This Is Spinal Tap (1984)

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

Stars:

Rob Reiner, Michael McKean, Christopher Guest

2 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Rob Reiner	...	Marty DiBergi
Kimberly Stringer	...	Heavy Metal Fan
Chazz Dominguez	...	Heavy Metal Fan
Shari Hall	...	Heavy Metal Fan
R.J. Parnell	...	Mick Shrimpton
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	...	Ethereal Fan
Patrick Maher	...	New York M.C.
Ed Begley Jr.	...	John 'Stumpy' Pepys
Danny Kortchmar	...	Ronnie Pudding

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.

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Plot Keywords:

parody | heavy metal | rockumentary | satire | mockumentary | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Comedy | Music

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Certificate:

R

Details

Official Sites:

MGM

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 March 1984 (USA)

Also Known As:

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

Filming Locations:

California, USA

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

Company Credits

Production Co:

Spinal Tap Prod.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

82 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.70 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Early home video versions of the film, which included the mock music video "Hell Hole" and other extras, had a disclaimer inserted at the very end saying that the band did not actually exist.

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Goofs

In a likely intentional mistake, the Spinal Tap logo has an umlaut (two dots) over the "n" in Spinal. Umlauts are only used over vowels. The film's creators probably did this because the band members thought the Germanic/Scandinavian aspect would be cool... and metal.

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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 ...

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Crazy Credits

Anjelica Huston's name is incorrectly listed as 'Angelica Huston' at the beginning of the end titles, but correctly spelled 'Anjelica Huston' in the full cast that appears further down the list.

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Alternate Versions

The Criterion DVD includes the preliminary version of the film. It's a twenty-minute short that cost $50,000 and is essentially a condensed version of the full movie. Rob Reiner and the band made it in lieu of writing a script to show to studios.

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Connections

Referenced in The Angry Video Game Nerd: X-Men (2009)

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Soundtracks

A Grateful Nation
Written by Michael McKean, Christopher Guest and Harry Shearer
Performed by Michael McKean, Christopher Guest and Harry Shearer

User Reviews

Laughs at '11'; one of the greatest comedies ever filmed!

THIS IS SPINAL TAP (1984) **** Rob Reiner, Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer (Cameos: Billy Crystal, Dana Carvey, Fran Drescher, Paul Shaffer, Howard Hesseman, Ed Begley, Jr., Fred Willard, Angelica Huston {note spelling!} ).

Hysterically funny and dead-on "rockumentary" spoof of absurd documentaries and lame so-called rock groups with wicked satirical approach and clever camera shots as well. Directed by Reiner (his debut) with accurate depiction of super-inflated egos, pompous hangers-on and hilarious intimate moments with great dialogue thanks to the improvisations of the trio who reportedly worked from no screenplay. Best moment: Spinal Tap trying to find the stage. And I personally agree with the keyboardist's philosophy of "Have a good time, all the time".