Whiplash is one of this year's best films, and it is definitely no joke. The film stars Miles Teller as Andrew, a young drummer hoping to rise to the top in one of the country's best jazz bands led by Fletcher (J.K. Simmons) who pushes his students toward greatness... or the brink of insanity.
If that description doesn't suck the life right out of you, I don't know what will. Just watch the trailer, and the throbbing backbeat of a crescendoing snare drum toward the end will send chills down your spine. Watch the movie, and you will squirm every time you see Simmons in one of those Farmers Insurance commercials.
All of this is to say that Steel Whiplash, a calypso parody of the film from Above Average, the original online comedy arm of Saturday Night Live production company Broadway Video, is a hilarious relief from Whiplash's intensity. Like Whiplash, Steel Whiplash chronicles a young man's journey as he tries to be the best drummer at a conservatory. However, this time he's playing the steel drums as he tries to make a name for himself playing what his girlfriend calls "dinky little tinkles" in Schaeffer's Good Vibes Island Beat Orchestra. Instead of perfecting his drum rolls, rolling a blunt is his biggest challenge.
Oh, and what does this parody do to the role of Fletcher? It swaps out Simmons' high-strung taskmaster in favor of a laid-back, dreadlocked conductor who directs the beat with a marijuana joint in his hand and espouses wisdom of the "Don't worry, be happy" variety. He's played by Doug E. Doug, whose role as Sanka Coffie in Cool Runnings made him a natural fit for this role.
You probably won't find this movie in theaters or On Demand any time soon, but maybe you were able to catch it at the Trinidance Film Festival? Either way, watch the full video below, and then "Take five... or six hours to chill."
[H/T A.V. Club]
