Meet the Feebles (1995)

This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

The acting in this movie is really good.

At times seemed more concerned with shock value than entertainment

King Kong (2005), Heavenly Creatures (1994), The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003); what do they all have in common? Well other than the fact that they are all high quality films, they all share a director with the little seen; little loved 1989 New Zealand film Meet the Feebles (1989). That's right; before Peter Jackson won critical acclaim for his magnificent spectacles and J.R.R. Tolkien adaptations he was the director of a twisted, tawdry parody of The Muppets (1976-1981), ranking up there with The Toxic Avenger (1984) in its level of vulgarity.The movie aptly juggles a multitude of stories surrounding the struggling variety show cast and crew. The main character of Meet the Feebles is an aging star, Heidi the Hippo (Danny Mulheron) who is struggling to keep her relationship with adulterous producer Bletch the Walrus (Peter Vere-Jones). That, in addition to a sugary sweet love story between a hedgehog and a poodle is about the tamest thing about Meet the Feebles. There are subplots involving drugs, STDs, Vietnam flashbacks, gun violence and plenty of puppet sex.The sheer ridiculousness of this nightmarish puppet show makes it too ghastly to look away. It appalls intrigues and impresses in equal measure. Everything from the camera-work to the puppeteering to the script are crude yet wildly effective. The size of each anamorphic puppet varies from elaborate sock puppet to a multi-crewed giant all requiring a certain level of skill which while not on par with Jim Henson, is fun to watch.This film, coupled with Peter Jackson's Dead Alive (1992) makes me wonder where the director would be if he had stayed on the path of grotesque horror and gallows humor. Give the man a humungous budget, award winning actors and the top technical talents of Hollywood, and he'll give you a triptych of timeless classics. Give him just $750,000 a hand-held camera and some felt and he'll give you a memorable marionette experience that won't be equaled until Team America: World Police (2004). One thing's for certain if he had stayed on the path we wouldn't have had to endure The Frighteners (1996).The script written by Jackson and three other New Zealanders is fresh and funny giving the audience everything from silly muppet-like puns to ribald musical numbers including "Sodomy" sung by Sebastian the Fox (Stuart Devenie). Much of the gross out humor is provided by a character simply known as The Fly (Brian Sergent) who buzzes around for tabloid gossip and develops his photos in a toilet.The rest of the film is filled to the brim with knife throwing, machine gun toting; cocaine sniffing mayhem intermingled with rabbit-HIV and sadomasochism for good measure. I'd recommend this film to anyone with a warped sense of humor over a certain age. Those who were endeared by Kermit the Frog, Fozzie Bear and Gonzo the…whatever, should probably avoid Meet the Feebles. Not because of its cynical treatment of hand puppets might ruin fond memories but because those same fond memories might be replaced by rude hilarity that ensues in Peter Jackson's 8th best film.http://www.theyservepopcorninhell.blogspot.com

I remember at the ripe young age of six watching this film on thanksgiving with my two sisters, grandmother, aunt, mother and father, and ol' uncle Charlie, who brought it in from the mom & pop VHS rental store just down the street. we sat in a crowded living room and watched peter Jackson's family masterpiece illuminate the room on a 24 inch television set. everyone laughed, everyone cried, and at the end, we all hugged and parted ways, feeling bonded closer together. I grew up with this film always in my memory, flickers of soothing sounds of grandpa terry chuckling while his big belly shakes like a warm pot of jello, as a fox discusses the joy of his favorite activities with a crowd of hundreds in a musical sensation. I remember my sister Janet weeping during the breathtaking war scene, and i remember the hippo, oh how i remember the hippo. that was years ago, but i just recently got the exact VHS from my uncle for Christmas 2 years ago, and as if it were my own passing of the torch we both sat and watched it in my living room, as my wife and children played outside in the ever encompassing snow. now I show it every year to my children and friends during the holiday season. This film is not only art, its a journey, for young and old, and through this journey we are all connected. Go out and rent this immediately for your whole family to enjoy. 11/10.

To sum it up, when someone says this film is "perverse", do not take it with extreme caution, take it as a threat on your life. This film is so crazy it's actually kinda good.I did NOT like this film the first time I watched it, mainly because there's a lot of raunchy moments and some grotesque imagery, and had I not given it a second chance, I might have rated it much lower. I ADORE/ADMIRE/LOVE Peter Jackson, and believe him to be a remnant of classic Hollywood-style, but to say the least: this is his weakest motion picture to date.The voice-work for the puppets is great, however, there's just so much perversity, I had to look away. The snuff film was okay, and the poor puppet that thought he had an STD provided for some laughs, but other than that, the acting cannot save the majority of comedy.The puppets themselves range from hideous to cutely-hideous, and the final 10-minutes of the movie are the funniest moments out of the entire film. The carnage resembles that of Bad Taste and Braindead, though not nearly as gory and above-the-bar in gross-out.All in all, this was an excellent idea, if not poorly executed. There's not a lot of flaws, but the flaws are so huge themselves that they warrant Meet the Feebles a 7-star review.This is Peter Jackson's weakest film to date, and I highly suggest his fans or fans of The Lord of the Rings (such as me) skip out on seeing this picture... unless you absolutely HAVE TO.Enjoy.