Marty Krofft Agrees – “Don’t mess with what worked”

When I went to see Where The Wild Things Are I couldn’t help but be reminded of Pufnstuf. Part of me wished that the Kroffts had gotten Puf out first, while another part was glad the Sid and Marty could hopefully learn from the mistakes of Wild. In an article at NY Daily News, Marty expresses:

” ‘Wild Things’ is very, very good for us,” says Marty Krofft. “We always wanted to do low-tech costumes and high-tech heads. But it’ll be a big difference in tone, of course — we’ll be bright, not dark.”

Also, this marks the first time (that I’m aware of) that Marty admits they went to far with Land of the Lost. That they strayed to far from the original.

“We went with comedy, which got it green-lit. But we didn’t know it was going to go so far in the PG-13 direction and so close to an R rating,” he says of the unfortunate flop. “Our characters are all likable, and we have so much goodwill from our fans. So, now we know: Don’t mess with what’s worked.”

I’m glad to see that he’s had this realization. When I met Marty Krofft this past summer, I really wanted to discuss this exact issue with him, but wasn’t sure he would have been receptive. You can’t turn a family-friendly story of a popular children’s show into a raunchy comedy and expect success. It’s like drinking a beer when you were expecting milk. Doesn’t matter how good the beer is, it’ll taste like crap. (even though in this case it was crap)

Also in the article, Marty discusses plans for Electra Woman and Doctor Shrinker. Both stories would have great appeal if handled properly. Especially EW with the rash of super hero movies at the box office.

Thanks to Shemp DeYoung for pointing me to the article. Please leave your comments below.

Review: Where The Wild Thing Are

Based on the classic short children’s story by Maurice Sendak, Where The Wild Things Are takes us into Max’s world and introduces us to a world of magical monsters, and childhood anger.

The film is visually perfect. I couldn’t tell what was puppetry, and what was CG. The world of the wild things is beautiful, and captures the essence of the children’s book illustrations. It is not very colorful, but wonderful to look at for young and old.

The film was both confusing and boring. It was too much like the book. When you adapt any media into another, things must be changed. Especially when you have such a short single-minded book. Yes, they added a backstory, but that was all. The movie was just an expression of childhood anger, much like the book. Once Max got to the land of the wild things the plot ceased to move forward and just became a series of angry expression by Max and the wild things. Too much like the book. The filmmakers appear to use the book theme as an excuse for not having a good story.

The synopsis of the expanded story could’ve been pulled right from H.R. Pufnstuf. Hopefully, Sid and Marty Krofft will see this movie and use it to help determine the direction an Pufnstuf feature film should take. Honestly, the 1970s camp film “Pufnstuf” was a much better movie.

I give “Where The Wild Things Are” a didn’t really need to see it.

Flash Back with Sonya Walger

Sonya Walger has been popping up everywhere the last few years, and I’ve loved every minute she’s been on the screen. She’s finally moved from supporting to main character in ABC’s new drama, Flash Forward. TVGuide online posted an interview with this amazing actress. Here is part of the interview.

TVGuide.com: All right, when are you returning to Lost?
Sonya Walger: No idea. Not a clue. I don’t even know if I’m in the last season.

TVGuide.com: Do you think Penny should die in the end?
Walger: Are you saying in a sacrificial way, Penny needs to die? I hope not because Penny’s so great. There would be mass outcry, but you know what, they killed off Charlie, so anything can happen. I feel like her dad should be the one to bite it. I am not kidding.

Go on over and check out the entire interview. Sonya is one of the reasons I’m drawn to Flash Forward, and I’m looking forward to rest of the season. Also, I really hope we get closure with Penny on Lost.

Couples Retreat — Asstastic

Vince Vaughn, Jason Bateman, Jon Favreau and Peter Billingsley. That was all I needed to know to buy a ticket. Topped off with Kristen Bell, Kristin Davis and Faizon Love, it became a must see. Couples Retreat is the latest in the new ‘not-quite-romantic comedies’. It’s a drama that also brings the funny. Many elitist moviegoers and reviewers have no appreciation for this kind of film. I definitely do. It’s not high art, or high comedy. But it is high entertainment.

The real life friendship of Vaughn, Bateman, Favreau and Billingsley (director) really pays off on screen. Their interaction is seamless. Yes, the core of their characters is the same as in previous movies, but it’s so good that your not distracted at all. They are all just so entertaining to watch.

I am very glad to see Kristen Bell playing mature roles. She was somewhat typecast with her excellent portrayal as Veronica Mars, but between Sarah Marshall and Retreat she has now established herself as a ‘adult’. She was the perfect choice to play opposite Bateman. I was pleasantly surprised by Malin Akerman. I’ve never been a huge fan of hers before, but she was great in this movie. She is on her way to becoming another Leslie Mann.

As with The Break-Up, writers Vaughn and Favreau bring real feelings and issues to the screen. Every married couple can find a way to relate to at least one of the couples in this movie. What was missing that The Break-Up had was pulling you in so far that you began to feel uncomfortable watching. Retreat could have accomplished this during the montage of arguments between the couples. They started to, but never went all the way. I’m guessing it ended up on the cutting room floor.

I give Couples Retreat at really glad I seen it.

Interview with Author Ted Nichelson

The Brady Bunch Variety Hour was basically a spin-off of the Donny and Marie show. An entire season of not only what would come to be considered one of the worst shows in television history, but of one of the most blatant copyright infringements of all time.

Sid and Marty Krofft are more known for their puppet creations than their variety shows, but they had many. From Pink Lady and Jeff to Donny and Marie and of course The Brady Bunch Hour

Variety shows were a staple of television since its inception but fizzled out in the early 80s. The Brady Hour was an example of that fizzle. Why would someone want to remind us of a show that even those who were involved like to pretend it didn’t exists? KROFFT.NET asked author Ted Nichelson about what brought him to write Love to Love You Bradys: The Bizarre Story of The Brady Bunch Variety Hour

KROFFT.NET: What originally drew you to the BBVH.

TED NICHELSON: My involvement began innocently enough one evening in Ann Arbor, Michigan while reading through some news group postings on the internet. I was a student at the University of Michigan and probably had more important things to do. But I was curious about this “Brady Variety Hour” that was being rerun on an obscure cable network in Australia. People down under were having the most entertaining discussions about this supposedly terrible show. I became email friends with a few people lucky enough to see the Variety Hour and convinced one of them to record some episodes and send them to me on the other side of the globe. As a childhood fan of The Brady Bunch it was a thrill to see this cast of characters in a “new” series, much of which to this day has still not been broadcast to American audiences since its single and only broadcast in 1976-77.

KN: How did Susan and Lisa become involved in your project? Did you start it together?

TN: I began by starting a website devoted to The Brady Bunch Variety Hour which soon raised some eyebrows. Almost immediately I received an email from Maureen McCormick’s mother Irene who was so very entertained by what I had put together. In the next year this was followed by interviews with cast members such as Geri Reischl, whom I spent six month trying to locate, Chris Knight, and finally Susan Olsen. Susan was particularly awestruck by my website because she had suppressed her memories of the Variety Hour and was shocked to have them coming to the surface once again. Over several years of becoming friends and relocating to Los Angeles after graduation, I asked her if she would like to collaborate on a book about the series. Fans had been encouraging me to move forward on such a project for a long time and I knew that Susan would be the perfect compliment to such a publication.

Lisa joined the project in 2004 when we decided the format would be a coffee table book. Not only is Lisa Sutton the official ‘Bradyologist’ but she is a talented graphic designer which a lot of experience in that realm. She designed ‘Growing Up Brady‘ so she was the obvious choice for ‘Love to Love You Bradys.’

KN: There is so much information in the book, was it challenging locating the lesser known cast and crew?

TN: It was really quite difficult tracking down everyone, and was nothing less than being a private investigator. I had to call around and talk to people who knew the person I was looking for, and get enough information (such as the name of a spouse, child, or other relative) so that I could l search public records. The most difficult people to locate were Geri Reischl, Charkie Phillips, Madeline Graneto, and Robyn Blythe. I began looking for Geri about 10 years ago and at the time nobody had heard anything about her since about 1980. Now we all know her, but at the time she was completely anonymous and living a normal life.

Finding photographs of some of the deceased individuals was also extremely difficult and often took many months of hunting.

KN: What was the most difficult part of writing the book?

TN: The most challenging part of writing the book was taking all the disparate elements and great stories, then weaving them together so they began to tell a story and paint a picture of what the mid 70s was like in television. Susan and I wanted the book to have a distinct academic tone, which was part of the parody – that we took something seemingly unnewsworthy and made it interesting to read about. I think we succeeded in that goal and it turned out that the material was fun, entertaining, and historically significant. A lot of people are surprised by how interesting ‘Love to Love You Bradys’ really is.

KN: Any plans for a follow up?

TN: I think we’ve pretty much exhausted the topic of ‘The Brady Bunch Variety Hour,’ but perhaps we’ll collaborate again on something related. My next book is an autobiography with actress and comedian Geri Jewell, which should be out in 2011.

KN: Were the Krofft Brothers open to you doing the book?

TN: Sid and Marty have distinct personalities, so their individual approach in participating in the book was different. Sid likes to chat on the phone and remembers a lot of things. He invited me to come meet him a few times to discuss things further and was just the sweetest person. Marty, on the other hand, was much more business-like but also very warm and helpful. He invited Susan and I to his office where we discussed the book and then went to lunch. They were just the nicest people and I am grateful to them.

KN: Do you know if Sid and Marty have seen the book? Did they have any comment?

TN: None of us have heard from Sid and Marty so I do not know if they saw the book. If they called me I would be sure they were sent a book, so the offer is open. I think they are both so busy that they may not even be aware it is out yet.

KN: Are you a fan of any of the other Krofft works? If so, which ones?

TN: I am not very informed about their shows, but I can name them all and have watched clips on YouTube to get an idea for their creative style and to understand how it colored their involvement with ‘The Brady Bunch Variety Hour.’ I became good friends with Van Snowden, who played HR Pufnstuf, and I learned a lot of about the Kroffts and their shows by listening to him tell many great stories.

KN: After being immersed in the Krofft/Brady world for so long, how would you sum up the experience?

TN: The first thing that comes to mind is that ALL of these people on both sides are the NICEST individuals you could ever hope to meet in Hollywood. A lot of producers, directors, and actors are so very rude, egocentric, unapproachable and distracted. The Kroffts and Bradys couldn’t be farther from this stereotype. It was a true honor, privilege, and joy to meet all of them and to preserve some of their memories for the ages.

KROFFT.NET would like to thank Ted Nichelson for the interview, and urge you to get your copy of Love to Love You Bradys today.

Deborah “Debbie” Gibson Interview

Deborah Gibson has always been one of my favorite entertainers. Amid the Led Zeppelin, Ozzy, Ted Nugent, and Kiss albums of my teenage years Debbie stood out. I used to feel I had to hide my love for Gibson’s music as a young boy, but now as a middle-aged man I can fully express my appreciation of all things ‘Debbie’.

Recently, Deborah did a Q&A with Every Girls Secret. In that interview she mentions her future projects:

EGS – What future projects do you have lined up?

DG – My main focus right now is my new music. But, there are other things brewing….. Also, doing work musically with kids through my “Electric Youth” camps and intensives and my foundation Gibson Girl Foundation have become passions of mine!

I’m genuinely excited about new music from Deborah, and hopefully a tour. She is the one concert on my concert “bucket-list” that I have yet to see. I hope that the new Album follows more closely to the flavor of M.Y.O.B, but anything is welcome.

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