Rating: Summary: Funny mockumentary! Review: This has got to be one of the funniest films I have ever seen! Christopher Guest and the rest of the cast are hilarious. This is a must see for anyone who has ever participated in theatre. It is well written (I have heard that most of the dialogue was improvised) and the direction is wonderfully done. It's a short film, running only 84 minutes long, but every bit of it is great! Highly reccomended! *I don't see how this movie got the R rating. There was nothing here to be considered objectionable except for two uses of the F-word. It could have easily got a PG-13 rating.*
Rating: Summary: A Great Comedy That Feels Real Review: A few reviewers just didn't get the praise for this comedy and was disappointed to find that they were bored instead of rolling on the floor laughing. I think I understand this reaction but that does not mean it is a bad film. The kind of comedy we see in "Waiting for Guffman" is one that feels almost like real life and that is the exact appeal of this film. Think of the movie as a tongue in cheek character study of a bunch of people touched by a shared mental illness: their own delusion of grandeur. This is not the standard comedy fare of zany slap stick plot and parody. This is a comedy of characters and their quirks. Parker Posey as the Dairy Queen girl turned actress, drama diva flamer and guru Corky Collins, and the smug husband and wife travel agents turned Hollywood stars in their own minds are just a few of the archetypes featured in this film. Anyone who has done a dance rehearsal with a local dance studio or worked for a non profit local radio station along the DJs knows how people can let their sense of stardom get to their heads despite the fact that they are really just hardly known amatures. That is the joke here. In fact I think the humor may be more psychological than anything. A lot of people thought Best in Show was better because the humor was more directly outrageous but I think the subtle approach in Waiting for Guffman gave the film a more realistic and quirky (perhaps even disturbing) feel. I believe this movie has an intellgient approach to comedy and anyone who didn't like it just didn't have the proper expectations.
Rating: Summary: An Absolute Gem! Review: With all the moronic "gross-out" comedies and pointless sequels that Hollywood churns out these days, it really is refreshing to see a funny, original film like this one. Christopher Guest's portrayal of Corky St. Clair is nothing short of brilliant. I agree completely with one of the other reviewers who said that the film must be seen more than once to fully appreciate it. In fact, when I first saw the film, I did not like it as much as Christopher Guest's other classic mockumentary, "Best in Show". After several viewings, however, I liked it just as much. Although I have never been involved in community theater, and I did not instantly recognize the characters in this film, the film is a wonderful satire of small town America which everyone can appreciate. I had no idea until fairly recently that this superb film even existed, which is shameful. Its too bad that Hollywood buries such movies under big piles of trash which it aims at the lowest common demoninator.
Rating: Summary: Amazing Movie -- With Extras! Review: My video version is now obsolete. At under 90 minutes, this is a tight comedy--one of the best comedies ever. But the DVD is even better, adding deleted scenes. "This Bulging River," cut because the song was too long, is worth buying the DVD. It also contains the hilarious song, "Nothing Ever Happens in Blaine," the missing counterpart to "Nothing Ever Happens on Mars." Sure, there are plenty of "jokes" in this movie, but what makes this movie work so well is that you end up CARING about the characters--even believing them, despite being, uh, not completely believable.
Rating: Summary: We Unanimously Hated this Movie, Beware of Positive Review Review: I cannot believe how boring this Movie was. I had a very diverse crowd over to watch this DVD on my big front projection theater. Everybody was getting so annoyed and flat faced we had to turn it off after 45 minutes. I am absolutely amazed at the positive reviews. In my opinion, this movie is simply boring. It was far worse than State and Main. It was State and Main crossed with Best in Show, except that it took the worst parts of EACH. Every character was forced and not humorous. I've seen far better Saturday night Live Skits (the current Saturday Night Live). I've given this film too much credit already by even attempting to compare it with the above mentioned films. Berst in Show was a 3/5 star movie. State and Main was around a 2/5 Satr movie, in my opinion. I cannot give this any higher than 1.5 stars.
Rating: Summary: I just don't get it Review: This movie is very similar to the directors other popular film, Best of Show. I don't really understand the overwhelming praise for either of these films. The problem with it is there really isn't much outright humor and I don't think I cracked a smile more than once the whole movie. I'd say its more overall amusing than it is funny. Several reviews of this film stated that the viewers were 'rolling on the floor with laughter'. This completely confuses me as there isn't a single scene that presents enough of a comic situation that you could really laugh out loud at it. I understand the type of humor that he is trying to achieve in the movie, it just totally misses its mark on me. I guess I'll stay away from future Guest films as I just don't find anything remotely funny about them and they are as boring as watching a real documentary.
Rating: Summary: Do You Know These People? Review: "Waiting For Guffman" makes me laugh just looking at the box. There are plenty of great (and a few classic) moments in this film. Just try to order a Coke at Dairy Queen again without thinking of Parker Posey. Fred Willard and Catherine O'Hara's audition is one of the funniest things ever put on film. Having worked in community theatre for years I have met every single one of these characters. While they lack talent, they make up for in enjoyment. That, my friends, is what community theatre is all about. Not to get too deep, but these ordinary folks are ultimately able to transcend their lives through the arts. Now, is that such a bad thing?
Rating: Summary: Still Funny... Review: Having worn out my VHS version of "Guffman" I looked forward to the new DVD. With each viewing I find myself laughing at the same parts aswellas discovering something new. The deleted scenes that were on the DVD were great. The high points being a twisted monologue by Parker Posey and two songs from "Red, White, and Blaine" that for some bizarre reason didn't make the final film. The DVD also contains a commentary by Director Guest and Writer Eugene Levy. As funny as the two of them are on film their commetaries are strangely dry and tedious. The one negative for the DVD (Hence the 4 stars).
Rating: Summary: A kick in the pants Review: We watch Waiting for Guffman over and over. My wife can't get enough of it. The humor is definitely quirky and intellectual - not your typical Hollywood comedy full of fart jokes and slapstick. Eugene Levy is extraordinary as the dentist-turned-actor.
Rating: Summary: One of the best movies ever Review: My wife and I discovered Waiting for Guffman in the theater when it first came out. We loved it immediately and turned many people on to it. We watched our VHS tape at least 100 times over the past 4 years. We were lucky enough to get the VHS box autographed by Fred Willard at the premiere for Best in Show. The DVD version was played the first day it came out. We thought we knew every line of dialogue and every song by heart and were looking forward to the deleted scenes with great anticipation. Although the majority of them are quite humorous, the final one "Bulging River" had us both laughing so hard we were crying. Why this scene was deleted from the original film is beyond me. We absolutely worship this film, the characters in it, and all the songs. You can't view a more enjoyable movie!
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