Death to Smoochy (2002)

A kids show host, Rainbow Randolph, is fired in disgrace while his replacement, Sheldon Mopes, aka Smoochy the Rhino, finds himself a rising star. Unfortunately for Sheldon, the business of kids television isn't all child's play.

Director:

Danny DeVito

Writer:

Adam Resnick

Stars:

Robin Williams, Edward Norton, Catherine Keener

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robin Williams	...	Rainbow Randolph
Edward Norton	...	Sheldon Mopes / Smoochy the Rhino
Catherine Keener	...	Nora Wells
Danny DeVito	...	Burke Bennett
Jon Stewart	...	Marion Frank Stokes
Pam Ferris	...	Tommy Cotter
Danny Woodburn	...	Angelo Pike
Michael Rispoli	...	Spinner Dunn
Harvey Fierstein	...	Merv Green
Vincent Schiavelli	...	Buggy Ding Dong
Craig Eldridge	...	Husband
Judy White	...	Wife
Tim MacMenamin	...	Danny
Bruce McFee	...	Roy
Glen Cross	...	Jimmy

Storyline

Fired in disgrace, kids show host Randolph Smiley finds himself out on the street, while his replacement Sheldon Mopes, finds himself on the fast track to success with a new hit show as the proud purple rhino Smoochy. But things take a turn for the worst when Sheldon finds out that some of the people that he works with, and some he doesn't know he's working for, are all in it for the money. Meanwhile, Randolph is slowly turning insane with his only thoughts focusing on killing Smoochy and getting back to his life of luxury.

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Plot Keywords:

homosexual | gay | black teddy | woman on top | children | 

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Taglines:

He's Big, He's Blue, He's Smoochy... and He's got to DIE!

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and sexual references

Details

Official Sites:

Warner Bros. [United States]

Country:

UK Germany USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 March 2002 (USA)

Also Known As:

Smoochy

Filming Locations:

Times Square, 42nd Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$55,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$4,266,463, 31 March 2002, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$8,355,815, 5 May 2002

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros.,FilmFour,Senator Film Produktion

Technical Specs

Runtime:

109 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The spirulina and almond butter mixture Sheldon puts on his soy hot dog was actually concocted by Edward Norton in his hotel room.

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Goofs

When Nora talks to Sheldon Mopes/Smoochy ('Edward Norton'), she accidentally calls him "Ed".

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Quotes

[Tommy Kotter is at a funeral after Spinner Dunn was murdered]
Tommy: Don't forget, this hit was meant for you, Shel. So from now on, wherever you go, we go.
Sheldon: I'll be fine.
Tommy: Fine nothing! As Christ is my witness, no one is touching a hair on your fucking head! Spinner would have wanted it that way. Okay boys, let's all pray and get shit-faced.

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Alternate Versions

When the movie premiered on several channels such as ABC, TBS, Comedy Central or NBC, all the sexual references, offensive scenes and profanity were edited out, except other words like "damn" and "hell". The TV edited version of the film was rated TV-PG-L for mild language. 1. The Cookie Rocket Ship scene was completely removed, because of the use of the cookie that is shaped like a penis. 2. The Nazi parts (especially the Neo-Nazi Rally scene) were removed, because it was felt that it would be offensive towards Germans. 3. After the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, the North tower of the World Trade Center was digitally removed in the part where Rainbow Randolph was dancing on the small bench in Duane Park in Duane Street in Lower Manhattan. The North tower was still intact in the original film. 4. The part where Nora flips off Sheldon was omitted. 5. The scenes where Nora having sex with Sheldon in the changing room at KidNet Studios were removed completely. 6. In the conversation scene between Randolph and Frank Stokes in the car, the masturbating noise was muted. 7. The part where Randolph spills hot water on himself was removed, due to him saying that his balls were on fire.

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Connections

Referenced in The 78th Annual Academy Awards (2006)

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Soundtracks

You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You
Written by James Cavanaugh, Larry Stock and Russ Morgan
Performed by Dean Martin
Courtesy of Capitol Records
Under License from EMI-Capitol Music Special Markets

User Reviews

Sick...demented...hilarious!!!!!

Screw all those crappy reviews! This is a wonderful film! First of all, I was hoping to one day see a movie about the actors behind a children's TV show who are completely nuts in real life. Well, I got my wish. I would say that Adam Resnick (the writer) stole my idea, but I had no exact thoughts on where to go with the premise. Well, Resnick went really far with this wonderful premise and in result we have this dark, alluring, hilarious comedy!

The cast is absolutely topnotch! I read one review slamming Edward Norton's performance in the film, saying that he phoned in his performance. Sure, his performance in this film doesn't QUITE measure up to those in "Primal Fear" and "Rounders," but he did one hell of a job, and I can tell he researched the role very well to the point where he completely disappeared into the character. Whether it's a dramatic or comedic role, Norton always immerses himself in his roles. Though you can classify him as the straight man in this wacky satire, he says and does a lot of things that had me cracking up, without any humorous intentions. The only thing that disappointed me slightly was that Robin Williams didn't have as big a role as I expected. In the first 45 minutes, we only see him intermittently. Actually, Norton really has the starring role and if Robin weren't a more popular actor, he probably would've been billed first. Norton's one of my favorite actors, but I believe if you're gonna bill an actor as the star, he better be the star! But Robin Williams was still in top form. Catherine Keener is beautiful, yet entirely convincing as an ego-driven TV executive. Jon Stewart doesn't have too many funny scenes, but his goofy Jerry Lewis haircut was enough to make me crack up. Danny Woodburn--Mickey from "Seinfeld"--shows off his fine acting skills, playing more than just the "little guy." The always-amusing Vincent Schiavelli makes a few appearances towards the end. Michael Rispoli is both hilarious and likable as the simple-minded ex-fighter, Spinner. Danny DeVito proves yet again that his skills behind the camera match his talents in front of the camera.

I don't suppose "Death to Smoochy" will be receiving any major Oscars, but it should at least be nominated for Best Art Direction. The sets, lighting and color pallette are absolutely incredible. As grim as it is, it's a beautiful film to look at.

This is an R-rated comedy with a well-deserved "R." There's tons of profanity and some truly crude (though not disgusting, thankfully) sex gags. If you're in the mood for an old-fashioned, Cary Grant-type screwball comedy--you will be sorely appalled. Nevertheless, the humor is smart and witty, just drenched in cynicism. When Norton was doing the show and pulled out a cookie shaped like a man's genitals and Robin started screaming at the kids what it really is, I was dying with laughter. You may not feel good about laughing at some of these jokes, but the sense of humor doesn't lie. But as cynical as it is, I didn't feel the movie was mean-spirited. Because I'm often turned off by mean-spirited comedies. I guess it's because as scummy as these characters prove to be, there's at least one redeeming quality about each of them. Sure, Rainbow Randolph is a loud, obnoxious drunk. He lost his TV show. They snatched his dream, because of one little bribery slip-up. So he's not a saint. Is Mister Rogers a saint? As far as we know, but how do we know for sure he wasn't in the same theater as Pee Wee Herman, disguised in a fake moustache and beard, pleasuring himself as well? Whatever the public don't know can't hurt them.

I was glad to see that the movie averaged a 6.9 rating on the IMDB. I was expecting a rating much lower, after its poor box office records and countless bad reviews from major critics. Well, I had a blast! It's an energetic, upbeat, fun-filled journey with a ton of laughs. I surely hope it one day reaches cult status. And the sequence over the closing credits is perfectly delightful. If you love Robin Williams and think he's one of the funniest men in the planet, if you're a fan of the great Edward Norton, if you think Catherine Keener is really hot, if you think Danny DeVito is a genius or if you simply wanna have a barrel of laughs--"Death to Smoochy" will keep you alive with pleasure.

My score: 7 (out of 10)