Customer Reviews

This is Spinal Tap (Widescreen) [Import]

5 star:		(166)
4 star:		(22)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

Alright, I'm not going to bore you with the details or story of this sublime Reiner "documentary," nor am I going to babble on and on about how spot-on a parody of NWOBHM (that's "New Wave Of British Heavy Metal" to the uninitiated) this is.

Instead, I will offer you some quotes. Those alone should give you plenty of insight as to why this is one of the greatest movies of all time. To wit:

"Oh, there actually is, uh... there was a Saint Hubbins?"
"That's right, yes."
"What was he the saint of?"
"He was the patron saint of quality footwear."

"You know, just simple lines intertwining, you know, very much like - I'm really influenced by Mozart and Bach, and it's sort of in between those, really. It's like a Mach piece, really. It's sort of..."
"What do you call this?"
"Well, this piece is called "Lick My Love Pump".

"As long as there's, you know, sex and drugs, I can do without the rock and roll."

"Here lies David St. Hubbins... and why not?"

"Dozens of people spontaneously combust each year. It's just not really widely reported."

"It's like, how much more black could this be? and the answer is none. None more black."

"We are Spinal Tap from the UK - you must be the USA!"

"You can't really dust for vomit."

"This pretentious ponderous collection of religious rock psalms is enough to prompt the question, 'What day did the Lord create Spinal Tap, and couldn't he have rested on that day too?'"

And of course: "Why don't you just make ten louder and make ten be the top number and make that a little louder?
"These go to eleven."

Not laughing? Well, the visuals are even funnier--malfunctioning stage props, a guitar solo that probably singlehandedly gave birth to the "neo-classical" shred style, unique ways to use a violin, and of course lots and lots of retarded sexuality and bad poetry. Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Derek Shearer absolutely NAIL it. Everybody should have this film. Especially metalheads who aren't afraid to have a good, long laugh at themselves.

It was a gift, so at least no negative feedback. Great for anyone with a sense of humour about rock n roll.

This movie was 20 years ahead of its time. When it came out is was not appreciated for its genius. This movie never becomes tiresome. If you need a laugh watch this movie.

and clever and relevant and probably spot on in regards to how some people in the music and entertainment industry act.i loved the British accents ,and some of the gags are just too funny.the motley mix of characters are also great.the music actually isn't too bad sometimes,though i suspect that's probably unintentional.usually it's dog awful,and very funny which i think it's supposed to be.for a movie that's a quarter century old,you'd think it would feel dated,but i didn't think so at all.a lot of that is probably due to the writing of Christopher Guest and Michael McKean.for me,This is Spinal Tap is a well deserved 5/5)

The classic This is Spinal Tap is truly the greatest depiction of a rock band in cinematic history. I remember watching this for the first time with my buddies...everything thats happened in this movie has happened to me. The guy getting stuck in the pod, the tour dates being cancelled, playing under a puppet show, all of it!! And my buddies are sitting there laughing and Im like....this isnt funny. And THATS what makes the movie so great.....its SO realistic.

The definitive rock and roll band movie.....get it today!!

When this film was originally released, its targets were hard rock bands like Whitesnake and Dio, along with overly pretentious concert films like The Last Waltz and Song Remains the Same. 20 years later, the film still holds up - and practically everything in it could apply to newer bands like the Darkness, and VH1's ridiculous Behind the Music TV series. Why? The cast and creators manage to walk the fine line between satire and homage while staying in love with the spirit of rock n'roll. Sure, band members Nigel, David, and Derek may be half-witted hacks but we love them because they reflect not only most of our rock heroes - but our rock fantasies as well. There's a sense of joy in this film that's absent in many 'serious' rock bands and films that are soon forgotten. Director Rob Reiner was also smart enough not to aim for a constant barrage of one-liners and slapstick. There's actually a story and a subtext here that most parody films totally lack. The DVD comes with a grab-bag of Spinal Tap goodies, including a hilarious commentary track and rock videos. This one's a comedy for the ages.

the greatest movie ever. i love this movie soo much. thank. out of one to 5 stars, i'D GIVE IT ELEVEN!

Its ONE star louder.

Classic movie and the humor is timeless.

Its funny that there are so many people today that don't realize that "Spinal Tap" began as a total parody.

Hilarious! I too was curious about the difference between this special edition and the criterion version, so I did a little internet research and found an entire page devoted to this question. www.thedigitalbits.com/reviews/thisisspinaltapse.html
Read it and you decide. I'm going with the Special. Hope this helps.

The Special Edition release of This is Spinal Tap packs a lot of extras--really too many to describe in a review. We know we're in the right place when we hear the band commenting on the menu as the disk loads (predictably, it's hilarious). In addition to a pristine (almost too slick for what's supposed to be a low-budget documentary), anamorphic transfer of the film with quite good sound, we're treated to:

Audio commentary by Spinal Tap (I haven't sampled this yet),

Six TV commercials,

Two TV "appearances" including a Flower People Press Conference and an interview with Joe Franklin,

Over an hour's worth of outtakes that are almost a film in themselves. While it's all unessential (helping us to appreciate just how well edited this film is), much of it is priceless. This footage is full-screen and looks appropriately cheesy,

Catching Up with Marty DiBergi--an interview with the embittered director,

Music videos, commercials, and "Promotional Materials" that include trailers, TV spots, and the like.

Everything is, of course, played excruciatingly straight. In addition, MGM really did it right (unlike, say, Universal, who lately always do it wrong); there are chapters for every feature so one can easily navigate, and there's no annoying self-promoting of other MGM titles. There's not one thing wrong with this release, including the price, and it's in a nice keep case rather than a crummy cardboard snap case, too. If you agree with me, drop MGM a line to let them know they're on the right track. Highest recommendation for a job well done.
BTW, are there REALLY viewers who think this is an actual documentary?!