"Dozens of people spontaneously combust each year. It's just not really widely reported."
A rockumentary of the career of a fictional 1980s heavy metal band, Spinal Tap...
Filmmaker Marti DiBergi (Reiner) followed around the "loudest band", Spinal Tap during their 1982 American comeback tour, asking many questions and at times just sitting back and watching the crazy spill out.
Singing lead vocals, with a mass of blonde hair is David St. Hubbins (McKean) named for "the patron saint of quality footwear." His best friend, and the only other original member of the band is guitar player Nigel Tufnel (Guest), who isn't very bright, but is an exceptional musician "It's part of a trilogy, a musical trilogy I'm working on in D minor which is the saddest of all keys, I find. People weep instantly when they hear it, and I don't know why." The third member of the group is Derek Smalls (Shearer), the bass player who keeps the band together "We're very lucky in the band in that we have two visionaries, David and Nigel, they're like poets, like Shelley and Byron. They're two distinct types of visionaries, it's like fire and ice, basically. I feel my role in the band is to be somewhere in the middle of that, kind of like lukewarm water. " They are joined by keyboardist Viv Savage (Kaff) and current drummer Mick Shrimpton (Parnell). All of their drummers die in unexpected ways...vomit (not his own), spontaneous combustion, gardening accident, etc.
The band is dying out...they used to sell out theaters, but now their manager Ian (Hendra) is having a hard time keeping their concert dates. Their popular hits are "provocative"with titles like "Sex Farm", which leads their label to have some doubts about the band (including the cover of their new album, "Smell the Glove"). Also causing problems for the band is the presence of David's girlfriend Jeanine (Chadwick) who has her own ideas about the band. Will they find an audience? Will they stick together? And more importantly, will their shows ever work out?
If I didn't know this was about a fictional band, I would assume this was a regular VH1 or MTV documentary about a rock band. The films is hysterical...the characters are over-the-top and yet, that seems normal for a rock band. I love the amp that goes to 11 and the Stonehenge fiasco...plus their are tons of cameos, most of which are unexpected (and I didn't realize who some of the actors were until I looked at IMDb.com). So in the immortal words of Mick (the drummer), "As long as there's, you know, sex and drugs, I can do without the rock and roll", but I'll take Spinal Tap anyday!
Dude, it's quotable: I wouldn't suggest it for small children. I think it is rated R, and if it isn't, well it should be. They drop the F-bomb frequently, along with other swear words.
Rent it multiple times: It's extremely funny...and the music is excellent (the actors were musicians, so they can actually play the instruments...and they sound good)
This is Spinal Tap (1984) 82 minutes
Director: Rob Reiner
Starring: Michael McKean as David St. Hubbins
Christopher Guest as Nigel Tufnel
Harry Shearer as Derek Smalls
Rob Reiner as Marty DiBergi
Tony Hendra as Ian Faith
R.J. Parnell as Mick Shrimpton
David Kaff as Viv Savage
June Chadwick as Jeanine Pettibone
Filmmaker Marti DiBergi (Reiner) followed around the "loudest band", Spinal Tap during their 1982 American comeback tour, asking many questions and at times just sitting back and watching the crazy spill out.
Singing lead vocals, with a mass of blonde hair is David St. Hubbins (McKean) named for "the patron saint of quality footwear." His best friend, and the only other original member of the band is guitar player Nigel Tufnel (Guest), who isn't very bright, but is an exceptional musician "It's part of a trilogy, a musical trilogy I'm working on in D minor which is the saddest of all keys, I find. People weep instantly when they hear it, and I don't know why." The third member of the group is Derek Smalls (Shearer), the bass player who keeps the band together "We're very lucky in the band in that we have two visionaries, David and Nigel, they're like poets, like Shelley and Byron. They're two distinct types of visionaries, it's like fire and ice, basically. I feel my role in the band is to be somewhere in the middle of that, kind of like lukewarm water. " They are joined by keyboardist Viv Savage (Kaff) and current drummer Mick Shrimpton (Parnell). All of their drummers die in unexpected ways...vomit (not his own), spontaneous combustion, gardening accident, etc.
The band is dying out...they used to sell out theaters, but now their manager Ian (Hendra) is having a hard time keeping their concert dates. Their popular hits are "provocative"with titles like "Sex Farm", which leads their label to have some doubts about the band (including the cover of their new album, "Smell the Glove"). Also causing problems for the band is the presence of David's girlfriend Jeanine (Chadwick) who has her own ideas about the band. Will they find an audience? Will they stick together? And more importantly, will their shows ever work out?
If I didn't know this was about a fictional band, I would assume this was a regular VH1 or MTV documentary about a rock band. The films is hysterical...the characters are over-the-top and yet, that seems normal for a rock band. I love the amp that goes to 11 and the Stonehenge fiasco...plus their are tons of cameos, most of which are unexpected (and I didn't realize who some of the actors were until I looked at IMDb.com). So in the immortal words of Mick (the drummer), "As long as there's, you know, sex and drugs, I can do without the rock and roll", but I'll take Spinal Tap anyday!
Dude, it's quotable: I wouldn't suggest it for small children. I think it is rated R, and if it isn't, well it should be. They drop the F-bomb frequently, along with other swear words.
Rent it multiple times: It's extremely funny...and the music is excellent (the actors were musicians, so they can actually play the instruments...and they sound good)
This is Spinal Tap (1984) 82 minutes
Director: Rob Reiner
Starring: Michael McKean as David St. Hubbins
Christopher Guest as Nigel Tufnel
Harry Shearer as Derek Smalls
Rob Reiner as Marty DiBergi
Tony Hendra as Ian Faith
R.J. Parnell as Mick Shrimpton
David Kaff as Viv Savage
June Chadwick as Jeanine Pettibone
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