“These go to eleven.” —Nigel Tufnel
Today’s quick review: This Is Spinal Tap. Documentary director Marty DiBergi (Rob Reiner) sets out to document Spinal Tap, a British rock band, on their latest tour of America. Along the way, band members David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean), Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest), and Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer) reflect on their careers and drop pearls of wisdom about rock. But the band hits a rough patch as flagging interest threatens to sink their tour.
This Is Spinal Tap is a music comedy that spoofs the rock bands of the 60s, 70s, and 80s. Framed as a documentary about the fictional band Spinal Tap, This Is Spinal Tap offers a glimpse behind the curtain at the not-so-glamorous lifestyle of a trio of fading rock legends. There’s little in the way of plot or drama, just funny characters, clever bits, affectionate jabs at the rock genre, and the gradual derailment of the band’s American tour.
This Is Spinal Tap is a blisteringly effective parody with the perfect vehicle for poking fun at the excesses of rock music. The members of Spinal Tap are drawn to noise, sex, and controversy in an amped-up version of the hard rock dream. That their careers are on the rocks, their brilliant ideas are nothing of the sort, and their tour is plagued by setback after setback hardly daunts them. The film is packed with memorable gags and larger-than-life characters.
Watch This Is Spinal Tap when you’re in the mood for something light, clever, and iconic. How much you get out of it will depend on your taste in humor and how invested you are in the rock scene. At a bare minimum, This Is Spinal Tap is a breezy watch that earns some honest laughs and has little downside for trying. For the right viewer, it goes well beyond that, with a cavalcade of brilliant, understated humor and lines worth quoting.
For a similar flavor of parody, try Wayne’s World. For a comedy of the same caliber about the workplace, try Office Space.
8.0 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.5 for quotable comedy with considerable cult potential.