Home Movies

Home Movies was a Soup to Nuts production, released through Shout Factory and was originally intended to be shown on UPN after Dilbert & ended with on 5 or 6. Eventually, like most other IFC like cartoons, after a few years they found their way back to TV. Although only 4 seasons were made, this was a fun cartoon and when put with other Adult Swim cartoons which had a similar look, most notabley Futurama and Family Guy, made for a good 30 minute weeknight after Cartoon network show that the whole family could enjoy.

Overall, these were good, clever cartoons that remain pretty fresh and watchable today. It's a shame there weren't more made.

I came late to "Home Movies" - I never saw the UPN season because I don't pay any attention to network television. And I knew (somehow) that it was in "Squigglevision", which was one aspect of "Dr Katz" which I really didn't care for. However, I happened to catch a couple of episodes on the "Adult Swim" segment of the Cartoon Network a year ago and was instantly charmed by the quirky humor, whimsical plotting, and brilliant voice work by an (obviously) skeleton cast and crew and have spent the last few months catching up on the backlog via reruns on Cartoon Network and the collected DVD reissues of Seasons 1 and 2.

Folks, this is brilliant stuff which will sink right into your cortex if you give it half a chance. Saying that it's about an eight year old who make movies with his friends in his basement just doesn't do it justice. "Home Movies" is an elusive blend of Oscar Wilde style "comedy of manners", deadpan pop culture lampoon, childhood memoir, character study and multi-part acapella choir. It almost always manages to sustain a certain wistful, tender attitude towards its characters even in the middle of some truly hilarious dialog exchanges and slapstick physical comedy. That's not an easy thing to do.

About the actual animation: Season 1 is indeed cursed with "Squigglevision", a truly annoying design choice, but the eye eventually accepts it and gets on with enjoying the proceedings. And fortunately, by Season 2 the creators decided just to go with straightforward "Flash" style animation, and the remaining episodes are much easier to watch. The animation never rises above the level of "barebones minimalism", but it is effectively harnessed in service to the story and voice work. In fact, if you pay attention you soon realize that the artwork is quite sophisticated in terms of storyboards and layouts - the "camera" zooms and pans and sets establishing shots and even manages some moments of delicate mood and beauty. For comparison think of the old cheaply made "Hanna Barbera" cartoons from the 70's, 80's and 90's ("Yogi Bear", "Flintstones" after the first season, cookie cutter crap like "Wacky Races" and "Josie and the Pussycats"). In terms of storytelling sophistication and care, this animation style compared to that is like London Broil compared to a Big Mac.

My favorite episodes (that I've seen) are probably "Bye Bye Greasy" and "The Art Of The Sucker Punch", and "Marbles and Mortgages", which contain a mix of parody, slapstick, and character study which many full blown feature comedy movie releases can't match. Watch these episodes carefully (especially the parts where H. Jon Benjamin's "Coach McGuirk" is involved), and you will see an awesome mastery of comedic timing and superb delivery that Woody Allen might envy. It's not so much that the writing is tight (though it is inspired) - rather, the whole thing has a loose, improvised, inspired feel, where even the dead ends and misfires are used as a springboard for further hijinks and blandishments.

I don't know how well Small and his group of creators would have done with furthur episodes if "Home Movies" had gone past the fourth season. This kind of inspired inanity can have a very short "shelf life" as the pressure of constantly coming up with fresh scripts and performances weigh upon the creators. But man, while these guys were in the groove, they were GOOD. I plan to get the Season 3 collection as soon as it comes out, and will relish completing the viewing of every episode there-in. My thanks to Small and his co-creators for a wonderful series that has given me many hours of pure delight.

Home Movies is the funniest show on TV. No show makes me laugh out loud so consistently. Everyone I've introduced to it has loved it. I don't watch a lot of animation, but I am addicted to this. It is truly brilliant and I hope more people catch on to it. Thank God it's on DVD now. I stumbled across it while watching Adult Swim several years ago and was instantly hooked. All of the characters are incredibly clear, original, full, and unique. Brendon Small is the product of a single mother who is trying to raise both her son and infant daughter. Brendon is an awkward fourth-grader whose passion is making movies with his friends (hence the title). His adult influences range from his jaded and slightly bitter mother to his alcoholic and poorly educated soccer coach/gym teacher. The quirky rhythm sucks you in and surprises you with bursts of hysterical, bright, spontaneous humor and an offbeat style. My only complaint is that it's not on enough and there aren't enough episodes. I've watched every episode more than once and I laugh just as hard every time. A genius show with a genius cast.

"Home Movies is destined to go down as an underrated show in TV history... Home Movies was a breath of fresh air in the smog filled lands of TV." - Weekly Wire

Network: UPN & The Cartoon Network; Genre: Animated Comedy; Content Rating: TV-PG (for language); Available: on DVD; Classification: Cult Classic (Star range: 1 - 5);

Season Reviewed: Completed Series (4 seasons)

In 1999 primetime animation was so in vogue for the network that even UPN got into the act. After the much hyped 'Dilbert' slowly crashed and burned on the runway, those that stuck around found a surprise gem in the next time-slot. 'Home Movies' comes from comedian creator Brendon Small, Loren Bouchard and Soup2Nuts, the production company behind Comedy Central's modest hit 'Dr. Katz: Professional Therapist'. When UPN canceled the show after not even a full season I mourned the loss and put 'Home Movies' on the list as one of those great shows that never had a chance. Then a modern television miracle happened. The show was resurrected from the dead by the Cartoon Network 2 years later and thanks to the cost effective animation (turned into the flash style) and a real nuts-and-bolts crew that pulls the show off, it went on for 3 more seasons. Given the time and freedom, it fleshed out characters, matured and improved.

'Movies' follows 8-year-old Brendon Small (voiced by creator Small) whose passion in life is making movies with his home camcorder using his best friends, Melissa (Melissa Galsky) and Jason (H. Jon Benjamin, giving Jason a hilarious and endearing sniffle in his voice), as actors. The 3 kids talk as if they have the experience of adults, and like true young elites, often mock someone for not having seen a movie that was released before their parents where born. To complicate matters Brendon's best friend is pathetic soccer coach John McGuirk (Benjamin). The show's breakout character, McGuirk isn't above blaming the kids and not his coaching abilities when they lose or to mysteriously not show up for practice leaving them to stand around in the pouring rain.

Maybe it was the show's slow pace, very loose plotting and downright shabby animation, but 'Movies' was a show that I sometimes didn't look forward to watching and then, the episodes would win me over by the end reminding me what I liked about it in the first place. This is a charming and immensely enjoyable, where the humor comes in its improved naturalistic dialog, the perfectly deadpan way its all delivered and the unique, honest and fully developed relationships between each character. The bizarre friendship between Brendon and McGuirk; the banter amongst the kids; and the indescribably sweet and true-to-life relationship between Brendon and his single-parent mom Paula Small (Janine Ditullio). There's also Melissa and her father, the priceless egging-on McGuirk gives to Melissa, and Jason's own preoccupation with Brendon, candy and a fear of his bed among other tangential things. It's not a stretch to say that 'Home Movies' is the best character comedy in recent animated memory.

One of the funniest aspects of this show are the movies within it. Brendon is part Ed Wood, part Max Fischer and part every arrogant prick you knew in school. He builds elaborate sets in his basement, dresses his best friend up in a wig and writes his scripts based on whatever is going on in his life - using the movies to exorcise his demons. Few series main characters are as interesting as Brendon. His passion for what he does is infectious - we laugh at his cheaply made movies because that's the joke, but we also are pulling for him and his dream. And the more absurd and nonsensical the movies are, the better, such as "Attack of the 50 Foot Jesus" or his history-twisting masterpiece "Starboy and the Captain from Outer Space" in which space heroes battle tyrannical figures George Washington, Pablo Picasso and Annie Oakley.

In terms of sophistication, 'Movies' is light-years from the other Cartoon Network originals. Sometimes, however, it doesn't seem that way as writer Small and co-creator Loren Bouchard indulge in more cartoonish slapstick humor and pump the show full of annoying characters with grating high-pitched voices, dragging the gags longer than they need to be and just annoying the audience. Flamboyant, sexually confused couple Walter and Perry can prove hysterical additions - but there is only so long that the gag works. In seasons one through three the show is adult animation and deadpan humor at it's finest. I would rank 'Brendon's Choice' on a list all-time-favorite episode endings.

However, in the mysteriously delayed 4th season the show becomes overrun with its annoying impulses. Characters we don't care about are given an insane amount of screen time. It seems to even infect McGuirk who is reduced to a screaming mess in 'Camp' and giant man-boobs in 'The Heart Smashers'. This season is not the best of what this show has to offer, but Small and the Cartoon Network wisely pulled out before any real damage was done.

While 'Home Movies' never got the attention of more hyped up animated fair like 'South Park' and 'Family Guy', it deserves a place in that group as one of the best animated shows in recent years. Like 'Park' it is true independent television in which a skeleton crew does all the voice, writing, directing and even writing all the original songs that never cease to pop up in the episodes (the 'Starboy' theme is infectious). The show is Small's baby and (not to sound sappy) it's a celebration of the seemingly limitless possibilities of childhood. Small's series is a little gem, proving that sometimes less is more. Amid the slapstick and the screaming and the charmingly simple 2 dimensional, is a morality play and a fully constructed character comedy. A work of honesty - subtly funny, intelligent, and fully satisfying, this show is worth the time it will take to acquire a taste for it. A modest cult classic.

* * * * / 5

Although, like many of the posters here, my girlfriend thinks this is the worst show on TV, I can't get enough of it. We get it every night here on teletoon. It does take a bit of getting used to as the show is dialogue based, but it is easily as clever as anything you will see on any episode of Sienfeld. The producer/writer must be a big movie buff as well, because the movies Brendan makes are often parodies of famous movies. There's a lot to enjoy about this show. Why people are so down on it, I'll never know. I say, give it a chance. The early episodes, shot in "squiggle vision" are actually funnier than the newer ones. The animation does take a bit of getting used to, but I don't feel it detracts from the basic genius of the writing.