January 2, 2007

This Is Spinal Tap (1984)


This Is Spinal Tap is a 1984 "mockumentary" directed by Rob Reiner and starring members of the heavy-metal band Spinal Tap. The film satirizes the wild behavior and musical pretensions of Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Queen, Aerosmith, KISS, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, The Beatles, etc.

Much of the film was ad libbed, and several dozen hours of footage were shot before Reiner edited it down to the released film. A 4½ hour bootleg version of the film exists and has been traded among fans and collectors for years.

Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest) showing off his guitar collection to Marty DiBergi (Reiner) whilst wearing "my exact inner structure, done in a tee shirt. Exactly medically accurate."

That scene:

"Pop, Look & Listen" - British TV, 1965, David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean) on the right
John "Stumpy" Pepys (Ed Begley Jr.), one of the first in a long line of Tap drummers

Performing "Give Me Some Money" (in color!):

Helping to spread "the word" (love) in '67 with a performance of "(Listen To The) Flower People":


Bass player Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer)



And their more recent incarnation:
Music video for "Hell Hole":

"Hell Hole," of course, is off of Tap's classic Smell the Glove LP from 1982:

none blacker

3 comments:

SamuraiFrog said...

Ah, Stumpy Peeps. I love this movie, one of the funniest I've ever seen (and obviously Christopher Guest thinks so, since he keeps making it over and over again). My favorite line: "Sex, drugs, and rock & roll? As long as there's, you know, sex and drugs, I could live without the rock & roll."

Chris said...

Good point about Guest! But it's to our advantage he keeps remaking it, don't you think? I like Nigel's short line: "What's wrong with being sexist?"

Anonymous said...

When I was watching the video clips, I had to turn my speakers up to "11" because I needed that extra push over the cliff...