The story of kevin clash, the puppeteer behind the beloved muppet elmo of sesame street, from his childhood in baltimore to fulfilling his dream of working with master puppeteer jim henson. A puppeteers journey, the inspirational tale of kevin clash, the man who plays the. Clash s devotion to craft and the unlearnable spark of his creative genius brought the simple joy of elmo to millions, and the gentle uncovering of those elements is what makes being elmo such an inspiring tale. Narrated by whoopi goldberg, being elmo traces clash s early beginnings from backyard puppet shows to working with his idol, jim henson, and creating one of the most famous puppet characters in the world. Also sign me up for fanmail to get updates on all things movies. A puppeteer s journey ebert presents at the movies video clip for being elmo. One of my most anticipated films of the 2011 sundance film festival was a documentary titled being elmo.
Beloved by millions of children and adults alike, sesame streets elmo is an international icon. I have little doubt in my mind that the avengers will end up being my favourite movie of the year, but one film has come really close to taking the top spot in the form of jason segels attempt to bring the. Puppeteer kevin clash, left, and his furry red friend are featured in being elmo. Rather, the young clash was supported well by his parents in his puppeteering ventures. I watch things i can mostly listen to and dont require me to actually watch 100% to get whats going on.
A profound look at kevin clash, creator of one very important puppet. A puppeteers journey about kevin clash, the man who brought elmo to life. Beloved by children of all ages around the world, elmo is an international icon. Criticisms and nitpicks crumble at the feet of a documentary like being elmo. Sesame street s elmo the muppet is an international icon, loved by children of all ages around the. A high point of the film is a segment where kevin trains puppeteers for the french. There is very little magic left in the world of hollywood. Elmo was on sesame street before clash joined the show, but he wasnt the smiley, loveable puppet we know today. A puppeteers journey, which premiered at sundance back in january. For the last week or so, ive been catching up on some netflix movies as i work on some illustrations for a new project is in the works. A puppeteers journey stars kevin clash, whoopi goldberg the pg movie has a runtime of about 1 hr 25 min, and received a. A puppeteers journey tells the story of elmos creator kevin clash, whose childhood dream was to work with his idol, jim henson.
Other movies from 2011 with similar scores include films like tomboy, the lost valentine and win win. Includes footage featuring frank oz, jim henson, michelle obama, kofi annan, rosie odonnell, carol spinney and whoopi goldberg. A puppeteers journey 2011 kevin clash at an event for being elmo. A puppeteers journey follows clashs remarkable career, while also offering a behindthescenes look at sesame street and the jim henson workshop. Narrated by whoopi goldberg, being elmo traces clashs early beginnings from backyard puppet shows to working with his idol, jim henson, and creating one of the most famous puppet characters in the world. The real story of the man behind the theory history channel, 2008. As a teenager growing up in baltimore in the 1970s, kevin had very different aspirations from his classmates he wanted to be a puppeteer. A puppeteers journey was one of the most talked about documentaries coming out of the 2011 sundance film festival. Nov 16, 2011 theres a remarkable restraint in the documentary being elmo. A puppeteers journey 2011 official trailer youtube. Being elmo is a great family documentary about the. The movie follows his upbringing in baltimore, his passion for.
Justin weinstein editor, writer justin weinstein is a brooklynbased documentary filmmaker whose work over the past ten years has been a combination of long and shortform documentary films on many. A puppeteers journey focuses on the muppet performer kevin clash, who performed and voiced elmo, the adorable and lovable red monster from sesame street until late 2012 the movie follows his upbringing in baltimore, his passion for creating and performing with puppets. A puppeteers journey is a 2011 american documentary film about kevin clash, the puppeteer behind the sesame street character elmo who became a rising star and created a global sensation. Documentary competition from the sundance film festival 2011 trailer genre. Being elmo tells the story of baltimore native kevin clash, who became obsessed with puppeteering at an early age. Meet the unlikely man behind the puppet the heart and soul of elmo kevin clash. The wanted performs, and jennifer lopez debuts her latest video, on the results show 8 p. There are two reasons why being elmo doesnt particularly work. Sesame streets elmo the muppet is an international icon, loved by children of all ages around the. Narrated by whoopi goldberg, this behindthescenes insightful film follows kevin clash, the man behind the puppet, and his remarkable transformation from a dedicated teenaged puppeteer growing up in 1970s baltimore to an integral part of the sesame street team. A puppeteers journey was released in 2011 on friday, october 21, 2011 in new york movie theaters. The scene that follows once we learn that the majority of make a wish kids come.
A puppeteers journey november 1, 2012 as more and more pictures and reports come in, our thoughts are with our resilient neighbors in the tristate area. Whoopi goldberg narrates elmo creator kevin clashs remarkable journey from a workingclass baltimore neighborhood to jim hensons sesame street. With kevin clash, whoopi goldberg, frank oz, bill barretta. A puppeteers journey is a documentary film about the life and career of kevin clash. A puppeteers journey to the instant queue and thought nothing of it. Elmo character and name are trademarks of sesame workshop. A puppeteers journey stars kevin clash, whoopi goldberg the pg movie has a runtime of about 1 hr 25 min, and received a score of 71 out of 100 on. Ryan dosier every once in awhile a film comes along that is equal parts inspiring, heartwarming, tearjerking, funny, fun, and beautiful. Displaying his creativity and talent at a young age, kevin ultimately found a home on sesame. The film was directed by constance marks and debuted at the sundance film festival on january 23, 2011 narrated by whoopi goldberg, the documentary features archival footage, including clash puppeteering as a teenager with his own handmade puppets, as well as. Patrick wadden and guests from arm of the sea puppet theater narrated by whoopi goldberg, being elmo tells an inspiring story about the oft unrecognized talent behind one of americas most adored characters. Last week, i had the pleasure, the very wonderful pleasure, of taking my youngest son sammy to our local indie theater for a viewing of being elmo. A puppeteers journey is above the average cinafilm score for movies made in 2011, which stands at 59%. As a teenager growing up in baltimore in the 1970s, clash had very different aspirations from his classmateshe wanted to be a part of hensons team, the creative force responsible for delivering the magic.
A puppeteers journey focuses on the muppet performer kevin clash, who performed and voiced elmo, the adorable and lovable red monster from sesame street until late 2012. Narrated by whoopi goldberg, being elmo traces clashs early beginnings from backyard puppet shows to working with his idol, jim henson. To this day, when a make a wish child or a sick child is there, the majority of the time, theyll ask for elmo. Starved for content, the whimsical illusions, the tricks that once inspired our young minds have all been demystified. Theres a remarkable restraint in the documentary being elmo. A puppeteers journey, which has a domestic theatrical release in the year of 2011. Elmo used to be a caveman with a gruff voice and its clash who turned him into the personification of love. Being elmo is a rare documentary that will connect across generations and cultures to. The muppet elmo is one of the most beloved characters among children across the globe.
One of the few films ive come across recently that has all of these characteristics and so many more is being elmo. One of the biggest crowdpleasers out of this years festival circuit was being elmo. Sesame street s elmo the muppet is an international icon, loved by children of all ages around the world. A puppeteers journey, airing on independent lens at 9 p. Mar, 2012 youll see this firsthand in the festival awardwinning pbs documentary being elmo. Famed physicist stephen hawking guest stars as himself on a new episode 8 p. There are currently eleven videos available for the film, of which one and only one is a trailer, as listed below. Yet, with all of elmo s fame, the man behind the icon is able to walk down the street without being recognized. The film was directed by constance marks and debuted at the sundance film festival on january 23, 2011 narrated by whoopi goldberg, the documentary features archival footage, including clash puppeteering as a teenager with his own handmade puppets, as well as interviews with george clash.
I have little doubt in my mind that the avengers will end up being my favourite movie of the year, but one film has come really close to taking the top spot in the form of jason segels attempt to bring the muppets back into the public eye. This nearperfect piece of filmmaking is the work of dedicated and talented folks like director constance marks. Few people know his creator, kevin clash, who dreamed of working with his idol, master puppeteer jim henson. The documentary traces clashs career as a puppeteer from the day he made his first puppet out of his fathers coat until the present day as he jets around the world training various puppeteers for the international versions of sesame street. A puppeteers journey chronicles the life story of kevin clash, the puppeteer behind the popular sesame street character elmo. A puppeteers journey, which christens the bloor cinema as the new home of hot docs this friday. Enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing being elmo. Narrated by whoopi goldberg, this documentary includes rare archival footage, interviews with frank oz. For one, clash s story isnt an againstallodds tale. Displaying his creativity and talent at a young age, kevin ultimately found a home on sesame street. His name is kevin clash, and he is the fiftysomething sesame street performer who operates and voices the character of elmo. Apr 27, 2012 directed by constance marks, philip shane.
A puppeteers journey was released in 2011 and lasts 76 minutes. Narrated by whoopi goldberg, this documentary includes rare archival footage. Meet the unlikely man behind the puppet the heart and soul of elmo. Prior to being elmo, he produced and edited the twohour special, einstein.
A puppeteers journey, a flawed documentary that has, at its center, the most unquestionably likable protagonist this side of marge gunderson. Even though the film is focused on clash, we also get to learn quite a bit about the art of puppetry, such as how the puppets made and how their. Youll see this firsthand in the festival awardwinning pbs documentary being elmo. Yet, with all of elmos fame, the man behind the icon is able to walk down the street without being recognized. A puppeteers journey tells the story of elmo s creator kevin clash, whose childhood dream was to work with his idol, jim henson.
Being elmo is a rather lightweight documentary looking at the celebrity muppet, elmo, and hisits puppeteer, kevin clash. Narrated by whoopi goldberg, this documentary follows the career of puppeteer kevin clash, the softspoken man behind the furry red monster elmo. Its telling may sometimes feel generic and the tone borders on fawning elmo and clash fan whoopi goldberg provides narration, but. Being elmo is the story of clashs startling rise to prominence as the. A puppeteers journey 2011 pg 1h 16m criticallyacclaimed documentaries whoopi goldberg narrates elmo creator kevin clashs remarkable journey from a workingclass baltimore neighborhood to jim hensons sesame street.
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