A Mighty Wind [Blu-ray]

Director: Christopher Guest Christopher Guest

Overview

The writing and directing team who created Waiting for Guffman and Best in Show turn their satiric eye toward the world of folk music in this sly mockumentary. Irving Steinbloom was one of the great behind-the-scenes figures of the folk music boom of the late '50s and early '60s, and helped to nurture the careers of three of the best known acts of the era. The Folksmen -- Mark Shubb (Harry Shearer), Alan Barrows (Christopher Guest), and Jerry Palter (Michael McKean) -- were an earnest folk trio who sang of America's noble past and the challenges of the future; they split up in the early '70s after a failed attempt to go electric. Mitch & Mickey were a duo in both music and life, comprised of Mitch Cohen (Eugene Levy) and Mickey Devlin (Catherine O'Hara). They sang soulful songs of love until the collapse of their relationship sent Mitch into a deep and incapacitating depression. And The Main Street Singers were a nine-piece vocal group -- a "neuftet," as they prefer it -- who offered energetic good-time music, cranking out nearly 30 albums in the course of a decade; their current incarnation, The New Main Street Singers (played by Jane Lynch, Parker Posey, John Michael Higgins, David Alan Blasucci, Steve Pandis, Christopher Moynihan, Paul Dooley and Patrick Sauber) is still on the road. When it is announced that the legendary Irving Steinbloom has died (the character never appears in the film), his son Jonathan (Bob Balaban) decides that the best way to memorialize his father is through music, and with the help of Mike LaFontaine (Fred Willard) of Hi-Class Management, they set out to bring The Folksmen, Mitch & Mickey, and The New Main Street Singers back together for a special concert at New York's Town Hall. Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer -- who previously teamed up for This Is Spinal Tap -- not only perform together as The Folksmen in A Mighty Wind, but composed most of the songs performed onscreen.

Product Details

Release Date:	02/09/2016
UPC:	0888574373870
Original Release:	2003
Rating:	PG-13
Source:	Warner Archives
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Language:	English
Time:	1:32:00

Special Features

Feature-length Audio Commentary by Christopher Guest and Eugene Levy; Nearly a half-hour of additional scenes including The Good Book Song: The Catheter Song, Folksmen Interview, The Bohners meet their fans; Live TV Broadcast of the concert: The Climactic Benefit Show in its entirety "Vintage" TV appearances of the bands; Theatrical Trailer

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Christopher Guest	Alan Barrows
Michael McKean	Jerry Palter,Composer
Eugene Levy	Mitch Cohen,Composer
Harry Shearer	Mark Shubb,Composer
Bob Balaban	Jonathan Steinbloom
Catherine O'Hara	Mickey Devlin Crabbe,Composer
Parker Posey	Sissy Knox
Fred Willard	Mike LaFontaine
Jane Lynch	Laurie Bohner
John Michael Higgins	Terry Bohner,Composer
Ed Begley Jr.	Lars Olfen
Paul Dooley	George Menschell
Jennifer Coolidge	Amber Cole
Michael Hitchcock	Lawrence Turpin
Don Lake	Elliott Steinbloom
Larry Miller	Wally Fenton
Christopher Moynihan	Sean Halloran
Jim Piddick	Leonard Crabbe
Deborah Theaker	Naomi Steinbloom
Jim Moret	Newscaster
Stuart Luce	Irving Steinbloom
Mary Gross	Ma Klapper
Marty Belafsky	Ramblin' Sandy Pitnik
Michael Baser	Pa Klapper
Jared Nelson Smith	Young Chuck Wiseman
Ryan Raddatz	Bill Weyburn
Todd Lieberman	Fred Knox
Matthew Joy	Boy Klapper
Laura Harris	Girl Klapper,Steinbloom's Assistant
Brian Riley	Young George Menschell
Tyler Forsberg	Young Jonathan Steinbloom
Jim Ortlieb	David Kantor
Andrew Dickler	1971 Dell Wiseman
Thom Lowry	1971 Howard Wiseman
Keva Rosenfeld	1971 Chuck Wiseman
Brian Allen	1960s Mitch & Mickey Bass
Danny Merritt	1960s Mitch & Mickey Guitar
Paul Benedict	Martin Berg
Floyd Vanbuskirk	Steve Lang
David Blasucci	Tony Pollono
Patrick Sauber	Jerald Smithers
Steve Pandis	Johnny Athenakis
Mark Nonisa	Mike Maryama
Cameron Sprague	Young Terry Bohner
Leshay Tomlinson	Steinbloom's Secretary
Mina Kolb	Dr. Mildred Wickes
Wendel Meldrum	Witch No. 1
Diane Delano	Witch No. 2
James Jennewein	Witch No. 3
Richard Hicks	Witch No. 4
Michael Mantell	Deputy Mayor
Bill Cobbs	Blues Musician
Freda Foh Shen	Melinda Barrows
Darlene Kardon	Shirley Steinbloom
Scott Williamson	PBN TV Director
Joe Godfrey	Mitch & Mickey Bass
Bruce Gaitsch	Mitch & Mickey Guitar
Diane Baker	Supreme Folk Defense Lawyer
Linda Kash	Actor
Jim Piddock	Leonard Crabbe
William S. Nunziata	Actor
CJ Vanston	Composer
Annette O'Toole	Composer

Technical Credits

Christopher Guest

Eugene Levy

Christopher Guest	Director,Screenwriter
Eugene Levy	Screenwriter
Richard Hicks	Casting
Karen Murphy	Producer
Christopher Walkowiak	Special Effects
Mark Warrack	Stunts
Mark Weingarten	Sound/Sound Designer

Editorial Reviews

A movie that re-creates its object of satire with such pitch-perfect flair that it all but erases the line between derision and love.