Classic ‘This is Spinal Tap’ spawned a new genre of film
PHOTO PROVIDED Pictured is the movie poster for the film, “This is Spinal Tap.”
If you are looking for a fun, quick film, check out “This Is Spinal Tap.”
The film is a “mockumentary” and is believed to be the first of its kind. The film is set up as a documentary, with filmmaker Martin Di Bergi (Rob Reiner) following the heavy metal band Spinal Tap around the country, filming their exploits. The band is comprised of David St. Hubins (Michael McKean), Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest) and Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer). They are the key members of the band.
Spinal Tap is characterized as “one of England’s loudest bands.” We quickly realize that the members of the band are, for lack of a better word, idiots. They aren’t very bright and years of life on the road has numbed their brains even more.
According to film lore, there wasn’t much of a script behind “This is Spinal Tap.” Reiner, in his directorial debut, encouraged McKean, Guest and Shearer to ad lib. McKean, who attended Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, rose to fame as Lenny Kosnowski on the ABC sitcom “Laverne and Shirley.” St. Hubins is a far cry from Lenny, but McKean handles the role with ease. Guest and Shearer, who are veterans of “Saturday Night Live” are wonderful as Tufnel and Smalls.
We learn that Spinal Tap has survived in spite of the deaths of several band members — one who died in a “bizarre gardening accident,” one “choked on vomit” and another “choked on someone else’s vomit.” The band also had a couple of different names — the Originals and the New Originals.
The humor in “This Is Spinal Tap” is a mixed bag — there’s slapstick, physical humor, dark comedy and sight gags. In the end, it’s all very good.
There are some iconic scenes. In one, Nigel shows Di Bergi an amplifier that “goes to 11” to give the band extra noise. When Di Bergi questions why someone would need an amp that goes that high, Nigel is at a loss for words. “These go to 11,” he deadpans.
During a late-night brainstorming session, Nigel suggests staging a lavish show, and asks their manager to order a Stonehenge megalith. However, when Nigel rushes the sketch on a napkin, he mislabels the dimensions. The prop is delivered and is a mere 18 inches instead of 18 feet. It looks ridiculous on stage and the band becomes a laughingstock.
The funny thing about “This Is Spinal Tap” is that the music is pretty good. One of the more memorable songs is “Big Bottoms,” which is about a woman’s … well, you know.
As the film progresses, the comedy is blended well with some cringe-worthy moments. At one point, Spinal Tap hears one of their songs on the radio in the town where they are playing alongside a puppet show. The DJ announces that song is from the “where are they now file.”
“This Is Spinal Tap” apparently caused some confusion when it was released. Keep in mind that there was no internet, no Facebook or Twitter, so no one really knew if Spinal Tap existed or not. People believed the band was real!
The film runs a little more than 90 minutes — and it’s a quick ride.
There really isn’t a standout in the film. Reiner helps carry it along, but the band members are absolutely hilarious. McKean, Guest and Shearer really get a chance to flex their comedic chops.
“This Is Spinal Tap” spawned the mockumentary genre and is definitely worth a watch. It is rated R for adult language and adult themes. You can find it on HBO Max, Amazon Prime, Google Play, Vudu, iTunes, YouTube and Apple TV.
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Chris Morelli is a staff reporter for The Express.





