Review: The Paloni Show! Halloween Special!

Overview:

Everyone’s favorite family, the Palonis, receive the prestigious honor of hosting a Halloween special for Hulu. Leroy, Reggie, and Ceruce can’t wait to act as the masters of ceremonies for over a dozen emerging voices in animation. However, a slew of supernatural complications leave the lives of the Paloni family in limbo, but even worse–the fate of Hulu’s Halloween special hangs in the balance.

Our Take:

Halloween specials are a longstanding tradition in television, specifically animation, and staples like The Simpsons, South Park, Bob’s Burgers, and American Dad have turned them into exciting events that are on par with their Christmas episodes. Anthology series have also never been more popular and they’ve become effective ways to showcase talent and workshop potential pilots. Hulu has slowly been building an impressive library of adult animated comedies between Solar Opposites and the upcoming Koala Man, which makes The Paloni Show! Halloween Special! the natural evolution of these ideas. With Justin Roiland (and presumably Michael Cusack) acting as the curators, The Paloni Show delivers an extremely diverse mix of 13 (ooh, spooky!) stories that pay service to the scariest time of year.

There’s so much material on display in The Paloni Show that by necessity some of these segments function more as absurdist sketches and one-note ideas rather than pilots with the potential to be spun-off into full series. It’s appreciated that this special features both extremes and that there are ideas that will clearly live and die purely in this special, while others do feel like a piece of a greater whole.

The majority of the segments in The Paloni Show are only a few minutes long and there are times where this does feel a little more like a case of quantity over quality. This eclectic approach lends itself to wildly contrasting runtimes for these segments, which is also one of the special’s greatest strengths and what helps it stand apart from other anthology fare. The segments that are designed as standalone jokes, like “Banana Unpeeling,” don’t belabor their points and benefit from streamlined runtimes where other segments, like “An Alien Halloween Claymation,” get the luxury of breathing room where concepts can be better developed. This is all to say that The Paloni Show is one of the better anthology series to come along and in 60 minutes it showcases a truly impressive amount of voices that don’t feel rushed or forced to compromise their visions. 

The Paloni Show showcases 13 unique stories in addition to the larger Paloni Family frame narrative. This feels like an extra generous portion of Halloween treats since most specials of this nature would likely shoot for between eight to ten stories. There are some valid criticisms to be placed towards how some segments like “Rightbehindyouton,” “The Creek Down the Street,” and “Shitty Beetelgeuse” feel more like quick gags than full ideas. One could say that they work as worthwhile palette cleansers, but the special already has the Paloni family for that purpose. Additionally, the bulk of these segments all stand on their own without feeding into one another, but there is the occasional Easter Egg connection that’s shared between segments. It’s not at all an element that’s necessary, but it’s fun to see at least some of the stories take advantage of the other creative talents and stories that exist in the larger Paloni-verse.

The broader strokes of The Paloni Show come together, but with the disparate nature and tone of the special’s 13 installments it makes more sense to break them all down on an individual basis before weighing back in on The Paloni Show as a cohesive whole:

The Paloni Family Frame Narrative

In The Paloni Show, audiences get to spend the most time with the titular Paloni family, who are brought to life by Justin Roiland, Zach Hadel, and Pamela Adlon. It’s a relatively funny idea that the Palonis are a family who “love hosting specials” as if that functions as a character trait. Their earnest efforts get steered hopelessly off course despite incessant network notes from Hulu that arrive throughout this holiday celebration. At first this just seems like Roiland’s typical stuttery schtick, so it’s encouraging when this scenario gains depth and proves that it’s not just a superfluous frame narrative. Their plight evolves into one of the more developed stories out of all of the segments in The Paloni Show. The Palonis may enter this special as hosts, but the Paloni family’s role and goals through this special naturally evolve. It’s a fun wrinkle to all of this. A lot of horror tropes get covered between serial killers, witches, Stonehenge-like cults, and a deeply funny Michael Myers/Dana Carvey gag.

Score

7/10

“Banana Party”

Daniel Cole’s story about costume stress morphs into a disgusting hybrid of Eyes Wide Shut and Society. It’s grotesque, but oddly heartwarming in its own way. It’s exactly the type of nonsense that make Roiland happy. It’s short, sweet, surreal, and gets in and out with zero consequence.

Score

8/10

“Plopsie And Friends”

Sydney Heller and Olivia DeLaurentis’ joint venture with Stoopid Buddy Stoodios is like if the Toxic Avenger ran Pee-Wee’s Playhouse. It feels so much like Wonder Showzen or Adult Swim fare that finds strength in earnest reaction shocks of fear and confusion from the child audience. It accomplishes that nightmarish PFFR vibe, but it lacks substance.

Score

6/10

“Camp Death Lake”

Echo Kellum and Nate Caywood’s contribution from Floyd County Productions at least tries to say something silly with the overwrought slasher genre. The animation here is incredibly stylized, impressionistic and unique, which feeds into its sweet subversion where a Leatherface-esque slasher becomes a victim’s savior through a traumatizing life diagnosis. It’s a silly, fun idea with a punchy ending that lands. The elemental rain and lightning effects stand out the most here and work well against the rest of its animation.

Score

7.5/10

 

“The Dreston”

The Dreston comes from Brian Wysol and is a glorious cornucopia of martial arts, supernatural entities, and hard-boiled detective work. “The Dreston” is very consistent with the rest of Wysol’s work. Supernatural madness occurs at an apartment complex that feels both in line with Hot Streets and Wysol’s original online animations like Hot Cross Buns.

It’s a strong showcase of how far Wysol’s talents have come in terms of certain eclectic skills like rotoscoping and subversive uses of color. If nothing else, it remains a visually fascinating segment through and through with an ever-evolving color palette that feels reminiscent of anime in certain ways. It also features what appears to be the last work of the late Gilbert Gottfried, who’s in fine form here in this absurdist short.

Score

8/10

“Bet It Was Becca”

Jaime Rodriguez’s “Bet It Was Becca” immediately stands out and gives. Mundane holiday tradition like bobbing for apples a Junji Ito-esque body horror twist. It’s easily the most visually impressive and innovative of the lot and works as a fantastic showpiece for Rodriguez.

It’s also fun to picture Becca in other holiday-based scenarios where her “condition” gets the better of her. That being said, the lack of a story in “Bet It Was Becca” shouldn’t diminish its quality. It feels like the short that would play before a Pixar film, but from a bizarro hell universe. It’s what Cenobite children would put on phones to amuse their children. On an animation level, it feels like the standout and most unique segment for The Paloni Show.

Score

9/10

“Megahex, Devil’s Night”

Rather than create a completely original property, “Megahex, Devil’s Night” is the one segment in The Paloni Show that attempts to use this special as a way to shine a light on an existing property. In this case, that’s Simon Hanselmann’s Megahex comic and graphic novel series. This is actually a very exciting opportunity for Hanselmann and it doesn’t feel like a missed opportunity to use The Paloni Show to explore the animated potential within his most popular characters rather than create something new wholesale. “Devil’s Night” follows Meg, Mogg, Owl, and Werewolf Jones as they get up to slacker hijinks on the eve of Halloween. Jon Glaser and other talented comedians help bring Hanselmann’s beloved weirdo characters to life and it’s a satisfying translation of his property that will also appeal to Megahex virgins.

“Megahex, Devil’s Night” isn’t the most visually impressive of the segments in The Paloni Show (although Hanselmann’s distinct style is a look that works for Megahex), but it’s the strongest in terms of story and comedy. Out of all of the segments in The Paloni Show it should come as no surprise that “Megahex, Devil’s Night” feels the most suitable to be spun out into a proper series since Hanselmann has already been telling stories with these characters for years and knows this universe inside and out.

Score

8.5/10

“Rightbehindyouton”

Joel Haver’s Rightbehindyouton” is a splotchy rotoscoped story about the fears experienced during a birthday party that pushes a man to enact a “care free scare free” law that prohibits such behavior in the sleepy town of Rightbehindyouton. This obviously prohibits Halloween in a conventional sense, but Rightbehindyouton still tries to find ways to honor Halloween’s non-scare-based tradition. “Rightbehindyouton” is another story that’s less a series and more a bizarre joke that’s centered around the spookiest time of year and expressed through a unique animation style. It’s very WFMU and Tom Goes to the Mayor type in terms of its character, comedy, and aesthetics.

Score

6.5/10

“Slaughter Cafe”

David Firth’s “Slaughter Cafe” begins as a ghoulish ad for cannibal cuisine that’s presented through a horrific and polarizing animation style that’s another short, but sweet segment. As a commercial, it feels rather superfluous, so it’s satisfying when “Slaughter Cafe” expands into more of a slice of life endeavor that’s set at Clacky’s. The commercial that kicks it all off is the perfect set dressing for this fast-paced twist on the stresses and joys of family restaurants. The segment is rather focused in nature, but it’s not hard to picture other stories being told at Clacky’s and with its determined staff.

Score

6.5/10

“The Creek Down the Street”

“The Creek Down the Street” is standard Michael Cusack weirdness, almost to an uninteresting fault. It’s Australia-set mundane chit chat, albeit expressed through exceptionally strange monsters that seem to be enough to justify its placement in a Halloween special. It feels like this contribution from Cusack could just as easily fit within an episode of YOLO: Crystal Fantasy or Koala Man and it doesn’t make much of an impression. It almost just feels like a reminder that Cusack is involved with this production. However, if someone has never seen any of Cusack’s work before then it might stand out on sheer weirdness alone, but there’s really little substance here. Its mention of Halloween even feels intentionally forced and obligatory.

Score

5.5/10

“Shitty Beetlegeuse”

Myke Chilian and Jordan Harris’ contribution from Titmouse leans into the Rumpelstiltskin and Beetlejuice angle. In the end, this just amounts to some small stakes prankery that again feels superfluous and doesn’t really accomplish much other than pad the clock a little more. There’s nothing wrong with this segment or the materials that are scant like this, but it doesn’t feel like they’re worth the effort if their existence means that some of the stronger segments had to cut themselves a few minutes short.

Score

5/10

“The Killer Bathtub”

Rafillo’s “The Killer Bathtub” is The Paloni Show’s other visual showstopper. There’s some truly glorious animation and transition techniques where a single frame doesn’t go to waste. It feels like the type of animated short that one would find on MTV’s Liquid Television back in the 1990s or Adult Swim’s current Off the Air series. It’s almost overwhelming with its pacing and style, but this strengthens its approach and only makes the project more impressive. It, much like “Bet It Was Becca,” both make the biggest visual impressions in The Paloni Show.

Score

9/10

“An Alien Halloween Claymation”

Much like in his ABCs of Death segment and The Simpsons opening sequence, Lee Hardcastle gets a lot done with a little and proves why he’s one of the most exciting and creative voices in stop-motion. There’s an ultra-gory setpiece that involves a hand-made blade fan that’s one of the coolest things I’ve seen all year on television, in animation or otherwise. Hardcastle serves up kung fu, aliens, babies in microwaves, and first-person shooter mayhem, all with some really stunning tracking shots and cinematography through intricate environments. It’s so fluid that at times it’s easy to forget that it’s being told through stop-motion.

Score

9/10

“Slashtronaut”

Jacob Hair’s short and sweet segment from Titmouse comes across like unhinged Ed, Edd, and Eddy that’s intentionally cynical and indulgent in genre. However, it also succeeds because it doesn’t dwell on any of these ideas for too long. Plus, the abandoned space ship looks cool and the deaths are metal as hell and extremely creative.

Score

7/10

Our Take

The Paloni Show is consistently entertaining and a fun way to spend the Halloween season even if every segment in the special doesn’t completely justify its existence. Unfortunately, more of the material in The Paloni Show turns out to be forgettable than a tease of the start of something great. There’s a lot of unnecessary material to wade through, but installments like “Bet It Was Becca,” “The Dreston,” “Megahex, Devil’s Night,” and “The Killer Bathtub” do leave a lasting impression and show what’s possible in future versions of this special. On that note, while not a total success, it’s still a good idea for Hulu to experiment with more Paloni Show animation anthology specials. “Megahex, Devil’s Night, “The Dreston,” and the Paloni family themselves are the only installments that scream spin-off potential, but it’s worthwhile to get such an explosion of diverse voices and animated talent. This hopefully isn’t the last that audiences will see of both The Paloni Show, but also some of the series within its first holiday special.