Film buffs scoff at Muppets screening during festival

At the Savannah Film Festival Friday night, audience members were disappointed to see that the mystery, "Director's Choice" film on the bill — advertised as "a special surprise screening of a highly anticipated film" — was not a critically acclaimed foreign coming-of-age film or Scorsese's latest epic, but Jason Segel flanked by colorful, wise-cracking pieces of foam. The Muppets, which is slated for release on November 23, received a tepid reaction at the festival, with audience members sniffing that the film failed to live up to SFF's other offerings. "I stayed groaning through the entire thing," one attendee complained. "I wanted something deep and artsy — I didn't fly all the way down here for this." 

Seriously, what is going on in the world when people don't get excited to see the Muppets? The Muppets literally make everything better: Weezer videos, American Apparel underwear for toddlers, compelling arguments for environmentalism or gay marriage. These people lamenting that the Muppets aren't "deep and artsy" enough for their tastes should be subjected to repeated viewings of Muppet Treasure Island so they can see how wrong they are, 'cause that shit is deep. These people are like unfunny, real-life versions of every love interest in every 1970s Woody Allen movie, the ones who use words like "transcendent" and "jejune" in casual conversation). 

To be fair, not all of the SFF attendees quoted in Vulture hated on the film, with one film student in attendance stating, "if the Muppets can't brighten your day, you need to go see more Muppet movies." Word (to Big Bird).