80s Movie Review - This is Spinal Tap

Director: Rob Reiner
Genre: Comedy/ Mockumentary
Runtime: 82 minutes
Year: 1984
Starring: Christopher Guest, Michael McKeen, Rob Reiner, Harry Shearer, Fran Drescher, Ed Begley Jr.

Description: Spinal Tap, one of England’s loudest bands, is chronicled by film director Marty DiBergi on what proves to be a fateful tour.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2025 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 37: A FILM FROM 1984
 
Review: In this halrious debut film from director Rob Reiner, we follow the American comeback tour of the fictional rock band Spinal Tap. They are touted by fans as the loudest heavy metal band in the UK.
Absurd stage experiences are interspersed with interviews that start out realistic but invariably end up completely absurd. The band’s nonchalant attitude makes it extra funny. Much of the humor lies in what is not said: a surprised look, or the silence after a strange statement.

What elevates this film above a bland parody is the credibility with which it is presented. Because regardless off all the stories, the life on the road of a rock band is portrayed quite accurately here: the traveling, the hotels, the backstage areas, the tour bus, the stage.

“This is Spinal Tap” is an entertaining, hilarious mockumentary. Some of the songs in this movie are just to die for. Great film.

Rating: 4/ 5

TV Show Review - Better Call Saul (Season 3)

Season: 3
Genre: Drama/ Comedy
Number of episodes: 10
Year: 2017
Starring: Bob Odenkirk, Jonathan Banks, Rhea Seehorne, Patrick Fabian, Michael Mando, Michael McKeen, Giancarlo Esposito, Mark Margolis

Description: The trials and tribulations of criminal lawyer Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk) in the time before he established his strip-mall law office in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Review: I don’t know if everyone thought it was a good idea to create a prequel to one of the best series ever made: “Breaking Bad”. Yet Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould dared to create a series about one of the supporting roles Saul Goodman, here still Jimmy McGill. The somewhat shady lawyer entered the “Breaking Bad” universe in season 2 and with his role he added a lot of comedic elements to the series.
“Better Call Saul” was also originally intended as a light-hearted comedy, Gilligan and Gould soon decided that it had to be a drama series, combined with the comedy we know Saul Goodman for. Because “Better Call Saul” is set a few years before “Breaking Bad”, the makers were able to allow some other iconic character from that show to resume their roles. And we get an exciting ‘new’ one in the third season.
In the third season, Jimmy McGill has developed a lot from season one. But he is still not Saul Goodman as we know him so well from “Breaking Bad”. He is still trying to be a successful lawyer by trial and error. At the start of the season, Jimmy still shares a law firm in Albuquerque with Kim Wexler, who is also his girlfriend. In addition, tension between him and his brother Chuck is increasing, especially when it turns out that Chuck has incriminating evidence about Jimmy that could seriously ruin him.
Parallel to these storylines, we follow the story of Mike. At the end of the second season, Mike wanted to deal once and for all with the Mexican cartel boss Hector Salamanca who threatened him and his granddaughter. At the moment of truth however, he was stopped by a stranger. And it is the return of the iconic, brilliant fast-food magnate Gustavo Fring. Many fans, including myself, looked forward to his possible return. And finally, in the third season, one of the best villains in television history actually returns. The way Fring is introduced is brilliant and, despite virtually nothing happening in it, the scene in which he first appeared is a nail-biter.
The main focus of this season is the feud between the McGill brothers, which seems to be working towards a climax. I won’t spoil it for you, but the fifth episode is so incredibly good that you can let go of any doubts you’ve had about “Better Call Saul”. It’s the best episode of the season. Great acting by Bob Odenkirk, Rhea Seehorn and especially Michael McKean. McKean as Chuck turned out to be more of a villainous character in season 2, but is even given more layers in the third season. He is at the top of his game here.
The same goes for Odenkirk, who has given Jimmy so much depth in all three season. And Rhea Seehorn is also formidable, her character Kim Wexler functions as the moral compass of the series. Jonathan Banks and Giancarlo Esposito (Mike and Fring) only have smaller roles, but shine every moment they get.
As we already know from previous seasons and “Breaking Bad”, the camera work is beautiful. It’s so beautifully portrayed. And this combined with strong direction and a good screenplay, makes “Better Call Saul” in its third season again one of the best TV shows of the moment. It’s still not better than “Breaking Bad”, but often manages to come very close.
Some people mind the slow pace of the show, but I see it as the show’s strength. They take their time with the story, so that all the loose ends will be tied together in the end. And all the character’s choice and developments make sense.
The only downside of the show is that I believe Mike and Fring should have been given more screentime.
“Better Call Saul” is a series that can stand on its own, although you sometimes still make comparisons to “Breaking Bad”. I don’t think that will ever be different. But with a rock solid third season, it is as consistent as “Breaking Bad”. Again the season ends with a cliffhanger, so I can’t wait to be dragged into the sunny and dark world of Albuquerque.

TV Show Review - Better Call Saul (Season 2)

Season: 2
Genre: Drama/ Comedy
Number of episodes: 10
Year: 2016
Starring: Bob Odenkirk, Jonathan Banks, Rhea Seehorne, Patrick Fabian, Michael Mando, Michael McKeen, Ed Begley Jr.

Description: The trials and tribulations of criminal lawyer Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk) in the time before he established his strip-mall law office in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Review: Looking back at last season’s ending, Jimmy’s in the courthouse parking garage. Inside are Kim Wexler and Howard Hamlin, who are waiting to introduce Jimmy to his upcoming new boss of the Santa Fe law firm Davis & Main. Jimmy meets senior partner Clifford Main and his two associates, but takes Kim aside. He asks her if anything would change between them if he takes the job. To which a surprised Kim reacts that one has nothing to do with the other. Jimmy accepts the answer and returns to the rest of the group, informing them he kindly declines the job offer. Later, Kim confronts Jimmy, now relaxing in a hotel pool, with his choice to miss the chance of his lifetime.
The first season of the “Breaking Bad” spin-off turned out to be a big success, which clearly showed that it good hold up the sky-high expectations everyone had about it. The second season picks up exactly where we were left off. “Better Call Saul” has a unique way of telling the story of Jimmy, from before he became the Saul Goodman we all know from “Breaking Bad” and even how he became who he is in “Better Call Saul”. It has a cautious pace, the storylines develop slowly, but the whole season is full of character and plot development. It’s a well-considered but also risky choice to stretch a season to ten episodes. However, creators Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould once again created a great atmosphere in a real-life rhythm, with an amazing sense of detail.
In this season Jimmy and Kim, with whom he maintains a personal and professional relationship, are within reach of the top of their careers. Jimmy is about to sign a contract with law firm Davis & Main, and Kim works for HHM. Yet neither of them are convinced that this is the right destination at this stage of their lives. Meanwhile Mike becomes increasingly involved in the dangerous drug world, when he comes into conflict with Hector Salamanca. This last storyline is a great addition to “Better Call Saul” and I’m glad Mike is a big part of season 2 as well. That’s a strength of the series, every character has his or her share and always influences the storyline in one way or another.
Bob Odenkirk is the most important person in the series, but it’s mainly Rhea Seehorn who brings the most depth to this season. Jimmy and Kim are two different individuals, and even though they both don’t quite want to believe this yet, Kim is constantly at odds with her morals.
Chuck also has a big role in the second season. Where in the first season we saw Chuck mainly as Jimmy’s envious brother and particularly hating Jimmy’s shady methods, this season he has turned out to be somewhat of a villain. Chuck is not much to blame, but because of the cleverly written storylines you automatically have the most sympathy for Jimmy. Even if I’s Jimmy who is bending the rules and the real crook, while Chuck is the one doing things by the book. And for this reason you can see that both Michael McKean and Bob Odenkirk really shine in their roles. And it’s the brother’s feud that left us with a cliffhanger, that probably sets the direct tone for the third season.

TV Show Review - Better Call Saul (Season 1)

Season: 1
Genre: Drama/ Comedy
Number of episodes: 10
Year: 2015
Starring: Bob Odenkirk, Jonathan Banks, Rhea Seehorne, Patrick Fabian, Michael Mando, Michael McKeen

Description: The trials and tribulations of criminal lawyer Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk) in the time before he established his strip-mall law office in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Review: It was the most anticipated series of 2015, that debut in February of that year. The spin-off of one of the best series ever made: “Breaking Bad”. That the series would be a success was a given. The question was just how big. And since “Better Call Saul” was the number one cable series in America that year, it proofs that is was very big. Add to the overwhelmingly positive reviews and you have a series that might even be as good as the series it was based on. The first season of “Better Call Saul” is good, at times very good.
We follow the adventures of James ‘Jimmy’ McGill, before he becomes the Saul Goodman we know from “Breaking Bad”. In “Better Call Saul” we see how he became the super lawyer, but there is no mention of that just yet. Nobody takes Jimmy seriously and it frustrates him. He also takes care of his brother Chuck, who is the partner at a big law firm and is now dealing with a medical condition that prevents him from leaving the house.
In this season we see how Jimmy tries to get a place in the legal profession. We also see Mike Ehremantraut, who was a people’s favorite in “Breaking Bad” and in fact one of my favorite characters as well. We see how Mike ended up in Albuquerque. Does Jimmy manage to earn respect and establish his name? And why do they call him ‘”Slippin’ Jimmy’? We’ll get answers to these questions in this first season.
“Better Call Saul” is definitely one of the best show of the moment and the performances are extraordinary. The series contains of high quality shots, spot-on cinematography, just like its predecessor. Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould, also responsible for the success of “Breaking Bad”, once again succeed in making a series where we can exactly see what they were planning on making. It looks beautiful.
It's not one storyline the first season focuses on, there are several storylines which might not make it as catchy or memorable. The best episode was “Five-O”, which was carried by Jonathan Banks, who plays Mike. It was separate from the rest and didn’t feature a lot of Jimmy. It’s almost the ugly duckling episode of the season. But it’s a magnificent episode and very necessary.
Before I finish, I do want to mention Bob Odenkirk, who is the star of the show and the titular character. Odenkirk is a great actor, he already proved that in “Breaking Bad”. And here too. Throughout the season, Jimmy’s development is certainly rewarding. The pace is slow, but you can understand where Gilligan and Gould want to go. Odenkirk has and will have plenty of opportunity to embody multiple facets of Jimmy. Just look at the sharp dialogues and how convincingly Odenkirk knows how to bring it. So no complains about the acting. However, he does not (yet) have the gravitas that Bryan Cranston had. Cranston commanded every scene he was in and his Walter White will probably always be one of the greatest acting performances in TV history. You hated him for who he was, but at the same time you wanted him to slip further into madness. Jimmy McGill is not yet that kind of character and that becomes clear when you watch the episode “Five-O” and see how Jonathan Banks steals the show.
I’m late to the party, since I’m only starting “Better Call Saul” now. But I’m glad that I did, because it looks like this will become a new favorite eventually. I really loved the first season and something tells me it’s only going to get better.