Customer Reviews

Electric Apricot: Quest for Festeroo

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

"Electric Apricot: Quest for Festeroo" is an entertaining parody of the jamband scene. Electric Apricot is depicted as an up-and-coming jamband. Any jamband fan will instantly recognize the nods. The mockumentary pokes fun at the nutty tapers and concertgoers who keep the fan in fanatic. Whether coming from the band or their listeners, the scene's 'hippy trippyness' is a running joke. In this alternate reality, the Phil Zone becomes the Apricot Zone while Bonnaroo became Festeroo. Guitar player Gordo resembles Warren Haynes (Gov't Mule) while the similarities between Michael Kang (String Cheese Incident) and the keyboardist may be more than coincidental. At times, "Quest for Festeroo" stretches out to more mainstream references. For example, a nod is given to Metallica's "Some Kind of Monster" with the inclusion of a band therapist. The Beatles' "Let It Be" is alluded to when one of the guys brings his girlfriend to a recording session. With an eerie resemblance to Yoko Ono, this outsider (played by Gabby La La) is often seen whispering into her boyfriend's ear. A police episode mimics the TV show COPS. Jerry Garcia (Grateful Dead) is threaded throughout the film. At one point, Jerry is even put on the same level with Sasquatch, as a video taped sighting is shown. One of the strongest scenes is a takeoff on the day job; Lapdog's glass blowing episode is hilarious. The movie earns credibility with guest appearances by Mike Gordon (Phish), Bob Weir (Grateful Dead), Warren Haynes and Wavy Gravy. Les Claypool plays Lapdog, the band's drummer. Other notables include Seth Green (Dr. Evil's son in the Austin Powers films) and Matt Stone of South Park fame. In terms of the music, the ever catchy 'Burning Man' song will be burned into any viewer's head by the middle of the film. While 'Burning Man' may be the musical highlight, the soundtrack is a good accompaniment. As an inside joke, "Quest for Festeroo" will best be appreciated by those who the film lovingly mockuments. In other words, members of the non-jamband world shouldn't expect to "get it." Even compared to die-hard Primus listeners, this project will better resonate with Claypool's fans in the Oysterhead and Flying Frog Bridge camp. Already a novelist, song writer and accomplished musician, Les Claypool can proudly add actor and film maker to his resume. All in all, "Electric Apricot: Quest for Festeroo" is an entertaining parody of the jamband scene.

I am a big Les Claypool fan. I am a bass player, I have seen Primus live, have many Claypool albums and appreciate him as an extremely prolific artist. I am also a big fan of dumb movies - Spinal Tap, Cheech and Chong, Back to School, Idiocracy, Three Stooges, Lancelot Link, Beerfest and so on. I assumed that I would be the target audience for this movie, and I might have been. I had reasonably good expectations for this movie.

There are some interesting cameos - Bob Weir of the Greatful Dead was a standout for me. This movie just plodded and was never funny. The band sucked (Les played drums) which is supposed to be funny. However, Spinal Tap and Tenacious D suck in a particular way - where they are earnest and have ridiculous lyrics and the music is good enough to support that in a certain over the top way. This band was just bad and was irritating to listen to.

I almost never turn off a movie before I finish watching it no matter how excruciating it is. I made it to the end of this movie for some reason. I kept waiting for a punch line that never came.

I rarely slam something in a review. It is certainly better than any movie that I have made, and it takes work to put something like this out. I was just irritated that I had wasted 2 hours and might be able to spare someone else the same.

With all of his various projects, Les Claypool sometimes seem to be doing "weirdness for weirdness' sake". But when he lets us in on his jokes, it can be quite funny. That's the catch of "Electric Apricot"-- instead of spouting out snappy one-liners or head-scratching-strangeness, Claypool takes the time to take us along on his trip.

Comparable to "This is Spinal Tap", this mockumentary introduces us to Lapdog, Aiwass, Herschel and Gordo. Four random losers who have united as like-minded individuals to worship communally and musically at the common trajectory or one-ness that it related to music as an art form in its own consciousness.

Or something like that.

Claypool has put together perhaps his most memorable and entertaining project of the past decade (no offense to Primus fans). While it pokes fun at the jam-band scene, it does so with smirks and winks and not so much out-and-out parody. This flick is entertaining, often hilarious and more realistic than you would think.

Just a great movie. You can't really beat it. It has been quoted for months around here. Hail Aiwass, Lapdog, Gordo, and Herschel and Skip!

While it probably helps to be a fan of the "Jam Band scene" in order to fully appreciate the movie, honestly anyone who has ever been in a band and tried to accomplish something while trying to tolerate every other members foibles and eccentricities will find themselves chuckling throughout. The movie is also steeped with historic figures from Claypool/Primus lore, as well as South Park writers and a guest appearance by Matt Stone and Dian "Squeak" Bachar. So there's lots here for the fanboy to appreciate.

I found the most entertaining thing to be Claypool himself. In front of the camera, he's just hilarious. Most of the other members seem like they're trying too hard to be wacky or quirky, but Claypool just riffs in a natural way that makes me wish he would act more. Highlights include Les explaining why the lightning bolt in their logo is different than the Grateful Dead's, and the real meaning behind "Pearl Jam". Kudos to National Lampoon for giving Les the opportunity to make this project without turning it into a lame fart-fest. It's not a masterpiece, but hopefully it'll give Les some freedom in the future to do more in movies.

I am a huge claypool fan and i really hate to bash his work but i was very disappointed when i watched this movie. I literally had to force myself to continue watching it. It's so slow and i dont think i even laughed once. definitely did not live up to all the reviews.

I got this movie for a friend. He has always liked the Grateful Dead and Phish. He and I both hated this movie. He toured with the Dead and I didn't. The only common ground for us is that this movie blows!

Good not great, not exactly sure who this would appeal to, possibly huge Les Claypool fans

It wasn't what I expected, but it turned out to be better than I wanted. It's a good movie and also pretty funny. And the soundtrack is pretty good too.

Claypool is a genius. He shows it with everyting he does. This is a very funny movie that could be enjoyed by most with a sense of humor. However, if you're at all familiar with the jam band scence, you'll love it even more!