Don't expect "This Is Spinal Tap", even though DVD packaging, advertising and movie critics might lead you to that expectation. True, "Still Crazy" is about an aging 70s rock band staging a flaccid comeback, but that's where the similarities end.
"Spinal Tap" delved into the utterly absurd and featured songs whose lyrics were so laughably adolescent that you'd have tears streaming from your eyes before the 1st chorus ends. What's brilliant about it is that, despite its outrageousness, "Spinal Tap" was basically a true chronicle of rock history, with only some exaggerations. It was a case of absurdity being more real than reality.
Here in "Still Crazy", there are no disastrous hijinks (except maybe the first 5 minutes when the band gets struck by lightning), and the characters aren't as phenomenally thick and/or stumbling drunk as you'd expect rockers to be in a comedy. Contrast this against the reality of, say, Jimi Hendrix splitting the seat of his pants onstage at the Isle of Wight, or Ozzy Osbourne mumbling incoherently about sniffing a horse's butt (on "The Last Supper"), and immediately you get the feeling that "Still Crazy" didn't go as far as it could have.
OK, that's where my criticism ends. If you can get past the idea that this is not a nonstop laugh riot, you can really enjoy the movie for its story and characters. The story is linear and mostly predictable, but there are enough twists & turns to keep you entertained. And the characters, particularly the lead singer Ray, have a way of endearing themselves to you like a lost puppy dog.
"Still Crazy" is not a spoof of rock music. It's a pretty realistic story of a bunch of geezers rekindling their musical dreams and having some good & bad times along the way. The music was written by Mick Jones of Foreigner, so it's pretty good with some rousing numbers toward the end. This is an entertaining film from start to finish.
If you want a riotously funny spoof, check out "Spinal Tap", "The Rocker", "Music & Lyrics" or the hilarious documentary "Anvil! The story of Anvil". I would put "Still Crazy" in the category of a light comedy like "Face the Music", "Pirate Radio" or the obscure gem "Ladies and Gentlemen: The Fabulous Stains".
"Spinal Tap" delved into the utterly absurd and featured songs whose lyrics were so laughably adolescent that you'd have tears streaming from your eyes before the 1st chorus ends. What's brilliant about it is that, despite its outrageousness, "Spinal Tap" was basically a true chronicle of rock history, with only some exaggerations. It was a case of absurdity being more real than reality.
Here in "Still Crazy", there are no disastrous hijinks (except maybe the first 5 minutes when the band gets struck by lightning), and the characters aren't as phenomenally thick and/or stumbling drunk as you'd expect rockers to be in a comedy. Contrast this against the reality of, say, Jimi Hendrix splitting the seat of his pants onstage at the Isle of Wight, or Ozzy Osbourne mumbling incoherently about sniffing a horse's butt (on "The Last Supper"), and immediately you get the feeling that "Still Crazy" didn't go as far as it could have.
OK, that's where my criticism ends. If you can get past the idea that this is not a nonstop laugh riot, you can really enjoy the movie for its story and characters. The story is linear and mostly predictable, but there are enough twists & turns to keep you entertained. And the characters, particularly the lead singer Ray, have a way of endearing themselves to you like a lost puppy dog.
"Still Crazy" is not a spoof of rock music. It's a pretty realistic story of a bunch of geezers rekindling their musical dreams and having some good & bad times along the way. The music was written by Mick Jones of Foreigner, so it's pretty good with some rousing numbers toward the end. This is an entertaining film from start to finish.
If you want a riotously funny spoof, check out "Spinal Tap", "The Rocker", "Music & Lyrics" or the hilarious documentary "Anvil! The story of Anvil". I would put "Still Crazy" in the category of a light comedy like "Face the Music", "Pirate Radio" or the obscure gem "Ladies and Gentlemen: The Fabulous Stains".