Jeff Dunham: Minding the Monsters (2012) (TV)

Director:

Manny Rodriguez

Writer:

Jeff Dunham

Release Date:

9 October 2012 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

Jeff Dunham's Minding the Monsters brings together your favorites-- Walter, Peanut, Bubba J, Jose Jalapeno...

Plot Keywords:

Divorce | Batman Spoof | Live Audience | Dracula Spoof | Halloween Costume

Cast

Jeff Dunham

...

Himself / Achmed Jr. / Walter / Bubba J / Peanut / José Jalapeño on a Stick / Little Jeff / Achmed the Dead Terrorist

Directed by
Manny Rodriguez

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Jeff Dunham

Produced by
Judi Brown-Marmel	....	executive producer
Myra Byrne	....	associate producer
Jeff Dunham	....	executive producer
Robert Hartmann	....	executive producer
Stephen Kroopnick	....	executive producer
Steve Marmel	....	producer
Stu Schreiberg	....	executive producer
Neil A. Sheridan	....	supervising producer (as Neil Sheridan)
Jeff Thorsen	....	line producer

Film Editing by
Dave Harrison

Production Design by
Bruce Ryan

Art Direction by
Larry Wiemer

Costume Design by
Becca Balistreri

Makeup Department
Richard Bernal	....	hair stylist
Richard Bernal	....	makeup artist

Production Management
John Bravakis	....	executive in charge of production

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Stefani Cohen	....	associate director
Matthew McNeil	....	segment director (as Matt McNeil)

Art Department
Alan Palmer	....	props: Batnutmobile
Aaron Pyke	....	art director: 2nd unit
Loren Tripp	....	model maker
Loren Tripp	....	scenic artist

Sound Department
Al Centrella	....	production audio mixer
Jim Faraci	....	sound re-recording mixer
Steve Lamphere	....	audio assist
Bryan Leskowicz	....	audio assist

Visual Effects by
Robert Dahlem	....	graphics and visual effects
Matthew McNeil	....	graphics and visual effects (as Matt McNeil)
Johnathan Myers	....	graphics and visual effects
Tyler Weitz	....	graphics and visual effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Bob DelRusso	....	camera operator (as Bob del Russo)
Maurice Dupleasis	....	gaffer (as Maurice Depleasis)
Zach Grant	....	camera operator
Jamie Hall	....	gaffer: 2nd unit
Thomas Hildreth	....	jib operator (as Tom Hildreth)
Charlie Huntley	....	camera operator
J.M. Hurley	....	video control technician
Jay Kulick	....	jib operator
Paul Lennon	....	automated lighting programmer
Gary McCullough	....	vtr operator
Simon Miles	....	lighting designer
Lyn Noland	....	camera operator
Jim Ricker	....	director of photography: 2nd unit
Mark Whitman	....	camera operator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Max Smith	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Mike Dodgen	....	on-line editor
Luke Szabo	....	on-line editor

Music Department
Ted Andreadis	....	composer: theme music
Johnny Griparic	....	composer: theme music

Other crew
Zack Arrington	....	utilities
Nick Chappina	....	utilities
Duncan Chinnock	....	teleprompter
Thomas J. Doolittle	....	utilities (as Thomas Doolittle)
Audrey Dunham	....	personal trainer
Rob Fagnant	....	technical director
Rob Feder	....	mobile unit engineer
James Gironta	....	engineer: B-Unit
Bill Higgins	....	mobile unit engineer
Debbie Keller	....	publicist
Andrew Lindberg	....	mobile unit engineer
Edwin McCormick	....	staging supervisor
Jeff Rothpan	....	creative consultant
Elaine Schock	....	publicist
Rob Sellers	....	stage manager
Scott Spiegel	....	utilities
Robin Tate	....	promoter
Reg Tigerman	....	talent coordinator
Rob Vilushis	....	utilities
Marnell White	....	tour manager
Bill Worsham	....	automated technician

Thanks
Matt Blake	....	special thanks
Buddy The Peeping Dog	....	special thanks
Roadie The Shark Dog	....	special thanks
Ashlyn Dunham	....	special thanks
Audrey Dunham	....	special thanks
Bree Dunham	....	special thanks
Howard Dunham	....	special thanks
Joyce Dunham	....	special thanks
Kenna Dunham	....	special thanks
Jeffrey Endlich	....	special thanks (as Jeff Endlich)
John Power	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Red Wire Blue Wire
• Levity Entertainment Group

Distributors

• Comedy Central (2012) (USA) (TV)

Other Companies

• Palmer's Customs  props: Batnutmobile

Runtime:

80 min | USA:60 min (TV version) (with commercials)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

USA:TV-PG

Filming Locations:

Lucas Theatre for the Arts - 32 Abercorn St., Savannah, Georgia, USA

Company:

Red Wire Blue Wire

Quotes:

Bubba J:I'm Count Beercula! And I drink Blood-weiser!
[laughs]
Jeff Dunham:Anything else?
Bubba J:Yeah, I'm a white trash vampire.
Jeff Dunham:How's that?
Bubba J:My coffin has a gun rack.
Jeff Dunham:Really?
Bubba J:And I bit my cousin.

Movie Connections:

References Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

Read my lips: this just isn't good enough.

I never used to like Jeff Dunham. In fact, I was quite sure that I hated him. I'd seen some bits of his act featuring Achmed The Dead Terrorist and I thought he/it was rubbish.

Then someone bought me "Controlled Chaos" on DVD as a gift. I smiled politely and thanked them and eventually got around to watching it. Much to my surprise, I was consistently amused throughout. Maybe I'd been wrong about the guy all this time. Maybe I'd just seen some of his weaker material.

Well, "Minding The Monsters" has come along to change my mind back. I've marked it as average but that's only because I am kind and easily amused by puppets.

First of all, Dunham spends about 15-20 minutes at the start of the show without the puppets. Why? He's just not funny without the puppets.

When he finally starts to get them onstage it quickly becomes clear that he's running very low on material. A number of gags fall flat, a lot of the conversation revolves around the monster makeovers that the puppets have received, with a few puns here and there, and every "skit" ends with some punchline about Dunham's ex-wife divorcing him and taking some money with her.

I think I laughed more at seeing the moments when Dunham was almost brazenly talking and thinking it could be passed off as ventriloquism. He could get away with that nonsense on a podcast or radio show but not on a DVD.

I hope that Dunham finds his way back to when he was actually quite funny and better at his craft but I won't hold my breath.