When you enter my home, you are greeted by the movie poster for "This Is Spinal Tap." My wife and I watched it on our first date. I remember seeing it in a theater shortly after it opened. I still own a copy of the soundtrack... on vinyl. So I figured I would start this project in my comfort zone, a film I knew quite well. It's been a few years since I last took in this classic, and in watching it today, it still generates many laughs.
Several scenes from "This Is Spinal Tap" will elicit a response from people regardless of the number of times they've seen it. Amplifiers that go to eleven... dwarves dancing around Stonehenge... Harry Shearer unable to escape his pod... airport security and produce... the list could go on. But once you get past the big laughs, you find a lot of subtle humor and tossed off lines that occasionally get lost in the quick pace of the film (it only runs 82 minutes). One example is a scene featuring their manager Ian (Tony Hendra), complaining about the record company experimenting with new packaging material. Derek (Shearer) wonders if monkeys are opening them (hey, it made me laugh).
In watching "This Is Spinal Tap", you realize that not a single performance in this film is wasted, especially the cameos. Fred Willard, Bruno Kirby, and Paul Shaffer are hilarious in small roles, although one of my favorites is Ed Begley Jr.in a wordless appearance.
Spinal Tap's influence has spread through several movies, and it seems to be impossible to make a music-related film without the comparison. Simply stated, it's a brilliant piece of comedy.
Rating: 10/10
Movies I've previously seen: 1
First time viewings: 0
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