SAD END TO GREAT RUN
VALIANT STATEN ISLAND ELIMINATED FROM LITTLE LEAGUE WORLD SERIES
These aren’t your children’s puppets.
“The Happytime Murders,” the raunchy new comedy directed by Jim Henson’s son, features a cast of foulmouthed puppets who have sex, use drugs, gamble and fire off weapons throughout the R-rated film.
For puppeteer Drew Massey, it’s about time these cloth characters get the chance to dip their toes in moremature productions.
“It’s been an axiom in children’s television for years that, ‘The sweeter the show, the filthier the between-theshot (antics) are,’” Massey, who plays Goofer and several other characters, told The News. “But because we’re all adults making a very sweet kids’ show, just to blow off steam, you have to do sometimes questionable things with your characters.”
This time, the naughty puppet escapades are at the forefront. “The Happytime Murders” — which hits theaters Friday — focuses on a world where puppets co-exist with humans but are second-class citizens.
Phil Philips — the first and last puppet cop in Los Angeles (played by Bill Barretta) — must team up with former partner Connie Edwards (Melissa McCarthy) to figure out who is killing members of once-popular TV series starring predominantly puppets, “The Happytime Gang,” one by one.
The flick is filled with adult themes. Massey’s Goofer is addicted to snorting sugar. Other puppets get the stuffing blown out of them when they’re blasted with a shotgun.
And then there’s a particularly shocking sex scene between puppets that culminates in silly string — representing a bodily fluid — being shot all around the room.
“I just had to make sure I had three (cans) locked and loaded and ready to go so that I could have a constant stream of silly string in one take,” Massey said.
Crew members and puppeteers had to make puppets look like they were snorting drugs, shooting guns and other things you’d never see in a kids’ TV show. Sometimes they’d turn to special effects, Massey says, but they often built special rigs and contraptions to make the puppets capable of seemingly impossible actions.
“The Happytime Murders” used the tagline “No Sesame. All Street” to promote the movie, which led to a suit from the nonprofit responsible for “Sesame Street.” A judge sided with “Happytime,” determining the tagline would not lead to viewers think the two entities are connected.
Massey commends “The Happytime Murders” director Brian Henson for taking a major risk.
“This is not something that people expect from The Henson Co. I’m really glad he took the chance.”