Movie Review - "The Simpsons Movie"

"That's why we should hate kids!" Moe from TSM

Although for a good portion of its 18 seasons I've missed seeing new versions of "The Simpsons," for the most part, I've kept up with the incredible turns their lives have taken. When I do, I am usually shocked by the breadth and depth of the humor and the pot-shots it takes at culture...any culture. Plus, they have a true comedian's gift for choosing the perfect terms for maximum effect, as opposed to the sloppiness of wannabe's like "Family Guy."

My favorite line from "The Simpsons" came from an episode where Homer, after having a pencil removed from his frontal lobe (he had shoved it up his nose at some point), becomes much smarter, but finds life with increased intelligence in his hometown of Springfield horrible. "You've got to help me, Doc!" he implores at the end, "I'm a Spaulding Gray in a Rick Dees world!"

Well...I think it's hilarious.

So, what could a "Simpsons" movie add after 18 bloody years on Fox? A lot of reflexive humor dealing with the auditorium experience as opposed to "the box," a bit more risque behavior, some yellow toe-dipping into CGI, a bit more experimentation with delayed comic timing that you can't do with a 24 minute time-clock limitation. But it's more of the same, basically. I have a notebook full of funny lines that I could parrot back, but it'd just undercut them when they show up, as "The Simpsons" depends on shock, surprise, and good comic ideas you've never heard before. I laughed all the way through its preview trailer, but, for once, it didn't even scratch the surface of the laughs contained in the full film. And another good sign--the theater workers kept sneaking in on breaks to watch it.

"The Simpsons." More powerful than a nicotine fix.

But, if you don't like "The Simpsons," you won't laugh much at this movie. I howled throughout, and another few people laughed occassionally in the smallish crowd, and the kids in the audience "haw-hawed" at the physical humor while the rest of it barely brushed their scalps. In a big theater, it'd be interesting to see how many people actually laugh...just to see if people are pre-disposed to laugh. A lot of the folks in the audience seemed...restrained. Their loss. I giggled like a goon.

One thing that upset--"Music by Hans Zimmer?" Doesn't he get enough work? What about the brilliant Alf Clausen, the musical genius behind "The Simpsons" for two decades?! "D'OH!"
"The Simpsons Movie" is a cheap matinee. "Ha Ha!"
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News Update:

Odd little things from the week, probably better placed after the review for "The Simpsons."

--It's the dog-days of August, which means kids are getting bored with Summer, and really, really anxious (apparently) to go back to school (or to The Slammer). So hi-jinks ensue in the month of August. It's the time of year when you get phone-calls to ask if you've got "Prince Albert in a can," or your mail-box gets cherry-bombed, like mine was in Normandy Park a few years ago (In fact, now that I think of it, that would make a great screen-play--for that time of year when kids get restless and prank-ish...what would you call it, "A.D.D.-Days of Summer?"). I drove to work the other day and passed by the reader board for the "Trinity" Church, which read "Jesus Loves Worship." Driving back at night, the other side read "I love tits." Evidently some devil-inspired young'un changed that side more to his liking. Drove by it again yesterday afternoon--the other side now said "Jesus Forgives." So does the Pastor, I guess.

--I had another story which I thought was funny, but after writing it out I realized that folks might deduce the people involved, it could get back to them, and hurt them in some way. I liked it because it was done without guile and with a total lack of "hyper-sensitivity." When I wrote it out I concluded "I wish the world was like this."

But it's not.

If you see me, ask me about it some time.

--I hit a deer with my car the other night. Now, if you know me, you know I'm really damned vigilant about watching out for deer and other wildlife while driving on the Rock. But this deer was too stupid to live, drunk on sour black-berries or something. I was driving 35 in a 40 zone, and the thing walked onto the road when I was practically on top of it--a deer suicide, apparently. I had just enough time to yank the wheel to the left and avoid hitting its head with my passenger head-light. At worst I gave it a round-house to the jaw--absolutely no damage to the car, so I couldn't have hit it hard. But it's probably missing a tooth or two. I went back to check on it to see if it was still there, and it had evidently high-tailed it--fleeing the scene of an accident.

I hate hitting deer. Hate it.

--For the last few weeks I notice I'm getting a lot of "hits" from folks who are tracking back from a picture of Leif Garrett I used to illustrate Mark Hamill's hair in "Star Wars" away back in this post. Now, the thing is, I didn't even post the picture. I just linked directly to it, and for some reason all roads from that picture lead to me...or that post. I'd better go and fix a couple of mistakes I found in it.