Meet the Feebles
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Meet the Feebles is a 1989 New Zealand black comedy film directed by Peter Jackson, and written by Jackson, Fran Walsh, Stephen Sinclair, and Danny Mulheron. It features Jim Henson-esque puppets in a perverse comic satire. Like Henson's Muppets, the Feebles are animal-figured puppets (plus some people in suits) who are members of a stage troupe. However, whereas Henson's Muppets characterize positivity, naïve folly, and innocence, the Feebles present negativity, vice, and other misanthropic characteristics. Apart, it could be argued, from Robert the hedgehog, who is portrayed as positive, innocent and naive.
A commercial failure on release, the film went on to win a cult following, and won over new viewers following Jackson's success with the Lord of the Rings trilogy. During his acceptance speech at the 2004 Academy Awards, Jackson mentioned Feebles, joking that it had been "wisely overlooked by the Academy." It is the first Jackson film to be released that was co-written by his future partner Fran Walsh, who as gone on to act as co-writer for most of his subsequent films.
