X-Entertainment | Heartbeeps.

Heartbeeps.

HEARTBEEPS! The latest article reviews Andy Kaufman's 1981 flop, where he and Bernadette Peters play robots who fall in love and make robot babies. It really isn't as bad as some make it out to be, but to say that Heartbeeps was a failure is a gross understatement. The review also includes three videos, including one where a big black robot tanks blows up a skunk in a fit of self-promotion. Read it, love it. There probably won't be a new article tomorrow, as Thursdays are my dedicated days to finish up the Delaware print stuff. Back on Friday, possibly with a third arm.

Posted by Matt on 05/21/2003. E-mail me!

Discussion Thread: 19 comments

And to think, this fantastic new article was posted while I was examining the second installment of hulk products.

Bless you matt!

Chestnuts roasted by Redford @ 05/21/2003 8:11 PM

As a Kaufman fan this movie hurts more for what it prevented from happening next. At the time it was being made Andy was co-writing his greatest work ever with his comedy partner, Bob Zmuda. That work was "The Tony Clifton Story"; which was based off Andy’s obnoxious lounge singer of the same name. Universal lost interest in the Clifton Story when Heartbeeps was a certified flop.

When "Man on the Moon" was released I had high hopes that it would become a success and Jim Carrey would star in Clifton as a sequel of sorts. Unfortunately MOTM was not a hit and there is little hope for Clifton ever being made now; although I tried a few years ago to get certain parties interested. You can however read the great script here:
http://www.subcin.com/tony.html

Chestnuts roasted by Michael @ 05/21/2003 8:31 PM

WOW someone actully wrote about one of my fav movies. Before Jim carrey did man on the moon, it was so hard to find this movie. So i paid big bucks from a trader for this movie. i think ill take it off the shelf an watch it tonight. stillmy fav movie.

Chestnuts roasted by Sailor ikey @ 05/22/2003 2:50 AM

The Electric Company Magazine did an article about Heartbeeps. They didn’t say anything about it sucking monkey balls. I never saw it because I was that age where I couldn’t see a movie without an accompanying adult.

My niece & nephew, OTOH, get taken to the movies whenever a good one comes out. Mostly kids movies. And of course, they have cable. I feel so deprived.

Chestnuts roasted by Go Knock Jimmy Down @ 05/22/2003 6:07 AM

nice one.
of course, the male "junk yard hobo" is the supremely odd christopher guest, a.k.a. nigel tufnel in spinal tap. he also played the six-fingered man in the princess bride, and now is currently in "a mighty wind", which he also directed. and he’s married to jamie lee curtis.

Chestnuts roasted by packratshow @ 05/22/2003 11:23 AM

Good Lord and Butter, i had somehow forgotten this movie marvel from my youth. For reasons i cannot even begin to comprehend, i recall a fact that was omitted from the review: The humans drank BEER from Capri Sun foil container things. i can’t believe that’s stuck w/ me for all these years and i still have problems remembering my cell phone number.

Chestnuts roasted by oddbodkins @ 05/22/2003 11:36 AM

I dunno, that’s the first movie review of yours that I didn’t even attempt to finish, Matt. I wasn’t sure if it was a joke or not, but coming on here and seeing that people remember this movie…

Chestnuts roasted by Travis @ 05/22/2003 11:44 AM

Oh Travis trust us, the movie was legit. Scary but legit. I have not seen it in years, and don’t think it has been shown on cable like…ever. But yes, its a real movie. ;o

Chestnuts roasted by Kaufman Fan @ 05/22/2003 11:46 AM

I wish I could make little baby robots. By the way, Matt, I too tried to build a little robot, only I didn’t have any go-kart parts. I ended up coloring a box and being the robot myself. My parents never said anything. I looked like such a jackass. I was like, 17 at the time.

Chestnuts roasted by Bansheex @ 05/22/2003 2:53 PM

actually I saw it on cable, back in the days when MTV played music all the time.

Heartbeeps is good for kids.

Chestnuts roasted by n,:kkbj @ 05/22/2003 4:29 PM

Actually Jerry Garcia did a voice in that movie….. Yes THAT Jerry Garcia

Chestnuts roasted by matthew @ 05/22/2003 5:39 PM

Yes, damn, I was going to mention that I first learned about this movie from The Electric Company Magazine, my only source of movie news when I was 6, but someone beat me to it. At the time I thought it was the biggest movie out there (and not, say, Raiders of the Lost Ark) because, wow, it made the esteemed, rarified pages of Electric Company Magazine… but, now that I think about it, didn’t On the Right Track starring Gary Coleman also get coverage in The Electric Company Magazine? I’m beginning to question TECM journalistic integrity… maybe some payola from the studios was involved.

Also, any Canadians notice the stunning resemblance between Catskill the robot and Prime Minister Chrétien?

Chestnuts roasted by Steve Brandon @ 05/22/2003 6:54 PM

Last I heard, Milos Forman and Jim Carrey were trying to get another Kaufman movie made, but I don’t know if it was The Tony Clifton Story.
Another fun little Kaufman fact: Even while The King was alive, there were hundred of Elvis impersonators doing the rounds in Vegas, etc. Elvis himself said that the only impersonation that he ever liked was Andy Kaufman’s, and he kept a tape of Andy’s impersonation handy so he could watch it whenever he felt like it.
So in addition to being a sitcom star, professional wrestler, and comedian (he hated that title), Andy Kaufman was also The Greatest Elvis Impersonater who ever lived!!!!

Chestnuts roasted by squee4242 @ 05/22/2003 7:29 PM

Where do you find these awful movies and how do u sit through this crap I watched the grabage pail kids movie and that still pains me. but this looks even worse.
That makeup probably gave kaufman cancer

Chestnuts roasted by Justin @ 05/23/2003 6:05 PM

ouch

Chestnuts roasted by that smarts @ 05/24/2003 3:54 AM

Matt, can you make a movie of Catskill? He just looks so freaky, and I’d like to hear some of his crap jokes you mentioned.

Chestnuts roasted by PhotoBoy @ 05/25/2003 7:13 PM

I remember my parents renting this film for me. I also remember it as a "babysitter"…But the idea of two robots making a little freak-child is still with me. I think, as I thought then: I want to make something out of my parts. That’s about as close to fatherhood as I’m going to get.

God this movie scarred me.

Chestnuts roasted by OhgodtheRats @ 06/02/2003 3:52 AM

that is spectacular.

Chestnuts roasted by OhGodtheRats @ 06/03/2003 1:27 PM

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