This Is Spinal Tap

This Is Spinal Tap is a film about such idiotic people that its genius may not be instantly apparent. To quote rocker Nigel Tufnel, it’s “a fine line between stupid and clever.” That’s the premise of director Rob Reiner’s first feature. Starring performers who have as much talent for music as they do comedy (Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer), the film is the finest mockumentary of its kind, or certainly the loudest. Rooted in documentary aesthetics, convincing heavy metal performances, and improvisational spontaneity, it looks, feels, and sounds like the real thing. If not for the ironies and comic markers throughout to indicate the film’s unserious intent, it might be mistaken for an authentic portrait of a real heavy metal rock band. Many mistook it for the genuine article upon its release in 1984. However, the more accurate it appears, the funnier it is. This Is Spinal Tap endures because it is effective as both satire and parody—the former infers mockery, often to make a point about the subject, whereas the latter mimics either in homage or derision. This Is Spinal Tap resolves to be both. It replicates the style of similar documentaries, commenting on musicians and the juvenile, hypermasculine rituals of the heavy metal lifestyle. It is a rich cultural critique of a musical genre, assembled in a convincing format. More importantly, it’s one of the funniest comedies ever made.

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