Friday, March 28, 2014

Fun screen-used props featured in Muppets Most Wanted on display...

Muppets Most Wanted may not be setting any U.S. box office records compared to the 2011 The Muppets big screen revival, but I thought this latest cinematic outing of Jim Henson's creations was great fun, with all your favourite Muppets in character and with some stand out musical numbers, like 'The Big House' and 'I'll Get You What You Want (Cockatoo in Malibu)'.

Original movie props from Muppets Most Wanted
Muppets Most Wanted Interpol Le Maximum car
Original Muppets Most Wanted film props
Original Muppets Most Wanted costumes props
Screen-used Muppets Most Wanted movie props
Muppets Most Wanted movie prop exhibit
Muppets Most Wanted costume prop exhibit El Capitan Theatre
Having seen the comedy crime caper it was also pretty cool to see these screen-used props from the film in person, on display with Miss Piggy's couture costumes from Muppets Most Wanted at the infamous El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood on March 21, 2014.

Muppets Most Wanted movie poster
Muppets Most Wanted movie poster
In the Muppets newest adventure, after their comeback the gang are convinced to go on a world tour by Ricky Gervais' 'Dominic Badguy', who is in league with a 'Kermit the Frog' imposter and master criminal, 'Constantine'. Meanwhile whilst Kermit is thrown into a Russian Gulag where Tina Fey is the warden, the diabolical duo use the Muppets stage shows to distract from their crime heists, with the ultimate goal to steal England's Crown Jewels.

With no Kermit to manage the show, all kinds of things go on that would never have happened, like an extra long sleep-inducing music gig by 'Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem', including fan-favourite 'Animal' on drums.

Animal's drum set props from Muppets Most Wanted
Animals drum set props Muppets Most Wanted
Animal's drum set Muppets Most Wanted props
Muppets Most Wanted Animal drum set movie props
Muppets Most Wanted Animal's drum set
Original Muppets Most Wanted Animal's drum set
Here's Animal's percussion drum set on display from the movie, plus the band's colourful loudspeakers.

The Muppets world tour takes them to Berlin, Madrid, Dublin and London, and here's Miss Piggy's Berlin dressing room set on display. The German translation of The Muppets makes for a nice visual language gag with the 'Die Muppets' venue sign.

Miss Piggy's Berlin dressing room set from Muppets Most Wanted
Miss Piggy Berlin dressing room set Muppets Most Wanted
Muppets Most Wanted Miss Piggy Berlin dressing room set
Muppets Most Wanted Miss Piggy Berlin dressing room table
Miss Piggy Berlin backstage dressing room Muppets
Miss Piggy Berlin dressing room Muppets Most Wanted
Even though this Berlin set doesn't appear in the movie for long, it goes to show how much work and effort, and the little touches, that go into creating the Muppets world.

If you like this fun backstage room set, be sure to check out these recreations of Kermit's office and Miss Piggy's dressing room from The Muppets movie in 2011.

Authentic Muppets Most Wanted movie props
Muppets Most Wanted Russian Gulag prison crown
Gulag prison crown prop Muppets Most Wanted
Colonel Thomas Blood painting prop Muppets Most Wanted
Muppets Most Wanted map locket key props
Muppets Most Wanted locket movie prop
Muppets Most Wanted locket film prop
Muppets Most Wanted key movie prop
Constantine and his henchman's crime spree through the galleries and vaults of Europe is actually a quest to find clues to help them steal the British Crown Jewels. To do this they steal a painting of 'Colonel Thomas Blood' which has a secret treasure map on the back, which leads them to a golden locket and key in the Irish National Bank in Dublin.

Ricky Gervais bust from Muppets Most Wanted
Ricky Gervais bust prop Muppets Most Wanted
The bust from Madrid's museum is actually an ancestor of Dominic Badguy and the coins at the base are the calling card of his criminal persona, 'The Lemur', which he leaves at the scene of a crime.

By thew way the knight statues above are from the Tower of London vault where the Crown Jewels are kept.

In the movie Ty Burrell plays a French Interpol inspector, 'Jean Pierre Napoleon', trying to solve these crimes with the aid of the CIA's 'Sam the Eagle'.

Badge credential props from Muppets Most Wanted
Giant CIA badge prop Muppets Most Wanted
Giant CIA badge Muppets Most Wanted
Muppets Most Wanted giant CIA badge prop
Law enforcement badge credential props Muppets Most Wanted
Muppets Most Wanted police badge props
Muppets Most Wanted CIA badge briefcase prop
Ty Burrell Muppets Most Wanted Interpol ID badge prop
Sam the Eagle Muppets Most Wanted CIA ID badge prop
Sam the Eagle Muppets Most Wanted CIA ID
These I.D. credential props are from a fun scene where the international law enforcement agents try to one-up each other with the size of their badges, and you can also see more if you take a look at Ty Burrell's Interpol badge costume from Muppets Most Wanted on display at ArcLight Sherman Oaks cinema. As you can see, Sam the Eagle wins this battle of wills when his giant CIA badge arrives via UPS carrier.

Le Maximum Interpol car prop from Muppets Most Wanted
Le Maximum Interpol car prop Muppets Most Wanted
Muppets Most Wanted Le Maximum Interpol car
Muppets Most Wanted tiny Interpol car prop
Muppets Most Wanted tiny Interpol car
Muppets Most Wanted Le Maximum tiny Interpol car prop
And finally, another one of these tiny green Le Maximum Interpol car props was on display at ArcLight Sherman Oaks, but the El Capitan Theatre also had one in their foyer for cinema goers to enjoy.

As you can see there was a wealth of fantastic props to enjoy and you can see them all in person at the Hollywood venue, along with the costumes and Miss Piggy's Vivienne Westwood wedding dress, until April 17, 2014. 

Muppets Most Wanted movie billboard
Muppets Most Wanted movie billboard

Monday, March 24, 2014

Miss Piggy's couture costumes from Muppets Most Wanted on display...

Muppets Most Wanted is the sequel to The Muppets 2011 big screen revival (and the seventh follow-up to their 1979 cinematic debut) and once again 'Miss Piggy' steals the show with her Couture Collection of costume changes, proving she truly is the most glamorous pig in the world. Here are just a selection of her wardrobe choices from the new Muppets movie on display at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood on March 21, 2014.

Original costumes worn by Miss Piggy in Muppets Most Wanted
Muppets Most Wanted Miss Piggy opening number costume
Muppets Most Wanted Miss Piggy Couture Collection costumes
Miss Piggy opening number green sequin costume Muppets Most Wanted
Miss Piggy Celine Dion duet dress muppets Most Wanted
Original Muppets Most Wanted costumes props
Miss Piggy Madrid Flamenco dress Muppets Most Wanted
Miss Piggy Dublin dress Muppets Most Wanted
Muppets Most Wanted Miss Piggy costume exhibit
In this film Miss Piggy finally gets her man down the aisle, although she soon discovers he's not the frog she thought he was, instead he's the master criminal and 'Kermit the Frog' doppelgänger, 'Constantine'. If you're a fan of the Muppets fabulous diva, be sure to also check out Miss Piggy's showstopping Vivienne Westwood designed wedding gown on display.

Muppets Most Wanted movie poster
Muppets Most Wanted movie poster
This sequel sees Jim Henson's famous puppets manipulated into a world tour traveling through Berlin, Madrid, Dublin and London to cover up a series of robberies by Constantine and his accomplice 'Dominic Badguy' (Ricky Gervais), who poses as their tour manager, whilst Kermit is thrown into a Siberian Gulag prison, as they plot to steal the British Crown Jewels.  

Rahel Afiley is Costume Designer on this 2014 sequel, as she was on the recent revival, so be sure to also take a look at some of the costumes worn by Amy Adams and Jason Segel in The Muppets from 2011.

Opening number costume worn by Miss Piggy 
in Muppets Most Wanted
Miss Piggy opening number movie costume Muppets Most Wanted
Muppets Most Wanted Miss Piggy opening number costume
Miss Piggy opening number costume Muppets Most Wanted
Authentic Muppets Most Wanted Miss Piggy opening number costume
Original Miss Piggy opening number costume Muppets Most Wanted
First up in her exclusive collection is the costume Miss Piggy wears for the dazzling opening musical number of the movie, 'We're Doing a Sequel'. This stylish sleeveless white tailcoat and metallic mullet skirt (the only time she's been known to wear one) is accented at the waist with crystals and complimented by crystal-embellished fishnet stockings, with a golden top hat completing the show-starting ensemble.

Miss Piggy opening number swimsuit costume 
from Muppets Most Wanted
Muppets Most Wanted Miss Piggy opening number swimsuit outfit
Miss Piggy opening number swimsuit costume Muppets Most Wanted
Muppets Most Wanted Miss Piggy green sequin swimsuit costume
Muppets Most Wanted Miss Piggy opening number green sequin swimsuit
Miss Piggy opening number swimsuit Muppets Most Wanted
Miss Piggy swim costume shoes Muppets Most Wanted
Miss Piggy swim costume shoes Muppets Most Wanted
Next is the mermaid-inspired green sequin swimsuit the entertainer wears for the finale of the opening number when she appears out of a giant clamshell. The sparkling outfit features a fish-scale sequin bodied with a short gathered skirt of layered shimmering sheer and teal metallic mesh net, plus more crystal-accented fishnet stockings and jeweled shoes to complete the look.

Something So Right duet dress designed by Vivienne Westwood 
for Miss Piggy in Muppets Most Wanted
Miss Piggy Celine Dion duet dress Muppets Most Wanted
Muppets Most Wanted Miss Piggy Vivienne Westwood Something So Right dress
Muppets Most Wanted Miss Piggy Something So Right dress
Muppets Most Wanted Miss Piggy Vivienne Westwood shoes
Being a worldwide fashion icon Miss Piggy is dressed by the best designers and this sleek and form-fitting dress was designed by her close personal friend, Vivienne Westwood (who also created her wedding gown). She wears this stylish dress of pewter grey sequins and beads when she sings her duet of 'Something So Right' with another of her close personal friends, Celine Dion.

Although in the movie that sequence is in mood appropriate black and white, so it's nice to see this dress and Vivienne Westwood + Melissa heart shoes as it was intended in colour.

Miss Piggy Madrid Flamenco costume from Muppets Most Wanted
Miss Piggy Spanish Flamenco costume Muppets Most Wanted
Muppets Most Wanted Miss Piggy Flamenco dress
Muppets Most Wanted Miss Piggy Flamenco costume
Miss Piggy Spanish fan Muppets Most Wanted
Miss Piggy Flamenco dress fan Muppets Most Wanted
Miss Piggy red Flamenco dress Muppets Most Wanted
Speaking of colour, this dramatic red flamenco outfit is worn by our star when the Muppets world tour hits Madrid and she performs the Macarena song and dance with flamingos (only on the Muppets can you say that I'm sure), plus they sing the Muppets intro theme song in Spanish too.

This traditional flamenco ensemble consists of a skirt of rich red silk charmeuse and a bodice of embroidered floral lace with red sequins over a nude mesh net, the outfit is topped with a red tulle netted shawl with red silk fringe and beads, a black mantilla veil and a black Spanish hair comb.

Dublin proposal dress worn by Miss Piggy 
in Muppets Most Wanted
Miss Piggy Dublin proposal costume Muppets Most Wanted
Muppets Most Wanted Miss Piggy Dublin gown
Miss Piggy Dublin costume necklace Muppets Most Wanted
Miss Piggy Dublin costume jewelry Muppets Most Wanted
Muppets Most Wanted Miss Piggy Dublin gown
Finally here's the moss green velvet bias-cut dress that the femme fatale wears in Dublin when Constantine, pretending to be Kermit, proposes to Miss Piggy in the middle of her stage performance.

It's really not every day you see costumes like these and if you like all these glamorous new outfits, be sure to check out Miss Piggy's couture collection costumes from 2011's The Muppets for even more fabulous high fashion looks.

Plus come back soon to seen more authentic props on display at the El Capitan Theatre from Muppets Most Wanted.

Muppets Most Wanted movie poster
Muppets Most Wanted movie poster