A Spinal Tap Reunion: The 25th Anniversary London Sell-Out

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The Return of Spinal Tap is based around Tap's performance at the Royal Albert Hall in 1992. In between the footage of Messrs. St. Hubbins, Tufnel, and Smalls performing in front of a huge crowd enthusiastically determined to go along with the joke, there are clips purporting to investigate the band's humble origins in the East London suburb of Squatney, and updates from "rockumentary" director Marty DiBergi and hapless record plugger Artie Fufkin from the original movie. It is the latter component that is the real strength of Return. Though the concert footage faithfully rehashes many of the film's most treasured jokes (the malfunctioning props, the dancing midgets), the real satirical strength of This Is Spinal Tap was never its treatment of heavy metal music (which, after all, is hardly a difficult target). What the first movie did best was illuminate the egomania, paranoia, delusion, and stupidity that are the cornerstones of rock & roll as it is lived. The Return of Spinal Tap is a worthy companion piece. --Andrew Mueller

Customer Reviews:

This only goes to "8"..........2007-03-19

Not nearly as good as the original (which goes to 11, by the way!). Its mostly a live show at the Royal Albert Hall with little snippets thrown in between songs. Not a bad follow up to TIST, but don't let it be your first "Taste of the Tap".

If you like Spinal Tap. . ........2007-02-23

This is actually a concert video from 1992, filmed at Albert Hall in London. The group performs most of their "hits", both songs from "This Is Spinal Tap" and from their follow-up album, "Break Like The Wind." For actors/comedians, they are actually excellent musicians, and the songs are performed with all the seriousness they deserve. Interspersed between the songs are short interviews with semi-celebrities such as Marty DiBergi and Artie Fufkin, along with real celebrities like Martin Short and Kenny Rogers. I would have liked these interviews and clips of the band members at home to be longer, as they are tremendously funny. If you, like me, have both Spinal Tap albums and listen to them regularly, then you will enjoy this live version. If you don't care much about their music, however, there probably isn't enough humor to satisfy you.

They turn the tables on film maker Marty Di Bergi, showing up at his 'office' and putting him on film........2007-02-05

The original movie 'This is Spinal Tap', filmed by amateur movie maker Marty DiBergi (Rob Reiner) is a very funny spoof of a heavy metal band. There wasn't a real band. The actors portraying 'Spinal Tap' made up songs for use in the documentary -er 'Rockumentary' er mockumentary. We see the band at the coliseum - unable to locate the way to the stage, or saying, "hello Detroit" when they're in Cleveland, or on stage in the midst of various technical or prop-difficulties. It's very funny. Listed as one of the top cult films of all time I think.

In the original mockumentary, at times the jokes go too far, as in when, the guitarist continues to insist his amp is louder, because, "it goes to 11". Here it's obvious the guitarist couldn't really be that dumb and so it's obvious the guitarist's just an actor repeating a line. When a joke becomes too mean, it's not funny anymore, except perhaps for nervous/fear laughter. Still, today, radio stations across the dial advertise, "crank it up to 11. . ."

To a certain extent, in hind-site, I think the joke is on the fearful who do laugh 'at' Spinal Tap rather than laughing with them. Their big song in the mockumentaries is 'Big Bottoms' - "big bottoms, big bottoms, talk about bum-cakes my girl's got 'em." And there's the scene where their record label won't print the cover photo for their album 'Smell the Glove' because it's too 'sexist'. I know, to this day, if someone asks me, to, 'Talk to the hand', I'm liable to respond with, 'Smell the Glove'.

Spinal Tap have actually helped me appreciate metal bands. For instance I'm not a fan of hard rock, or metal bands that mostly have a hard rock sound, tho I am a big metal fan - each song in the mockumentaries seems to spoof a different band/style of metal music, and Spinal Tap are just so harmless and amusing I think they've helped me appreciate some of these other styles more.

'The 25th Anniversary Sell-Out' is not as good as the original movie. They continue the joke from the previous movie tho, pretending to be a real band. Of course, they now know Marty DiBergi, who filmed 'This is Spinal Tap', made fools out of them in the first movie! as shown by this extra footage added on to the first movie. . .

Nigel Tufnel: I think his real last name is DiBergarmo.

David St. Hubbins: No!

Derek Smalls: No, his real last name is DiBergowitz.

Nigel Tufnel: Yeah! DiBergowitz.

David St. Hubbins: No! He's like one of those...

Derek Smalls: Yeah, he is one of those. Check it out: DiBergowitz!

For this movie, '25th Anniversary Sell-Out', Spinal Tap operate the cameras themselves. They turn the tables on film maker Marty DiBergi, showing up at his 'office' and putting him on film. Martys' office seems to be a pay phone inside a pub (he's given the phone number of this public phone out as his office number) and he's waiting by the phone fruitlessly for other offers to come in after his movie 'This is Spinal Tap'.

Of course, this film isn't that good! It's a bit funny but 'The 25th Anniversary Sell-Out' isn't as amusing, or as good as 'This is Spinal Tap'. I like the music tho, so I go ahead and give it an extra star.

"We have returned!".......2007-01-27

Everybody loves Spinal Tap. What rock fan can't love the mockumentary, or the metal band that brought us "Majesty of Rock," "Big Bottom," and leprechauns dancing around a tiny Stonehenge?

And "The Return of Spinal Tap" is exactly what it sounds like -- we get to see these lovably dim rock stars playing their music, and bringing back their "retarded sexuality and bad poetry." It's more live performance than a straightforward sequel, but still brilliant and clever.

"In the annals of rock, no band exemplefies brute persistance more... than Spinal Tap. Over 29 years, 22 name changes, 18 albums and 13 drummers, Tap has stood for the three essentials of rock: loudness, vulgarity, and a pinch of evil."

After that Star-Warsy scroll intro, we get an introduction by some obnoxiously perky person called Martha Quinn. Then it's off to to the Royal Albert Hall in London on July 7 1992, as Spinal Tap is trying to reconquer their native land.

The guys play a bunch of classic songs like "Hell Hole," "Majesty of Rock," "Gonna Rock You Tonight," as well as newer songs like the pompous Middle-Eastern ballad "Clam Caravan" ("It's only the hardiest bloom/That can blossom in darkest Khartoum") and "Break Like The Wind." Nigel also plays some solos with his feet.

And in between, it has some interviews: Tap explaining where they were during those lost years and about their rough childhoods ("... and it'd be cotton wool balls on the plate... moistened and then deep-fried"), their loving fans (a suicidal Robin Williams, Martin Short dancing madly), the people who produced and promoted their records, and even the military guys from the original movie.

If you're expecting a full-blown "This is Spinal Tap 2," you'll be horribly disappointed by "Return of Spinal Tap." But considering what it actually is -- a funny live concert with some mockumentary bits framing it -- and it's quite hilarious.

The concert is pretty good with some moments of sheer brilliance (like the "singing" image of Cher, because she refused to come). But the really good parts are the interviews, which are full of insanely strange little moments that are quite reminiscent of the original.

Some of the jokes are not quite as funny; Nigel seems even denser with stuff like the animal travel agency. But there are plenty of newer ones that are just as funny: the fold-up wine glasses, phone sanitization, and Janine running "Potato Republic," which specializes in "itchy Irish clothing."

The guys -- Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer and Michael McKean -- are still riotously funny, especially when they do that rambling dialogue ("My specialty is soccer training, mostly five year olds... four or five year old girls. It's a soccer clinic, really"). They also have a small in-joke -- the Folksmen of "Mighty Wind" are touring with Spinal Tap, and make a brief appearance at the beginning.

"Return of Spinal Tap" isn't quite as funny as its predecessor, but it's still a fun and loving tribute to the loudest band in rock'n'roll. No drummers die, though.

The LaserDisc was superb - hopefully the DVD is too.......2005-05-10

One reviewer comments that the DVD he bought was mono - and he thought it likely to be just one of the stereo channels. That would be criminal, because the LaserDisc stereo soundtrack is truly breathtaking. Amazon lists two different DVD titles for the same film - so I hope one is in pristine stereo. It's a 5 star movie in stereo - half that in mono and much less if you're only getting the left or right channel.

"The Return Of Spinal Tap" proves that Spinal Tap were indeed a band of superb musicians, excellent vocalists and ultimate showmen. It doesn't matter that they are fictional characters, because what you get here is one of the most powerful sounding and visually impressive rock'n'roll stage shows anyone could ever hope to see.

Sadly when Tap did Australian appearances to promote their "Break Like The Wind" CD, the public and media all thought that they were joking when they said they were planning a world tour and that Australia could be included if demand was high enough. This film is some compensation for all of us who missed out on experiencing Tap live and at their peak.

Filmed with inclusion of state of the art flying cameras and superb visual editing as well as sound production. I've enjoyed many repeat viewings of the LaserDisc over the years - and I'm always blown away. Crank your sound system to eleven and enjoy the ride.

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