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MusicComedy

This Is Spinal Tap

- Prepare to crank those amps up to eleven

"This Is Spinal Tap" shines a light on the self-contained universe of a metal band struggling to get back on the charts, including everything from its complicated history of ups and downs, gold albums, name changes and undersold concert dates, along with the full host of requisite groupies, promoters, hangers-on and historians, sessions, release events and those special behind-the-scenes moments that keep it all real.

Release Date : 1984-03-02

Language :EnglishJapanese

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Spinal Tap Prod.Embassy Films AssociatesEmbassy Pictures

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles : Rock 'n' Roll NightmareThis is Spinal Tap®: A Rockumentary by Martin Di BergiThis Is Spın̈al Tap

Cast

Christopher Guest

Character Name : Nigel Tufnel

Original Name : Christopher Guest

Gender : Male

Michael McKean

Character Name : David St. Hubbins

Original Name : Michael McKean

Gender : Male

Harry Shearer

Character Name : Derek Smalls

Original Name : Harry Shearer

Gender : Male

Rob Reiner

Character Name : Marty DiBergi

Original Name : Rob Reiner

Gender : Male

June Chadwick

Character Name : Jeanine Pettibone

Original Name : June Chadwick

Gender : Female

Bruno Kirby

Character Name : Tommy Pischedda

Original Name : Bruno Kirby

Gender : Male

Ed Begley Jr.

Character Name : John 'Stumpy' Pepys

Original Name : Ed Begley Jr.

Gender : Male

Fran Drescher

Character Name : Bobbi Flekman

Original Name : Fran Drescher

Gender : Female

Dana Carvey

Character Name : Mime Waiter

Original Name : Dana Carvey

Gender : Male

Sandy Helberg

Character Name : Angelo DiMentibelio

Original Name : Sandy Helberg

Gender : Male

Billy Crystal

Character Name : Morty the Mime

Original Name : Billy Crystal

Gender : Male

Paul Benedict

Character Name : Tucker 'Smitty' Brown

Original Name : Paul Benedict

Gender : Male

Howard Hesseman

Character Name : Terry Ladd

Original Name : Howard Hesseman

Gender : Male

Russ Kunkel

Character Name : Eric 'Stumpy Joe' Childs

Original Name : Russ Kunkel

Gender : Male

Joyce Hyser

Character Name : Belinda

Original Name : Joyce Hyser

Gender : Female

Paul Shaffer

Character Name : Artie Fufkin

Original Name : Paul Shaffer

Gender : Male

Archie Hahn

Character Name : Room Service Guy

Original Name : Archie Hahn

Gender : Male

Fred Willard

Character Name : Colonel on Military Base

Original Name : Fred Willard

Gender : Male

Anjelica Huston

Character Name : Polly Deutsch

Original Name : Anjelica Huston

Gender : Female

Brinke Stevens

Character Name : Girlfriend (uncredited)

Original Name : Brinke Stevens

Gender : Female

Patrick Macnee

Character Name : Sir Denis Eton-Hogg

Original Name : Patrick Macnee

Gender : Male

Tony Hendra

Character Name : Ian Faith

Original Name : Tony Hendra

Gender : Male

R.J. Parnell

Character Name : Mick Shrimpton

Original Name : R.J. Parnell

Gender : Male

David Kaff

Character Name : Viv Savage

Original Name : David Kaff

Gender : Male

Danny Kortchmar

Character Name : Ronnie Pudding

Original Name : Danny Kortchmar

Gender : Male

Julie Payne

Character Name : Mime Waitress

Original Name : Julie Payne

Gender : Female

Zane Buzby

Character Name : Rolling Stone Reporter

Original Name : Zane Buzby

Gender : Male

Paul Shortino

Character Name : Duke Fame

Original Name : Paul Shortino

Gender : Male

Lara Cody

Character Name : Fame Groupie

Original Name : Lara Cody

Gender : Female

Andrew J. Lederer

Character Name : Student Promoter

Original Name : Andrew J. Lederer

Gender : Male

Victory Tischler-Blue

Character Name : Cindy

Original Name : Victory Tischler-Blue

Gender : Male

Gloria Gifford

Character Name : Airport Security Officer

Original Name : Gloria Gifford

Gender : Female

Charles Levin

Character Name : Disc 'n' Dat Manager

Original Name : Charles Levin

Gender : Male

Donald Kendrick

Character Name : Background Vocalist

Original Name : Donald Kendrick

Gender : Male

Wonderful Smith

Character Name : Backstage Maintenance Worker

Original Name : Wonderful Smith

Gender : Male

Kimberly Stringer

Character Name : Heavy Metal Fan

Original Name : Kimberly Stringer

Gender : Male

Chazz Dominguez

Character Name : Heavy Metal Fan

Original Name : Chazz Dominguez

Gender : Male

Shari Hall

Character Name : Heavy Metal Fan

Original Name : Shari Hall

Gender : Male

Jean Cromie

Character Name : Ethereal Fan

Original Name : Jean Cromie

Gender : Male

Patrick Maher

Character Name : New York M.C.

Original Name : Patrick Maher

Gender : Male

Memo Vera

Character Name : Bartender

Original Name : Memo Vera

Gender : Male

Robin Menken

Character Name : Angelo's Associate

Original Name : Robin Menken

Gender : Male

Jennifer Child

Character Name : Limo Groupie

Original Name : Jennifer Child

Gender : Male

J.J. Barry

Character Name : Rack Jobber

Original Name : J.J. Barry

Gender : Male

George McDaniel

Character Name : Southern Rock Promoter

Original Name : George McDaniel

Gender : Male

Anne Churchill

Character Name : Reba

Original Name : Anne Churchill

Gender : Male

Cherie Darr

Character Name : Fame Groupie

Original Name : Cherie Darr

Gender : Male

Diana Duncan

Character Name : 'Jamboree Bop' Dancer

Original Name : Diana Duncan

Gender : Male

Gina Marie Pitrello

Character Name : 'Jamboree Bop' Dancer

Original Name : Gina Marie Pitrello

Gender : Male

Gina Jourard

Character Name : 'Jamboree Bop' Dancer (as Gina Marie Pitrello)

Original Name : Gina Jourard

Gender : Female

Reviews

A

Ahmetaslan27

@Ahmetaslan27

2023-07-29

Am I the only one getting bored or not? It's probably because I don't like that loud noise

C

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2024-02-02

So the legendary British rockers "Spinal Tap" are on the comeback trail. After a dry spell in the USA, they determine to take their provocative new album and their film-faking fan "Marty" (Rob Reiner) and re-establish themselves as superstars. "Marty" has access to all aspects of their activities as he makes the ultimate fly-on-the-wall documentary depicting the ups and downs, warts and all, of this band of musicians who epitomise just about everything good, bad and excessive in the industry at which this film takes an entertaining swipe. Interspersed with some decently staged rock numbers that could easily have been seen on MTV, we are exposed to the extremes of venality and avarice, some completely bonkers lyrics and their gradual realisation that the grand stadium days are maybe long gone, now. The bickering always stays on the amiable side of toxic, but squabbles about their racy album cover being banned in Walmart, their shrinking appeal narrowed now to just to stoned-out students and their own peccadilloes deliver an enjoyably authentic looking and frequently quite funnily written analysis of life on the downward side of the showbiz mountain - and it's quite scathing of those who make a living out of it with little or no talent but a solid belief in what they see in the mirror. This is British sarcasm and irony at it's cinematic best, disguised in a faux environment that even now, after forty years, is still often laugh out loud.

F

Filipe Manuel Neto

@FilipeManuelNeto

2024-03-05

**Interesting, remarkable for its subgenre, credible… but I didn't find it funny.** I'm not a specific admirer of mockumentaries, but I recognize their value if they're funny. The film reports on the tour of a British rock band called Spinal Tap, and shows the enormous difficulties and crazy things they carry out on and off the stage. It's supposed to be a comedy... but, to be honest, it didn't make me laugh. I recognize the value that this film had for the cinematographic subgenre it launched, and the interest that the film has for cinema students and others who deepen their knowledge of the seventh art in greater detail. For me, as I'm just a guy who watches films because he likes them, it's different: it's harder to convince me to watch this a second time because of the many technical arguments they might use. Being a comedy, it has to be funny. If it doesn't, it failed as a comedy (even considering the fact that I may not be the target audience, that would just be a sign that it's not a film for me). Although it didn't make me laugh, I recognize that Rob Reiner does an interesting job and manages to give his film enormous authenticity on all levels. I wonder what fieldwork he did to prepare for the project, whether he spoke to journalists who follow the music industry, with bands or music artists, because in fact the film captures quite well the bizarre things that can happen on a rock tour. And the work of the main actors (Michael McKean, Harry Shearer, Christopher Guest) is equally worthy if we consider that much of what they say is improvised at that moment, not previously written. The film looks cheap and this is perhaps even intentional: the cinematography resembles a “found-footage” film, with the image shaky, poorly calibrated, full of grain at times. The sets are very good and the soundtrack, made for the film, is absolutely believable.