Teddy Bears' Picnic

I agree with the prior comment that this film is in the spirit of Christopher Guest's movies, but it does not quite reach those standards (although, of course, that is setting the bar pretty high). Certainly an amusing film, but one wishes that perhaps the actors had been given some flexibilty to show their comedic muscle (particulary John Micheal Higgins, whose improv in Best in Show was off the charts). Unfortunately, it's not only the fire that fizzles out a little towards the end. Overall though, clearly superior to most comedies out there (and some great satire re TV news), but with someone like Shearer and a cast of this quality one enters the cinema with such high hopes it is easy to be disappointed.

I saw this movie in Santa Cruz, with Harry presiding. Fabulous movie for those into politics, and those who know what "the Grotto", and Bohemian club are. Harry actually visited the Grotto as a guest, then made the movie. It's "low-budget", of course there aren't many people out there who would back a movie like this, and Harry did it himself. It tells well of their "bohemian" getaways! This is the way the corporate of America spend their time, at our expense!! (You can pick out who is whom.)Harry is not in it as much as I would prefer, yet Michael McKean picks up where he leaves off. I love the part about the "resident artist"! Watch this film, it sits well with any Michael Moore documentary. I wholly recommend this movie to people who are not Republicans.

I was fortunate enough to see this film at one of its world premieres as part of the St. Louis International Film Festival. Unfortunately, Harry Shearer could not come and talk to us about it, as was scheduled, but from what I hear, his make-up Q&A session a few days later was riotous.

Naturally, this comes as no surprise. In the fashion of earlier works such as *This Is Spinal Tap,* *Waiting For Guffman,* and *Best In Show* (not all of which had anything to do with Shearer himself, necessarily), the comedy relies heavily upon quirky yet somehow realistic characters in situations to match. Improvisation and satirical exaggeration combined with portrayal of bizarre characters by some unexpected performers and comic pacing that only someone like Shearer could pull off make this one of the better comedies of the year. While I'm unsure of how well-distributed the film will be, all fans of the aforementioned films should make an effort to see it.

The normally brilliant Harry Shearer stumbles with Teddy Bears' Picnic. All the components are present for a potentially hilarious and telling mockumentary-style satire on the famous Bohemian Grove, where an odd mix of New World Order power mongers, artists, pseudo intellectuals, and quasi-celebrity mix in a state of misogynistic, sophomoric, and fraternal abandon. An inspired and willing all-star cast combined with dozens of hilarious inside-joke instants, give the piece great scene-by-scene potential. But sadly, the work as a whole simply disintegrates into a surprising state of comic mistiming and sloppy direction. "Surprising" because of the intrinsic talent involved in the project. It seemed to me that this made-for-TV piece was conceived at breakfast and filmed by dinnertime, cobbled together and performed in one take. It is as if we are looking at the "dailies" rather than the final piece. With basically strong comic material, just a little TLC with the plot flow and a more careful tuning of the comic timing (in direction, acting, and editing) could have made this into a real cult classic. Should be remade to pack the real comic punch the material contains.

Oh my, I can\t believe I sat through this. This is unbelievably horrible and excruciatingly boring to say the best.

Here is what is on my cassette box cover...Teddy Pears Picnic. For 51 weeks a year, they run the country. For 1 week they run amok.

This is horrible. It is pointless and is drearingly so painstakingly utterly boring. If you take any advice from somebody who loves watching movies...take this advice. Either shoot yourself in the head or jump in-front of a speeding train or truck before you watch this film;m.

Film? Did I call this crud film? Where's the humor? Where's the running amok? Where are the floozies? What is so special about this garbage that it has a box cover? NOTHING!!!!!!!!!!!! If I ever go camping in the woods and need something to use so I can make a path, I will certainly tear this cassette apart and stretch out the tape for as long as I can to find my way back.

Is it bad? Oh yeah...is it funny? NOOOOOOOOOOO. Is there a point to this cinematic schlock? Try to find one and you win an award.

I could go on and on about how crappy this is and what a waste of time it is, in fact I had more fun writing this review than I had watching 2 minutes of this.

Horrible in terms of story, comedy, action and anything which is supposed to result in a movie.

This is below substandard and hits an all new low. Oh...you don't believe me? Try it...go on...I dare you. Spend the money...go on...I double dare you.

Oh, now you get my point...yeah, well you damn well better listen to me next time I tell you how bad a video is. It's that bad....and boring.

If you have the guts to sit through this and figure it all out and find any humour in it...then YOU are a better person than me and I will be forever indebted to you.

Misleading box-cover and synopsis allowed me to think that after an hour of total nothing that this may get better. Oh yeah...right.

Even the best drugs and crates of alcohol and a pipe struck to my forehead at full force will not make me change my mind.

If you truly hate or despise somebody for any reason and you fell so compelled to harm them mentally, treat them to a viewing of this 2 times without letting them leave for any reason. They will truly suffer one of the worst painstaking injuries ever known to man.

When captured enemies must be forced to infinite amounts of pain...this is their torture.

Oh and if you got through the end of this review...you just enjoyed yourself thousand of times more than sitting through the entire duration of this nasty, vile piece of ughhhhhhhhhhhh.