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This Is Spinal Tap (1984)

 -  Comedy | Music  -  2 March 1984 (USA)
8.0
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Ratings: 8.0/11 from 76,479 users   Metascore: 85/100
Reviews: 306 user | 118 critic | 13 from Metacritic.com

Spinal Tap, the world's loudest band, is chronicled by hack documentarian Marty DeBergi on what proves to be a fateful tour.

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
...
Kimberly Stringer ...
Heavy Metal Fan
Chazz Dominguez ...
Heavy Metal Fan
Shari Hall ...
Heavy Metal Fan
R.J. Parnell ...
David Kaff ...
...
...
...
...
...
Tommy Pischedda
Jean Cromie ...
Ethereal Fan
Patrick Maher ...
New York M.C.
...
...
Ronnie Pudding
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Storyline

In 1982 legendary British heavy metal band Spinal Tap attempt an American comeback tour accompanied by a fan who is also a film-maker. The resulting documentary, interspersed with powerful performances of Tap's pivotal music and profound lyrics, candidly follows a rock group heading towards crisis, culminating in the infamous affair of the eighteen-inch-high Stonehenge stage prop. Written by Jeremy Perkins <jwp@aber.ac.uk>

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

Does for rock and roll what "The Sound of Music" did for hills

Genres:

Comedy | Music

Certificate:

R | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Official Sites:

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

2 March 1984 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

This is Spinal Tap®: A Rockumentary by Martin Di Bergi  »

Filming Locations:

 »

Box Office

Budget:

$2,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$55,854 (USA) (8 September 2000)

Gross:

$4,671,831 (USA) (6 October 2000)
 »

Company Credits

Production Co:

 »
Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Color:

Aspect Ratio:

1.70 : 1
See  »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Ozzy Osbourne has stated that when he first watched the film, he was the only person who wasn't laughing... he thought it was a real documentary. See more »

Goofs

The band's tour goes from the Eastern USA to the Western USA. The scene of the band discussing the "zodiac" dress style at an airport is supposed to be set with the band somewhere around the midwest USA (since it is supposedly two hours to Colorado from there and they are touring from west to east), but they are clearly at the LOS ANGELES airport in this scene (identifiably by the "Theme Building" visible outside the terminal windows.) See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Marty DiBergi: Hello; my name is Marty DiBergi. I'm a filmmaker. I make a lot of commercials. That little dog that chases the covered wagon underneath the sink? That was mine. In 1966, I went down to Greenwich Village, New York City to a rock club called Electric Banana. Don't look for it; it's not there anymore. But that night, I heard a band that for me redefined the word "rock and roll". I remember being knocked out by their... their exuberance, their raw power - and their punctuality. That ...
See more »

Crazy Credits

The Real Ian Faith .... Derek Sutton See more »

Connections

Referenced in It's a Haunted Happenin'! (2002) See more »

Soundtracks

"Tonight I'm Gonna Rock You Tonight"
Written by Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Rob Reiner and Harry Shearer
Performed by Michael McKean, Christopher Guest and Harry Shearer
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

 
Deserves its fame
31 July 2000 | by (Saint Paul, MN) – See all my reviews

Spinal 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.


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8 out of 11???? kuvv
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