I’ve seen the promos for the movie and passed. It didn’t look very good. I probably never would have checked it out but;
I’m a big fan of Henry Rollins. I was listening to one of his “spoken word” albums and he talks about how his agent set him up for an audition for a movie. He said, “Hey, I’m no actor but I’ll get my face out there any way I can.” When he saw that this was a Danny Devito movie, he knew he wouldn’t get the part but went in any way with the sole intent of making such a scene, he’d be ‘remembered’. He didn’t get the part but he went in and scared the living hell out of Danny Devito and his assistant. The part called for a mentally unhinged person (punch-drunk boxer) and he was so over the top that Henry was actually 2nd in line for the part. It was a really funny story. So with that, I had to see what the scene was all about and I ordered it.
Overall the movie was bad… but it’s good. Teresa and I couldn’t figure out why we kept watching it. It’s one of those that when the credits roll, you just sit there and say, “What did I just see? Why did I sit here this long? Huh…” but not in a bad way. It was bad, but it was funny. I still don’t get it. I’ve gotten to the point where I’ll turn off movies if they are really bad (just about any Will Ferrell movie) and I didn’t turn this one off. I don’t know…
The short version (taking VERY broad liberties with personalities and timelines):
OK, imagine PeeWee Herman is caught in a scandal. He is replaced with Barney and PeeWee vows to kill Barney or ruin his good name.
Robin Williams is Rainbow Randolph (Pee Wee) and Edward Norton is Smoochy (Barney). Of course, neither character is actually meant to BE PeeWee or Barney. In fact at one point Randolph calls Smoochy the “bastard son of Barney”. The world of KiddieTV is not as clean as it would appear. The guy in the Smoochy suit IS clean and innocent. He insists on creative control so they can’t market junk food to kids under the Smoochy name etc… He befriends (under duress) a boxer who has the mental capacity of a 4-year-old. In an attempt to kill Smoochy, the boxer is killed instead. The boxer is the brother of the woman who runs the local Irish Mafia. Rainbow Randolph is the obvious suspect but the Mafia finds out it’s actually the charity organizer and agent that is trying to get rid of Smoochy for not “playing ball” with all the skimming and payouts. The charity tough guy is played by Harvey Fierstein. So freaking funny to see him as the ‘tough’. Rainbow Randolph eventually tries to save Smoochy’s life and in the end, they go back on the air together as one show. Yay!
Teresa and I loved the boxer character Spinner. As much as a fan of Rollins that I am, I say Michael Rispoli (Grama from Rounders) played the part beautifully and I’m glad Henry didn’t get the part because it just wouldn’t have been the same. Easily my favorite character. My favorite scene is when Randolph (in disguise) leads Smoochy to a benefit concert for hospitalized kids. He gets out on stage singing in costume with his guitar and the stage lights are lowered to reveal a Nazi convention. Everyone starts saluting and shouting, “Heil Smoochy!” Disturbing.
It was good. It was bad. I don’t know where to put it. I won’t buy it on DVD but if I saw it in the cut-out bin, I probably would. Might be worth checking out if you like twisted movies.
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