| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| BaftaBaby |
Posted - 12/08/2012 : 20:14:57
I'd already moved to the UK when Sesame Street hit American t.v. screens, but I soon caught up on a trip in 1969. And I just fell in love with everything about it - concept, humor, execution, and amazing good-heartedness.
Much the same can be said for Kevin Clash, the unstoppable force behind one of the most successful fictional creations of all time - Elmo the Muppet.
As presented in Constance Marks' understated and untimately extremely moving film, Clash followed his heart, his impossible dream from a child in love with Jim Henson's characters to a self-effacing, trusted, powerful and talented member of the Muppet empire, beloved of children around the world.
If it's a bit of a hagiography - well, he deserves it!! And, if it seems to gloss over some of the downsides [though, to be fair, there don't appear to be many at all] - well, the main focus is on Clash's quiet, determined humanity. Not bad for a guy who made his name from sticking his arm up a bright orange fleece!
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| 3 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| randall |
Posted - 12/13/2012 : 01:12:00
He's in the process of being discredited, and it's not yet clear how much of this he's brought on himself, but it's gradually emerging that it's not nothing. I saw the flick at Sundance, and watched the puppetteer interact afterwards with kids who'd been invited to the screening to "meet Elmo." Tough call. |
| BaftaBaby |
Posted - 12/09/2012 : 10:43:07
quote:
Originally posted by TitanPA
Don't know how much it means now since he stepped down from being Elmo due to the growing case against him.
Hmmm - well, thanks for bringing this to my attention; I don't read US show-biz gossip and don't recall anything about his resignation in the UK news.
How very sad that the tenets of "innocent until proven guilty" should be so besmirched in a rabid campaign of pre-emptive justice.
I assess films. This one is worth seeing.
Van Gogh's paintings are worth seeing.
St Peter's in Rome is worth seeing.
Not an aesthetic equation - just pointing out some implied anomalies.
Tragic that several pediatricians had to die because some schmucks couldn't tell the difference between a doctor and a child molester.
Or that any Jewish baby had to be murdered in case it would grow up to be the messiah.
Dunno if Clash seduced kids and kept it secret - if so, no one could possibly condone it. From what we learn about him in the doco, he doesn't seem all that devious. But if the witch-hunt is because he's gay or bi-sexual - well that's absurd and obscene.
You're right - just the sniff of such scandal should ensure this entertaining film gets starved of any p.r. budget or wider distribution. And, considering the inciting allegation was quickly withdrawn - well, let's at least admit the possibility there's another agenda at work, here.
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| TitanPa |
Posted - 12/09/2012 : 01:41:11
Don't know how much it means now since he stepped down from being Elmo due to the growing case against him.
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