The Morning Watch: Eight Tom Cruise Stunts Explained, D23 Looks At The Legacy Of The Muppets & More

The Morning Watch is a recurring feature that highlights a handful of noteworthy videos from around the web. They could be video essays, fanmade productions, featurettes, short films, hilarious sketches, or just anything that has to do with our favorite movies and TV shows.

In this edition, D23 takes a nostalgic look back at the legacy of The Muppets with some of the talents who know them best. Plus, take a closer look at eight Tom Cruise stunts to find out how they were pulled off. And finally, listen as Kevin Smith takes a look at the origins and making of a scene from his directorial debut on Clerks.

First up, Movies Insider shines a light on Tom Cruise to take a look at how he pulled off eight different stunts. Find out how Cruise scaled a 2,000-foot cliff in Mission: Impossible 2, climbed the Burj Khalifa in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, pulled off a 360-degree corkscrew drive in a helicopter for Mission: Impossible – Fallout, and much more.

Next, Disney's D23 brought in some veteran puppeteers who have worked with The Muppets over the years in order to look back at the legacy of Jim Henson's beloved creations. Listen as Leigh Slaughter, Vice President of Muppets Studio, speaks with Bill Barretta (Pepe, Rowlf, Swedish Chef), Dave Goelz (Gonzo, Bunsen Honeydew, Waldorf), Kevin Bishop (actor, Jim Hawkins) and Jim Henson Company chairman Brian Henson as they look back at decades of Muppets magic.

Finally, Kevin Smith unveiled a new video series on his YouTube channel called Scene Studies where he takes a look back at various scenes from his movies over the years. He kicks things off by taking a look back at his directorial debut with Clerks, specifically the scene where a Chewlies Gum representative uses an anti-smoking ruse to increase gum sales.