The Making of '...and God Spoke' (1993) User Reviews

"It can still be a classic even if its not an epic."

[chris-2512 · 8/10 · 19 July 2005]

I saw this film in a theater and wasn't expecting much. It turned out to be one of the funniest films of the 90's and by the time the Nude Ninjas appeared, I was already on the floor.

"...And God Spoke" is really one of the funniest parodies of the motion picture industry ever. A former b-film director and his egotistical, sleaze-ball producer decide to adapt the entire Bible into a lavish epic because of its popularity, despite the fact that they vaguely know how many disciples Jesus had and have to rely on product placements from Coke for extra funding. Not to spoil it, but the film they eventually make turns out as a kind of blasphemous Rocky Horror Picture Show that you have to see to believe.

Andy Dick as Abel and Lou Ferrigno as Cain are hysterical. Dick: "I get killed?!?" As a film maker and former Catholic schoolboy I found it all too hysterical though it may help to know something about the Bible and the film industry to get the most mileage out of it.

Speaking of Spinal Tap, I hated that film. Christopher Guest's humour is way too gentle for my tastes and I've never been a big Rob Reiner fan either. This film and "Fear of A Black Hat" are my two favorite mockumentaries of all time.

Very different from Spinal Tap

[pavo6503 · 7/10 · 8 April 2005]

I really like this movie, I'll throw it in the VCR whenever I need some background noise I can enjoy. I am upset by the number of people who are wasting their time comparing this movie to This Is... Spinal Tap. Spinal Tap HAD money behind it, had very good writers, established talent and a great source of material to draw from: the music/entertainment industry and its history. And God Spoke is NOT hilarious but it does require some knowledge of the movie making process. If you have never made a movie, even a 30 second short, then you may not find most of this movie funny. It isn't anything really revealing, just a bunch of exaggerated in-jokes. If anything, this movie is a poke at movie making and itself.

Why the hell not?

[marcus-58 · 8/10 · 4 October 1999]

It's a good enough flick to watch, especially if you're into making movies for film class. It's not one of those movies you rush out and see; but one of those movies you pick up when you've lapped the video store twice and say "why the hell not".

Deserves more recognition from the public

[Dieter-6 · 19 June 1999]

While it is absolutely true that God Spoke isn't as superb as This is Spinal Tap (1984), it is still a movie that will get you laughing uncontrollably. If you've seen Tap, this is about the same, except the rock group has been replaced with a director and a producer. See the two mens' previous movie-experiences for the best bits in the film. It is very sad that this movie hasn't had a bigger audience than it has had.

A mockumentary almost as good as Chris Guest's

[Katz5 · 7/10 · 15 August 2021]

This indie came and went very quickly in early 1994, when an art house theater in my town booked it for a week and by the time I was ready to trek into town to see it, it was already gone. Luckily the film surfaced on VHS a year later and apparently that is the only medium the film exists on. Too bad. The film, although cheesy at times, has moments of brilliance that equal the comedy in Christopher Guest's mockumentaries.

Two filmmakers, a pompous producer with a typical gigantic ego and a more low key but absolutely clueless director, decide to make a movie about the "best selling book of all time:" The Bible. A motley crew of writers, actors, editors, cameramen, grips, is assembled and they set to it. With a low budget, filming Biblical highlights like the parting of the Red Sea proves challenging. The resulting film is so horrible it becomes a midnight movie phenomenon, on par with Rocky Horror.

It's been years since I've seen the film but moments that stand out are the meeting near the beginning of the film, where all the filmmaking experts are gathered in the room, and one of the crew members starts the meeting, only to be rudely chastised by the producer that HE'S in charge and HE will start the meeting, thank you very much. The room gets uncomfortably quiet as the producer and director make their self-serving speeches. As soon as the producer and director leave the room, the filmmakers busily start talking specifics.

Other memorable moments and characters include the hopelessly inept Italian cameraman who is utterly obsessed with Ingmar Bergman's cameraman Sven Nykvist; the actor who plays Jesus claiming he lives the character even offscreen, while smoking cigarettes, and then hilariously tries to walk on water; and the producer hiring some relics of '60s and '70s TV (including Eve Plumb, Lou Ferrigno, and most memorably Soupy Sales, who plays Moses). Near the end, the filmmakers run out of money, so they have to resort to product placement, which results in Moses coming down the mountain holding a six pack of Coke.

This is not a comedic masterpiece but is a fun, scrappy little movie that is great for a party. If you can find it...

What? No behind the scenes to this behind the scenes film? I feel cheated.

[film-critic · 6/10 · 15 December 2007]

I had to see Lou Ferrigno fight Andy Dick. This could not be a missed opportunity. So, in one quick evening, it was watched. Chuckles happened, funny moments were remembered, and, alas, this film won't be watched again. "…and God Spoke" has a great concept, a dedicated cast, but where it falls short is the potential. The idea of making a grandiose big-budget feature of "The Bible" is comic genius, and our two guides through this project, Michael Riley and Stephen Rappaport, are perfect as the producer/director pair. What makes "…and God Spoke" work is that it takes you from pre-production of this epic disaster all the way through distribution and finally reaching the status it deserves. Typically, with a film like this, it ends on a goofy note that is both unbelievable and sappy, but this one will remind the viewer of any cult phenomenon and what steps needed to happen (or stories) to allow it to reach such proportions. It has been said that this film carries quite a cult standing in LA and the film regions of California due to how it shows the interaction of all levels on a film set. The arguing of an AD to the obnoxious behavior of the crew, this film apparently does a great job of showing the detailed background of film production. For this, I applaud "…and God Spoke". It is a dedicated comedy that tries hard to force the laugh, genuinely does at most points, but remains true to the finer points of the story.

As mentioned before, "…and God Spoke" is a decent entry into the mockumentary category for 1993, but alas, it has not held up well over time. With the birth of Christopher Guest, and his growing popularity with mimic B-films, coupled with instant classics like "This is Spinal Tap", you can literally drop your hand into the hypothetical film bowl and pull one out every time. It either has to be completely indie-cult in today's terms or so "big-name" (i.e. Guest's cronies or David Wain's group) for it to stick and stay. "…and God Spoke" seemed to have that potential, but used backwards thinking which ultimately hurt the overall picture. They used smaller names, of which had trouble being "funny" on camera, and instead of laughing I found myself just chuckling at the thick comedy. Because of the lack of quality with the actors and the jokes, the presentation was drowning and hurting the film. There were funny moments, but what made me chuckle the most were not the actors (sorry, the AD Michael Hitchcock, a Guest regular, was the only one giving 100%), but the ideas behind the story. The zany mistakes that these two professionals were creating were funny, the cinematographer was not funny, but the fact that he idolized Bergman was funny. The actors playing Adam & Eve, or even Jesus for that matter, were not funny, but the situations they were placed in were funny. Their costumes were funny, their special effects were funny, their placement into the film was funny, but they – the actors themselves – were not as funny as they could be. Andy Dick is funny, but he seemed to be swimming in a shallow pool with this film. Soupy … well … I don't even think he knew what he was doing in this film.

What was most enjoyable about this film was the ending. Without giving it away, I liked the direction that "…and God Spoke" pushed itself into. There could have been a very dark element looming overhead near the end, but instead it really demonstrated the birth of something different. One could watch this film and question if "Donnie Darko" fell prey to similar stories during its production, and now see where it is today. It was almost like watching the birth of "cult". Again, there were elements in this film that made me laugh, and I will always remember the fight over how many apostles there were and how that final scene of Jesus in the water was cut – these were funny moments. I just wish the actors pushed their characters a bit more. One could argue that there were no defined characters, but outside of Rappaport and Riley, the others just walked through hoping the audience would continue to laugh, even though their comedy button was obviously in the "off" position.

Overall, I was neutral about this film. I laughed. I chuckled. I watched all 80+ minutes of this film, but I don't think I could do it again. "…and God Spoke" begins with a running start, but finishes with a brisk walk. It had concepts that were hysterically funny if put with better composed comedy actors, but those involved either didn't understand the full purpose of the picture, or were just trying to upscale those in the scenes before. There was a lack of conformity between everyone, and it blasted through the screen as I watched. Did it want to be a mockumentary or something in the same category as "Kentucky Fried Movie" – the world may never know. On the other side, there are moments that will keep me chuckling for days (Noah's complaining about the animals, Jesus walking on water), but there were other moments that just seemed more like "ugh" instead of comedy. I blame a bit of this one time and expansion of the style of this film. It doesn't stand us as well over the past 14 years, and Guest has taken it to a new level. I couldn't personally watch it again, but could suggest a friend or two to pick it up. Watch it, but don't expect to love it. I can see the cult following, but it is more regionalized.

Grade: ** out of *****

Do yourself a favor - watch this!

[kennethsorling · 9/10 · 22 May 2007]

This movie is hard to come by, but in the event that it should air on a TV station near you, or play at some cult flick cinema club, don't hesitate to see it. It'll be the best 90 minutes you'll have all year.

Myself, I don't remember just when I caught on to the fact that this was no 'true' documentary. It might have been as long as 15 minutes into the film. My girlfriend at the time didn't catch on until the 'product placement' scene. Believe it or not! Which goes to show, these guys know how to make a mockumentary. The string of ridiculous snafus which haunt the production team were pulled off with such skill and sensibility that you couldn't help but believe it. And no, it's not just a film for movie makers. It's for anybody who enjoys rolling on the floor laughing their hind ends off.

No, Spinal Tap it ain't. I've only seen ST twice, and I could watch this movie over and over again. It's most awesomely hilarious, and I can't wait until it comes my way again.

"Does anybody have a bible?". Indeed.

Perhaps only for filmmakers

[bck2mono · 9/10 · 29 July 2003]

At first, I couldn't believe the relatively low ratings IMDB users have given this film. When I saw it, a friend of mine and I were embroiled in our own filmmaker's apocalypse- trying desperately to complete our first feature. Not surprisingly, we LOVED this film. We watched it many many times, and can still quote from it. I suppose that our reaction to it, and identification with the situations depicted have everything to do with our background, and without having worked in the business, I can't say I would have found it quite so entertaining. The pretentious cinematographer, the lazy crew, dumb P.A.s, ego problems among filmmakers, selling out - all well known situations to people in the business, which makes these characters especially hilarious. To anyone else, certain gags might still elicit a chuckle, but real belly laughs would have to stem from identification with these hapless filmmakers, and the situations they're forced to deal with. To me, this is where the film fails to stand up to comparisons with Spinal Tap. That film's story and its gags don't all hit on a level where you have to be a bad heavy metal musician to really enjoy. So that's the failing of And God Spoke in my eyes- it doesn't have enough for non-industry people to hold their interest.

And God Spoke...but the producers didn't listen.

[saintstoryteller · 1/10 · 18 May 2003]

This is a truly awful movie. The jokes are few and far between and the pacing is a down right endurance test. The only thing funny to come out of this production is it's comparison to the classic film "This Is Spinal Tap."

Avoid this film as if it were one of the plagues of the Bible itself.

This movie rules

[jbrunner-4 · 10/10 · 27 June 2007]

This is one of my favorite movies of all time. It makes fun of two of my favorite targets: Hollywood and Religion. Some of the best parts include a rare Andy Dick appearances(credited as Dick Andrews); God's(R.C. Bates) story about his trip at a Zeppelin concert; The montage of filmmakers' previous efforts is classic, my favorite of course being nude ninjas. And God Spoke is an irreverent look at the making of a bible movie. Its a great example of something the movie studios would do. 'From a producer's standpoint, think about it, a 5 billion person target audience.'(quote inexact) This movie is extremely hard to find. I bought it when working at a video store. If you can find it, buy it. You won't regret it.

slow and not especially funny

[cherold · 4/10 · 27 January 2013]

This mockumentary begins decently with an interview with the directors, who establish amusing, neurotic characters and show some of their early, horrible work. It's kind of cute, but over the next half hour, before I gave up, that was the only amusing scene in the movie.

While it wouldn't matter if the film were actually entertaining, I'd like to point out that the premise doesn't make a lot of sense. These guys are established as z-movie makers who have put out a series of low budget, profitable films. So why is it that they suddenly are unable to keep to a schedule or get their actors together or even get usable footage? Yes, it could be that they had taken on something so huge that they overextended themselves, but the movie doesn't really show that, which is a shame, because that would have had the potential to be funny. This would have made more sense if they were shown as novice filmmakers.

The best parts of the movie were the little clips of terrible filmmaking strewn throughout, especially Jesus on the Water. The filmmakers would have been better off making a purposely bad movie than attempting to make a good mockumentary.

Hilarious, sadly overlooked film

[pip1991 · 4 September 2003]

This movie came out about the same time that "Ace Ventura" did. I was one of the very few ace-haters. After seeing Ace, I had totally lost hope for finding a good, decent comedy until I saw "and god spoke". Unlike ace, "and god spoke" didn't force the jokes down your throat. It was subtle, quietly clever, had a few things to say about the nature of film-making and hilariously funny. Unfortunately, with no famous faces it was totally overlooked and still seems to be that way. No, it's not quite as good as it's mockumentary predecessor "Spinal Tap", but it's definitely worth anyone's time.

Wonderful and more than a bit irreverent...

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 29 April 2010]

Today I tried watching a mockumentary about a cheesy production of a fake film. However, "Guns of the Clackamas" simply wasn't funny though I was hoping it was an other "...And God Spoke". In fact, in my review, I complained about this--and strongly recommended people see the earlier film, "...And God Spoke". Imagine my surprise, then, when I checked and saw that I had never reviewed this 1993 film! This is surprising, as I loved the film and strongly recommend it to anyone who loves Christopher Guest's mockumentaries. Now "...And God Spoke" is not as sophisticated and hip as the Guest films (especially "Best in Show"), but there is a wonderful cheesiness that is quite endearing.

This film is a fake documentary in which a porno production company wants to make a 'quality film'. So, they naturally picked the most prestigious sort of film--a Biblical epic!! The resulting film is in terrible taste and looks a lot like a porno-Biblical film! But what makes it even funnier are all the behind the scenes bits--such as the appearance of Eve Plumb in the film and her resulting lawsuit as well as seeing Soupy Sales as Moses! It's all real and goofy--and strikes a wonderful balance between looking crappy yet being entertaining and insightful.

By the way, because of the subject matter, this film might offend the easily offended. Think twice about showing this film to young kids or your mother-in-law!

Pure gold, miraculously unknown

[Anorexic-pickle · 10/10 · 24 March 2014]

I put this film on in the background as I did some work, and eventually took a break to start it over and watch it proper. The characters are all lovable and embarrassingly foolish at the same time. You have the camera operator with his 'special filters' which result in unwatchable footage, the director with over-ambitious ideals and no command of his crew, the production assistant who can't find his way around town to save his life, and many more.

One of the more convincing mockumentaries out there in my opinion. The only word of caution is that it helps to be somewhat knowledgeable of film making, or at least pay attention to what's happening closely or else some of the humor in the dialogue will be missed. But every line is it's own gem.

And like a gem in the rough, And God Spoke is available on Netflix and as far as I can tell has no more attention. Give it a watch, especially if you're an aspiring director/producer!

No "Spinal Tap", but worth a look.

[Snap Dad · 10/10 · 11 March 1999]

The making of ... and God spoke is a very funny film. Without giving away the funnier moments, there are some that I feel really reflect the attitude of the movie.

At the start of the movie we hear from the makers of "...and God spoke" who tell us a short story about how they wanted to make a biblical movie, and if you're going to make a movie based on a book, that's the one to do it on! A 4 billion person target audience, and at $7 dollars a ticket you can't go wrong!

A caterer for the show likes to give the food some meaning, and for "... and God spoke" he has a potato shaped as a duck etc. and he leans against a large keg with "WINE" printed on the side and casually remarks "It's really just water"

The making of ... and God spoke is the kind of movie that doesn't seem funny at first, but after about ... twenty six viewings it really hits you that this is a great movie.

It does not however reach the heights that "This is Spinal Tap" did when it was released, but if you like that style of movie then you should probably check out this movie.

hilarious

[juddresnick · 13 February 2004]

No, this is not Spinal Tap. It is similar in the sense that it is a "mockumentary" but has it's own merits. For anyone who loves movies and knows even a little bit about the process of putting one together, "And God Spoke" should make you laugh quite hard. It's also a perfect example of how NOT to make a movie. You know it's funny when these guys try to make this inspiring bible epic and no one has a bible on set. A certain product placement scene is one of the most funny movie moments of the last 10 years. Plus, there's nothing like watching the director's face when he realizes the Ark constructed for the film is too big to fit through the stage doors. Trust me, if you're fortunate enough to come across this in a video store, rent it!

How to Make a Mess

[Tinlizzy · 29 July 2000]

AND GOD SPOKE brilliantly portrays what can go wrong on a movie shoot. Its one drawback: You have to be working in films to truly appreciate the dead-on portrayals of clueless workers, egomaniac directors and interfering producers, and the 'compromises' made to get the film done. All these basic realities of real film production are hilariously exaggerated here. It's too close for comfort sometimes.

This is one of the funniest films made in the last decade and it is well worth seeing--particularly if you are in film or are considering it as a career.

Not a total success, but still worth watching.

[MovieAlien · 13 July 1999]

Some say this was similar to "This is Spinal Tap." I don't think so. It was a mockumentary but otherwise there's no comparison between the two. The focus was the making of a Biblical epic, and while these two filmmakers have no problem getting the finances, they run through so many troubles that the film turns out to be a real turkey. (Ranging from the Eve character not wanting to display nudity to a product placement scheme showing Moses holding a six pack of coke.)

This predates 'Living in Oblivion' (which is similar, and much better) but it was still a funny satire on Independent Filmmaking.

You guys are too hard to please...this is a funny, albeit ,dumb movie

[Garrett-12 · 19 April 2006]

Look, this is NOT Spinal Tap. If you want to see ST, rent it and enjoy yourself. ST is a great movie. And God Spoke is not trying to be a great movie but it succeeds as a very funny hour and a half of entertainment. If you like America's Funniest Home videos and you laugh when the baby hits the daddy in the b***s with the bat or the mother falls off the skateboard into a vat of goose fat or whatever...you'll love this movie. What are you looking for anyway? How much is a good belly laugh worth? A movie doesn't have to work on the level of It's A Mad, Mad, Mad World or Spinal Tap (or whatever your favorite comedy might be) to be entertaining. I recommend this movie without hesitation or apology. Soupy Sales was my hero as a kid and glad to say he still has the "chops" to deliver the goods. Wait 'till you see him in the credits! I laugh every time I even think of it. Just try to sit through a sermon in church now without thinking of bits in this movie!

This is NOT Spinal Tap!

[elihu-2 · 13 May 2000]

A B-movie producer-director team decides to do a biblical epic when the studio gives them their first big break. What a premise for a comedy! Immediately one thinks of a multitude of possibilities for humor, none of which are fully realized in this brittle excuse for a comedy directed by Arthur Borman.

In a "mockumentary" format, Borman explores the tribulations of a pair of movie hacks, director Clive Walton (Michael Riley) and producer Marvin Handleman (Stephen Rappaport), as they try to deliver the goods on their project AND GOD SPOKE, yet another multi-million dollar adaptation of the bible.

Having flubbed from the very start, they are forced to make compromise after ridiculous compromise, as they go behind schedule, over-budget, and lose their studio backing. Hiring Soupy Sales (of 60's and 70's television fame) to play Moses, Eve Plumb of THE BRADY BUNCH for Mrs. Noah (a prominent character!), and Lou Ferrigno (THE HULK) to interpret Cain, they barrel on ahead, amidst such production problems as bad acting, an incompetent director of photography, failing special effects, the actress who plays Eve having full-length body tattoo, an Ark too big for the soundstage, mis-numbered Apostles, absent-minded production assistants, etc.

None of these problems are particularly funny, and some of the go-for-broke attempts at humor are downright pathetic and asinine.

ItÕs touted as being "perfect for fans of SPINAL TAP." Not nearly. This whisper thin pic has very little going for it apart from its marginally interesting foray into the behind-the-scenes of the Hollywood filmmaking process. For instance, some of the producer's hustling is shown, as well as the director's take (excuse the pun) on things. As well, we are finally introduced to what a Grip and a Foley Walker do. For those of us interested in filmmaking, this exposition isn't particularly insightful nor funny.

A strange brew, this one. It's basically a one joke movie, and not a very good joke at that. There are few fairly decent laughs near the beginning, such as Jay EdwardsÕ talented turn as the British production designer Peter Carbone, but that is soon forgotten in the porridge of everything else. Reading the Book of Revelation can be more fun!

This is NOT Spinal Tap (it's not even Fear of a Black Hat)

[jaime_dvette · 8 December 2004]

Ever since Reiner and co. made the timeless classic This is Spinal Tap there have been the obligatory clones that don't really steal the idea but rather go the "in the vein of" route. Spinal Tap was a brand new type of movie, the 'Mockumentary" and god bless those who have tried and succeeded, ie, Fear of a Black Hat. And god help those (pun intended) that didn't ie, this complete waste of time.

It's clear that the dialogue was not improvised the way a good mockumentary progresses, the words and situations were obviously planned and not really all that thought out. I saw every joke coming and was not charmed or surprised with any of it.

There are a few gems in the casting with pre fame appearances from Andy Dick and Chris kattan but other than that you can't rely on this film to entertain.

There is one piece of irony here, ...And God Spoke (the movie about which this mockumentary is made) looks like a far funnier film to watch. There should have been much more of that in it.

No Stars

Funny, but no "This Is Spinal Tap"

[otter · 5 March 1999]

Made very much in the style of the classic "This Is Spinal Tap", set in Hollywood instead of the world of rock-and-roll. It has a lot of funny moments, but lacks the quality of warped reality makes the comedy of "Tap" so convincing.

The premise is good: Two filmmakers, a producer-and-director team, get tired of making violent trash and decide to film The Bible, but absolutely everything that goes wrong can go wrong. "Spoke" is shot as a fake documentary, capturing all the disasters as they happen and all the brouhaha that ensues. The individual scenes are all funny, especially scenes from the horrible completed film, each moment a hilarious punch line to the scene about the making of it.

But it doesn't add up, I never really believed any of it was happening. Too many things are off. Our heroes have made twelve pieces of successful, slick, trash, but here before our eyes they make something that would get an F in a high school film class. Little things are wrong, like an actor actually getting beaten up in a filmed fight. Each trivial, but they add up enough to damage the credibility of the film as a whole.

So if you've seen "Tap" too many times, or if you love movies about hollywood, or just want some good nasty fun, see it. It's funny, it's not bad, it's just not as good as it should have been.