Tag Archives: Tim Curry

January 31, 2020 · 2:03 pm

The Set of 400: #154 – My Favorite Singing Telegram

Today! Because communism was just a red herring –

Clue (1985)

Directed by Jonathan Lynn

Starring Tim Curry (x3), Lesley Ann Warren, Eileen Brennan (x3), Christopher Lloyd (x5), Madeline Kahn (x4), Michael McKean (x4), Martin Mull, Colleen Camp (x3), Lee Ving, Bill Henderson, Jeffrey Kramer (x2), Howard Hesseman

In the very limited realm of Movies Based on Board Games, Clue is far and away the king. It’s not a genre that should’ve necessarily been encouraged to expand, and thankfully it hasn’t managed to in the three plus decades hence. On the other hand, why not? While most board games don’t present enough characters or plot to facilitate a real story to emerge, I’m sure they could come up with something halfway decent for, say, Candyland. Who do you see playing Plumpy in that one? Someone get a treatment together!

Yikes – I didn’t make this graphic – this was actually in development at some point. Gah.

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Tagged as Christopher Lloyd, Clue, Colleen Camp, Eileen Brennan, Favorite Movies Ever, Howard Hesseman, Jonathan Lynn, Lesley Ann Warren, Madeline Kahn, Martin Mull, Michael McKean, Tim Curry

June 25, 2019 · 1:22 pm

The Set of 400: #312 – My Favorite Wise-Cracking Lobster

Today! Because I’m not Jim Jimmy Jim Jim Jim Jim, he’s Jim Jimmy Jim Jim Jim Jim –

Muppet Treasure Island (1996)

Directed by Brian Henson

Starring Tim Curry (x2), Billy Connolly, Jennifer Saunders, Kevin Bishop, Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire, Jerry Nelson, Bill Barretta, Frank Oz (x2), Kevin Clash, Louise Gold

By wide pronouncement the worst of the big screen Muppet films, Treasure Island gets a hugely unfair rap, in my opinion. If your argument is that the other Muppet movies are of such high caliber that something has to be labeled the worst, okay, I’ll accept that. Because there is little inherently wrong with Treasure Island, especially for hardcore Muppet fans.

Sure, the movie falls squarely on Gonzo and Rizzo to keep moving, a tactic used to such great success a few years prior in Christmas Carol. This time, they tag along with the novel’s Jim Hawkins to meet Long John Silver, get on the boat, get swept up in the mutiny and whatnot, and break into epic musical numbers. Really, the main gripe you could have about this – and Christmas Carol and the 2011 Muppets – is that there aren’t quite enough Muppets. At least Christmas Carol had the wisdom to make Kermit Bob Cratchit, considering Scrooge was a human. This movie takes both the main characters away from the felt gang, so Muppets have to fit into roles wherever they’re left, leaving the film decidedly light on Kermit, Fozzie, and Piggy, to say nothing of Rowlf, the Electric Mayhem, Statler & Waldorf, and the rest of the gang.

Uncle Deadly would’ve made a great Long John, just saying

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Tagged as Billy Connolly, Brian Henson, Dave Goelz, Favorite Movies Ever, Frank Oz, Jennifer Saunders, Kermit the Frog, Muppet Treasure Island, Tim Curry

April 15, 2019 · 1:21 pm

The Set of 400: #363 – My Favorite Time Warp

Today! Because when you knocked, he thought you were the candy man –

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

Directed by Jim Sharman

Starring Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick, Richard O’Brien, Patricia Quinn, Nell Campbell, Meat Loaf, Jonathan Adams, Peter Hinwood, Charles Gray

So…remember everything I said back in #386’s Godspell and #369’s Evita? That all still applies with the general musical thing, except I actually think Rocky Horror makes for a slightly better movie. Both of those films are pretty limited by either the staging or the cast, but Rocky Horror doesn’t have either of those issues. Sure, the songs and story aren’t quite as good as the above works, but the overall effect comes over better, even if you aren’t particularly into those sweet transvestite musical numbers.

And why aren’t you, dammit?! This movie is a terrific amount of fun, as midnight audiences can attest for the last forty years. Tim Curry had a wonderful career playing baddies after this, indelible villains like Pennywise and Rooster (even though childhood household favorite Annie did not make the list), but he’s still forever gonna be Frank-N-Furter, right? There’s no escaping that manner of iconic performance. Bostwick and Sarandon are great as the couple of squares who run across this castle of mayhem, and former Blofeld Charles Gray does his best to layer in the horror movie atmosphere through his comically intense narration. Continue reading →