The Long Simpsons Episode
CATEGORY ERROR. My brain kept screaming this at me during The Simpsons Movie (I checked with Rob and Carsmile Steve who were sitting next to me and they swear it wasn’t them screaming it, so that just leaves my brain). My brain is a stubborn old stick, and frankly I do my best to ignore it at every turn. Yet I know what it was screaming about (I CAN READ MY MIND!) and partially sympathise. So yet again cinema throws up a film which every reviewer is obliged to review in exactly the same way. Ahem:
“The Simpsons Movie is like a long Simpsons episode. Which makes it better than 90% of films out there.”
Don’t believe me? Look at all the reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. AND THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THIS. Bear in mind the following:
PREMISE No.1: Even rubbish episodes of the Simpsons are better than 90% of television.
PREMISE No.2: The general standard of US television in the 2000’s is better than the general standard of US Movies.
CONCLUSION: The Simpsons Movie is better than most movies.
See, easy to prove. Except. My brain was shouting CATEGORY ERROR. My brain was not sure if it wanted to see it in the cinema. With lots of people all nervously laughing. All willing for it to be great (which it was), but all aware of the oddness of the sensation of something being off. The film starts with what can be construed to be a nicely confident gag “Why should I pay to see something in the cinema that I can see on TV for free?” It may be confidence than throws that right in the viewers face, but there is also an admission. Unlike the South Park movie (musical), or even the Beavis & Butthead movie (road-trip), The Simpson’s IS just what you get on TV. The only difference is its length and its size (CATEGORY ERROR). There are a couple of applications of digital effects, but nothing more than you would get in an episode of Futurama. So it was funny as hell, when I could hear it past my screaming brain. But its movie status will last for four weeks. Then it’ll be a DVD, and then it really will just be a long Simpsons episode.
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Ben on August 2nd, 2007
I’ve not seen it yet, but the Family Guy movie (which really was just three episodes of the show stuck together to make one long episode) was hysterically funny. I’ve heard mixed things about the Simpsons’ effort, but I can’t see how I’d fail to find it mostly funny. And to be honest, if I’m going to the cinema, mostly funny IS better than 90% of movies that make it into our local movie theaters.
Steve on August 2nd, 2007
Rubbish episodes of The Simpsons are or might as well be the worst thing ever because great episodes of The Simpsons were the best thing ever.
Pete on August 3rd, 2007
The logic in your response Steve strikes me as next to non-existent.
FT's tracerhand on August 3rd, 2007
Surely three episodes of the Family Guy would be THREE TIMES WORSE than just one episode of the Family Guy
Steve on August 3rd, 2007
I just don’t buy the ‘Even rubbish episodes of the Simpsons are better than 90% of television’ defence. I laugh at a 00s Simpsons about as much as I laugh at an episode of Still Game or The IT Crowd. Therefore 00s Simpsons to me are only as funny as late night but fairly pedestrian British sitcoms*. Maybe they’re better than 90% of television as well tho - I mean there’s a LOT of television these days. Pick 10, 20, 50 TV shows you like and you can say they’re better than 90% of TV - it’s worthless praise.
*but these sitcoms don’t have the weight of expectation, feeling of betrayal or even the predictability of modern Simpsons episodes.
Pete on August 3rd, 2007
I just don’t understand this sense of betrayal. A point that becomes very clear is that, having now run for 400 episodes, it is much more difficult to find anything new to do in the Simpsons world. And the shock of the new is integral to series one even being watchable at all (because in itself that is pretty ropey stuff). Series 3 and 4 get much love, because they had discovered what they could do. By series 17 certain things get exhausted. If you had rather it had stopped, then fine, but actually I think a bad episode of the Simpsons is still better than say The IT Crowd, because of the comfort the characters give me. It isn’t just about humour I suppose (which is also why the film feels odd as all the characterisation is done for it).
FT's pˆnk s lord sükråt cunctør on August 3rd, 2007
i found that aspect of it suffocating: THIS IS THE SIMPSONSDOME NOR ARE WE OUT OF IT as kit marlowe wd have put it (had he not resigned after series 4)
Steve on August 3rd, 2007
The movie is at least ten years late - surely most people agree on that.
‘I think a bad episode of the Simpsons is still better than say The IT Crowd, because of the comfort the characters give me.’
Fair enough but the Simpsons characters ceased to give me comfort long ago as they’ve actually either lost the qualities that made them distinctive in meaningful ways and just become interchangeable AnySpringfieldians much of the time (as part of angry mob chasing Homer for the hundredth time and what have you), or they’ve had those qualities stretched and ramped up to become hyper-parodies of themselves. Or they’ve just got nowhere left to go - what to do with Burns, Skinner and the like except retcon their pasts again and again.
Rather than wanting it to have stopped I think I would’ve liked to see it change in particular ways. Ground things in reality more ala King Of The Hill, AGE the kids (not necessarily season by season but quicker than as is), have Bart and Lisa go through high school (with a man doing the voice haha), get Maggie talking…it would’ve allowed more scope for stories rather than being a restriction. I wonder if they ever considered this. Just because it’s animation it doesn’t HAVE to stay still. Likewise just because it’s animation I see no reason to take it less seriously than a long running live action show like, say, Doctor Who (which many of us take ‘the fun experience of’ very seriously of course).
I’m still looking forward to the Futurama movies tho.
Steve on August 3rd, 2007
‘Just because it’s animation it doesn’t HAVE to stay still.’
no pun intended ha ha
Tom on August 3rd, 2007
Has Bobby Hill got noticeably older over the course of King Of The Hill? I wd imagine that being very hard to do.
The Yellow Kid on August 3rd, 2007
Well, Bobby still goes to Tom Landry Middle School, just like he always has. But Joseph went through puberty and his voice did change.
FT's theopoole on September 26th, 2007
Hi Rosemary Squires,
You are terrific. You are a highly talented singer with a great personality. Thank you for a wonderful performance Tues: 25/9/07 at the Brew-house Theatre Taunton it was an honour to meet you and also your charming husband.
Theodora poole. Wed: 26/9/07.