This Is Spinal Tap - Criterion Collection

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Director Marty DiBergi (Rob Reiner) solemnly alerts us to the glory that was Spinal Tap in his introduction to this "rockumentary" about the legendary British heavy-metal group, featuring lead guitarist Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest), lead singer David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean), bassist Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer), and a succession of drummers whose careers were cut short by spontaneously combusting on their stool, drowning in somebody else's vomit, or otherwise perishing in untimely fashion. Under DiBergi's studious interrogation, the band and their familiars retrace the band's evolution from head-bopping Mersey Beat poseurs to head-banging metal poseurs, each change in musical direction or tonsorial chic having little effect on the surviving trio's sublime idiocy. For, as St. Hubbins (he's the "deep" one, relatively speaking) sagely observes, "It's such a fine line between stupid and clever."

Happily for us, director Reiner, who developed the underlying story line with Guest and former Credibility Gap pranksters McKean and Shearer, stays squarely on the right side of the line, even as his writer-actors remain hilariously trapped on the other side. In lieu of a formal shooting script, the quartet created an extensive and detailed band history ripe with the sort of dead-pan detail that hard-core rock historians and screwball aficionados will savor on countless replays; with the three Tap members also musicians themselves, the "band" developed its stage act under the unsuspecting noses of L.A. club denizens, who accepted them as just as loud, flashy, sexist, and obvious as any other mullet-tressed, leather-garbed brigade of guitar slingers, circa 1984. The resulting footage thus manages to lob its punch lines and build its characters (including some thinly veiled character assassinations of various industry folks) with a loose, tossed-away verve rooted in the improvisational approach. This Is Spinal Tap remains the funniest, and most truthful, look at rock culture ever filmed and a personal best for all involved. --Sam Sutherland

Description

Rob Reiner's directorial debut has developed into a cult phenomenon. The film that invented the "rockumentary" has now outlasted most of the bands it mocked. Following the ill-fated American comeback tour of an aging heavy metal group, this film has joined the ranks of the greatest comedies ever made.

Customer Reviews:

11 Out of 10.......2007-09-07

This is a great movie. Not only is it a great mockumentary, but also a great movie too. It's perfect. It strikes perfectly with everything it's parodying.

I heard a lot of music artists were upset because they didn't see the humor in oit. To me, that makes it even funnier, it's as a good as real life.

The DVD is somewhat of an upgrade from the earlier Criterion edition. It includes a new commentary with McKean, Guest, and Shearer in character, a new interview with director Rob Reiner, over an hour of delted scenes/never-before=seen footage, 4 music videos, and plenty of other extras to love.

This is a definitely recommended DVD.

Great subtle humor.......2007-08-02

This documockery is a collection of extremely hilarious moments sparsely scattered throughout the long movie. After a coworker described several funny parts, I eagerly purchased the movie. However, while watching the movie it became apparent that my coworker is a better story teller than this movie. My recommendation: rent it first!

This is Spinal Tap.......2007-07-10

Brilliantly parodying the bloated excesses of the rock lifestyle, and gently poking fun at Martin Scorsese's "The Last Waltz," director Rob Reiner invented a new genre--the "mockumentary"--with this gut-busting 1984 spoof. Not enough can be said about the comedic talents of Guest, McKean, and Shearer, whose outrageous songwriting ("Big Bottom Girls," "Stonehenge") and improvisational dialogue ("Wot's wrong with being sexy?") are so convincing that many viewers thought Spinal Tap was a real act. Seen once or 30 times, "Spinal Tap" is relentlessly, ingeniously funny.

Stretches a joke too far.......2007-06-30

I tried to like this movie, but it's really a 5 minute joke stretched too far. In fact it's gone on now for nearly a quarter century. Isn't enough is enough? Apparently not.

Yes, rock music can be silly sometimes, but basing careers out of a parody of it is surely stretching it.

I smiled a bit for the first few minutes. After that it felt like being hit over the head with a club. "Hey it's funny, see? Did you see that joke we made? Funny! Oh and here's another one! It's funnier than the similar one we made an hour ago! Isn't this hilarious?!"

I was never offended by it, if that's why you think I gave it a low rating. I was just bored at how tedious the film became.

Should have been a 5 minute skit on Saturday Night Live or something.

Awesomely funny!.......2007-06-18

I love the dry humor of this movie. I've been a huge music fan for years and love the way the various scenarios are blown out of proportion. For example, the little bread, big meat catering problem. You'll have to watch the movie to know what I'm talking about. If you need more of an "in your face" sort of humor, then this movie is not for you.

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