by Allan Fish
(USA 1984 83m) DVD1/2
This goes up to eleven
p Karen Murphy d Rob Reiner w/m/ly Christopher Guest, Rob Reiner, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer ph Peter Smokler ed Robert Leighton art Dryan Jones
Christopher Guest (Nigel Tufnel), Michael McKean (David St Hubbins), Harry Shearer (Derek Smalls), Rob Reiner (Marty DiBergi), R.J.Parnell (Mick Shrimpton), David Kaff (Viv Savage), Tony Hendra (Ian Faith), Bruno Kirby (Tommy Pischeda), Fran Drescher (Bobbi Flekman), Anjelica Huston, Ed Begley Jnr, Billy Crystal, Patrick MacNee,
Rob Reiner’s spoof rockumentary of an ageing British rock band on tour in the US at the twilight of their careers truly was one of the most original films of its decade. Here was a film that finally, deservedly attacked and made fun of that most pretentious of musical art forms, the heavy metal rock band, in this case the fictitious Spinal Tap, one of England’s loudest bands behind such ‘classic’ albums as Intravenus de Milo, Shark Sandwich and The Gospel According to Spinal Tap, the latter prompting one reviewer to say that if God rested on one day why did he not rest the day he made Spinal Tap? Thank God he didn’t, because the world would be a far less funny place without them.
Spinal Tap, a British rock group founded in the mid sixties, consists of three core members, guitarist and singer David St Hubbins, lead guitarist Nigel Tufnel and bass guitarist Derek Smalls. They are legends in their own imagination, feted through the known world for such songs as ‘Hell Hole’ and ‘Big Bottom’. Commercial director Marty DiBergi – who on first hearing them was “knocked out by their exuberance, their raw power and their punctuality” – records the behind the scenes happenings and gigs and interviews the band members as they embark on their first US tour in six years.
There are scenes here that will stay with you for life; the group emerging from pods only for Derek’s pod to not open until the song is over; the hilarious Stonehenge number when an eighteen inch model is created rather than an eighteen foot model and leprechauns dance round it; the hilarious first glimpses of the ‘Smell the Glove’ album, released in a blank black cover; the promotional signing where no-one turns up; the descriptions of how the Spinal Tap drummers met their ends – one in an unclassified gardening accident, one choking on someone else’s vomit, and another spontaneously combusting on stage; the band failing to find their way from their dressing room to the stage; Derek being stopped and searched with a cucumber down his pants; and of course the truly awful song renditions. These are men of talentless myth, tragic in their truly side-splitting and infantile pretension to art. Nigel says he’s a follower of Bach and Mozart and calls his tuneless twaddle “Mach”, David compares the end of the band to the end of the universe, Derek says he’d work with children if not in rock. As David says, “it’s such a fine line between stupid and clever” and that sums up the whole shebang. Yet to say that Tap only has digs at the ageing rockers past their sell-by date is missing part of the point. It also attacks the hangers on and cult followers of such bands and shows that they are partly responsible. After all, Tap’s one-time popularity isn’t down to them but those who bought the records and the most pretentious and vacant lines in the film are delivered by some of the interviewed fans in the opening montage.
Tap’s success as a film is down to many factors, but the performances of McKean, Guest and Shearer as the core members are so spot-on as to be uncanny, especially considering their not being British (Guest in particular is a joy as the incredibly dim Nigel, with his extra power amplifiers and bone structure T-shirts). Yet equally important are their musical contributions as the truly trite and sexist lyrics are uncannily reminiscent of so many bands of their ilk. Even the cameos are spot-on, with Fran Drescher a delight and Patrick MacNee (was his appearance in Oasis’ ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger’ video a homage?) and Anjelica Huston popping up, too. It also gets one of the best DVD treatments, including a commentary from the actors in character. Altogether now, “black, lovely colour.”
How This is Spinal Tap made the Top 100:
Dean Treadway No. 5
Bill Riley No. 11
Jon Warner No. 12
Maurizio Roca No. 40
Steve Mullen (Weeping Sam) No. 48
Dennis Polifroni No. 54
#62 is an OK position, but shouldn’t this one be at #11?
Well Joel, Bill certainly thought so! Ha!
Lol, I hope that was intentional!
Wow now this film is hilarious and a film that thus far on this countdown may have the most belly laughs of any we’ve covered thus far. I honestly can’t think of another so far that is as downright funny as this one. I even laughed out loud reading Allan’s fine review. Haha I also realized I should have put this at number 11, instead of number 12.
I like this one, but Waiting For Gufman and Best in Show even more. Very nice review from Mr. Fish.
Actually I find those films insufferable. I think Christopher Guest is a far better writer than he is a director and really pulls those films down. Reiner at the reigns works far better for me here than Guest would have.
This is another one of Allan’s classic early reviews, and one that really frames the wide appeal of this ever-popular rock-umentary. Oddly enough I have always swam in the opposite direction with this, finding it googy, frivilous and tiring. The humor never hit me as hard as others, though as Frank mentions I like Guest’s other work to fair degree. It does have it’s moments, and I do own the once-rare Criterion DVD, but it’s been quite a while since I saw it to offer up anything more specific.
Yeah but Christopher Guest’s direction in the other films is soooo heavyhanded. Reiner to me somehow keeps this film fresh and interesting. Guest is just bludgeoning and well boring honestly when he directs. I don’t mind his writing but the guy is clueless as to the rest.
Another convulsively funny film I left off my list. Funkster George Clinton must have gotten the idea for his ‘Hey Man, Smell My Finger’ album from ‘Smell the Glove’. Hilarious.
One of my all time favorite comedies and arguably the finest American comedy of the 80s (only Albert Brook’s comedies from that decade come close to it). I’m shocked to see this so low.
I think it’s THE best comedy of the 80s. Only Raising Arizona comes close.
Jon, my own three best comedies of the 80’s would be AIRPLANE, TOOTSIE and A FISH CALLED WANDA, though admittedly this is not the greatest decade for screen comedy. But fair enough, there are quite a few who would agree with you.
Tootsie is in the top 5 as is Airplane, which I forgot just sneaks into the decade.
I would hold praise for this one as the best comedy of the 80’s at bay.
While it has a following and it’s a relevant one at that, there is so much from that decade to talk about. First off, we cannot dismiss the work of Woody Allen as his BROADWAY DANNY ROSE, HANNAH AND HER SISTERS, RADIO DAYS and ZELIG all run for the brass ring. I’d also add Albert Brooks marvelously nutz LOST IN AMERICA to that list as well and, in my mind, probably emmerges as the victor for its blazingly funny dialogue, compact and razor sharp narrative and, finally, for the brutally funny performances by Brooks and Julie Haggerty. Frankly, there is no other comedy of that decade outside of LOST IN AMERICA that I can recall making me laugh out loud as much.
The moment Brooks goes into the small town employment office looking for high paying work, to the exasperation of the mild-mannered guy at the desk, is achingly funny.
Yeah but Dennis all of those films you mention of Allen’s are not really full-on comedy blitzes like some of his earlier work. Same with Brooks….his films happen to be comedies…..but not completely so. Think of Broadcast News. It ‘s really a drama with comedy relief. Lost In America is frankly truncated and not really that believable. I still don’t buy that Julie Hagarty is capable of blowing their cash in one night. Not no way not no how. The film loses me from there.
I’m with Sam on this. Redundant and puerile. One of the best comedies of the 80’s? Maybe if you’re under 18.
I think it’s an okay movie, but the last time I saw it was over ten years ago, and I don’t feel the need to ever see it again.
Peter this list so far has had a dearth of the lowbrow. I for one applaud the fact we’ve included such film. If comedy leaves no room for the childish…then I want out. The fact you say it’s redundant is odd to me. That’s like saying The Three Stooges are redundant. Well duh….but it’s still funny.
Peter, I’m not quite so sure I’m that down on it, but I do remember it being problematic and uneven. But it’s been so long that I need to see it again as soon as possible.
I’m one of the late “convert”s on this one.
For so long the jarring quality of the documentary style turned me of. However. after reading this same review some years back and having half of the guys here on WITD beg me to reconsider my position on this I decided to give another whirl…
Well, I guess the second time was the charm as the focus went from Reiners recreation of the “documentary” and more on what these four rapscallians were ACTUALLY saying. The art of stupidity rendered with an aspect of serious really puts this one over the top for me and just about any moment that sees the boys sitting down and being interviewed directly really blows the roof off the house with laughter.
I’m so glad I gave this one another chance.
I have never seen Spinal Tap but, oddly, I have read a lot about it, and I really like your review. I think it’s one of the best reviews I have read about this film.
As far as American comedy which you seem to be talking about how can you not mention Albert Brooks movie Real Life? It came out a full 5 years before Spinal Tap and considering Harry Shearer is listed as one of the writers maybe we know where their mocumentary came from. Real Life was the first American mocumentary. Five years before Tap.
I don’t understand any negative comments about this film. To me, it’s among the most quotable comedies ever. If you are a performing rock musician, it’s impossible to do a show without referencing TAP, in action or in thought. It is the apotheosis of the mockumentary, a fascinating filmic offshoot. Brilliantly performed, edited, scored, and directed, TAP represents an entire generation of comedy icons at the top of their game.
[…] not quite a life-size replica, but neither is it of Spinal Tap proportions, standing about 3 foot tall. It certainly made Bill smile as well when he saw the […]