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This Is Spinal Tap (1984)

R | | Comedy, Music | 2 March 1984 (USA)
This Is Spinal Tap Poster
Trailer
1:36 | Trailer

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ON DISC
Spinal Tap, one of England's loudest bands, is chronicled by film director Marty DiBergi on what proves to be a fateful tour.

Director:

Rob Reiner

Writers:

Christopher Guest, Michael McKean | 2 more credits »

Stars:

Rob Reiner, Michael McKean, Christopher Guest | See full cast & crew »
92
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Popularity
1,856 ( 843)
2 wins & 2 nominations. See more awards »

Videos

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Photos

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Rob Reiner ... Marty DiBergi
Kimberly Stringer Kimberly Stringer ... Heavy Metal Fan
Chazz Dominguez Chazz Dominguez ... Heavy Metal Fan
Shari Hall Shari Hall ... Heavy Metal Fan
R.J. Parnell R.J. Parnell ... Mick Shrimpton
David Kaff David Kaff ... Viv Savage
Tony Hendra ... Ian Faith
Michael McKean ... David St. Hubbins
Christopher Guest ... Nigel Tufnel
Harry Shearer ... Derek Smalls
Bruno Kirby ... Tommy Pischedda
Jean Cromie Jean Cromie ... Ethereal Fan
Patrick Maher Patrick Maher ... New York M.C.
Ed Begley Jr. ... John 'Stumpy' Pepys
Danny Kortchmar ... Ronnie Pudding
See full cast »
Edit

Storyline

In 1982, the legendary English 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 {J-26}

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

parody | heavy metal | rockumentary | satire | mockumentary | See All (82) »

Taglines:

The original rockumentary created by Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Rob Reiner, Harry Shearer See more »

Genres:

Comedy | Music

Certificate:

R | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
Edit

Details

Official Sites:

MGM

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 March 1984 (USA) See more »

Also Known As:

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

Filming Locations:

California, USA See more »
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Box Office

Budget:

$2,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$30,835, 4 March 1984

Gross USA:

$4,736,202

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$4,736,202
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

Production Co:

Spinal Tap Prod. See more »
Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.70 : 1
See full technical specs »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

When the members of Spinal Tap talk about their drummer suffocating on vomit, it's a reference to a number of musicians who have died, or who are rumored to have died, the same way, including Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham, AC/DC lead singer Bon Scott and big band leader Tommy Dorsey. See more »

Goofs

Just after Duke Fame walks away from the band, the shadow of the boom mic appears 3 or 4 times. 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 »

Alternate Versions

Earlier video versions include onscreen captions identifying each band member during the first song ("Tonight I'm Gonna Rock You Tonight"), eg. "Nigel Tufnel - lead guitar". These captions are missing from early copies of the MGM Special Edition DVD, which were recalled to correct the oversight and re-released. See more »

Connections

Referenced in 20 to 1: Greatest Sports Movies of All Time (2010) See more »

Soundtracks

(Listen To The) Flower People
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

Q: Is this band real?
Q: How many Spinal Tap albums are there?
Q: Is there a sequel to this film?
See more »

User Reviews

 
Hello Cleaveland! Still one of the funniest films ever and even better on DVD
28 May 2001 | by Quinoa1984 – See all my reviews

Spinal Tap seemed funny the first time I saw it, but I never got all the jokes. Now though, I saw it through and through and I loved it even more (especially on DVD where the extras are hilarious). Nearly every gag in the movie is dead pan funny, from the cover of "Smell the Glove" (just the description will make you laugh) to all the others including the three piece guitar solo, the animal costumes ("this is what you'll look like as a crab" is the funniest line of the 80's next to "Frank, they're not here for you, Weird Al is on the plane" in Naked Gun), the backstage food, (of course) the amp that goes to 11 and the 18 inch stonehenge. Satire at one of it's best, and it's excellent. Cameos include Bruno Kirby, Billy Crystal, Dana Carvey, Paul Schaffer and Anjelica Houston. Other best line: you can not do free flow jazz odyssey in front of a festival crowd! A+
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