Here's the output I get when I attempt to bmake readme using CVS'd 
sources from this Wednesday:
[the-beast:/Volumes/NetBSD/pkgsrc] maccult% bmake readme
Starting README.html generation: Fri Sep 19 12:38:37 PDT 2003

Extracting configuration variables:

Makefile:25: *** missing separator.  Stop.
Error:  make show-var VARNAME=DISTDIR in 
/Volumes/NetBSD/pkgsrc/pkgtools/pkglint

I have encountered this type of error before when bmake wasn't as 
smart as it is now.  (I had to use sudo bmake "command.")  This isn't 
the same problem as before since using sudo bmake readme results in 
the same error message.

Information: Darwin Kernel Version 6.6, pkgsrc sourc dated to today @ 
2pm, 9/19/03.
-- 
Randy

OS X - UNIX for the rest of us
NetBSD - Catch the Power!