by Jon Partridge
Akiva Schaffer, Andy Samberg, and Jorma Taccone. Known collectively as The Lonely Island. A comedy outfit that really made their mark during a stint on Saturday Night Live with musical numbers such as Dick in a Box, I’m on a Boat and I Just Had Sex. The titles may seem crass to the unfamiliar but there is an element of satirical comedic genius to their works. Their first feature outing was the now cult classic Hot Rod, but their latest sees a return to their lyrical roots with Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping, a mockumentary looking at the life and career of a modern day pop singer.
Popstar: Synopsis
When his new album fails to sell records, pop/rap superstar Conner4real goes into a major tailspin and watches his celebrity high life begin to collapse. He’ll try anything to bounce back, anything except reuniting with his old rap group The Style Boyz.
While The Lonely Island are best known for their digital shorts, this effort translates as a full feature surprisingly well. It makes sense for the to build a movie around their musical talents. It works as a feature film, primarily because of the sheer non-stop hilarity, but also because its critique of the music industry and the cult of celebrity in general is so resonant right now.
It would be easy to label Popstar as This is Spinal Tap for millennials. While it doesn’t quite reach 11, just mentioning Christopher Guest’s classic, is high praise indeed, considering its revered status. Similarly structured, a documentary crew follows Conner4Real in the buildup to and spectacular flop of his second solo album. Interspersed in the film are interviews with fellow artists and celebrities, footage of his early life and career, as well as musical numbers, courtesy of his stadium performances and music videos.
Much of the story in the film stems from themes of friendship and ego. Conner (Samberg), Lawrence (Akiva Schaffer) and Owen (Jorma Taccone), friends since childhood, when they founded The Style Boyz, going on to massive success as a rap/pop trio. Conner’s ego gets in the way and before long, the group breaks up, Conner going solo as the newly styled Conner4Real, with Owen as his “DJ”, while Lawrence turns his back on the music business after Conner took credit for his work, becoming a goat farmer instead. Conner’s success brings unparalleled fame, ego stroking, and the sycophants and such that come with it. Yes-men fueling his lack of humility and eventual downfall. The film charts this destruction of hubris and embrace of what made him successful in the first place.
Having the three Lonely Island guys take the leads gives it a vein of authenticity, that’s not to suggest that there are any tensions within the group, but there is something of an alignment between them and the Style Boyz, where you could exaggerate or through a chain of events see things go sour. It helps keep the stakes personal, against the backdrop of Conner’s absurd behavior.
Being set in the world of celebrity, the cameos come at you thick and fast. Standouts being a delightful turn by Imogen Poots, the brilliant casting of Justin Timberlake, Will Arnett leading the charge against the idiocy of TMZ, Seal revealing exactly how he got those scars, and perhaps the most impressive being a fleeting appearance by Martin Sheen.
For anyone who has nothing but cynicism for the modern music business, this film is for you. It spears the decadent, juvenile actions typical of many young artists, while lines such as “over 100 producers for 17 tracks, to guarantee that they’re all hits” offer commentary on much of the music released today. It’s all very tongue in cheek, but startlingly on point. The jokes, both silly and smart, are continually hurtled at you. Musical numbers throughout are catchy, hilarious, and at times straight-up offensive. Above all, it is consistently fun. A world with TMZ and insufferable manufactured pop is somehow justified by giving rise to Popstar.
THE PACKAGE
The transfer of Popstar looks solid. There are dips in quality at times, clearly as the movie switches between different film sources. In the audio commentary it’s revealed some portions/images are straight off an iPhone. But overall it’s good, colors are bright, detail is sharp.
Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping is perhaps one of the most packed releases I’ve come across in recent times. Over 43 minutes of deleted scenes. Full music videos for all the songs featured in the film. A gag reel. A 5 minute segment showing the TMZ spoof used within the film, Fun at CMZ!. Over 6 minutes of outtakes from the interview portions of the documentary and another 9 minutes of bonus footage, essentially more outtakes.
There are also six 1 minute clips that are mildly entertaining takes on little in-jokes dotted throughout the film; How to Donkey Roll, Big Boy Freestyle, Frog J**z, Shooting Hoops, “Turn Up the Beef” Backstory and Sex Tape. Probably the best feature is the audio commentary which brings the Lonely Island crew together to offer insights on the film. As you’d expect, it’s an entertaining affair, offering insight into the inspirations for the film and specific scenes, behavior and reaction of guest stars, sketches and ideas they scrapped (there are plenty) and even details on Samberg’s approach to his “Buffalo Bill” scene. The release comes in a combo pack, including Blu-ray, DVD and a digital copy of the film.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Even if you were one of the small number of people to catch Popstar in theaters, this release is so well stuffed that it’s a must purchase. Didn’t see it? Time to correct that mistake. Popstar has a juvenile sense of humor, but one tinged with a smart, incisive take on the current state of celebrity and the music business. A hilarious mockumentary that is assured cult status.
Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping is available on Blu-ray and digital HD from September 13th.