Holiday Movie Review Roundup: Walk Hard...and a Cinematical Horn o' Plenty

Hey Pat,

As a writer, former NBC Page, and nerd, what are your thoughts about the writers strike, David Letterman, etc?

BTW: Yes, you look like a mix of Clay Aiken and the Santa Clause narrator.

Best,

JJ

Beautiful review of PTA--all that time, didn't know that the band, The PTA (of whom I will be uploading some YouTube videos someday soon, oh yes!) was named after the movie. I'm sure I've made no small mention (and will continue to mention every time you mention it) that my family and I trudged out to God-knows-where every day for a week or two to be extras in PTA when they shot on location in St. Louis. It might be what got me interested in movies, but it's definitely what got my savings account started.

The only job from which I've ever been fired, I left that day not knowing exactly what to do or think--I went home and watched PTA, and it seemed to make everything better. Can you imagine how I felt, having (sorta) been in the damned movie, and not having been allowed to see it because my parents, too, were anti-R (but no amount of chiding would make them change their minds)? I don't even remember when I finally saw it, but I do remember that one day during filming my sister got lost and Steve Martin brought her back to my family and had bought her some M&Ms from a vending machine.

Always awesome when you hear something you aren't supposed to because of a phone-glitch (or just downright idiocy/rudeness).

Here's a holiday video for ya: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBQzanac7m0

I must be the only one who doesn't worship at the alter of Apatow. I liked 40 year old Virgin, but thought Knocked Up was utter crap and Superbad just kinda ha-ha funny. maybe you're kissing ass since you're trying to break into the writing thing, maybe you're not. I mean, Knocked Up is barely even a comedy, both it and Superbad suffer from some major authorial self-indulgence. Is Walk Hard at least tightened up a bit? The trailers make it seem like a pretty run of the mill spoof with John C. Reilly doing most of the heavy lifting. At least Jake Kasdan has half of an idea about where to point the camera. I just don't see how a lot of sloppy plotting and characters sitting around riffing (all in the same writer's voice) makes Apatow some kind of comedy genius.

I've always been a huge fan of John Candy, and a lot of that comes from my Mom, who LOVED him. To this day, she'll laugh herself sick at films like this or Uncle Buck, and then she'll get very quiet and sad after the movie is over.

I asked her about it once, and she just said, "I miss him." I think that's a big part of what I love about comedy... when great comedians go, they aren't worshipped for their beauty like movie stars or deified for their art like musicians. You just miss them, like you'd miss an old friend. You remember the times when they made you laugh, when they picked you up when you needed it. There are worse things.

I'm with Pat in that I loved PT&A as a whole film, not just for the great funny bits, so there's one part that I have to mention. There's a part where Steve Martin asks John Candy if he loves his wife, and Candy comes back with, "Love... is not a big enough word for how I feel about my wife. It's not a big enough word." It's one of the few parts where Candy talks about his wife that (I don't think) is called back when Steve Martin is on the train toward the end, so you only get it when you've seen the film more than once.

It is difficult to get across to people who haven't seen the film how hard Candy nails this scene. He KILLS it. It's that scene and the one where he talks to his wife in the car, saying that she was right and that he's the biggest pain in the ass to come down the pike, that make the wife a real character in the film.

So, anyway, yeah. John Candy. I miss him.

I love John Candy as well. It all began with Splash and "Bartender! Much more drinks!" The racquetball scene didn't hurt either. I particularly loved Uncle Buck. And the Polka King cameo in Home Alone. Pretty much anything he did. I miss him too. I'm sort of embarrassed to say I've never seen PTA.....(ducking)...

Merry Christmas!

OF COURSE I LOVE JOHN CANDY TOO! Who wouldn't love JC? HHmmm. Prob. Osama Bin Laden, and he's an f'n scumbag. GOD BLESS AMERICA ... and ... Canadian Bacon!

JJ,

I've done some WGA strike posts on Cinematical. I'm completely supportive of course, even though it has put a MAJOR stall on my career at the moment. As for Conan and Leno and the gang coming back, it's going to make things pretty tense around the office when the writers come back!

Rob,

You have video of The PTA?? Mine were stolen, I've got not one bit of videographic evidence we existed. What do you got? Also, I need to send you a DVD of the "Paradise Island" video, I know! I am forever envious of your "PTA" extra experience, always have been...

Acoustic Rocketeer James Taylor,

I am certainly not kissing ass with Apatow. "40YOV" is one of my favorite comedies of all time, Knocked Up will be on my ten best list this year. I didn't love Superbad near as much as most and gave it a pretty reserved review on this site. And Walk Hard is loaded with problems, but was a really funny flick, a rare thing these days. I think a lot of people see these movies on bloated extended DVD editions and don't get the films at their best, but I can agree that Superbad was too long. He's so hot right now because he's about the only person making consistently funny comedy films these days, and a lot of people really relate to his stuff...

Jackson,

That scene in the car where he's talking to himself -- Jesus. Breaks your heart. You get the feeling that's how he saw himself too, I heard he struggled with self-esteem issues. I think he could have had a great career as a dramatic actor, he did excellent work in stuff like PTA and Only the Lonely, and he was just awesome in that bit role in JFK. I miss him too, the world would be a much better place if he were still making movies.

Nutsy,

WHAAAAT? Make it a priority, check PTA out immediately. Love that Home Alone cameo too. And the Splash racquetball scene is one of the funniest bits of physical comedy ever. And he did it in one take!

I believe the footage I have is from a show at the Way Out Club one July where Mustardfish and the PTA played with one another. I've uploaded some Mustardfish (and solo) stuff on YouTube, with much more forthcoming:

http://www.youtube.com/Googolplexia

I think I'm mostly going to use YouTube as an outlet for concert footage and the like. Expect it to show up within the next few months (I will alert you to its actual posting here or via E-Mail). And any time you're ready to send me a copy of the "Paradise Island" video, I am ready to accept the hell out of it.