The Quarantine Stream: ‘A Mighty Wind’ Will Make You Love Folk Music (And It’s Hilarious Too)
Posted on Wednesday, August 26th, 2020 by Ethan Anderton
(Welcome to The Quarantine Stream, a new series where the /Film team shares what they’ve been watching while social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic.)
The Movie: A Mighty Wind
Where You Can Stream It: Hulu
The Pitch: Influential (and fictional) folk music producer Irvin Steinbloom has died. To honor his life and contribution to folk music, his children organize a tribute concert featuring his three favorite folk music acts: The Folksmen, The New Main Street Singers, and Mitch & Mickey. Director Christopher Guest follows the concert as it comes together in his signature mockumentary style, and along with the expected laughs, the movie also delivers some truly outstanding folk music.
Why It’s Essential Viewing: The last time Harry Shearer, Michael McKean, and Christopher Guest got together as a musical trio, it was in the 1984 mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap from director Rob Reiner. Largely improvised and written by the filmmaker and the three comedians, it followed “one of England’s loudest bands,” mocking all of the rock and roll behavior and tendencies seen in real rock documentaries like Gimme Shelter and The Last Waltz. In A Mighty Wind, we see a much different side of them as these three form the much more refined and reserved folk music group The Folksmen, who haven’t seen each other in decades. And to sweeten the deal, they’re joined by pretty much every cast member from Best in Show. Read More »
