Rating: 
Summary: Funny, Feisty and Frantic
Review: Like his own "Waiting for Guffman" before, and the grandaddy of all mockumentaries, "This is Spinal Tap", "Best in Show" takes us "behind the scenes" and into the lives of some truly unique, oddball characters. In this case, the event is a regional dog show, and the cast of characters are eerily like alot of people we know - our friends and neighbors who actually LOOK like their dogs and drive stationwagons. You know the kind.We get wrapped up in homey melodramas that evoke laughter, but also a perverse melancholy that allows us to think about "what's really important." More so now - post September 11th - than ever, these themes sound hollow and dull, and the movie can seem frivilous at times. But - give it a chance, and you'll find yourself attracted to this actor or that one - this is ensemble acting at its best (though not better than Guffman.) Guest has an uncanny ability of bringing out resonant human qualities from his actors and characters. Instead of feeling sorry for them, we root for our favorites, warts and all. In the process, we laugh away what's trivial and recognize the depth that can exist in every life. No matter how simple or trivial - life is grand! The actors are uniformly terrific, under Guest's direction. "Guffman" outshines "Best In Show" due to a spontaneous quality that's missing here (we're all pretty much familiar with dog shows, but Guffman goes where few of us have gone before - Community Theater! Now THAT's priceless...) Still, "Show" is a funny delight, with effervescent moments.
Rating:
Summary: Great Movie, Decent DVD
Review: This movie is hilarious. Drop-dead hilarious. I'm not a big fan of improvisional comedy, but I must admit that, when it's done right, it's beyond funny. It's fun to try and guess which parts were made up on the spot, but moreso, it's just fun to sit back and laugh. The DVD itself doesn't contain a whole lot in terms of extra features. I'm not buzzing about it. The movie is well worth owning, though.
Rating: 
Summary: What a howling good time!
Review: Best in Show is based on a dog show weekend, the Mayflower Dog Show (clearly a take-off on the Westminster Show at the Garden). The humor is hip and the characters spot-on. I've been showing dogs for 30 years and (gulp) I think that I've met all of the people in this movie! Breeding and showing dogs isn't a hobby, it's a lifestyle...which some people take a little too seriously. The paraphrase Robert Burns, "Oh, to let us see ourselves as others see us!"
Rating:
Summary: Best In a Group
Review: Best in Show, like Spinal Tap and other classic comedies is filled with hilarious lines and sequences that deserve repeating among friends over a drink. Watch this movie with a group of friends and know that you have something to laugh about the next time you get together over a chai, soymilk, latte. Don't miss the deleted scenes in the DVD. Christopher Guest's genius is on display with a couple of scenes that are laugh out load funny.
Rating:
Summary: So funny we cried.
Review: This movie is so funny my husband and I had to stop it several times to get over our laughter and wipe our tears! I won't give a review, but just say that it is a sharp satire on Americans in the 1990s -- not just dog owners, but all of us.
Rating: 
Summary: I thought this movie was about dogs, not sex!
Review: We received this movie for Christmas since we are dog lovers and many people had told us how funny it was supposed to be. We watched it with another couple, and we barely made it through the whole thing without turning it off. It was so unfunny it was painful to watch. And just about every scene had some lewd or blatently sexual reference in it. Don't show this movie to your kids!
Rating:
Summary: Good Show
Review: Humor is just such a subjective thing. I almost hate to recommend comedies--even to people I know fairly well--because they almost always seem to get back to you with "what-was-so-funny-about-that" type comments. It works both ways, though, I still wonder at all the people who recommended SOMETHING ABOUT MARY to me as though it would be just my cup of comedy. I laughed maybe twice. But I loved this movie. It's not that I know that much about the world of dog shows--although I did go to a cat show once and found it truly bizarre. The characters in Christopher Guest's "mockumentary" range from the quirky to the truly outlandish, but they're all very recognizable types, played to perfection by a cast of SCTV, SNL and indie vets. It's nice to see such talented comedians as Catherine O'Hara, Eugene Levy and Guest himself in a vehicle worthy of their talents. Fred Ward is perfection as the know-nothing TV commentator. And as for Jane Lynch, John Michael Higgins and Jennifer Coolidge, well, where have they been hiding? (Don't say the closet, PUH-LEEZE!) This is not outrageous, gross-out humor. But for those who like something a little more understated, "Best in Show" is hard to beat. The additional 15 minutes of out-takes in the VHS and DVD formats provide a little added value, but actually serve as proof positive that the theatrical version movie was very well edited. The extra scenes all have their moments, but they also seem to fall flat in some ways. (We really don't need another scene with Harlan Pepper doing his ventriloquist act.) The excised scenes demonstrate that less is indeed more. Five stars and a blue ribbon.
Rating:
Summary: Feeling down? Pop in this movie for a good laugh!
Review: I rented this movie on DVD for two reasons 1)It had a standard poodle in it (I have a black one myself) and 2) I liked Parker Posey from her As the World Turns days. I enjoyed the movie MUCH more than I expected. It is a great satire on Dog Shows and particularly the dog owners. After watching the movie my husband and I watched it with the commentary and enjoyed it even more after learning all the behind the scenes stuff.
Rating:
Summary: more humor than hatred
Review: "Satire" is kind of a strong word for what this movie is. It does poke a good deal of fun at the "dog breeding world," or whatever you might call it. To truly appreciate the movie, I think you need to see the "real thing" -- the annual Eukanuba Tournament of Champions. Joe Garagiola is the "color commentator" for the real show, and he tries his damndest to say silly, ignorant things -- much like the commentator in the movie.
Rating:
Summary: Best in Comedy
Review: Buy this movie if you loved Steve Buscemi in Armageddon. Buy this movie if you loved Bill Murray in Charlie's Angels. Buy this movie if you loved Chris Kattan in The House on Haunted Hill. Buy this movie if you loved Rhys Ifans in....... anything. Because, if you love scene stealers, then this is the perfect comedy for you. Every single piece of precious celluloid is absolutely caked in scene stealing performances that most directors throw in as a way to cover up imperfections in plot, acting etc. But Christopher Guest (director/writer) has based his entire movie around these types of performences. This very underrated comedy is packed to the brim with both proven and virgin improv' geniuses. Think Christopher Guest (The Princess Bride, This is Spinal Tap), Eugene Levy (American Pie 1 & 2, Cannonball Run), Jennifer Cooliage (M.I.L.F from American Pie), Parker Posey (Scream 3), Fred Willard (Waiting for Guffman), Michael McKean, (This is Spinal Tap, Airheads), and the brilliant John Michael Higgins whom I've never seen before now, but has certainly made a lasting impression on me.
So, what's the plot? Quite simply-- a dog show and all the wonderfully quirky characters that come with it. That's it. Blood isn't spilt. Guns aren't fired. Cars don't chase. Nothing slightly rivetting happens. The characters travel to the dog show and compete. Nothing more. But rest assured you will be rivetted, waiting impatiently for the next histerical classic moment to jump out at you. And trust me, there isn't much of a wait. In fact there isn't a dull moment in this gem from beginning to end. And don't think for a second that the laughs end with the closing credits for owners of the DVD are in for a treat with deleted scenes aplenty. I just loved every single one of Christopher Guest's scenes, one of which has his character introducing us to his beach ball collection. Hundreds of inflated beach balls crammed into his barn. This scene rates right up there with those scenes left in the movie. So if you love comedies; Watch it. If you loved it; own it. If you own it; what the hell are ya' sitting in front of your computer for? Re-watch it!!
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