Pufnstuf
Pufnstuf
G | 13 May 1970 (USA)
Pufnstuf Trailers

Jimmy (Jack Wild) ventures to Living Island with his magical, talking flute, Freddy. Once there, he befriends many of the island's inhabitants, but the evil Witchiepoo (Billie Hayes) is determined to steal Freddy the flute away from the boy to impress the visiting Witches' Council and win the Witch of the Year Award.

Reviews
Motompa Go in cold, and you're likely to emerge with your blood boiling. This has to be seen to be believed.
Bea Swanson This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.
Billie Morin This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows
Payno I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.
stinky_kniggits I've never done acid. But if I did, this would be the movie I'd want to see.
Carl_Tait Sid and Marty Krofft's brand of children's programming has some affinity with Roald Dahl's Willy Wonka of the same era: weird, near-psychedelic fantasy with darker undertones. This is no "Barney the Dinosaur." I loved the Kroffts when I was little, and my three-year-old twin daughters are already hooked on "H.R. Pufnstuf." The movie is like an extended episode of the TV program, and will appeal to anyone who enjoyed the show. A highlight is "Mama" Cass Elliot's song at the Witches' Convention, which is both very well performed and a memorable tune.One warning: The voices for Pufnstuf and Freddy the Flute are different from those used in the TV show. Why didn't the producers hire the same people since they were obviously trying to keep everything else the same?Finally, a note on the case against McDonald's. It was McDonald's who ripped off the Kroffts, not the other way around. The Kroffts sued McD's for copyright infringement and won. See Sid & Marty Krofft Television v. McDonald's Corp., 562 F. 2d 1157: it was ruled that McDonald's had "captured the 'total concept and feel' of the Pufnstuf show." Reps from McD's advertising agency "actually visited the Kroffts' headquarters in Los Angeles to discuss the engineering and design work necessary to produce the McDonaldland commercials" -- then refused to pay the Kroffts a dime while shamelessly infringing their copyrights.
shargraves I remember seeing this on TV in the late 70s - and it stayed with me! It's charming, loud, colourful - a great kids film. I put it on for some friends at a party recently - and naturally they thought I was mad and expected something sick to happen to the puppets a la "Meet the feebles" But no - its wholesome clean fun.jack wild is in fine form, as is mama cass, and the somehow attractive witchy poo.If you like the banana splits and you are in your 30's this will re-create that surreal childhood Saturday morning vibe!Even if I've realised now that Puf himself is a bit crap - as all he does is get captured and run away! Quality TV movie - if, like me, you are into death metal - you'll love it!
pirate1_power Recently, during the 29th Annual Saturn Awards, presented by Cinescape Magazine, television legends Sid and Marty Krofft were presented with the Living Legend Award, for outstanding career achievement. It's not hard to imagine why. Where Walt Disney had Mickey Mouse as his flagship character, where DIC's Jean Chalopin and Andy Heyward had Inspector Gadget as theirs, so too the Kroffts had beloved H.R. Pufnstuf.Is it any wonder, then, that long before it became fashionable to make major motion pictures from hit TV series, the Kroffts were light years ahead of their time when they turned their flagship property, H.R. Pufnstuf, into a movie, entitling it simply Pufnstuf. And more, this is the only time we discover the backstory that is briefly described in the regular series' opening sequence. H.R. Pufnstuf ran for only 17 episodes on NBC Saturday mornings, yet Universal Pictures saw enormous potential in Puf, Jimmy, Freddie the Flute, and (naturally!) Witchiepoo to put them on the big screen.For some weird reason, Pufnstuf the movie is presented largely from Witchiepoo's perspective. Indeed, she it is who opens and closes the film, kicking things off by appearing before us while the screen remains in darkness. She describes all that we're about to witness as a tale of goody-two-shoes "and what they did to poor, sweet, adorable me," according to her. No wonder Billie Hayes remains deeply touched when she recalls how many children flocked as much to her as Witchiepoo as they did to Pufnstuf himself.I don't have much to say regarding the plot of the film; what I can tell you is, just see this film for yourselves. Bringing Mama Cass Elliott, Martha Raye and the Krofft world together in the same movie was a feat unheard of, even for its time --- 1970. Then again, Krofft was always somehow psychedelic. It still is today. Rock on, Pufnstuf! Rock on, Witchiepoo!