Waiting for Guffman

Rating:
Summary: The Midwest Has Never Been So Funny
Review: This is honestly one of the funniest movies this reviewer has ever seen. Christopher Guest (Best in Show, This is Spinal Tap) hones his "mocumentary" skills and proves he is king of the genre by giving the best performance of his career in a superbly written and directed film.

This all-star cast delivers an amazingly believable performance, transcending (or perhaps descending) real-life social status and fame to convince the viewer that each cast member is actually a citizen of rural America, caught up in the excitement of presenting a play for a New York City reviewer.

Several movies, including "Drop Dead Gorgeous" and "Miss Congeniality" have recently attempted "Waiting for Guffman's" cinematic feat, but all have been grossly outside Guest's bullseye. This movie is an hilarious look at stereotypical middle America, packed with the punch of Christopher Guest's sharp wit, and a believable documentary style.

Rating:
Summary: Better than Spinal Tap!!
Review: Guest and cast are hysterical! WAY better than Spinal Tap. Absolutely a riot of laughter.

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Summary: Dry Humor At Its Best
Review: One of the funniest movies ever made. The obscure title may cause some to pass it by, but what a mistake! Just a few ideas were given to guide the cast. The dialog is mostly (if not all) improv! The brilliant cast plays Mid-America to the hilt - and with deadly accuracy. Parker Posey as the white-trash dimwit with a father in prison is all too real - I think all Midwesterners knew someone like this growing up. Even more hilarious is Christopher Guest as a flaming gay man from New York (yet no one can figure it out - except the owner of the local auto shop who's son is getting hit on by Guest). And, Fred Willard as the over-bearing husband is everyone's next door neighbor. The cast goes on and on - one more bizarre than the next.

Highly entertaining - Highly recommended!

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Summary: Waiting for Guffman DVD
Review: The DVD version of this movie is absolutely marvelous. Over 60 hours of footage were shot to produce this movie, with only about 90 minutes making it to the big screen. Many scenes that were left out were absolute gems, and until now, have only been available as low-quality bootleg clips. It's wonderful to see them in their original splendor.

The film itself is a masterpiece of improvisational theater.

Rating:
Summary: This is not Spinal Tap, but it's funny for the same reasons.
Review: The characters in this movie are as average as they come, but this is not your average comedy. If you've ever seen the face of a part time performer light up when talking about his "craft", you will appreciate this movie. "Waiting for Guffman" documents the creation of an original musical play in Blaine, Missouri. The location doesn't matter, you'll still recognize the characters. Celebrating mediocrity, "Guffman" is filled with instantly familiar characters who actually get to live their dream--to perform in front of an audience. None of the characters know that they are bad actors, but that doesn't matter. The townspeople in the audience don't know, either. You will laugh at the characters in this movie, not because of any jokes, gags, or ironic plot devices, but because the characters are just like many of us--they try too hard and take themselves too seriously. These people believe in what they're doing, darn it, and they're not going to let anything stand in the way of their dreams--not even lack of talent. "Guffman" succeeds in the same way that "This is Spinal Tap" succeeded. Everybody in the film thinks that they are extraordinary. They are. Extraordinarily funny!

Rating:
Summary: Great Movie
Review: Just thought that someone should say something about this movie- the board seemed very empty. If you liked "Spinal Tap," "Best in Show," or "...And God Spoke," you will like this film a lot. If not, you probably won't. I liked this movie and the others like it, and I would reccomend it as an intelligent comedy wholeheartedly.

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Summary: Hilarious Look at Samll Town America and Community Theatre
Review: Christopher Guest brings his Moc-umentary lense into sharp comedic focus in this amazing examination of one small towns attempt to launch a musical telling of it's history. The same wit and gentle pokes that Guest uses in the recent Best of Show are in vivid display here. You alternately fall in love with and pity the naive enthusiasm of Guest's assembled cast of small town thespians featuring Eugene Levy in his best performance to date, Catherine O'Hara, Parker Posey, among others, as they wait for the arrival of a big time Broadway producer on the opening ( and only) night of their theatrical masterpiece.

If you have ever participated in any community theatre in your life, or lived in any close knit community, be it a small town or suburban neighborhood, you will fall off your sofa with laughter, as these all too familiar characters and situations unfold before you.

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Summary: ONE OF THE FUNNIEST MOVIES I HAVE EVER SEEN!
Review: "Waiting For Guffman" is one of the funniest and quirkiest movies ever filmed. If you are a fan of "Spinal Tap," then you will LOVE "Waiting For Guffman." Filmed in the same "mock-umentary" style as Spinal Tap, this film chronicles the horror that can be local theater. Corky (brilliantly played by Christopher Guest) and his Cast (consisiting of Fred WIllard, Parker Posey, Catherine O'Hara) are reaching for the stars when they put on a play about their (fictional) town: Blaine, Missouri. The musical is so terrible, that only a resident of this town could like it, yet they all truly believe that they will all go to Broadway. Their energy and optimism provodes much of the humor. If you want to laugh, see Waiting for Guffman!

Rating:
Summary: Be our hilarious Guest
Review: When I first saw Waiting for Guffman, I couldn't help but feel that I missed half the lines because everyone in the theater was erupting with laughter every 10 seconds. This is definitely one of the funniest movies you'll ever see. Christopher Guest and Eugene Levy wrote and Guest directed this tale of Blaine, Missouri's sesquicentennial celebration and the musical that Corky St. Clair (Guest) will direct. Townspeople with thespian ambitions show up to audition with uproarious results.

The cast is fantastic and the humor is dead-pan hilarious.

Don't forget to pick up "Best in Show", too.

Rating:
Summary: Funnier than "Best In Show"
Review: Ok, I really liked Christopher Guest's "Best In Show", but "Waiting For Guffman" almost made me pee my pants. The cast is terrific (basically the same cast of "Best In Show"), Christopher Guest has literally created mastered a new genre of comedy, the "mockumentary". First, he helped write Rob Reiner's "This is Spinal Tap", then wrote & directed "Waiting for Guffman", & most recently, "Best In Show". Experience a little bit of comic genius...BUY THIS ONE.