Jiminy Glick in Lalawood

If Jiminy Glick was interviewing Martin Short after seeing this movie, it might go something like this:

JG: "Bobby Short…,why did you change your name from Martin?"

MS:"No…Bobby Short is someone else. A singer actually. African American. "

JG: "That was going to be my next question. Were you inspired by Jacko to bleach your skin? Do you feel white is the new black?"

MS: "I'm not Bobby Short. I'm Martin Short. I was born Martin Short."

JG:(A patronizing pat on Martin's knee) "Work it out on your own time, dear. Now, about this movie of yours---I JUST LOVED IT. 'Jiminy Glick…' searching his memory—-looks down at his cheat-sheet-—'In LaLaWood!' It's sad and funny. Bittersweet, without much substance and a threadbare story who's sole purpose is to hang little bits of comic business with a few interviews thrown in. Not a very good movie, BUT I LOVED IT! Bobby, thanks for being yewww."

MS: "It's Martin. You know, I've always wanted to put Jiminy Glick in a feature—"

JG:"No time, dear. We have to move on."

Jimminy Glick is a funny TV show in my opinion based on the few episodes of it I have seen. But this movie was unbelievably pathetic. The guy playing the foreign boyfriend/producer character was so over the top it was pathetic. Marin Short was okay but Jan Hooks was wasted as his wife. The kids were pointless. The only reason I give this 2 instead of 1 out of 10 are the few kind-of-sort-of funny moments that happen while he is interviewing real celebrities. They seem like genuine improvised funny moments, and the extras at the end of the movie while the credits happen (outtakes from these interviews) were also pretty funny. I think that's the real problem with the movie. The reason the TV show is often so funny is because of these unscripted interviews where he and the celebrities make each other laugh. When you put him in a movie with a script and plot it's not funny, at least this movie isn't funny, maybe if the script or idea for the movie were funny at all.... I just hope there is no sequel.

You certainly have to be a huge fan of Martin Short's ridiculous character Glick -if not a Hollywood-philic moviegoer instead- to really appreciate this hangin' around-at-the-Toronto Film Festival, full-of-cameos, Hollywood-inner-joke comedy.

And of course forget the plot, cause it doesn't matter at all when you dig this kind of film. In fact, because of its chaotic structure, "Jiminy Glick on La La Wood" doesn't make it as a cool movie.

But it's loaded with self-deprecating glimpses, movie industry sarcasms and art-house parody (specially the David Lynch one), which makes it fairly enjoyable by film junkies.

6.5 out of 10 if with a couple of beers.

I've rated this an 8 because even though it has trying sections, if you're a Glick nut like me, it's worth waiting (or on disc, fast forwarding past them) to reach the good stuff. The man Martin Short describes as a moron with power leaves his home in Butte, Montana and takes wife Dixie and two of their boys up to Toronto for the big film fest. And once there, the laughs really kick into high gear. Jiminy sleeps through a big ticket premiere, then writes a bogus rave review and, as only Glick could, lands a prized sit down television interview with it's reclusive star!

Short does double duty as Glick and director David Lynch, an uncanny imitation that holds the silly plot together with his recounting of the parallel Lana Turner / Johnny Stompanato scandal that forever changed the life of her daughter, Cheryl Crane. Elizabeth Perkins and my favourite, Linda Cardellini, star as a celebrity mother and her child who have the unfortunate lowlife producer Andre (played by the great John Michael Higgins) in their world like a sleazy time bomb waiting to go off. At least, his vulgar mouth is constantly ready for yet another wicked and disgusting remark.

Glick's "hard hitting" segments with Steve Martin and Kurt Russell are truly funny and the send ups of festival behaviour are probably closer to the truth than industry publicists would care to admit. If Short ever makes a sequel, let's hope there are flashbacks that give Higgins and Cardellini a chance to further flesh out their characters' lives and careers. I need a Glick fix!

First of all, love the reviewer who watched half an hour and then felt it was valid to write how horrible the movie is. Next time watch the whole movie before you review it, I think that's the least someone should expect and would advise anyone to ignore any reviews like that.

That being said, this is no comic masterpiece, but if you are a fan of the TV show it should be entertaining for you. These characters are so goofy that its not for everyone. I probably most appreciated all of the improv by the myriad of stars making cameos, reminds me of Curb Your Enthusiasm. Its a non-painful way to kill 90 minutes. It also reminds me of Napolean Dynamite in that it is actually funnier the second time through.