Mandy Malone from Circulation Services provides this review:
The year is 1982. The members of the British heavy metal band Spinal Tap–Nigel Tufnel, David St. Hubbins and Derek Smalls–have reunited and recorded a comeback album titled ‘Smell the Glove’. Marty DiBergi, a television commercial director and longtime Spinal Tap fan, is on hand to film the events surrounding the album’s release and accompanying tour for the documentary, or ‘rockumentary’ as DiBergi calls it, This is Spinal Tap.
At this point in my review, I should issue a message of caution: music fans who have never heard of Spinal Tap shouldn’t rush out and scour the WRL catalog for the album. It doesn’t exist. Originally released in 1984, This is Spinal Tap is in reality a brilliant and hilarious parody of the heavy metal genre starring Christopher Guest as Nigel Tufnel, Michael McKean as David St. Hubbins and Harry Shearer as Derek Smalls. Marty DiBergi is played by Rob Reiner, who also directed the film.
In true documentary style, DiBergi follows Spinal Tap from England to America as he offers a no-holds-barred look at the history of the band and their promotional work for the new album. In candid interviews, the band members discuss Tufnel and St. Hubbins’ childhood friendship, early incarnations of the band called the Originals and the Thamesmen, and the untimely deaths of all their drummers. Along the way, Spinal Tap’s comeback is met with several potential setbacks: their record company hates the album’s cover art; at one venue, the band members get lost backstage; and a Stonehenge-themed performance goes awry when the key prop fails to measure up to expectations. Throughout the film, the band’s indefatigable optimism remains intact, even when it looks like the comeback is in danger of falling apart.
This is Spinal Tap does a great job of spoofing the pretensions and excesses of the heavy metal genre without being mean-spirited. Much of the credit for this goes to the stars of the film. They are also responsible for developing the concept of the film and writing the screenplay, and I think they created a group of memorable, well-developed characters. The members of Spinal Tap are so likable and sincere, if a little misguided at times, that you can’t help but root for them to succeed in their quixotic quest to reclaim their former glory.
In the years since the release of This is Spinal Tap, Christopher Guest has gone on to write and direct several other successful documentary-style parodies including Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show and A Mighty Wind.
Check the WRL catalog for This is Spinal Tap
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I’m sorry, I can’t resist…
Tufnel: “The numbers all go to eleven!”
Dibergi: “Why don’t you just make ten louder and make ten be the top number and make that a little louder?
Tufnel: [Pause] “These go to eleven.”
OK, this has bothered me since I watched the film for the second time: is Nigel gay, and in love with David? (Not that there’s anything wrong with that.) I picked up on a number of subtexts that put me on to the idea. At no point in the movie is Nigel associated with a woman; the way he looks at David makes Nancy Reagan look aloof; his venomous relationship with David’s girlfriend (who is, admittedly, enough to rile a saint). The more I watched, the more I got this feeling. Anyone else?
The Tap is one of the influences of our Rock & Roll Rehab Show. We’ve seen them twice in concert (as Tap) and once ‘unplugged’.
Yes i think he is gay too ;)
Andrew- Go back and watch the movie again, you will find more lol In the beginning of the movie Nigel and David both have oral herpes. True that may have indicated that the band members had sex with the same girl, David and Nigel were the only one’s who had it… pretty good hint that they got it from each other. Also when David sings “Big Bottom” which is a song worshipping a womans butt… however the camera shows Nigels butt constantly while David sings about it. Nigel is VERY jealous of David’s girl friend, and can be positioned as the “bottom” in the relationship based on his sensitive personality… Affectionate, creative… and the part where he’s wearing make-up and acting like a pre-madonna complaining about the backstage h’orderves. He’s kinda the fem, he even wears a skirt in the begining of the movie while they are all interviewed. Not that he’s like a tranny or anything, but these are hidden messages. Messages that the average viewer in those days would have NEVER seen unless they were gay friendly, or gay. You probably see it more now because your apart of the world that is changing and becoming less homophobic… so its more obvious now.
This is a true classic and one of the funniest things I have ever seen. Another great thing is the American stars actually sound like spaced-out British rock musicians.