Waiting for Guffman

Rating:
Summary: JUST THE BOX ART WILL MAKE YOU LAUGH!
Review: Christopher Guest is Corky St. Clair, small town Blaine ("The Stool capitol of the world"), Missouri's resident community theater director. With plans of getting back to Broadway, he has created a musical extravaganza "Red, White and Blaine" to celebrate the town's 150th anniversary.

This sly, often hilarious, mock documentary features Guest's resident troupe of improvisational actors -- Eugene Levy (co-writer), Catherine O'Hara, Parker Posey, Fred Willard and Bob Balaban as the stage-struck locals who pin their amateur hopes on being discovered when Corky hints that legendary talent scout Mort Guffman will be in the audience.

If you appreciated "Best In Show," than check out its predecessor. Over 80 hours of film were shot in Super 16mm and edited down to a brisk 84 minutes. The widescreen print is especially sharp and the sound is clear. Co-writers and stars Guest and Levy share a loose and funny commentary and there's at least 30 minutes of whimsical and surprisingly poignant deleted scenes with optional commentary. Recommended.

Rating:
Summary: Waiting For Guffman
Review: "Waiting For Guffman" is in no doubt a great film. From the direction of Christopher Guest (Best In Show) to the superb acting (Eugene Levy, Christopher Guest, Bob Balaban, Parker Posey), this movie is definitely great.

Christopher Guest likes to mock a lot of things in life. For example, he made fun about dogs and their owners in "Best In Show". In "Waiting For Guffman", he tries to poke fun at regional theater. This is by far my favorite of his movies. It has classic lines, colorful characters, and a great story.

Blaine, Missouri is America, or so that's what the town's folks think. Shortly coming is the 150th Anniversary of Blaine, and that means the flamboyant Corky St. Clair (Guest) will be putting on a show on how Blaine started. Corky has had backround experience in many shows and the people think he can pull it off. His assistant and musical director is Lloyd Miller (Bob Balaban) who used to direct the shows, but is now just the "music director" which "is different for him".

Soon, many people want to be a part of "Red, White, and Blaine" (the name of the show). Two travel agents, Ron and Sheila Alberton (Fred Willard and Catherine O'Hara), a Dairy Queen hostess, Libby Mae Brown (Parker Posey), a dentist, Dr. Allan Pearl (Eugene Levy), a rebel, Johnny Savage (Matt Keeslar), and an old veteran of Blaine, Clifford Wooley (Lewis Arquette), all land parts in the show.

As the show comes closer, Corky brings news that Mort Guffman will be coming to see the show. Guffman works on Broadway and he wants to see if "Red, White, And Blaine" has what it takes to go all the way. The cast and crew are very excited and can't wait for Guffman to be there.

Plot - The plot is very simple, nothing complex here, but it is fresh. It was something new and funny. I totally enjoyed everything that happened in this film from Allan Pearl's "lazy eye" to "I'm going to do a seen from the movie, Raging Bull..". It's all good and never stopped me from laughing. Plot - 96

Acting - The acting was outstanding. Christopher Guest is awesome as Corky and made me laugh so many times. Fred Willard and Catherine O'Hara are awesome as the married travel agents. Parker Posey was very good as Libby Mae Brown. When she would begin to say something and then just stop talking, it was great (you got to see it). Eugene Levy is hilarious as always. The one who stands out though is Bob Balaban. He doesn't say much, but you can just see what he wants to say. Bob always looks intimidated and I had a great time watching him. Acting - 99

Direction - Christopher Guest deserves "two thumbs up" for this masterpiece of comedy. He makes everything work out perfectly and should be hailed for all the great work he does. Direction - 97

Overall - 97.3/A+ - A great film that needs to be seen, even if you aren't a Christopher Guest fan. It is one you will truly treasure and one that you can always expect a good laugh from.

Rated R for brief strong language, and some sexual content.

Rating:
Summary: Addictive!
Review: The same old gang . . . playing the same kinds of roles as in Splash, Best in Show, Second City and the rest . . . but no less funny than any of their other work. It is amazing, how addictive this movie is. There are no special effects, no glamour, no fancy sets . . just a bunch of supposedly every-day kinds of people who, with their display of integrity and seriousness, mirrors how so many of us would react in the same situations. I have a real problem not perseverating with this move . . watching it over and over again! From Parker Posey's audition to Eugene Levy's Martian, or Christopher Guest's solo dancing, this movie is more than hysterical . . it is fun to watch.

Rating:
Summary: The DVD Review!
Review: First of all, I'm shocked to see so many references to the VHS edition of this movie! This should be in any dvd collectors library. This is one of those rare comedy gems that often gets overlooked by a public feeding on Dumb and Dumber style comedies. Sorry, but there isn't any gross out humour here. Only scene after scene of brilliantly improved characters and situations that skewers the small town mindset and local theatre. Some of the greatest improv performers are here! Christopher Guest, Eugene Levy, Catharine O'Hara are some of the more familiar names. They all work their magic in front of the camera. These aren't lines being read from a script. They are moments of hilarity created on the spot as the actors get in the minds of their characters. If you are a fan of Spinal Tap, Best In Show, SCTV or Saturday Night Live, then you should find this quite funny. I have watched it repeatedly and still find subtle nuances that I didn't notice on earlier viewings. The DVD includes deleted scenes (also very funny) and commentary with Guest and Levy. Watch carefully for slices of your own personality in the various cast members. The truth is so funny it hurts. And perhaps that is why some people don't enjoy this movie.

Rating:
Summary: Funny; not up to standards set in "Tap" or "Best in Show"
Review: If you are a devotee of Christopher Guest's films ("This is Spinal Tap," "Best in Show"), this is a must-have DVD. Guest's unique "mockumentaries" are among the most original, hilarious films out there, and while there are some who don't "get" the humor, I find them to be hilarious.

"WFG" is the tale of the sesquecentennial (150th anniversary) of Blaine, Missouri, which was founded when a less-than-intrepid bunch of pioneers mistakenly thought they had reached the Pacific Ocean. From casting calls through the end of the "big show," (including a Herculean snit by Corky that must be seen to be believed) we meet the typical bunch of Guestian misfits who want to "put on a show" for the anniversary -- the travel agents who have never left Blaine, the dentist who mistakenly thinks he's always the funniest guy in the room, the DQ soda queen with visions of L.A., and the director, Corky St. Claire. Corky, played by Guest, is actually one of the weak points in the film because he is so over-the-top (allegedly married to a distant and never-seen spouse, he shops for all her clothes) that he unbalances the rest of the cast.

The strength of these mockumentaries is that the cast is all equally bizarre. The rock band in "Spinal Tap" was insane, but they were all more or less living in the same insane parallel universe. Similarly, the dog afficionados in "Best in Show" were all equally bitten by the dog-show bug. In "Guffman," it's clear that no matter what, Corky is always going to be the biggest space cadet in whatever galaxy he's moving through.

This is not to say that there are not some hilarious moments. Fred Willard and Catherine O'Hara are priceless as the travel agent-and-drunk-spouse who have visions of L.A. dancing in their heads. Parkey Posey (the DQ chick) and Corky have a hilariously saccharine duet in the "big show." And some of the throw-away moments (Corky's adoring male fan comparing Corky to Streisand) are priceless.

But the standard for Guest's films is very high. "Tap" and "Best in Show" are some of the most quotable movies I've ever seen, and "Guffman" just doesn't have the meat on the bones that these other films have. Still, an "average" Guest comedy is better than most other fare.

Rating:
Summary: Unpretentious DVD for an unpretentious film
Review: Shot "mockumentary" style from the folks who help solidify the genre. This takes place in small town of Blaine, Missouri where the local talent struggles to put on a musical celebrating the towns 150 year history. Headed by the very flamboyant and ambitious Corky St. Clair played flawlessly by Christopher Guest.
The film is done blatantly at the expense of middle america and community theatre but never becomes mean spirited and that's why it works. The DVD has a commentary worth listening to and deleted scenes that are actual *scenes* and not thirty second snippets. One of my favorites since I got it a few months ago and well worth having.

Rating:
Summary: JUST THE BOX ART WILL MAKE YOU LAUGH!
Review: Christopher Guest is Corky St. Clair, small town Blaine ("The Stool capitol of the world"), Missouri's resident community theater director. With plans of getting back to Broadway, he has created a musical extravaganza "Red, White and Blaine" to celebrate the town's 150th anniversary.

This sly, often hilarious, mock documentary features Guest's resident troupe of improvisational actors -- Eugene Levy (co-writer), Catherine O'Hara, Parker Posey, Fred Willard and Bob Balaban as the stage-struck locals who pin their amateur hopes on being discovered when Corky hints that legendary talent scout Mort Guffman will be in the audience.

If you appreciated "Best In Show," than check out its predecessor. Over 80 hours of film were shot in Super 16mm and edited down to a brisk 84 minutes. The widescreen print is especially sharp and the sound is clear. Co-writers and stars Guest and Levy share a loose and funny commentary and there's at least 30 minutes of whimsical and surprisingly poignant deleted scenes with optional commentary. Recommended.

Rating:
Summary: Can you ever be too deadpan?
Review: After listening to the boring (sorry) Guest/Levy commentary, the answer is yes. Of course, you can't see Guest's face when hearing the commentary, so you have to ask was he 100% serious or kidding?
I am not some mouth-breathing bohemian, but my favorite moments in this light comedy were probably the most obvious. Anything with Fred Willard, obviously. Eugene Levy saying he was not the class clown, but sat near the class clown and studied him. And of course, "what do your keen and perceptive eyes see?"
I've watched all the Guest mockumentaries too many times to count, and I can't help but think this might be the "worst" one (even though many consider it the best). Why? I honestly don't know. Best in Show is probably the funniest (not counting This is Spinal Tap), while A Mighty Wind is probably the most touching, feels the most complete and polished. Waiting for Guffman is so subdued though, which is why it's great. There's still a lot of laugh-out-loud (especially if you're a first time viewer, or the first time in a while) moments, and the ending is one of the best comedy endings of all time.
I love the little moments here, (Catherine O'Hara's little speech about "less is more" acting, Fred Willard telling Dr. Pearl "this is my wife Sheila, you may remember her from previous bills") there's just something so pure about these movies that makes them rewatchable. It's a pretty good movie, but keep in mind it's pretty rough and in my opinion the "worst" of the mockumentaries.
On the DVD side of things, I couldn't help but think the commentary was, well, boring. There was a lot of dead time. Guest seemed so bored during the recording, then again he could've just been kidding. We learn of the movie's incredibly small budget and cramped shooting schedule, however. And the deleted scenes are a treat, my favorite probably being the "Nothing Ever Happens in Blaine" song. Aside from that, there's little else, though. But the disc is pretty good (and cheap), so it's a no-brainer purchase. Get it.

Rating:
Summary: Best Guest Movie
Review: Of all of the Christopher Guest movies I've seen, this is the best. The others are fabulous as well, and definitely worth owning. However, I think this one is the most hilarious. This is definitely a DVD you can watch over and over without getting tired of it. Plus, you will have several new catch phrases in your vocabulary...I know I do.

Rating:
Summary: Few will enjoy this
Review: I know there are many positive reviews of this movie, but I can't quite tell why. I watched this with a bunch of friends and the only two who found it funny grew up in small towns and were kinda weird anyway. I admit that there is creativity here and I like the aspect of the improvisation that always accompanies Guest's films, but what good is improv and ad lib if it's not that funny? This film has it's moments but there are dozens of funnier movies out there.