Entrance view of the exhibit "A Wonderful, Awful Idea"In the galleries, “A Wonderful, Awful Idea”: Animating How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Behind the Screen, The Jim Henson Exhibition, and more on view

Expanded Holiday Hours: Open Daily December 26–January 2, 12:00 to 6:00 p.m.

Astoria, New York, December 15, 2021 — This holiday season, Museum of the Moving Image welcomes families with expanded hours and programs including two rarely shown Jim Henson holiday TV specials, gallery events with a live puppet, an illustrated lecture about the making of Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas and screening of classic Chuck Jones cartoons, and the exhibition “A Wonderful, Awful Idea”: Animating How the Grinch Stole Christmas. During winter recess for New York City public schools, the Museum will present big-screen family matinees of the acclaimed animated feature The Mitchells vs. the Machines.

In addition to Animating How the Grinch Stole Christmas, the Museum will have a full slate of exhibitions on view, including family favorites The Jim Henson Exhibition, which features puppets, production materials, and more from the worlds of the Muppets, Sesame Street, The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth, and Fraggle Rock; and the dynamic core exhibition Behind the Screen. Opening this Saturday, December 18, Deepfake: Unstable Evidence on Screen explores the emergence of videos that intentionally distort or fabricate actual events.

During this year-end period, the Museum is also presenting a rich array of film programs, including the opportunity to see some of the past year’s best films on the big screen in its annual Curators’ Choice series, plus Pavement Butterfly (1927, 35mm imported print), starring Anna May Wong, presented with live piano accompaniment by Makia Matsumura on Sunday, December 26.

Holiday Hours:
Friday, December 24 (Christmas Eve): 12:00–6:00 p.m.
Saturday, December 25 (Christmas Day): Closed
Sunday, December 26–Sunday, January 2: Open daily 12:00–6:00 p.m.

Please note: The Museum continues to follow all safety precautions and its building is safer than ever. In accordance with New York City mandates, as of December 14, all visitors ages 5 and older must present proof of one vaccination shot. Beginning December 27, visitors ages 12 and older must be fully vaccinated (in most cases, this means proof of two vaccination shots). Face masks continue to be required for all visitors (ages 2+). View visitor safety guidelines here.

HIGHLIGHTED PROGRAMS, DECEMBER 17–JANUARY 2
Unless noted, all events take place in person, with screenings in the Sumner M. Redstone Theater or the Celeste and Armand Bartos Screening Room at Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35 Ave, Astoria, NY. Unless otherwise noted, tickets are $15 with discounts for seniors, students, youth, and Museum members. Advance tickets available online at movingimage.us.

A Family Affair: The Hubleys’ Animated Shorts
Friday, December 17, 3:00 p.m.
See a selection of eight short animated films by John and Faith Hubley, the innovative midcentury American animators. Their films are thoughtful, innovative, and beautiful, alive with music by Dizzy Gillespie, Quincy Jones, and Benny Carter. This all-ages program will be presented in 35mm, as part of World of Animation. The program includes Adventures of an * (asterisk) (1956, 11 mins.), Moonbird (1959, 10 mins.), The Hat (1964, 18 mins.), Urbanissimo (1967, 6 mins.), Eggs (1970, 10 mins.), Of Men and Demons (1968, 9 mins.), Windy Day (1968, 9 mins.), and The Tender Game (1958, 6 mins.). Recommended for all ages.

RPG Game Night
Friday, December 17, 5:00–7:30 p.m.
MoMI presents an evening of experimental role-playing and storytelling games by local independent game designers and students, in collaboration with MoMI Game Artist in Residence Sharang Biswas. Participants can sign up for anywhere from one to three time slots; each consists of a 45-minute game run by its designer. This event is free with Museum admission.

Holiday Puppetry Fun with Silly Willy
December 18–January 1
Come and experience The Jim Henson Exhibition in a new and exciting way with this family-friendly holiday series of activities, interviews, workshops, and gallery tours hosted by MoMI’s puppeteer-in-residence Brian Carson and Silly Willy. Upcoming events include an intimate tour of The Jim Henson Exhibition (Dec. 18, 1:00 p.m.); Tuesday Social with Silly Willy, featuring the puppet making appearances in your social media posts (Dec. 23, 2:00–4:00 p.m.); Music Video Jam with Puppets, a crash course on monitor puppetry with the Museum’s puppets or one you bring! (Dec. 30, 2:00–4:00 p.m.); and Recreating Classic Puppet Scenes, fun with green screens (Jan. 1, 1:00–3:30 p.m.). Included with Museum admission. Recommended for all ages.

Making Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Presentation by Craig Kausen, followed by a screening of animated films
Saturday, December 18, 1:00 p.m. In this illustrated one-hour presentation, Craig Kausen, the grandson of legendary animation director Chuck Jones and President of the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity, explores the collaboration between Jones and author Theodor Geisel (aka Dr. Seuss) in creating How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Kausen will share never-before-seen drawings, notes, photographs, and other ephemera related to the beloved film. Enjoy it along with the exhibition “A Wonderful, Awful Idea”: Animating the Grinch Who Stole Christmas, now on view. Your ticket includes the lecture, the 2:30 p.m. screening of classic Looney Tunes shorts (presented in 35mm), and Museum admission. Part of the World of Animation series. Recommended for ages 8+

Classic Cartoons by Chuck Jones
Saturday, December 18, 2:30 p.m. This selection of 35mm shorts directed by Chuck Jones spans the breadth of his output during his prime years with Warner Bros. Cartoons, showcasing some of his greatest work as well as several of the most beloved Looney Tunes characters, including Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, the Road Runner, and the Coyote. The program includes: For Scent-imental Reasons (1949, 7 mins.), The Scarlet Pumpernickel (1950, 7 mins.), Rabbit Seasoning (1952, 7 mins.), From A to Z-Z-Z-Z (1954, 7 mins.), One Froggy Evening (1955, 7 mins.), What’s Opera, Doc? (1957, 7 mins.), High Note (1960, 7 mins.), The Dot and the Line: A Romance in Lower Mathematics (1965, 10 mins.), and Zip Zip Hooray! (1964, 6 mins.). Approx. running time: 65 mins. Recommended for all ages.

Henson Holiday Double Feature:
The Great Santa Claus Switch + Jim Henson’s The Christmas Toy
Introduced by Craig Shemin, President of The Jim Henson Legacy (on Dec. 19)
Sunday, December 19, 1:00 p.m. Friday, December 24, 1:00 and 4:00 p.m. Last year marked the 50th anniversary of the first full-length Jim Henson holiday show, The Great Santa Claus Switch (Dir. John Moffitt. 1970, 50 mins.). This special Museum program also includes the 35th anniversary screening of Jim Henson’s The Christmas Toy (Dir. Eric Till. 1986, 50 mins.), a 1986 special about a group of toys who come to life when their owner isn’t around, and who prepare to welcome the new toys joining them on Christmas. Presented courtesy of The Ed Sullivan Estate. Part of the series Jim Henson’s World. Recommended for all ages.

The Mitchells vs. the Machines
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 26, 4:00 P.M.
MONDAY, DECEMBER 27, 1:00 P.M AND 4:00 P.M.
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 1:00 P.M AND 4:00 P.M.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 29, 1:00 P.M AND 4:00 P.M.
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 30, 1:00 P.M AND 4:00 P.M.
SUNDAY, JANUARY 2, 12:30 P.M.
Dirs. Mike Rianda, Jeff Rowe. United States. 2021. DCP. With Abbi Jacobson, Danny McBride, Maya Rudolph, Mike Rianda, Eric André, Olivia Colman, Fred Armisen. In The Mitchells vs. the Machines, co-writers and co-directors Mike Rianda and Jeff Rowe (Gravity Falls alums) create a lovable family of misfits who become humanity’s unlikely heroes after the robot apocalypse strikes. Partly taking on the point of view of the family’s tech-savvy creative outsider Katie (Jacobson), this animated family adventure is both hilarious and heartfelt, visually melding a hand-crafted painterly look with riotous fast-paced action. Voted as Best Animated Feature of 2021 by the New York Film Critics Circle. A Netflix release. Rated PG. Tickets include Museum admission. Part of the Curators’ Choice 2021 series. Recommended for ages 8+

Pavement Butterfly
With piano accompaniment by Makia Matsumura
Sunday, December 26, 1:00 p.m. Dir. Richard Eichberg. Germany/United Kingdom. 1929, 90 mins. Imported archival 35mm. With Anna May Wong, Alexander Granach, Nien Soen Ling. Frustrated by the typecasting she faced in Hollywood, the pioneering Chinese American actress Anna May Wong found true stardom in Europe, where she made several of her finest pictures, from Piccadilly (1929) to this little-seen continental melodrama directed by Richard Eichberg. The proto-noir scenario stars Wong as a Parisian carnival dancer who, framed for murder by a spurned clown, escapes to the French Riviera and hides out amongst high society, only to find her past catching up with her. Recommended for ages 12+

Top image: Entrance view of the exhibit "A Wonderful, Awful Idea": Animating How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Photo: Thanassi Karageorgiou / MoMI)

Press contact: Tomoko Kawamoto, tkawamoto@movingimage.us or 718 777 6830.

LINK TO PRESS IMAGES (SCROLL TO GALLERY AND USE PASSWORD: MoMIpress)

Museum of the Moving Image (MoMI) is the only institution in the United States that deals comprehensively with the art, technology, enjoyment, and social impact of film, television, and digital media. In its acclaimed facility in Astoria, New York, the Museum presents exhibitions; screenings; discussion programs featuring actors, directors, and creative leaders; and education programs. It houses the nation’s largest collection of moving image artifacts and screens over 500 films annually. Its exhibitions—including the core exhibition Behind the Screen and The Jim Henson Exhibition—are noted for their integration of material objects, interactive experiences, and audiovisual presentations. For more information about the MoMI, visit movingimage.us.

MUSEUM INFORMATION
Temporary Hours (through Dec. 19, 2021): Friday, 2:00–8:00 p.m. Saturday–Sunday, 12:00–6:00 p.m.
Holiday Hours: Dec. 24, 12:00–6:00 p.m. Dec. 25: Closed. Dec. 26–Jan. 2: 12:00–6:00 p.m.
Museum Admission: $15 adults; $11 senior citizens (ages 65+) and students (ages 18+) with ID; $9 youth (ages 3–17). Children under 3 and Museum members are admitted free.
Address : 36-01 35 Avenue (at 37 Street), Astoria (Queens), NY, 11106
Subway : M (weekdays only) or R to Steinway Street. W (weekdays only) or N to 36 Ave.
Program Information : Telephone: 718 777 6888; Website: movingimage.us
Membership : http://movingimage.us/support/membership or 718 777 6877
Film Screenings: Friday evenings, Saturdays and Sundays, and as scheduled. Unless noted, tickets are $15 adults / $11 students and seniors / $9 youth (ages 3–17) / free or discounted for Museum members. Advance online purchase is recommended.

Please note safety protocols for visiting the Museum.
 

Museum of the Moving Image is housed in a building owned by the City of New York and has received significant support from the following public agencies: New York City Department of Cultural Affairs; New York City Council; New York City Economic Development Corporation; New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Governor and the New York State Legislature; Institute of Museum and Library Services; National Endowment for the Humanities; National Endowment for the Arts; and Natural Heritage Trust (administered by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation). For more information, please visit movingimage.us