets have been without their unofficial leader Kermit the Frog? That's the question posed by this made-for-TV confection, which not only spoofs the Yuletide classic It's a Wonderful Life, but also takes satirical aim at such pop cultural phenomena as Moulin Rouge and Fear Factor. The plot is set in motion when typically evil banker Rachel Bitterman (Joan Cusack) forecloses on the Muppets' famous variety theater, with the intention of building a gaudy nightclub. But Bitterman's machinations take a back seat when apprentice guardian angel, Daniel (David Arquette), shows Kermit (voiced by Steve Whitmire) what conditions would have been had Kermit never existed. Without going into full detail, suffice to say that a Kermit-less world would have found Miss Piggy (voiced by Frank Oz) running a fraudulent psychic hot line, Fozzie Bear as a homeless derelict, and Sam the Eagle as a caged dancer at a rave. Decked out with cameo appearances by everyone from Whoopi Goldberg to the cast of the TV series Scrubs, It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie debuted over NBC on November 29, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steve Whitmire, Frank Oz, (more)
- 2001
- Add Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story to QueueAdd Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story to top of Queue
Wealthy businessman Jack Robinson (Matthew Modine) is building a new casino on the site of the family castle in England when the construction crew makes a startling discovery: They find the skeleton of a gigantic human being. Soon, foul weather and natural disasters occur at an unnatural rate. Countess Wilhelmina (Vanessa Redgrave) tells Jack that he's related to young Jack (J.J. Feild) who, 400 years ago, climbed a vine into the sky and came back with a goose that lays golden eggs and a harp that can play itself. Disbelieving, Jack encounters the lovely Ondine (Mia Sara), a mysterious woman who says she's 10,000 years old and that the evil weather can be stopped -- in fact, the world can be saved -- if Jack goes to the land in the sky with her to stand trial for his ancestor. ~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide
- 1999
- G
- Add The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland to QueueAdd The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland to top of Queue
One of the most popular characters on Sesame Street gets his own movie in this family comedy. Playful Elmo (voice of Kevin Clash) loves his blue blanket and would never want to lose it. So when it gets spirited off to parts unknown in the midst of a tug-of-war with one of his friends, Elmo sets out to find it and ends up in the grumpy kingdom of Grouchland, where Huxley (Mandy Patinkin) and the Queen of Trash (Vanessa Williams) rule over a dark and ill-mannered domain. Along with Elmo, several other favorite Sesame Street characters appear, including Oscar the Grouch (Carroll Spinney), Ernie (Steve Whitmire), and Bert (Frank Oz). ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kevin Clash, Fran Brill, (more)
