Latest news with #puppetry
New York Times
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
‘Shari & Lamb Chop': A Singular Talent Gets Her Due
I was a PBS-watching child, and one of the shows I loved was 'Lamb Chop's Play-Along,' with a theme song I could still sing for you today and an infinitely earwormy outro, 'The Song That Doesn't End.' (Sorry.) I was a little old for the show when it started airing in 1992 — I watched with my brother, who would have been a toddler around then — but no matter. The mechanics of the puppetry and ventriloquism were entrancing, and they all revolved around a curly-haired woman named Shari Lewis and her puppet friends, especially the lightly sardonic and always funny Lamb Chop. My mother told me she used to watch Shari and Lamb Chop on TV, too. But it wasn't till I was older that I realized what a trailblazer Lewis, who died in 1998, had been over her long career. She's the subject of Lisa D'Apolito's light and nostalgic new documentary, 'Shari & Lamb Chop' (in theaters), which is full of archival footage stretching from Lewis's early days on 'Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts,' the CBS variety show that provided her big break, through the children's shows she hosted single-handedly (so to speak) with her puppets from the mid-1950s to 1960s, including 'Facts N' Fun,' 'Shariland' and 'The Shari Lewis Show.' The film explores her work in the years after 'The Shari Lewis Show' was canceled, including nightclub acts, variety shows, telethons, county fairs and guest turns on various TV shows. And it chronicles her triumphant return to TV in the 1990s with 'Lamb Chop's Play-Along,' as well as her emergence as an advocate for children's educational television. This biographical information is presented in a fairly perfunctory manner, especially since Lewis's life isn't punctuated by any great scandals, the sort of thing that usually provides shape to biographical documentaries. Instead, the most interesting part of the film — aside from copious clips of Lamb Chop, who is just as funny as I recall, and pretty subversive, too — is its strong (if perhaps too brief) argument that Lewis has never gotten her due as a pioneer in children's television. Several interviewees suggest that Lewis was doing Mr. Rogers before Mr. Rogers was: speaking directly to the children watching the show, telling them that they were special and important, encouraging them and providing a positive adult presence for those who might not have that in their lives. Furthermore, the film makes clear just how talented Lewis was, and how easy she made near-impossible feats look. Several interviewees — including Megan Piphus Peace, a puppeteer for 'Sesame Street,' and Darci Lynne Farmer, a ventriloquist and winner of 'America's Got Talent' — discuss the incredible difficulty of operating two puppets separately, one on each hand, and talking to them both while keeping personalities and voices straight. Lewis was also able to sing while performing as a ventriloquist, which is phenomenally demanding. Her whole career was unusual: She got her start at a time when few, if any, ventriloquists were women. 'Shari & Lamb Chop' is a charming introduction to a remarkable artist and the characters she created, which have endured across generations because they reflect the playfulness at the heart of their creator.
The Guardian
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Frankie Freako review – cheap and cheesy comedy horror channels 80s schlock
Canadian writer-director Steven Kostanski has been one of the creative forces behind a bunch of silly-sweet horror pictures such as The Void and PG: Psycho Goreman that appear to skew towards a younger demographic. Or perhaps his target audience is really the gen X crowd that never outgrew its affection for 1980s fare such as Critters or Gremlins, cheap and cheesy schlock reliant on practical special effects. Luckily, the latter happens to be Kostanski's speciality; he's also worked as a prosthetic FX artist on bigger budget films such as Crimson Peak and the TV series Hannibal. All of that comes together for this daft comedy horror farrago, seemingly set in the 80s, about a nebbishy Canadian office worker called Conor (Conor Sweeney). Conor's beige jumper alone bespeaks a man deeply risk averse and afraid of having fun, even when his marriage to Kristina (Kristy Wordsworth) is on the line. Stung by criticism from his pony-tailed boss (Adam Brooks) for one that his presentations on subdivisions lack 'spice', Conor calls a hotline advertising a nebulous but supposedly fun-enhancing service supplied by gremlin Frankie Freako (voiced by Matthew Kennedy). Frankie is effectively a puppet, less than a metre tall, who looks like someone dipped a Muppet in latex, covered it in caustic soda, and then ran a car over it a few times. The phone call enables him – and two less interesting, similarly ugly puppet creatures – to travel across dimensions to wreak havoc at Conor's house, like the Cat in the Hat but without the feline charm or rhyme schemes, but way more fart jokes. At least Sweeney has good enough comic timing to make the thinly written dialogue sound vaguely amusing; he's also adept at making his many reaction shots exaggerated just enough to tickle without descending into outright mugging. Elsewhere, the words 'freak', 'freaky' and cognates from that root are used so often that a drinking game in which players down a shot each time they are uttered would trigger alcohol poisoning after 20 minutes or less. Frankie Freako is on digital platforms from 14 July.
The Guardian
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Frankie Freako review – cheap and cheesy comedy horror channels 80s schlock
Canadian writer-director Steven Kostanski has been one of the creative forces behind a bunch of silly-sweet horror pictures such as The Void and PG: Psycho Goreman that appear to skew towards a younger demographic. Or perhaps his target audience is really the gen X crowd that never outgrew its affection for 1980s fare such as Critters or Gremlins, cheap and cheesy schlock reliant on practical special effects. Luckily, the latter happens to be Kostanski's speciality; he's also worked as a prosthetic FX artist on bigger budget films such as Crimson Peak and the TV series Hannibal. All of that comes together for this daft comedy horror farrago, seemingly set in the 80s, about a nebbishy Canadian office worker called Conor (Conor Sweeney). Conor's beige jumper alone bespeaks a man deeply risk averse and afraid of having fun, even when his marriage to Kristina (Kristy Wordsworth) is on the line. Stung by criticism from his pony-tailed boss (Adam Brooks) for one that his presentations on subdivisions lack 'spice', Conor calls a hotline advertising a nebulous but supposedly fun-enhancing service supplied by gremlin Frankie Freako (voiced by Matthew Kennedy). Frankie is effectively a puppet, less than a metre tall, who looks like someone dipped a Muppet in latex, covered it in caustic soda, and then ran a car over it a few times. The phone call enables him – and two less interesting, similarly ugly puppet creatures – to travel across dimensions to wreak havoc at Conor's house, like the Cat in the Hat but without the feline charm or rhyme schemes, but way more fart jokes. At least Sweeney has good enough comic timing to make the thinly written dialogue sound vaguely amusing; he's also adept at making his many reaction shots exaggerated just enough to tickle without descending into outright mugging. Elsewhere, the words 'freak', 'freaky' and cognates from that root are used so often that a drinking game in which players down a shot each time they are uttered would trigger alcohol poisoning after 20 minutes or less. Frankie Freako is on digital platforms from 14 July.
Daily Mail
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Spitting Image is BACK with Prince Harry, Donald Trump, Elon Musk and Angela Rayner in the firing line for outrageous new series
Spitting Image is set to return with Prince Harry, Donald Trump, Elon Musk and Angela Rayner in the firing line for an outrageous new series. The satirical show is known for using puppets, voiced by comedians, to depict well-known figures. It first aired back in 1984 and ended in 1996, before making a short comeback on Britbox from 2020 to 2022. Now, a brand new YouTube series is set to launch in the autumn titled, Spitting Image: The Rest Is Bulls*!t. Described as a 'new era' for the show, it will consist of 'specially created, original short-form vodcast episodes'. Fans can expect shocking quips and portrayals, as the series promises 'a no holds barred up-to-the-minute assault on the world of politics, pop culture and media control'. A teaser episode on the Spitting Image YouTube channel has been released to give fans a sneak peak of what's in store. It shows Prince Harry depicted as a puppet, sat down with Paddington Bear, as well as Spitting Image's portrayal of Donald Trump at the White House. Vladimir Putin also features, as well as Elon Musk whose puppet is wearing dark sunglasses and a black cap. Angela Rayner appeared as well as Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The new series will be led by Al Murray and Matt Ford who were two of the writers behind the critically acclaimed stage show Idiots Assemble: Spitting Image The Musical. When Spitting Image first aired between 1984 and 1996, it attracted more than 15 million viewers. The official launch date for the new series is yet to be confirmed. Back in 2023, puppets of some of the show's best-known targets including Thatcher, Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and Princess Diana were put on display at an exhibition in Cambridge Back in 2023, puppets of some of the show's best-known targets including Thatcher, Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and Princess Diana were put on display at an exhibition in Cambridge. Created by British caricaturists Peter Fluck and Roger Law, Spitting Image was merciless in its depiction of the leading public figures of the day. Producer John Lloyd said he had been determined to work on the show as soon as he heard about it and immediately got in contact. 'They said, 'we already have two producers we don't need you, thank you very much', so I said, 'I'll work for nothing',' he told AFP.
CNA
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CNA
Not just lip service: The ventriloquists striving to keep the art form alive
Ms Faith Chong, 28, said she wants to make a living from "talking to myself". As a budding ventriloquist, she showcases her talent on video-sharing platform TikTok and also on the streets, busking once a month with her beloved puppets Josie and Gavin. The digital ambassador with a government agency has dreams of turning professional, hoping to use her talent of "speaking without moving my lips" to keep people entertained. One ventriloquist who has made the move to becoming professional is Mr Joseph Then, 48, who earns his living performing for school groups, for example. "Ventriloquism is a sub-niche," Mr Then said. He was a magician before becoming a professional ventriloquist more than 15 years ago. When he made the switch, he was hoping his voice would help him stand out, but he has become so successful that he needs a warehouse to store his dozens of puppets.
