A classic, scathing lampoon of every successful rock band that's ever been guilty of taking themselves too seriously. Rob Reiner directs (and plays an important supporting role) but it seems like all he really needed to do was point a camera in the right direction, then edit several hours' worth of golden improvisational delight into a concise, intelligible ninety-minute package. It's a roaring parade of nonstop laughs, some blunt and easy, others sharp and witty. Famous bits like Christopher Guest's "this one goes to eleven" have been played to death but still elicit smiles, while deeper cuts, such as the band's reaction to contemporary critics or their infamous Stonehenge performance, land as if they were brand new. And the music is great, too, not just as a cutting satire, but as a convincing love letter to the days when power rock was all the rage and flocks of buzzed, well-feathered teens would still pack a stadium to hear the loudest noise on the planet.
Add a Review
-
eminkl17 April 2020
-
slokes13 January 2004The gritty, unpretty reality of rock music is on display in director Marty DiBergi's unsparing rockumentary "This Is Spinal Tap," which chronicles the British metal band's tour through the United States in the latter part of 1982.
Cold sores, drugs, late-night debauchery, and the brutal snubbing of a Sinatra-loving chauffeur are just some of the antics on display, in what could be the most penetrating and uncensored examination of the rock n' roll lifestyle since "Gimme Shelter." Whereas that movie features one grainy, out-of-focus killing, this film actually shows the band's drummer spontaneously combusting on stage! And apparently this was the second time that happened (or maybe I'm thinking of the drummer they lost to an unexplained gardening accident, I'm a little unclear.)
DiBergi hasn't made a movie since "Spinal Tap," which is a shame. No chance he'll make a sequel though. In the 2000-issue DVD, band members Nigel Tufnel, David St. Hubbins, and Derek Smalls make clear that they feel betrayed by DiBergi's work, calling it "a hatchet job" and hinting that his jealousy about not being the sixth band member caused him to show only the band's bad side. For example, we see in the movie Spinal Tap backstage at Cleveland's legendary Xanadu Star Theater wandering fruitlessly through a warren of back corridors trying to find their way onto the stage. Nine times out of ten the band found their way on stage without problem, as they point out on the commentary track, but DiBergi has to show the one time they don't.
Murphy's Law seems to predominate elsewhere, too, like when Nigel's back gives out in the middle of a blistering solo, or Derek is trapped in a giant peapod prop for an entire song. Viewers of a particularly cruel disposition may even find some cause for amusement when a misunderstanding in Austin, Texas leads to the band performing their legendary number "Stonehenge" in front of a model of the ancient monument that barely comes up to the drummer's kit. Maybe they could have gotten away with it if they didn't let the dwarfs come onstage and dance alongside it, but the result, as St. Hubbins notes, is almost "a comedy number, and I didn't bloody appreciate being part of the comedy."
The band struggles on, and perceptive viewers may detect a slight note of friction between Tufnel and Jeanine, St. Hubbins's girlfriend, for example when Tufnel throws his guitar down on stage, stares at Jeanine accusingly for a minute, and then quits the band. Misogynists will say Jeanine is the kind of rock wife that 'puts the yoke in Yoko,' but they shallowly ignore her tambourine-playing, or her fearless use of red satin as a pant fabric.
Admittedly, Jeanine is less on point as a manager, as an early gig under her control at an amusement park finds them billed under their opening act. 'If I told them once, I told them a thousand times,' she muses. 'Put the band's name first, puppet show after.'
But the band soldiers on, and by the end, you will be glad you stuck around, too, rough as it is to see the harshness on screen. It's the kind of documentary that demands periods of quiet reflection to take it all in, to register the pain, sweat, and unpleasant odors behind the entertainment we too often take for granted on the radio.
Sadly, the film doesn't feature a complete version of Spinal Tap standards 'Hell Hole' or the big-in-Japan 'Sex Farm.' We do get a full-throated version of the classic 'Big Bottom,' a power ballad which examines the seat of female beauty with a wry Steely Dan-type lyrical subtlety: 'Big Bottom/Big Bottom/Talk about mud flaps/My girl's got 'em.'
Why don't they make songs like that any more? I give this film a 9 out of 10, but with the DVD commentary, you gotta boost that to 11. Rock on, Tap! -
rbverhoef14 October 2004By many seen as the favorite cult classic (together with 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show') 'This is Spinal Tap' is truly a comedy masterpiece. The rockumentary about fake band Spinal Tap seems so honest and serious that the slightest joke gets a huge laugh. We follow the band together with a documentary filmmaker, played by director Rob Reiner, on a tour that must make sure they will have a comeback. We see some of their shows where things go wrong, we see how they argue about the cover of their album, and we see how a girlfriend almost destroys the band.
The movie handles all these events as serious as possible, presenting itself as a real documentary about a real band. The fact that the band members are not too bright makes it funny. Especially the scene where the lead singer talks about an amplifier that goes to eleven instead of ten and therefore produces louder sounds is hilarious. The scene where the band plays on a Stonehenge stage is a classic, very memorable.
Writer Christopher Guest recently wrote and starred in 'Best in Show' (2000) and 'A Mighty Wind' (2003), two hilarious and terrific fake documentaries, the so-called mockumentaries, but 'This is Spinal Tap' stays the classic example. He and his co-writers, including director Reiner, have created the ultimate cult classic. -
rockstarnelson-3272530 September 2019I cut my hair to have bangs because of this movie. Get this rating up to 11. It's deserves it!
-
freenachos5 November 2002The humor of "This is Spinal Tap" has a special time-release formula. I didn't find myself rolling on the floor laughing the first time I saw this but as the day went on my friends and I couldn't stop recalling the dialogue. This movie is a legend.
"See Spinal Tap" should be written in the dictionary next to satire. Lately satire has come to mean a simple mockery of pop-culture instead of "human vice or folly attacked through irony, derision or wit". Movies like "Scary Movie" claim to be parodies or satire without even trying to be witty. They just imitate something as opposed to commenting on it. True satire takes a bit more work by the writers and will make you laugh much harder.
Spinal Tap gives you the absurdity of the rock and roll world, yet still respects the music. I understood this when I saw a clip of the movie for the first time at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It was the scene with amps that go to "11". I couldn't stop thinking about that scene until I finally saw the movie. Every aspect of the music world is lampooned; arrogance, absurdity, backstage crybabies, has-beenism, volume, even the Beatles. This movie is quoted like the Simpsons, which isn't always good but certainly proof of legendary movie. It's dry, deadpan humor and it may take a day to sink in but this movie is hilarious. -
Infofreak9 October 2002'This Is Spinal Tap' has been part of my life for so many years that it's hard to remember a time when I hadn't seen it. Having recently bought it on DVD and rewatched it for the nth time I was once again struck and just how clever and amusing this movie is. Christopher Guest and friends are not only very talented comedians with an amazing ability to improvise, but they know their music, and this is the real strength of the movie. Even though I have almost memorized every scene and joke it's STILL funny to me no matter how many times I watch it. Not only is the movie itself a classic, but the DVD is one of the best buys around with plenty of extras, deleted scenes, many as good as those chosen, and best of all a hilarious commentary by Tufnel, St Hubbins and Smalls which is even funnier than the movie itself. In fact it's the most entertaining DVD commentary track I've heard to date. This movie is a comedy classic, and easily the sharpest rock'n'roll parody ever made. If you haven't seen it before you're in for a treat! Absolutely essential viewing for all rock'n'roll fans, metal or otherwise!
-
zetes31 July 2000Spinal Tap has been called one of the funniest movies ever made by many people over the years. I had always been familiar with it. I was very familiar with almost 70% of the scenes: the amplifier that goes to 11, the Stonehenge dance, the inability to find the way onstage in Cleveland. Plus, when it was first released on VHS, I had rented and loved Fear of a Black Hat, a mockumentary about a rap group which more or less rips off every scene of This Is Spinal Tap. After finally sitting down with This Is Spinal Tap, I am still a fan of Fear of a Black Hat (and I recommend it to anyone who hasn't heard of it), but it can not come close to touching the genius of the collective vision of Rob Reiner, Christopher Guest, Micheal McKean and Harry Shearer. I laughed pretty much constantly, and belly laughs, all through the film. It does kind of slow down nearer the end with the bands falling apart (i.e., the plot gets in the way of the documentary), but there was never a scene in the film that didn't have something hilarious. I have to give this film 10/10. This Is Spinal Tarp, er, um, I mean Tap is one of the funniest comedies ever made.
-
TheAll-SeeingI10 December 2019When it comes to the glorious stupidity of rock 'n' roll music, the whip-smart mockumentary gold standard "This Is Spinal Tap" has no peers. Sidesplitting on an epic scale, this is also a shortlist candidate for Greatest Comedy Ever, and can claim parentage of every self-aware music film made since, from the wildly inventive "24 Hour Party People (2002)," to recent Tap-evocative record label satire "Stadium Anthems (2018)."
"Tap" now transcends its early filmic and rock confines: Nigel Tufnel, David St. Hubbins, and Derek Smalls have burrowed deep into the cultural zeitgeist, holding sway in the very words we choose in conversations at the pub and by the water cooler (see: "goes to eleven"). And its commentary on the fleeting absurdities of fame have never been more relevant.
Almost forty years old and still swallowing everything in its path, "This Is Spinal Tap" is as enduring as it is the hilarious, and that's quite a feat. This is one of the most joyously experienced entertainment vehicles ever assembled. - (Was this review of use to you? If so, let me know by clicking "Helpful." Cheers!) - WATCHED IT? THEN WATCHLIST: "Being John Malkovich (1999)," "Stadium Anthems (2018)," "24 Hour Party People (2002)" -
Overall, this was a pretty good farce about a washed-up English rock group. It's played as a mockumentary, (a fake documentary) with director Rob Reiner playing the role of the interviewer of the band. If it wasn't a movie in which you can retake scenes, I am sure we would have seen him laugh a number of the "serious" questions he asked this stupid band. I would think it would hard not to laugh in a number of places, because he plays a very serious interviewer. I'm sure he did many times.
There are funny moments in here. The only part I really didn't like was near the end when the bickering of the band got out of control. Their constant arguing gets tough to take after awhile. That's another problem here; there are no appealing characters. This British band is not comprised of nice guys, and I also found their accents tough to understand. If this is out on DVD with English subtitles, it might be worth a second look.
The music was fair, nothing to rave about. Overall, I enjoyed the movie but didn't find it anywhere as great as most critics described it. It's okay, but not that funny.
One of the writers, Christopher Guest, has gone on to make several "mockumentaries." He has done quite well with that genre, better than Reiner. I've seen them all, and Guest's comedies are all entertaining to various degrees. -
MadamWarden20 April 2020A fantastic mockumentary! I feel quite embarrassed that I hadn't seen it before. Seriously, hilariously excellent. It really could be real.
Michael McKean is unrecognisable and superb. Wow.
If you love music, enjoy a good laugh, you will love this. -
K3nzit28 December 2019The more you know about the history of British rock bands - The more you will like this movie. I'm sure I missed some references/jokes, but the performances by Michael McKean and Christopher Guest alone are a reason to watch this movie.
-
dayton-w-price22 April 2020I absolutely adore this movie, is unbelievably funny and realistic in so many ways in regards to the life of a rock star. I've seen it many times and gets funnier and funnier every time I watch it. One of my favorite scenes is the airport scene with Derek and the metal detectors, It so freakin funny I love it. One of my favorite comedies of all time, it really is a beauty, because it's one louder, definitely a rating of 11/10.
-
luckylefty2825 November 2000I will never be able to see another rockumentary again without laughing myself sick. This movie hits its target dead on. I don't know how the actors kept a straight face through reciting their lines. The scene where Rob Reiner is discussing the rock critics analysis of their albums is the funniest scene I can remember in any movie. I mean "s*** sandwich" that made me laugh for 10 minutes straight. I wonder how long it will take to get that Hell Hole song out of my brain!
-
Flagrant-Baronessa2 August 2006Hack documentarian DiBergi (played by director Rob Reiner himself) follows 1980s glitter rock band 'Spinal Tap' behind the stage as they are launched into a Unites States tour.
I've had numerous friends recommend me This is Spinal Tap and, judging by the style of it, I thought for sure I would find this very funny. I finally sat down to watch it, and I kept waiting for a funny moment to arrive. A line, an image, a gag -- anything. The best I could do was smile half-assedly at some of the scenes and only because I so desperately wanted to find it amusing. Spinal Tap seems to shift to automatic pilot very soon in the film and just expect its audience to find the bland band interactions hysterical, as it attempts nothing else. The dialogue is viciously realistic as is the format in which the film is shot, but does that make it funny? No, not really - it only makes it realistic.
The cast are not very dynamic. They are, at best, mildly funny in a goofy sort of way that you just chuckle on the inside at, but ultimately every last one of them is incapable of projecting any real charisma or humour on-screen. It is therefore beyond me how This is Spinal Tap ever got vaulted into a cult status.
As for good aspects, it does have some interesting approaches to it, like the mockumentary style which it adopts. I'm sure there was comedy behind it, but these ideas were either badly executed or not at all. 5/10 -
THIS IS SPINAL TAP (1984) **** Rob Reiner, Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer (Cameos: Billy Crystal, Dana Carvey, Fran Drescher, Paul Shaffer, Howard Hesseman, Ed Begley, Jr., Fred Willard, Angelica Huston {note spelling!} ).
Hysterically funny and dead-on "rockumentary" spoof of absurd documentaries and lame so-called rock groups with wicked satirical approach and clever camera shots as well. Directed by Reiner (his debut) with accurate depiction of super-inflated egos, pompous hangers-on and hilarious intimate moments with great dialogue thanks to the improvisations of the trio who reportedly worked from no screenplay. Best moment: Spinal Tap trying to find the stage. And I personally agree with the keyboardist's philosophy of "Have a good time, all the time". -
Not too long ago, my classmates and I were allowed to bring in a DVD of our choice as it was nearing the end of the school term. Knowing that these pop culturists wouldn't be too happy to watch one of my 'arty cult films', I didn't give a shite and brought in 'This is Spinal Tap'. They quite happily agreed to put it on after I told them it was funny and had swearing in it. But soon, boredom started to sink in with the class. "Crap", they labelled it. "Boring", they yelled. After less than ten minutes, my teacher was changing the disk to, wait for it 'The Others'. One of my chums, being a fan of the film, dismissed them as idiots. However, I told him it was all a matter of taste and that they would be much happier settling down to watch their 40-year-old virgins and American pies than this more subtly-coloured tin of paint. So as I walked over to the front of the classroom, tail between my legs, to pick up my DVD my teacher leaned over and said, "Don't worry, I liked it. You have to be cultured to enjoy this sort of thing." And you know what, she's right.
To be quite frank, 'Spinal Tap' is just like marmite. You'll either love everything about it or hate every frame of it. Some people say it's like watching wet paint dry, others say it was so funny it gave them a hernia. I definitely fall into that latter category. After the umpteenth viewing, I still find it painfully hilarious!
But that's not the only reason for seeing it. It's also a totally accurate, observational and witty deconstruction of rock's strutting pretensions. If you're someone who thinks rock bands take themselves far too seriously, you need this movie. If, on the other hand, you feel like rock stars should forever be treated like gods and worshipped on a regular basis, you might just want to avoid this. After all, when Aerosmith's Steven Tyler had finished watching it he said he just felt like he wanted to throw himself off a cliff! It reveals the utter shallowness of rock 'n' roll without even flinching!
If you're also a lover of in-your-face laugh-out-loud got-it-straight-away humour, just stay away. Far, far away. This is intellectual stuff. You have to possess intelligence to enjoy it. I've never met any stupid people who did enjoy this film.
Director Rob Reiner really shows how broad his range is with this (his best in my opinion!), bringing every authentic detail, no matter how seemingly minor, to the screen effortlessly with a wonderfully sharp cast. Its still a challenge to get my head around the fact that this is from the same tubby Santa Claus look-alike who made 'The Princess Bride' and 'Stand By Me'! Reiner has always been a man with extraordinarily wide horizons and always will be, constantly entertaining cinema-goers with so many different stories!
The film's fly-on-the-wall mockumentary style works wonders, getting some beautiful performances from its actors (namely Michael McKean and Christopher Guest) and adding to its 'natural' feel. Many films, mainly British ones, have imitated this style ever since. Even one of the film's actors and co-writers has stuck to the hip of this film for the most part of his career, coming up with new and even more outlandish 'mockumentaries' to entertain and sate his legion of followers.
On each viewing, you'll erupt into laughter at the discovery of a new joke. Then for weeks on end, you'll be quoting it to your friends and everyone you know. It's like a treasure trove without a bottom!
To finish this not-so-critical analysis, I can never find any fault or flaw even after the innumerable viewings I've had. I never get bored of it either. I think the reason I like this so much is, honestly, because it was made for people like me! -
Spinal Tap seemed funny the first time I saw it, but I never got all the jokes. Now though, I saw it through and through and I loved it even more (especially on DVD where the extras are hilarious). Nearly every gag in the movie is dead pan funny, from the cover of "Smell the Glove" (just the description will make you laugh) to all the others including the three piece guitar solo, the animal costumes ("this is what you'll look like as a crab" is the funniest line of the 80's next to "Frank, they're not here for you, Weird Al is on the plane" in Naked Gun), the backstage food, (of course) the amp that goes to 11 and the 18 inch stonehenge. Satire at one of it's best, and it's excellent. Cameos include Bruno Kirby, Billy Crystal, Dana Carvey, Paul Schaffer and Anjelica Houston. Other best line: you can not do free flow jazz odyssey in front of a festival crowd! A+
-
nuke_houston15 June 2019Especially with the garbage music these days, Boy Bands, etc, this Movie Just Gets Better and Better.
When it first came out, i was still into Led Zeppelin, Van Halen, Deep Purple, Santana, Ten Years After... and I thought this Movie was kinda stupid... -
Hermit C-228 May 1999This is FANTASTIC! Writers Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer in collaboration with director Rob Reiner have created a satire so dead-on its target that it might be scary if it wasn't so hilarious.
Filmmaker Marty DiBergi, taking a break from dog food commercials, is determined to capture the sights, sounds and smells of his favorite rock group, the legendary Spinal Tap, on their latest U.S. tour. They're a 20-year old heavy metal outfit from England centering around lead singer David St. Hubbins (McKean), lead guitarist Nigel Tufnel (Guest) and bass guitarist Derek Smalls (Shearer). The rest of the band is a revolving door of personnel including a series of unlucky drummers who have met with bizarre demises. The new tour is the first the band has made of America in years, and unfortunately the they seem to have lost about as many fans as they've lost brain cells. When asked if the smaller venues that the band is playing on this tour means they are losing popularity, manager Ian Faith (Tony Hendra) quickly dismisses the idea. The band's fans are just becoming more "selective," he says.
Still, the group is received well at their initial shows--that is if the gig hasn't been canceled, if their balky stage props don't malfunction, and if the band can find its way to the stage from their dressing rooms. But the tour is one disaster following another. Fans don't show up for autograph sessions at record stores. Radio stations play their oldies and ask, "where are they now?" To top things off, David's girlfriend Jeanine (June Chadwick), the band's Yoko Ono, arrives. She soon starts contributing her ideas, such as having the band dress in fantasy creature costumes and recording their music "in Dubly."
Even with all this trouble, the band feels things will pick up if they can just get their new album released. But Polymer Records refuses to distribute "Smell the Glove" with its lurid cover art. Eventually it's released with a solid black record sleeve, with nary a word or picture on it. This turns out to be a reverse image of the Beatles' white album in appearance, artistic success and sales. The band sinks so low as to be billed second to a puppet show at a theme park. The pressures are just too much and as the tour limps to a close the long life of Spinal Tap seems at an end. But rock & roll is a funny business...
Throughout we're treated to the band's rock & roll wisdom and philosophy. For instance, Nigel lets Marty in on one of the reasons for their success--loud amplifiers. While the volume settings on other bands' equipment might just go to 10, theirs goes to 11! Asked if there's really a difference, Nigel replies, "Yeah, well it's like... one louder, innit?"
There are tons of cameos by all sorts of people, including some funny portrayals of PR flacks by Fran Drescher and Paul Shaffer. This is a brilliant comedy that, despite all the parody, loves its subject. Treat yourself to it. -
bkoganbing22 September 2017As This Is Spinal Tap came out in 1984 I'd like to think that the guys are doing those nostalgia type tours along the lines of Herman's Hermits and Bobby Rydell. They're not quite at the stage of the nostalgia tours, in fact this Mockumentary makes it clear that these guys have not seen that their time has come and gone.
A tiny select few musical performers cross generations with their appeal and these guys aren't it. Rob Reiner directs and plays a documentary film maker who accompanies the band Spinal Tap on its latest American tour where all kinds of things go wrong. Some familiar people make cameo appearances. I kind of like Patrick MacNee as their record label president and Bruno Kirby as a limousine driver who has a more realistic insight than the musicians.
This Is Spinal Tap has a lot of devoted fans. I'm not one of them though I recognize the importance of the film as a prototype of a new genre. Mockumentaries are an acquired taste and if that's the taste you've acquired than this is your film. -
stevefettke18 September 2020I want to be able to rate this film at the top of the scale. Right across the board. 11. 11. 11. But the stars only go to ten. This movie goes to 11.
-
CinemaSerf2 February 2024So the legendary British rockers "Spinal Tap" are on the comeback trail. After a dry spell in the USA, they determine to take their provocative new album and their film-faking fan "Marty" (Rob Reiner) and re-establish themselves as superstars. "Marty" has access to all aspects of their activities as he makes the ultimate fly-on-the-wall documentary depicting the ups and downs, warts and all, of this band of musicians who epitomise just about everything good, bad and excessive in the industry at which this film takes an entertaining swipe. Interspersed with some decently staged rock numbers that could easily have been seen on MTV, we are exposed to the extremes of venality and avarice, some completely bonkers lyrics and their gradual realisation that the grand stadium days are maybe long gone, now. The bickering always stays on the amiable side of toxic, but squabbles about their racy album cover being banned in Walmart, their shrinking appeal narrowed now to just to stoned-out students and their own peccadilloes deliver an enjoyably authentic looking and frequently quite funnily written analysis of life on the downward side of the showbiz mountain - and it's quite scathing of those who make a living out of it with little or no talent but a solid belief in what they see in the mirror. This is British sarcasm and irony at it's cinematic best, disguised in a faux environment that even now, after forty years, is still often laugh out loud.
-
Solid_Gold10 July 2019All rock music fans need to watch this. I was laughing so hard, especially at the "Big Bottom" performance scene. I love the flashback scenes to the band's early days too, it reminds me of Led Zeppelin, back when Jimmy Page was in The Yardbirds.
-
LW-0885427 December 2023A hilarious film following the lives and antics of a fictional British rock group touring the USA. Along for the ride is a documentary film maker out to capture all the chaos that unfolds. The film manages to perfectly lampoon yet also show some love for the rock industry. The film is a fun and classic case of a clash of egos as the constant rivalries within the band and their declining popularity threaten to spell disaster. The costumes and make up for the film are brilliant, as is the script. Certain lines of dialogue have become iconic including one character unable to get his head around the fact that having a dial that goes up to 11 doesn't necessarily make it any louder than another similar one.
-
mattymatt4ever12 April 2001This is yet another movie regarded as one of the funniest comedies in the AFI Hall of Fame that doesn't even deserve to be a runner-up. Who are the members of the AFI? I'd like to have a word with them. This pseudo-documentary/pseudo-comedy starts out with a few funny gags, scattered here and there. But in the second and third acts, when the band goes downhill, the comedy becomes as soggy as a wet rag. The gags are so slight and cheap. We're stuck with bland gags, like the one about the tiny sandwiches in the dressing room. Wow, is that a classic moment or what!!! Just one bland gag after another. Even though the running time was a mere 83 minutes, I found it tedious and lagging. This is one of those comedies I have to watch with someone to actually find which moments are supposed to be funny. I probably still won't get a laugh, but at least I'll have more of an understanding. Is this film true to the world of rock and roll, and does it have a satirical bite? I don't know. Maybe. Whatever it was, it sure as hell wasn't interesting. I don't know much about rock and roll, as far the behind-the-scenes stuff goes, but I don't care what happens off-stage if it's going to be this boring. If you want to see a good film about rock and roll, see "Almost Famous." Better yet, if you want to see a much better mockumentary about the music business--see "Fear of a Black Hat." A much more scatological comedy, but a much smarter and entertaining one as well.