The Last Polka

1985 mockumentary

Rating: 14/20

Plot: The Shmenges and friends perform a final concert.

I had no idea what this was even after I watched it, but friend Josh informed me that these were all SCTV performers and that these were characters from that show. I know next-to-nothing about SCTV and have nothing to add about that. You'll have to research that yourself if you're interested.

Mockumentary-veteran Eugene Levy and John Candy co-wrote this and star in it, and they also, apparently, play their own instruments. The latter might be the most impressive part as they bounce around the stage with their accordion and clarinet. I enjoy the accordion as much as the next guy and probably a lot more than the three or four guys after that, and I got a kick out of the concert footage, apparently a parody of The Last Waltz. There's nothing exactly profound about hearing a polka version of Michael Jackson's "Beat It," especially when Weird Al has unleashed all those polka montages over the last thirty years, but it's still fun. Rick Moranis pops in as a character named Linsk Minyk to show off how supremely talented he was at this stage in his career. His cover of a Doors' classic manages to top the original, but that's probably what you'd expect when the original didn't even have a single accordion.

Imagine Jim Morrison playing an accordion. Tight leather pants, no shirt, and an accordion. Music history could have been changed.

I don't know how well this works as a mockumentary and it's not really funny at all, but I was entertained enough to be happy that I watched it.