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Comedy At Its Best (The Orb of the Setting Sun)

I loved this film for being so anti-Jim Carrey. Don't get me wrong I love that kind of comedy but a different approach is refreshing every once in a while - which is what this is exactly. The characters are so lovable and the plot is just off the wall. I was very upset that Levy didn't get a nomination out of this - he was simply wonderful! I would call this a must see for everyone, parents and older children who would get the humor. 5/5 and deserves every one.

so-so

I guess these people are basically like a theatre company now, and of all their productions this one seemed kind of the measliest. The movie acts as though it's "above" jokes, but then it'll make a really broad, tacky joke about incontinence or someone with te last name "bohner" which sounds like--teehee! I liked watching them play instruments, and I felt like the Eugene Levy-Catherine O'Hara story had potential which it didn't really realize. These people have an interesting process for making movies, but that doesn't excuse the film's many faults, nor should they want it to. I saw this to be entertained and not merely a witness to some kind of creative history or something. Not very funny, not very touching, not all that "mighty." The women were better than the men, by and large.

Only movie viewer, but worth it

This is the absolute first movie where I WAS THE ONLY PERSON IN THE THEATER! I am not exaggerating; I really was the only person watching the movie. I have been to movies before with only two or three more people, but I have never watched had a whole movie theater to myself. The movie was shown Friday at 5:15 PM. A couple walked in for like 5 minutes to make out or something in the corner. I heard smacking for a couple minutes, and then they left.The movie itself might as well been a sequel to Best in Show, also directed by Christopher Guest. It has exactly the same cast. I personally liked Best in Show better, maybe because it was about something I would be more interested in real life, dogs. This movie is a mockumentary about folk music. The cast was funny as always. The actor that really wowed me was Eugene Levy. I used to really hate him in roles he played in all those 80's movies, but lately his characters are funny and likeable. He plays a burned out hippie that has been institutionalized in the past. He talks like he is trying to formulate thoughts in mid-sentence. It is like he is talking before he knows what he is going to say.Something I just found out today, Harry Shearer played Mark Shubb a band member of the Folksmen in this movie. He is also the voice of the characters Mr. Burns, Smithers, Flanders, and Reverend Love Joy in the Simpsons. 7/10 I would rather see Best in Show again, but this was still funny.

Worthwhile for Guest fans.

If you're at all a fan of Best in Show, Spinal Tap or, dare I say Drop Dead Gorgeous, this movie is worth seeing in the theaters. Though many of the performances given could be considered forgettable, Guest provides a humourous mockumentary style film about folk music.

Very Funny

This movie is hilarious is has so many funny bits. Christopher Guest is really an amazing director. He can make things funny but they don't seem funny. It wasn't as good as Best In Show but it was still very funny. I really enjoyed seeing it in the movie theater and i just got in the mail.

Worth the rental

I had great expectations for the movie when I went to check it out from the local video store. Several friends told me how their sides hurt from laughing so hard after seeing it in the theater, and the folk music subject interested me. After watching the film at home myself, I felt a little disappointed. I chuckled a few times, but overall I didn't find "A Mighty Wind" very funny. I understood a lot of the references to the folk music "revival" of the 1950s and 1960s, but either the humor was just too silly or too subtle to tickle my funny bone. The acting is superb, the characters seem genuine and believable, but the plot is dry. Thirty minutes into the movie, I caught myself glancing at the DVD display every few minutes to see how much more time was left--not a good sign. If you like the folk music of the 1950s and 1960s, or are a fan of Christopher Guest, you may enjoy this movie, but if you haven't seen it, I'd recommend renting it before spending over twenty dollars to buy the DVD. It was somewhat amusing the first time through, but it's certainly not a film I'd want to watch again.

A Gentle Wind

The first time I saw A Mighty Wind, it was as a reluctant viewer. I couldn't see the point of spoofing the folkies of the Sixties. It seemed like an easy target, after all. Although I had enjoyed This is Spinal Tap (several times) and Best of Show, I was pretty sure I would not like A Mighty Wind.

I did not laugh or even smile until the moment the stage manager slapped the fussy character played by Bob Balaban upside the head. It was so unexpected, almost as if it had been ad-libbed. After that, I couldn't stop laughing. The stupid publicist who keeps saying "Wha' hoppen?", the dead producer's son who sits in the front row looking bored, the bizarro cult couple who are so clean-cut they play Branson, the Peter, Paul, and Mary moment at the end. And I loved the Mitch and Mickey story.

The second time I watched A Mighty Wind, I realized (finally) that this isn't a spoof of the rich and ridiculous, like This is Spinal Tap or Best in Show, but more like kidding someone you like. Folkies and Public Broadcasting are easy targets, but this isn't malicious, it's fun.

Another winner from Christopher Guest and friends

Let's get right to the main question any Christopher Guest fan will ask: How does this stack up to WAITING FOR GUFFMAN and BEST IN SHOW? The answer is that while not as funny as the latter, it is very, very successful. I can't imagine anyone liking either of those films not loving this one. It is, of course, a bit of a misnomer to call this merely a Christopher Guest film. While he clearly is the principle organizer, this was very definitely a group effort, with a brilliant ensemble cast engaged in a great deal of improvisation. Every single performer from BEST IN SHOW manages to return for A MIGHTY WIND, and all manage to be as good as they were before.

The film itself is heavily indebted to the folk documentary classic THE WEAVERS: WASN'T THAT A TIME!, in which the original Weavers reunited for a concert at Carnegie Hall. The figure for whom the concert is given is lightly based upon folk archivist Harry Smith. The songs themselves are all hysterical satires on typical songs from the more mundane elements of the folk movement. Today, the better representatives of the folk revival--the Harry Smith collections, Phil Ochs, the Weavers, Joan Baez, the very early Bob Dylan, Woody Guthrie, etc.--are remembered, but too many don't remember just how dreadful the majority of the performers were. So, in this film we have a song in which the endless number of "wandering" songs are parodied, in this case the song's narrator explaining that he has never traveled at all ("Never Did No Wanderin'"). In another instance, another of those endless references to the Spanish Civil War is made. Or, as one person sings the lyrics of a song, another provides a simultaneous translation. Or, in the Folksmen's lone hit, "Eat at Joe's," the chorus gets longer and longer and longer following each verse. And the title song features double entendre lyrics that makes it a song more in the spirit of PORKY'S or REVENGE OF THE NERDS than a folk documentary. The fact that all of the songs are very well performed in straight fashion makes them all the funnier.

I'm a little worried that some people found Eugene Levy's character to be funny. At best, I found his character to be disturbing. In general, his perpetually-on-the-edge-of-a-nervous-breakdown brought a high level of nervous tension to the film. This wasn't a bad thing, since it brought a darkness and precariousness to the live performance that it would otherwise have lacked. I really don't think his part was meant to evoke many laughs. An excellent job, however. The rest of the cast was just impeccable. My favorite performer might have been John Michael Higgins, who plays the leader of the New Main Street Singers. His barely contained facial tics and tremors as his wife, played by Jane Lynch (the poodle handler from BEST IN SHOW), tells of her various adventures in the seventies and of her religious beliefs are just hysterical.

All in all, a very great time. After three truly unique and funny films, I hope Guest is able to reassemble the entire crew for another film.

Buy or Rent the DVD--the Extras are well worth Seeing

A Mighty Wind was fun to watch for this old folk-music lover. It wasn't a laugh riot, but it had plenty of laughs and a light touch. I rented the DVD yesterday (release date) and greatly enjoyed the outtakes presented as extras. It must have been difficult to decide what to cut and what to leave in, since many of the performances in the "extras" were just as much fun as what stayed in the film.

Guest skewers, but without malice

My two cents' worth about 'A Mighty Wind' -- oh, gosh, don't get me started about the Guest Ensemble's multiplicity of talents -- is that, beyond the satire, there is always something tender and human in Guest's films. I think that he's embarrassed of it; it sneaks its way into his films almost in spite of his efforts to repel it. For example, watch (and listen to the commentary on) the alternate take of "A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow" in the DVD extras. Christopher Guest's intelligent and witty, pointed humor -- and if you haven't seen 'A Mighty Wind' I hope that none of these reviews spoils the gags for you -- possesses no cruelty. Smart humor. Corny music. Who wudda thought? No one else could have done it.

More pseudo-documentary than comedy, or more accurately, a mockumentary sans the mock.

You can count me in with the people who really liked this one, especially because it deviates from Christopher Guest's old formula. The way "Waiting for Guffman" skewered the pretensions of the residents of Blaine, and the way "Best in Show" skewered its dog owning protagonists certainly had a bit of poison in it. In this film, the audience can empathize at some of the characters while laughing at them, Mitch and Mickey being the best examples. I wanted to see more of them in this film. Now, I know that Guest has a burden in trying to squeeze in the Parker Poseys and crew, point taken. However, this film was about 80 minutes long. Mr. Guest, you are going to have to explain to me, why we see so little of our favorites in this film? This film could have easily incorporated another 30 minutes of running time. I feel this film might have taken a hit in the editing room and perhaps the DVD of it will alter my perception of how good it was. I think it's a big risk for Guest to take in a satire, and for the most part, it pays off.

I am not going to say that this film is bad or even disappointing; however, it was a departure. I missed the craziness of the other two films. This film is more of a serious attempt at the "mockumentary." In fact, we might want to remove the "mock" from it all together. The story centers on a folk festival being planned as a memorial for a great folk producer that has passed away. Of course, all but one of the three original bands being asked to perform has been split up for sometime. It is interesting watching them as they attempt to bring back a musical art form that has been dead a great while.

A couple of side notes: One aspect of this film that I loved was its realism, something missing from Hollywood these days. The Folks men dressed like ex-hippie Baby Boomers, right down to the Birkenstocks, and Fred Willard's office had all of the little knick-knacks that one sees in the offices of smarmy people like him. I think these little details make it easier for the audience to get into the film despite its obvious artifice.

This film will draw on the heart strings, where as the other two really were more interested in laughs. That is not to say that the first two Guest films did not have emotion, they did. It just seems this one has a little more. However, in the end, I feel this movie did pale in comparison to the other two. You can tell a good story and still be hysterically funny. Guest seemed to forget that here and decided to concentrate more on just one.

SHALLOW CHARACTERIZATION

I was not a fan of Best In Show, and again am a little disappointed in the shallow characterization. If one cared more about the characters, the movie would be even funnier, but they are so stupid and shallow, that I could not really laugh as hard as I have at other comedies. It's kind of like a freak show, and after about fifteen minutes, I get bored. I can't even remember any of the characters a week later.

A Mighty Bore

OK, how many times can this cast milk it? I love every one in this movie, but I couln't get past the fact that this cast has made three really similar movies in a row. I think someone that had never seen Waiting for Guffman or Dog Show would be disapointed. The material wasn't that strong, I couldn't watch the whole thing, maybe 40 minutes.

Not their best, but mighty good

I don't think this one is as good as the other Guest films, but it's not as bad as some have made it out to be. The subject matter was excellent and original, it was amusing to finally see folk music being satirized. It was entertaining throughout and there were some pretty funny parts. Not as funny as Spinal Tap, Best in Show, and Guffman though. I loved the Mitch and Micky storyline, that was very sweet and touching. And some of the music was suprisingly quite decent given the fact that it was supposed to be satirical. Watching some of the deleted scenes on DVD I had to wonder why some were left out of the final cut as they were hilarious and would of made the film funnier. I think some poor decisions were made on the editing side. Overall I would recommend this film and give it a 6.5/10.

A Classic!

This is a great movie! I really didn't want to see it but my family made me watch it and I'm glad they did. Eugene Levy and Fred Willard are hilarious! "Hey, wha' happened?" "I got a real red wagon!" "I can't do my work!" I nearly died laughing watching this movie. My favorite singers were Mitch and Mickey. I liked the group that sang "Old Joe's Place," too.

Something in the "Wind"

Folk music is something that a lot of people have fond memories of, but isn't touched on as often as rock or rap. Christopher Guest of "Spinal Tap" and "Waiting for Guffman" fame now presents his take on the folk music. This is one song that will get stuck in your head -- and you'll like it, too.

Folk-music producer Irving Steinbloom has died, and his son Jonathan Steinbloom (Bob Balaban) wants a tribute to dear dad -- a concert of the folk stars and groups of yesteryear. Among them the Folksmen, Mitch and Mickey, and the New Main Street Singers. (They never existed, for your information) Of course, it won't be quite as easy as anyone hoped.

Mockumentaries are always fun when they're done well. In clumsier hands than Guest's, this could have been a disaster of epic proportions. But it isn't -- it's cute, funny, entertaining and excellently-acted. And despite the fact that I was not alive during the 1960s heyday of folk (and prefer more exotic, eclectic music), I liked the singing of the sweet-natured songs like "A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow." Like Peter Jackson's affectionate old-movie tribute "Forgotten Silver," this movie is sometimes so real that you almost forget it isn't.

Guest (the director and one of the writers as well as the star) is immensely likable as Balaban is entirely believable as the pretty neurotic Jonathan (the chess thing is quite weird). Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara are also excellent as a pair of ex-folk singers (and ex-loves) who are reunited for the concert, alternately funny and poignant. Fred Willard is immensely entertaining as an attention-obsessed road manager.

The writing is excellent, very believable; dialogue is likewise good. Some fans from the original folk-music era may be a little ticked off that social and political commentary is kept to a minimum, but I preferred it that way. With commentary like that, less is more. The humor is restrained in some quarters (the script) and unrestrained in others (Willard), but it's also very eclectic: Everybody is funny, but in different ways. (For example, the "Witches of Nature's Colors" -- nuff zed!) The humor isn't stupid or crude, but it appeals to the audience rather than looking down on them. The feeling of it is friendly and affectionate, to the audience as much as the folk artists it spoofs.

Satire is a much-neglected field of moviemaking, but Christopher Guest gives us a "mighty" example of what it should be like. Lovely movie, definitely worth the viewing.

This Wind Done Blown

I should have a better appreciation for Christopher Guest and his troupe of performers. They are doing some of the toughest theater in the world. Walk in with no lines, no plot, only the scantest of guidelines, and say something funny.On the other hand, Guest allegedly had several hundred hours of footage, and this was the best two he could come up with. This should say something.It hurts to give this movie as low a rating as I did, because they did try hard. Unfortunately, there isn't that much funny to say about folk musicians. They are earnest, wet-behind-the-ears, and look really silly in retrospect. Compare this with Heavy Metal (Spinal Tap), which looked pretty dumb from the beginning.Note to Guest. Choose your targets more carefully in the future. Before you blow a year of your life and hundreds of thousands of dollars on expensive film stock, have the crew get together for a few hours of free association on the subject with a few interested participants looking on. If you can't get at least two p*ss-your-pants-funny jokes out of the initial session, it probably won't get better with time.6/10.

The more serious and least amusing of the trilogy

I really think Christopher Guest is a genius. Moreover, his loyal cast of regulars that have been with him in his three films are just incredible as well. In fact, they might be just a little too talented. Let's face it, people want to see those same actors that they loved so much in "Guffman" and "Best in Show." I wanted to see more of them in this film. Now, I know that Guest has a burden in trying to squeeze in the Parker Poseys and crew, point taken. However, this film was about 80 minutes long. Mr. Guest, you are going to have to explain to me, why we see so little of our favorites in this film? This film could have easily incorporated another 30 minutes of running time. I feel this film might have took a hit in the editing room and perhaps the DVD of it will alter my perception of how good it was.I am not going to say that this film is bad or even dissappointing, however, it was a departure. I missed the craziness of the other two films. This film is more of a serious attempt at the "mockumentary." In fact, we might want to remove the "mock" from it all together. The story centers around a folk festival being planned as a memorial for a great folk producer that has passed away. Of course, all but one of the three original bands being asked to perform have been split up for sometime. It is interesting watching them as they attempt to bring back a musical art form that has been dead a great while.This film will draw on the heart strings, where as the other two really were more interested in laughs. That is not to say that the first two Guest films did not have emotion, they did. It just seems this one has a little more. However, in the end, I feel this movie did pale in comparison to the other two. You can tell a good story and still be hysterically funny. Guest seemed to forget that here and decided to concentrate more on just one.

Spinal Tap Unplugged

Guest & Levy continues to perfect the mockumentory. Not as acerbic as "Best in Show", the capture of the feel of the folk music scene in astounding. Fred Willard manages to over the top without going over the top. It is impressive the cast wrote all the original music.

Wonderful Wind! :)

I've seen this movie three times within three weeks, and each time, I am moved to laughter and tears! I daresay, it's become a guilty pleasure! :) And I usually wouldn't consider myself a folk music fan, but the humor and the heartfelt sentiments in this film immediately pulled me in. I unconsciously found myself tapping my foot and grinning away, feeling much more light-hearted than when I went into the theatre. It's incredibly well done, and the characters are all quite lovable. There's a lot of love in this "Mighty Wind." Run, don't walk to the theatre! It's that GOOD!