The only thing I knew in advance about This Is Spinal Tap, which I rented over the w/e, was that Paul Schaffer was in it (along with the fact that Reiner directed it). So I was on the lookout for him the whole movie - not very long, just 85 mins. And I missed him.
When what turned out to be his character appeared for his little cameo, I thought “That’s not Paul Simon, is it?” (as it looked a bit like him in Annie Hall). So, I left that puzzle unsolved and got back to the film. Credits roll, and he’s been it it, and I’ve missed him. I’m quite pissed off, as it happens.
Then, my wife, who’s watched bits and pieces of the film (typical multi-tasker), says to me: “I told you when he was on”. I said “Really?” - I never heard you. She said, “Yes, I did - you weren’t listening as usual”. “Okay”, I said, “I’ll rewind it and you tell me when it’s him”. So I rewound, but too fast (x32), so I tried again at x16. “Stop!” she said. “That’s him.”
“But you said that was Paul Simon”, I said. "Only at first, then I said ‘That’s him - that’s Paul’.“Right”, I said, still a bit disgruntled. It did sound like him when he does his banter with Dave, but it sure didn’t look like him. Still looked like Paul Simon as far as I was concerned.
Not quite sure I’m following you here. Paul Shaffer had one of the bigger non-band parts in the movie. He always introduced himself as “Artie Fufkin…Polymer Records.” He had the lines “I fucked up the timing, I got no timing…” and “Do me a favor…just kick my ass! Okay? Kick this ass for a man!” at the Band’s ill-fated record store appearance.
Yes, but I’d only ever come across Paul in Letterman, with the bald pate and the affectatious glasses. It being a 1983 flim, I was expecting him to look different, but he was so different that he floored me. Especially, as his character’s appearance had me focusing at least as much on the Paul Simonesque quality as on what he was actually doing. Though I did get the bit about the “bottom”. As Basil Fawlty put it so well, everything’s bottoms with you Americans.
(Thanks for the correct spelling - I thought I might have inserted an errant “c”.)
Technically still an American. (Although I was actually refering to doper Mucielago.) So complicated, explaining everything…
And, yes, I missed Dana Carvey (who I noticed on the closing credits - didn’t bother rewinding for him). But no, not the other bloke/bird, who I’ve never heard of.
Try to get hold of some of the old Saturday Night Live episodes where he did Don Kirschner. I always kinda thought his Artie Fufkin had some foundation in his portrayal of Kirschner.
These are worth watching anyway. His Kirschner was very funny. He even did it for Gilda Radner’s Broadway show.
How about Anjelica Huston (“I don’t understand. This is the piece.”), Bruno Kirby (“When you’ve loved and lost the way Frank has, you know what life’s about”), and Howard Hesseman (“We’re going to sit in the lobby and wait for the limo.”)?
And yes, technically they are Americans but I’m betting most of them would rather you didn’t refer to them as such .
No? Because I know you had “The Nanny” over there at some point as the first time my SO and I talked (we met online) he said he was terrified that I would sound like her (I was terrified he would sound like Prince Charles). He also said he was amazed they left the line “she was out on her fanny” in the theme song.
But beyond that…you were watching the movie just to see Paul Schaffer?? Ya know, it’s pretty funny even when he’s not one screen…
Ummm…I don’t want to make you look stupid or anything, but Paul Schaffer looked quite a lot like, eh, Paul Schaffer in that movie. I really didn’t think there was any mistaking who he was.
I do a decent job of it myself, so don’t worry. Actually, just to sort of clarify, I rented the DVD because of you wonderful guys on the SDMB. (“Pap” - I didn’t miss that - and the Princess Bride are two films I have been introduced to through the Dope.) I knew Shaffer was in it - I think it was mentioned on Letterman, when I still bothered watching it - so the little task I set myself as I watched the unfolding drama was to spot him. And at that, I’m afraid to say, I failed miserably. (Still think he looks like Paul Simon in Pap, and so did my watch, who instantly ejaculated “That’s Paul Simon”. So na-na-na-na-na! Blows raspberries all round.)
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Ummm…I don’t want to make you look stupid or anything, but Paul Schaffer looked quite a lot like, eh, Paul Schaffer in that movie. I really didn’t think there was any mistaking who he was.