Day 12: This is Spinal Tap (1984)

“This is Spinal Tap,” directed by Rob Reiner (or should I say Marty DeBergi?) and starring Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer, is probably the first real “cult” movie I’ve watch during the Criterion Summer and it definitely deserves its statues. Defying the normal aesthetics of a fictional film by blending in the techniques of a documentary, “Spinal Tap” has become the staple for a whole new hybrid of comedy- the mockumentary. With its dry wit and lack of mugging to the camera, Reiner and friends developed a style all its own, which, in its first release, baffled and confused many- including some closest to the rock music industry.

“This is Spinal Tap” records the travels and tribulations of the British rock band, “Spinal Tap,” featuring David St. Hubbins (McKean), Derek Smalls (Shearer) and Nigel Tufnel (Guest), who go about their United States comeback tour in a tailspin to failure. From the very beginning, trouble brews as touring dates get canceled and the record company debates releasing their new album, “Smell the Glove,” altogether. On top of that, egos get a hold in the group and fighting grows regular when Hubbin’s girlfriend, Jeanine, takes charge of their entire tour- having them play at an air force base and in front of half-filled areas. For Nigel, it’s the last straw and he abandons the group, leaving them sans a lead guitarist. With a bleak future for their music in sight, Hubbins and Smalls will have to crank it up to eleven if they plan to play another day and unite once again with Nigel through what has always made them what they are- rock-an-roll.

Upon it’s release, “This is Spinal Tap” was only a moderate success, leaving many in the audience, as one would expect, confused by the concept. Even with cameos by the likes of Dana Carvey and Billy Crystal, a number of people thought the fictional band real and the film itself an actual documentary. Reiner once admitted, “when ”Spinal Tap” initially came out, everybody thought it was a real band…the reason it did go over everybody’s head was that it was very close to home.” And close to home it was for several prominent figures in the rock industry.

It’s said that several huge rockstars found the material so relatable that they couldn’t find the humor in the band’s predicaments. For the members of “Black Sabbath,” getting lost back stage while trying to find their audience was common and, when witnessed in “Spinal Tap,” they could only nod their heads in understanding. Glenn Danzig, a former member of “The Mistfits,” once even said, ”When I first saw Spinal Tap, I was like, ‘Hey, this is my old band.’”

For some artists, “Spinal Tap” was considered a tragic tale that epitomized, for them, what had become of the music industry. It’s said that Tom Waits cried after watching it, as did U2′s The Edge, who was quoted as saying, ”I didn’t laugh, I cried, because it summed up what a brainless swamp big-label rock music had become.” In fact, soon after the film’s release, its title gained verb statues for times when a band took themselves too seriously or had an incident resembling something in the film. Henry Rollins once called a 1986 concert by metal band “Venom” “so Spinal Tap” and R.E.M.’s Mike Mills described their early tours the same way- even to the point where they played an air force base.

Although first received with confusion, “This is Spinal Tap” has went on to be considered one of the greatest comedies of all time not to mention a direct influence on such programs as Ricky Gervais’s “The Office” and Christopher Guest’s own mockumentaries “Waiting for Guffman,”Best in Show,” and “A Mighty Wind.” But, probably the most surreal result of the film’s success is that “Spinal Tap” is now an actual band, with the film’s actors having recorded two albums and been on tour. Rock on.

To find out more about “This is Spinal Tap,” check out Criterion’s page here.

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