Indogutsu Reviews

Ren & Stimpy 'Adult Party Cartoon' (2003)

Billy West had the right idea!

[27 June 2003]

Ren and Stimpy were two of the most cherished icons from my childhood. "Were" is the operative word in that sentence after I saw the premiere of their new "Adult Party Cartoon" on the National Network (TNN). Anyone who grew up with Ren and Stimpy remembers the psychological drama of "Space Madness," the harebrained schemes of "The Boy Who Cried Rat," and the inspired nonsense of "Robin Hoek." None of those classic cartoons' qualities were present last night. Instead, we got crude sound effects and raunchy jokes about homoeroticism and consumption of human waste.

Now, I have absolutely nothing against people with alternative sexual orientations, but I believe there's a right way and a wrong way to present them in the media, and Ren and Stimpy's new show failed miserably at it. Sure, there were various hints at the two title characters' relationship scattered throughout the old show (like Ren's job as a romance novelist), but seriously, didn't Kricfalusi and Co. have any second thoughts about the whole "pitcher and catcher" thing? I seriously doubt that "Queer as Folk," the award-winning HBO show that presents homosexuals as believable people instead of walking stereotypes, would ever resort to that kind of humor. Seriously, it felt less like a Ren and Stimpy cartoon and more like a piece of perverted fanfiction from a disturbed 12-year-old girl.

The premiere episode was the first sign of the show's inevitable downfall. TNN marketed the show as a "Cartoon for F***ing Adults," gave it a TV-MA rating, and put it in the same block of programming with a foul-mouthed anthropomorphic rat lawyer and a crimefighter named Stripperella. All this, presumably, to compete with Cartoon Network's Adult Swim and Comedy Central's "South Park." And for what? "Ren And Stimpy's Adult Party Cartoon" lacks the heart of "South Park" and the wit of "Home Movies." Not to mention how the show's TV-MA rating makes it unfit for children, although children are the only people who might find the show even remotely funny. "Ha ha ha, they're eating boogers! I can eat boogers too! When I grow up, I wanna live in a spittoon just like Ren and Stimpy!"

In closing, Billy West made the right decision after he read the script and refused to lend his voice acting talent to the show.

Punch-Drunk Love (2002)

What Would Sigmund Freud Have Said?

[30 October 2002]

This film had several things going for it; namely, impeccable acting from a stellar cast (Adam Sandler showed a whole new side of his acting repertoire here, and his chemistry with Emily Watson was simply amazing), and well-fitting music (both from the score and the soundtrack). However, it was marred by an overly absurdist story reminiscent of the weird-for-weird's-sake "Being John Malkovich."

Before the flame wars commence, let me explain that I know full well this was a love story, and usually love stories don't carry any deep hidden meanings or long-lasting messages. But "Punch Drunk Love" was clearly trying to be more than just a boy-meets-girl cinematic cliché. I believe that the story had to have made Sandler's character work for a plunger manufacturing company for a reason. And then there was that whole thing about the harmonium. They had to represent something visible only when one reads between the lines. Either that, or they were just part of a dream that Paul Thomas Anderson had and turned into a screenplay.

Because of the seemingly random actions and images coming together, and the ethereal and surreal quality of the music, it would be a valid theory to say that "Punch Drunk Love" was based on a dream of Anderson's. Some parts of it, anyway. I know that the "pudding for airline miles" subplot was based on an actual occurrence stemming from a marketing and accounting faux-pas. As for the phone-sex subplot, Anderson introduced a well-needed sense of conflict and opposition into the picture -- something unique for a love story. But there's still the matter of those metaphors that lead to nowhere...