Danny Devito’s overlooked satirical comedy Death to Smoochy arrives on Blu-ray with a new remastered version from Shout Studios.
The Production: 4/5
Rainbow Randolph (Robin Williams) is a beloved children’s television host who gets “cancelled” when caught taking bribes in an FBI sting. In an effort to avoid further controversy, Kidnet executives Nora Wells (Catharine Keener) and Marion Stokes (Jon Stewart) scour for new talent with not even unpaid parking tickets. They find pacifist vegan Sheldon Mopes (Edward Norton), who around the nursing home and methadone clinic circuit is better known as Smoochy the Rhino. His success is meteoric, but Mopes’ resistance to corrupt agents and sponsors in favor of solid ethics and creative control put a target on his head. Oh, and Randolph isn’t exactly taking his downfall well. It’s just a matter of time before someone takes out the rhino.
Reviled upon its original release by critics and considered a box-office bomb in 2002, Danny DeVito’s Death to Smoochy deserves a re-evaluation. I think that had it been released a decade or so later, it would have found its audience. Adam Resnick’s screenplay is full of quotable lines, most of which I probably can’t repeat in this review. I wonder how much of Rainbow Randolph’s dialogue is as-written or the usual mad brilliance Robin Williams comes up with for his characters. A scene with Randolph crashing a broadcast of Smoochy to smuggle phallic cookies enjoys a burst of creative profanities. I particularly love how Edward Norton plays Mopes with such focused integrity that you really believe he’s incapable of corruption. Catharine Keener, Jon Stewart, and DeVito (as agent Burke Bennett) play such slimy, unprincipled characters that remind me of actual jerks I’ve had to deal with in life. We’re also treated to some great bit parts with character actors Robert Prosky, Vincent Schiavelli, Pam Ferris, Michael Rispoli, and Harvey Fierstein.
Another aspect of Death to Smoochy that I enjoy is the impeccable direction by DeVito. The whole film has this incredible, dynamic look. The television show scenes have all these bright colors and surreal energy, while the rest is made up of crazy dutch angles and moody lighting. Much of it reminds me of early Coen Brothers or even Sam Raimi. If I had to make a criticism, I think it’s the usual problem with comedies in that 109 minutes is a little long for a manic comedy. Perhaps trimming it down a bit more would have tightened things up. Still, I laughed quite a bit, especially with gags like Mopes carrying around a disgusting bottle of spirulina and almond butter for his soy hot dogs or practically any facial expression made by Robin Williams. My recommendation is that as with any comedies, watch with some friends.
Video: 4.5/5
3D Rating: NA
Shout Studios and Warner Bros. have collaborated on a brand new 2024 2K remaster from the original 35mm interpositive, presented in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1.
It has been over 20 years since I last viewed the film (on DVD), so I have no idea how this compares. However, as with nearly anything that goes through the Warner pipeline, Death to Smoochy looks fantastic. Scenes in the television studio are bright and colorful, while much of the rest is shot in shadows and dim lighting. I’m sure some are disappointed this didn’t have a full 4K remaster from the camera negative, but I don’t think anyone will be let down by this remaster. Shout has encoded at a high bitrate (averaging at 32mbs). There’s a thin layer of grain, only heightened at times like the occasional optical or green screen shots. There’s a scene in a car between Sheldon and Randolph that looks strange due to greenscreen compositing and there’s also sections meant to look like part of the television show. Many time lapse sequences appear to be standard definition video, with visible aliasing. The bulk of the film looks pretty much perfect. I doubt it looked this good on its original release.
As mentioned before, comedies are often films one isn’t looking for fine visuals, but I kept thinking about how great the lighting and camera work is here.
Audio: 5/5
Shout Studios has provided the original theatrical audio in both DTS-HD MA 5.1 and 2.0 surround. The 5.1 track is typical of many non-action/adventure films of the time where it seems like most of the important audio is stuck to the center channel, with the rest used for music and sound effects. I actually preferred the 2.0 surround mix, which seemed a little more balanced. As expected for a 2002 film, zero issues with fidelity or quality.
Special Features: 4/5
Shout Studios has filmed three new interviews for this Shout Select Blu-ray edition of Death to Smoochy:
Magic Moments (12:42 HD) – Interview with actor Danny Woodburn (Angelo).
Rainbow Stitch (7:24 HD) – Interview with costume designer Jane Ruhm.
Symphony of Chaos (6:42 HD) – Interview with composer David Newman.
and the following extras are ported over from the original Warner Home Video DVD:
Audio commentary by director/producer Danny DeVito and cinematographer Anastas Michos.
Behind-the-Scenes Featurette (7:38 SD)
Extended and Deleted Scenes (6:26 SD) – ten scenes presented as one program, with chapter stops
Bloopers and Outtakes (5:27 SD)
Theatrical Trailers (4:34) – First appears to be a trailer meant for television or video (in SD), second is a remastered HD theatrical trailer.
Overall: 4/5
Now that Death to Smoochy has had a few decades to find an audience, I think it’s time for people to rediscover it. Shout Studios presents a lovely 2K remaster with a few new interviews, as well as porting over everything from the DVD.
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