Product Details

• Actors: Jim Henson, Jane Henson, Michael Frith, Joan Ganz Cooney, Gabriel Velez
• Directors: David A. Goldsmith
• Writers: Tim Conrad
• Producers: Andrew Lee, Joan Thirkettle
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Jim Henson Company
• DVD Release Date: August 3, 2010
• Run Time: 52 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B003LR5BCQ
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #14,653 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Henson's Place: The Man Behind the Muppets" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Video Description

From KIDS FIRST!: Genius. That’s one word used to describe the mastermind behind the Muppets that we know and love today. This DVD shows the journey and progression of Jim Henson’s creative mind. it might not hold everyone’s attention in this documentary format, but if you love the Muppets or are fascinated with puppetry, then this is a great DVD for you. Learn why Kermit is so appealing, and view the magical dynamics on set as the Muppet Show is filmed. In this fascinating DVD, you can learn the story behind the stories. Children’s Comments: I thought it was kind of slow. I liked seeing the excerpts from the Muppets. It was interesting seeing the bits and pieces of what they had done. I liked seeing the different shows that Jim Henson was working on. I don’t think my friends would like it because it was slow. They might watch it in school. My friends aren’t into puppetry so I don’t think they would be interested. Even if they were into puppetry, it told more about Jim Henson than on the puppets so they wouldn’t have learned much. Even though it was slow, the camera work and audio were very well done. My favorite part was when they describe the characters and how they did them. I like acting and it was interesting to see how they act with their voice and with a puppet. I loved when they talked about which characters were easiest and hardest. Ages 12-18

Product Description

Take a peek behind the curtain with HENSON'S PLACE, the original documentary about Jim Henson, the creative visionary that brought us the enchantment of “The Muppet Show,” THE DARK CRYSTAL and more! From honing his skills as a puppeteer in college to creating some of the world’s most beloved characters in the last 30 years, see the imaginative genius like never before. Enjoy interviews with Henson, his wife Jane, long-time puppeteer partner Frank Oz and others, as they share memories of the legendary “Muppet Show,” “Sesame Street,” and “Fraggle Rock,” with a behind-the-scenes look inside the revolutionary Henson Workshop. Experience Henson’s desires to not only create new worlds, but also to celebrate the child inside all of us!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Documentary, August 7, 2010

By 

K. Rowley (Austin, Texas United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Henson's Place: The Man Behind the Muppets (DVD)

This video is a documentary from around 1985. It profiles Jim Henson and some of the people that worked for him. Since the film was made in the mid-80s, it covers his work with Sesame Street, The Muppet Show, and Fraggle Rock - plus, a little bit of the early muppet movies and Dark Crystal. Keep in mind that the documentary is only about an hour long, so it doesn't go into a lot of depth. The thing that I think makes this such a great documentary are the personal interviews with Jim Henson, Jane Henson, Frank Oz and Lord Grade. If you are a Jim Henson fan and don't already have this in your collection you will probably want a copy.

The video is full-frame (1.33:1, not widescreen) and has both English/Spanish subtitles. The only extra is a 30 minute feature on the 1985/86 "Amphibian", a year book that was produced highlighting all the people and departments of the Henson companies around the world. The first 7 minutes is an introduction by Michael Frith - who was the "Faculty Advisor" for the book's creation. The rest of the feature is a non-interactive video slide show of the pages of the book. There are a number of trailers for some new Lionsgate films on the dvd too - then animated film "Alpha and Omega" looks interesting.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Henson's Place, September 12, 2010

By 

Scooteroo92 "Andy" (Fl, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Henson's Place: The Man Behind the Muppets (DVD)

Received this new unopened item right away. Great video for those who are Jim Henson's/Muppet fans. Basically a documentary on how he got started with actual interviews with Him Henson, wife Jane, Frank Oz and others. Would like to see a part two done as a continuation of the documentary. GREAT!!!!

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great dvd/great service, August 27, 2010

By 

John W. Quevedo "wolfmanjaq" (USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Henson's Place: The Man Behind the Muppets (DVD)

Great DVD and delivered in a timely fashion.I thoroughly enjoyed it even though I thought it was a retrospective of Mr. Henson's life and Accomplishments. Actually it is up to about 1986 or so. I thought it would go all the way to his tragic death in 1990.It's probably for the best it wasn't though.When A biography about somebody who has passed on is made it tends to end on a down note. Mr. Henson was all about Up notes.