Dill Scallion

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'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.

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"

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 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"