The Life and Hard Times of Guy Terrifico

directed by Michael Mabbott (2005)

I  wasn't overly impressed with this fakeumentary about a Guy Terrifico, (Matt Murphy) a country rock singer songwriter who vanished in the 70's.  It's got some pleasant musics and has interviews with real life stars in the mix.  Kris Kristofferson, Ronnie Hawkins, and Merle Haggard are entertaining when they reminisce on their encounters with the disappeared Guy Terrifico. 

Teriffico's manager does a lot of talking too, and he's played by Phil Kaufman, the actual manager of Gram Parsons, of all the 70's alt country musicians Guy Teriffico most resembles.  It's a spoof that doesn't even have to exaggerate much since musicians, especially the stars in the 70's, were up to ridiculous antics anyhow.  It's tongue in cheek fun very similar to Spinal Tap, except that I found that flick was a titchy bit more entertaining.  Maybe if I cared more about the scene being portrayed, I'd have liked it more, but as it stands,  it was mostly silly and kind of boring.  I bet everyone involved had a great time making it though.

The World's Fastest Indian

directed by Roger Donaldson (2005)

When I first heard about this movie, I thought it was about a neechi sprinter who done good.  It's not though;  the Indian in question is a fucking motorcyle, not a fast person.  Anthony Hopkins is the motorcycle owner.  He plays Burt Munro, a New Zealand gear head who's been working on the same bike for 40 years to make it go fast.  His dream is to take it to The Bonneville Speed Trials in the salt lake basin in Utah, so he can see how fast he can push his bike with officials to bear witness.

Burt with the bike

Burt in his workshop

It's based on a real guy and the simple story is a good mix of underdog/quest/road trip/fish out of water. It's set in the 60's and I really liked the period details.  Old cars and that people were accommodating to ole Burt.  Joe said it reminded him of a kid's movie where a dog is trying to make his way home and people help him on his journey. And lots of people helped out Burt, he's a likeable old dog for sure. I appreciated Burt's DIY gumption and seeing the earlier days of racing when it was still more in the hands of enthusiastic and passionate hobbyists was refreshing. It's a feel good flick, and while I didn't have any profound revelations or overwhelming feelings about anything while I was watching, I didn't feel like I'd wasted my time with it either.  It's got a good message of pursuing your dreams that has universal appeal, and that it's about an old man going for his dream is rather unique too.  It's really appetizing for back yard mechanics and man cave Nascar types though.

I wonder if Hopkins felt like he was slumming in this?  I've heard that he thinks of movies as a way to pay bills while he really prefers doing theatre work.