list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around Best in Show on Spout Copyright 2005-9 Spout, LLC Spout RSS http://www.spout.com/images/SpoutLogoRSS.jpg http://www.spout.com/ 136 30 http://www.spout.com/films/Best_in_Show/161678/default.aspx Title: Best in Show
Year: 2000
Director: Christopher Guest
Plot: After parodying the idiosyncrasies of community theater devotees in the mock documentary Waiting for Guffman, actor/director Christopher Guest returns with another semi-improvised comedy that casts a satirical gaze on the world of championship dog breeding and training. A television crew is on hand to document the prestigious Mayflower Kennel Club Dog Show, and competition is fierce among the canine devotees vying for top honors. Salesman Gerry Fleck (Eugene Levy), who is cursed with two left feet (literally), and his wife Cookie (Catherine O'Hara) have entered their Norwich terrier "Winky" in competition. Wealthy and neurotic Meg Swan (Parker Posey) and her husband Hamilton (Michael Hitchcock) are on hand with their Weimaraner "Beatrice," who they fear may have been traumatized by watching them have sex. Scott Donlan (John Michael Higgins) and his life partner Stefan Vanderhoof (Michael McKean) have brought their beloved Shih Tzu, "Miss Agnes." Trophy wife Sheri Ann Cabot (Jennifer Coolidge) and her close friend and trainer Christy Cummings (Jane Lynch) are hoping for a repeat victory for Sheri's poodle, "Rhapsody In White." And Harlan Pepper (Guest), who operates a store specializing in fly-fishing gear, has decided to stack his bloodhound "Hubert" up against the competition. In addition to Guest, Levy, O'Hara, and Posey, several other veterans of the Waiting for Guffman cast also appear in Best in Show, including Fred Willard, Bob Balaban, and Lewis Arquette. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 77
Number of Lists: 66
Number of blog posts: 8
Number of discussion threads: 4
SpoutRating: 4
]]>Tue, 12 May 2009 03:01:34 GMTBest in Show2000Christopher GuestAfter parodying the idiosyncrasies of community theater devotees in the mock documentary <a href=/films/110600/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'>Waiting for Guffman</a>, actor/director <a href="/players/P____92825/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Christopher Guest</a> returns with another semi-improvised comedy that casts a satirical gaze on the world of championship dog breeding and training. A television crew is on hand to document the prestigious Mayflower Kennel Club Dog Show, and competition is fierce among the canine devotees vying for top honors. Salesman Gerry Fleck (<a href="/players/P____99559/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Eugene Levy</a>), who is cursed with two left feet (literally), and his wife Cookie (<a href="/players/P____53463/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Catherine O'Hara</a>) have entered their Norwich terrier "Winky" in competition. Wealthy and neurotic Meg Swan (<a href="/players/P___187028/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Parker Posey</a>) and her husband Hamilton (<a href="/players/P____94490/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Michael Hitchcock</a>) are on hand with their Weimaraner "Beatrice," who they fear may have been traumatized by watching them have sex. Scott Donlan (<a href="/players/P___230480/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>John Michael Higgins</a>) and his life partner Stefan Vanderhoof (<a href="/players/P___102180/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Michael McKean</a>) have brought their beloved Shih Tzu, "Miss Agnes." Trophy wife Sheri Ann Cabot (<a href="/players/P___225744/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Jennifer Coolidge</a>) and her close friend and trainer Christy Cummings (<a href="/players/P____43934/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Jane Lynch</a>) are hoping for a repeat victory for Sheri's poodle, "Rhapsody In White." And Harlan Pepper (Guest), who operates a store specializing in fly-fishing gear, has decided to stack his bloodhound "Hubert" up against the competition. In addition to Guest, Levy, O'Hara, and Posey, several other veterans of the <a href=/films/110600/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'>Waiting for Guffman</a> cast also appear in Best in Show, including <a href="/players/P____76341/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Fred Willard</a>, <a href="/players/P____80466/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Bob Balaban</a>, and <a href="/players/P_____2422/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Lewis Arquette</a>. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide77Tag Target (>10)66844http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t10432whfwg.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/Best_in_Show/161678/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/Re_Weekly_Theme_for_January_5_Man_s_Best_Friend/625/39145/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: csprague
Post To: Weekly Theme
Post Date: 1/6/2009 1:09:18 PM
Body: [quote user="mercurial"] Was Best in Show disturbingly bad or a work of genius? [/quote] The only thing disturbing about that movie was how accurately they portrayed dog lovers. more specifically my parents. Dogs are just objects on which they play out their bizarre psychosis. Here are a few other dog favorites: Where The Red Fern Grows (check out this version, Dave Matthews!) The Call of the Wild Old Yeller Lassie Homeward Bound (the kid went to my college, he looks the same as he did at 10 years old.) The Adventures of Milo and Otis I'll stop there even though I have a ton more.
]]>Tue, 06 Jan 2009 18:09:18 GMTcspragueWeekly Theme1/6/2009 1:09:18 PM[quote user="mercurial"] Was Best in Show disturbingly bad or a work of genius? [/quote] The only thing disturbing about that movie was how accurately they portrayed dog lovers. more specifically my parents. Dogs are just objects on which they play out their bizarre psychosis. Here are a few other dog favorites: Where The Red Fern Grows (check out this version, Dave Matthews!) The Call of the Wild Old Yeller Lassie Homeward Bound (the kid went to my college, he looks the same as he did at 10 years old.) The Adventures of Milo and Otis I'll stop there even though I have a ton more. http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/Weekly_Theme_for_January_5_Man_s_Best_Friend/625/39132/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: mercurial
Post To: Weekly Theme
Post Date: 1/5/2009 9:14:36 PM
Body: As a cat person I've been told that I'm crazy, completely stupid, going to Hell, etc. It seems that the old saying that a dog is man's best friend reverberates strongly for a lot of people, so this week's theme is dedicated to that slobbering mess of fleas and fur: the dog. Was it the dog that made Marley & Me such a hit? Did you rent the latest Beethoven sequel? Somebody is watching them! Did Benji make you cry like a baby? Was Best in Show disturbingly bad or a work of genius? It's a new year so let's get it started with a bang, or rather, a bark!
]]>Tue, 06 Jan 2009 02:14:36 GMTmercurialWeekly Theme1/5/2009 9:14:36 PMAs a cat person I've been told that I'm crazy, completely stupid, going to Hell, etc. It seems that the old saying that a dog is man's best friend reverberates strongly for a lot of people, so this week's theme is dedicated to that slobbering mess of fleas and fur: the dog. Was it the dog that made Marley &amp; Me such a hit? Did you rent the latest Beethoven sequel? Somebody is watching them! Did Benji make you cry like a baby? Was Best in Show disturbingly bad or a work of genius? It's a new year so let's get it started with a bang, or rather, a bark! http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/11/25/37651.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 11/25/2008 7:01:14 PM
Body: We can thank Christopher Guest for pulling her out of obscurity and casting her as a lesbian dog trainer in Best in Show. Or we can just thank her incredible talent for stealing scenes by way of riotous awkward comedy. Either way, this week we should remember to be thankful for Jane Lynch. You may have seen her recently in Role Models as the formerly coke-addicted founder of a mentoring organization. Or maybe you’ve seen her in The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Talladega Nights or Guest’s A Mighty Wind and For Your Consideration. In most of her roles, she plays opposite the best comedians in the business, yet she still supplies her films with some of their most memorable moments. I can’t wait to see how she does against Meryl Streep in next year’s Julie & Julia, when she plays the Oscar-winner’s sister. Lynch is hardly a celebrity, but she’s given the star treatment, jokingly, in the video below, the second episode of FunnyorDie.com’s “The Laurel and Meg Show.” And though the SNL-level internet talk show parody is not the funniest thing in the world, it is interesting to see Lynch kind of a victim of her own kind of schtick. For once, she’s not the most awkward character in the room. Although, she does create a nice deadpan awkward moment at the end. This Thanksgiving, many of us are likely to face a number of awkward situations courtesy of forced family bonding. If only we could have Jane Lynch by our sides to ease some of that tension, even if by being more inappropriate than your relatives ever could be. See more funny videos at Funny or Die Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Wed, 26 Nov 2008 00:01:14 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com11/25/2008 7:01:14 PMWe can thank Christopher Guest for pulling her out of obscurity and casting her as a lesbian dog trainer in Best in Show. Or we can just thank her incredible talent for stealing scenes by way of riotous awkward comedy. Either way, this week we should remember to be thankful for Jane Lynch. You may have seen her recently in Role Models as the formerly coke-addicted founder of a mentoring organization. Or maybe you’ve seen her in The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Talladega Nights or Guest’s A Mighty Wind and For Your Consideration. In most of her roles, she plays opposite the best comedians in the business, yet she still supplies her films with some of their most memorable moments. I can’t wait to see how she does against Meryl Streep in next year’s Julie & Julia, when she plays the Oscar-winner’s sister. Lynch is hardly a celebrity, but she’s given the star treatment, jokingly, in the video below, the second episode of FunnyorDie.com’s “The Laurel and Meg Show.” And though the SNL-level internet talk show parody is not the funniest thing in the world, it is interesting to see Lynch kind of a victim of her own kind of schtick. For once, she’s not the most awkward character in the room. Although, she does create a nice deadpan awkward moment at the end. This Thanksgiving, many of us are likely to face a number of awkward situations courtesy of forced family bonding. If only we could have Jane Lynch by our sides to ease some of that tension, even if by being more inappropriate than your relatives ever could be. See more funny videos at Funny or Die Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/groups/Coming_Soon/Re_Share_your_reviews_New_movies_in_theaters/216/37586/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: SkyPilot
Post To: Coming Soon
Post Date: 11/24/2008 2:19:57 PM
Body: If your familiy is like mine, you guys always watch a movie after Thanksgiving dinner. When I was younger, my uncle usually picked the movies. He had questionable judgment...* As I got older, they started letting me pick the movies, and I took this responsibility very seriously. Here's how some of the movies went over with my family. I'd love to hear about your family movie experiences. Top 5 Movies Good for the Whole Family on Thanksgiving 1. Stardust (2007) -- Watch the trailer. I love this movie, and so did the rest of the family. It's very much in the tradition of The Princess Bride, though I like Stardust more. 2. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (2005) -- Watch the trailer. Even the people who don't normally like fantasy were able to get into the story. 3. Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006) -- Watch the trailer. Goofy and incredibly smart at the same time, this has always been my favorite Will Ferrell movie. This one's only safe if people don't mind the "hard" PG-13 rating. 4. Thank You for Smoking (2005) -- Watch the trailer. A good mix of important message and just plain fun. If there are young viewers around, just remember there's a semi-graphic sex scene between Aaron Eckhart and Katie Holmes. They're both fully clothed, but somehow it's still embarrassing to watch with young cousins in the room. 5. Best In Show (2000) -- Watch the trailer. Maybe this one only worked so well because there are so many animal lovers in our family, but I've always thought this is the most accessible Christopher Guest movie. Note: my relative who breeds show animals did not like it. The 3 Biggest Mistakes I Made When Selecting Movies 1. Death Race 2000 (1975) -- Watch the trailer. Why did I do it? My family likes comedies, so I thought I'd introduce them to camp. My family started a mutiny at about the ten minute mark. 2. Rescue Dawn (2006) -- Watch the trailer. We actually didn't even watch this one because my sister had the sense to talk me out of it. I thought everyone would find it hopeful, but now I don't know what I was thinking. 3. About Schmidt (2002) -- Watch the trailer. For the love of God, don't show this one to your family, especially if the film reminds you of your family! *My uncle's picks. The only time I saw Highlander was on Thanksgiving, when I was far too young for it. And I was the oldest child in the room! Another year I remember we watched The Rock with Nic Cage and Sean Connery ("Lomax, you bastard!") Sure we had fun, but in retrospect, I wonder what the adults were thinking?
]]>Mon, 24 Nov 2008 19:19:57 GMTSkyPilotComing Soon11/24/2008 2:19:57 PMIf your familiy is like mine, you guys always watch a movie after Thanksgiving dinner. When I was younger, my uncle usually picked the movies. He had questionable judgment...* As I got older, they started letting me pick the movies, and I took this responsibility very seriously. Here's how some of the movies went over with my family. I'd love to hear about your family movie experiences. Top 5 Movies Good for the Whole Family on Thanksgiving 1. Stardust (2007) -- Watch the trailer. I love this movie, and so did the rest of the family. It's very much in the tradition of The Princess Bride, though I like Stardust more. 2. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (2005) -- Watch the trailer. Even the people who don't normally like fantasy were able to get into the story. 3. Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006) -- Watch the trailer. Goofy and incredibly smart at the same time, this has always been my favorite Will Ferrell movie. This one's only safe if people don't mind the "hard" PG-13 rating. 4. Thank You for Smoking (2005) -- Watch the trailer. A good mix of important message and just plain fun. If there are young viewers around, just remember there's a semi-graphic sex scene between Aaron Eckhart and Katie Holmes. They're both fully clothed, but somehow it's still embarrassing to watch with young cousins in the room. 5. Best In Show (2000) -- Watch the trailer. Maybe this one only worked so well because there are so many animal lovers in our family, but I've always thought this is the most accessible Christopher Guest movie. Note: my relative who breeds show animals did not like it. The 3 Biggest Mistakes I Made When Selecting Movies 1. Death Race 2000 (1975) -- Watch the trailer. Why did I do it? My family likes comedies, so I thought I'd introduce them to camp. My family started a mutiny at about the ten minute mark. 2. Rescue Dawn (2006) -- Watch the trailer. We actually didn't even watch this one because my sister had the sense to talk me out of it. I thought everyone would find it hopeful, but now I don't know what I was thinking. 3. About Schmidt (2002) -- Watch the trailer. For the love of God, don't show this one to your family, especially if the film reminds you of your family! *My uncle's picks. The only time I saw Highlander was on Thanksgiving, when I was far too young for it. And I was the oldest child in the room! Another year I remember we watched The Rock with Nic Cage and Sean Connery ("Lomax, you bastard!") Sure we had fun, but in retrospect, I wonder what the adults were thinking? http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/10/7/35995.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 10/7/2008 11:01:06 AM
Body: Product placement in movies is now so overdone that we may not even notice it unless a particular film or TV show really hits us over the head with a blatant in-your-face product shot. Otherwise, seeing commercial goods everywhere merely seems like everyday life in capitalist America. Just look at any of the websites that tally up products spotlighted in mainstream movies and you’ll probably be surprised (though not shocked) at how many brands appear in each new release. Did you notice that Blades of Glory contains 38 separate products? Probably not. Many of those products couldn’t have gotten their money’s worth, because the movie doesn’t allow the audience to walk away recalling any one particular item. At a time when TV’s Top Chef and 30 Rock show us how lame blatantly whorish and ironic product placement can get, and while moviegoers are being subjected to more subliminal, suggestive and unintentional advertisements (Speed Racer, Wall-E and Beverly Hills Chihuahua respectively have us thinking about McDonalds, Apple products and Taco Bell, though some of these associations are not necessarily the movie’s fault), it’s good to remember that not all product placement is superfluous or despicable. Some of it is actually funny, smart and beneficial to mankind. Movie: E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial Product: Reese’s Pieces In case you don’t believe the part about product placement being beneficial to mankind, just imagine what could have happened if E.T. had featured either of Steven Spielberg’s first choices in candy placement, M&Ms or Hershey’s Kisses, rather than Reese’s Pieces. Would the delicious peanut butter candies still exist today? Okay, they might, but they certainly wouldn’t have become so popular so fast. Don’t forget that advertising is not simply about a greedy corporation marketing a product for profitable gain; it’s also about alerting us to wonderful new products that we otherwise might not have noticed. And isn’t your choice of sundae mix-ins better thanks to millions of moviegoers noticing the existence of Reese’s Pieces? Movie: Back to the Future Product: DeLorean DMC-12 On the opposite side of the spectrum from Reese’s Pieces, the DeLorean DMC-12 (popularly referred to as simply the DeLorean), is possibly the least necessary product ever to be placed prominently in a film. Maybe if it were actually a time machine it would be a must-have and the DeLorean Motor Company could have been back in business despite having gone bust a few years prior to the release of Back to the Future. Instead, the DeLorean is just a cool car, yet one that highly appeals to huge BTTF fans. And of the 6,500 DMC-12s still in existence, it’s likely that a large percentage are possessed by people who’ve installed a mock Flux Capacitor and own a vanity license plate that says something like “MCFLY” or “88 MPH” or “OUTATIME”. Get ready to see more tributes to the movie, too, since a car manufacturer in Houston has begun making new DMC-12s in limited production. Movie: The Wizard Product: Nintendo A year after Mac and Me seemed to indicate that really, really prominent and shameless product placement was possibly a bad idea, The Wizard came out and provided the opposing argument. Then and now people have looked at the film’s promotion of Nintendo’s latest and much-anticipated blockbuster video game (and the the system’s “so bad” Power Glove controller) as one of the low moments in product placement, but for anyone who cared about video games in 1989, the chance to even get a glimpse of Super Mario Bros. 3 was worth the price of admission for an otherwise lame kiddie version of Rain Man. Movie: Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle Product: White Castle Like The Wizard’s promotion of Nintendo products, the employment of the White Castle fast food brand in Harold and Kumar is about reminding an audience about something it already likes and desires. But unlike The Wizard, Harold and Kumar doesn’t make the sponsorship seem like such a cheap grab for cash. Sure, the stoner comedy could have used any fast food place, real or made up, but for anyone who has devoured a whole Crave Case with one other friend at four in the morning, the specifically branded joke is all the more appreciated. Movie: Wayne’s World Products: Pizza Hut; Doritos; Reebok; Nuprin; Pepsi Tina Fey may seem like the smartest SNL vet ever, but each time 30 Rock does the ironic product placement shtick, a number of Mike Myers and Dana Carvey loyalists likely shout at their screen, “Sheah, right! As if that’s not a 15-year-old gag.” And Fey isn’t the only one guilty of recycling the joke, although occasionally movies like Talladega Nights and Josie and the Pussycats can get away with it, because it’s kind of a necessary gag when satirizing things like NASCAR and pop music. Even the reflexive use of product placement in Fight Club somewhat descends from the Wayne’s World scene. Movie: Best in Show Products: Starbucks; Apple; J. Crew; L.L. Bean Product placement doesn’t always have to be about favorably advertising a brand. It can also be about making fun of a brand, or making fun of a certain kind of person that brand is geared toward. In the mockumentary Best in Show, Starbucks is made fun of for having so many locations, while Apple is merely employed in the joke. Catalog clothing companies J. Crew and L.L. Bean are also simultaneously the butt of a joke and the means with which Christopher Guest makes fun of two of his film’s characters. Movie: Good Bye Lenin! Product: Coca-Cola Product placement can also be about employing a product that serves as an idea. Coca-Cola is a brand that has been featured in tons of films as more a symbol of capitalism and the West than of soda pop (see my old post on Coca-Cola in cinema here), and in this German comedy, a giant Coca-Cola billboard serves to represent the westernization going on outside the window of the room of an oblivious woman being duped to believe the Berlin Wall never fell. Movie: One, Two, Three Product: Pepsi The Coca-Cola placement in Good Bye Lenin! recalls Billy Wilder’s film One, Two, Three, which also deals with the division of East and West Berlin and also employs the iconic brand for the same kind of symbolic representation of capitalism. In Wilder’s film, though, the product is much more prominent, as the plot revolves around a Coca-Cola executive (played by James Cagney). Yet after so much mention of Coke, especially with the association of overbearing consumerism and cultural imperialism, you’re more likely to come away from the film wanting a bottle of Pepsi, instead. Of course, it also helps that the final shot in the film is of Cagney holding a bottle of Coca-Cola’s main competitor. Movie: Breathless (À bout de souffle) If you’re surprised that there was product placement as long ago as 1961, when One, Two, Three was released, let’s go back even further to 1960, and to another country, France. Jean-Luc Godard’s breakthrough and groundbreaking film probably wasn’t meant to increase sales of the New York Herald Tribune, but what male viewer could resist purchasing a subscription after watching and hearing Jean Seberg peddle the newspaper at the beginning of the film? Perhaps now the film even still inspires young men to subscribe to New York magazine, as a substitute for its now unavailable ancestor. Oh, and just so you know, product placement can be found many, many decades earlier than the 1960s. Movie: Minority Report Products: Lexus; Guiness; American Express; and others The product placement in Minority Report is considered an example of overkill, but that’s also the point. The film is set in a not-so-far-off future in which ads are everywhere, and most of them are personalized to address the consumer directly by name. It’s one of many futurist ideas in the film meant to exaggerate the present while predicting the direction technology is going. Already people receive personalized spam and internet ads, and advances in personalized marketing are growing closer and closer to what exists as a joke/prophesy in Spielberg’s film. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Tue, 07 Oct 2008 15:01:06 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com10/7/2008 11:01:06 AM Product placement in movies is now so overdone that we may not even notice it unless a particular film or TV show really hits us over the head with a blatant in-your-face product shot. Otherwise, seeing commercial goods everywhere merely seems like everyday life in capitalist America. Just look at any of the websites that tally up products spotlighted in mainstream movies and you’ll probably be surprised (though not shocked) at how many brands appear in each new release. Did you notice that Blades of Glory contains 38 separate products? Probably not. Many of those products couldn’t have gotten their money’s worth, because the movie doesn’t allow the audience to walk away recalling any one particular item. At a time when TV’s Top Chef and 30 Rock show us how lame blatantly whorish and ironic product placement can get, and while moviegoers are being subjected to more subliminal, suggestive and unintentional advertisements (Speed Racer, Wall-E and Beverly Hills Chihuahua respectively have us thinking about McDonalds, Apple products and Taco Bell, though some of these associations are not necessarily the movie’s fault), it’s good to remember that not all product placement is superfluous or despicable. Some of it is actually funny, smart and beneficial to mankind. Movie: E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial Product: Reese’s Pieces In case you don’t believe the part about product placement being beneficial to mankind, just imagine what could have happened if E.T. had featured either of Steven Spielberg’s first choices in candy placement, M&Ms or Hershey’s Kisses, rather than Reese’s Pieces. Would the delicious peanut butter candies still exist today? Okay, they might, but they certainly wouldn’t have become so popular so fast. Don’t forget that advertising is not simply about a greedy corporation marketing a product for profitable gain; it’s also about alerting us to wonderful new products that we otherwise might not have noticed. And isn’t your choice of sundae mix-ins better thanks to millions of moviegoers noticing the existence of Reese’s Pieces? Movie: Back to the Future Product: DeLorean DMC-12 On the opposite side of the spectrum from Reese’s Pieces, the DeLorean DMC-12 (popularly referred to as simply the DeLorean), is possibly the least necessary product ever to be placed prominently in a film. Maybe if it were actually a time machine it would be a must-have and the DeLorean Motor Company could have been back in business despite having gone bust a few years prior to the release of Back to the Future. Instead, the DeLorean is just a cool car, yet one that highly appeals to huge BTTF fans. And of the 6,500 DMC-12s still in existence, it’s likely that a large percentage are possessed by people who’ve installed a mock Flux Capacitor and own a vanity license plate that says something like “MCFLY” or “88 MPH” or “OUTATIME”. Get ready to see more tributes to the movie, too, since a car manufacturer in Houston has begun making new DMC-12s in limited production. Movie: The Wizard Product: Nintendo A year after Mac and Me seemed to indicate that really, really prominent and shameless product placement was possibly a bad idea, The Wizard came out and provided the opposing argument. Then and now people have looked at the film’s promotion of Nintendo’s latest and much-anticipated blockbuster video game (and the the system’s “so bad” Power Glove controller) as one of the low moments in product placement, but for anyone who cared about video games in 1989, the chance to even get a glimpse of Super Mario Bros. 3 was worth the price of admission for an otherwise lame kiddie version of Rain Man. Movie: Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle Product: White Castle Like The Wizard’s promotion of Nintendo products, the employment of the White Castle fast food brand in Harold and Kumar is about reminding an audience about something it already likes and desires. But unlike The Wizard, Harold and Kumar doesn’t make the sponsorship seem like such a cheap grab for cash. Sure, the stoner comedy could have used any fast food place, real or made up, but for anyone who has devoured a whole Crave Case with one other friend at four in the morning, the specifically branded joke is all the more appreciated. Movie: Wayne’s World Products: Pizza Hut; Doritos; Reebok; Nuprin; Pepsi Tina Fey may seem like the smartest SNL vet ever, but each time 30 Rock does the ironic product placement shtick, a number of Mike Myers and Dana Carvey loyalists likely shout at their screen, “Sheah, right! As if that’s not a 15-year-old gag.” And Fey isn’t the only one guilty of recycling the joke, although occasionally movies like Talladega Nights and Josie and the Pussycats can get away with it, because it’s kind of a necessary gag when satirizing things like NASCAR and pop music. Even the reflexive use of product placement in Fight Club somewhat descends from the Wayne’s World scene. Movie: Best in Show Products: Starbucks; Apple; J. Crew; L.L. Bean Product placement doesn’t always have to be about favorably advertising a brand. It can also be about making fun of a brand, or making fun of a certain kind of person that brand is geared toward. In the mockumentary Best in Show, Starbucks is made fun of for having so many locations, while Apple is merely employed in the joke. Catalog clothing companies J. Crew and L.L. Bean are also simultaneously the butt of a joke and the means with which Christopher Guest makes fun of two of his film’s characters. Movie: Good Bye Lenin! Product: Coca-Cola Product placement can also be about employing a product that serves as an idea. Coca-Cola is a brand that has been featured in tons of films as more a symbol of capitalism and the West than of soda pop (see my old post on Coca-Cola in cinema here), and in this German comedy, a giant Coca-Cola billboard serves to represent the westernization going on outside the window of the room of an oblivious woman being duped to believe the Berlin Wall never fell. Movie: One, Two, Three Product: Pepsi The Coca-Cola placement in Good Bye Lenin! recalls Billy Wilder’s film One, Two, Three, which also deals with the division of East and West Berlin and also employs the iconic brand for the same kind of symbolic representation of capitalism. In Wilder’s film, though, the product is much more prominent, as the plot revolves around a Coca-Cola executive (played by James Cagney). Yet after so much mention of Coke, especially with the association of overbearing consumerism and cultural imperialism, you’re more likely to come away from the film wanting a bottle of Pepsi, instead. Of course, it also helps that the final shot in the film is of Cagney holding a bottle of Coca-Cola’s main competitor. Movie: Breathless (À bout de souffle) If you’re surprised that there was product placement as long ago as 1961, when One, Two, Three was released, let’s go back even further to 1960, and to another country, France. Jean-Luc Godard’s breakthrough and groundbreaking film probably wasn’t meant to increase sales of the New York Herald Tribune, but what male viewer could resist purchasing a subscription after watching and hearing Jean Seberg peddle the newspaper at the beginning of the film? Perhaps now the film even still inspires young men to subscribe to New York magazine, as a substitute for its now unavailable ancestor. Oh, and just so you know, product placement can be found many, many decades earlier than the 1960s. Movie: Minority Report Products: Lexus; Guiness; American Express; and others The product placement in Minority Report is considered an example of overkill, but that’s also the point. The film is set in a not-so-far-off future in which ads are everywhere, and most of them are personalized to address the consumer directly by name. It’s one of many futurist ideas in the film meant to exaggerate the present while predicting the direction technology is going. Already people receive personalized spam and internet ads, and advances in personalized marketing are growing closer and closer to what exists as a joke/prophesy in Spielberg’s film. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/christhilk/archive/2008/8/27/34475.aspx Post By: ChrisThilk
Post To: ChrisThilk Blog
Post Date: 8/27/2008 6:01:14 PM
Body: I always enjoy Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show and A Mighty Wind on a variety of levels. First, there’s the watching of a batch of actors who truly know where their towels are to an extent that they can largely make a movie up as they’re going along. Then there’s the level on which I admire the editing of the footage that was shot into a coherent story. Finally there’s the mental image that follows every scene of the cast breaking each other up and requiring another take to try and play it straight. Of the three Best in Show probably works the best in terms of being an actual movie. The characters are the best developed and it’s played straight for the most part, only rarely diving into overt gags. The other two are filled with more “funny” moments as opposed to letting the humor bubble up from the outrageous situations the characters find themselves in. Still, though, all three are a treat to watch. Plus, watch Christopher Guest through the films and you’ll see how scary good an actor he really is. Originally posted on:Chris Thilk
]]>Wed, 27 Aug 2008 22:01:14 GMTChrisThilkChrisThilk Blog8/27/2008 6:01:14 PMI always enjoy Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show and A Mighty Wind on a variety of levels. First, there’s the watching of a batch of actors who truly know where their towels are to an extent that they can largely make a movie up as they’re going along. Then there’s the level on which I admire the editing of the footage that was shot into a coherent story. Finally there’s the mental image that follows every scene of the cast breaking each other up and requiring another take to try and play it straight. Of the three Best in Show probably works the best in terms of being an actual movie. The characters are the best developed and it’s played straight for the most part, only rarely diving into overt gags. The other two are filled with more “funny” moments as opposed to letting the humor bubble up from the outrageous situations the characters find themselves in. Still, though, all three are a treat to watch. Plus, watch Christopher Guest through the films and you’ll see how scary good an actor he really is. Originally posted on:Chris Thilk http://www.spout.com/blogs/divinemsjunebug/archive/2008/3/19/26387.aspx Post By: divinemsjunebug
Post To: divinemsjunebug Blog
Post Date: 3/19/2008 2:11:44 AM
Body: This is one of my all-time favorite movies! The characters are all interesting and fun and when I heard that most of it is improvised, I was really impressed. When I worked at my last job, my co-worker was also a fan of this movie and we would (at least once a day) quote something from this film, especially if we were having a stressful day, it always made us crack up. I think I love just about everything Christopher Guest has created. He is definately a comic genious and is surrounded by the same!
]]>Wed, 19 Mar 2008 06:11:44 GMTdivinemsjunebugdivinemsjunebug Blog3/19/2008 2:11:44 AMThis is one of my all-time favorite movies! The characters are all interesting and fun and when I heard that most of it is improvised, I was really impressed. When I worked at my last job, my co-worker was also a fan of this movie and we would (at least once a day) quote something from this film, especially if we were having a stressful day, it always made us crack up. I think I love just about everything Christopher Guest has created. He is definately a comic genious and is surrounded by the same! http://www.spout.com/blogs/chrismorrell/archive/2008/1/20/24133.aspx Post By: chrismorrell
Post To: chrismorrell Blog
Post Date: 1/20/2008 10:23:24 PM
Body: 'Waiting for Guffman'... the Chris Guest film that i had unaccountably missed seeing up to now , unaccountably, because i AM one of those people who can quote, endlessly from 'This Is Spinal Tap'.. and , of course i love 'Best in Show' and 'A Mighty Wind'... so it's a must for Guest fans...members of the variable ensemble are here ..Catherine O'hara, Eugene Levy, Parker Posey ,Fred Willard..Apart from the beautifully observed , totally 'camped out' Corky,(Guest)...highlight,for me is Parker Posey in pure 'White Trash' gum-chewin mode,with her innapropriately sexy audition,of 'Teachers Pet'...seemingly quite happy , whatever happens!!... "Waiting for Guffman"... .hurrah!!!
]]>Mon, 21 Jan 2008 03:23:24 GMTchrismorrellchrismorrell Blog1/20/2008 10:23:24 PM&#39;Waiting for Guffman&#39;... the Chris Guest film that i had unaccountably missed seeing up to now , unaccountably, because i AM one of those people who can quote, endlessly from &#39;This Is Spinal Tap&#39;.. and , of course i love &#39;Best in Show&#39; and &#39;A Mighty Wind&#39;... so it&#39;s a must for Guest fans...members of the variable ensemble are here ..Catherine O&#39;hara, Eugene Levy, Parker Posey ,Fred Willard..Apart from the beautifully observed , totally &#39;camped out&#39; Corky,(Guest)...highlight,for me is Parker Posey in pure &#39;White Trash&#39; gum-chewin mode,with her innapropriately sexy audition,of &#39;Teachers Pet&#39;...seemingly quite happy , whatever happens!!... &quot;Waiting for Guffman&quot;... .hurrah!!! http://www.spout.com/blogs/eagle795/archive/2007/8/27/18863.aspx Post By: eagle795
Post To: eagle795 Blog
Post Date: 8/27/2007 1:57:48 AM
Body: I really dig the Christopher Guest mockumentaries, most of which feature many of the same group of actors. This one is one of the best. The commentator played by Fred Willard is hysterical.
]]>Mon, 27 Aug 2007 05:57:48 GMTeagle795eagle795 Blog8/27/2007 1:57:48 AMI really dig the Christopher Guest mockumentaries, most of which feature many of the same group of actors. This one is one of the best. The commentator played by Fred Willard is hysterical. http://www.spout.com/groups/FRESH/Re_Fay_Grimm/75/9322/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: Risselada
Post To: FRESH
Post Date: 5/25/2007 12:03:00 PM
Body: [quote user="divinemsjunebug"] I just read the details and they both look like really good movies, I've never heard of either of them before and I am a major Parker Posey fan. Especially from Best in Show and Waiting for Guffman and Scream 3, she is just the best. I am definately going to have to see both of these films. Thanks for mentioning them! June[/quote]They are very different types of movies from the ones you mentioned. And I know not everyone will enjoy them, but I sincerely hope you do!
]]>Fri, 25 May 2007 16:03:00 GMTRisseladaFRESH5/25/2007 12:03:00 PM[quote user="divinemsjunebug"] I just read the details and they both look like really good movies, I&#39;ve never heard of either of them before and I am a major Parker Posey fan. Especially from Best in Show and Waiting for Guffman and Scream 3, she is just the best. I am definately going to have to see both of these films. Thanks for mentioning them! June[/quote]They are very different types of movies from the ones you mentioned. And I know not everyone will enjoy them, but I sincerely hope you do! http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/funny/MemberTagFilms.aspxfunny
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