Motern Media Christmas Special

MOVIE #1,799 • 🍿🍿🍿🍿🍿🍿🍿 • 07.08.24 MovieJeff on Motern: A FARLEY/ROXBURGH DIRECTOR FOCUS Whereas with previous effort Slingshot Cops, I felt the Motern gang was leaning too hard into the broader anti-comedy absurd — missing their sweet spot of quaint absurdism — this 45-minute “Christmas Special” is a return to form. The framing device — that a reclusive musician named Jandek Clause will be performing at the end of the show — is stupidly funny in a very specific way. Other running gags include: Tommy Adirondack (Tom Scalzo) not dancing but then finally dancing to the atonal music of J.C., a character named Sleison (it is pronounced differently almost every time) losing his Christmas cheer and refusing to leave his house, the “Shock Marathon” repertoire players (lots of familiar faces) acting out tweaked scenes from various B-movies, and a slew of fake commercials often featuring a pitchman (also Tom Scalzo) in increasingly insane scenarios. You could say this about any Motern production but it needed more Kevin McGee.

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CHRONOLOGICALLY
⫷ MOVIE #1,798 - (YOU ARE HERE) - MOVIE #1,800 ⫸

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Matt Farley teams with Pete Peterson to host this variety show spectacular, which features comedy by Jay Mayo, special appearances by Slingshot Cops actors, theatrical interpretations by the ShockMarathons Repertory Players, music from Jon Cross, and cameos by Freaky Farley and the Riverbeast. It was released on December 16, 2017.