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TURKEY HOLLOW (Dir: Kirk R Thatcher, 2015).
Jim Henson’s Turkey Hollow, to give the movie its full on-screen title, is based upon a Henson project unrealised during the Muppet master’s lifetime.
Originally co-written by Henson and Jerry Juhl, Turkey Hollow is a feature length TV movie combining puppets and humans, produced by The Jim Henson Company for the Lifetime Network.
Following their parents divorce, teenagers Tim (Graham Verchere) and Annie (Genevieve Buechner) are forced to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with their Aunt Cly (Mary Steenburgen) in the rustic town of Turkey Hollow. Learning of a local 10 foot mythical monster The Howling Hoodoo, Tim sets out to find the beast. Instead he encounter the friendly forest monsters Squonk, Zorp, Burble and Thring as well as uncovering the illegal activities of a neighbouring turkey farmer, who poses a threat to his Aunt's farm.
Turkey Hollow is not the Muppet-fest you may have hoped for. The puppets are used fairly sporadically and serve the otherwise human led story. However, when they do appear, the puppets, as you would expect, are excellent. The undoubted highlight of the low key movie, the foursome are as appealing as any other monsters to emerge from the Henson stable. The humans almost take a backseat whenever the puppets appear, although performances are solid throughout, especially the always dependable Mary Steenburgen.
The plot of Turkey Hollow is simple and not particularly original; the movie equivalent of a light snack rather than a Thanksgiving feast. A romantic subplot between Aunt Cly and local Sheriff Grover (Reese Alexander) feels both under developed and slightly out of place and the one dimensional bad guys will only seem like a genuine threat to the youngest audience members. Otherwise the movie is a mostly endearing tale which, while not approaching the genius high standards of his best work, does nothing to tarnish the legacy of Mr Henson.
Turkey Hollow may not quite rank as a holiday classic, but it is a sweetly old fashioned treat and one you should find merits re-visiting during the festive season.
Visit my blog JINGLE BONES MOVIE TIME for a longer, more in-depth review of Turkey Hollow! Link below.
