THIS IS SPINAL TAP

Viewing This is Spinal Tap turned out to be a very pleasant and unexpectedly good time! I’m neither a fan of heavy metal music nor of the mockumentary genre of films. Yet despite that, director Robert Reiner was able to deftly marry the two and provide me with 82 minutes of unexpected laughter and levity. This is Spinal Tap was released in 1984 and is often cited as being one of the best-made mockumentary films. For this reason, it was included in my 2023 film journey.

In his directorial debut, Reiner presents the story of a fake British heavy metal band called Spinal Tap. Reiner plays Marty DiBergi, a documentary filmmaker who is following the band on their American tour. The tour is meant to promote the band's new album, “Smell the Glove.” Spinal Tap has only ever had one minor hit, but they imagine themselves to be in the pantheon of great metal bands. They believe their U.S. tour to be their ticket to finding new fame and glory. Sadly, the members of the band are too inept to get out of their own way, and they continue to spiral into further embarrassment and infighting.

The primary members of the band are played by Michael McKeon, Christopher Guest, and Harry Shearer. These three are masters of improv, and because of their superlative performances, this movie never experiences the awkwardness that can often be present in mockumentary-style films. The outrageous antics of the band members are accentuated by a plethora of cameo performances by celebrities and up-and-coming stars such as Dana Carvey, Angelica Houston, Fran Drescher, Paul Benedict, Patrick Macnee, Billy Crystal, Howard Hesseman, Charles Levin, and Paul Schaffer.

I should mention that the band actually consists of four members, but Spinal Tap’s drummer position needs to constantly be refilled due to a myriad of bizarre deaths including spontaneous human combustion (two times!), gardening accidents, and choking to death on someone else’s vomit! As of the time of the documentary, the band has had 18 different drummers!

This is Spinal Tap is witty, wry, extremely well-edited and acted, and most of all… funny. It’s really, really funny… even for folk who don’t particularly care for heavy metal music or mockumentary-style films!