By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4 cats
Director: Marilyn Agrelo
Country: united_states
Year: 2021
Running time: 107
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5618690/reference
Chris says: “As with the Fred Rogers doc WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR, it’s near-impossible for me to be critical of one about SESAME STREET, another program I watched religiously when I was very young. Just its opening credits montage of rapidly-edited clips of the show set to Joe Raposo’s ‘Funky Chimes’ music stirred a primal, visceral reaction within me.
“Based on Michael Davis’ excellent 2009 book of the same name, Marilyn Agrelo’s (MAD HOT BALLROOM) film mostly does it justice, tracking the fascinating history of how the show got on the air thanks to three primary figures: creator/producer Joan Ganz Cooney, director Jon Stone and visionary puppeteer Jim Henson. With help of some archival footage of the Children’s Television Workshop, it explores the show’s intention to combine education and entertainment while rightfully not glossing over its push to reach poor, inner-city children.
“Where the doc diverges from the book is in its use of a lot of great behind-the-scenes footage of the show shot in the early ’80s, which arguably alone justifies this doc’s existence. From there, STREET GANG lessens its focus a bit as it uses its conventional format to try to encompass everything from Raposo composing the immortal standard ‘Bein’ Green’ to Big Bird/Oscar the Grouch puppeteer Carroll Spinney (already the subject of his own documentary) and the deaths of both Henson and Mr. Hooper. While more interesting when it goes to places we haven’t seen before, STREET GANG is overall a solid overview of an institution too easily taken for granted. And, as an added bonus, no Elmo! 4 cats
(Premiered at Sundance Film Festival 2021; will air likely later this year on HBO.)”
Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street