We’re giving away FREE tickets to Man and Witch! What is Man and Witch, you ask? Read on for more info, exclusive video, and more!
We Muppet nerds get excited every time there’s a new film collaboration with Jim Henson’s Creature Shop. Whether they’re building familiar old friends for Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock, new nightmares for Five Nights at Freddy’s, or hyper-realistic animatronics for Babe, the Creature Shop remains the industry leader in puppetry technology.
The Creature Shop’s latest collaboration is the new film Man and Witch: The Dance of a Thousand Steps, coming to theaters nationwide July 28 and 30 from Fathom Events. Here’s an exclusive first look at the realistic animal puppetry they brought to life!
But after we’re done with our cult-like chanting of “Creature Shop! Creature Shop!” does the film have more than just puppets to draw in Muppet fans? Sure looks like it to me! Here’s why I’m excited about Man and Witch.
1. I got to speak with the Childlike Empress from The Neverending Story! Decades after her iconic role, Tami Stronach is making her re-entry into film. Adoring fans at conventions begged her to make something again, and now she’s back in full force, producing and costarring alongside her real-life husband Greg Steinbruner (who also wrote the script).
2. There are few things I love more than when storytellers take well-known fairytale tropes and flip them around in fun new ways. The film is described on IMDb as “A heartwarming homage to the lo-fi fantasy films of the 80s and a comic adventure that both fulfills and subverts the expectations of what a fantasy universe can be.”
3. Have you seen this cast list?? In credit order on IMDb:
- Shoreh Aghdashloo (who you know from her amazing voice in everything cool) as Wisewoman
- Michael Emerson (Ben from Lost) as Evil Wizard
- Christopher Lloyd (still gifting us with his slightly unhinged whimsy at 86 years old) as Alchemist
- Sean Astin (I can’t, it’s too precious and wholesome [cries]) as Dog
- Jennifer Saunders (All hail Mrs. Bluveridge!) as Goose
- Eddie Izzard (Oh HECK YES, what a treasure she is, NEVER LEAVE US) as Sheep
4. A beautiful score by composer Geoff Zanelli.
5. A magical soup spoon!
6. Middle-aged love stories give me hope. Hey, if they can find love in their 50s, then maybe the rest of us can, too. (Also, this film has the sweetest darn origin story I’ve ever heard but am not at liberty to share.)
7. Witches are goals. I live alone, I dye my hair bright colors (but leave the grays untouched), I sing silly songs as a ritual, I have a black cat familiar, I collect crystals and spell books and candles, and I break ancestral curses. I’m staring down the barrel of 40 and embracing the lifestyle of happily child-free whimsical neighbor lady who none of the local kids are sure whether nor not she’s a witch, and that vibe is only going to get stronger with each passing decade. It was such a joy to get to hear Tami speak about creating more of these kinds of big, complex roles, since Hollywood likes to pretend that women between 30 and 70 don’t exist. We need to be able to see ourselves as the main character sometimes! While we’re at it, can we please get a new Muppet film starring Taminella Grinderfall?
Watch the full trailer for Man and Witch here, and scroll down for more info on how you can win free tickets!
And now the moment you’ve all been waiting for: FREE tickets! To win a set of two tickets for you and your witchiest friend, just click here to fill out a little information and answer some fun trivia questions about other Creature Shop films! Each correct answer earns you a raffle ticket, deadline to enter is Tuesday, July 23rd.
Click here to find out where Man and Witch: The Dance of a Thousand Steps is playing near you! And make sure you get your tickets for July 28th or July 30th with Fathom Events.
Click here to learn some complicated choreography on the ToughPigs Discord!
by Beth Cook
