Waiting for Guffman

Christopher Guest’s chilly commentary (like Waiting for Guffman itself, a brilliantly improvised and justly beloved ”mockumentary” of regional theater) teeters between sly affection and acidic condescension (relieved by dry asides from cocreator Eugene Levy). Mulling over some alternate epilogues (Dr. Pearl leaving his wife for the nursing-home comedy circuit, Ron and Sheila languishing outside a ratty L.A. bungalow), Guest all but admits he enjoyed crucifying his rude mechanicals. ”There was…a discussion…of whether this was all too sad,” muses the Spi¨al Tap veteran, ”Which I tend to like.”

In all, 14 scrapped scenes are included — but where’s the fabled footage of Fred Willard’s Ron (pre?penis reduction surgery) inadvertently knocking down hurdles as a high school track star? Such a glaring omission could only be the work of Bastard People.