Twenty years on from This Is Spinal Tap, the freshness of writer/director/demi-god Christopher Guest’s gifted improvisatory comic ensemble endures. Whether it’s satirising community theatre in Blaine (Waiting For Guffman), a dog show in Philadelphia (Best In Show) or a folk reunion concert in New York (A Mighty Wind), Guest hits the spot, his wry take on small-town America never failing to raise a smile or ten.
Alas, none quite matches up to Tap’s deadpan perfection but, in grasping the directorial reins from Rob Reiner, Guest adroitly captures the absurdities and melancholy that lie behind the manifold laughs. Whether you delight in Guest’s campness in Guffman, Fred Willard’s quotability in Show or the sheer hummablility of Wind, this collection is Mighty indeed.
DVD Extras:
Guest and Levy's poker-faced co-commentaries are hilarious enough; factor in meaty portions of additional scenes for each feature and you're (quite literally) laughing.
