The Last Polka

John Candy and Eugene Levy are both very funny guys. From SCTV to their movies the both delivered the goods time and time again. Neither one was ever funnier than they are in "The Last Polka". This hour long HBO special packs more laughs per minute than pretty much anything out there. One classic moment after an another. Nearly fifty years later "The Last Polka" still delivers laugh-out-loud moments. The supporting cast is also very funny. "The Last Polka" is short so it obviously doesn't wear out its welcome. I saw "The Last Polka" when it first aired on HBO. I've seen it a bunch of times since. It's a classic.

I love the Shmeneges, even though some might find it offensive these days in our P. C world. Who would of thought that just a simple phase could have such an impact on the previous generations who grew up on SCTV. I use to watch Re-Runs on Comedy Channel in Canada, and bought a few strikes spares and Shmenges t-shirt in Google.

About this movie, it's long, and it's comedy is kinda dry if you don't understand it. Some people just don't understand that to do bad acting is quite hard. Younger people will not appreciate it because it's not stupid things from Saturday Night Live.

I wish Second City would release all of the Shmneges on DVD. Not one DVD has any Shmnege Brothers.

I will be on the lookup if Amazon releases anything in the future. Until then, don't let those cabbage rolls get away.

I like to look at the "time capsule" idea to illustrate certain words from our era, as we might put into, say, a cornerstone to be viewed by those a century later. Some pictures, descriptive materials, films or tapes, of JFK or Dwight Eisenhower, could illustrate the essence of "charisma" (for "anti-charisma," try Newt Gingrich). How about Sharon Stone and Tia Carrere for "sexy?" A tape of "The Last Polka" could simply be enclosed to illustrate "funny." Far-fetched, silly, over-the-top, but hilarious at every turn. And these amiable oafs and their nearly-equally-oafish supporting players provide more laughs and enjoyment in this film than most of the big-screen productions which cost 20- or 40- or 50-times as much to produce and market. Funny at a rating of "11" on the 1-to-10 scale.

This was a made-for-cable (Showtime) comedy special starring John Candy and Eugene Levy's "SCTV Network" characters, polka stars Yosh and Stan Shmenge.

The film traces their rise to prominence from their childhood in native Leutonia to their final comeback concert. Along the way, we're treated to hilarious archival footage and interviews with those who worked with them and loved them, played by other "SCTV" luminaries like Rick Moranis, Robin Duke, and Catherine O'Hara. Later released on video. It's an excellent comedy special... a must for anyone who loved Candy and "SCTV!"

A very funny effort. In 1986 I taped it from a rental store video and I am glad I did. I have now transferred it to DVD on my own but it would be great if it were released on DVD, digitally restored with a few special features. This "Mockumentary" features John Candy and Eugene Levy as the Shmenge Brothers, leaders of a popular polka band, and we are reflecting on their careers as they prepare to retire. Levy has gone on to appear in more of the same, but nothing he has done has gotten any better than the original.

If you like spoofs such as "Waiting for Guffman", "The Best in Show", "Spinal Tap" and "A Mighty Wind" you've got to see the granddaddy of them all, "The Last Polka"!