Dauntless Studios boldly goes totally retro regarding a limited-theater run of the mockumentary "Bucky & the Squirrels" on January 26, 2018 before a broader roll-out. The vintage vibe extends well beyond the central story of the titular one-hit-wonder '60s rock band effectively returning from the dead after 50 years. Sitcom veteran Allan Katz, whose credits include Emmy-nominated writing for "M*A*S*H," brings old-school humor into a buzzkill "that's not funny" era. An inadvertent aspect of this is a Harvey Weinstein joke that relates to his Hollywood power in this production that predates his downfall.
The following YouTube clip of the "Squirrels" trailer provides a strong sense of both the amusing concept of the film and the celebrity cameos.
A non-controversial aspect of the film relates to Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin playing large "reel" and "real" roles in this film about the equally neutral concept of the titular Appleton-based band just hitting it big with "Do the Squirrel" in 1968 when the crash of a small plane in the Alps apparently provides a classic rock star death. The discovery (and subsequent defrosting) of the Flash-Frozen Four in 2017 drives the film. A notable omission regarding Appleton is that a list of celebrity natives does not include Edna Garrett of "The Facts of Life."
Other good non-offensive humor comes in the form of segments on the backstory of the group. A hilariously awful modern-day high school video project on the group is a highlight. Additionally, we see the full charm of the band in a clip of a 1968 appearance on an "American Bandstand" style show in which awesomely named host Dave Madden, which is the name of the actor who plays the manager on "The Partridge Family," interviews the clowning boys.
Casual sitcom/kids' shows fans will easily see "The Monkees" in "Squirrels." More hardcore folks will recognize the '70s-era "The Kids From C.A.P.E.R." (Civilian Authority for the Protection of Everyone Regardless). The "C.A.P.E.R." vibe extends beyond both groups being more goofy than the Prefab Four to a particularly strong similarity regarding the shy blonde Squirrels drummer and Doomsday, a "Kid" who literally can talk to animals.
The aforementioned offensive-to-some element enters the picture during the rehab of the boys; their displaying strong mental disability symptoms is amusing to varying degrees and definitely does not endear Katz to advocates of folks with cognitive difficulties. Examples of this humor include a zombie-like race with a chocolate bar as the prize with a Squirrel ultimately rubbing this treat on his face and a separate trip to an ice cream parlor in which one of the boys cannot decide on which flavor that he wants and subsequently predictably drops his cone on the floor.
The fact that the humor of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," which is another series of which Katz is a veteran, includes jokes regarding Gordy the Weather Man being black demonstrates that offensiveness and funny are not mutually exclusive; the issue is that many folks in 2018 simply lack a sense of humor regarding topics that strike a nerve with them.
An actual MTM joke regarding assuming that Gordy is a sportscaster because he is black (but that does not claim that he is not a qualified weatherman) is funny and appropriate for reasons that include making the person who makes that assumption seem foolish. A PURELY hypothetical joke that Gordy was late for work because he missed his bus stop because he was sitting in back and could not get to the front before the bus pulled away would not have been funny or appropriate. It also likely would have led to cancelling the series in 2018.
Anyone with questions or comments regarding "Squirrels" is welcome either to email me or to connect on Twitter via @tvdvdguy.
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