The Simpsons - The Movie - 07.27.07

[grady]

Here is the info straight from the hollywood reporter.

link (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002275630)

As much as I want to see these two simpsons teaser clips I think I will just wait for them to surface online instead seeing Ice Age 2.

But more importantly, let the bickering, fighting, nit-picking, and good old fashion complaining begin regarding the notion a feature length film of the long running TV show.

Added note of no real importance: It arrives in theaters on mine and b.miller's birthday as we share the same day.

[gambit]

Mmmm...will have to see the trailers to see if this looks like a good idea.

[grady]

I know what you mean. And I don't quite understand the necessity for a movie at this point. What can be achieved by making a feature film?

[b.miller]

i only hope they're finally making a movie now because they finally came up with an idea awesome enough to merit a movie and not because they finally sold out.

but hey, i'll see it on release date. HAH

[mmm skyscraper]

I thought the movie was going to be the end of the series.

[Dirty0900]

It'll be really good or really bad. They'll be no inbetween.

[gambit]

I thought the movie was going to be the end of the series.I don't think so. I remember hearing Fox picked it up for another few seasons.

[grady]

I don't think so. I remember hearing Fox picked it up for another few seasons.
You're correct. The show has been picked up for another two seasons.

link (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/television/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002199241&imw=Y)

With this renewal, that will take us to Season 19. And at the moment only seasons one through seven are available on DVD.

[the mongoose]

Here's the link for the trailer.....

Click (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnnbmgTD3dc)
:)

[potatobroth]

i used to love the simpsons, but their time is way past. i have absolutely no desire to see this film in theaters.

[sunflowereye]

i used to love the simpsons, but their time is way past.

I would have to agree with you here. I'm a big fan of The Simpsons and my wife is a fanatic, but the past few years have featured some of the worst writing the show has seen during its reign. The new episodes that have aired recently have been devoid of laughs. My wife hopes the show will make it 20 years, but unlesss they get some better writers (or some old ones return) this show will continue to decline.

[big screen satellite]

I would have to agree with you here. I'm a big fan of The Simpsons and my wife is a fanatic, but the past few years have featured some of the worst writing the show has seen during its reign. The new episodes that have aired recently have been devoid of laughs. My wife hopes the show will make it 20 years, but unlesss they get some better writers (or some old ones return) this show will continue to decline.

i gotta agree the gags in the newer episodes have wained tremendously, but if you compare it still to 90% of the comedy on TV - it is still funny in the main, and the Simpsons will keep going i feel for a few more seasons...

i'm not sure about a big screen outing, these tend not to be that great, and big budget usually ruins these things...

that teaser trailer is quite funny though...i just hope the 'story' is a worthwhile one, the Simpsons works in 25 minute snippets but a 90 minute movie has gotta be worthwhile, that said i'll end up waiting for it to come on DVD rather than pay out for the Cinema...even if it does turn out to be great

[grady]

Resurrection of a thread from days past to bring you the following link and information.

A new trailer for The Simpsons Movie debuted tonight.

link (http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox/thesimpsonsmovie/trailer/).

[potatobroth]

Resurrection of a thread from days past to bring you the following link and information.

A new trailer for The Simpsons Movie debuted tonight.

link (http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox/thesimpsonsmovie/trailer/).

that was hardly a trailer. it was worse than a bumper that FOX would show between shows to tell you of a new episode.

and last night's episode, WTF? helicopter loonytunes? it was horrible. thank goodness for Family Guy.

[holden]

that was hardly a trailer. it was worse than a bumper that FOX would show between shows to tell you of a new episode.

and last night's episode, WTF? helicopter loonytunes? it was horrible. thank goodness for Family Guy.


Absolutely. Not their best moment, Homer joins the army, haven't we seen this before? But after 17 years or whatever, they are proabably going back to the well a few times!


p.s. Yes, Family Guy was hilarious, as usual! Amazing the stuff they get away with.

[dubman]

the reason i can ignore you people is that you like dreck like family guy ;)

:boxing:

[Stephen]

the reason i can ignore you people is that you like dreck like family guy ;)

:boxing:
True. I mean, really.

[grady]

the reason i can ignore you people is that you like dreck like family guy ;)

:boxing:
Nicely put dubby.

The more people go monkey clapping for Family Guy the more I get called a snob when explaining why I don't enjoy it to these individuals.

[GreenPea]

Family Guy is crap!:mad:

[potatobroth]

family guy is bad? im confused.

simpsons have been in a tail-spin for about 5 seasons. family guy while i admit isnt for everyone, it is at least original and witty.

[Dirty Canuck]

I like Family Guy as well, but........


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBLhnBYPe7Y&mode=related&search=

[grady]

I like Family Guy as well, but........


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBLhnBYPe7Y&mode=related&search=

Nice that someone clipped and upped that scene in particular. I always mention it to people, now I have an example to further reference my point.

[Dirty0900]

Didnt South Park do a two part episode rippin on Family Guy? Someone mentioned that to me, but we aint got new episodes of SP over yet.

[Tom]

Family Guy is forty thousand times funnier than modern day Simpsons, and anyone who thinks otherwise is full on fucked in the head.

[luke]

Toms right. I can't remember the last time the Simpsons was even funny, let alone smart.

[b.miller]

i stopped watching simpsons at around season 10, but from what i understand, the people who are doing the Simpsons movies are the guys from those golden seasons 5-8 so i'm looking forward to it!

as for Family Guy, it was funny before it was cancelled. I don't think you can honestly say it's at the same level now. I'd like to see one episode without a single nonsensical reference to some past event and accompanying flashback. Maybe Simpsons is just as bad as that now i dunno, but let's see what Family Guy's like on season 17 or whatever... Simpsons season 3 kicks all sorts of Family Guy season 3 ass. undisputedly.

[grady]

Fuck that! Family guy is following in the same suit as a Kevin Smith film, ten years from now, you will need a reader's guide to get all the little piddly bullshit referential nonsense that pervades that show that at the time seems so hip and of reverance. You can use the same arguement for the Simpsons too, but it doesn't seem as painfully over the top as the Family Guy.

And there is the goddamn turd that could'nt get flushed down the toliet, American Dad.

As someone above, b.miller, in particular mentioned, Family guy is now a series of thought bubbles that begin with, "Hey, remember that one time....", then cue the film reference.

The Family Guy resurrected is nowhere near what it was before cancellation.

And as a simpsons fan/appologist, yeah, it's not stellar at all anymore, but I get a least a laugh and a chuckle, one of each from most episodes. However there are some that are so bad it makes me cringe, but never to the level of going to watch Family Guy.

[holden]

Can't believe we're debating cartoons worth... They're supposed to make you laugh, is all. The Simpsons used to, ten years ago, still does occassionally. The Family Guy consistently makes me laugh, don't care if it's over the top of juvenile. It's a freakin' cartoon. Freakin' sweet.
:p
p.s. Sometimes comedy is supposed to be topical, cos no one laughs at "where's the beef?" jokes in 2006.

p.s. to Dirty0900: yeah, South Park ripped on Family Guy as being a bunch of puns and recollections written by manatees who moved "idea balls" from one side of a tank to another. Truth hurts, but it's still funny.

[grady]

Can't believe we're debating cartoons worth... They're supposed to make you laugh, is all. The Simpsons used to, ten years ago, still does occassionally. The Family Guy consistently makes me laugh, don't care if it's over the top of juvenile. It's a freakin' cartoon. Freakin' sweet.
:p
p.s. Sometimes comedy is supposed to be topical, cos no one laughs at "where's the beef?" jokes in 2006.

p.s. to Dirty0900: yeah, South Park ripped on Family Guy as being a bunch of puns and recollections written by manatees who moved "idea balls" from one side of a tank to another. Truth hurts, but it's still funny.
True they are just cartoons, but compare Family Guy to The Simpsons is not really much of an arguement. On one level, it's apples to oranges, but The Simpsons level of writing is leaps and bounds above the Family Guy.

So yeah, they're cartoons, but much greater thought and care goes into each episode of the Simpsons, compared to Seth McFarlane thinking it would be funny to parody Lost at the moment as it's the hip TV show. Even the bad episodes of The Simpsons will stand up better upon review than Family Guy.

[grady]

New Trailer (http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox/thesimpsonsmovie/trailer3_large.html).

[mmm skyscraper]

Sweet.....

[grady]

I love the shot near the end with Homer and the Pig where he's craddling it and blowing on it's belly.

[Dirty0900]

I really think this film will be shit. It should have been made 6 years ago, from the trailer it looks like theres to many ideas being checked around.

*Runs*

[grady]

Yeah, I have a feeling this is going to be a near miss, but I like to keep hope alive, mainly out of sheer enjoyment occassionally of weekly episodes.

This week's episode spoofing Michael Apted's Up documentary series of films had some great laughs.

[Sean]

Can't believe we're debating cartoons worth... They're supposed to make you laugh, is all.

True they are just cartoons,Okay....check yerselves, people. "Just cartoons"? Do you have any idea how much work goes into making an animated short, commercial, television show, or feature film? Or how many incredibly talented artists it requires to be able to pull it off? And I suppose that shows like the Simpsons and Family Guy have two strikes against them in that they're also comedies...Hollywood's least respected genre. All based on ignorance. Most any great comedian could also deliver a high quality dramatic performance, but not so many dramatic actors can deliver a high quality comic performance. Put simply, great comedies are about a hundred times harder to make than great dramas.

All that being said, I think it's hard to compare Simpsons to Family Guy to South Park to any other animated show on tv. They all just have very different approaches. South Park's put down of Family Guy seemed kind of failed to me because it was essentially criticizing a bird for flying. The comedic style of Family Guy is unabashadly to go off on tangeants as the opportunities present themselves, just as a bird's main mode of transportation is to fly. South Park is a more solid three act structure. The Simpsons falls somewhere in the middle, but probably closer to the three act structure again.

I hope the Simpsons movie is good. I honestly haven't heard anything about the film from friends working over there since they're all preoccupied with the fact that the studio's shutting down when they finish up the projects they're already working on.

[grady]

Okay....check yerselves, people. "Just cartoons"? Do you have any idea how much work goes into making an animated short, commercial, television show, or feature film? Or how many incredibly talented artists it requires to be able to pull it off? And I suppose that shows like the Simpsons and Family Guy have two strikes against them in that they're also comedies...Hollywood's least respected genre. All based on ignorance. Most any great comedian could also deliver a high quality dramatic performance, but not so many dramatic actors can deliver a high quality comic performance. Put simply, great comedies are about a hundred times harder to make than great dramas.


To quote myself Sean, So yeah, they're cartoons, but much greater thought and care goes into each episode of the Simpsons.

I do have an idea of the amount of work goes into creating an animated short, a feature, a commercial and a feature length film. I've been privy to people who've worked on the simpsons, as well as others in the film industry, the context of that quote is taken a bit too far, but I can understand your knee jerk response sean, esp. in light of the recent thread regarding animated films a few weeks back. I feel I've pretty well checked myself and have tried to avoid the simple breakdown you've made regarding the big three(Simpsons, S.P., and F.Guy).

Everyone one has their bias regarding the big three and you could almost draw and analogy to political parties with the shows in questions. But at this point in the evening I don't have the patience to do so.

So to answer your query, I do understand the amount of work, time and creative ingenuity that goes into constructing a 30 second shot, or a 30 second spot, or a 30 minute short.

[den]

As far as Simpsons vs. Family Guy goes, here are my thoughts. The Simpsons, partially becauase of their longevity (and speaking as a whole, not specific recent or past seasons), is a lot more characeter based. Think about how many episodes there have been about secondary characters, like Apu or Moe, that are more story driven. You actually care about the characters. Family Guy is more random and skit based, without the attachment. Besides Brian and Stewie, I feel like most of the other characters aren't that compelling, at least not to base a whole episode around. I'm not saying that one show is funnier than the other, they're just funnier in different ways.

One show I have recently enjoyed more is Futurama (also apparently coming back with new episodes). I think it has the development of the characters, but also a lot more freedom for random stories and parodies. My favorite episode is the one with the Harlem Globetrotter planet and the time crystals. Completely hilarious, but it also ends on a sad and touching note. And there's also that Fry's dog episode.

[koisk]

My favorite episode is the one with the Harlem Globetrotter planet and the time crystals. Completely hilarious, but it also ends on a sad and touching note. And there's also that Fry's dog episode.

While you were gone, the Globetrotters held a press conference informing everyone that I was a 'jive sucka.

Look people. Here's the facts: Season 3-8 Simpsons > Futurama > South Park > Family Guy > Season 1-2 Simpsons > Simpsons after season 8

[Strawman]

You're correct. The show has been picked up for another two seasons.

link (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/television/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002199241&imw=Y)

With this renewal, that will take us to Season 19. And at the moment only seasons one through seven are available on DVD.


Actually the complete 8th season is now available....

[b.miller]

how come nobody ever splits the family guy into eras? I personally found their first run a lot funnier than once they were brought back.

and WHY isn't American Dad in any of these comparisons!!!!???! i am OUTRAGED!!!

or not.

[grady]

Actually the complete 8th season is now available....
That post you were replying to was from Spring 06(04-02-2006, 03:37 AM) well before season 8 and subsequently, season 9 were released on DVD.

[grady]

how come nobody ever splits the family guy into eras? I personally found their first run a lot funnier than once they were brought back.

and WHY isn't American Dad in any of these comparisons!!!!???! i am OUTRAGED!!!

or not.

I thought I had made that distinction, but after careful review of previous Family Guy rant/s/diatribe I think that just comes from making that distinction in my place of work as many of my co-workers ask me, "Do you watch the family guy?" when they see my Simpsons monthly calendar and daily trivia calendar.

This type of inquiry usually leads me to que up the Family Guy diatribe about how the show was better pre-return v. post-return.

As for American Dad, I saw part of an episode and that was all I needed. Done and done, that is that Matress Man. Why waste any more characters or synapses firing in the brain?

[koisk]

how come nobody ever splits the family guy into eras? I personally found their first run a lot funnier than once they were brought back.

and WHY isn't American Dad in any of these comparisons!!!!???! i am OUTRAGED!!!

or not.

I agree, although the newest ones are pretty good.

[grady]

Alright, it's almost here, and on b.miller's and my birthdy too!

There is a new trailer (http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1808405878/video/3117170/). From the looks of it it seems like little has changed from when I saw the test screening of the film in March, I hope the film will still surprise.

7-11's are turning into (http://www.7-eleven.com/kem.asp) kwik-e-marts.

Despite this growing level of market saturation, I can't help but smile like I did today buying a squishee. Unfortunately there was no buzz cola (http://www.7-eleven.com/sip_buzzcola.asp) on the shelf yet.

Here is a clip (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3KXQElmZcw) of Matt Groening and Al Jean on the BBC earlier this week.

[mmm skyscraper]

http://flickr.com/photos/rdr07/685896383/in/set-72157600590001691/

[big screen satellite]

mmm.... dough-nuts!

[the mongoose]

Found a nice spoiler free review that says it's a pretty damn good flick:

******************
Hey, doesn't seem to be many reviews out for this yet so here's my thoughts.


The most fun I’ve had at the cinema all year.


Yes, that’s how I’d sum up the greatness that is The Simpsons Movie. It is just plain uninterrupted fun, filled to the brim with jokes, self-references and imaginative humour.


I laughed constantly for it’s 80 minute running time, probably on average a decent laugh-out loud joke every 30 seconds. Finally a movie this year that delivers on it’s promise!


Don’t get me wrong if you’re not already a Simpsons fan there’s nothing overly new here that’s going to entice you in. It really is just three episodes back to back (be that 3 very good episodes) and it does exactly what it says on the tin.
It reminded me how funny and dynamic the Simpsons is. I’ve been a fan since the first series (when I was five years old) and I still watch it today some 17 years later (as do most fans).


I think it’s agreed that the best episode are in the first ten seasons (which I love), where each episode has an obvious story (maybe two) that it wants to tell, ever since then it’s gone a bit downhill. I don’t know why, but it seems to be that the focus of one or two solid stories has been lost and they just try to cram lots of crazy situations/jokes into an episode now with out the heart, and so it lost some of it’s appeal to me.


With the movie though you get the best of both worlds, here you have a core story that the movie focuses on completely (with a few side stories that interweave around it) and lots of genuinely funny jokes and situation mixed in as it goes along (that add to it rather than just being there for the sake of it).


I also particularly liked the fact that the movie stays centred on the Simpson family. Yes, pretty much every character who’s ever been in an episode makes an appearance (be it speaking or just in the background) but only in the context of the story. They could have just crammed every character into it and it would have ended up being a complete mess, but here they have the perfect balance between the Simpson family and making sure all the other favourites get a look in.


I love the look of the film, the added budget really gives the movie a polish and a sheen. Whether it be with the extra shading or the cgi cel-shaded backgrounds that really do look incredible when they move and spin around. Everything just has an added bit of quality about it to differentiate it from a regular episode.


I really did think this movie was genuinely funny throughout, and therefore I won’t write about any of the jokes as this movie is definitely best viewed fresh with no spoilers. If you’re a fan of the Simpson brand of comedy it is hilarious. I can’t remember a film where I have laughed constantly from beginning to end, my cheeks were sore afterwards. Not every gag is going to make you rupture your appendix but they’ll make you giggle, and none of the jokes fall flat.


The whole audience I watched it with were having an excellent time. After about half way through I thought to myself “I hope they keep this up for the whole film”, and they did! The jokes keep coming and the story moves at a brisk pace (no fat to be trimmed).
The humour here is a mix of genre’s (as with the series) you have clever and imaginative stuff, slapstick, dry and few pop-culture references, but all of it works and isn’t out of place.


Thoroughly recommended to anyone who is a fan of the Simpsons and I’ll definitely be seeing again.


9/10


************


:cool:

[kid cue]

metacritic (http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/simpsonsmovie) looks encouraging -- i'm actually excited now!

[Tom]

I liked it a lot.

[grady]

I went to a midnight showing last night. It was a good time. It was fun to see what they had changed since the first viewing of it in March. That said, they did excise some jokes and bits that I thought should've stayed. I'm looking forward to seeing it again.

The film is really tightly written and paced and starts out strong and maintains the level of humor throughout.

More Homer and Plopper would've been great.

[gambit]

I don't think I've ever laughed this much in a movie. I mean genuine, gut-busting laughs. It felt a little odd, though, since I'm so used to watching a 22 minute Simpsons and not a 1.5 hour Simpsons, but it's still the Simpsons and filled with Simpsons humor. Hopefully, they'll bring Lisa's love interest for some fun in the tv show. The only thing that bothered me was that it felt like three episodes strung together with some not-for-tv things thrown into it. I don't know.

Whatever. It was hilarious. You'll enjoy yourself, guaranteed.

[Jafs]

This movie was really funny, a real step forward compared with the weak last seasons of the series !

[Troy McClure]

The movie was great to me as well. I liked the pacing as well, which has already been mentioned here. The sight gags worked great. The theatre I saw it in was packed full.

Definitely will have to check out again.

[Kennrr]

saw it yesterday and loved it. i'm actually suprised how good it was, couldn't ask for more.

[the mongoose]

Saw this tonight. Mixed feelings about it. I thought it really started out strong for the first 30-40 minutes. I was laughing my ass off and really enjoying it. But once it got a little serious and the focus was off of Springfield I felt myself lose interest fast and I actually started nodding off. I woke up here and there near the end (usually when something loud happened) but most of the time I was snoozing away. Ugh.
At least I'll have some stuff to look forward to the next time I see it, and I'll make sure I'm not tired beforehand.:(

Lots of good reasons to check this out, even if it is a little dry in the middle.

[holden]

Saw it last night...very very well written and funnier than expeced givn the rather lame self parody that the sow has become in the past several seasons. You're right in that the pace drops a lot when they leave town, but it's an enjoyable story with all the favorite characters and smart jabs.

[Flux]

im actually quite surprised as to how much i didn't enjoy it. I feel that it was the success of the thirty minute format that was the main cause of my distaste: the fast paced, mini-story-laden style fueled my ADD. In comparison the movie, just seemed like a series of one-liners tied together by a flimsy plot(s) and a sprinkle of pathetic new characters.


***** SOME SPOILERS BELOW *****




The movie didn't try to do anything different, and its not just in its themes but also in format. The flow from toxic lake to Bart needing a father to Spider Pig to Lisa's romance to Marge's marriage saving resolution... it's all been done in one form or another, and all can be easily done in its short 30 minute format (20 mins sans commercials). So how did they extend 30 minutes of plot into an hour plus? Jokes (most of them funny) and movie firsts (Bart's penis? Really? That's the catch?). Overall a souless effort supported by millions in advertising and cross marketing promos, and thankfully so since the only aspect of the Simpson's movie I ended up enjoying was the 7-11 squishy.

[froopy seal]

im actually quite surprised as to how much i didn't enjoy it.Agreed. It was like three TV episodes, loosely connected by weak plots. Some jokes were really funny, but on the whole it didn't have that special "movie feel" about it. Entertaining for a night out at the movies, but also disappointing.

[supersonicsooty]

I went to see it last week and it was a bit dissapointing to say the least, I agree with the weak plot, although the Homer and Bart scooting round the dome trying to throw the bomb out kept me riveted, (it was the only part of the film I paid interest too!). And the 12 eyed squirrel was a liiiitle bit scary. It sure freaked out some of the kids in the cinema, which was most amusing.