Paramount+ - Beavis and Butt-head do the universe : John Frizzell composed an epic score and recorded with a 69-piece orchestra in Vienna

By Mulder, 23 june 2022

Paramount+’s original movie Beavis and Butt-head do the universe is now available on the streaming service, marking the duo’s first on-screen appearance in more than a decade. The occasion also reunites Composer John Frizzell with the franchise. Mike Judge hired Frizzell for the first Beavis & Butthead film Beavis and Butt-head do America. The composer sent a demo of the film’s score to Mike Judge with comments from Beavis & Butt-head including “this guy sucks.” Judge knew he had found his musical collaborator, which led to Frizzell composing his other projects including Office space, King of the Hill, and Tales from the Tour Bus. To create the score to Beavis and Butt-head do the universe, the music needed to reflect the emotional and physical journey our heroes would embark on. To accomplish this, Frizzell composed an epic score and recorded with a 69-piece orchestra in Vienna. Soundtrack coming from Paramount Music.

A tale that technically spans two centuries, Beavis and Butt-head do the universe promises to sit atop all future lists of the Dumbest Science Fiction Movies Ever Made. The saga begins when Beavis and Butt-Head wind up at space camp through “creative sentencing” from a juvenile court judge in 1998. Mistaking a docking simulator for something else (huh huh), Beavis and Butt-Head excel at it and are asked to join the space shuttle mission in a PR move. After ruining the mission, they are left for dead in space and end up going through a black hole and reemerging back on Earth in 2022, only to discover a very different world — and find themselves considered Buttholes of Interest by the NSA, the governor of Texas, and a highly intelligent version of themselves from a parallel universe.

Beavis and Butt-head do the universe features the voices of Mike Judge, Gary Cole, Chris Diamantopoulos, Nat Faxon, Brian Huskey, Chi McBride, Tig Notaro, Stephen Root, Andrea Savage, Martin Starr and Jimmy O. Yang.Created and voiced by writer, producer and director Mike Judge, the characters of Beavis and Butt-Head originated in Judge’s 1992 short film “Frog Baseball,” which was broadcast by MTV’s animation showcase “Liquid Television.” After MTV commissioned a full series around the characters, “Beavis and Butt-Head” ran for seven seasons from March 8, 1993, to Nov. 28, 1997. The series was revived in 2011 with an eighth season airing on MTV. During its initial run, “Beavis and Butt-Head” received widespread critical acclaim for its satirical, scathing commentary on society. The show’s popularity spawned various related media, including the theatrical film “Beavis and Butt-Head Do America” in 1996.

“Reuniting Beavis and Butt-Head is the smartest dumb move one could make, and we jumped at the opportunity,” said Tanya Giles, Chief Programming Officer of Streaming for Paramount+. “Only a duo this iconic would bring us to space and back and we’re so excited to share their epic, nacho-filled journey with audiences.”

Originally from New York, John Frizzell began his music career by singing in the chorus of the Paris Opera Company and the Metropolitan Opera Company as a child. As a teenager, he played guitar in rock bands and later focused on jazz; this passion led him to pursue a music education at USC’s Thornton School of Music and Manhattan School of Music. After college, Frizzell scored commercials with a cinematic sound. His film career began when composer Ryuichi Sakamoto (Last Emperor) hired Frizzell for his synth skills and as an orchestrator for Wild Palms. This led to collaborations as an orchestrator or co-composer with composers James Newton Howard (Dante’s Peak) and Randy Edelman (Gods and Generals). Since then, Frizzell has scored nearly 100 films with leading filmmakers including Jean-Pierre Jeunet (Alien: Resurrection), Joel Silver (Thirt13en Ghosts and Ghost Ship), Danny Cannon (I Still Know What You Did Last Summer), Mark Rydell (James Dean and Crime of the Century). His Television projects include VR.5, The Following, Tell Me a Story, King of The Hill, Duncanville, and Space Force. A proponent for film music, Frizzell has served on the Executive Board of the Motion Picture Academy and lectured at USC Thornton School of Music and the Sundance Film Music Lab. He has also served as the Honorary Founding President of the International Film Music Conference in Ubeda, Spain.

Paramount+ combines live sports, breaking news and a mountain of entertainment. The premium streaming service features an expansive library of original series, hit shows and popular movies across every genre from world-renowned brands and production studios, including BET, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures and the Smithsonian Channel.

Synopsis :
A tale that technically spans two centuries, Beavis and Butt-Head Do the Universe promises to sit atop all future lists of the Dumbest Science Fiction Movies Ever Made. The saga begins when Beavis and Butt-Head wind up at space camp through "creative sentencing" from a juvenile court judge in 1998. Mistaking a docking simulator for something else (huh huh), Beavis and Butt-Head excel at it and are asked to join the space shuttle mission in a PR move. After ruining the mission, they are left for dead in space and end up going through a black hole and reemerging back on Earth in 2022, only to discover a very different world -- and find themselves considered Buttholes of Interest by the NSA, the governor of Texas, and a highly intelligent version of themselves from a parallel universe. Also they almost lose their virginity, but don't.

Beavis and Butt-Head Do the Universe
Directed by John Rice, Albert Calleros
Written by Mike Judge, Lew Morton
Story by Mike Judge, Lew Morton, Guy Maxtone-Graham, Ian Maxtone-Graham
Based on Beavis and Butt-Head by Mike Judge
Produced by Matthew Mahoney
Starring Mike Judge, Gary Cole, Nat Faxon, Chi McBride, Andrea Savage
Edited by Phil Davis, Robert James Ashe
Music by John Frizzell
Production companies : MTV Entertainment Studios, Titmouse, Inc., Judgemental Films, 3 Arts Entertainment
Distributed by Paramount+
Release date : June 23, 2022 (United States)
Running time : 86 minutes