Reviews (12)

The King goes to DC!
I saw this movie on Showtime back in 1998, and have been hoping it will break into the DVD market soon. A brilliant account of true events. It gives you an enjoyable experience of the King of Rock and Roll, as he journeys around Haight-Ashbury and then around DC, ultimately visiting with President Nixon in the hopes of becoming a DEA agent to fight the war on drugs. A great insight into the similarities of two totally different characters, Elvis and Nixon!

Elvis at 35 and out on his own
This Showtime movie stars Rick Peters (as Elvis, played with affecting sympathy) and Bob Gunton (as Nixon, played with broad wit). The movie recounts the time in 1970 when Elvis (at 35 and out on his own) traveled from Graceland to the White House, where he met with Richard Nixon and asked to be deputized as a federal agent in the war on drugs. Altogether, it was a stranger-than-fiction encounter between two larger-than-life figures. "I think it's one of the greatest events of American pop culture, that Elvis got in to see Nixon," says the movie's writer and producer, Alan Rosen; while Dick Cavett, the movie's narrator, assures us, "If what you're about to see didn't happen exactly this way, it should have" ... The photo of Elvis shaking hands with Nixon continues to be the most requested item at the Nixon Library in Yorba Linda, Calif. - but you can see that photo and others, along with correspondence from the meeting, at the National Security Archive website ("The Nixon-Presley Meeting: The Documentation").

one memorable weekend
In 1970, in a bid to do his part for the Vietnam War, Elvis takes his first-ever solo plane trip to DC to meet President Nixon to discuss being a federal drug enforcement officer. He usually doesn't carry money or a passport --- one of his entourage does that for him -- but in these pre-Sept. 11 days, he gets past all that.

Nixon has his own turmoil with the Vietnam War protestors -- after all, the war started under Kennedy. Elvis has his own umbrage with those British upstarts, the Beatles. One of the best discussions is when both Nixon and Elvis blame America's fascination with their respective nemesis on "the hair and the accents."

I love that this is a true story, told with some embellishments as no one was actually in that meeting with Elvis and Nixon. It is funny without being a joke. Worth your time!

The Trickster and the Hounddog.
This highly entertaining, hilarious film, that originally aired on Showtime; examines the time that Elvis flew to Washington, D.C. to meet President Nixon to convince the President to make him a federal marshall. The movie is very loosely based on fact and as the film's narrator points out, if that's not the way things happened then it should have been. This movie portrays Elvis and Nixon as two very similar persons on opposite sides of the cultural spectrum. The film also illustrates how very human these two powerful giants were and that besides their power, the only thing that separated them from "the rest of us" were their very odd eccentricies. Highly enjoyable film.

Great Fun! How about a DVD?!?
I started watching this on cable one night with absolutely no expectations. I was pleasantly surprised at how much damned fun this movie was. Quirky, funny & good story. Now how about a DVD??? ... Read more

Reviews (278)

A CLASSIC! THE BEST ROCKUMENTARY FILM EVER!
This is Spinal Tap is the brilliant rockumentary/mockumentary chronicling the band Spinal Tap's tour of the United States. This was Rob Reiner's debut film, and what a film to begin with. This is Spinal Tap remains somewhat of a cult classic, but its hilarious characters, awesome music, and brilliant storyline comes to life on screen, and everyone could enjoy this movie. Michael McKean plays the lead singer David St. Hubens to perfection, while Harry Shearer plays Derek Smalls with great finesse. A young Christopher Guest plays Nigel with a quiet brilliance, and Guest would incidentally go on to direct and star in two of his own mockumentary films, WAITING FOR GUFFMAN and BEST IN SHOW, which I must say, are equally genius, especially the recent sleeper hit BEST IN SHOW. Also great is Tony Hendra, as the cricket-stick wielding manager of the band. June Chadwick is strong as David's girlfriend Jeannine, and Bruno Kirby makes a great cameo as the limo driver. The other supporting cameos are fantastic, coming from Fred Willard(who won a Best Supporting Actor award from the LA Critics for his role in BEST IN SHOW), Dana Carvey, Billy Crystal, Fran Drescher, Angelica Huston, and Paul Shaffer. This utterly hilarious movie is excellently directed by Reiner, who plays the director of the mockumentary within the film, Marty Dibergi! Fantastic!

Original Rockumertary
This Is Spinal Tap pokes fun at documentary films with what faux director Marty DiBergi calls a rockumentary. While MTV took this title and actually had rockumentaries, VH1's wildly successful Behind The Music series is a take off (albeit a serious one) of Tap's concept. Michael McKean, Christopher Guest & Harry Shearer star as a fictional English heavy metal band Spinal Tap. The film follows them around on their concert tour and the hoopla surrounding the release of their album Smell The Glove. The three stars are hysterical. They conduct themselves with a mock seriousness and that better than everyone attitude that stars often assume. The concert sequences are great as the Tap's songs are great spoofs of the metal genre with titles like "Stonehedge" & "Big Bottoms". The movie is woefully short, so the extra footage is a welcome addition. Tony Hendra is brilliant as the band's put upon manager and a young Fran Drescher shows up as a record label executive while Dana Carvey and Billy Crystal have a small bit as mime waiters.

Fantastic
The classic This is Spinal Tap is truly the greatest depiction of a rock band in cinematic history. I remember watching this for the first time with my buddies...everything thats happened in this movie has happened to me. The guy getting stuck in the pod, the tour dates being cancelled, playing under a puppet show, all of it!! And my buddies are sitting there laughing and Im like....this isnt funny. And THATS what makes the movie so great.....its SO realistic.

The definitive rock and roll band movie.....get it today!!

Big and stupid. And clever. VERY, VERY clever.
Alright, I'm not going to bore you with the details or story of this sublime Reiner "documentary," nor am I going to babble on and on about how spot-on a parody of NWOBHM (that's "New Wave Of British Heavy Metal" to the uninitiated) this is.

Instead, I will offer you some quotes. Those alone should give you plenty of insight as to why this is one of the greatest movies of all time. To wit:

"Oh, there actually is, uh... there was a Saint Hubbins?"
"That's right, yes."
"What was he the saint of?"
"He was the patron saint of quality footwear."

"You know, just simple lines intertwining, you know, very much like - I'm really influenced by Mozart and Bach, and it's sort of in between those, really. It's like a Mach piece, really. It's sort of..."
"What do you call this?"
"Well, this piece is called "Lick My Love Pump".

"As long as there's, you know, sex and drugs, I can do without the rock and roll."

"Here lies David St. Hubbins... and why not?"

"Dozens of people spontaneously combust each year. It's just not really widely reported."

"It's like, how much more black could this be? and the answer is none. None more black."

"We are Spinal Tap from the UK - you must be the USA!"

"You can't really dust for vomit."

"This pretentious ponderous collection of religious rock psalms is enough to prompt the question, 'What day did the Lord create Spinal Tap, and couldn't he have rested on that day too?'"

And of course: "Why don't you just make ten louder and make ten be the top number and make that a little louder?
"These go to eleven."

Not laughing? Well, the visuals are even funnier--malfunctioning stage props, a guitar solo that probably singlehandedly gave birth to the "neo-classical" shred style, unique ways to use a violin, and of course lots and lots of retarded sexuality and bad poetry. Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Derek Shearer absolutely NAIL it. Everybody should have this film. Especially metalheads who aren't afraid to have a good, long laugh at themselves.

Rockin' and Mockin'
When this film was originally released, its targets were hard rock bands like Whitesnake and Dio, along with overly pretentious concert films like The Last Waltz and Song Remains the Same. 20 years later, the film still holds up - and practically everything in it could apply to newer bands like the Darkness, and VH1's ridiculous Behind the Music TV series. Why? The cast and creators manage to walk the fine line between satire and homage while staying in love with the spirit of rock n'roll. Sure, band members Nigel, David, and Derek may be half-witted hacks but we love them because they reflect not only most of our rock heroes - but our rock fantasies as well. There's a sense of joy in this film that's absent in many 'serious' rock bands and films that are soon forgotten. Director Rob Reiner was also smart enough not to aim for a constant barrage of one-liners and slapstick. There's actually a story and a subtext here that most parody films totally lack. The DVD comes with a grab-bag of Spinal Tap goodies, including a hilarious commentary track and rock videos. This one's a comedy for the ages. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Roger and Me is a loose, smart-alecky documentary directed and narrated by Michael Moore, an everyman host with a devastating wit and a working-class pose. When his hometown is devastated by the plant closure of an American corporate giant (making record profits, one should note), the hell-raising political commentator with a prankster streak tries to turn his camera on General Motors Chairman Roger B. Smith, the elusive Roger of the title, and the film is loosely structured around Moore's odyssey to track down the corporate giant for an interview.

While Moore ambushes his corporate subjects like a blue-collar GeraldoRivera, a guerrilla interviewer who treasures his comic rebuffs as much as his interviews, his portraits of the colorful characters he meets along the way can be patronizing. The famous come off as absurdly out of touch (Anita Bryant appears for some can-do cheerleading, and hometown celebrity Bob Eubanks tells some boorish jokes), and the disenfranchised poor (notably an unemployed woman who sells rabbit meat to make ends meet) all too often appear as buffoons or hicks. But behind his loose play with the facts and snarky attitude is a devastating look at the victims of downsizing in the midst of the 1980s economic boom. This portrait of Reagan's America and the tarnish on the American dream comes down to a simple question: what is corporate America's responsibility to the country's citizens? That's a question no one at GM wants to answer. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (129)

This is how a documentary should be made
When I attended the premiere screening of Roger & Me at the Sundance Film Festival several years ago, things were already abuzz about this controversial film, and it was making headlines in movie trades, newspapers, talk shows, and social circles, about this unconventional unknown teddy bear of a guy named Michael Moore who set out with just Bingo winnings and a camera in the pretense of getting a personal audience with GM Chairman Roger Smith, and offer Mr. Smith a tour of the deteriorating town where "rats exceeded its population" and was named the worst city to live in by Money magazine. The film is a daring and cynical poke at a capitalistic system that, with smugness and phony piety, can turn out and lay off 30,000 factory workers for the sheer purpose of profit. But, rather than giving in to the easy way of anger and resentment, Michael Moore retorts with a gentle and entertaining masterpiece, a splendid statement, rich in irony, humor, and pathos, that should be viewed by anyone whose social conscience has been impinged by what so many people pursue as the "American Dream". But this American Dream is work hard, the company makes money - and you lose your job. If I had more than 2 thumbs, they would go way up for this highly provocative film!!

Brilliant
This film was so powerful it moved me to tears and it still chokes me up just thinking about it. The problems facing the people in this documentary are the same problems American families are facing today. Big corporations cutting corners so they can collect all the wealth and pay their employees practically nothing until one day they decide to lay everybody off and move to Mexico where they can pay people even less while the American people suffer. Watching people being evicted from their homes was heart breaking. Especially the women being kicked out on Christmas Eve with her small children watching. There is a huge gap between the wealthy and the poor in this country and it is growing. And places like Wal-Mart are only making things much worse. Bravo to Michael Moore for exposing people like Roger Smith and all the other low life fat cats. I hope Michael Moore really lays into George W. Bush in his upcoming documentary Fahrenheit 9/11.

Typical Factless Nonsense
Why not called this movie instead "The Unions Killed Flint, Michigan"? Moore implies that the Flint plant was the best in class. If the plant was so good then why did GM close it? To move the production somewhere that they could produce for a better price? Exactly. Isn't that what capitalism is? Truth is that this plant and many other industrial outfits in America became bloated and expensive because of terribly inefficient union operations. Aren't companies in business to sell products? When they sell more they continue to employ more people otherwise they go under. Do you realize that only 2 of the original 30 Dow Jones companies still exists? These things don't last unless the companies make tough decisions. You always have to get cheaper or the competition kills you. Actually haven't the Germans and Japanese pretty much eaten our lunch in the auto market anyway? I'm sure it would be smarter to continue to make even worse, more expensive cars. That'll put the U.S. back on top in autos. Put blame where it really lies. No one wins when a huge corporation languishes and falls further behind. Would you rather lose some jobs to Mexico or lose 500,000 jobs altogether (yeah, half a million employees). I love the argument that GM had "record profits". Don't most companies have "record profits" every year? You grow 1% - isn't that 1% better than last year and therefore a "record"... yeah, it's a terrible year to grow just 1% but it's still a "record". Most companies grow over time. If they don't they have to lay people off to stay competitive. It is incumbent upon you and I to keep ourselves ready for the job market because we could be ditched at any time, just like we can ditch our company at any time. Has to be that way.

Moore, like most of you, knows nothing about economics. And is it surprising that Roger Smith never meets him? Trust me, this guy is so busy he has no time to make an appearance for this little meaningless film which amounts to little more than a smear campaign. If he took the time to meet him, what critical issues would he be missing. Can you even imagine the demands on a guy at this level? Doubtful that you can.

Gone now
A thinner, shaved Michael Moore goes after Roger Smith of General Motors for ignoring the plight of the people of Flint, Michigan. A comical look at the 80's, though a real downer of a movie, especially the Christmas scenes. Hard to imagine a bigger scrooge, though I see no reason why anything would be different all these years later. I wonder what Smith would say about F911

Michael Duranko
www.bootism.com

Let us listen to the downtrodden for once!
Flint was a paradise: their GM factory was the most modern and efficient of them all, its workforce the best trained and motivated. Then, out of the blue - GM announces that they are closing the factory and moving to Mexico. Flint is destroyed. It now looks more like an Eastern European ghost city, its factory closed, houses borded up, empty dirty streets. One of those who lost their jobs was Michael Moore's father. Michael sets out to tell his father's story to the head of GM, Roger. The film is partly a bout Flint. All the failed attempts to bring new business to the town, and the various ways the inhabitants try to cope. The stupidity of the Town Council is amazing. Moore does not give them their jobs back, but he rescues them from anonymity; he gives them a voice, and a face. He tells that behind the profit margins, behind the business strategies, we have human beings. Humans with dreams and emotions, just like Roger. They do not have a Board, or millions of dollars backing them though. We also follow Michael Moore's hilarious attempts at meeting with Roger, just to ask him to go to Flint.
This is Moore's first film. In many ways it is is best, because it is so close to his heart. Hilariously funny, and hearbreaking at the same time. The episode of the rabbit lady, and the rather dim Miss Michigan, are minor classics. ... Read more

Reviews (42)

HILARIOUS!!!!
I've watched this video multiple times both alone and with friends. I've loaned it out to friends, all of whom LOVED it!! If you don't find humor about sex funny, or find skinny women sacred, then this just isn't the video for you. There's no reason to compare it to "The Original Kings of Comedy," too bad the titles are so similar. The humor is totally different. If you're tired of the stale "black people do this" vs. "white people do that" format that's so prominent in the "Kings," try out the "Queens" and get ready for something else instead. Oops, I jumped on the bandwagon and compared the two...but just to say THEY'RE TOTALLY DIFFERENT! Check out the Queens! There's a combination of styles that runs from dry humor to more blatant humor, and from subtle to crude. Enjoy it!

Funny At Times
The "Queens" was a pretty good show. Each of the featured comediennes had her moments...I especially enjoyed Monique's stand-up section. She was funnnnyy! She probably best represented the whole "Royalty of Comedy" idea and complimented the "Kings of Comedy" well because she just got up there and let loose. Adele also gave a good show. The others basically stood up and told some jokes. Adele did a great job of handling herself in those video clips of the three ladies hanging out in Memphis. True, Monique was loud and overbearring -- but it seems like the film editors gave her the most screen shots because she really did give the strongest performance. Truthfully, they could've done without the little video clips -- it kind of reminded me of BET's "Comic View" where they used to (and still do at times) insert little non-necessary skits just to fill out the time slot. But, all in all it was a pretty good show. Worth the money to rent it from the video store, but not worth the late fee if you don't turn it in on time :-).

Too much cussing takes away from the comedy
Loud is right, loud with the cussing!!!
I had been wanting to see this DVD for a while. I really enjoy Sommore and Mo'Nique, but this DVD was a let down. These ladies have no problems discussing just about any topic from spending 5 days in jail, sex, black men, sex, children, sex, marriage, and sex. You also got some behind the scenes footage, which to me was really not necessary. I knew better then to compare this to the Kings of Comedy. I mean why even bother? I knew it would be different, but the titles were similar so I guess that's why people made the comparison. I have no problem with cussing. It just seemed extremely excessive, and it was not funny. That's part of the problem I have with some comics, the use of cussing as a filler to help expand their act. You don't have to cuss to be funny. When I could laugh, I enjoyed some of the jokes, but aside of that, it's not gut busting funny. It's not hysterical. This was a major, major let down. You do not need to use excessive foul language to be funny!!!

Trash
Do yourself a favor and stick with the Kings because this mess is a waste of money. The majority of the jokes are sex related & full of cursing. These things could be excused if they were funny! But this is far cry from it.

The F bomb used too much, FAILURE
seriously. I didn't understand this. This show sucked. It really, really sucked. Every other word was an F bomb and the fat one kept talking about sex and going into detail and it made me shudder. I'd rather staple gun myself in the forehead then see this piece of crap again. I'd give it 0 stars if I could. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Troy Hurtubise is the oddly interesting man he is today because he was attacked by a grizzly bear in 1984. Out of that came his life's dream--to build a suit of armor that would allow him to go one-on-one with a grizzly. The most compelling footage (and ripe for repeated viewing) in Project Grizzly is the crash testing of the 145-pound suit of titanium armor, chain mail, rubber, and interior air bags. Hurtubise, resembling a robotic Terminator, is thrown off cliffs, rammed by logs, hit by a pickup truck, and clubbed with baseball bats. And he cheerily considers those good days. Much of the rest of the film is tepid, with an almost absent narrative and hard-to-follow monologues by Hurtubise, who uses a fair amount of salty language. The biggest disappointment, though, is the lack of a climax--the $150,000 suit and its obsessed creator never do battle with the big G. It's a real-life Twin Peaks without the creepy dramatic payoff. --Valerie J. Nelson ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Troy Shines Through!
A product of Canada's National Film Board, you can discern almost immediately that this film was supposed to have been an arch, sniggering hatchet job by big city intellectuals about some backwoods goon in his "bearproof" suit. It really must have surprised the "smart" folks at the NFB when this movie did excellent business and Troy Hurtubise became something of a national folk hero.

Why? Because despite his foibles, Troy Hurtubise is truely a hero. People like to hear him recount his encounter with a Grizzly and why he wants to repeat it. He's an interesting guy following a quixotic but interesting challange. that's entertainment!

Bear = Daddy
This movie is hilarious. It is also a psychological piece about a man who is dominated by the shadow his father left behind, not just some movie with footage of a guy getting hit by logs. The director fairly directly parallels troy's father with the bear who attacked him (who troy refers to as "the old man"). The more you watch the more you realize he is building this "bear proof suit" as some sort of sublimated attempt at protecting himself from his father and at the same time living up to the bar his father has set (embodied by a giant reproduction of an indian viallage his father apparantly built himself).

thank god he's canadian
this is at the top, right there with dancing outlaw... he needs a weekly show, this needs a sequel, you'll laugh, you'll cry., well you wont cry, but trust me you'll laugh.

Always keep your knives at half-sheath
A must see for lovers of the wilderness. Clear proof that truth is in fact stranger than fiction. High points are, without question, Troy's description of his encounter with "the old man" and long-shots of Troy doing karate in the Canadian rockies in his long-johns.

Wow!
This is the best movie that I have ever seen. What could be better than a guy in a protective suit getting hit by a truck at 30 mph? I dunno. And then a log. I wish he were here now so I could beat him with a bat. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

VHS version is a disappointment compared to the original.
It had been almost 30 years since I saw this in the theater and looked forward to the VHS version. I was somewhat disappointed because it contains too much "discussion" at the expense of some of the great original footage not included on the VHS release. ... Read more

Reviews (30)

You Have to Love the Guy
Myles is a creedy dude. Narcistic beyond all belief, he seems to want to achieve all the things that elude him most. The problem is that his various attempts at achieving the goals are misguided. He seems to be always be saying: "I deserve this, so why can't I get it?" His cameras and his life style invite comparision to Patrick Bateman from AMERICAN PSYCHO. Then again, he is sort of an every man. His intentions are honorable, but his execution is flawed.

Then again, this is the "Myles" character that is being documented on film. I think that this is just an off-spring of Myles Berkowitz, the filmmaker. The "Myles" character is really just a composite sketch of all Berkowitz's worst personality flaws. This movie is a way for him to disect himself. That is probably why he has all of his friends and his agent in the movie. They list off all of his worst characteristics. Surely, they must have mentioned some good ones. Berkowitz just decided not to include them. Berkowtiz is similar to Woody Allen. The "Woody" character that you see in all of his movies is not Woody Allen. He is just a public personae to air the real Allen's dirty laundry. Film making is a cathartic release.

With that being said, I like this movie a lot. There are some things that are obviously staged. I think that it is a pretty good bet that the producer of the film is a fictional creation. The ending of the film, which is its one weak spot, is also staged. The rest of it simply seems to real to be staged. Look at the footage of Berkowitz's ex-wife. Or ths reaction of the women when they find out they are being filmed. It's eithier phenomonal acting, or it's honest to God "Candid Camera" stuff. I think what I like most about it is the uncomprimising honest. He goes to AA meetings to meet women. He uses sleazy pick up lines ("Do you want porno movies?" he asks Elisabeth.) He even films himself freaking out on his crew. And I love that the fact that he blew his one shot at fame because he couldn't star or direct. Berkowitz knows he looks like a jerk, but he doesn't care. It is all for the sake of the movie.

The real achievement of this movie is that you root for "Myles," regardless of his flaws. He only wants what we all want. You can't blame the guy for trying.

Well i Thought it was Great
I guess it shows that tastes differ i thought this was a good film.
i can see why some people didn't like it though. Myles comes across as shallow self centred and arrogant, but hey thats why i liked him. it's obviously scripted but very funny!

Yuck.
There's something terribly wrong with a movie that is centered on a charm-free guy who doesn't have a single interesting thing to say. The strongest proof that the movie was scripted is that a beautiful, intelligent woman such as Elisabeth agreed to go out with him. Don't waste your time on this one, folks.

20 Deaths
Myles Berkowitz is the most pretentious and repugnant character I've ever been forced to suffer. What's most pathetic is that he desperately wants to be Woody Allen, but has none of the wit or likeability. It's shameful this movie was even greenlighted when there are so many hard-working writers with genuinely good ideas that can't get their foot in the door. Does anyone else sense the malodorous stench of nepotism here?

20 dates with himself.
If Myles Berkowitz could just find a women that walked like him, talked like him, looked like him, whined like him... well you get the point. 20 Dates is like a longer version of "Blind Date" only not half as funny. Instead we are forced to hear Myles spew on about his notions of Hollywood romance. What would have made a better movie was to try and explain how a women like Elizabeth would ever go out with someone as myopic as Myles, then maybe some men would have actually learned something about women A.K.A. love. I gave it 2 stars because the producer lines while probably scripted made me laugh, and I actually made it to the end of the film. PS, I did foward fast through to the end. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

A glimpse into the life of a great comedy writer
Millions of people know of Bruce Villanche from his appearances on the "Hollywood Squares" with his bushy hair, glasses, and T-shirt collection. America has been laughing at his work for many years, though. He's written everything from TV shows (the Academy Awards and "The Brady Bunch Variety Hou,r" just to name a few) to the speeches and jokes for today's hottest stars, including Bette Midler, Whoppi Goldberg and Billy Crystal. This documentary takes you into his world, showing you his creative process in snippets of his own stand-up, interviews with some of his clients, and scenes from TV shows and ceremonies.

The DVD has no extras, but it's still a great film showcasing one of the funniest men in America.

The Very Best of Bruce Vilanch
Words cannot express the ways in which this great man has helped to mold me into the person I am today. He has helped me not only accept who I am but also how I live my life. Get Bruce! is an instant classic in my book. In the film the Master Vilanch shows not only his comical side, but also his androgynous personality. I am 110% positive he has had the same impact on all who have the pleasure of experiencing the Master at his finest. Bravo Bruce!!! I await the start of production of Get Bruce II. Like a fine wine this movie continues to get better with age. Pick up a copy and experience the MASTERFUL Vilanch for yourself. Take it form me the #1 fan: you wont be disapointed.

Great peek at the man behind the jokes
Though he's now fairly widely known through his appearances on the New Hollywood Squares, Bruce Vilanche's work has been heard (and laughed at) by millions of people worldwide. As a joke writer for artists (Bette, Whoopi, Billy, Robin), events (Academy Awards), and in his earlier days, TV (Brady Bunch Variety Show, Donny & Marie), Vilanche is one of a few select go-to guys in Hollywood.

The documentary mixes interviews with his clients, footage of his featured work, snippets of Vilanche himself speaking at awards ceremoies (he won an Emmy for his Oscar work) and rare performances, and, most interestingly, some work sessions. The last is the most interesting, as it provides some insight as to how Vilanche goes about creating his jokes. His description of writing for different individuals - creating jokes and then voicing them appropriately, is fascinating. The peek into the working process of different comedians (Midler, Crystal, Williams) is revealing both of Vilanche and his clients.

What really makes this film work is that Vilanche is as interesting as the stars he writes for - something that cannot be said of all comedy writers.

A good flick
It's good, but not worth 100 bucks. While it is a very well done documentary- that's what it is, a documentary. It is not a hilarious comedy. It merely documents how certain stars met Bruce and how he develops his creative ideas for comedy. Rent it before you buy it. Be sure you know what you are paying for.

a humorous look at hollywood's top comedy writer
Who writes Billy Crystal's or Whoopie's lines at the Oscars? Bruce does. A documentary portrait of the comedy writer Bruce Vilanch (of Paterson NJ), who many may know as the wild haired comic on the New Hollywood Squares, who is actually Hollywood's top comedy writer. Stars Bette Midler, Billy Crystal, Robin Williams, Whoopi Goldberg, Lily Tomlin, Nathan Lane, Roseanne, Carol Burnett, Florence, Henderson, Rosie O'Donnell, Shirley MacLaine, Paul Reiser, and Sigourney Weaver to name just a few. Bruce Vilanch has written the scripts for the last eight Oscars telecasts, the Emmy's, Tony's, Comic Relief, the Grammy's, etc. As the say, "Bruce has had his fingers in more pilots than a staff physician at Continental Airlines. Formerly a feature writer for the Chicago Tribune, he can now be found once a month in the pages of the Advocate as author of a column entitled,"Notes From A Blond". He has also written for and organized dozens of benefits for gay or Jewish (or Jewish and gay) issues or groups. Music by Michael Feinstein. ... Read more

Amazon.com

A brazen mixture of stand-up comedy, political commentary, CEO confrontations, and shenanigans with Random House tour escorts, Michael Moore's second foray into dark docucomedy after Roger and Me follows his Midwest book tour to promote Downsize This. One of his Milwaukee tour escorts explains that medium-sized cities in the Midwest tend not to attract tours by the self-important celebrities of the Coasts; instead, they attract "more thoughtful authors like Michael." His kind of thoughtfulness evokes both laughter at, and disgust with, corporate America. To be sure, there is a certain naivetéin Moore's proworker take on corporate and political America--his half-serious plan for a Nike shoe factory in Flint, Michigan, makes as much business sense as coal mining on Maui--but he gives voice to well-reasoned arguments that have most easily gotten lost amid the Clinton-era boom's corporate downsizing and reliance on "temporary" employees.

In cities like Des Moines, Minneapolis, St. Louis, and Portland, The Big One juxtaposes both Moore's lighthearted-sounding but deeply biting humor speaking before bookstore patrons and painful-to-watch confrontations with security personnel at companies such as Procter & Gamble and PayDay. (For future targets of Moore's style of journalism, take note of Nike CEO Phil Knight's fairly effective approach as Moore calls him to task on Nike's Indonesian labor.) Moore speaks clandestinely with Borders employees organizing a union; a woman laid off from Ford attends Moore's Rockford, Illinois, bookstore visit the same day. Though slow in spots, frustrating if not depressing in others, it's intensely funny the rest of the time. The Big One is fundamental viewing. --Erik Macki ... Read more

Reviews (50)

Funny, important, but getting off-target
Let me start by saying that this film has many brilliant, provocative moments. I greatly admire Moore's spunk and persistence in skewering his deserving targets -- America's major corporations and their supporters. However, this is somewhat disappointing on the heels of Moore's first effort "Roger and Me." The main reason, I think, is because "Roger" had much more focus, and served as an interesting case study of how one corporation callously ignores human needs.

Michael Moore obviously tries to keep on the same track with this film, but it is obvious that he(probably unknowingly) unerestimated the way in which too much comic appeal can trivialize important issues. There are too many scenes with Moore doing his "stand-up" comic routine; not enough ones to highlight the hypocrisy of the corporate brass. It is interesting that Phil Knight, CEO at Nike, agrees to talk with Moore on camrera. I think it's because he is clever enough to realize that Moore had, at this time, already leaned so far in the direction of comedy, that nothing said would seriously register with the movie audience. (In fact, Knight comes across as a likable though misguided "straight man" for Moore). That's the disappointing element here. For most viewers, this will be a good laugh, and then it's back to exploitation of American workers as usual. Still, one hopes that there are enough out there who will, after laughing, say to themselves, "This is funny, but what's happening in America isn't. Something has to be done."

Moore targets hypocrisy again, WAY before Bush and "F 9/11"
Like Moore's earlier film "Roger and Me", "The Big One" (Moore's tongue-in-cheek term for the large, all-encompassing corporate bohemoth that this country may eventually become) takes a disturbing yet often comical look at how Big Business is running roughshod over whatever is left of Corporate Responsibility in this country.

This film is alternatingly funny and deeply depressing. Mainly, however, you want to shake Moore's hand for having the chutzpah to shove a microphone and camera in Corporate America's faces and demand they explain their "outsourcing" actions directly to the faithful and long-term employees (generations of them, in some cases) who were unceremoniously dumped in favor of cheaper overseas or over-the-border labor.

These large corporations are selling America off piece by piece, in a way. They are giddily happy to lay off American workers by the thousands to make a few extra bucks, line their pockets a bit more, or hasten their Golden Parachute paydays.

Sure, a primary function of a business is to make money. But when doing so to such excess involves actions that could undermine America's already fragile socio-economic fabric on a relatively grand scale, then it becomes an issue of Conscience. Moore, like many of us, realizes this. Moore rushes up to the Corporate Big Dogs (or at least the highest-ranking ones he can find or the nearest media outlet he can find) and asks the questions we wish we could ask -- he expresses the common-man outrage we wish we could express. We all have motive, but Moore has motive AND opportunity.

Few of his theatrics will actually result in actual change, but perhaps they serve a higher purpose: to get us to wake up and realize that all is not well in America, that Big Business is making DAMN sure that the economic chasms between the haves and the have-nots will continue to expand, and that YOUR JOB IS NEVER, EVER GOING TO BE SAFE. The days of working for the same company from college 'til the day you retire are all but over. Your job can be taken away from you AT ANY TIME as soon as the powers-that-be at XYZ Corporation figure out that it can be economically profitable to throw your entire town out of work.

And the attendant problems that go with massive layoffs: increases in crime, suicides, etc.... Well, sorry! You should have gone to Harvard Business School, got an MBA or something, and snagged one of those rare, hard-to-get jobs where you just show up, meet with your Accounting, Finance, and Legal Departments, and start divvying up the pie you are about to share.

Enron, Worldcom, Pillsbury, Nike...... they aren't unique in their business practices. They are just the higher-profile ones we have all heard about. This kind of "morally and socially questionable" business practice happens everywhere.

Your company may be next. How much do you have in savings right now? You'd better check. And be afraid. Be very afraid.

THE BIG FAT ONE
Michael Moore said he is an independent, not a Democrat, but this was exposed as just one of his lies when it was shown that he in fact is a Democrat. In 2004, he has veered from plain ol' anti-Americanism to Kerry's best hope. He is part of the "new religion" of modern media technology and is an example that works against his theme, which is that he is a censored artists, silenced by a Big Brother of corporate Republicans.
Moore said Disney censured him by not distributing "Fahrenheit 9/11", but this is another lie. Their agreement was to help him produce it, never to distribute it. He used that line only to further the myth that he was restrained by corporate interests and found a huge distributor, Miramax. It was all part of his plan. Disney released another documentary, "The Heart and Soul of America". "Heart" made no attempt to discredit "Fahrenheit". It simply is an affirmation of true, good facts about this great nation. Moore called it the work of "right wing extremists," which is like calling reporters who wrote about the Yankees' fourth World Championship in three years in 2000 "Yankee propagandists." Speaking of things in New York, Moore expressed anger at the terrorists who bombed the World Trade Center. That makes sense, but wait. He was frustrated that they chose to kill New Yorkers, since the Democrats are strong in the Big Apple. He would have preferred Osama to have killed people in a Republican stronghold. New evidence has surfaced that anti-American Leftists plan to disrupt law enforcement during the Republican convention. The Left is not just a "useful idiot" of terror but an accomplice. Is commentary really necessary?
Moore is, in reality, an example of how, as America has become the dominant power in world history, our themes - freedom of press, of expression, of dissent - are not censured but allowed to magnify.
What the Left does not understand is that the likes of Moore do damage to the Democrats, and are of great value to the Republicans. They forget that their anti-war protests in the 1960s did not win them any elections but gave them instead Nixon and Reagan landslides. Actually, they may understand it, but they are obsessive-compulsives who cannot control their impulses.
While Moore is not part of mainstream Hollywood, he is certainly part of the dominant media culture that the film industry embodies. Moore's documentaries get bravura responses from Hollywood and Cannes.
What Hollywood just does not understand is what kind of economic windfall they would reap if they made conservative-theme films. If they depicted the bad politicians as actual Democrats, the word of mouth among conservatives would fuel boffo box office. On the few occasions when they stray to the right, as in the "Dirty Harry" franchise, they reap a whirlwind of success.
What Democrats do not grasp is that Moore is a terrible role model, and that true knowledge of who he is, combined with the fact that he is a spokesman for their party (whether he owns up to it or not) is simply a negative reflection of that party. This fact is obvious on its face and needs no commentary from the right. I will offer more anyway.
For years, Moore's work has been discredited, whether it be his documentaries or his books. Those who have seriously studied his work have consistently found him to be a liar in the main. He is a propagandist who takes 15 percent of truth, 70 percent lies and 15 percent exaggeration, and attempts to foist it off as journalism. The fact that he is a darling of the Left is as telling a true statement of their wacko views as any. Moore is the torch-carrier of Emma Goldman. He wishes he was Hunter Thompson, a gonzo journalist and a real talent, but he is a pale imitation.
To believe Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11" (the title stolen without permission from Ray Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451"), one must accept the fact that George Bush knew about 9/11 ahead of time; allowed it in cahoots with Osama bin Laden and the Saudi royal family in order to justify the long-desired American invasion of the Middle East; spirited bin Laden's legitimate family out of the country because they were part of the plot (which would be done to bring oil profits to the Bush family while satisfying their personal vengeance against Saddam for attempting to kill Bush 41). The fact that Bush 41 invaded Kuwait to oust Saddam in 1991, then left without the so-called oil grab, combined with the fact that Bush 43 is in the process of leaving Iraq without the so-called oil grab (again), are just the first two of 6,778 pieces of factual evidence that have been determined by the world to discredit Moore's work as lies.
After "Fahrenheit 9/11's" first weekend, the liberal press hit us with big headlines telling us that it "broke records" and is reaching the largest audience in history, selling out theatres and influencing the election. It may have sold out theatres, but only because it played in a limited number of art houses. The fact is, it made $21 million. "The Passion of the Christ" made $117 million in its first weekend. The truth is that "Fahrenheit" finished with the 228th best opening weekend ever, just behind "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider". They were right about one thing, though. It will influence the election. In favor of Bush.
Still, Moore is a hero of the Left. Because of all the historical reasons cited herein, because they are desperate and see their only source of joy, political power, being pulled away from them more and more each day, they are beyond the Truth. They lie, and we have little choice but to be merciful for those who lie. This charade, however, is getting tiresome.
These Truths remain self-evident. Res ipsa loquiter.

STEVEN TRAVERS
AUTHOR OF "BARRY BONDS:" BASEBALL'S SUPERMAN"
(...)

Downsize This! The Movie
Like in most cases in Michael Moore's work a book precedes a movie. In this case the publishing and success of 'Downsize This' let to this movie. It's mostly about his book tour after the book through about 35 cities in the United States. Focused mostly on the Midwest it follows him and his media appearances. Funniest moments are when he pays some visits to big companies (Pillsbury eg) that just downsized. Surprisingly enough the big boss of Nike (who make all their shoes in Indonesia) is willing to speak to Moore, leading to an awkward but honest converstation.

It's not Moore's best work, Roger and Me and Bowling for Columbine are better and funnier and more revolting too. But if you like his books and movies, this is worth it.

michael moore for president?
i thoroughly enjoyed this documentary. i believe it is my first, so i didn't know what to expect going into it. michael moore, hands down, is a genius. not only in the literally sense, which quite honestly, he is, but also in his direction and style of directing to keep an audience. i was absolutely enthralled. i loved how he so easily mixed in humor with the serious subject of corporate downsizing. this documentary could have bored me to death, with in depth interviews that had no depth. enter michael moore, who adds in his humor, his satirical voice, as a guiding light in his effort to find out the truths to the reason why major companies, posting hefty profits, decide to lay off workers or ship production off to some foreign country. moore has a gift. he has the gift to make extremely hilarious documentaries, that in turn, help to shed some light on important issues. the way he can pose questions to bigwigs of large corportations that leave them completely speechless, you can't script that. you cant script that at all. he knows the questions that will leave bigwigs stunned and is not afraid to pound away at asking them. so thank you to moore, for creating a documentary that is both entertaining and informational. i felt i learned more from "the big one" than i have learned in a few weeks worth of school. ... Read more

Description

From Chicago’s HMS Media comes a dream come true for fans of comedy, theater and improvisation: "Second To None," the first ever behind-the-scenes look at the Mecca of improvisational comedy and theater, The Second City.This critically acclaimed one-hour documentary is hosted by famed Second City alum Jim Belushi.

Gilda Radner, Bill Murray, John Belushi, Mike Myers, Chris Farley… these are but a fraction of the comedic geniuses who launched their careers at Chicago’s world famous comedy theater.Hit television series like NBC’s "Saturday Night Live," ABC’s "Whose Line Is It Anyway" and "MAD-TV," and films like "Ghostbusters," "Animal House," "Wayne’s World" and "The Blues Brothers," would not exist without the groundbreaking style of improvisational sketch comedy that has been developed on the stages of The Second City.

To create this exciting and very funny documentary, cameras were permitted behind the scenes while the brilliant Second City improvisers created a mainstage comedy revue. "Second To None" is the exclusive backstage pass to the inner workings of The Second City creative team as they create the revue "Paradigm Lost," one of the finest and funniest productions ever to grace the stages of The Second City.And, fittingly, two of the cast members featured in "Second To None"—Rachel Dratch and Tina Fey—have already gone on to national fame as cast members of "Saturday Night Live."In "Second To None," viewers see the birth of Dratch’s famous "Wicked Boston" character. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

You must own this if at all interested in comedy.
Simply put, if you have the slightest bit of interest in the Second City, improv, or good comedy in general, this tape is a must own. As stated elsewhere, the Second City is a legendary comedy theatre which has spawned some of our country's greatest comic minds (John Belushi, Alan Arkin, Mike Myers, Robert Klein, Joan Rivers, John Candy, Catherine O'Hara, etc.). This vid is a doc of the making of one of the troupe's most successful and innovative reviews in recent years, "Paradigm Lost." It also presents scenes from the show which won many top Chicago theatre awards. It was so hilarious, in fact, that two of the revue's performers, Tina Fey & Rachel Dratch, were immediately scooped up by "Saturday Night Live." It's a fascinating portrait, letting us see the process from the very first day of rehearsals to the opening night. Interviews with the cast and very talented director, Mick Napier, are sprinkled throughout and, if you listen to what they have to say, you can learn as much here as you could sitting in on a good improv class for a few days. All the performers are fantastic and all the scenes are genius. Most all of the cast has popped up elsewhere in recent years and deservedly so. In addition to Dratch & Fey, the performers are Jenna Jolovitz (now a writer for "Mad TV" & the failed "The Downer Channel"), Kevin Dorff (writer & sometime performer on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien"), Jim Zuvelic (last seen in a guest shot on "Curb Your Enthusiasm"), and, in my opinion, the funniest of all, Scott Adsit, who was in the cast of "Mr. Show with Bob & David" and has been seen on "Tenacious D" and "Friends." This title is as informative as it is hilarious. Host Jim Belushi doesn't even manage to bring things down (thank God he's not called on to be funny)!

Second to None is second to none
This brilliant documentary manages to bring the viewing audience behind the scenes of the creation of a very funny Second City show titled Paradigm Lost. Second City is Chicago's famous comedy improv theater which has produced many of American comedy's great stars ever since the classic Saturday Night Live cast of the 70's.In fact comedians shown in this Second to None video are now writing and acting in SNL.We see hilarious ideas unfold and emerge as full blown skits, while learning,in wonderfully interspersed vignettes,how the actors learn to relate to and trust each other and the director. Don't miss the unforgettable first day of a baby gargoyle in school.Yes,it's far out sometimes but always entertaining, while we learn about theater direction and production at the same time. The writing,direction and production of this video by HMS, a Chicago based company with six Emmy awards to its credit, is skillful and unobtrusive.It's hard to think of a documentarty that was as much fun as this.

Great Insider's View Of Second City
For the first time ever, Second City allowed cameras to film the process of creating a revue. The fact that it was the amazingly talented director Mick Napier and a stellar cast that included Rachel Dratch, Tina Fey, Scott Adsit, Kevin Dorff, Jim Zulevic, & Jenna Jolovitz - along with Ruby Streak and Craig Taylor - being filmed, made the whole thing historic as well as funny and enlightening. Anyone who wants an insider's peak at this process should get this video. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Buster Keaton's road movie
The Railrodder and Buster Keaton Rides Again (1965) are enjoyable remnants of the Keaton revival that occurred in the late '50s and early '60s, just before Keaton's death in 1966. The National Film Board of Canada paid tribute to Keaton by having him do a short subject in his old silent style.

The Railrodder depicts an older version of Buster's famous persona, porkpie hat and all, reading a newspaper article about increased Canadian travel and deciding he wants to join the crowd. He does this by accidentally starting up an electric railroad car that takes him across the country whether he wants to go or not. Buster, as always, resigns himself to greater forces and decides to enjoy the scenery. This short is amusing enough, but by Keaton's standards, the gags aren't very elaborate (probably owing to having to taking it easy on the advanced-aged Keaton). It's best seen as a novelty in which Keaton is allowed to perform an entire sound short in his old silent style.

Of far greater interest is Buster Keaton Rides Again, a black-and-white documentary about the making of The Railrodder. The documentary shows Keaton the creative filmmaker who, even in his late seventies, is willing to tussle with his director in order to milk every possible laugh out of a gag. Of special note is a scene of Keaton arguing with Railrodder director John Spotton about a shot of Keaton and his car rolling over an extremely tall bridge which, if Keaton wasn't careful, would cause him to plunge to his death. Keaton's arguing with his wife Eleanor and with Spotton about this dangerous gag, which occupies but a few seconds of screen time, shows just how seriously Keaton took his filmmaking, even when his once-agile body was rapidly failing.

The Railrodder and Buster Keaton Rides Again are worthy additions to anyone's Keaton library.

The Railrodder & Buster Keaton Rides Again
The Railrodder & Buster Keaton Rides Again is not 5 stars because it is the equal of The General or Sherlock Jr.. It is 5 stars because there is nothing else like it. THE RAILRODDER is a short. It was made in 1964 in the style of one of Buster's great 1920-23 silent shorts. Buster makes a trip through Canada. BUSTER KEATON RIDES AGAIN is a documentary on the making of The Railrodder. It also includes a bio on Buster. Buster Keaton Rides Again at times seems like a home movie and is very insightful. At one point Buster becomes upset when he dosn't get to do a gag he wants (it eventually ends up his way). I could imagine the situation as taking place in the 1930's as a battle with Lawrence Weingarten and the insipid MGM team. Only then it was on a much grander scale. The Railrodder & Buster Keaton Rides Again is a wonderful tape.

Comedy and Railroading in one flick
Here is the person of Buster Keaon. Nothing less than a genius of comedy. This combines a very funny short movie and the making of it as well. Keaton suggests, often demands how a scene will be done and we see just why he brought tears of laughter to Americans for decades.

For a rail buff, it's very enjoyable. They are using real equipment on real right-of-ways of Canadian National. From the east coast to the west coast with many picturesque and many dismal backgrounds, but each the perfect backdrop to the comedy unfolding.

Mr. Keaton died soon after this film was made, but his gift to us will be here anytime that little kid in us stands by a railroad track or watches this video and dreams.

Gene Holmerud

Required Viewing For Serious Keaton Fans
Film #1 of this video is "The Railrodder" (1965) by the National Film Board of Canada. "The Railrodder" is much like what Buster would have made before the year 1923: A 20-minute silent short with musical score and a string of impossible gags. Buster's character opens the film in London reading a newspaper ad which says "See Canada Now". He literally does by jumping off a London bridge into the Thames and swimming the Atlantic, ending up on the east shore of Canada. He steals a railroad handcar and drives it through Canada, ending the film on the west coast. "The Railrodder" is more purposeful as a travelogue for Canadian tourism than as a Keaton comedy short. Its comedic style would be more at home in the 1920's than in 1965.

Film #2 is one of the most interesting films of Buster's post-silent career. "Buster Keaton Rides Again" is a down-to-earth black and white documentary about the making of "The Railrodder". The camera picks up on the fact that you know Buster is having a good time making this film and the director, Gerald Potterton, knows enough that Buster is one of the greatest directors the cinema's ever had to let him take over the reins and supervise some of the scenes.

One scene shows Buster annoyed and tense, and makes the viewer feel disturbed about a troubled filmmaking situation, then he throws us an about-face and mutters an unrelated, dry one-liner about a never-ending train passing by that has an excessive number of cars. But the troubled situation continues as Buster is shown being stubborn and ornery about one of his gags being replaced by another because it was thought to be too dangerous ("that is not dangerous, that's child's-play, for the love of Mike!").

Other scenes show Buster playing a serious game of bridge....having fun by yelling at a baseball game on TV (that has horrible "snowstorm" reception) because one player made a flunky move....his wife Eleanor, a no-nonsense, good-common-sense kinda gal, explaining how she prevents him from getting physically ill with the medication she carries...and looking uncomfortable but being polite at a Manitoba social event.

Interspersed is narration that describes the events of his life. Sometimes it's irritating. Made me wince. Instead of just giving us the facts, it throws in a fake, dramatic monologue that was a popular style in 60's documentaries. However, it includes an excellent series of photos of Buster's childhood that make the viewer realize that Buster was expected to act and dress like a full-fledged adult on and off the stage starting at age 4.

A lot of cigarette smoking with related coughing fits are shown. The consumption of a lifetime of inhaling these things caused his death at 70, which was 1 1/2 years after this documentary was made.

The Best of The Silent Stars..
Buster Keaton, The last of the few silent movie stars that went all out to fame and fortune, and made it to the bif screen, with sound that is... One of the classics. this movie will sure please generations to come. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Just Stunning...
I can only second what the others have said-the whole thing is wonderful. Too bad it looks like we'll have no DVD release of this-I wouldn't part with my LD's of this for anything.

The best Keaton documentary available
In the same style seen in "Unknown Chaplin", this video set shows the complete life of Buster Keaton using rarely seen footage. A facsinating work!! I would like to see a DVD version made.

No need to compare him with Charlie -- BOTH are just GREAT!
About 7 years ago, I saw an one-hour biography TV program on Buster Keaton in my home country, Japan. The approach to the entire life story on Buster that the program organized could be best summarized in some descriptions: "The Great Stone Face formed by his father's abusive training in his childhood", "Acrobatic performance that is one-inch-close to death" or "Happy ending of his life after lifelong loneliness" and so on and on. Until I had a chance to see this "Buster Keaton - A Hard Act to Follow" I used to have no doubt what a sad clown Buster was -- even sadder than Charlie Chaplin.

This 3-hour documentary, however, completely smashed down my biased understanding on Buster and was truely eye-opening in this sense. One of what few know here in Japan is that Buster made several appearances on TV and even hosted his own program -- while Charlie never allowed himself to go into TV business, with his good intentions, of course. In Japan, such words as "classic comedy", "silent movie" or "slapsticks" are practically (and almost automatically) synonymous with Charlie, and as a result, only Charlie gets the majority of attention and the "runner-up" could be Buster, only if you know him, that is. Also, what I never understand is that quite a few Japanese "intelligentsias" publicly rush into a rash comparison "Buster is dry and cool, while Chalie is so easy to resort to pathos". Why don't they just give a closer look at both respectively (and respectfully!) and accept that they are BOTH great?! Isn't that enough? "Buster Keaton - A Hard Act to Follow" -- this is the perfect solution to people with such ideas!

A MASTERPIECE FEATURING THE MASTER
I have watched this video countless times and each time it's as fresh as the time before. The genius of Buster Keaton is told through countless interviews with former friends, actors, and directors. Keaton was a perfectionist up to the day he died. His work shows it.

Best Documentary of Buster's Life
Episode One - "From Vaudeville to Movies" (1895-1924): This 3-part video collection opens with a fantastic collage of scenes of the various pratfalls from Buster's early silent career. Then it starts at his birth, explaining the vaudeville act he had with mom and dad. Quitting that at 21, he rents himself out under the employ of Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, who becomes Buster's mentor and teacher in front of and behind the camera. Various scenes from their shorts are shown (1917-20). When Arbuckle goes on to loftier projects, Buster is given his own studio, and scenes from the 2-reel shorts he made there are shown (1920-23). Episode One continues with scenes of his wedding to Natalie Talmadge and Arbuckle's (he was probably framed) trial for murder. Towards the end we are shown life-threatening stunts that Buster made in the films "Our Hospitality" (1923) and "Sherlock Jr." (1924): hanging upside down by a rope tied around his waist over a waterfall...accidentally being whisked away through speeding river rapids that almost drowned him...and breaking his neck over plunging water from a water tower spout.

Episode Two - "Star Without a Studio" (1924-1933): By 1924, he had graduated to feature-length films (7 reels). Shown are the 3 mansions he had purchased with his growing fortune. By this time, he was earning $3,000 a week (by comparison, I think a small family could live on $60 a week in L.A. at that time). A great deal of footage is shown of his classic films "The Navigator", "The General", "Steamboat Bill Jr.", etc. The second half of Episode Two is devoted to his being signed over to MGM studios, where they minimized his creativity and independence. Scenes are shown of the films he made there (1928-33), which made a lot of money, but were substandard in quality from Buster's point of view, and which his friends explain, on camera, might have caused the drinking problem that developed at this time. The inability to handle alcohol caused his excessive absenteeism from workdays, leading to his discharge from MGM in 1933.

Episode Three - "A Genius Recognized" (1934-1966): Because of the drinking problem, Buster was basically blackballed from working at other major studios, but was signed by a low budget company called Educational Pictures to do 2-reel shorts. These were lesser in quality from the shorts he made in the early 20's, due to their short (a few days) shooting schedules and skimpy financial budgets. Scenes are shown of these, including one he made where his mom, brother and sister were included in the cast. After Educational went bankrupt in 1937, Buster was hired back at MGM, but only as a gag writer for other big stars - at 10% of his previous MGM salary. Episode Three then (curiously) skips about 10 years of his life (even though significant work was made during those years) and continues with his TV work in the 50's. The last part of Episode Three explains his re-discovery in the 60's as a film genius and ends with scenes that show his health had deteriorated from the effects of a lifetime of chain smoking.

Although this 3-volume set is the best analysis I've seen on Buster's life, at least 5 volumes would be needed to do his work justice. After I viewed this collection, I thought of a zillion other scenes from his films that deserved to be included. But I've watched it numerous times anyway and never seem to tire of it. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Just Stunning...
I can only second what the others have said-the whole thing is wonderful. Too bad it looks like we'll have no DVD release of this-I wouldn't part with my LD's of this for anything.

The best Keaton documentary available
In the same style seen in "Unknown Chaplin", this video set shows the complete life of Buster Keaton using rarely seen footage. A facsinating work!! I would like to see a DVD version made.

No need to compare him with Charlie -- BOTH are just GREAT!
About 7 years ago, I saw an one-hour biography TV program on Buster Keaton in my home country, Japan. The approach to the entire life story on Buster that the program organized could be best summarized in some descriptions: "The Great Stone Face formed by his father's abusive training in his childhood", "Acrobatic performance that is one-inch-close to death" or "Happy ending of his life after lifelong loneliness" and so on and on. Until I had a chance to see this "Buster Keaton - A Hard Act to Follow" I used to have no doubt what a sad clown Buster was -- even sadder than Charlie Chaplin.

This 3-hour documentary, however, completely smashed down my biased understanding on Buster and was truely eye-opening in this sense. One of what few know here in Japan is that Buster made several appearances on TV and even hosted his own program -- while Charlie never allowed himself to go into TV business, with his good intentions, of course. In Japan, such words as "classic comedy", "silent movie" or "slapsticks" are practically (and almost automatically) synonymous with Charlie, and as a result, only Charlie gets the majority of attention and the "runner-up" could be Buster, only if you know him, that is. Also, what I never understand is that quite a few Japanese "intelligentsias" publicly rush into a rash comparison "Buster is dry and cool, while Chalie is so easy to resort to pathos". Why don't they just give a closer look at both respectively (and respectfully!) and accept that they are BOTH great?! Isn't that enough? "Buster Keaton - A Hard Act to Follow" -- this is the perfect solution to people with such ideas!

A MASTERPIECE FEATURING THE MASTER
I have watched this video countless times and each time it's as fresh as the time before. The genius of Buster Keaton is told through countless interviews with former friends, actors, and directors. Keaton was a perfectionist up to the day he died. His work shows it.

Best Documentary of Buster's Life
Episode One - "From Vaudeville to Movies" (1895-1924): This 3-part video collection opens with a fantastic collage of scenes of the various pratfalls from Buster's early silent career. Then it starts at his birth, explaining the vaudeville act he had with mom and dad. Quitting that at 21, he rents himself out under the employ of Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, who becomes Buster's mentor and teacher in front of and behind the camera. Various scenes from their shorts are shown (1917-20). When Arbuckle goes on to loftier projects, Buster is given his own studio, and scenes from the 2-reel shorts he made there are shown (1920-23). Episode One continues with scenes of his wedding to Natalie Talmadge and Arbuckle's (he was probably framed) trial for murder. Towards the end we are shown life-threatening stunts that Buster made in the films "Our Hospitality" (1923) and "Sherlock Jr." (1924): hanging upside down by a rope tied around his waist over a waterfall...accidentally being whisked away through speeding river rapids that almost drowned him...and breaking his neck over plunging water from a water tower spout.

Episode Two - "Star Without a Studio" (1924-1933): By 1924, he had graduated to feature-length films (7 reels). Shown are the 3 mansions he had purchased with his growing fortune. By this time, he was earning $3,000 a week (by comparison, I think a small family could live on $60 a week in L.A. at that time). A great deal of footage is shown of his classic films "The Navigator", "The General", "Steamboat Bill Jr.", etc. The second half of Episode Two is devoted to his being signed over to MGM studios, where they minimized his creativity and independence. Scenes are shown of the films he made there (1928-33), which made a lot of money, but were substandard in quality from Buster's point of view, and which his friends explain, on camera, might have caused the drinking problem that developed at this time. The inability to handle alcohol caused his excessive absenteeism from workdays, leading to his discharge from MGM in 1933.

Episode Three - "A Genius Recognized" (1934-1966): Because of the drinking problem, Buster was basically blackballed from working at other major studios, but was signed by a low budget company called Educational Pictures to do 2-reel shorts. These were lesser in quality from the shorts he made in the early 20's, due to their short (a few days) shooting schedules and skimpy financial budgets. Scenes are shown of these, including one he made where his mom, brother and sister were included in the cast. After Educational went bankrupt in 1937, Buster was hired back at MGM, but only as a gag writer for other big stars - at 10% of his previous MGM salary. Episode Three then (curiously) skips about 10 years of his life (even though significant work was made during those years) and continues with his TV work in the 50's. The last part of Episode Three explains his re-discovery in the 60's as a film genius and ends with scenes that show his health had deteriorated from the effects of a lifetime of chain smoking.

Although this 3-volume set is the best analysis I've seen on Buster's life, at least 5 volumes would be needed to do his work justice. After I viewed this collection, I thought of a zillion other scenes from his films that deserved to be included. But I've watched it numerous times anyway and never seem to tire of it. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The Return of Spinal Tap is based around Tap's performance at theRoyal Albert Hall in 1992. In between the footage of Messrs. St. Hubbins,Tufnel, and Smalls performing in front of a huge crowd enthusiasticallydetermined to go along with the joke, there are clips purporting to investigatethe band's humble origins in the East London suburb of Squatney, and updatesfrom "rockumentary" director Marty DiBergi and hapless record plugger ArtieFufkin from the original movie. It is the latter component that is the realstrength of Return. Though the concert footage faithfully rehashes manyof the film's most treasured jokes (the malfunctioning props, the dancingmidgets), the real satirical strength of This Is Spinal Tap was never itstreatment of heavy metal music (which, after all, is hardly a difficult target).What the first movie did best was illuminate the egomania, paranoia, delusion,and stupidity that are the cornerstones of rock & roll as it is lived. TheReturn of Spinal Tap is a worthy companion piece. --Andrew Mueller ... Read more

Reviews (24)

Entertaining Tap live concert
Spinal Tap had a revival of sorts back in the early 90s while grunge was rearing it's greasy head--which was a good thing, for as rock was getting "heavy" and serious and dark and depressing, the Tap showed up again with the glint in the eye to bring some irony back into rock. This DVD is 90% concert footage, held at the Royal Alber Hall in September, 1992, after their US tour, with occasional skits and pieces between the songs. If you are looking for a follow-up to the original masterpiece of a satirical film you are looking in the wrong place. But here you can see that the Tap are not only gifted comedians but decent musicians too, and they rock live...Kind of like the Monkees, though better. All the songs are presented well, my favorites being the majestic America and StonehengeÂ's mandolin break. Harry Shearer's double dollar sign bass is a hoot as is Nigel's Marshall stack guitar turned up to 11.
It's a good show, in Stereo on the DVD (not mono as stated in an earlier review) and well-shot. The mixed ages crowd really gets into the show, and it's fun to see the different hair styles. Remember, this was September 92. Grunge had been popular about a year. So you see long straight hair along with the remaining big permed hair with the bangs and the mullet dos. Fun stuff, kind of like the time Homo Sapiens and Neanderthal man were still sharing the same apartment. All in all a welcome addition to your Tap collection, and fun to see the band actually sticking it to your ear hole.

While "This Is Spinal Tap!" went to 11; this one falls to 10
I am one of the biggest Spinal Tap fans out there and I must say i was somewhat dissapointed with the film or should I say concert. I love the Spinal Tap music, but I dont think they should've named the film "The Return of Spinal Tap." A better title would be "Spinal Tap: Live."(Since the show is %85-%90 concert footage. But it wasn't really the music that made me fast forward through %85 of it. It was the boringness (is that a word?) of the concert itself which lacked all the vintage Spinal Tap jokes and gags. It was also the cheap "made for T.V." quality that dissapointed me. But I must say I got a kick out of the foldable wine glass and amp capo invented by Nigel (perhaps the best part of the show.) But if you are a die-hard Spinal Tap fan like