A Look Back at This is Spinal Tap (1984)

 

With the sequel arriving very soon, it's high time I review the 1984 classic.

This is Spinal Tap is a mockumentary comedy film. Spinal Tap Productions produced with Embassy Pictures doing distribution. Rob Reiner (long before he became a punching bag for bad political takes) directed but also wrote the story with Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer.

The story is, filmmaking Martin Di Bergi is filming the rock band Spinal Tap for his documentary. While filming, we see the band struggle with releasing their newest album, shows being canceled, and members leaving. Can Spinal Tap regain their previous success or is it high time for this band to up the guitars?

• Negatives

I've got nothing.

• Mix

I've still got nothing.

• Positives

Good news, I've got something for this section. Let's start with the pacing. The movie has a runtime of 1hr and 28mins and that runtime is used pretty well. Some bits might feel slow but I don't think it fully damaged any of the enjoyment.

My other bit of praise goes to the performances. Firstly the cast of Christopher Guest, Michael Mckean, and Harry Shearer have great chemistry. Their interplay is perfect. Their bickering that parodies rock bands felt real and they're fully committed to the bit. And I think the best showcase of that commitment is when they have to sing the over-the-top songs. Despite the ridiculous lyrics they never break character, they're faces are serious throughout.

Then there's the directing. I know I took at shot at Rob Reiner earlier but I can't deny he directed this perfectly. He struck a great balancing act by making sure the comedy never goes too far and feels like a cartoon. But the biggest praise to give his how he shot this. Despite having knowledge the band isn't real, Reiner made this look like an authentic documentary. The visuals look grainy, there's natural lighting, and some awkward zooms. A lot of stuff you'd expect from a documentary, especially one from the 80's.

The last thing I'll praise is the humor. Let's just start off by saying even though yes they are making fun of rock bands, it's clearly made out of love and not mean spiritedness. Then there's the music I mentioned previously. The fake songs whether it'd be "Hell Hole" or "Lick My Love Pump", all of the songs brilliantly parody heavy metal's excess. But my favorite part was the situations the band was in. There's a good gag where they tell stories of previous drummers dying in bizarre ways, but my favorite along with everybody else's is the Stonehenge bit. That was hilarious and I laughed my ass off with that one, especially the argument that came afterwards. That whole bit from beginning to middle to end was amazing.

This was my first time ever watching this and I can safely say I love This is Spinal Tap, and now fully understand why it's place in such a high regard.

My final rating is, A Must Watch!

That's all for now. Come back on Saturday, Sept 13th, my review of the sequel, Spinal Tap II: The End Continues. Hopefully it'll be just as good. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.