This is one of my favorite movies. I watch it at least once a year. I will never understand how it did so poorly. I love every character, I love the direction, the sets, the performances. I just think this is an underappreciated classic. Not sure if it's a cult movie or not, I don't know anyone else who likes it as much as I do, but whatever. I will enjoy it alone if need be.
One of my all time favorite films, absolutely histerical. "Im Rainbow F*cking Randolf" Edward Norton as the straight man and Robin as the insane person that still makes sense. I've showed it to so many people and they all loved it. Its very dark comedy but I wish there were more movies like this. Yet another time Ebert was wrong.
My sister and I loved this movie. I’d call her sometimes & say the safari line that Robin Williams delivered. “You better grow eyes on the back of your purple head. It’s open season & im going safari on your ass!” then he makes that amazing elephant noise. God Robin was gold in this.
As many times as Robin Williams was turned down for a batman villain role, Death To Smoochy is proof that he would've been great as the Riddler or the Joker if given the chance. I love this movie and its mean spirited insanity.
The fact that it was a box office bomb only increases my respect and love for this film. The reason why it bombed is because it is real life and simple people hate it when movies accurately reflect real life.
This is insane to me. I saw the film in its opening weekend, and I absolutely loved it! It’s biting and witty and funny as f*ck! Everyone puts in fantastic performances! It’s just perfect! To hell with the critics! I feel bad for anyone who doesn’t give this one a shot.
For me, I think that the performance of the movie at the box office was largely due to the poor timing of its release. The movie came out roughly 7 months after the events of 9/11 and most audiences were looking for more positive and uplifting vibes from the movies back then, which unfortunately Death to Smoochy simply did not deliver with its dark outlook on human life and the shady business practices of those involved with children’s entertainment. I really enjoy the film and perhaps one day Danny DeVito will have another crack at directing a movie once again.
The premise was too alienating for mainstream audiences. My dad was interested in this because it was quite a jolt to see Robin Williams in an R-rated film, but he couldn’t get past the whole children’s programming angle of it.
@@planescaped I’ve found that Adam Resnick’s work has a very small audience and is not exactly designed for critics, so the time which it came out in is irrelevant.
Correct ! 9/11 crying time killed this film . Today ( 2022) it’s commentary on mental health , deranged celebrities , opioids , and marketing to kids resonates .
One of those really truly dark comedies. 3:31 2002 was a very different year for Robin Williams, he did a killer in Insomnia, a stalker in One hour photo and also this in the same year. What a change of pace from his career
He'd dabbled in darker roles before. Probably as far back as "Dead Again," another movie that's unfortunately forgotten and deserves more love. TL;DR: it's a neo-noir murder mystery starring/directed by Kenneth Branagh, with a reincarnation twist. Williams plays a sleazy disgraced psychiatrist.
One of my favourite dark comedies of all time. I remember watching it around 2003 and falling in love with it instantly. Then buying it, and rewatching it over and over again. I was only 24 that time but understood what it was really about. RIP Robin Williams.
This film was (& still is) hilarious, thoughtful, full of heart and a guilty pleasure. Reminds me that movies were & still is made for people who don't want complexity or difficult subjects to be immersed in. Also, critics have their place & their useless at the same time.
I remember seeing an outtake from the movie....during Randolf's downfall..."Rainbow, what's it like being the most hated man in america?" Williams just said "I think OJ still has that title." We miss you, Robin.
Is it just me or after what happen to Williams, you notice that pain in his face. He seems happy while performing, but then when its done, he realizes that its over and that bit of time that made him happy is gone and its back to being troubled.
He was experiencing the effects of lewy body dementia which destroys your brain function and causes all sorts of mood changes and hallucinations. He had issues but he didn't off himself because he was a tortured soul, he was trying to escape the horrors his degenerating brain was causing him.
I loved this period of the late Robin Williams's career because he delivered his greatest work in 2002 with One Hour Photo, this and Insomnia. A lot of people may have been turned off by these films, but I loved each 1 of these. Death To Smoochy was absolute joy for me. I'm glad that I had the chance to meet him because he was truly a sweet guy. R.I.P. ❤🌹🙏
I saw it when it opened, no one else in the group I went with liked it. It was an awesome 4 on 1 discussion on why I loved it and they didn't. Still love it to this day.
"Friends come in all sizes. It's a fact, it's true." I had not realized that this was such a box office failure. First time I saw it was as a Hastings rental. I loved it. Still one of my favorites.
i remember watching this on opening day (Wednesday) and immediately telling my friends about it. But by the weekend, the movie was pulled out of cinemas so no one else saw it.
Looove this flick! I remember I put my buddy on to it awhile after it came out. We would rewind the scene w/Rainbow celebrating after framing Smoochy over & over again, dying laughing at Robin Williams' physical comedy and singing. This was back when digital cable's premium channels were state of the art w/their free on demand menus.
I remember my Uncle babysitting me once and he rented this, thinking "It's Robin Williams, he's funny and kid friendly", thinking of his roles in Aladdin and Ferngully. My mom was so mad when she found out!
I recently saw this film and was pleasantly surprised just how great it was. I've always seen Robin as someone who's real acting skills would be perfect in creepy roles and this worked great. More people need to see this cinematic gam, likely it got more lost in all the other films that were dumping out of hollywood at the time. But hey, it's still seen and people who find it. The cast was all perfect, the actors must have loved their roles to pull it off so well. The entire ending titles were great, too. Maybe for the time it may have been too dark, but darker times were coming and it's finding its market now.
This is the last film which Peter MacGregor-Scott ever associated with Warner Bros. Studios as producer and during the final years, he's producing several more projects including Andrew Davis' sleeper, "The Guardian."
This is one of my all time favorites. When I was in Iraq in 2005 I found a copy on VHS in morale and recreation shack at some random base. It really made my day.
Today in 2022 I learned this movie was a flop... around 2005 my brother and I got this at a flea market and fell in love. I was so funny and every time I have watched it throughout the years, I not only found it funnier but also found some insanely smart artist choices made throughout the whole movie!
I have all of the robin Williams movies quoted in this movie. I was so young that I didn't know they had done poorly in theaters. But I've watched each one multiple times. Including "Toys"
I had no idea this film even existed until last year. I was looking at IMDB of Robin Williams films, as I thought I;d seen them all, and found Smoochy. I was surprised to find Ed Norton was in it too. Can't for the life of me work out why it never made it to UK cinemas.
I was one of the children in this movie (the audience is always the same) It was the best movie to work on, so much fun and ridiculously well organized for something so large. Still one of my favourite movies
When I watched this I was still going through Barney withdrawal because my son had recently aged out. This was just what I needed. It was like a brisk slap to the face.
I remember seeing the bad reviews so I didn't catch it in theaters. But when it hit HBO and I actually saw it, I was like "WTAF?" How did I sleep on this absolute masterpiece?!? Still love this movie, glad to see all the love here for it!
We loved Death to Smoochy. Underrated & brilliant. Very quotable. We use "Smoochy quality" a lot. DeVito as the crooked agent: "Don't mess with the Parade of Hope, they're the most dangerous of the charities", "Smoochy's a Nazi!", Ed Norton's Smoochy: "Your office doesn't face this way, cupcake!", Williams' Rainbow Randolph makes dildo shaped cookies for the Smoochy kids show to ruin it. Smoochy: "It's a rocket ship!!" RR crashes the set: "No it's not! it's a penis, a dildo, a dingaling" and the kids giggle. So funny. Keaner's character: "You're a f''ing costume. All you're required to do is smile and nod". John Stewart handing a desperate and homeless Robin Williams a gift bag of hand lotions from a conference. 😂
I loved this movie the first time I saw it and still do. It got like zero press in the UK and I only discovered it while visiting a friend in Switzerland who had a DVD copy, that was the best part of 20 years ago. When he showed me the DVD and explained who was in it I was shocked that I had never heard of it so he put it on and I was thoroughly entertained by it. It's such a shame this movie bombed as it's pure gold!
It must not have been marketed well anywhere. One-Hour Photo didn't get much press either, but Insomnia was hyped up and it was good, but it was neither William's nor Pacino's best work, IMHO. Of the three, which one is the best?
Saw this movie opening weekend with my mom and we loved the hell out of it. We walked out of the theater having laughed our asses off for the last two hours. When it didn’t make money, even we were wondering why. It’s been a favorite of mine ever since (My mom died in 2007 but she always loved it when she was alive). It was Williams, Norton, and Keener at their best. 20 years on, I’m so glad it has found an audience like it should have then. Sad that DeVito has yet to direct another movie, because I never liked Duplex all that much (despite its game cast who really does try), and I know he could bow out as a director with something much better than that.
I remember I was like maybe 9 or 10 when this came on HBO, all the time. Man, seeing Robin Williams in such a dark movie, then seeing, One Hour Photo. What a crazy flick. Sometimes I would turn it off because it was so weird.
As someone who was introduced to humpty dumpty (edward norton) from death to Smoochy at 9 years old, him in comedies totally overshadows his more serious roles like primal fear. All i can see aaron stampler as is sheldon mopes before anger management
Direct to video, and I got it the DAY it was out on DVD. Laughed myself stupid when Rainbow Randolf calls Sheldon "Young Moses...I'M PHAROAH!" Can't believe he got the Razzy for this role.
You mean i fucking love this movie religous american guy im from sweden🇸🇪 not Switzerland🇨🇭. Me myself fucking hated this movie closed the movie of and watched spaceballs 1987 and airplane 1980 their is real humor genius brilliat funny humor.:D
The sad thing is, for all the questioning of why the movie flopped... I sort of suspect it was really just to do with the title being sort of weird and difficult to take seriously. If you consider the first two box office weeks as an audience that picked what they wanted to see by reading a list of available movies, which then petered out from there and didn't pick up the word of mouth it needed to stay current, it makes sense. People are generally really fickle about titles and will avoid bad sounding (or unrelatable) things even if the content is stellar. It's why names are so important. They set expectations.
I remember watching it when it premiered on cable and laughing my ass off. Still one of my all time favorite Robin Williams films along with The World According to Garp, What Dreams May Come and One Hour Photo.
I crack up every time I see Edward Norton in that suit because I see him and I think “this is the hulk this is a guy who made an imaginary terrorist friend and he’s dressed like Barney’s long lost distant cousin”
I'm always surprised to be reminded that this incredible film was a failure. I loved it from the first minute. How could anyone not love Robin Williams as this crazed celebrity? Nuts to critics!!
I like this movie, it's an underappreciated look at show business, and Norton and Williams were decent in it. "Big Fat Liar" came out around the same time, and arguably eclipsed it.
Explain how a movie that came out in 1997 "eclipsed" a movie that came out 5 years later? Face it, Death to Smoochy is a mid tier comedy with some weird shit in it.
I remember some if the critics praising this movie in 2002. But obviously, those critics were in the minority. This is another classic example of a film being made and released ahead of its time. But hey, Death To Smoochy is a Cult-Classic now.
I really don't understand the reaction to this movie, nor do I care. This is one of my favorite movies. It's just so damn quotable, and I couldn't imagine a better use of Robin Williams' persona. This is just a wonderful film.
This is a great movie. I got to see a special screening of it when it came out. My local radio station gave out a package of eight free tickets. I was the right caller and I won. They gave them out the same day of the showing. At the time I worked at a video store. I kept two tickets for me and my dad and gave out the rest in pairs to my frequent loyal customers. Only me and my dad went so the other six tickets went to waste. My dad and I argued over the movie after. He said the movie is terrible because it is not for kids. I kept explaining to him it is not meant for kids. He kept saying it is because why is the guy dressed up like a animal and working with kids. I kept reasoning with him that was what the movie was about a child entertainer but that doesn’t mean it’s for kids. I explained it’s meant to show that the life of an entertainer isn’t always glamour. It can be dark and stressful but these people still have to put on a happy face. He still kept saying that no it was made for kids and kids shouldn’t watch it. I couldn’t understand because my dad even liked Robin Williams a lot at the time. Bad experience for me but a great movie.
Whatever you think of this movie, can we all agree it's weird to have a costumed character with his face showing through a hole? Like, who is even paying attention to the rhino head, when there's Ed Norton's right below?
I saw this at the theater and have always loved it. I also love One Hour Photo. As good as Robin's comedies are, I think these two will always be my favorites ♡
Henry Rollins auditioned for the role of Spinner Dunn but he terrified DeVito in the audition when he flipped over a table while sprinting across the room.
It's a classic bizarre film. Everything like this is a precious example of how far extrapolating ingenuity can be. It is so odd. All Resnicks are interesting.
One of the reasons I love this film is how different Robin Williams is in this role. Throughout his career, he’s always played the inspirational, funny, witty, charming type of guy. Even in stuff like Insomnia and One Hour Photo, you feel sympathy for him. Here, he’s just downright MEAN! So different from what he’s done and I loved every minute of it! Truly one of the most underrated comedies out there!
Oh yea. If this were released today it would be absolutely groundbreaking. The problem is woke culture would never allow it to be made in the first place. But yes 100% this film is timeless and better than 99% of garbage comedies these days.
So many movies that are semi-popular get labeled Cult Classics, but this movie truly is one. Very few people remember it but those of us who do LOVE it. It's one of my husband and I's favorite movies. It's a damn shame it has yet to get a Blu-Ray release. Death to Smoochy and World's Greatest Dad are two classic and TERRIBLY underappreciated Robin Williams movies.
I remember seeing this in theaters. I'm kind of surprised it didn't do better because everyone I saw it with was laughing nonstop. I love the movie. One of my favorites easily in my top 10m
I understand the importance of box office returns but I like entertainment despite mass appeal, usually gravitating to the fringe anyway. That was the case for 22 year old me and still is. I've used Rainbow Randolph and Smoochy both as alternate profile pics for years. It's a celebration of absurdity... which is key in avoiding the mental breakdown of "real life". It's also part of my favorite era of Robin Williams, and a study of his coping in hindsight: the madness of genius for someone who was undoubtedly tortured.
This is one of my favorite movies. I watch it at least once a year. I will never understand how it did so poorly. I love every character, I love the direction, the sets, the performances. I just think this is an underappreciated classic. Not sure if it's a cult movie or not, I don't know anyone else who likes it as much as I do, but whatever. I will enjoy it alone if need be.
Probably cause all of us weird gallows humor fans were teenagers whenit came out. And couldn't pay our way in
Same here.
I remember seeing this movie as a kid in the theatre with my mom.😁
Came here to say this, and it was already said. So back to being a Smoochy evangelist in the regular world.
This is my favorite Robin Williams movie.
One of my all time favorite films, absolutely histerical. "Im Rainbow F*cking Randolf" Edward Norton as the straight man and Robin as the insane person that still makes sense. I've showed it to so many people and they all loved it. Its very dark comedy but I wish there were more movies like this. Yet another time Ebert was wrong.
Right?! Ebert was wayyy off with this one!
And Reporter: “How does it feel to be the most hated man in America?
“In this country full of neanderthals, I wear it as a ****ing badge of honor”
My sister and I loved this movie. I’d call her sometimes & say the safari line that Robin Williams delivered. “You better grow eyes on the back of your purple head. It’s open season & im going safari on your ass!” then he makes that amazing elephant noise. God Robin was gold in this.
This movie was wrong far more times than Ebert was.
It tanked a studio.
Etc.
My favorite quote is: “it’s gonna be a safari, motherfucker, A SAFARI!!!!!”😂
As many times as Robin Williams was turned down for a batman villain role, Death To Smoochy is proof that he would've been great as the Riddler or the Joker if given the chance. I love this movie and its mean spirited insanity.
This movie came out when he did a string of dark ones. Nolan’s Insomnia, this one and after it One Hour Photo. Dude had range.
Oh man, yeah, he would have been an amazing Batman villain.
Have you seen 1 Hour Photo?
Robin Williams as the Ventriloquist or Clayface could've been interesting...
@@Rinksiderips I was thinking Mad Hatter
This movie is genius, decades ahead of its time.
This was not a great movie but it definitely was a movie that was before its time. If you have not seen it you need to.
Amen
The fact that it was a box office bomb only increases my respect and love for this film. The reason why it bombed is because it is real life and simple people hate it when movies accurately reflect real life.
“The Rhino is a nazi” made me fall out of my bed, doubled over in laughter pain..
This is a perfect movie. Love it. Sad that so many didn't appreciate it.
I worked in the theaters at the time. I was the only employee vying for the poster. I remained on my wall for many years.
This is insane to me. I saw the film in its opening weekend, and I absolutely loved it! It’s biting and witty and funny as f*ck! Everyone puts in fantastic performances! It’s just perfect! To hell with the critics! I feel bad for anyone who doesn’t give this one a shot.
For me, I think that the performance of the movie at the box office was largely due to the poor timing of its release. The movie came out roughly 7 months after the events of 9/11 and most audiences were looking for more positive and uplifting vibes from the movies back then, which unfortunately Death to Smoochy simply did not deliver with its dark outlook on human life and the shady business practices of those involved with children’s entertainment.
I really enjoy the film and perhaps one day Danny DeVito will have another crack at directing a movie once again.
The premise was too alienating for mainstream audiences. My dad was interested in this because it was quite a jolt to see Robin Williams in an R-rated film, but he couldn’t get past the whole children’s programming angle of it.
@@kamdan2011 It was too early for its audience. Had it come out 5-8 years later it likely would've been received significantly better.
@@planescaped I’ve found that Adam Resnick’s work has a very small audience and is not exactly designed for critics, so the time which it came out in is irrelevant.
Correct ! 9/11 crying time killed this film . Today ( 2022) it’s commentary on mental health , deranged celebrities , opioids , and marketing to kids resonates .
"It's small, but it's fierce!" gets me everytime. Bless this film. Ebert could be such a condescending prick sometimes. :-)
He's small but fierce...
Personally "Saffaaaariii!!!!" Busts my gut.
This movie doesn't miss a single note. The public wasn't ready for it.
Roger Ebert hated it? Now I've GOTTA see it. His negative reviews have given me more favorites than recommendations from friends.
One of those really truly dark comedies.
3:31 2002 was a very different year for Robin Williams, he did a killer in Insomnia, a stalker in One hour photo and also this in the same year. What a change of pace from his career
He'd dabbled in darker roles before. Probably as far back as "Dead Again," another movie that's unfortunately forgotten and deserves more love. TL;DR: it's a neo-noir murder mystery starring/directed by Kenneth Branagh, with a reincarnation twist. Williams plays a sleazy disgraced psychiatrist.
That is a change of pace for him
I loved ONE HOUR PHOTO. So weird! It was very suspenseful.
I refer to it as " Robin Williams's Trilogy of Evil" 3 of his strongest performances.
I don't care what anyone thinks, but this is one of my favorite movies ever! I quote it constantly. I think people are too critical of dark comedies.
When he gets arrested “ what are you doing to me? I’m Rainbow fucking Randolph!” I love this movie so much 😆
@@patrickwhelpley1745 "when my brothers and I played cowboy and Indians, I was always the Chinese immigrant railroad worker."
"You don't want to mess with the Parade of Hope. They're the most dangerous of the charities."
One of my favourite dark comedies of all time. I remember watching it around 2003 and falling in love with it instantly. Then buying it, and rewatching it over and over again. I was only 24 that time but understood what it was really about. RIP Robin Williams.
This film was (& still is) hilarious, thoughtful, full of heart and a guilty pleasure. Reminds me that movies were & still is made for people who don't want complexity or difficult subjects to be immersed in. Also, critics have their place & their useless at the same time.
I remember seeing an outtake from the movie....during Randolf's downfall..."Rainbow, what's it like being the most hated man in america?" Williams just said "I think OJ still has that title." We miss you, Robin.
Is it just me or after what happen to Williams, you notice that pain in his face. He seems happy while performing, but then when its done, he realizes that its over and that bit of time that made him happy is gone and its back to being troubled.
You sound like a 13 year old girl who thinks she’s philosophical and deep but just sound like a pretentious moron.
He was experiencing the effects of lewy body dementia which destroys your brain function and causes all sorts of mood changes and hallucinations. He had issues but he didn't off himself because he was a tortured soul, he was trying to escape the horrors his degenerating brain was causing him.
@@lorblauh yeah. Like I said. Tortured.
I loved this period of the late Robin Williams's career because he delivered his greatest work in 2002 with One Hour Photo, this and Insomnia.
A lot of people may have been turned off by these films, but I loved each 1 of these. Death To Smoochy was absolute joy for me. I'm glad that I had the chance to meet him because he was truly a sweet guy. R.I.P. ❤🌹🙏
I can't believe critics didn't like this movie. Its one of my favorite films. I laughed so hard through the whole movie!
I saw it when it opened, no one else in the group I went with liked it. It was an awesome 4 on 1 discussion on why I loved it and they didn't. Still love it to this day.
A film for 2022, not the depressing time after 9/11. Full of emotions and dark comedy . I’ve always loved it.
smoochy's fuchsia, Moochy's burgundy! Read a paper! Love that line!!!
I remember seeing this on Comedy Central years ago, and loving it. I couldn't believe I'd never heard of it, especially with such an awesome cast.
The best scene has to be when robin calls Edward Norton character and makes that elephant noise😂😂😂
"I'm going on safari, mother fucker... SAFARI! *Elephant noise*
Gotta go with the "rocket ship" scene myself. But there are so many great scenes.
"Friends come in all sizes. It's a fact, it's true."
I had not realized that this was such a box office failure. First time I saw it was as a Hastings rental. I loved it. Still one of my favorites.
This was an awesome film. Shame it didn’t get the 1st run success it could have had.
i remember watching this on opening day (Wednesday) and immediately telling my friends about it. But by the weekend, the movie was pulled out of cinemas so no one else saw it.
Looove this flick! I remember I put my buddy on to it awhile after it came out. We would rewind the scene w/Rainbow celebrating after framing Smoochy over & over again, dying laughing at Robin Williams' physical comedy and singing. This was back when digital cable's premium channels were state of the art w/their free on demand menus.
I actually saw this in the theater, and was infatuated. It has aged fantastically.
I remember my Uncle babysitting me once and he rented this, thinking "It's Robin Williams, he's funny and kid friendly", thinking of his roles in Aladdin and Ferngully. My mom was so mad when she found out!
I recently saw this film and was pleasantly surprised just how great it was. I've always seen Robin as someone who's real acting skills would be perfect in creepy roles and this worked great. More people need to see this cinematic gam, likely it got more lost in all the other films that were dumping out of hollywood at the time. But hey, it's still seen and people who find it. The cast was all perfect, the actors must have loved their roles to pull it off so well. The entire ending titles were great, too. Maybe for the time it may have been too dark, but darker times were coming and it's finding its market now.
This is the last film which Peter MacGregor-Scott ever associated with Warner Bros. Studios as producer and during the final years, he's producing several more projects including Andrew Davis' sleeper, "The Guardian."
This is one of my all time favorites. When I was in Iraq in 2005 I found a copy on VHS in morale and recreation shack at some random base. It really made my day.
Today in 2022 I learned this movie was a flop... around 2005 my brother and I got this at a flea market and fell in love. I was so funny and every time I have watched it throughout the years, I not only found it funnier but also found some insanely smart artist choices made throughout the whole movie!
I have all of the robin Williams movies quoted in this movie. I was so young that I didn't know they had done poorly in theaters. But I've watched each one multiple times. Including "Toys"
Knowing Robin Williams struggles I find myself crying during the scene with the little girl saving Rainbow Randolph from himself
I had no idea this film even existed until last year. I was looking at IMDB of Robin Williams films, as I thought I;d seen them all, and found Smoochy. I was surprised to find Ed Norton was in it too. Can't for the life of me work out why it never made it to UK cinemas.
I adore this film. I've been saying for years that it's totally overlooked and underrated. It's in my top list of favorite films of all time.
I loved this movie. Back in my Blockbuster days, I used to recommend it all the time.
I was one of the children in this movie (the audience is always the same)
It was the best movie to work on, so much fun and ridiculously well organized for something so large.
Still one of my favourite movies
When I watched this I was still going through Barney withdrawal because my son had recently aged out. This was just what I needed. It was like a brisk slap to the face.
I remember seeing the bad reviews so I didn't catch it in theaters. But when it hit HBO and I actually saw it, I was like "WTAF?" How did I sleep on this absolute masterpiece?!? Still love this movie, glad to see all the love here for it!
We loved Death to Smoochy. Underrated & brilliant. Very quotable. We use "Smoochy quality" a lot. DeVito as the crooked agent: "Don't mess with the Parade of Hope, they're the most dangerous of the charities", "Smoochy's a Nazi!", Ed Norton's Smoochy: "Your office doesn't face this way, cupcake!", Williams' Rainbow Randolph makes dildo shaped cookies for the Smoochy kids show to ruin it. Smoochy: "It's a rocket ship!!" RR crashes the set: "No it's not! it's a penis, a dildo, a dingaling" and the kids giggle. So funny. Keaner's character: "You're a f''ing costume. All you're required to do is smile and nod". John Stewart handing a desperate and homeless Robin Williams a gift bag of hand lotions from a conference. 😂
If this movie came out today it would win an Oscar
I loved this movie the first time I saw it and still do. It got like zero press in the UK and I only discovered it while visiting a friend in Switzerland who had a DVD copy, that was the best part of 20 years ago. When he showed me the DVD and explained who was in it I was shocked that I had never heard of it so he put it on and I was thoroughly entertained by it. It's such a shame this movie bombed as it's pure gold!
It must not have been marketed well anywhere. One-Hour Photo didn't get much press either, but Insomnia was hyped up and it was good, but it was neither William's nor Pacino's best work, IMHO. Of the three, which one is the best?
Death to Smoochy is Robin Williams at his manic best. Every scene with Williams is pure gold
Back when, everyone agreed that if Ebert didn't like something, the people would.
Saw this movie opening weekend with my mom and we loved the hell out of it. We walked out of the theater having laughed our asses off for the last two hours. When it didn’t make money, even we were wondering why. It’s been a favorite of mine ever since (My mom died in 2007 but she always loved it when she was alive). It was Williams, Norton, and Keener at their best. 20 years on, I’m so glad it has found an audience like it should have then. Sad that DeVito has yet to direct another movie, because I never liked Duplex all that much (despite its game cast who really does try), and I know he could bow out as a director with something much better than that.
It's a shame more people don't know what I mean when I yell "I NEVER SAW VENICE!"
this is what happens when movies are ahead of their time. The general public are too stupid to get the joke and concept till years later.
"I'm Rainbow fuckin' Randolph I know the way out"
I remember I was like maybe 9 or 10 when this came on HBO, all the time. Man, seeing Robin Williams in such a dark movie, then seeing, One Hour Photo. What a crazy flick. Sometimes I would turn it off because it was so weird.
As someone who was introduced to humpty dumpty (edward norton) from death to Smoochy at 9 years old, him in comedies totally overshadows his more serious roles like primal fear. All i can see aaron stampler as is sheldon mopes before anger management
I can't believe this was considered a flop when it came out. It's such a classic!
I’m 30 and I remember watching death to smoochy with my brother when it came out on dvd. We used to laugh uncontrollably at this movie.
Direct to video, and I got it the DAY it was out on DVD. Laughed myself stupid when Rainbow Randolf calls Sheldon "Young Moses...I'M PHAROAH!" Can't believe he got the Razzy for this role.
My parents showed me this a year or so ago and I'm still surprised why this isn't more talked about.
Death to smoochy is definitely one of robins best films.
This movie was so incredibly underrated. It's a brilliantly crafted masterpiece.
I watched this move 7-8 times in the theater.
18 year old me was enraptured by how unflinchingly fucked up the story was.
Oh I friggin love this movie! In my top 250 of all time!
You mean i fucking love this movie religous american guy im from sweden🇸🇪 not Switzerland🇨🇭. Me myself fucking hated this movie closed the movie of and watched spaceballs 1987 and airplane 1980 their is real humor genius brilliat funny humor.:D
@@markusforsberg6741 nope. I mean I friggin love this movie! In my top 250 of all time! Thank you very much.
The sad thing is, for all the questioning of why the movie flopped... I sort of suspect it was really just to do with the title being sort of weird and difficult to take seriously. If you consider the first two box office weeks as an audience that picked what they wanted to see by reading a list of available movies, which then petered out from there and didn't pick up the word of mouth it needed to stay current, it makes sense.
People are generally really fickle about titles and will avoid bad sounding (or unrelatable) things even if the content is stellar. It's why names are so important. They set expectations.
I was a teenager in 2002 I grew up with this movie and I still love it as a 32 year old man.
I've always liked this movie. The cast is great and the performances were very funny. I never knew it was a flop at the box office. Hard to believe.
Critics can be so joyless. I discovered this film one night and laughed my ass clean off throughout.
I have never watched Death To Smoochy, but this review has convinced me to give it a try...
Its an absolute gem.
I remember watching it when it premiered on cable and laughing my ass off. Still one of my all time favorite Robin Williams films along with The World According to Garp, What Dreams May Come and One Hour Photo.
I took my mom to see this in the theater back when it came out and we both loved it hahaha
I crack up every time I see Edward Norton in that suit because I see him and I think “this is the hulk this is a guy who made an imaginary terrorist friend and he’s dressed like Barney’s long lost distant cousin”
I'm always surprised to be reminded that this incredible film was a failure. I loved it from the first minute. How could anyone not love Robin Williams as this crazed celebrity? Nuts to critics!!
I like this movie, it's an underappreciated look at show business, and Norton and Williams were decent in it. "Big Fat Liar" came out around the same time, and arguably eclipsed it.
No it didnt liar liar came out in 96.
@@vg4life 97
@@DrJohnAZoidberg 97 1/2
Explain how a movie that came out in 1997 "eclipsed" a movie that came out 5 years later? Face it, Death to Smoochy is a mid tier comedy with some weird shit in it.
The term, "around the same time" has never been used so loosely 🤣
I remember some if the critics praising this movie in 2002. But obviously, those critics were in the minority. This is another classic example of a film being made and released ahead of its time. But hey, Death To Smoochy is a Cult-Classic now.
I really don't understand the reaction to this movie, nor do I care. This is one of my favorite movies. It's just so damn quotable, and I couldn't imagine a better use of Robin Williams' persona. This is just a wonderful film.
This is actually my favorite movie with Fight Club in a close second lol
This is a great movie. I got to see a special screening of it when it came out. My local radio station gave out a package of eight free tickets. I was the right caller and I won. They gave them out the same day of the showing. At the time I worked at a video store. I kept two tickets for me and my dad and gave out the rest in pairs to my frequent loyal customers. Only me and my dad went so the other six tickets went to waste. My dad and I argued over the movie after. He said the movie is terrible because it is not for kids. I kept explaining to him it is not meant for kids. He kept saying it is because why is the guy dressed up like a animal and working with kids. I kept reasoning with him that was what the movie was about a child entertainer but that doesn’t mean it’s for kids. I explained it’s meant to show that the life of an entertainer isn’t always glamour. It can be dark and stressful but these people still have to put on a happy face. He still kept saying that no it was made for kids and kids shouldn’t watch it. I couldn’t understand because my dad even liked Robin Williams a lot at the time. Bad experience for me but a great movie.
I will love this movie forever. I'm so glad it's getting attention.
This is a criminally underrated movie. It’s my 5th favorite Ed Norton movie of all time.
You know, seeing things in retrospective, Roged Ebert wasn't a very good film critic.
Saw this opening weekend with a big group of my friends. We all LOVED it.
If you haven't seen Robin Williams' standup go do yourself a favor and go watch it. It's been 20 years and I still cry laughing every time
This movie is proof that professional critics are a bunch of overrated karens
Film4 is a real trooper. It regularly takes risks with films, even though it more often than not results in another Smoochy.
I don't care what anyone else thinks, to me this is one of the best dark comedies ever made.
This is right up there with Big Lebowski, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and Fargo. All brilliant dark comedies.
Incredibly silly all the way through, but I love it. Norton and Williams fully commit, and it works.
Whatever you think of this movie, can we all agree it's weird to have a costumed character with his face showing through a hole?
Like, who is even paying attention to the rhino head, when there's Ed Norton's right below?
I saw this at the theater and have always loved it. I also love One Hour Photo. As good as Robin's comedies are, I think these two will always be my favorites ♡
I've been wanting someone to cover this movie for solo long. Robin Williams best performance! IMO
Henry Rollins auditioned for the role of Spinner Dunn but he terrified DeVito in the audition when he flipped over a table while sprinting across the room.
Yeaahhhh..,. Henry is a bit intense.
It's a classic bizarre film. Everything like this is a precious example of how far extrapolating ingenuity can be. It is so odd. All Resnicks are interesting.
One of the reasons I love this film is how different Robin Williams is in this role. Throughout his career, he’s always played the inspirational, funny, witty, charming type of guy. Even in stuff like Insomnia and One Hour Photo, you feel sympathy for him. Here, he’s just downright MEAN! So different from what he’s done and I loved every minute of it! Truly one of the most underrated comedies out there!
This movie is fucking amazing. Robin Williams is the best, I miss him a lot, and he steals the show here.
This came out during my stoner teenage years, it gave me heaps of laughs!
this would blow away any movie these days
Oh yea. If this were released today it would be absolutely groundbreaking. The problem is woke culture would never allow it to be made in the first place. But yes 100% this film is timeless and better than 99% of garbage comedies these days.
One of the funniest movies ever. Never understood why it failed in theaters.
Every robin williams clip you used had me busting up .... Reminding how great this movie was
I watch this moving at least once every 6 months. Great film
So many movies that are semi-popular get labeled Cult Classics, but this movie truly is one. Very few people remember it but those of us who do LOVE it. It's one of my husband and I's favorite movies. It's a damn shame it has yet to get a Blu-Ray release.
Death to Smoochy and World's Greatest Dad are two classic and TERRIBLY underappreciated Robin Williams movies.
I remember seeing this in theaters. I'm kind of surprised it didn't do better because everyone I saw it with was laughing nonstop. I love the movie. One of my favorites easily in my top 10m
I understand the importance of box office returns but I like entertainment despite mass appeal, usually gravitating to the fringe anyway. That was the case for 22 year old me and still is.
I've used Rainbow Randolph and Smoochy both as alternate profile pics for years. It's a celebration of absurdity... which is key in avoiding the mental breakdown of "real life". It's also part of my favorite era of Robin Williams, and a study of his coping in hindsight: the madness of genius for someone who was undoubtedly tortured.