list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around A Mighty Wind 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/A_Mighty_Wind/219358/default.aspx Title: A Mighty Wind
Year: 2003
Director: Christopher Guest
Plot: The writing and directing team who created Waiting for Guffman and Best in Show turn their satiric eye toward the world of folk music in this sly mockumentary. Irving Steinbloom was one of the great behind-the-scenes figures of the folk music boom of the late '50s and early '60s, and helped to nurture the careers of three of the best known acts of the era. The Folksmen -- Mark Shubb (Harry Shearer), Alan Barrows (Christopher Guest), and Jerry Palter (Michael McKean) -- were an earnest folk trio who sang of America's noble past and the challenges of the future; they split up in the early '70s after a failed attempt to go electric. Mitch & Mickey were a duo in both music and life, comprised of Mitch Cohen (Eugene Levy) and Mickey Devlin (Catherine O'Hara). They sang soulful songs of love until the collapse of their relationship sent Mitch into a deep and incapacitating depression. And The Main Street Singers were a nine-piece vocal group -- a "neuftet," as they prefer it -- who offered energetic good-time music, cranking out nearly 30 albums in the course of a decade; their current incarnation, The New Main Street Singers (played by Jane Lynch, Parker Posey, John Michael Higgins, David Alan Blasucci, Steve Pandis, Christopher Moynihan, Paul Dooley and Patrick Sauber) is still on the road. When it is announced that the legendary Irving Steinbloom has died (the character never appears in the film), his son Jonathan (Bob Balaban) decides that the best way to memorialize his father is through music, and with the help of Mike LaFontaine (Fred Willard) of Hi-Class Management, they set out to bring The Folksmen, Mitch & Mickey, and The New Main Street Singers back together for a special concert at New York's Town Hall. Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer -- who previously teamed up for This Is Spinal Tap -- not only perform together as The Folksmen in A Mighty Wind, but composed most of the songs performed onscreen. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 78
Number of Lists: 38
Number of blog posts: 7
Number of discussion threads: 1
SpoutRating: 3
]]>Tue, 12 May 2009 01:49:40 GMTA Mighty Wind2003Christopher GuestThe writing and directing team who created <a href=/films/110600/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'>Waiting for Guffman</a> and <a href=/films/161678/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'>Best in Show</a> turn their satiric eye toward the world of folk music in this sly mockumentary. Irving Steinbloom was one of the great behind-the-scenes figures of the folk music boom of the late '50s and early '60s, and helped to nurture the careers of three of the best known acts of the era. The Folksmen -- Mark Shubb (<a href="/players/P___111073/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Harry Shearer</a>), Alan Barrows (<a href="/players/P____92825/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Christopher Guest</a>), and Jerry Palter (<a href="/players/P___102180/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Michael McKean</a>) -- were an earnest folk trio who sang of America's noble past and the challenges of the future; they split up in the early '70s after a failed attempt to go electric. Mitch & Mickey were a duo in both music and life, comprised of Mitch Cohen (<a href="/players/P____99559/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Eugene Levy</a>) and Mickey Devlin (<a href="/players/P____53463/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Catherine O'Hara</a>). They sang soulful songs of love until the collapse of their relationship sent Mitch into a deep and incapacitating depression. And The Main Street Singers were a nine-piece vocal group -- a "neuftet," as they prefer it -- who offered energetic good-time music, cranking out nearly 30 albums in the course of a decade; their current incarnation, The New Main Street Singers (played by <a href="/players/P____43934/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Jane Lynch</a>, <a href="/players/P___187028/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Parker Posey</a>, <a href="/players/P___230480/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>John Michael Higgins</a>, David Alan Blasucci, Steve Pandis, Christopher Moynihan, <a href="/players/P____19689/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Paul Dooley</a> and Patrick Sauber) is still on the road. When it is announced that the legendary Irving Steinbloom has died (the character never appears in the film), his son Jonathan (<a href="/players/P____80466/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Bob Balaban</a>) decides that the best way to memorialize his father is through music, and with the help of Mike LaFontaine (<a href="/players/P____76341/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Fred Willard</a>) of Hi-Class Management, they set out to bring The Folksmen, Mitch & Mickey, and The New Main Street Singers back together for a special concert at New York's Town Hall. <a href="/players/P____92825/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Christopher Guest</a>, <a href="/players/P___102180/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Michael McKean</a>, and <a href="/players/P___111073/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Harry Shearer</a> -- who previously teamed up for <a href=/films/34830/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'>This Is Spinal Tap</a> -- not only perform together as The Folksmen in A Mighty Wind, but composed most of the songs performed onscreen. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide78Tag Target (>10)38713http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t35268tfopt.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/A_Mighty_Wind/219358/default.aspxFilm 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/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/spoutblog/archive/2008/8/21/34239.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 8/21/2008 4:01:18 PM
Body: This week, thanks to The Rocker, we can add another fictional band to the long list of music groups created solely for the movies. They’re called Vesuvius, and they’re an ‘80s hair band with a hit song titled “Promised Land.” As part of the film’s marketing, the track was offered as a free download for play on Rock Band (see the clip above). But if you ask me, the wrong tune was used in the promotion. Another song from the soundtrack, also credited to Vesuvius, is called “Pompeii Nights,” and it’s definitely the better of the two. I’m not surprised, though. While most people favor the songs of Spinal Tap, a once-fictional band that has become popular enough to evolve into a “semi-fictional” performing act, I’ve preferred such gems as “The Whites of Their Eyes” by PEZ® People, from The Big Picture. Also co-written by This is Spinal Tap’s Christopher Guest and Michael McKean, and sung by McKean, this song is apparently so underrated that I can’t even find an audio sample, let along a YouTube clip of the fake band’s music video, which was directed by fictional filmmaker Lydia Johnson (Jennifer Jason Leigh). Fortunately, for the benefit of this list, the rest of these under-appreciated tracks have a few fellow fans. “Howard the Duck” by Cherry Bomb, from Howard the Duck I’m still certain that I was this movie’s biggest fan. While growing up, I owned a VHS copy, the comic book adaptation and the novelization, and I still watched the edited version whenever it showed up on commercial television. Unfortunately, though, I never owned the soundtrack, which is, unsurprisingly, out of print (though available on eBay). It’s okay, because the catchy theme song has forever been lodged in my head. Performed diegetically by a fictional Runaways-inspired band, the Razzie-nominated “Howard the Duck” features vocals by actress Lea Thompson and funk legend George Clinton, plus Joe Walsh on guitar and Thomas Dolby, who co-wrote and produced all of Cherry Bomb’s songs, on synthesizer (off screen the song is credited to “Dolby Cube”). Cherry Bomb had four songs in the movie’s soundtrack, and some were definitely better than others. “Hunger City” is also kinda catchy, but that’s possibly only because it sounds reminiscent of Hall & Oats’ “Family Man.” Meanwhile, I absolutely love the slower “Don’t Turn Away,” which, unlike the title number, lacks Clinton’s vocals and Walsh’s guitar playing; yet it makes up for it with a little harmonica part performed by none other than Stevie Wonder. Perhaps its just my being a fan of ‘80s girl groups like The Go-Gos (check out Thompson doing a duet with Belinda Carlisle here) and The Bangles, but I could really have gone for a full album, and maybe a tour, a la Spinal Tap, from Cherry Bomb. “BBC” by Ming Tea, from Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery As far as fictional ‘60s bands go, Ming Tea is by far my favorite over such groups as The Oneders, aka The Wonders (from That Thing You Do!) and The Rutles (from All You Need is Cash), the latter of which is only as good as the Beatles tunes they spoof. Of course, I do like to think only of this poppy number from the first film, as well as the “psychedelic scene breaks” from the first and second films and ignore the relatively ‘90s-sounding “Daddy Wasn’t There” from Austin Powers in Goldmember, which seems like a reject from one of Matthew Sweet’s later albums (Sweet is a member of and co-songwriter for the fictional Ming Tea). Again, part of my love for Ming Tea could be due to my love for The Bangles, whose Susanna Hoffs was a member of the fake group (she is also the wife of Jay Roach, who directed all three Austin Powers movies). Someday I’d like to see another Nuggets box set featuring only fictional garage rock bands like Ming Tea, The Archies, etc. “Riverbottom Nightmare Band” by The Riverbottom Nightmare Band (or simply The Nightmare), from Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas Speaking of The Archies, if a fictional rock band from a cartoon can have a hit song continually played on oldies radio, why can’t this fictional rock band from a Muppet TV special get the same treatment? Is it because the vocals are actually pretty terrible? Is it because they’re the villains of the story? Maybe The Archies’ “Sugar Sugar” was the #1 pop song of 1969, but this eponymous tune was written by Oscar-winner Paul Williams, who also gave us such memorable songs as “(Just an) Old Fashioned Love Song,” “The Rainbow Connection” and The Carpenters’ “Rainy Days and Mondays” and “We’ve Only Just Begun.” Plus, if it’s any consolation, RNB’s keyboardist, a bear named Chuck, could totally kick Archie’s ass. Also worthy of radio play, though it’s probably not quite as underrated: “Can You Picture That” by Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem, from The Muppet Movie (and also co-written by Williams). “Goodbye, Eddie, Goodbye” by The Juicy Fruits, from Phantom of the Paradise I’m not always a big fan of this doo-wop revival kind of glam rock, but I really like this track from Brian DePalma’s musical, favoring it over such “real” tunes as Gary Glitter’s cover of Dion’s “The Wanderer” and “made-up” songs as those in The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Maybe it’s because this song is also penned by Paul Williams? Technically, because the movie bombed and is still hardly celebrated (at least compared to TRHPS), the whole soundtrack should be on this list. “Two-Way Romeo” by The Bang Bang, from Brothers of the Head I don’t think anyone else even saw this faux rock documentary (it’s not funny enough to be considered a mockumentary), let alone paid attention to its better-than-necessary soundtrack. Basically the song is by British pop-punk band Crackout (or members of the band, anyway), but it’s pretty authentic sounding for the film’s ‘70s setting. “Never Did No Wanderin’” by The Folksmen, from A Mighty Wind Part of my disappointment with this movie was that the songs are actually pretty good — and not necessarily funny. Silly, yes. Witty, yes. But not exactly over the top, laugh-out-loud funny, the way I prefer Christopher Guest movies to be. Yet I would actually go see The Folksmen before I would go see Spinal Tap, which features the same three actors (Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer, who in fact opened for themselves by having The Folkmen and Spinal Tap tour together in 2001). If they didn’t perform their cover of The Rolling Stones’ “Start Me Up,” though, I would be very dissatisfied. Much of the non-Folksmen songs on the soundtrack are actually pretty lame, including the Oscar-nominated “A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow.” I believe that had it all been more upbeat, a la The Folksmen’s “Old Joe’s Place” (which, along with “Blood on the Coal,” was actually introduced on Saturday Night Live way back in 1984), “Corn Wine” and “Never Did No Wanderin’” it could have been as successful an album as the O Brother, Where Art Thou? CDs. “Sweat of My Balls” by CB4, from CB4 The more memorable song from this near-mockumentary might be “Straight Outta Locash,” yet like the songs by The Rutles, it’s too clear a redo of a preexisting song (N.W.A.’s “Straight Outta Compton”). I guess I’m not that knowledgeable about rap music, but I had always thought “Sweat of My Balls” was actually original. Turns out, it’s actually a parody of Kool G. Rap’s “Talk Like Sex.” Well, since that song is also underrated (enough that I’d never heard of it), I stand by my inclusion of the less familiar-sounding CB4 track. “My Peanuts” by N.W.H., from Fear of a Black Hat I am at least aware that this song, which comes from a film similar to — though much less successful than — CB4, is a redo of Run-DMC’s “My Addidas.” But it’s so damn ridiculous that I wasn’t able to make the connection between the songs until many years after first seeing the movie. Just imagine how popular peanuts would be if the National Peanut Board used this rap in advertisements. “(Just Around the Corner to the) Light of Day” by The Barbusters, from Light of Day It’s not uncommon for a song written for a movie to become a real-world hit. And when it’s written by Bruce Springsteen, as this one was, you almost expect it to be a success. Yet despite the fact that both Springsteen and Joan Jett, who stars in the film as a member of the fictional Barbusters, have made the tune a staple of their respective live concert sets, it still doesn’t get the kind of general attention paid to, say, “On the Dark Side” from that other ‘80s bar band movie, Eddie and the Cruisers. Why isn’t this played heavily on classic rock radio? And by “this” I of course mean the version featuring Michael J. Fox and, yes, Michael McKean (man, he loves the fictional bands). “It Don’t Worry Me” by Albuquerque, from Nashville This is just a solo singer (played by Barbara Harris) rather than a whole group, but she’s still fictional and the song was still written for the film. And it’s sung during what may be the best film ending of all time (hence its appropriate position at the end of the list). Somehow Keith Carradine won an Oscar for writing the most boring tune in this Robert Altman classic (“I’m Easy”), while this song, also written by Carradine, is clearly more enjoyable. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Thu, 21 Aug 2008 20:01:18 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com8/21/2008 4:01:18 PM This week, thanks to The Rocker, we can add another fictional band to the long list of music groups created solely for the movies. They’re called Vesuvius, and they’re an ‘80s hair band with a hit song titled “Promised Land.” As part of the film’s marketing, the track was offered as a free download for play on Rock Band (see the clip above). But if you ask me, the wrong tune was used in the promotion. Another song from the soundtrack, also credited to Vesuvius, is called “Pompeii Nights,” and it’s definitely the better of the two. I’m not surprised, though. While most people favor the songs of Spinal Tap, a once-fictional band that has become popular enough to evolve into a “semi-fictional” performing act, I’ve preferred such gems as “The Whites of Their Eyes” by PEZ® People, from The Big Picture. Also co-written by This is Spinal Tap’s Christopher Guest and Michael McKean, and sung by McKean, this song is apparently so underrated that I can’t even find an audio sample, let along a YouTube clip of the fake band’s music video, which was directed by fictional filmmaker Lydia Johnson (Jennifer Jason Leigh). Fortunately, for the benefit of this list, the rest of these under-appreciated tracks have a few fellow fans. “Howard the Duck” by Cherry Bomb, from Howard the Duck I’m still certain that I was this movie’s biggest fan. While growing up, I owned a VHS copy, the comic book adaptation and the novelization, and I still watched the edited version whenever it showed up on commercial television. Unfortunately, though, I never owned the soundtrack, which is, unsurprisingly, out of print (though available on eBay). It’s okay, because the catchy theme song has forever been lodged in my head. Performed diegetically by a fictional Runaways-inspired band, the Razzie-nominated “Howard the Duck” features vocals by actress Lea Thompson and funk legend George Clinton, plus Joe Walsh on guitar and Thomas Dolby, who co-wrote and produced all of Cherry Bomb’s songs, on synthesizer (off screen the song is credited to “Dolby Cube”). Cherry Bomb had four songs in the movie’s soundtrack, and some were definitely better than others. “Hunger City” is also kinda catchy, but that’s possibly only because it sounds reminiscent of Hall & Oats’ “Family Man.” Meanwhile, I absolutely love the slower “Don’t Turn Away,” which, unlike the title number, lacks Clinton’s vocals and Walsh’s guitar playing; yet it makes up for it with a little harmonica part performed by none other than Stevie Wonder. Perhaps its just my being a fan of ‘80s girl groups like The Go-Gos (check out Thompson doing a duet with Belinda Carlisle here) and The Bangles, but I could really have gone for a full album, and maybe a tour, a la Spinal Tap, from Cherry Bomb. “BBC” by Ming Tea, from Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery As far as fictional ‘60s bands go, Ming Tea is by far my favorite over such groups as The Oneders, aka The Wonders (from That Thing You Do!) and The Rutles (from All You Need is Cash), the latter of which is only as good as the Beatles tunes they spoof. Of course, I do like to think only of this poppy number from the first film, as well as the “psychedelic scene breaks” from the first and second films and ignore the relatively ‘90s-sounding “Daddy Wasn’t There” from Austin Powers in Goldmember, which seems like a reject from one of Matthew Sweet’s later albums (Sweet is a member of and co-songwriter for the fictional Ming Tea). Again, part of my love for Ming Tea could be due to my love for The Bangles, whose Susanna Hoffs was a member of the fake group (she is also the wife of Jay Roach, who directed all three Austin Powers movies). Someday I’d like to see another Nuggets box set featuring only fictional garage rock bands like Ming Tea, The Archies, etc. “Riverbottom Nightmare Band” by The Riverbottom Nightmare Band (or simply The Nightmare), from Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas Speaking of The Archies, if a fictional rock band from a cartoon can have a hit song continually played on oldies radio, why can’t this fictional rock band from a Muppet TV special get the same treatment? Is it because the vocals are actually pretty terrible? Is it because they’re the villains of the story? Maybe The Archies’ “Sugar Sugar” was the #1 pop song of 1969, but this eponymous tune was written by Oscar-winner Paul Williams, who also gave us such memorable songs as “(Just an) Old Fashioned Love Song,” “The Rainbow Connection” and The Carpenters’ “Rainy Days and Mondays” and “We’ve Only Just Begun.” Plus, if it’s any consolation, RNB’s keyboardist, a bear named Chuck, could totally kick Archie’s ass. Also worthy of radio play, though it’s probably not quite as underrated: “Can You Picture That” by Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem, from The Muppet Movie (and also co-written by Williams). “Goodbye, Eddie, Goodbye” by The Juicy Fruits, from Phantom of the Paradise I’m not always a big fan of this doo-wop revival kind of glam rock, but I really like this track from Brian DePalma’s musical, favoring it over such “real” tunes as Gary Glitter’s cover of Dion’s “The Wanderer” and “made-up” songs as those in The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Maybe it’s because this song is also penned by Paul Williams? Technically, because the movie bombed and is still hardly celebrated (at least compared to TRHPS), the whole soundtrack should be on this list. “Two-Way Romeo” by The Bang Bang, from Brothers of the Head I don’t think anyone else even saw this faux rock documentary (it’s not funny enough to be considered a mockumentary), let alone paid attention to its better-than-necessary soundtrack. Basically the song is by British pop-punk band Crackout (or members of the band, anyway), but it’s pretty authentic sounding for the film’s ‘70s setting. “Never Did No Wanderin’” by The Folksmen, from A Mighty Wind Part of my disappointment with this movie was that the songs are actually pretty good — and not necessarily funny. Silly, yes. Witty, yes. But not exactly over the top, laugh-out-loud funny, the way I prefer Christopher Guest movies to be. Yet I would actually go see The Folksmen before I would go see Spinal Tap, which features the same three actors (Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer, who in fact opened for themselves by having The Folkmen and Spinal Tap tour together in 2001). If they didn’t perform their cover of The Rolling Stones’ “Start Me Up,” though, I would be very dissatisfied. Much of the non-Folksmen songs on the soundtrack are actually pretty lame, including the Oscar-nominated “A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow.” I believe that had it all been more upbeat, a la The Folksmen’s “Old Joe’s Place” (which, along with “Blood on the Coal,” was actually introduced on Saturday Night Live way back in 1984), “Corn Wine” and “Never Did No Wanderin’” it could have been as successful an album as the O Brother, Where Art Thou? CDs. “Sweat of My Balls” by CB4, from CB4 The more memorable song from this near-mockumentary might be “Straight Outta Locash,” yet like the songs by The Rutles, it’s too clear a redo of a preexisting song (N.W.A.’s “Straight Outta Compton”). I guess I’m not that knowledgeable about rap music, but I had always thought “Sweat of My Balls” was actually original. Turns out, it’s actually a parody of Kool G. Rap’s “Talk Like Sex.” Well, since that song is also underrated (enough that I’d never heard of it), I stand by my inclusion of the less familiar-sounding CB4 track. “My Peanuts” by N.W.H., from Fear of a Black Hat I am at least aware that this song, which comes from a film similar to — though much less successful than — CB4, is a redo of Run-DMC’s “My Addidas.” But it’s so damn ridiculous that I wasn’t able to make the connection between the songs until many years after first seeing the movie. Just imagine how popular peanuts would be if the National Peanut Board used this rap in advertisements. “(Just Around the Corner to the) Light of Day” by The Barbusters, from Light of Day It’s not uncommon for a song written for a movie to become a real-world hit. And when it’s written by Bruce Springsteen, as this one was, you almost expect it to be a success. Yet despite the fact that both Springsteen and Joan Jett, who stars in the film as a member of the fictional Barbusters, have made the tune a staple of their respective live concert sets, it still doesn’t get the kind of general attention paid to, say, “On the Dark Side” from that other ‘80s bar band movie, Eddie and the Cruisers. Why isn’t this played heavily on classic rock radio? And by “this” I of course mean the version featuring Michael J. Fox and, yes, Michael McKean (man, he loves the fictional bands). “It Don’t Worry Me” by Albuquerque, from Nashville This is just a solo singer (played by Barbara Harris) rather than a whole group, but she’s still fictional and the song was still written for the film. And it’s sung during what may be the best film ending of all time (hence its appropriate position at the end of the list). Somehow Keith Carradine won an Oscar for writing the most boring tune in this Robert Altman classic (“I’m Easy”), while this song, also written by Carradine, is clearly more enjoyable. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/cinemarian/archive/2008/5/13/28999.aspx Post By: CinemaRian
Post To: CinemaRian Blog
Post Date: 5/13/2008 8:09:06 PM
Body: Folk music between the eras marked by the giants Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan mostly sucked. It is among the biggest ironies of music that the most liberal musical artists in America recorded lightweight, unplugged songs that bore little resemblence to the root music they were supposedly paying homage to. This era is the subject of A Mighty Wind, another one of Christopher Guest's mockumentaries, in the vein of This Is Spinal Tap. Unlike that comic masterpiece, A Mighty Wind doesn't try to deconstruct some of the pretenciousness and disengenious nature of the music that is its subject. Rather, it's goes for broke with a variety of hit-and-miss jokes, many of which have little do with the subject. When it's funny, it's hilarious (a monolouge from Fred Willard literarlly had me on the floor, and I laughed so hard I was afraid I was going to vomit). When it's not, it's just lame, as when it discuss "witches of color". The main story revolves around a tribute concert given for a famous folk producer. Three main groups are shown in the efforts to prepare for the concert, The New Main Street Singers, possibly based on Mitch Mitchell and His Gang, The Folksmen, obviously based on the Kingston Trio and Mitch and Mickey, who apparently on based on no one. With the Mitch and Mickey angle, Guest gives us a new angle - characters we actully care about. It seems that Mitch (Eugene Levy, who co-wrote the script with Guest)was a genious songwriter who fell in love with autoharpist Mickey (Catherine O'Hara). The two became superstars, but Mitch took it hard when Mickey left him and the act and has been in and out of mental instituions ever since. When the duo performs at the concert, it is very poiniant, and is the most human moment in any Guest's films. One of the really dissapointing aspects of the movie is the music, which is not much different than the cheese it parodies. With the exception of "A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow", which was nominated for a Best Song Oscar (losing to "Into the West" from The Return of the King), all of the tunes are so leightweight they might be cork. I am not sure if it is possible to parody this style of music, anyway. The songs in Spinal Tap were funny because they took an ultra-serious musical genre and played it to its portencious hilt, whereas it's hard to make intentionally forgettable songs funny without having them be more forgettable. Thinking back on the film, it probably deserves two and half stars, and is the weakest of Guest's trilogy, but I'm in a charitable mood, and am still chuckling at Fred Willard, so it gets three and tacit reccomendation. Maybe Guest's mistake was dealing with a musical subject at all, This Is Spinal Tap just looms so large. A Mighty Wind (2003)
]]>Wed, 14 May 2008 00:09:06 GMTCinemaRianCinemaRian Blog5/13/2008 8:09:06 PMFolk music between the eras marked by the giants Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan mostly sucked. It is among the biggest ironies of music that the most liberal musical artists in America recorded lightweight, unplugged songs that bore little resemblence to the root music they were supposedly paying homage to. This era is the subject of A Mighty Wind, another one of Christopher Guest's mockumentaries, in the vein of This Is Spinal Tap. Unlike that comic masterpiece, A Mighty Wind doesn't try to deconstruct some of the pretenciousness and disengenious nature of the music that is its subject. Rather, it's goes for broke with a variety of hit-and-miss jokes, many of which have little do with the subject. When it's funny, it's hilarious (a monolouge from Fred Willard literarlly had me on the floor, and I laughed so hard I was afraid I was going to vomit). When it's not, it's just lame, as when it discuss "witches of color". The main story revolves around a tribute concert given for a famous folk producer. Three main groups are shown in the efforts to prepare for the concert, The New Main Street Singers, possibly based on Mitch Mitchell and His Gang, The Folksmen, obviously based on the Kingston Trio and Mitch and Mickey, who apparently on based on no one. With the Mitch and Mickey angle, Guest gives us a new angle - characters we actully care about. It seems that Mitch (Eugene Levy, who co-wrote the script with Guest)was a genious songwriter who fell in love with autoharpist Mickey (Catherine O'Hara). The two became superstars, but Mitch took it hard when Mickey left him and the act and has been in and out of mental instituions ever since. When the duo performs at the concert, it is very poiniant, and is the most human moment in any Guest's films. One of the really dissapointing aspects of the movie is the music, which is not much different than the cheese it parodies. With the exception of "A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow", which was nominated for a Best Song Oscar (losing to "Into the West" from The Return of the King), all of the tunes are so leightweight they might be cork. I am not sure if it is possible to parody this style of music, anyway. The songs in Spinal Tap were funny because they took an ultra-serious musical genre and played it to its portencious hilt, whereas it's hard to make intentionally forgettable songs funny without having them be more forgettable. Thinking back on the film, it probably deserves two and half stars, and is the weakest of Guest's trilogy, but I'm in a charitable mood, and am still chuckling at Fred Willard, so it gets three and tacit reccomendation. Maybe Guest's mistake was dealing with a musical subject at all, This Is Spinal Tap just looms so large. A Mighty Wind (2003) 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/benjohnskinner/archive/2007/4/17/7194.aspx Post By: benjohnskinner
Post To: benjohnskinner Blog
Post Date: 4/17/2007 4:59:00 PM
Body: There are some lines from books or from movies or from music that spread through the popular consciousness so completely that you don't even have to have read the book or seen the movie to know them.  The first line of A Tale of Two Cities, the first few bars of Beethoven's Fifth, half the lines in Casablanca...  Somehow I've managed to get this far through life without having seen This is Spinal Tap, yet I already knew about Nigel Tufnel and turning the amps up to 11.   I was expecting to see the band wandering around lost back-stage and that the drummers would all meet an untimely fate.It's a shame actually, because I do think this detracts somewhat from the film.  I had a similar feeling when I did finally get to see Casablanca a few months back... I couldn't help but sit there counting off the well-known exchanges and waiting for the next one to turn up.  Also, I've probably come to Spinal Tap a bit backwards.  I initially stumbled across the 'mockumentary' films of Christopher Guest - Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, etc., and fell in love with them.  They'd passed me by in the cinema so I caught up with all of them on DVD and have been showing them off to anyone who'll sit still long enough (most of my friends had never seen them either).  Anyway, I eventually realised the connection to Spinal Tap (Christopher Guest co-wrote and co-stars in TiST, although it was directed not by him but by Rob Reiner) and got round to watching it this evening.  For the few who don't know, This is Spinal Tap is a mockumentary following the fortunes of the eponymous rock band fronted by Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer.  Rob Reiner, playing the documentary film-maker, follows this dimwitted, egotistical trio on their tour of America as gradually their fans desert them, their record label rejects them and internal rivalries begin to tear them apart.  The film is full of gags, both subtle and not-so-subtle, and just a little pathos, affectionately skewering the cookie-cutter Eighties rock group.Christopher Guest has managed to surround himself with a group of versatile and very funny actors - much of the cast here carries over to Guest's later films - and his writing is silly and clever and believable.  This is Spinal Tap is great fun, but actually I didn't think it was the best of his movies.  I don't know if it was the deja vu of knowing many of the lines ahead of time, or perhaps the addition of Rob Reiner to the mix (as director and co-star), but I didn't find the film as completely engaging as Best in Show or Waiting for Guffman.  These later Guest films don't put a foot wrong, every member of the cast is on top form, whereas in Spinal Tap there are a few weak links.  McKean's girlfriend, the band's manager and the more peripheral band members are not particularly funny and occasionally the film loses momentum.  I'll certainly recommend Spinal Tap to people, but I'll suggest watching it first before moving on to Guest's later films, which are even better.
]]>Tue, 17 Apr 2007 20:59:00 GMTbenjohnskinnerbenjohnskinner Blog4/17/2007 4:59:00 PMThere are some lines from books or from movies or from music that spread through the popular consciousness so completely that you don&#39;t even have to have read the book or seen the movie to know them.  The first line of A Tale of Two Cities, the first few bars of Beethoven&#39;s Fifth, half the lines in Casablanca...  Somehow I&#39;ve managed to get this far through life without having seen This is Spinal Tap, yet I already knew about Nigel Tufnel and turning the amps up to 11.   I was expecting to see the band wandering around lost back-stage and that the drummers would all meet an untimely fate.It&#39;s a shame actually, because I do think this detracts somewhat from the film.  I had a similar feeling when I did finally get to see Casablanca a few months back... I couldn&#39;t help but sit there counting off the well-known exchanges and waiting for the next one to turn up.  Also, I&#39;ve probably come to Spinal Tap a bit backwards.  I initially stumbled across the &#39;mockumentary&#39; films of Christopher Guest - Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, etc., and fell in love with them.  They&#39;d passed me by in the cinema so I caught up with all of them on DVD and have been showing them off to anyone who&#39;ll sit still long enough (most of my friends had never seen them either).  Anyway, I eventually realised the connection to Spinal Tap (Christopher Guest co-wrote and co-stars in TiST, although it was directed not by him but by Rob Reiner) and got round to watching it this evening.  For the few who don&#39;t know, This is Spinal Tap is a mockumentary following the fortunes of the eponymous rock band fronted by Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer.  Rob Reiner, playing the documentary film-maker, follows this dimwitted, egotistical trio on their tour of America as gradually their fans desert them, their record label rejects them and internal rivalries begin to tear them apart.  The film is full of gags, both subtle and not-so-subtle, and just a little pathos, affectionately skewering the cookie-cutter Eighties rock group.Christopher Guest has managed to surround himself with a group of versatile and very funny actors - much of the cast here carries over to Guest&#39;s later films - and his writing is silly and clever and believable.  This is Spinal Tap is great fun, but actually I didn&#39;t think it was the best of his movies.  I don&#39;t know if it was the deja vu of knowing many of the lines ahead of time, or perhaps the addition of Rob Reiner to the mix (as director and co-star), but I didn&#39;t find the film as completely engaging as Best in Show or Waiting for Guffman.  These later Guest films don&#39;t put a foot wrong, every member of the cast is on top form, whereas in Spinal Tap there are a few weak links.  McKean&#39;s girlfriend, the band&#39;s manager and the more peripheral band members are not particularly funny and occasionally the film loses momentum.  I&#39;ll certainly recommend Spinal Tap to people, but I&#39;ll suggest watching it first before moving on to Guest&#39;s later films, which are even better. http://www.spout.com/blogs/hairylime/archive/2007/3/1/5884.aspx Post By: HairyLime
Post To: HairyLime Blog
Post Date: 3/1/2007 9:24:00 AM
Body: Watched this one the other night (probably should have watched it on Sunday, before the oscars, it would have made Nicole Kidman's face all that funnier).Not quite as side splittingly funny as his previous three films. This one abandons the 'mockumentary' format and tries for... well, I suppose 'mockudrama' would be a way to describe it. Interviews are still a big portion of the show, although it is frequently the interviewers who are the focus of the parody a lot of the time.Catherine O'Hara is brilliant as usual, and undergoes the most depressingly familiar transformation, from hard working underappreciated thespian uncomfortable with the 'fame' part of the actor's life, to absolute publicity hag, botoxed and tucked beyond recognition. Fred Willard is cluelessly hilarious as usual, and the usual gang of regulars have their moments (I love all the older characters confusing references to that mysterious thing called the 'internet'). Ricky Gervais joins the improv troupe in this one, and I was thinking he would be a great addition to the team, but his scenes kind of fall flat for some reason.Overall, not quite as satisfying as Mighty Wind, Best in Show or Waiting for Guffman. I hate to pigeonhole the director, but this group of improvisational talents seem to shine better in the documentary format, the characters seemed to be much more 'real' despite their quirks, where in this format, the acting seemed much more forced and caricatureish. Still, funnier than a lot of the crap out there that passes for comedy.
]]>Thu, 01 Mar 2007 14:24:00 GMTHairyLimeHairyLime Blog3/1/2007 9:24:00 AMWatched this one the other night (probably should have watched it on Sunday, before the oscars, it would have made Nicole Kidman&#39;s face all that funnier).Not quite as side splittingly funny as his previous three films. This one abandons the &#39;mockumentary&#39; format and tries for... well, I suppose &#39;mockudrama&#39; would be a way to describe it. Interviews are still a big portion of the show, although it is frequently the interviewers who are the focus of the parody a lot of the time.Catherine O&#39;Hara is brilliant as usual, and undergoes the most depressingly familiar transformation, from hard working underappreciated thespian uncomfortable with the &#39;fame&#39; part of the actor&#39;s life, to absolute publicity hag, botoxed and tucked beyond recognition. Fred Willard is cluelessly hilarious as usual, and the usual gang of regulars have their moments (I love all the older characters confusing references to that mysterious thing called the &#39;internet&#39;). Ricky Gervais joins the improv troupe in this one, and I was thinking he would be a great addition to the team, but his scenes kind of fall flat for some reason.Overall, not quite as satisfying as Mighty Wind, Best in Show or Waiting for Guffman. I hate to pigeonhole the director, but this group of improvisational talents seem to shine better in the documentary format, the characters seemed to be much more &#39;real&#39; despite their quirks, where in this format, the acting seemed much more forced and caricatureish. Still, funnier than a lot of the crap out there that passes for comedy. http://www.spout.com/groups/Movies_we_do_not_want_to_see/Why_not/70/662/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: MsMaxwell
Post To: Movies we do not want to see
Post Date: 3/28/2006 10:08:40 AM
Body: Who doesn't want to see this? Why? It's not violent. It IS stupid, but in a creative way. (And I certainly enjoyed myself while I was watching it.)
]]>Tue, 28 Mar 2006 14:08:40 GMTMsMaxwellMovies we do not want to see3/28/2006 10:08:40 AMWho doesn't want to see this? Why? It's not violent. It IS stupid, but in a creative way. (And I certainly enjoyed myself while I was watching it.) http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/love/MemberTagFilms.aspxlove
Number of films tagged: 12477

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