Gor Vidal once described Jackie Kennedy as possessing "a streak of life-enhancing malice." If you don't understand that remark, you're not going to like this movie.
This movie's promotion suggested a one-joke ordeal. I'm not a fan of Throw Momma or Robin Williams movies, and I had zero interest in War of the Roses. But after some coaxing I watched this, and was pleasantly surprised at the places it went, and the obscene zeal it found in two children's TV hosts one of whom despises the other. The super-vulgar one with no self-control hates the big purple thing who's insufferably P.C.. It is inconceivable that this received the drubbing it did, from the public and especially the critics. We've endured so much heinous children's television over the years, and so many awful child actors, that an original comedy as funny as this was a long time coming. It's a put-on people, laugh a little! Every scene includes at least a titter. Even pratfalls (the lamest type of humor in the canon) get a fresh treatment here. DTS may be the most garish-looking movie ever filmed though.
The deliriously nasty joke of the movie is that a plethora of syndicates, grifters and venal self-promoters are behind children's TV. If you can make it through authentically annoying, naff, didactic kiddie songs like "My Stepdads Not Mean, He's Just Adjusting" (and that's one of the better ones) you'll reach streams of vivid, limber expletives and plot situations which are a joy to behold. The script which frequently becomes rote, always snaps back with something shockingly vulgar. When the movie reaches a children's "Wagner on Ice" show, I was still chuckling.
Robin Williams plays a hilariously foul-mouthed malcontent. One of my favorite lines involves comparing a woman's virtue to the Titanic but I won't ruin it. Instead I'll leave you with a Joe Orton line in the same vein: "You? You were born with your legs spread. They'll have to bury you in Y-shaped coffin." Catherine Keener as a children's TV exec/mascot fetishist again shows off the fresh, direct, natural acting technique that she first displayed in Being John Malkovich.
The Irish mob boss named Tommy (female) is a great character, memorable for, among other things, a particularly direct way of grieving: "Alright boys, let's go pray and get sh***aced."
Just as with most DVD commentaries DeVito's remarks are a pointless description of only what's in front of your eyes, without even a sentence of explanation of the origins of this original script. But at least he draws your attention to some interesting edits. I only caught about half the fun he was having with film technique.
This movie's promotion suggested a one-joke ordeal. I'm not a fan of Throw Momma or Robin Williams movies, and I had zero interest in War of the Roses. But after some coaxing I watched this, and was pleasantly surprised at the places it went, and the obscene zeal it found in two children's TV hosts one of whom despises the other. The super-vulgar one with no self-control hates the big purple thing who's insufferably P.C.. It is inconceivable that this received the drubbing it did, from the public and especially the critics. We've endured so much heinous children's television over the years, and so many awful child actors, that an original comedy as funny as this was a long time coming. It's a put-on people, laugh a little! Every scene includes at least a titter. Even pratfalls (the lamest type of humor in the canon) get a fresh treatment here. DTS may be the most garish-looking movie ever filmed though.
The deliriously nasty joke of the movie is that a plethora of syndicates, grifters and venal self-promoters are behind children's TV. If you can make it through authentically annoying, naff, didactic kiddie songs like "My Stepdads Not Mean, He's Just Adjusting" (and that's one of the better ones) you'll reach streams of vivid, limber expletives and plot situations which are a joy to behold. The script which frequently becomes rote, always snaps back with something shockingly vulgar. When the movie reaches a children's "Wagner on Ice" show, I was still chuckling.
Robin Williams plays a hilariously foul-mouthed malcontent. One of my favorite lines involves comparing a woman's virtue to the Titanic but I won't ruin it. Instead I'll leave you with a Joe Orton line in the same vein: "You? You were born with your legs spread. They'll have to bury you in Y-shaped coffin." Catherine Keener as a children's TV exec/mascot fetishist again shows off the fresh, direct, natural acting technique that she first displayed in Being John Malkovich.
The Irish mob boss named Tommy (female) is a great character, memorable for, among other things, a particularly direct way of grieving: "Alright boys, let's go pray and get sh***aced."
Just as with most DVD commentaries DeVito's remarks are a pointless description of only what's in front of your eyes, without even a sentence of explanation of the origins of this original script. But at least he draws your attention to some interesting edits. I only caught about half the fun he was having with film technique.