Buddy
Film
Can you believe it's been 12 years since Too Many Cooks graced our screens? If you can't believe it, or have no clue what I'm referencing, well then let's just jump back in time. The 11-minute short is a series of montages meant to be an absurdist homage to the family sitcom introduction sequences of the 70s, 80s, and 90s. It quickly spirals out of control as the catchy earworm of a tune "Too Many Cooks" lodges itself deep within your brain. Casper Kelly, the creator and director of this short, is now sinking his teeth into feature filmmaking with his debut, Buddy. Similarly absurdist to his Too Many Cooks, his feature film takes aim at children's shows of the 90s and early 2000s. Most of the film takes place inside a show reminiscent of Barney and Friends where a giant orange unicorn named Buddy (voiced by Keegan-Michael Key) teaches kids about cleaning, friendship, dancing, and so on. However, when one of the kids refuses to "bust a move", Buddy's overly friendly demeanor gives way to something violently sinister.
Kelly understands well what made Too Many Cooks such an instant classic. A hot-bed of meme culture, the short garnered feverish attention and embedded itself in the young millennial cultural zeitgeist. That same energy is present if not effervescent in Buddy. Kelly's sharp directorial instinct makes for a finely shot film and Anna Kathleen's production design is a terrific mix of bubble-gum pastels, animatronics (including a train voiced by Michael Shannon which is something to behold), and zany supporting characters and mascots. From a technical viewpoint, Buddy is an outrageously strong feature debut and is easy on the eyes.
However, the pitfalls of Too Many Cooks remain in Buddy and since this isn't some 11 -minute-long short, they're amplified. I'll concede that Kelly's absolutely ridiculous world-building is damn fun, Too Many Cooks spiraled hard and fast into absurdity whereas Buddy takes a restrained and suspenseful exploration of this liminal space of Buddy's show. There's a forest outside Buddy's home with talking flowers and even an "escapee" named George (Clint Howard) whose age is indicative of the lack of true freedom from Buddy's "realm", all of which are hilarious, unsettling, and well, bizarre. But these ideas are stretched too far and too thin as it expands into the real world. A capable Cristin Milioti playing Grace, a mother in the real world who's clearly missing something (or someone) she can't quite understand, feels more like an aside than an integral part of Kelly's story. Similarly, the even more bizarre third act provides more tonal whiplash and completely flies over the handlebars.
This isn't to say that Buddy isn't fun at all, because it is a blast to watch. It's bloody, gory, and never takes itself seriously, which as a dark satire of a murderous Barney makes complete sense. The unnerving, yet satisfying, idea of the giant mascots that taught millennials how to wash their hands and be friends, like the Teletubbies or Barney, could be perverse monsters absolutely makes for some entertaining moments. But, much like Too Many Cooks, this might have been better served as another short. Too many minutes just very well might spoil the broth, if you know what I mean.
Froth
That's right, I'm going with another IPA here. Some call me a madman, some call me a creature of habit, I like to call myself a purveyor of quality beers for movies. Anyways, Cloudburst Brewing made a soft and delightful Hazy IPA called Soft Fuzzies that seems almost too appropriate for a movie about a giant soft fuzzy creature (ignoring the murdering at the moment). It has a strong hoppy profile that delivers some nice resinous backbone to a more forward funky fresh aroma. There's a strong grapefruit taste as well that aids the bitterness, but overall there's enough soft citrus and sweetness to pull it all back. The mouthfeel is extraordinary, bringing in an almost chewable thickness that compliments the flavor profile, albeit making it a little tougher of a crushable beer. Nevertheless, Cloudburst rarely disappoints with their IPA lineup and Soft Fuzzies is just another banger that they keep churning out.
