November 19, 2003 Amanda Aikman Culture Editor So there I was, second-row centre, surrounded by’Scores of excited fans who poured eagerly over expensive programs and shimmied into brand- new “Folksmen” t-shirts, and I couldn't help but feel like a bit of a fraud. You see, I hadn’t actually seen the film version of A Mighty Wind prior to attending the concert spin- off at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre on November 10. I know, I know, I'm a loser. But it’s not that I hadn't wanted to see it, after all I’ve always loved This is Spinal Tap and Fred Willard kills me every time I watch Waiting for Guffman, it just hap- pened to be one of those movies I never got around to. Luckily for me, the live production was so brilliant and hilarious in its own right, that I never once felt lost or out of the loop. The unique event was kicked off by master of ceremonies Jonathan Steinbloom (Bob Balaban), who promptly had the sizeable crowd in stitches (stitches that were not removed until well after the two- hour hootenanny ended). The anal- retentive Steinbloom deadpanned his way through a list of “house- keeping | announcements” — that included. asking audience members to turn off their cell phones and pagers, and to suck—not bite—any hard candy “for all the obvious rea- sons.” The first act of the evening was the irrepressibly: perky New Main Street Singers. The energetic “neuftet” beamed out at the audi- ence as they made their way through such hits as “The Good Book Song,” and cracked up the crowd with sto- ries of walking down Hastings Street and playing in old-folks prisons. The pig-tailed, smiley faced Sissy Knox (Parker Posey) was a definite favourite, especially when she yelled out “I love you too, I love you Canada” in response to declarations of love from a concertgoer. Not missing a beat, controlling band- leader Terry Bohner (John Michael Higgins) warned the crowd “Folks Sissy is in a time out, don’ talk to her.” Next up was The Folksmen, bril- liantly played by long-time collabo- rators Michael McKean, Christopher Guest, and Harry Shearer, who were enthusiastically greeted with a standing ovation. The band quickly had the audience clap- ping along—and much to my cha- grin, singing along—to hilarious numbers like “Barnyard Symphony” (my section were horses), and a one- of-a-kind rendition of the Rollling Stones’ “Start Me Up.” We must have been pretty good too, because Jerry Palter (McKean) declared that BC had the “best folkin’ crowd in Canada.” Despite the fact that the loudest, most obnoxious couple in the entire venue happened to be sit- ting right behind me, snorting and howling directly into my ear, I can easily say that The Folksmen’s per- formance was the highlight of my evening. Just watching these three men (or two men and a woman I should say, as Shearer’s character had recently undergone some “changes”) as they improvised off each other so effortlessly and with such perfect timing, was more than a little awe inspiring. “Ladies and gentlemen, two of the nicest words in the English lan- guage, Mitch and Mickey,” declared Steinbloom (Balaban), introducing the final act of the evening. Greeted with more fervor and admiration than any “real” musical act that I have ever seen perform, Mitch and Mickey (Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara) hit the stage, announcing that it was “nice to be back home.” Even though it was supposed to be a parody, listening to the duo perform such songs as “One More Time,” I was blown away by how “good” they sounded. Who knew Levy could sing like that? What really got the crowd worked up though, was when the couple delivered not once, but twice, on their signature smooch during the finale “A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow.” The evening ended with all three acts singing a lively rendition of “A Mighty Wind” (plus one encore) followed by Steinbloom’s (Balaban’s) cautions for departing concertgoers to avoid slipping, refrain from con- gregating in dimly lit areas, and to check the back seats of our vehicles for strangers. Although I have since gotten around to watching the film ver- sion—which is of course hilarious— having witnessed these characters up close and personal is one entertain- ment experience I will not soon for- get. Folkin’ eh! Amanda Aikman Culture Editor Plotline: orphan crawls into Santa’s toy sack, orphan is dis- covered back at the North Pole, orphan is raised by elves, orphan finds out he is actually human, orphan goes to New York to find his real father, orphan teaches his father and the people of New York a valuable lesson’ in Christmas spirit. Sound pretty lame? Well it is, but did I mention Will Ferrell played the orphan? Anyone who has seen Ferrell’s work on Saturday Night Live or in such films as A Night at the Roxbury or Old School knows, he’s got the funny and he knows how to use it. Despite the silly prem- ise, E/f contains a number of classic Ferrell moments that make it well worth paying the exorbitant theatre prices to go and see. Transplanted from the North Pole to the Big Apple, Ferrell’s character “Buddy the Elf” offers up a number of giggle-inducing fish-out-of- water gags involving such things as revolving doors, http://www.otherpress.ca e Culture taxis, and spaghetti. As usual where Ferrell is concerned there are some brilliantly funny lines, made all the more so by his impeccable comedic delivery. At one point, Buddy, incredulous to discover that the mall Santa isn’t the gen- uine article, disdainfully observes that the imposter smells like “beef and cheese.” Buddy's real father, played by James Caan, is the typical hard-nosed holiday cynic who you just know is going to come to his senses before the credits roll. Clichéd yes, but the casting is great nonethe- less. The combination of Ferrell and Caan makes for some truly amusing moments—such as when Buddy tries to engage Caan’s character in a tickle fight, or attempts to hold his hand as they exit a police station. Eventually the film comes to a head when Santa (Ed Asner) runs into some sleigh trouble and Buddy finally has the opportunity to prove that there’s more to being a Christmas elf than simply Page 17 e the other press © being born one. Having been trained in sleigh maintenance by his adopted elf father (Bob Newhart), Buddy is enlisted by Santa to repair his ailing vehicle after it crashes in Central Park. The catch is that the Central Park Rangers (bit- ter over their placement on the Naughty List) are hot on Santa's trail, and the only way the sleigh is going to get off the ground in time is if it can tap into its primary energy source—Christmas spirit. Enter requisite sappy scene with New Yorkers singing Christmas carols and remem- bering what it was like to believe in Santa Claus. Obvious though it may have been, I have to admit I was starting to get a little weepy by this point. What can I say? I’m a sucker for corny holiday sen- timentality. Much as to be expected— Its a Wonderful Life it ain't, but if you're looking to shake your belly like a bowlful of jelly, Elf should be the festive flick at the top of your Christmas list this season. = al