iTunes Exclusive Episode The Happytime Murders

Oh, sexy girlfriend!
Greetings Empire member, and our members, I thought there was more of that drop, and I
think it's not.
If you're hearing the sound of my voice, it means you check out the Clubhouse podcast
and all the madness that happens there, and your one stop shop for all things pop culture.
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But it also means you are currently do so, because it's time for another.
Number 414 for those of you playing in the home game, welcome.
My name is Rob, I'm the executive producer of the Clubhouse podcast, and here's a little
known fact, and I don't know the chat even knows this.
For seven years when I was a teenager in youth group at church, I was part of our puppet
ministry.
Speaking of chat, he is sitting there, you heard him in the background, and it's not easy
being purple, and he knows that.
He is chat, but I'm, but I make it part of my mantra, that is fair.
Sitting out the day is the official fact checker of this show, and a man who thinks the
movie we're going to talk about, and I would agree with him, may have punched his ticket
to the underworld.
You may know him as Fondango, but his mom and even Don Ford, I'm going to call him Don Ford,
welcome sir.
Underworld, is that like some...
We're going to hell.
That's what I'm talking about.
That's an evil underworld.
I don't know.
I thought you were going to say it.
You thought it was a documentary.
There wasn't a resident evil underworld, you just combined two movies.
I don't know, there was something underworld, there was something...
Yeah, it was called Underworld.
Okay.
Not underwear, underworld.
Yes.
I blame you for this.
I am.
I'm so used to it.
Whenever you hear one of these, we do, is to review something, and this is no exception,
because kids, oh by the way, that's what's going to happen to us.
It's time to talk about the happy time murders.
Where we start this madness, which is already started, we got fake our best bits of
yonkin.
Al, I did a great remark getting.
We love our vendors so much, they let us see movies early so we can talk to you guys
about them.
And let me kind of set the stage for you, Chad, a little bit.
Okay.
So at the screening that we attended, it was Don and myself.
General was part of this too, she's a little under the weather, but you can find her written
review at www.theclubhousepodcast.com.
That's her website.
As you walked in the theater, as we walked in the theater, because we were there, you
could actually take basically a mug shot in front of a backdrop with a little thing.
And they had things that represented things from the movie that you can have.
It was pretty neat.
Yeah.
I mean, how about does a great job all the time?
Yeah, very, very, and so does photographic evidence exist of this?
Not of me.
Oh, no.
Not of me.
I don't know if Don did it.
I did.
Okay.
Because we all came in at different times.
I already have a mug shot.
I was writing a little bit late.
Good to know.
This was directed by Brian Henson.
Yes.
Yes.
The sun.
The sun.
A lot of people, as this movie was coming out, because they did almost get sued by the
Sesame Street people, because the tagline is less Sesame, more street, right?
And people are like, Jim Henson would try.
I'm like, y'all don't understand.
The Muppets weren't always Sesame Street.
Right.
Let's be clear on that.
Very much.
If you go back to the early days of SNL, yes, I figured this would go.
Jim Henson did a sketch every week on SNL, and it wasn't exactly kid friendly.
It was, it was, if the Dark Crystal were a dark comedy.
Yes.
I can't remember what the name of that thing was.
The great, I remember the great Favott, and that's about it.
It's the only character I can recall.
And there's more than one Henson involved in this deal.
I saw two or three people whose names Henson involved in this deal.
Okay.
And it's funny that the, one of the production companies, because you know how we like
to count the number of production companies at the beginning of a film, this had four,
maybe five.
One of them was called Henson Alternative, or Ha, or Halt.
So my first inclination when I sat into the theater was how many people in this auditorium
can I say did the homework?
I was thankful to see there were no kids.
Thank God.
No, there was some team, younger, younger.
Yeah, but I'm talking about kids that would wind up in therapy after 90 minutes of this,
because this is right at 90 minutes.
I want to put therapy after 90 seconds.
So to describe it, we start with the words in a world where puppets and humans live
together.
Okay.
Puppets are tree of like second-class citizens.
And you have the only puppet ever to join the LAPD, who gets disgraced by the name of
Phil Phillips, played by Bill Beretta, and I want to put a pin in him because I want
to come back because I've actually listened to an interview with Melissa McCarthy.
She was on the Bob and Tom show the other day, and some of the things that she said about
the production of this film.
Bill Beretta actually plays three different people, but his main is Phil Phillips, and he's
this PI.
And one day, and this is the way I put it in my written review currently located at www.theclubhousepodcast.com.
This is Film Noir in the Sunshine.
Okay.
Huh?
I got you.
Just roll with me down.
Okay.
So as he goes into his office one day, he has a human secretary named Bubbles, played
by the great Maya Rudolph.
Okay.
He meets a mysterious female client who says I'm being framed.
There's something going on here.
Puppet client or human client?
Puppet client.
Black male.
Black male.
Black male people are saying they know things about me and people that I know, so he starts
to investigate.
And as he starts to investigate, he goes, can he move him to say this?
He goes to a certain video establishment.
If Sarah's secret catered to puppets in the worst possible way, and while he's there,
he runs into a former puppet star.
And while he's investigating certain things, someone comes in and opens fire in this establishment.
Okay.
So now Phil gets a little bit roped in more.
And as the cops can see was there, the cops show up as does his former partner, Detective
Kanye Edwards, played by Melissa McCarthy, and the lieutenant banning played by Leslie
David Baker, whom you might know as Stanley from the office, which I think him as the
lieutenant is just great.
Yeah.
So therefore, to kind of sort of team up again with Phil being a consultant, because there
starts to be a pattern as these murders keep happening, because they're all the people
that are getting murdered while puppets and people were members of an 80s television
show.
And rebooted and syndication.
That's going to be rebooted.
It's being syndicated.
And there is a $10 million check that's being cut to the cast.
Okay.
But the less cast there is, the less there is to split the bigger.
So you've also got Joel McHale is in there.
So you know what I mean?
And Elizabeth Banks, she's the only human member of the cast of this show.
Okay.
I want to say first, I want to give respect to the Henson, I'll turn it people, because
the trailer tells you what you need to know.
This is something that it wasn't like, oh, we went to the theater and this is a thing.
But the trailers are like, yeah, this is what's going on and it's much like South Park
bigger, longer on cut.
If anything offends you, stay away, because nothing is off limits.
There is an homage to a certain film early in Sharon Stone's career with a puppets.
Okay.
And Paul's no punches on that scene.
Yes.
We already got that once this year in Deadpool too.
So and I'm going to mute the mics here because I have two words to say to Chad.
That's all I had to say about that.
Yeah.
Of hilarious.
Don't get me wrong.
But when you know, because we, for those of you that don't know, when we go to screenings,
our vendors give us comment cards, so we can give them instant comments that they can
send to the studios before the films come out.
And mine.
I wrote that it's been a long time since I was laughing and shaking my head at the exact
same time.
Yeah.
I mean, this is, you know, a general talked about how the plot maybe was a little too simplistic
for her, but this is really a very simple film noir plot.
Private eye meets mysterious, pretty girl, client, things get weird, top twists and turns
kind of thing.
Typical tropes of that genre.
And it's also a buddy cop film at the same time.
There are certain revelations about Melissa McCarthy's character that the first time they
mention it.
I'll put it to you this way.
I want you to think of me sitting where I like to sit on the aisle.
There's an empty seat.
And then there's Don.
I counted four times in 90 minutes where Don looked at me and went, damn, I don't.
I'm not kidding you.
This film, I can't say it's a bad film because I enjoyed the time I spent there, but there
were moments that I was just like, did we meet this?
Yes.
Okay.
This is what I was afraid of.
It's very much why I'm trying to avoid this thing.
There's a couple of reasons.
Number one, I'm not a huge fan of Melissa McCarthy.
That's my own problem.
And she's basically the same person as she was in the heat.
Okay.
It's the same kind of role.
Okay.
Spy possibly too.
I could take her in very small.
Spy, she was a little bit more naive.
This to me was more like this.
This to me was more like this.
She's such a hard-edged, loud, smart Alec.
She has some great lines though.
Well, I mean, she knows how to give herself good dialogue, but I kind of figured that
this is one of those things where it's such an unlikely venue to see something so blatantly
horrifying as far as gross out comedy goes that they're going to push it as far as it
can be pushed without getting an NC-17 rating slapped on it.
Now, if you go to my written review at www.clubhousepodcast.com, that's our website.
I put on this, this film, if it was humans instead of puppets, it would have been.
Oh, it would have been.
It would have been.
Yeah.
They got a lot of way with a lot because they were puppets.
Yeah, the way I said this is what Team America did for Mary Annette's, this does for
puppets.
That's exactly what I thought.
If I had to choose to show at a Mormon church function, I'd almost spit water all over
the studio.
I'd copy that.
I'd copy a film version of the Book of Mormon or this.
I would be more comfortable showing the Book of Mormon at that function.
Okay.
The man carries a point.
Yes.
Because at least they'd have a sense of humor about that because they do.
I mean, this film pulls no punches.
There's no sacred cows, nothing off limits.
Well, let me kind of funny that you say it that way.
Let me kind of put my two cents into this now.
You heard what he said, right?
There's no sacred cows.
Just let that sit for a minute.
I'll tell you off here.
Okay.
The, this film, I love those kind of films sometimes.
I love South Park.
I'm the first to say it.
I love these things.
Where is it?
I love those kind of things where they push the border and nothing is off limits.
I hate to say it.
Religion is not off limits on this.
No.
Yeah.
I mean, everything is fair game.
Yeah, no.
It shouldn't be.
Yeah.
And I can't laugh at things that they take in front of and not laugh at those things too.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So I mean, I saw the trailer.
So I kind of had a good idea in what to expect.
To the people out there.
Right.
Just because there's puppets, don't take your kids to this because you will have a lot
of explain.
I mean, that's what I was saying.
That's why I'm kind of glad that the marketing to this has been what it's been.
They actually did a pop-up in LA, the weekend before, where it was a puppet tattoo parlor.
And if you knew the secret phrase, they led you through the back into what can only be
described as the puppet den.
There's video out there of it.
So I want to say now this has it.
It's so unstable.
But I really love how everything was fair game.
This is adult humor.
I loved how they pulled no punches.
I mean, even the sea, I'm going to say is cow in octopus.
That I wasn't actually going to say that because that's why I said I was going to talk to Chad off.
Okay.
But I didn't know what you're talking about.
I can't read minds.
But I mean, it's the only cow seen in a whole film.
Yeah.
But either way, just people who won't see this don't even know what we're talking about unless
they see it.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I mean, but it's just, I really, I think Barrett had a good voice for the character.
I really do.
I think his tone and everything was perfect for the role.
I like how he has a simplistic style.
Yeah.
But it still had a good plot.
I thought overall.
Well, Melissa McCarthy said in the interview I was referencing earlier.
She said he was so good that there were times in between takes.
She's literally carrying on a conversation with the puppet.
Yeah.
And another thing I put is the others lost CGI.
But after a while, I thought of these people.
Well, hold on.
I addressed that for a second because Chad just had a confused look on his face.
These puppets walk and talk.
They're fully, they're fully animated Chad.
So you have to have guys in green suits that are basically CGI'd out so that the puppets
look like they're walking free fun.
Okay.
I mean, because we had that in the Muppets as well.
Yeah.
But now this is, but I agree with Don.
It's done really well.
The puppeteers didn't.
Oh, sorry.
Didn't mean to do that.
Oh, wow.
The puppeteers did really well on this.
I was really impressed on that.
I agree with you.
And I thought of these people as human after a while.
I forgot that they were puppets.
I mean, to an extent.
So, I mean, I got to give it out on that.
This one here.
Go see the Book of Mormon or, you know, just see something else.
See something else.
Yeah.
I mean, this.
No, don't go see the Book of Mormon if you recently have spent it.
No, it's a lot.
Don't do that.
It won't opinion as much.
But I mean, I think I thought it was really funny.
It has to be in your wheelhouse.
It has to be in your wheelhouse.
It's a little raunchier than it should be.
But in Pomo Punches, which I loved in there, nothing was off-guarded, which I really like.
I give them that for doing that.
No, I agree with you.
Yeah.
But if it easily, don't see this and don't complain.
You know, that's the best thing I could say about it.
We ready to get to the final analysis?
Yeah.
The company was just there.
I loved it.
Oh, my.
What?
I looked up Bill Paretta's film on purpose.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Speaking of the Muppets.
Yeah.
He played the Swedish chef.
Yes, he did.
Worcester, Worcester, Worcester, Worcester.
And one of my...
One of my...
King Prime.
Two of my favorite characters, thank you very much.
Worcester, Worcester, Worcester.
Oh, my God.
The way we do the final analysis on this show, we're not going to give you thumbs up, thumbs down.
Letter, grades, numbers.
Hey, it worked.
Anything like that.
We're going to ask you two questions.
Question number one is, would we see this again?
If the answers know, then we're done here.
But if the answer is yes, it's how far are we willing to go to see it?
From the best of the best of the worst of the best, here's how it goes.
Full price at the theater, down to a...
Twilight showing, down to a matinee, down to early morning on the weekend, down to first one at the theater.
All right, first run, second run at the dollar theater.
Good mercy.
Down to streaming it from...
Actually, you know, down to getting it from Red Box, streaming it on Netflix, down to getting it on cable.
Don, would you see the happy time murders again?
If I could make quote you during the film, I just...
I just...
No, I would say yes.
Okay, how far are you willing to go to see it?
A matinee afternoon.
Here's my thing.
But ask me in your genre.
Ask me in your genre.
Yes.
I...
See, here's my thing.
I don't know that I would watch it again.
I would...
I...
We've established that.
Let me have my time here.
But I can't say it's 90 minutes of my life.
I'll never get back.
Does that make sense?
Let me ask you this.
He's in that?
Yes.
Interesting.
What's the chances of this making your top 10 worst of the year?
It won't be in the box.
Okay.
Okay.
I just think that I've seen it.
I don't know that I need to see it again.
I don't regret the time that I was there.
Yeah.
But if somebody was at the house and it was on and they were like,
Oh, I've been wanting to see that.
I wouldn't go, Oh, man.
I would go, Okay, let's just do this.
And how would you recommend it to somebody though?
Then don't rush out to see it.
Okay.
Dollar theater?
Maybe.
Okay.
I would say maybe red box.
Because I mean, it would be worth going to get.
I would do it for no other reason just to support the Hanson family
because they gave us so much in our youth that I've been like,
we owe them a debt.
Just, again, kids, do the homework before you go to the theater.
It are for a reason.
Yeah.
For many, many, many, many reasons.
But, but, puppet.
Shut up.
Nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope.
It is Brian Henson's the happy time murders for this whole thing.
Yes, sir.
We got to think, uh, be on kin are best friends.
Alah, did a great amark getting.
We love our vendors.
They let us come, see movies and talk about them
and they ask our honest opinions.
And we love that about him too.
You have to, if they scar you for life.
At least for a couple of weeks.
Let's do the plugs.
Visit our website, the app for mention,
www.theclubhousepodcast.com.
I find out everything you need to know and some stuff you don't.
Follow us on social media, Twitter's at ClubhouseShow, everything else is the Clubhouse podcast,
all three words in that order or you will wind up somewhere else.
You can follow me on social media if you would like, everything is yes, that Rob Irvin
that has spelled E-R-V-I-N.
I am Matt Chad, NPG69.
I'm at Fan, Dongo, and Twitter, two ASMR videos and two dashes in the middle, and also
email me at Don at ClubhousePodcast.com.
Email Don for information on how we can come do a live show at your particular establishment.
We love doing live shows and hanging out with the Empire.
You can email me questions, comments, concerns, to many go-pounds, sand, I'm Rob at
the ClubhousePodcast.com.
I am Chad at ClubhousePodcast.com.
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Our nor we do a weekly show normally, live the tape at this point every Sunday night, so
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Make sure you write us, make sure you review us.
Make sure you get some sleep after that.
I don't even know what that is anymore.
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Thank you for listening in, so until next time for Don for Chad and the Empire, I'm Rob.
Clubhouse is closed, and if you couldn't find a place for Brittany Palmer in this, I'm
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