Documentary Filmmaking: Redux (17 Nov. 2011)

Dean Pelton is given the task to make an updated Greendale television commercial, but the shoot soon goes over budget and spirals out of control, descending the dean into madness--with Abed documenting the entire experience.

Director:

Joe Russo

Writers:

Dan Harmon (creator), Megan Ganz

Stars:

Joel McHale, Gillian Jacobs, Danny Pudi

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Joel McHale	...	Jeff Winger
Gillian Jacobs	...	Britta Perry
Danny Pudi	...	Abed Nadir
Yvette Nicole Brown	...	Shirley Bennett
Alison Brie	...	Annie Edison
Donald Glover	...	Troy Barnes
Jim Rash	...	Dean Pelton
Ken Jeong	...	Señor Chang
Chevy Chase	...	Pierce Hawthorne
Luis Guzmán	...	Luis Guzmán
Richard Erdman	...	Leonard
Charley Koontz	...	Fat Neil
Erik Charles Nielsen	...	Garrett Lambert
Luke Youngblood	...	Magnitude
Dominik Musiol	...	Pavel

Storyline

When the school board asks Dean Pelton to make a new commercial for the school, he enlists the study group to star in his production. As he gets swept away with the project, more of the student body is pulled into the fray, including Magnitude, Fat Neil, Garrett, Leonard, Star-Burns and even Greendale alum and genuine celebrity, Luis Guzman. Meanwhile, Abed films all the activities for a documentary.

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Plot Keywords:

wilhelm scream | mockumentary

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Genres:

Comedy

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Details

Release Date:

17 November 2011 (USA)

Company Credits

Did You Know?

Trivia

In one scene, a windmill can be seen in the background. This is a reference to Terry Gilliam's unfilmed Don Quixote, a story in which the hero mistakes windmills for giants. Due to setbacks and going over budget, the movie was never filmed. The documentary _Lost in La Mancha (2002)_ details the film's failure.

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Quotes

Dean Pelton: Mr Guzman, Luis, and can I just say, I loved you in... in... IMDb.

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Connections

References Forensic Files (2000)

User Reviews

Madness

This kind of episode is why I tune in to Community each and every week. It is the most original show on television and it does not deserve to be canceled. The episode is supposed to be a parody of "Hearts of Darkness" which is a documentary on the making of Apocalypse Now. I have never seen this documentary, yet I still love this episode. The plot revolves around the Dean (Jim Rash) and his new task of filming a commercial to update the old Greendale commercial, which looks like it was filmed in 1991. After a bit more exposition, the Dean eventually realizes that former student Luis Guzman wants to be in the commercial. After this, the episode descends into complete madness in a style that only Community can bring us. The reason it works so well is that the acting and directing is very good. Jim Rash is an excellent actor and should be commended for his performance in this one. Community is the very best show on television. Nothing else in the history of TV has brought us episodes so unique from each other that you have to remind yourself that you are watching the same show, but at the same time achieves excellence in all styles that it attempts. The people who work on this show do not only enjoy stepping out of their comfort zone and trying something new and unique, they thrive by committing to such ideas. Even if the show is over after this season, I will feel lucky that I got to see such an amazing show that really deserves much more recognition than it gets.