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poster of This Is Spinal Tap
Rating: 7.4/10 by 1403 users

This Is Spinal Tap (1984)

"This Is Spinal Tap" shines a light on the self-contained universe of a metal band struggling to get back on the charts, including everything from its complicated history of ups and downs, gold albums, name changes and undersold concert dates, along with the full host of requisite groupies, promoters, hangers-on and historians, sessions, release events and those special behind-the-scenes moments that keep it all real.

Directing:
  • Rob Reiner
  • Donald Newman
  • Irwin Marcus
  • Anne Rapp
Writing:
  • Rob Reiner
  • Christopher Guest
  • Michael McKean
  • Harry Shearer
Stars:
Release Date: Fri, Mar 02, 1984

Rating: 7.4/10 by 1403 users

Alternative Title:
Rock 'n' Roll Nightmare - US
This is Spinal Tap®: A Rockumentary by Martin Di Bergi - US
Die Jungs von Spinal Tap - DE
This Is Spın̈al Tap - US
이것이 스파이널 탭이다 - KR
This Is Spinal Tap - ES
Hjelp vi er i popbransjen - NO
Это «Спайнэл Тэп» - RU
Это — Spinal Tap - RU

Country:
United States of America
Language:
English
日本語
Runtime: 01 hour 22 minutes
Budget: $2,500,000
Revenue: $4,737,539

Plot Keyword: rock star, groupie, parody, mockumentary, found footage, aftercreditsstinger, duringcreditsstinger, amplifier, music industry, metal band, british rock band
Subtitle   Wallpaper   Watch Trailer    

Michael McKean
David St. Hubbins
Harry Shearer
Derek Smalls
Rob Reiner
Marty DiBergi
June Chadwick
Jeanine Pettibone
Bruno Kirby
Tommy Pischedda
Ed Begley Jr.
John 'Stumpy' Pepys
Fran Drescher
Bobbi Flekman
Dana Carvey
Mime Waiter
Sandy Helberg
Angelo DiMentibelio
Billy Crystal
Morty the Mime
Paul Benedict
Tucker 'Smitty' Brown
Russ Kunkel
Eric 'Stumpy Joe' Childs
Paul Shaffer
Artie Fufkin
Archie Hahn
Room Service Guy
Fred Willard
Colonel on Military Base
Anjelica Huston
Polly Deutsch
Brinke Stevens
Girlfriend (uncredited)
Patrick Macnee
Sir Denis Eton-Hogg
R.J. Parnell
Mick Shrimpton
David Kaff
Viv Savage
Danny Kortchmar
Ronnie Pudding
Julie Payne
Mime Waitress
Zane Buzby
Rolling Stone Reporter
Lara Cody
Fame Groupie
Andrew J. Lederer
Student Promoter
Gloria Gifford
Airport Security Officer
Charles Levin
Disc 'n' Dat Manager
Donald Kendrick
Background Vocalist
Wonderful Smith
Backstage Maintenance Worker
Kimberly Stringer
Heavy Metal Fan
Chazz Dominguez
Heavy Metal Fan
Shari Hall
Heavy Metal Fan
Jean Cromie
Ethereal Fan
Patrick Maher
New York M.C.
Memo Vera
Bartender
Robin Menken
Angelo's Associate
Jennifer Child
Limo Groupie
J.J. Barry
Rack Jobber
George McDaniel
Southern Rock Promoter
Cherie Darr
Fame Groupie
Diana Duncan
'Jamboree Bop' Dancer
Gina Marie Pitrello
'Jamboree Bop' Dancer
Gina Jourard
'Jamboree Bop' Dancer (as Gina Marie Pitrello)

Ahmetaslan27

Am I the only one getting bored or not? It's probably because I don't like that loud noise

CinemaSerf

So the legendary British rockers "Spinal Tap" are on the comeback trail. After a dry spell in the USA, they determine to take their provocative new album and their film-faking fan "Marty" (Rob Reiner) and re-establish themselves as superstars. "Marty" has access to all aspects of their activities as he makes the ultimate fly-on-the-wall documentary depicting the ups and downs, warts and all, of this band of musicians who epitomise just about everything good, bad and excessive in the industry at which this film takes an entertaining swipe. Interspersed with some decently staged rock numbers that could easily have been seen on MTV, we are exposed to the extremes of venality and avarice, some completely bonkers lyrics and their gradual realisation that the grand stadium days are maybe long gone, now. The bickering always stays on the amiable side of toxic, but squabbles about their racy album cover being banned in Walmart, their shrinking appeal narrowed now to just to stoned-out students and their own peccadilloes deliver an enjoyably authentic looking and frequently quite funnily written analysis of life on the downward side of the showbiz mountain - and it's quite scathing of those who make a living out of it with little or no talent but a solid belief in what they see in the mirror. This is British sarcasm and irony at it's cinematic best, disguised in a faux environment that even now, after forty years, is still often laugh out loud.

Filipe Manuel Neto

**Interesting, remarkable for its subgenre, credible… but I didn't find it funny.** I'm not a specific admirer of mockumentaries, but I recognize their value if they're funny. The film reports on the tour of a British rock band called Spinal Tap, and shows the enormous difficulties and crazy things they carry out on and off the stage. It's supposed to be a comedy... but, to be honest, it didn't make me laugh. I recognize the value that this film had for the cinematographic subgenre it launched, and the interest that the film has for cinema students and others who deepen their knowledge of the seventh art in greater detail. For me, as I'm just a guy who watches films because he likes them, it's different: it's harder to convince me to watch this a second time because of the many technical arguments they might use. Being a comedy, it has to be funny. If it doesn't, it failed as a comedy (even considering the fact that I may not be the target audience, that would just be a sign that it's not a film for me). Although it didn't make me laugh, I recognize that Rob Reiner does an interesting job and manages to give his film enormous authenticity on all levels. I wonder what fieldwork he did to prepare for the project, whether he spoke to journalists who follow the music industry, with bands or music artists, because in fact the film captures quite well the bizarre things that can happen on a rock tour. And the work of the main actors (Michael McKean, Harry Shearer, Christopher Guest) is equally worthy if we consider that much of what they say is improvised at that moment, not previously written. The film looks cheap and this is perhaps even intentional: the cinematography resembles a “found-footage” film, with the image shaky, poorly calibrated, full of grain at times. The sets are very good and the soundtrack, made for the film, is absolutely believable.


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