Spinal Tap II: The End Continues

The recursiveness may be the most striking aspect of this production. While parodying the idea of it not necessarily being a good idea for an over- the-hill band to do a reunion concert, these guys make a movie … as an over the hill group of comedians getting back together to do a sequel. Hmm. The good news is, this outing is not the kind of disaster that inevitably follows the fictional rockers around … but it isn’t exactly a triumph reminiscent of the original movie, either. There are good bits in here, mostly during scenes where the participants offer some fresh gags and wry remarks rather than rehashes of the first film’s notes. That’s a fine line, of course; they couldn’t possibly have made this sequel without referring back to at least some of the earlier material, so they can hardly be blamed for echoing previous jokes. Still, the viewer can help but get the sense that the principal creators didn’t quite trust their own abilities to really let loose and come up with entirely fresh pieces of funny. Maybe they were just tired; if nothing else, this flick shows the impact of age catching up to you. That condition especially comes through in the musical performances, which are uneven throughout. More encouraging is the support the core group gets from the guest stars, Paul McCartney and Sir Elton John in particular; both are quite funny in their cameos. All together, this work is something short of what one might have expected or hoped for, but the movie does deliver enough new laughs and nostalgic moments that it certainly isn’t anything to be ashamed of. These banshees still live, and they do (sorta) live well. 

The Princess Bride

This may be the most superfluous review on this site. This film has long been a Best of All inductee; I simply wanted to add a review upon re-watching this classic. And in re-watching it, I approached it with as critical an eye as I could, looking to find the flaws instead of just rubber-stamping this flick's reputation. And guess what--there aren't any. This is as close to perfection as it's possible to get. Maybe one could quibble about the parts of the book that did not make it into the movie--but Goldman wrote both the novel and the screenplay, so those are his edits to his own work. Can't really complain about that. (And film is a different medium from books; some changes are absolutely necessary.) The re-watching was, all in all, an amazingly affirming experience: this movie is exactly as good, not just as you remember it, but as you dream it is. A monumental achievement, one of the best movies ever made, and worthy of its legendary status.

A Mighty Wind

Christopher Guest is still pumping out the parodies; this time '60s folk music gets the treatment. This one's a little more uneven that prior efforts, but the laughs it does have hit strong when they come. Special mention goes to Eugene Levy, who never breaks from a very weird character, even when the temptation to go nuts had to be there.

Best in Show

Satire goes to the dogs. A typical outing in Christopher Guest's oeuvre, with plenty of zany contributions from a lot of the usual comedic suspects. If you liked any of the director's other works, it's for you; if you're not a member of that fan base, the humor may fly a shade over your head. You'll have to decide for yourself if this is your dish of kibble or not. Personally, I like it.

Waiting For Guffman

Given the talents involved--Spinal Tap veteran Christopher Guest is the auteur here--this should have been better. Still, it has its moments.