poster

Meet The Feebles
Director: Peter Jackson
Year: 1989
TRT: 1:34

Reviewed: 12/15/2002 ***UPDATED: 08/06/2024***
VIDEO REVIEW

"The most demented movie ever made, with a coherent plotline."
This movie is so fucked up, I had to create a new category, just so it would be at the top of it. Sure, you get some whacked out films from time to time like Frank Zappa's 200 Motels or Lost Highway by David Lynch. But ultimately, they really just don't make any sense. This movie, well, it's the amalgamation of reality and surrealism that makes it so fascinating to watch. It's about the final hours of a song & dance review before their big show goes on live national television, in hopes of landing a syndication deal. Not altogether strange in itself, but add the fact that every single character in the movie is a Muppet, it makes it a bit odd. Throw on top of that, that these aren't your normal muppets, but severely flawed muppets. Like how? you ask. The lead of the production, Heidi the Hippo, is an aging star who is past her prime, who has serious doubts about her future and love, and buries herself in food. One of the performers is a knife-throwing frog who's strung out on smack from a habit he developed back in 'Nam. There's something involving a cockroach and a cow that has no right being in a song & dance review. And there's a game of golf thrown in there, too. But ultimately it is a story that follows the love of the 'main' character Wobert the hedgehog, who is immediately smitten with the chorus poodle Lucy. The saddest and most brilliant thing about it is that it all makes perfect sense as you watch it. How can you say a movie is absolutely demented unless you have a point of reference? This is your point of reference. How this movie ever got made is a truly amazing feat within itself.

This is a movie to see, if you can find it. Luckily with the success of LOTR, the studios are looking to make a buck off of Jackson's success and re-release his older movies. What they didn't realize is the shear madness that was waiting for them to 'discover,' known as "Meet the Feebles." Bwahahahaahaaa!


Great Scene: The knife-throwing frog's 'Nam flashback.

Media Notes: This is one of the rare occasions that I've reviewed something off of VHS as opposed to DVD, as it is such a hard film to find in your local stores. But good news, the U.S. version of the DVD has finally hit the market. I, alas, have not been able to pick it up yet (The videorental franchise CockBuster wouldn't touch this movie with a ten foot pole [not that I even step foot in one of 'em, anyways]). Tack it on to my list of DVDs to get. I knew if Anchor Bay can put out a 2-disc set of Bad Taste I was pretty sure this one wasn't far behind. After reading the above, you can imagine why it's been one of those movies that not too many stores are willing to carry.


**2024 Update**

Wow. The depravity of this here muppet depravity knows no depraved bounds! This movie, upon further review, continues to be honestly, seriously and completely fucked up. It really does touch on all the unmentionables in the sex, drugs and hedgehog love. Pure Ludicrousness. It can only be seen to be believed. And then the guy went on to direct one of the best Fantasy trilogies ever made (I discount the Hobbit ones. While maybe ok, I still have issues with those). No muppet is safe here. No subject is taboo. I still wonder how this movie ever got made. So wrong. I love it.

Oh yeah, regarding the updated title given to this in The Happytime Murders review, “Most Fucked Up Film Starring Puppets with a Coherent Plotline.” Because, apparently, I have to differentiate between Pure Muppet and Muppet+Human categories. Have there been those in the past, in both categories? Sure. But all pale in comparison to this cinematic feat. Oh Peter Jackson of olde, where have ye gone? Fuck that King Kong shite, make a movie like this or Dead Alive (aka Brain Dead) again. Please. Redeem yourself. You gots to have the FuckYou money to do it. Go out on a high note, at least. Fuck that Beatles documentary crap, do somethin cool if nothin else.

Ratings: I still scored it pretty close, minusing the story half a beer, but adding a half a beer to the look just due to the sheer fuckery pulled off here with the puppets. It’s… not normal. It’s not even recommended, to those of a delicate nature. Fuck that Dark Crystal shit, this is muppetry at its most debauched finest.

2002

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2024

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