Return to glory

It's been a while, readers--whomever of you are left if there were any to begin with. I don't know how to check views on my blog and I'm not particularly interested in figuring that out; I imagine it would be incredibly humbling.

Rather than another list of Blu-Ray releases that I think would be hilarious to see I've decided to list them as they come to me. Today's: Shallow Hal.

For anyone interested, Godspell is showing this week (July 15th-July 19th). We've had a few really stellar performances and I'm finally in a place where I think things are going to go really well, so now I'm inclined to pimp the show. I'd love to see anyone who is willing to come! You'll get to sing me sing and dance and act and make a fool of myself. In one particular number, the choreographer told me I have to dance like a "sex kitten, like a showgirl with fishnets and high heels." I still haven't quite forgiven him. Potential blackmail! Support us! The link to information is http://www.johnur.com/wcyp/index.htm .

It was a long long long long weekend of play rehearsals. I'm still sad it's coming to an end.

I'm toying around with the idea of no longer embedding videos into my blogs because they don't fit in the little middle part as I've found out, and symmetry and visual neatness is important to me. I've been listening to this song far too much, though. I saw it in a trailer for an incredibly interesting looking movie called $9.99. It's about the meaning of life, so if that doesn't intrigue you I don't know what will. Check it out.

Anyway, I researched it and it's actually by Spiritualized, and it's a cover of a song by the Troggs called Any Way that You Want Me. The video's old and fuzzy, but the song makes you want to go out and do something worthy of a movie scene:



Onward and upward:

#14: Best in Show



I've periodically seen trailers for Christopher Guest movies and they all looked virtually identical to me. That isn't to say that they didn't look somewhat interesting--though I never had more than a passing consideration of renting one--I just didn't understand why someone wouldn't try to branch out at least somewhat with regards to cinematic style. I hadn't known many other directors to release such consistent movies let alone one who really isn't all that well known outside of the indie sphere.

I finally learned that Guest has an M.O. of sorts; his movies apparently are always mockumentaries of realms apt to harboring eccentrics--musical theatre performers in Waiting for Guffman, folk music artists in A Mighty Wind, and, in the case of Best in Show, overbearing dog owners. I'm not sure why I didn't put two and two together sooner, but that explains his consistency. There. Now that that's settled...

I wonder if with the recent resounding success of the Office Christopher Guest will get some press thanks to his comparable delivery. I think that that's an important strength of the mockumentary--the matter-of-fact presentation of situations that are anything but matter-of-fact. I've been a fan of deadpan for as long as I can remember, and here Guest shows he can film a screaming match between husband and wife dog owners and still manage to keep it subtle. That takes talent.

Another strength of this movie is the cast, but not because of the actors used. Somehow Christopher Guest made Eugene Levy tolerable. That is an incredible accomplishment. The beauty of this movie is its cohort of B-list actors that become endearing when none of them are given too much screen time. A movie starring Ed Begley Jr. or Michael McKean would probably just annoy me, but suddenly the formula works when an already short movie is broken into segments with no one actor dominating the film's run.

The problem is that for some reason I can't rave about this movie. I thought it was very funny and I intend to see his other films because of this one, but nothing about it necessarily jumps out at me. I was going to buy it but I just couldn't convince myself that I'd hit a day where I wanted to watch it again. Not every good movie needs to be rewatched, though, so I'm not sure how much that says about the film's quality. The entire movie consisted of inherently funny situations and there were certainly more than a few laugh-out-loud moments (many of which were reserved for a gum-flapping Fred Willard announcing alongside an increasingly exasperated Jim Piddock). Its nature was unique and in an age where I am consistently complaining about how every movie is either based on a true story, based on a book, a sequel, a prequel, a remake, or an adaptation, I appreciate creativity more than ever. Something here just has me snagged.

Ultimately, though, I would recommend the movie to anyone looking for something to watch. I'd suggest renting it over buying it, which most normal people do anyway while I just buy things and risk my feelings toward them. It's slow moving, so if you're looking for a romp this won't tide you over, but it's incredibly entertaining and it proves that Guest is a talented actor, writer, and director. I wonder if the remaining films of his will slip from the "really like" to "love" category; the framework is certainly there.