Showing posts with label Christopher Guest. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christopher Guest. Show all posts

Thursday, 11 June 2020

This Is Spinal Tap

Year of Release:  1984
Director:  Rob Reiner
Screenplay:  Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer, Rob Reiner
Starring:  Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer, Rob Reiner, June Chadwick, Tony Hendra, Bruno Kirby
Running Time:  82 minutes
Genre:  Comedy

Filmmaker Marty Di Bergi (Reiner) makes a documentary (or, if you will, "Rockumentary") following English heavy metal band Spinal Tap on their 1982 concert tour of the United States to promote their latest album "Smell the Glove".  Comprising childhood friends David St. Hubbins (Mckean) and Nigel Tufnell (Guest) on vocals and guitar, bassist Derek Smalls (Shearer), keyboardist Viv Savage (David Kaff) and Mick Shrimpton (R. J. Parnell) the latest in a long line of ill-fated drummers, alongside manager Ian Faith (Hendra), the band find their tour beset by disasters on stage, cancelled tours, complaints about their album cover art and internal strife, which is intensified when David's New Age devotee girlfriend Jeanine (Chadwick) joins them.

This Is Spinal Tap must be one of the funniest films ever made, full of memorable lines ("This one goes up to eleven!"; "It's a very thin line between stupid and clever") and hilarious set pieces.  It works because it really looks and sounds like a documentary, with the mumbled, criss-crossing dialogue and handheld camera.  It's not the first "mockumentary" but it is one of the best examples.  although the band is fictional, the music is very well done, and they do sound like a genuine band of the time, in fact outside the actors have played as Spinal Tap and released some albums, and since the film's release, several rock stars have claimed that it really is not far from reality.  The film is cleverly made and well cast with several fun cameos, it's also consistently hilarious and definitely repays  repeated vieweings.

Harry Shearer, Christopher Guest and Michael McKean in This Is Spinal Tap

 

Saturday, 17 November 2018

The Princess Bride

Year of Release:  1987
Director:  Rob Reiner
Screenplay:  William Goldman, based on the book The Princess Bride by William Goldman
Starring:  Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Mandy Patinkin, Chris Sarandon, Wallace Shawn, Andre the Giant, Christopher Guest, Fred Savage, Peter Falk
Running Time:  94 minutes
Genre:  Fantasy, adventure, comedy

In the magical land of Florin, young farmhand Westley (Elwes) must battle villains and magic to rescue his true love, Princess Buttercup (Wright), from the evil Prince Humperdink (Guest).

This is a genuinely magical film, which works as a fairy-tale and as a spoof of fairy tales.  It's funny throughout and full of endlessly quotable dialogue ("Hello.  My name is Inigo Montaya.  You killed my father.  Prepare to die.").  It features great action, particularly the impressive dueling sequences.  It also has great, funny performances, including cameos from a number of well-known comedians (such as Mel Smith, Peter Cook, Billy Crystal and Carol Kane).  The film also has a fun post-modern element with the story being framed as a fairy-tale that a grandfather (Falk) is reading to his ill grandson (Savage) who would rather be playing videogames.  The movie balances it's various elements perfectly with the comedy working along with the romance and the fantasy adventure, and none of them drowning out the others.   Even for people who don't like fairy-tales, like the grandson, it's almost impossible not to get swept up in this hilarious magical adventure that is just as much fin for adults as it is for children.

Robin Wright and Cary Elwes in The Princess Bride