This Is Spinal Tap (1984)

Superb (m/r)ockumentary of the semi-fictitious band "Spinal Tap", made up of Michael McKean ("Lenny", soul mate of Squigy, on the TV series "Laverne & Shirley"), Christopher Guest (actor/director of "Waiting for Guffman"), Harry Shearer (performs voices of 22 different characters on "The Simpsons"), and a random selection of ever-changing drummers. The movie is a tongue-in-cheek parody of washed-up hard rock bands that still think they are God's gift to the universe. The inspired idiocy borders on genius at times, lending weight to Michael's observation that there is a "fine line between stupid and clever".

The DVD is simply amazing. For starters, everything is in character. From the style of the main menu title screen, to the menu voice-overs by the band, and extending through all of the extra material included on the DVD, the personas of the band (and the fictitious director as well) are maintained with perfect consistency.

What makes this all the more amazing is the shear quantity of extras on the disk. For starters, there is about an hour of "deleted" scenes provided. In addition, there are numerous music videos, TV commercials (fake I presume???), and trailers. And as if that weren't enough, there is also a commentary track throughout the entire film with the band members, completely in character, being as hilariously idiotic as they are in the film. The Spinal Tap commentary track is easily the most entertaining commentary in my extensive DVD library.

The DVD medium is put to splendid use as well. Menu transitions are computer animations inspired by some of the film's funniest moments. Each menu plays a different "Tap" song, giving you access to a decent percentage of the sound track. And, just as importantly, the animations are not overdone; the menus are still easy to use, and the transitions only take a few seconds.

Overall, this DVD is a great value, and provides a vast amount of material not available in the VHS version. If you are a Tap fan, or would like to be, you NEED this DVD!

Movie

----------------

Originality: A

Creativity: A

Complexity/Depth: B-

Relevance/Message: B

Artistic Merit: A

Overall Entertainment Value: A



DVD

------

Transfer Quality: A

Extras: A+

Use of Medium: A

It amazes me that to this day, nearly 20 years later, there are still some people who thought this was real. That Spinal Tap actually existed. It's hilarious. This film is truly one of a kind. It perfectly lampoons the life, success, and downfall of a rock group. The film is shot as a documentary, or as this kind of film is, a 'mockumentary'. It's being done by director Marty DiBergi(Rob Reiner, who also directed and co-wrote the film), who is best known for commercials. He chronicles the life of legendary british band, Spinal Tap. The members of this band include David St. Hubbins(the always great Michael McKean), who is the vocalist of the group. Nigel Tufnel(the brilliant Christopher Guest), is the lead guitarist. Big mustached Derek Smalls(the great Harry Shearer), is the bass player. They started out in the mid 1960's as a mellower hippy/pop type band with songs like "Listen(To What The Flower People Say)". The documentary chronicles that to where they are today. They turned into a long haired, heavy metal group with songs like "Big Bottom", "Sex Farm", and others. The entire film shows their struggles to maintain their career as it appears to be falling down the tubes. Producers won't release their album, concerts are cancelled, no one comes to autograph signings. The inner turmoil within the band is showcased as well. They suffered from we could call, 'the Yoko syndrome', where St. Hubbins' girlfriend, Janine Pettibone(June Chadwick), comes into the picture and causes friction within the group. Throughout the film and interviews, there are concert clips showing the band in glorious action. The film was written by our three stars, and they must have spent time in this world because many musicians have stated the authenticity of it all. Not only did they write it and get it down pat, but these three guys also wrote every song and really performed them. They might not of been a real group, but they could of been. Keep your eyes peeled open for appearances by Billy Crystal, Dana Carvey, and Fran Drescher at a party. Fred Willard and Ed Begley Jr., who have become Chris Guest regulars in his future films, appear here as well. Willard, as he will in the future films, steals every single frame he is in. Ed Begley, Jr. plays the band's original guitarist who died in an awful gardening accident. This continues as a running gag(that always works)thru the rest of the film concerning their drummers. The movie is funny. It's not the kind of comedy that a lot of people will get. Read the one star reviews below for that. It's a type of comedy that is very dry, but also very funny. If you are not in on it, you will not get it or respect it for what it is and is trying to do. Same goes for Guest's future films(Waiting For Guffman and Best In Show). The DVD comes with a great load of cool extras. The three guys, in character, give audio commentary. It's priceless. There is a new interview with Rob Reiner. There is a slew of other special features here. Over an hour of never before seen footage; Theatrical trailers; 6 TV commercials; an appearance on "The Joe Franklin Show"; 4 music videos for "Listen(To What The Flower People Say)", "Hell Hole", "Big Bottom", and one I can't remember the name of. It's a hysterical film that hits on every mark. Definitley the funniest movie about music ever made, and the all time best 'mockumentary'. And once again, just to make sure, this was not a real band. Go ahead and see this. It's one of a kind.

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The gods of comedy rock, Spinal Tap, will be re-releasing theirhilariously brilliant mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap by releasing itin theaters again and presenting anew video and DVD version of the infamous film. MGM Home Entertainment notes that the 1984 rock comedy, about a fictitious over the hill heavy metal band on their comeback tour, will re-released on VHS and DVD after being out of print for several years. The new special edition home video versions of the film will boast new audio commentary from the cast, an hour's worth of deleted scenes, beefed up sound and video, and more. Some of the goodies turned up on a This Is Spinal Tap CD-ROM that surfaced in the early '90s and later on the first DVD version, but this new release will be different in many ways. Most notably, the new version will feature entirely new audio commentary. The previous DVD featured the cast members commenting out of character, this time actors Michael McKean, Harry Shearer, and Christopher Guest will offer commentary in character (as David St. Hubbins, Derek Smalls, and Nigel Tufnel, respectively).

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Well, Spinal Tap just won't give up. They're approaching 60 and still rocking. This new edition of the comedy masterpiece This is Spinal Tap is loaded with goodies, especially for die hard fans. The intro alone is worth the price of the DVD, with all three members (in character) commenting on the title sequence of the DVD. Then some commentary as you navigate the menu (especially funny is the subtitles bit). Then there are the extras! Man...some of the extras aren't the funniest, so it's obvious as to why they were removed from the final cut, but some are hilarious! My favorite out-take was a bit featuring Nigel (Christopher Guest) explaining to Marty Dibergi (Rob Reiner) the similarities between tradtional Indonesian music and true American Western music. This scene is as funny as anything in the movie. A nice touch is the audio commentary featuring all three in character as they analyze the truthfulness of DiBergi's representation and recall old times. Funny as hell. All in all, if you're a Tap fan, this will make you forget about the "Hellhole" you live in! A great continuation of the Tap legacy.

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This is the movie that turned me on to Christopher Guest's unique style of subtle comedy (though This is Spinal Tap is hardly subtle). After watching Best of Show and Waiting for Guffman, it's clear that this is disproportionately Guest's movie, despite the (obvious and extremely beneficial) shared writing credits between him, McKean, Shearer, and Reiner.

I recommend this movie to pretty much everyone who has an interest in music (especially the music of the 60's, 70's, and 80's) and a healthy sense of humor. No one is immune to this satire, with pretty clear (and not so clear) jabs at the Beatles, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, and countless other groups. Add to that a "fake" music group that has about as much musical talent as some of the "real" groups from the era that they're satirizing, and you've got a masterpiece of a movie.

This DVD takes it another step and adds in over an hour of cut footage that adds a lot to the story, and adds a lot more laughs. It would have been nice to have the option to plug the outtakes back into the movie in their original places (like in the X-Men DVD), but merely having them there is a big plus in itself. Other extras, like commentary from the characters, music videos for some of their songs, multiple trailers and TV advertisement spots, and other more minor extras make this a must have DVD for anyone who enjoys this type of movie.

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For a Good Time, Call... (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy + UltraViolet) (2012)

"For a Good Time, Call..." (2012 release; 85 min.) brings the story of two girls down on their luck. Katie (played by Ari Graynor) lives in a fabulous apartment in New York which she no longer can afford. Lauren (played by Lauren Miller) has just been told by her boyfriend that he wants to "evaluate" their relationship and she needs to move out. A mutual friend, Jesse (played by Justin Long), brings the girls together and even though they have an unpleasant history together from their college days, they really have no choice but to try to make things work. And how they do! Lauren finds out that Katie, in order to make some extra money, works on the side as a phone sex operator. Lauren figures out that if they do this on their own, they'll make much more money.

While a heavy emphasis is made in the promotional materials for the movie (both on the poster and in the trailer) about the sex phone operation, the movie is in fact much more about how two girls who used to hate each other become unlikely best friends 10 years later. In that sense, the movie is the female version of a "brocom".

Lauren Miller, in addition to starring, also co-wrote and co-produced the movie. She is the wife of Seth Rogen, who appears in a short but hilarious cameo. I had first noticed Miller in last year's "50/50" movie, and with this she simply confirms that she is a rising star in the Hollywood indie scene. Kudos as well for Ari Graynor, who shines as Lauren's room mate and comes across like a Bette Midler reincarnated. But a special shout-out to Justin Long, who is just fantastic as Jesse. I also want to point out that the soundtrack plays a big role in the movie, and features plenty of indie talent such as Unknown Mortal Orchestra, the Generationals, High Highs, and Los Campesinos!, just to name those. With its light-hearted touch, it is just the perfect Fall movie when everyone's grown tired of the summer blockbuster big budget action hero movies and never-ending explosions.

"For a Good Time, Call..." (2012 release; 85 min.) brings the story of two girls down on their luck. Katie (played by Ari Graynor) lives in a fabulous apartment in New York which she no longer can afford. Lauren (played by Lauren Miller) has just been told by her boyfriend that he wants to "evaluate" their relationship and she needs to move out. A mutual friend, Jesse (played by Justin Long), brings the girls together and even though they have an unpleasant history together from their college days, they really have no choice but to try to make things work. And how they do! Lauren finds out that Katie, in order to make some extra money, works on the side as a phone sex operator. Lauren figures out that if they do this on their own, they'll make much more money.

While a heavy emphasis is made in the promotional materials for the movie (both on the poster and in the trailer) about the sex phone operation, the movie is in fact much more about how two girls who used to hate each other become unlikely best friends 10 years later. In that sense, the movie is the female version of a "brocom".

Lauren Miller, in addition to starring, also co-wrote and co-produced the movie. She is the wife of Seth Rogen, who appears (uncredited) in a short but hilarious cameo. I had first noticed her in last year's "50/50" movie, and with this she simply confirms that she is a rising star in the Hollywood indie scene. Kudos as well for Ari Graynor, who shines as Lauren's room mate and comes across like a Bette Midler reincarnated. But a special shout-out to Justin Long, who is just fantastic as Jesse. I also want to point out that the soundtrack plays a big role in the movie, and features plenty of indie talent such as Unknown Mortal Orchestra, the Generationals, High Highs, and Los Campesinos!, just to name those. With its light-hearted touch, it is just the perfect end-of-Summer/early Fall movie when everyone's grown tired of big budget action hero movies and never-ending explosions.

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I knew from the commercials that this film would be a little on the funny and goofy side of things, even cartoonish, but this movie has a lot of heart in it and in the end is a story about more than just a friendship; it's about a sisterhood. Loved everything about it!

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My husband is military and gone quite a bit. This was one of those nights I was bored and needed a movie to watch. I thought it was cute and held my attention most of the time.

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I purchased this movie thinking it would be cute and was pleasantly surprised. It was fantastic! I was iggling to laughing out loud throughout the entire thing. Unexpectedly in love with this movie!!

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I Don't Know How She Does It (2011)

I have been such a huge fan of Sarah Jessica Parker since before it was fashionable (yes, I'm old enough to have watched Square Pegs in its original airing), but I wonder why she can't seem to pick a movie script lately that has half of the wit and intelligence of HBO's "Sex and the City." Even the "Sex and the City" movies (especially the second one) lacked the energy and humor of the TV series. "I Don't Know How She Does It" is just the latest unfortunate misfire. The well worn premise is so dated and tired, I don't even know where to begin. If you think that women working in the professional arena is a new or novel phenomenon, this movie might be for you with its antiquated ideas and expected punchlines. It has all the modernity of a Doris Day film with its insulting and old-fashioned notions. From the get-go, the movie lets us know that Parker is both a terrific mother and a fantastic career woman. Problem is--the screenplay really never makes the case that either of these points is true. Oh how can a woman possibly juggle a career and family? Apparently a lot of lying is the key--whether to the bake sale committee or to your boss, it's all the same and absolutely adorable!

Parker has a seemingly idyllic life with her husband (an underutilized Greg Kinnear) and two kids. She manages to be wildly successful at work even though she embodies every negative cliche about working mothers that you can possibly imagine. She shows up late, always has food stains on her clothes, is in perpetual disarray, and generally just bumbles about. That's okay, she's a mother (with a full time child care worker no less) so it's expected that she would be a harried mess. When she accidentally sends sexually suggestive emails to an important client, it's endearing (when in reality, who would do business with a "professional" who can't even manage their personal emails?) Never mind that Parker is completely unconvincing, the film has plenty of others to insult. All of the men at work are dismissive and/or conniving. Again, what decade is this? Women have been a part of the workforce for quite some time now! But the most loathsome portrait of all is saved for stay-at-home moms. They are vindictive and judgmental harridans who occupy their days with selfish pursuits instead of working.

Parker relies, as always, on her nervous energy and clumsiness to mine for physical comedy. She's such a hugely talented actress, though, I'd like to see her dig a little deeper for a change. There's no reason why she isn't among the best in her field. Kinnear brings an easy charm to his largely unexplored second fiddle role. And Pierce Brosnan (as the previously mentioned client who works with Parker on a huge project) has a refreshing deadpan that enlivens the scenes that he's in. Even he gets smitten by the lice-ridden Parker. Why not? There are moments in "I Don't Know How She Does It" that are amusing, but the film strains for sentimentality as well. If you think that Miss Parker can't have it all, well then you underestimate her pluck. There are a lot of humorous movies that detail the challenges of working women and mothers everywhere (whether in central themes or peripheral plotlines). "I Don't Know How She Does It" misses the mark with its sexist and dated viewpoints--and worse, its stale jokes. I liked Kinnear and Brosnan, but the screenplay could use a real dose of tartness and reality. KGHarris, 12/11.

This a movie about a woman who overextends herself with her job and family life. She's got two little kids around ages 2 and 6. Her job isn't just any job, but a high powered money making position. I know women like this who somehow manage to balance it all running from place to place. I wonder how they get any sleep at night. They're certainly too busy to see this movie that seems to be about them. I don't have a fault with the plot or the actors. It was a watchable movie. The problem is that it was made as if it were a two hour long draining sitcom. Sarah Jessica Parker holds her own as the lead, but she seems to be playing a very famous character she's played before in the "Sex and the City" franchise. Only difference is, this is Carrie with kids, a high powered job, but the same Carrie voice over that wraps around the scenes through the film. The other issue is that I think this is a topic that's been covered a long time ago and better in films like "Baby Boom". I assumed that this topic has been do dated that you can't really spin the idea of women having a career and children. As far as I'm aware, most women now who are in it for their careers aren't interested in having children. At least the ones around me anyway. Wise choice. Unless you want two careers and no sympathy.

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The movie irritated me with the over abundance of first person narration and asides. It appears this was written as a play and no knew how to adapt it to the screen. Character is not built for you, but is read to you. It is easy to figure out "how she does it:"

1) Super mom has better organizing skills than most people.

2) SJP has no trouble lying.

3) She takes short cuts.

4) SJP totes half of the world's possessions in her bag.

5) She has both an educated nanny and husband who support her.

That is how she does it.

Everyone in the movie will look into the camera and say "I don't know how she does it." SJP's character's name is "Kate REDDY." Get it? Her arch rival among the other mommies is Wendy BEST. These authors could write porno with imaginative names like that. We could name the husband "Richard Reddy" wink wink nudge nudge. Oh, they did!

Sarah is struggling to keep up with everything when her job requires her to travel from a Hollywood version of Boston (one where no one has an accent) to NYC even though they have wide screen teleconferencing. Her idea is to develop a retirement account for seniors built upon foreign high dividend paying stocks. (My advice would be to use closed end funds. Some have the high dividend, pay monthly, and have less risk than emerging world stocks such as GOF or GLAD.)

I wasn't able to laugh at this comedy. I found out that if a woman signs her e-mail "XO" that means "I want you to enter me" or for a guy, just the reverse. There are also the typical family disappoints due to work.

This is a "chick flick" for a married woman...the one that doesn't cheat on her husband with James Bond when she has the opportunity. Perhaps high octane working moms might enjoy this film as they are shown as incredible super heroes who strive for the heart warming ending. The asides of Christina Hendricks toward the end of the film deal with the stereotypes of women in the workplace in an attempt to give the movie meaning. I was only mildly entertained.

No f-bombs, sex, or nudity. Mild swearing. "S" word but not as much as a certain South Park episode.

XO

Mike

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I could only appreciate this mindless entertainment for a brief window of my life, and that window has been boarded up. Please stop making more than one movie every other year like this, thank you.

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"I Don't Know How She Does It" follows the life of Kate Reddy (Sarah Jessica Parker) working for a financial management in Boston. She is mother of two children, and wife to architect Richard (Greg Kinnear), currently unemployed. Always hard working, Kate juggles multiple tasks at home and at office. Balancing family and career can be difficult, especially when Jack (Pierce Brosnan), a New York business associate, offers you a great chance to further her career.

Based on a book written by Allison Pearson, the film's screenplay is by Aline Brosh McKenna, known for "27 Dresses," "Morning Glory" and of course, "The Devil Wears Prada." So far "I Don't Know How She Does It" is the most disappointing work penned by her.

To me the film's problem is simple. It doesn't have its own voice. The story looks like a rehash of other better romantic comedies. The characters, likeable as they are, do not have any distinct personality. This is not to say "I Don't Know How She Does It" is a total waste of celluloid. It is pretty amusing watching the interactions between Kate and Momo (Olivia Munn), Kate's competent assistant (who, unlike Kate, doesn't like kids).

No, it is just that everything is weak and tepid in "I Don't Know How She Does It." The weakness is perhaps because of the performances from the leads, or the mocumentary style that director Douglas McGrath ("Nicholas Nickleby" starring Charlie Hunnam, "Infamous") overuses. Or maybe simply because of the lack of real challenges these characters must face. Whatever the reason is, the film just fails to leave a lasting impact on viewers, as a comedy or a drama.

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Katt Williams: It's Pimpin' Pimpin' (2008)

I thought that Katt was as amazingly clever as usual in this new release. I pre-ordered it and me and my girlfriends watched it on Saturday night. Unfortunately I live in a building in South Florida with alot of old people. We laughed so hard and loud during the entire Blu Ray disc, that one of my neighbors told the security guard to come tell us to be quiet because he was trying to sleep. Even after the security guard left we were still falling over laughing with tears down our faces. If you love Katt, or if you love humor that pokes fun at (while at the same time celebrating) race, sex, and politics, then this Blu Ray is a must have for any collection. In this DVD, Katt discusses the Olympic winner who was disqualified for running on prosthetic legs (Oscar Pistorius), the election, Obama, Mccain, Hillary Clinton, and a news story about some guys being attacked by a tiger in a California zoo in April 2008 amongst other things. I thought it was really interesting the way Katt approached each issue and spoke of the irony in each situation and made it funny even though the stories he discussed were tragic.

I was in the 5th row when this was filmed and of course I'm still looking very closely for EXTRA footage. Anyhow, the more I view it from reading from reviewer's perspective, the more I appreciate it in retrospect. I had seen various portions of it prior to the DVD on YouTube thanks to uploaders from across the 100 city tour. So by the time I purchased my ticket day of the show, I figured I would know the whole show in full. What surprised me seeing the entire routine in full start to finish was not as funny THAT day. But now seeing the promo releases, reading various commentary from all levels of perception, it's funnier than it could ever be.

The material is very relevant to what we are experiencing as people. Reading many, many Blogs, Katt is quoted almost on every line, no catch phrase from every DVD he's released. Getting in tune with your "star player" is about self esteem which a lot of folks lack badly. Making sure your team is in tune make sure those around you have your back as you should have theirs. Check your own house before stepping into someone else's. He even touches on how the Paralympics runner was mistreated. Katt tied all his thoughts together in this just like The Pimp Chronicles which will forever remain #1 in my collection. All topics were seemeless and flowed very well all in accord with his animatics. He's always been a very animated and hyper individual. This adds to the humor he's bringing forth because you can just laugh at his facial expressions and/or even leap and curl around a stool (and holding on without tilting backwards/forwards) imitating a hungry lion on a wildebeast.

GET THE DVD is my final word.

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Man Katt Williams was funny as always and made you think at the same time. But there is alway people out there who's going to hate. So all I'm going to do is laugh at the first reviewers post. I'm glad i didn't fall for it. Katt will explain it to you in this stand-up. The first reviewer just didn't get it. But i bet now you do! lol

He had me and my wife lol all night. And she is Vietnamese. His jokes where multi-tribal (explained everything so more then one person can relate to his jokes ) We are a big fan of Richard,Eddie,Red Fox,Robin Williams,Chappelle,George Carlin. So I'm glad I added katt to my collection. So just take some time out and watch it. You will enjoy. This is my own review. But if you already know his work you will be smiling at the end of it.

He was on point about being the star player. I dont know him personal but i know the next time he in concert i wont miss it.

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Katt's first few standup specials were classics, but this one was just not as good. I can't even remember any genius one-liners from this dvd like I do from the last few.

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This was a very good comedy DVD. As far as other people on here talking about him being too preachy or all over the place. No offense but you must be a little slow on the uptake, cuz he wasnt all over the place with his jokes, juat pay attention. Katt Williams always drops knowledge in his shows, once again pay attention. Another awesome performance from Katt Williams and its entirely new material from him, unlike Pimp Chronicles and American Hustle which were good performances but basically a re-hash of the material with slight differences that can be found in the Katt Williams Live DVD. I do own all of his stand up DVDs so far as well. Anyways this DVD is definately 5 stars in the perfomance and production. A definate solid buy and well worth the money.

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