Dill Scallion

"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.

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.

This very funny parody follows the rise of the fictional Dill Scallion's country music career, including the genesis of his trademark wild on-stage dance, his first music video, and his big breakthrough at the Gingivitis Aid concert ("We must stop the madness of gum disease!" rails one character). The characters are all intentionally painted with very broad strokes, and the tongue in cheek humor keeps the movie going along at a great pace. Cameos by some country music superstars are also great fun...and even the movie's name is neat--Dill Scallion? Yeah, the guy in question is about as smart as a vegetable...and that's a big part of the fun.

I rented this flick because I am nuts about Lauren Graham, who worked steadily for a decade, in TV and low-budget movies, before her breakthrough on "Gilmore Girls". It turns out, this is a darn funny movie, with a very engaging cast.

Billy Burke is perfect as an innocent Texas boy who dreams of Nashville while singing his songs to the kids on his school bus. He gets a break after a local talent show, and the movie is a documentary-style chronicle of his rise and fall. Along the way, he crosses paths with Kathy Griffin as his randy girlfriend, David Koechner as the leader of his backup band, Jason Priestley as a country megastar, Henry Winkler as a promoter, and several bonafide country music stars as themselves. Refreshingly, the characters are not portrayed as clueless hicks, but ordinary folks just trying to find some happiness, and maybe a hit record or two.

Lauren Graham is gorgeous as Dill's love interest/"muse", and completely different from her Lorelai Gilmore character. She nails a Southern accent (but not Deep South), and is unrelentingly sweet to everyone, even when she is not happy with them.

This is a fun, low-key movie with affection for its characters and some good scenes sending up stardom and fame in our celebrity-crazed culture. I believe it is available for rental only through Hollywood Video. Give it a try, it is funnier than 75% of the big time comedies out there.

"Stop the Madness of Gingivitis"