Oh, no! RIP to a very funny man. Is there an echo in here? 'Waiting For Guffman', one of my all-time favorite funny movies. As in shrieking. RIP twice. : (
'Joe Garagiola' color commentator camp in "Best in Show," a pretty funny movie in its own right. Sidebar: .lesbo dog owners Christy and Shari mauling each other after their dog wins and Scott Donlan remarking: "Rhopsody has two mommies!" R.I.P. funny man.
Christopher Guest is a panic. I forgot to mention him and Jamie Lee Curtis in the rare handful of showbiz marriages that have gone the distance in the Jerry Stiller Thread. I had a conversation with someone about that a long time ago that I have no clue how Jamie Lee Curtis. - meaning anyone for that matter, really - could survive even one day being married to Christopher Guest. I wouldn't make it. Christopher Guest did a lecture at MoMA back in 2005, and Fred Willard was there. I read an interview with Guest about the lecture itself and even though it was in print you could tell most of it was complete Improv. Christopher Guest actually has a true to life "noble" background that he sometimes screws around with. He seamlessly slipped between absurdity and seriousness, but was really nice the whole time. Pretty sure it was 'Vanity Fair'. And yes, 'Best in Show' is fantastic. Anyway, I didn't know about the lecture to get tickets until after it was over. Damn it. RIP three times Fred Willard. Hahahahahaha.
Good stuff. . Years back, read a blurb announcing Spinal Tap to be embarking on an 8-city tour as party of a Toyota Comedy Festival so I kept on the lookout and snapped up a foursome of tix for the missus (who thought it was going to be a "guy-metal" goof and that I was nuts) and friends. Months later, spring, 2001, Carnegie Hall, 2nd row and who's sitting to our left but your girl Jamie Lee Curtis with Elvis Costello. Polite nods exchanged (the missus who loves Curtis is now star-crazed amped). The show open with The Folksmen (Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer) going full-blown Kingston Trio with matching green and white striped shirts, khakis and hush puppy kicks. They (ironically) finish their set with an absurd, hilarious send up of the Stone's "Start Me Up" where they perform it in 3-part-harmony style (think Three Stooges: "hello!....hello!......hello!........HELLO."). They then used that same delivery to end the song (and set) with the song's infamous last line "you'd make a dead man come." Brought the house down. Intermission...then comes the main act Spinal Tap with Paul Schaefer on keys and some young bloke on drums. During their set they called up various "special guests" (Elvis Costello, Hiram Bullock) to do a few numbers. Best part of the show (happened right in from of us) Stonehenge: cue eerie music, Guest's spoken intro....but instead of 'Stonehenge' being lowered into the stage they have--stage left--a group of 'medieval midgets' slowly wheeling 'Stonehenge' onto the stage suspended from a garment rack. . Here's the good part: these group of yuppies in front of us (half of whom clearly did not understand the whole gag and were probably comped tix) were reaching out to the midgets in a "yo bro!" fraternal manner.......the midgets?......in full character they turned out to be a Buch of nasty, absusive runts, sneering, flipping them off, spitting at them with one actually flicking a cigarette butt at them for good measure---swear to god. We were howling, Curtis 'next door' was in stitches, while the yupsters (having gone from cool to tool in a matter of seconds) were looking for the nearest hole to crawl into. And the missus ended glad she went to what she thought was going to be some 'faux-metal' guy-oriented show. Jamie Lee: Fish Called Wanda....sly, smirky, glint-in-her-eye cool babe. Guest & guests were awesome. "you make a dead man come....you make a dead man come......you make a dead man come.......... .......YOU MAKE A DEAD MAN COME........ba-dum..........g'night!"
