This is Spinal Tap is one of those movies that I remember being on HBO all the time back in the day. I just never cared to watch it because I didn’t get the concept of a mockumentary. I was ten, so what the hell did I know? But when I reached high school it was definitely on my radar to finally watch. And I’m so glad that I did. The movie is fucking great. It’s that kind of subtle humor that I absolutely love. Everything about it is just so well done. It’s well-directed, brilliantly acted, and chock-full of quotable moments. It’s pure comedy gold.
Now, just a few years later as I hit my pre-teens, I was pretty much into hard rock, hair metal, and metal. What started out as being a big Mötley Crüe fan, that led me to Black Sabbath, Metallica, Anthrax, you name it. Also, during that time, I found myself watching any stand-up comedy I could. My dad told me what the movie was actually about, which was nice. Realizing what a “mockumentary” actually was, I finally gave the movie a shot. My god, did so much of it go over my head. I know that I laughed, I just didn’t quite get it all. And that bummed me out. That happened to me a lot in the late 80s and early 90s. But I’m glad that I watched what I did then, so when I revisited some of the films, things really started to click. Now this is one of those films I just have to rewatch every few years for shits and giggles.
Smell The Glove
The “plot” of the film is a simple one. A documentary crew is following the fictional British heavy metal band Spinal Tap as they embark on a tour across the United States to promote their new album, Smell the Glove. Like a traditional documentary, the film incorporates a little bit of the band’s historical early-days. There’s footage of them under their previous moniker The Originals, a very non-heavy metal band. The joke continues on as they change the band’s name several more times before finally settling on Spinal Tap. As the film and the tour progresses, tensions rise between the band and their manager. Several shows were canceled due to low ticket sales, and major retailers refused to sell Smell the Glove because of its sexist cover art. Thus leading to a pure black album cover a la The White Album by The Beatles.
It’s a classic tale of ambition and failure, but delivered with a hilariously deadpan approach that makes each misstep feel like a masterclass in comedy. The actors riff off each other with such ease, that it both feels spontaneous and carefully orchestrated at the same time. It isn’t just a depiction of a band in turmoil; it’s about being creative, staying relevant, and straddling the thin line between greatness and absurdity. Both of which the fictional band are a child of.
Money Talks, and Bullshit Walks
It really is the ensemble cast/crew that brings the film together. Rob Reiner does a terrific job capturing it all on film. He manages to capture the real-life feel of documentary filmmaking mixed together with scenes that are so awkward and cringe-worthy they become so ridiculous that they might actually be true. It’s this mix of elements that makes the film work as well as it does. He’s the glue that binds together the on-screen charm of its characters. Each member of the band embodies a distinct persona we have all seen before. Michael McKean as the egotistical lead singer David St. Hubbins, and Christopher Guest as Nigel Tufnel the guitarist, alongside Harry Shearer as Derek Smalls on bass. It is the authenticity of their performances that truly makes these exaggerated caricatures feel 100% relatable.
I don’t think that if anyone else was cast in these roles, the film would have been nearly as successful.
These Go To Eleven
Now, even though this is a parody film, the guys legitimately know how to play their instruments and set out to create some of the funniest and best songs they could. Songs like “Big Bottom” and “Stonehenge,” seamlessly integrate with the comedic spirit of the film they were making. These songs solidify everything they were going for when coming up with the concept for the film. They are filled with tongue-in-cheek lyrics but also contain super-catchy riffs. It truly demonstrates the film’s dedication to authenticity and yet it’s also so blatantly absurd.
So if you are at all a fan of parody films, mockumentaries or that genre of music, this film is 100% for you.
What This is Spinal Tap Means to Us
This is Spinal Tap is a movie I didn’t watch until later in life, around 30 years after its release. The fact that it felt like it hadn’t aged a day says a lot about the quality of the humour. I love dumb jokes, and this is a film filled to the brim with them. The best-known joke is a scene where they turn a guitar amp up to 11 to get an even louder noise than a traditional amp which only goes to 10. But that’s only one of many legendary gags. Just thinking of the ‘lick my love pump’ and ‘none more black’ scenes is making me chuckle as I write this. Mockumentaries are a difficult genre to get right, but this set the gold standard. A standard so high that I don’t think it’s been topped to this day. It’s a movie I love to rewatch, frequently finding new laughs, and if not, just laughing harder at the ones I’m familiar with.
–Lee McCutcheon
I saw This is Spinal Tap for the first time when I was also just getting into Monty Python, and it hit me in exactly the same way. The irreverant, non-stop gags. The endlessly quotable lines. (I love that there was a punk band called None More Black.) The crazy characters, played absolutely straight. And damn, if the songs weren’t actually catchy. It’s a movie that I’ll sit down and watch whenever it’s on, because I know I’ll have a good time. The first mockumentary I ever saw, and still one of the best. Okay, THE best. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go and make sure this version of Stonehenge I’ve sketched on a napkin has the right measurements – ” is for feet, right?
–Bob Cram
Do you have a fun fact, piece of trivia, or analysis about This is Spinal Tap? Please share it in the comments!
