"MPAA - Rated PG for mild language and thematic elements" Are you kidding me?? The strongest language occurs in the hilariously dramatic scene where one character says "Uncle Will, you're being a butt!" (followed by gasps & horrified expressions).
I just thought I'd use that example up front so you'd know what you're in for. "Sons of Provo" is a riotously satirical mockumentary about a Mormon boy band trying to find success in the Utah music scene. Although as one character points out "We're men. Um... which is kind of funny. Why is it a boy band? We should be a man band. I'll bring that up with them later."
Not since "Spinal Tap" or the equally witty Christopher Guest music mockumentary "A Mighty Wind" have I heard such great lines. As with Christopher Guest's films, the humor comes from the absurdity and stupidity of clueless musicians. But here in "Sons of Provo" we get a double dose of absurdity due to the squeaky clean approach of characters bound by the strict moral code of the Church. For example, the guys dare to perform a rap song. In the next scene we see a terrified, hysterical girl in the parking lot waiting to be taken home because "rap doesn't come from a very holy place!"
What's funny is, while taking satirical jabs like this, the film remains respectful of Mormon culture and never mocks them or anyone. Satire without sarcasm is a tough feat to pull off, but writer/director/actor Will Swenson (himself having been raised Mormon) pulls it off delightfully. The result is pure hilarity that's fun for everyone regardless of what culture, musical taste, faith or lack of faith you have.
I counted at least half a dozen gags that are absolutely classic. Like in "Spinal Tap" remember the Stonehenge gag, the 11 gag, and so on? Here we have the same sort of memorable writing and funny deadpan delivery to immortalize some of these scenes in comedy history. You'll love the garage door gag, the ring gag, the malfunctioning microphone stand gag, the "you're being a butt" gag, and the list goes on. Immediately after finishing this movie (and wiping the tears of laughter from my face) I had to watch it again with the subtitles on so I could catch all the lyrics I had missed. Watch the deleted scenes & bloopers for even more hilarity (like the headset mic scene, OMG you'll be howling just like the actors were, hence ruining the take).
Ever since "Spinal Tap", the first wildly successful music mockumentary, films have populated the genre with many great & many not-so-great efforts. I'm pleased to announce that "Sons of Provo" falls into the "great" category alongside other gems like "A Mighty Wind" (about folk musicians), "Razzle Dazzle" (about a girls' dance school) and "Anvil! The Story of Anvil" (a real-life heavy metal documentary that's as funny as fiction). If you see any of these films pop up on your radar, be sure to check them out immediately.
I just thought I'd use that example up front so you'd know what you're in for. "Sons of Provo" is a riotously satirical mockumentary about a Mormon boy band trying to find success in the Utah music scene. Although as one character points out "We're men. Um... which is kind of funny. Why is it a boy band? We should be a man band. I'll bring that up with them later."
Not since "Spinal Tap" or the equally witty Christopher Guest music mockumentary "A Mighty Wind" have I heard such great lines. As with Christopher Guest's films, the humor comes from the absurdity and stupidity of clueless musicians. But here in "Sons of Provo" we get a double dose of absurdity due to the squeaky clean approach of characters bound by the strict moral code of the Church. For example, the guys dare to perform a rap song. In the next scene we see a terrified, hysterical girl in the parking lot waiting to be taken home because "rap doesn't come from a very holy place!"
What's funny is, while taking satirical jabs like this, the film remains respectful of Mormon culture and never mocks them or anyone. Satire without sarcasm is a tough feat to pull off, but writer/director/actor Will Swenson (himself having been raised Mormon) pulls it off delightfully. The result is pure hilarity that's fun for everyone regardless of what culture, musical taste, faith or lack of faith you have.
I counted at least half a dozen gags that are absolutely classic. Like in "Spinal Tap" remember the Stonehenge gag, the 11 gag, and so on? Here we have the same sort of memorable writing and funny deadpan delivery to immortalize some of these scenes in comedy history. You'll love the garage door gag, the ring gag, the malfunctioning microphone stand gag, the "you're being a butt" gag, and the list goes on. Immediately after finishing this movie (and wiping the tears of laughter from my face) I had to watch it again with the subtitles on so I could catch all the lyrics I had missed. Watch the deleted scenes & bloopers for even more hilarity (like the headset mic scene, OMG you'll be howling just like the actors were, hence ruining the take).
Ever since "Spinal Tap", the first wildly successful music mockumentary, films have populated the genre with many great & many not-so-great efforts. I'm pleased to announce that "Sons of Provo" falls into the "great" category alongside other gems like "A Mighty Wind" (about folk musicians), "Razzle Dazzle" (about a girls' dance school) and "Anvil! The Story of Anvil" (a real-life heavy metal documentary that's as funny as fiction). If you see any of these films pop up on your radar, be sure to check them out immediately.