simpsons Tagged Articles at Cinematical

Pretty much everyone I've talked to felt exactly the same way after seeing The Simpsons Movie -- relieved that they didn't blow it, a lot of laughs, but it wasn't quite the earth-shattering event we'd been dreaming of since we were kids. The film was measurably better than the current episodes, but not up to the show's heyday of seasons 1 - 10. Still, I don't think anyone could argue that the film is a rock solid comedy, and that was more than enough to make it stand out in the dreary summer season we just sludged through. But do I really need to revisit the movie? After reading the details on the DVD, that answer might be "yes." Releasing here on December 18th, The Simpsons Movie DVD looks to be quite d'oh-lightful.

Most intriguing are the two commentary tracks. One track will feature James L. Brooks (a hero of mine), Matt Groening, Al Jean, Mike Scully, David Silverman, Dan Castellaneta (voice of Homer and many other characters), and Yeardley Smith (voice of Lisa). The other will be a directors' commentary by Silverman, Mike B. Anderson, Steven Dean Moore and Rich Moore. There will also be deleted scenes, though not as many as I was expecting considering all the versions the movie went through on its way to release. These include: an alternate ending, something called "Sausage Truck," and additional work from Albert Brooks as Russ Cargill - whom I would argue stole the film. He certainly delivered its funniest line: "Rats can't be trapped this easily. You're trapped like...carrots." You also get Homer's amusing Tonight Show monologue, the Simpsons judging American Idol, and alternate character designs by the directors and Groening. Oh, and on DVD you can pause all the hardcore full-frontal Bart action!

The news from Hollywood Reporter isn't merely that The Simpsons Movie has been pirated -- it's no surprise that a big summer movie has been illegally copied and distributed, and that you can find bootleg DVDs easily in China. The newsworthy aspect of this piracy, however, is the country where it originated: Australia this time. Twentieth Century Fox traced the source of an illegal online version of the film to a man in Sydney, and had him charged with copyright infringement. The video pirate worked fast: the version was discovered within 72 hours of the animated film's release Down Under. Although the original illegal copy was removed from the Internet even before The Simpsons Movie was released in U.S. theaters, the file had already been viewed or downloaded more than 3,000 times, so you know it's probably still out there somewhere.

What I find amusing is that the guy used his mobile phone to record the movie. How much of a threat to box-office is something that poor in quality? Do people really think, "Oh look, a crummy and barely watchable version of The Simpsons Movie taped off a cell phone ... now I don't have to pay to see it in a theater!" The people I know who boast they can find illegal copies of movies online seem to find these downloads a kind of amusing novelty, and the bootleg files don't appear to have any effect on their desire to see these movies in theaters or on DVD. I can't even stand old commercial videotapes of movies these days -- I can't imagine trying to sit through a cell-phone recording made in a theater.

The Australian who illegally recorded the movie faces up to five years in jail, if convicted. As a longtime fan of The Simpsons TV show, all I can think about is the episode "Bart Vs. Australia" where Bart is sentenced to "the boot" by the Commonwealth Parliament as punishment for international telephone fraud. I know they don't really have "the boot" in Australia, but it would be a delightful irony to watch an online video (perhaps recorded with something higher quality than a mobile phone) of the offending video pirate getting "the boot" from the Prime Minister, or from Rupert Murdoch.

With The Simpsons Movie (finally) about to make its appearance, a few eyes have turned toward that other animated Fox series, and the new question seems to be this? Will Seth MacFarlane's Family Guy ever hit the silver screen? And if so, when? (And will it be NC-17?)

During a recent appearance at the Just for Laughs Festival, Mr. MacFarlane told The Hollywood Reporter that while there certainly have been some discussions regarding a Family Guy movie, there's nothing down on paper just yet: "We have been trying to figure out how to do that and the series at the same time without the series suffering ... Nothing is official." Fans of the generally hilarious animated series are probably well aware that Family Guy has already spawned a direct-to-video movie ... one that wasn't any funnier than the TV episodes, if you're asking me. But hey, any time I get to see Peter Griffin fall down I'm a happy guy.

And regarding that other other animated Fox series, let's not forget that Matt Groening and his Futurama crew are presently hard at work at turning out some new material. Here's what the creator of Bender told ComingSoon.net: "We're doing four straight-to-DVD Futurama movies and then new episodes on Comedy Central starting in 2008. The first DVD for Futurama will be out for the holidays." Y'know ... as much as I love The Simpsons (and boy do I), I'm more excited about the new Futurama stuff than I am about The Simpsons Movie. Does that make me weird?

Time once again for our weekly Indie Film Blog Group Hug, wherein we check in with other film blogs around the internet to see what other folks are writing about. One of these days, I want to throw a big party at my house and have all the other film bloggers from around the world converge in my living room to wax eloquent about all things film-related over chips and salsa, taquitos and icy-cold margaritas. Wouldn't that be a blast? In the meantime, the Group Hug will have to suffice ...

Oh, and by the way, fellow cinephiles, if you have a film blog I don't know about (or even if you've previously submitted your blog and I haven't covered it in a while), drop me a line at kim(at)cinematical(dot)com to point me your way.

• Over on The Hot Blog, David Poland writes about whether it means anything that Fox pulled out of Comic-Con, and ponders the whole sticky-wicket issues of which critics get into sceenings when, which leads to a discussion of embargoes, which then gets into the whole kerfuffle surrounding the Baltimore Sun and NYT breaking embargo on the lastest (and last) Harry Potter tome. And somehow, he manages to tie it all together in a way that actually makes sense ...
• ... Meanwhile over at Hollywood Elsewhere, Poland's sometime-rival Jeff Wells commentates nicely (I think) on Poland's piece and offers up his own take on the whole Fox-pulls-out-of-Comic-Con-Does-That-Mean-The-Simpsons-Movie-sucks thing.
• Apparently everyone the Baltimore Sun and NYT have everyone thinking about all things Potter this week, as both Anne Thompson, Matt Dentler, and Karina Longworth ** (great minds thinking alike) have posts up about the Harry Potter embargo-breaking, too.
• Strange Culture is already thinking Oscars ... in July! That's right, RC is already positing that Roger Deakins will be nominated for an Oscar for cinematography -- and that's probably a pretty good guess. Any early bets on other Oscar noms?
• Indie Film Nation, which runs some nifty podcasts about all things indie, has a fascinating interview up with Richard Moore, the director of the Melbourne International Film Festival. Good stuff. While you're already over there, check out last week's interview with Goetz Weber, CEO and co-founder of inDPlay.
• Checking out what's going down over at Twitch, Kurt has a little post up {via just about everyone on the planet, so this is obviously old news to everyone but me -- figures) about the possibility that one of my favorite films ever, John Carpenter's They Live, might -- that's might -- be made into a series for the Sci-Fi channel. They live is great political satire wrapped up as a fun horror flick, and I agree with Kurt -- it's never been more relevant than it is now. Keep your fingers crossed -- if it does ever get made, that's one series that's getting set to record on my DVR, baby. Don't forget your special sunglasses ...

**Karina does indeed have a great mind, but that particular post was about Fox and Comic-Con, not Harry Potter. It's still a good post and worth reading, though. The moral of this story? Don't read 40 different film blogs while simultaneously writing a post and getting four kids ready to get out the door for swim lessons without double-checking that you've got it all right. Thanks for setting it straight, Karina. It's good to still have you around to keep us on our toes.

Never a stranger to taking controversial stances, The Guardian is stirring up some heated debate by accusing the Simpsons character Apu Nahasapeemapetilon of being a "crude racist stereotype." Writer Manish Vij says "Culture-vulture Simpsons fans have felled entire forests in arguing that he's a parody of a stereotype, rather than the stereotype itself. But the plain fact is that most viewers are laughing at Apu, not with him. They're enjoying the simple pleasures of a funny, singsong brown man with a slippery grasp of English." Vij takes major issue with 7-Eleven's recent Kwik-E-Mart makeover promotion (which Erik told you about here), as well. 7-Eleven employees at the converted convenience stores are, as Vij puts it, "being asked to don Kwik-E-Mart costumes with Apu nametags, come to work under banners mocking their ethnicity, and bid customers goodbye with the phrase, 'Thank you, come again!'" He closes the article by saying, "Today, we expect American companies to promote racial tolerance. Yet like an outbreak of a long-dormant virus, 7-Eleven is spending millions of dollars to push a crude ethnic stereotype well past its sell-by date. It's tin-eared and unconscionable. The company should cancel Apu and issue an apology."

Now, I could definitely argue that The Simpsons is, and always has been, satire. It makes fun of anything and everything, and though it's certainly poked fun at race relations over the years, I've never seen anything on the show I'd consider racist. The Apu character talks with an exaggerated accent, but it's an animated comedy show -- everybody does. And it's certainly an equal opportunity offender. Everyone on the program is a stereotype, and those stereotypes are frequently addressed, exposed, disproved, and mocked. Stereotypes exist on The Simpsons to provoke the viewer, as all good comedy should. Fat Tony could offend sensitive Italians, Groundskeeper Willie could offend sensitive Scotsmen, Bumblebee Man could offend sensitive Hispanics, and so on. But I hardly think the intent of The Simpsons' writing staff is to spew hate.

I have to disagree with Vij about Apu being crude and racist. If anything, he's one of the more intelligent and positive presences in Springfield, and I find the author's comparisons of Apu to "minstrel shows" and "Jim Crow America" to be really pushing it. But the 7-Eleven thing is sort of a grey area for me. I haven't visited one of the revamped stores, so I don't know how the "Apu" issue is being handled, but it certainly sounds like potentially dangerous turf. What do you think? Is Mr. Nahasapeemapetilon an offensive racist caricature? Is this a serious issue or much Apu about nothing?

With Michael Bay's Transformers pulling in Daddy Warbucks dollars at the box office, it's inevitable that we'll soon be seeing a flood of films based on cartoons making their way to theaters. The question is: Will we be treated to quality adaptations of cartoons that actually do lend themselves to the big-screen treatment ... or will we have to endure a two-and-a-half-hour "epic" entitled My Little Pony: At World's End?

As it happens, studios are already answering this question, with a bevy of 'toon-based films set to hit cineplexes this year and in the not-so-distant future. First, after years of speculation and anticipation, The Simpsons Movie lands in theaters July 27. Then in August Jason Lee lends his voice to a live-action Underdog movie (he's the superheroic dog), and in December he pops up again (in human form this time) as David Seville in the live-action/animation hybrid Alvin and the Chipmunks. And next summer, the Wachowski bros. will try to spin cinematic gold out of Speedracer, starring Emile Hirsch and Christina Ricci (sorry, no Jason Lee this time).

Also on the horizon is a live-action CGI Thundercats flick, in which Lion-O and an army of humanoid cats (yes, you read that correctly) battle the evil sorcerer Mumm-Ra on a planet known as Third Earth. And last but not least is a real gem for the true cartoon aficionado: a live-action movie based on the Japanese anime 'toon Voltron, about five rebels who battle evil using robotic lions that unite to form one giant ass-kicking robot warrior (Voltron) when the individual lions inevitably get thrashed.

That's about it as far as upcoming cartoon-based film. Which other cartoons would you love to see made into movies? Personally, I'd love to see a crossover mash-up of two different 'toons, Alien vs. Predator-style. I mean, who wouldn't line up to see SVGB: Smurfs vs. Gummy Bears?

The last time we spoke with Don Payne, it was just before his screenwriting debut (My Super Ex-Girlfriend) hit the multiplexes. Since that time he's been hard at work as a writer/producer on The Simpsons, finishing up his screenplay for Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, and bracing himself for a powerful barrage of fanboy nitpickery. So when I spoke with Mr. Payne about spilling some Fantastic beans for the Cinematical readers, he said "Hey, why not open the floor to some questions from everyone?" And so we did. Several readers followed the instructions carefully and sent in some very solid questions. So here they are!


Q: Will Victor Von Doom / Doctor Doom be more like the comic book version this time? Two major shortcomings of the movie version was the tepid romantic triangle with Sue (which never occurs in the comics) and the business mogul backstory that was almost exactly like Norman Osborn's from the first Spider-Man movie. Will Latveria at least be mentioned?

A: Doom is going to be less like the Norman Osborn-esque billionaire and more like the Dr. Doom we all know and love -- with a scientific mind that rivals Reed's. While you can't just ignore how the character was set up in the first film, I think we're getting much closer here to the Doom in the comics. Personally, I would love to see him stride into the U.N. in full armor as ruler of Latveria in a future film.

I don't want to spoil anything Latverian, but we DID see his body being shipped there at the end of the first film. As far as the romantic triangle from the first film goes, that storyline is over. There is no reference to it in this movie.

Q: The trailer seems to indicate Galactus' energies were responsible for the storm that gave the Four their powers. Is this the case? Was this inspired by the Heroes Reborn run, or just something that seemed natural?

A: In my mind, there is mysterious, matter-altering, cosmic "stuff" in the universe which was present in both the storm which hit the FF in the first film and the energy that Galactus wields. However, that's not explicitly stated in the movie -- other than a line where Reed says the cosmic radiation causing anomalies around the world is "not unlike" that which gave the FF their powers. But the cosmic event in the first film and Galactus are otherwise completely unrelated. It was not inspired by the Heroes Reborn run. (But that was a fun run.)

I've been hearing rumblings about this around the internets and in magazines for the past few weeks. Matt Groening told Entertainment Weekly in this week's Summer Movie Preview: "You'll see anatomy that you may not want to see." I thought it was a joke. Friends, it is not a joke. I don't really know how else to say it: Bart Simpson's yellow genitalia will be on display for all to see in the upcoming Simpsons movie. Newsweek reports: "It happens early in The Simpsons Movie, when the animated 10-year-old takes a dare from his goofball father, Homer, to skateboard naked through the streets of Springfield. Hidden by plants and picket fences, he whizzes along, past kids, down hills, through traffic lights, until, in one shocking moment, little Bart flashes his little part to the entire world. Which may make this the first Hollywood film to show that kind of skin and to escape an R rating." Wow. Really? Just ... just give me a minute here.

For years, Donald Duck walked around without pants, and we said nothing! Now look what it's led to! Bart Simpson's dong? Is nothing sacred? What's next? Live footage of Garfield being neutered? Betty Boop getting bopped? Peppermint Patty finally exploring that long-suppressed lesbianism? Maybe the writers of the film feel like in order to compete with the more outrageous humor of the Family Guys and South Parks, they've got to up the ante. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt here, I'm sure they'll make the reveal funny. Still ... really? Poor Bart's 10 years old -- there's no way he could have legally consented to these images being released! Both the Newsweek and the Entertainment Weekly articles are good reads for Simpsons fans, be sure to check them out. I feel the show's been off for a while, but there was a run of about ten years where nothing was funnier. The movie opens on July 27th, and I really can't wait to see the thing. The movie I mean, not ... the thing.

I have no doubt that there are going to be about a million-and-one new Simpsons items coming down the pipeline between now and when The Simpsons Movie is released this summer, but this mobile phone from Samsung is actually pretty nifty looking. Sure they come in Simpsons skin-tone colors, they'll probably come pre-loaded with Simpsons ringers, wallpapers, and everything else you can think of. But what has me so excited about it? That's right, the little donut charm hanging off the side. Call me crazy, call me insane, but that really makes me want one of these phones. Maybe I need professional help.

Check out FirstShowing.net where they have photos of these phones from CES in Las Vegas. Apparently these phones will also have exclusive content from The Simpsons Movie, probably in the form of video and audio clips, which would be pretty nifty. While only a hardcore Simpsonite would want to hold onto one of these phones, the novelty factor makes them pretty attractive. Although, if the phone shouts "D'oh!" every time it rings, then our love affair with them might be extremely short-lived.

Fans of the screenwriting trade might be unfamiliar with Mr. Don Payne -- but that's about to change. After slaving away on a variety of ill-fated sitcoms, Don got his big break when he landed a sweet gig on the writing staff of The Simpsons. While hard at work helping to concoct new scenarios for everyone's favorite Springfieldians, Don still found the time to bang out a screenplay that attracted a lot of interested glances throughout Hollywood. That screenplay was called Super Ex (which has since been lengthened to My Super Ex-Girlfriend), and it not only attracted interest from Regency Enterprises, but also the attention of stars Luke Wilson and Uma Thurman -- in addition to veteran comedy expert Ivan Reitman. And with his very first movie poised to hit the screens (on July 21), Don landed an assignment to pen next summer's Fantastic Four 2, a project that the Marvel maniacs are keeping a very close eye on.

Don was kind enough to sit down and have a lengthy chat with yours truly (and on his birthday, no less!) to share some info on how The Simpsons gets made, how he penned the world's first superheroine rom-com, and how he hopes to be part of a reinvigorated Fantastic Four franchise. And here's how the conversation went down.