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Best in Show

Best in Show

List Price: $19.97
Your Price: $14.98
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Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Its not the dogs....
Review: I'm a dog owner myself, not that I show my dogs. I couldn't they're Mutts. However, I do enjoy watching the occasional Dog Show. I was a little skeptical about this movie, because I just didn't think the material lent itself to a feature film.

The movie chronicles four different groups of dog owners and their adventures and misadventures on the way to the Mayflower Dog Show in Philadelphia. The story continues with the actual competition. The commentators for the show are actually the best part of the movie.

Given this, I would say that this is a pretty good movie. Its not hysterical by any means, but it is enjoyable. The movie is slow going for the first 30 minutes or so, but by the time the actual Dog Show starts, it has developed into a funny tale in which you realize its not the dog's fault, it's just that humans are insane to put this much crazy effort into showing a dog. With this movie, as with any dog show, don't get your expectations too high, and you should enjoy it.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Does not equal Tap nor Guffman
Review: Christopher Guest made his own bed and now he has to lie in it. Guest is responsible, or partly responsible, for "This Is Spinal Tap" (co-written by Guest) and "Waiting for Guffman" (co-written and directed by Guest), two films that have set lofty standards that all 'mockumentaries' strive for. Alas, Guest does not achieve a perfect 3 for 3 as his latest film does not reach the rarefied heights attained by his previous projects. However, this is a close miss and Guest should still be applauded for being consistently funny. What made the previous films better was that Guest took perfectly realistic and believable situations and characters and gave them a slight comic twist. Yes, we laughed at the people in those films but we also recognized in them a little of ourselves or of other actual people we know. This time around, Guest seems to have shed his subtlety and decided to go over-the-top with the comedy. This is especially evident in his characterizations of the yuppie couple and the gay couple. Fred Willard, despite being gut-bustingly hilarious as the clueless sportscaster, has lines that are not even halfway believable. And when the characters were subtle, such as Guest's Harlan Pepper, they run into the problem of not being funny. Compare Harlan Pepper to Waiting For Guffman's equivalent -- Parker Posey's Libby Mae Brown -- and it's clear that Guest fell short this time around. "This is Spinal Tap" and "Waiting For Guffman" were able to maintain, albeit precariously, the belief that these characters could be real, that we could run into them if we were heavy metal concert promoters or hick-town pageant directors. However, I never felt I would ever run into any of the characters from "Best In Show" at any dog show.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Hysterical! Brilliant!
Review: I just saw this wonderful flick last night and couldn't stop laughing. It's so real it's frightening!

It had a touch of "Bob Roberts," but with much more humor.

While watching, I kept asking people, "Do you think that [line in the script] was ad lib?" especially from commentator Fred Willard. (His cohort at the mike had the hardest time keeping a straight face that the look on his face alone was worth the rental price!) One of the earlier critics said that the entire script was ad lib. If that's true, the script falls into the "genius" rather than merely "hilarious" category.

With a film that funny, it's no wonder it wasn't a box office blockbuster.

Rob Reiner and his buddies never let me down.

Part of the fun is the stereotypes: the gay couple (one member of which is nee of Spinal Tap), Christpher Guest, the director, and another Spinal Tap alumna, is a southerner with a bloodhound; the woman who seems to have made it with every male with a pulse, and her husband who is so plain as to be funny--not to mention his two left feet (literally!) The interactions of one couple who baby their pup to the point of accusing others of abusing it And these people take their pups SO seriously...

When the price of the video is reduced, I'll be among the first in line to get it.

Don't miss it.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: BEST IN SHOW
Review: BEST OF SHOW IS A MOVIE THAT ISN'T WORTH THE PRICE OF ADMISSION OR THE RENTAL FEE. THE MOVIE TRAILER WAS BETTER THAN THE MOVIE. THE MOVIE TRYS TO BE FUNNY, BUT COMES OUT REALLY STUPID. THE INTERVIEWS WITH THE DOG SHOW OWNERS & HANDLERS WAS JUST PLAIN BORING. KEN

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Better than Guffman
Review: Almost all the reviews of this movie say it is great but not as good as "Waiting for Guffman". This movie makes Guffman look only mildly funny. Guffman is definately a funny movie but "Best in Show" is simply the ffunniest movie I have ever seen.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Excellent expose of the dog show industry
Review: This is a skillfully made documentary that manages to overcome some inherent production obstacles. It is clear that the producers were not able to secure the rights to the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show but by fictionalizing some of the main characters they manage to accurately portray the dog show business. I am not a dog owner, nor do I like dogs, but I found this to be an interesting movie nonetheless. The DVD adds a Director's commentary that helps the viewer identify the actors from the genuine dog show participants. For example, all but two of the judges in the movie are real judges, and the film was made in Vancouver, not Philadelphia (which probably explains why they did not include a tour of the famous Cream Cheese factory). Highly recommended adult entertainment. Probably should have been rated "R" - so be prepared to talk over some of the more embarassing sexual references if viewing with children, particularly in the opening scene.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: What was so funny about this movie?
Review: I don't get why people loved this movie. It's all about a bunch of psychotic dog owners who are annoying to watch. Where's the comedy in that? Maybe it's the fact that so many people paid money to see this in the theatres that they all had to laugh out loud.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: very entertaining, one of guest's best
Review: I didnt like Waiting for Guffmann- so i was a bit skeptical on watching this movie. But i have to saw that this is one of the best movies i've seen this year. Guest can just make you so attached to the lovable characters he creates, and this movie is a perfect example. It focuses on 5 major dogs and their rather obsessive owners. This is definately a movie you can watch time and time again, to see what you missed. It never fails to lose your attention, and is flawless from start to finish. The dog show host was hilarious. I reccomend this to anyone a fan of dog shows or Christopher Guest- i'll be watching this one again.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: It's a dog-eat-dog world out there ...
Review: ... and Christopher Guest manages to find the essence of it. I've known a few folks who are committed to the dog show lifestyle, and believe me when I say Guest actually seems to tone down some of the behavior.

Assembling the same cast he used in "Waiting for Guffman," Guest turns 'em loose to create the scenes without much scripting, and with this group of talented improv players, it works pretty well. Parker Posey and Michael Hitchcock as the lawyer-couple whose manic neuroses and screaming hissy fits turn their weimeraner into a total basket case (THEY think it's because their beloved Beatrice happened to see them ...) are completely over the top, but it actually works. Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara are excellent as the suburban couple who make up little songs about terriers and deal with her seemingly endless string of ex-lovers.

As good as "Best in Show" is, it does resort to cliches a bit too often, and it just feels a little "incomplete." I'd like to see more careful character development (like we saw in "Guffman"), and a bit more story development.

That said, "Best in Show" is definitely worth a look, and a must-see for Christopher Guest fans or those involved in the dog show world.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: DELETED SCENES ON DVD
Review: A note to those considering purchase-- I rented the DVD from Blockbuster this weekend, and it includes 17, count 'em 17 deleted scenes. So if you like the flick, it's almost like getting "Best in Show 2" included. You won't believe what Christopher Guest's character has been collecting in the old cabin on his home place--can't believe this was cut!


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