Dill Scallion

I happened upon "Dill Scallion" late one night on one of the pay channels and have never laughed so hard. To describe it in one phrase I would call it a Country Spinal Tap. It has the same mocku-mentary style. The acting was great, but most of the songs were terrible (or was that part of the joke?) I place this film up there with "Spinal Tap" and "Fear of a Black Hat"

Perhaps the only weakness upon first viewing of the film Dill Scallion is that fact that you don't yet realize that every single line of this movie is a punchline. It's a joke from beginning to end. In fact, it was only after seeing the movie a handful of times that we found ourselves laughing at not only the more obvious jokes, but also reeling at the layers and layers of jokes hidden deeper in the text.

On the surface, Dill Scallion's sense of humor is too easy. It makes fun of country music and pokes fun at life in the South in general. But actual examination of the dialog shows much more thought than you'd expect. Take Dill's song "Tube Top Boogie," Please! At first it's just pretty funny that someone is writing a song about tube tops. But examine the first couplet:

Now don't get all dolled up, cuz we're going out on the town,

Ain't no need to wear no formal wedding gown,

If you think about it for half a sec, you're forced to ask "Just what IS a formal wedding gown?" Are there casual ones? And why would she be contemplating wearing one out on the town anyway? The joke is three layers deep, easily missed, and indicative of Dill's inability to grasp the English language as whole, much less write an intelligent song using it.

For anyone who has ever played in a band- country or not- this movie is a must see. It perfectly portrays something that is far more rampant and ubiquitous than TALENT in the world of up-and-coming bands: Deluded Musicians.

Dill Scallion is a silly, thoughtful, intelligent, and well written movie whose humor is far too easily overlooked by those wanting to relegate it to just another Spinal Tap wannabe. Watch it, then watch it again. You don't get it until you can sing along.

"Dill Scallion", with Billy Burke in the title role, tells of the rise and fall of a fictional country/western singer. Full of tongue-in-cheek humor and endless good natured spoofing of country music, this fun flick is shot as a mockumentary with the usual jiggly shoulder cams, boom mics in the shot, grainy film, etc. "DS" gets off to a slow start and it's no frills approach may turn off many viewers early on. However, those who hang in there will find some seriously clever writing and dead pan lampooning during this 1.5 hour joy ride.

I'm not sure how This is Spinal Tap can be on the Top 250 list and Dill Scallion has a rating of 4.5. Maybe the world doesn't need another 'mock-umentary' of the music business, but this one is a worthy addition to the genre.

Besides a well cast group of actors, you'll find that Sheryl Crow wrote the score for the movie (though I don't believe she was involved in writing any of Dill's songs or the Waffle Barn jingle) and there are a few country music stars who make cameos.

Plus, you have the opportunity to learn the Scallion Shuffle. Spinal Tap never taught us any sweet dance moves like that.

Charming mockumentary on a country singer's rise and fall. Hilariously written, and the song titles alone are worth the price of admission ("I Found Love at the Family Reunion" is just one of many fine examples). The documentary feel is tainted by some very Hollywood injections (i.e.: a "quirky" romance) that sometimes destroys the illusion, and despite its unique angle it just can't escape the mighty shadow of "This Is Spinal Tap." Nonetheless, it's very, very funny; people who hate country will roar at the jokes made at the genre's expense, and those who love it will laugh at the movie's knowing look at the industry. Surprisingly, "Dill Scallion" submits compelling evidence that Henry Winkler's career may actually be worth saving.