Isto é Spinal Tap

Spinal Tap has been called one of the funniest movies ever made by many people over the years. I had always been familiar with it. I was very familiar with almost 70% of the scenes: the amplifier that goes to 11, the Stonehenge dance, the inability to find the way onstage in Cleveland. Plus, when it was first released on VHS, I had rented and loved Fear of a Black Hat, a mockumentary about a rap group which more or less rips off every scene of This Is Spinal Tap. After finally sitting down with This Is Spinal Tap, I am still a fan of Fear of a Black Hat (and I recommend it to anyone who hasn't heard of it), but it can not come close to touching the genius of the collective vision of Rob Reiner, Christopher Guest, Micheal McKean and Harry Shearer. I laughed pretty much constantly, and belly laughs, all through the film. It does kind of slow down nearer the end with the bands falling apart (i.e., the plot gets in the way of the documentary), but there was never a scene in the film that didn't have something hilarious. I have to give this film 10/10. This Is Spinal Tarp, er, um, I mean Tap is one of the funniest comedies ever made.

THIS IS SPINAL TAP (1984) **** Rob Reiner, Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer (Cameos: Billy Crystal, Dana Carvey, Fran Drescher, Paul Shaffer, Howard Hesseman, Ed Begley, Jr., Fred Willard, Angelica Huston {note spelling!} ).

Hysterically funny and dead-on "rockumentary" spoof of absurd documentaries and lame so-called rock groups with wicked satirical approach and clever camera shots as well. Directed by Reiner (his debut) with accurate depiction of super-inflated egos, pompous hangers-on and hilarious intimate moments with great dialogue thanks to the improvisations of the trio who reportedly worked from no screenplay. Best moment: Spinal Tap trying to find the stage. And I personally agree with the keyboardist's philosophy of "Have a good time, all the time".

A classic, scathing lampoon of every successful rock band that's ever been guilty of taking themselves too seriously. Rob Reiner directs (and plays an important supporting role) but it seems like all he really needed to do was point a camera in the right direction, then edit several hours' worth of golden improvisational delight into a concise, intelligible ninety-minute package. It's a roaring parade of nonstop laughs, some blunt and easy, others sharp and witty. Famous bits like Christopher Guest's "this one goes to eleven" have been played to death but still elicit smiles, while deeper cuts, such as the band's reaction to contemporary critics or their infamous Stonehenge performance, land as if they were brand new. And the music is great, too, not just as a cutting satire, but as a convincing love letter to the days when power rock was all the rage and flocks of buzzed, well-feathered teens would still pack a stadium to hear the loudest noise on the planet.

Not too long ago, my classmates and I were allowed to bring in a DVD of our choice as it was nearing the end of the school term. Knowing that these pop culturists wouldn't be too happy to watch one of my 'arty cult films', I didn't give a shite and brought in 'This is Spinal Tap'. They quite happily agreed to put it on after I told them it was funny and had swearing in it. But soon, boredom started to sink in with the class. "Crap", they labelled it. "Boring", they yelled. After less than ten minutes, my teacher was changing the disk to, wait for it… 'The Others'. One of my chums, being a fan of the film, dismissed them as idiots. However, I told him it was all a matter of taste and that they would be much happier settling down to watch their 40-year-old virgins and American pies than this more subtly-coloured tin of paint. So as I walked over to the front of the classroom, tail between my legs, to pick up my DVD my teacher leaned over and said, "Don't worry, I liked it. You have to be cultured to enjoy this sort of thing." And you know what, she's right.

To be quite frank, 'Spinal Tap' is just like marmite. You'll either love everything about it or hate every frame of it. Some people say it's like watching wet paint dry, others say it was so funny it gave them a hernia. I definitely fall into that latter category. After the umpteenth viewing, I still find it painfully hilarious!

But that's not the only reason for seeing it. It's also a totally accurate, observational and witty deconstruction of rock's strutting pretensions. If you're someone who thinks rock bands take themselves far too seriously, you need this movie. If, on the other hand, you feel like rock stars should forever be treated like gods and worshipped on a regular basis, you might just want to avoid this. After all, when Aerosmith's Steven Tyler had finished watching it he said he just felt like he wanted to throw himself off a cliff! It reveals the utter shallowness of rock 'n' roll without even flinching!

If you're also a lover of in-your-face laugh-out-loud got-it-straight-away humour, just stay away. Far, far away. This is intellectual stuff. You have to possess intelligence to enjoy it. I've never met any stupid people who did enjoy this film.

Director Rob Reiner really shows how broad his range is with this (his best in my opinion!), bringing every authentic detail, no matter how seemingly minor, to the screen effortlessly with a wonderfully sharp cast. Its still a challenge to get my head around the fact that this is from the same tubby Santa Claus look-alike who made 'The Princess Bride' and 'Stand By Me'! Reiner has always been a man with extraordinarily wide horizons and always will be, constantly entertaining cinema-goers with so many different stories!

The film's fly-on-the-wall mockumentary style works wonders, getting some beautiful performances from its actors (namely Michael McKean and Christopher Guest) and adding to its 'natural' feel. Many films, mainly British ones, have imitated this style ever since. Even one of the film's actors and co-writers has stuck to the hip of this film for the most part of his career, coming up with new and even more outlandish 'mockumentaries' to entertain and sate his legion of followers.

On each viewing, you'll erupt into laughter at the discovery of a new joke. Then for weeks on end, you'll be quoting it to your friends and everyone you know. It's like a treasure trove without a bottom!

To finish this not-so-critical analysis, I can never find any fault or flaw even after the innumerable viewings I've had. I never get bored of it either. I think the reason I like this so much is, honestly, because it was made for people like me!

'This Is Spinal Tap' has been part of my life for so many years that it's hard to remember a time when I hadn't seen it. Having recently bought it on DVD and rewatched it for the nth time I was once again struck and just how clever and amusing this movie is. Christopher Guest and friends are not only very talented comedians with an amazing ability to improvise, but they know their music, and this is the real strength of the movie. Even though I have almost memorized every scene and joke it's STILL funny to me no matter how many times I watch it. Not only is the movie itself a classic, but the DVD is one of the best buys around with plenty of extras, deleted scenes, many as good as those chosen, and best of all a hilarious commentary by Tufnel, St Hubbins and Smalls which is even funnier than the movie itself. In fact it's the most entertaining DVD commentary track I've heard to date. This movie is a comedy classic, and easily the sharpest rock'n'roll parody ever made. If you haven't seen it before you're in for a treat! Absolutely essential viewing for all rock'n'roll fans, metal or otherwise!