USA: AMERICAN FILM PREMIERE OF ROBIN WILLIAMS AND DANNY DEVITO COMEDY "DEATH TO SMOOCHY"

Record ID: 634563

  • Title: USA: AMERICAN FILM PREMIERE OF ROBIN WILLIAMS AND DANNY DEVITO COMEDY "DEATH TO SMOOCHY"
  • Date: 15th March 2002
  • Summary: NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (MARCH 26, 2002) (REUTERS) VARIOUS ,EXTERIOR OF PREMIERE THEATRE (2 SHOTS) SMV ROBIN WILLIAMS ARRIVING VARIOUS , ROBIN WILLIAMS BEING INTERVIEWED (2 SHOTS) SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English) ROBIN WILLIAMS SAYING "Oh in Hollywood, that town of love? That place of kindness and giving? Yeah, I've met a few - bitter, angry people who you know."
  • Embargoed: 30th March 2002 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA AND NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES AND FILM LOCATIONS
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA9HBNFZC9VIV595D058A3ANWCX
  • Story Text: Robin Williams plays a disgraced former children's television show host in the new comedy "Death to Smoochy,"
    directed by Danny Devito. The cast and crew gathered in New York City last week to celebrate the film's World Premiere.
    When Williams' character Randolph Smiley is fired from the highest rated show on kids television after getting busted for taking bribes, his network is desperate to find a squeaky clean replacement. The job falls to network executive Nora Wells, played by Oscar nominee and "Being John Malkovich"
    co-star Catherine Keener.
    She settles on Sheldon Mopes, played by Edward Norton, a struggling street performer/musician who happens to perform his act dressed up like a giant rhinoceros named Smoochy.
    Soon, Smoochy is hottest act on children's television and, despite his desire to do good and keep it clean and legal, all the sleaziest characters in the world start coming out of the woodwork to get a piece of the action.
    Meanwhile, Smiley is down on his luck and out on the street, vowing revenge against Smoochy for taking his job.
    Williams reverts to one of his most manic and outrageous characters in recent years as he plots to bring down the rhino and restore himself to his former glory.
    In addition to directing the film, Devito also takes on a small role as Burke Bennett, Smoochy's shady agent. The film is yet another example of Devito's predilection for dark comedy that he exhibited in his first feature film "Throw Mamma From the Train" and his follow up "The War of the Roses."
    Although it's set in the world of children's television, "Death to Smoochy's" stars all agree the film is definitely not appropriate for children, seeing as how the plot is filled with contract killings, brutal beating, neo-nazis and phallic baked goods.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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