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:

mockumentary | parody | heavy metal | fake documentary | rockumentary | 

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Taglines:

'Spinal Tap' does for sex, drugs & rock n' roll what Sound of Music did for hills

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Genres:

Comedy | Music

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film is included in the book "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die", edited by Steven Schneider.

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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.)

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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

The credits state that the band Spinal Tap is fictional, and add "And there's no Easter Bunny, either!"

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Alternate Versions

Several versions of this film exist. A 4-hour bootleg is rumored to exist. The DVD and laserdiscs include some of this in a hour of deleted scenes, subplots, and alternate takes. Included: More with Bruno Kirby; A subplot with Spinal Tap's opening act; Derek's legal troubles with his wife and much, much more.

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Connections

References The Kids Are Alright (1979)

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Soundtracks

All The Way Home
Written by Michael McKean and Christopher Guest
Performed by Michael McKean and Christopher Guest

User Reviews

Still the funniest rock'n'roll movie ever, and one of the best DVDs on the market.

'This Is Spinal Tap' has been part of my life for so many years that it's hard to remember a time when I hadn't seen it. Having recently bought it on DVD and rewatched it for the nth time I was once again struck and just how clever and amusing this movie is. Christopher Guest and friends are not only very talented comedians with an amazing ability to improvise, but they know their music, and this is the real strength of the movie. Even though I have almost memorized every scene and joke it's STILL funny to me no matter how many times I watch it. Not only is the movie itself a classic, but the DVD is one of the best buys around with plenty of extras, deleted scenes, many as good as those chosen, and best of all a hilarious commentary by Tufnel, St Hubbins and Smalls which is even funnier than the movie itself. In fact it's the most entertaining DVD commentary track I've heard to date. This movie is a comedy classic, and easily the sharpest rock'n'roll parody ever made. If you haven't seen it before you're in for a treat! Absolutely essential viewing for all rock'n'roll fans, metal or otherwise!

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., Goldcrest Films International

Technical Specs

Runtime:

82 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.70 : 1