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Title.grouchland
CHARACTERSHOME VIDEO
SOUNDTRACKMORE
Released October 1, 1999
Duration 73 minutes
Director Gary Halvorson
Written by Mitchell Kriegman (story), Kriegman and Joseph Mazzarino (screenplay)
Music John Debney
Studio Columbia Pictures, Jim Henson Pictures, and Children's Television Workshop
Rated G
Grouchlandposter
Elmo_in_Grouchland_interviews

Elmo in Grouchland interviews

Grouchland1
Blanket-Sun
Grouches2

The Grouches of Grouchland

Grouchland 5
ElmoGrouchlandCast

The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland is the second Sesame Street feature film, released in 1999.

Synopsis[]

In the second Sesame Street theatrical film, fourteen years after Follow That Bird, Elmo spends time with his favorite blanket. When Zoe wants to play with it, Elmo doesn't want to share it, resulting in a tug-of-war. Telly Monster accidentally pulls it away from them both while rollerskating uncontrollably. Oscar the Grouch ends up catching it, sneezes on it, and throws it into his trash can. Since Oscar isn't in his trash can when Elmo finds out, he goes into the trash can, where he finds his blanket, but Elmo and his blanket soon fall through a tunnel (Oscar sees this and only says, "Have a nice trip! Heh heh!!").

Elmo winds up in Grouchland USA, a world filled with Grouches. The evil Huxley then arrives to take the various belongings, and takes Elmo's blanket as well. Elmo meets a Grouch girl named Grizzy, who shows Elmo where Huxley's castle is, and Elmo sets off to get back his blanket.

Meanwhile, Oscar tells the gang that Elmo went into Grouchland, and they all go in search of Elmo. Once in Grouchland, however, they get arrested and thrown in jail since it's against the law to ask a policeman for help in Grouchland.

Huxley is aware that Elmo is in search of his blanket, and has his henchmen, Bug and the Pesties, stop Elmo from getting back his blanket. They trick Elmo into going into a shortcut, which leads to the palace of The Queen of Trash. There, when she learns that he's going to Huxley's castle and is believed to be one of Huxley's spies, she has Elmo take the ultimate challenge: blow her 100 raspberries in 30 seconds, which Elmo succeeds with help from the audience.

When Elmo gets closer, Huxley gets a humongous chicken to stop Elmo. The chicken thinks that Elmo is a worm, but Elmo convinces the chicken otherwise. However, once convinced, the chicken tosses Elmo away. Elmo is about to give up, until a caterpillar encourages him to keep trying.

Back at the jail, Grizzy sneaks in to tell Elmo's friends that Elmo is on his way to Huxley's castle. Oscar, admitting that Elmo is his friend, decides to yell out to the Grouches outside that, although Grouches hate working together, they must take a stand. The other Grouches agree, and they get let out of jail to team up and stop Huxley from stealing any more of their stuff. Elmo and the others soon show up and confront Huxley, but Huxley decides to take Elmo's blanket away. Bug soon gets hold of the blanket, and tells Huxley that he's going to give it to Elmo, breaking off his friendship with Huxley. Back at Sesame Street, Elmo decides to share his blanket with Zoe.

Cast[]

  • Muppet Performers
Kevin Clash, Caroll Spinney, Fran Brill, Stephanie D'Abruzzo, Dave Goelz, Joey Mazzarino, Jerry Nelson, Carmen Osbahr, Martin P. Robinson, David Rudman, Steve Whitmire, Frank Oz, Drew Allison, Bill Barretta, John Boone, R. Lee Bryan, Leslie Carrara-Rudolph, Lisa Consolo, Jodie Eichelberger, Rowell Gormon, Mary Harrison, Rob Killen, Bruce Lanoil, Bob Lynch, Ed May, Tim Parati, Annie Peterle, Andy Stone, Lisa Sturz, Kirk Thatcher, Matt Vogel, Matt Yates
Uncredited: Eric Jacobson[1]
  • Human Cast
Mandy Patinkin as Huxley
Vanessa Williams as Queen of Trash
Sonia Manzano as Maria
Roscoe Orman as Gordon
Alison Bartlett O'Reilly as Gina
Ruth Buzzi as Ruthie
Emilio Delgado as Luis
Loretta Long as Susan
Bob McGrath as Bob

Muppet Cast[]

  • Muppet Characters
Elmo, Zoe, Telly Monster, Oscar the Grouch, Big Bird, Baby Bear, Grover/Super Grover, Cookie Monster, Bert, Ernie, Rosita, Count von Count, Prairie Dawn, Bug, Grizzy, Pesties, Mr. Johnson, Stuckweed, Grouch Mayor, Humongous Chicken, Colander Stenchman, Football Stenchman, Grouch Jailer, Grouch Cop, Grouch Cab Driver, Bad Humor Man, Grouch Ice Cream Customer, Caterpillar, Blanket, Sharon Groan, Grouches
  • Background Muppets
Alarm Clock Bird, Laundromat Manager, Dog, Mouse, Donkey, Woodchuck, Pigs, Goat, Wolves, Mole, Gnu, Sock Quartet, Anything Muppets, Dinger, Mr. Honker

Promotion[]

The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland was released in American theaters on October 1, 1999. Elmo appeared on The Rosie O'Donnell Show on September 21, 1999, to promote the film's release.

Promotional tie-ins were established with Arby's and Sbarro featuring toys based on the film.

An article on the film was featured in Cinefantastique Volume 31, #8 (October 1999).

Notes[]

  • An early concept for the movie involved Elmo losing his ball in Oscar's can rather than his blanket.[3]
  • This film was shot over a 30-day period (starting May 26, 1998) at the EUE/Screen Gems Studios in Wilmington, North Carolina.[5] Additional scenes with Ernie and Bert were later shot in New York City, with Matt Vogel assisting Steve Whitmire and Eric Jacobson assisting Frank Oz.[1]
  • The rebuilt Sesame Street set features the Around the Corner locations, which make their last appearance. The film was shot prior to production for Season 30, where the Around the Corner setting was dropped.

Additional Credits[]

Sources[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 "EP#18: Eric Jacobson/'Good Eye Focus'/Not Puppets (Ryan Dillon)," Below The Frame with Matt Vogel, December 2, 2020. (00:47:52)
  2. Matt Vogel's Puppeteer Resume (defunct)
  3. Cinefantastique Vol. 31 No. 8, October 1999
  4. YouTube clip
  5. Official website (archived)

See also[]

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