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This Is Spinal Tap

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This Is Spinal Tap
Company typeFilm
IndustryEntertainment
Founded1984; 42 years ago (1984)
FounderRob Reiner, Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer
Headquarters
United States
ProductsMockumentary comedy film

This Is Spinal Tap (officially presented as This Is Spın̈al Tap: A Rockumentary by Martin Di Bergi) is a 1984 American mockumentary comedy film marking the feature directorial debut of Rob Reiner, who also co-wrote the screenplay. The movie stars and was co-written by Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer, portraying members of the fictitious British heavy metal band Spinal Tap, described as "one of England's loudest bands".[1] Reiner appears as Martin "Marty" Di Bergi, a documentary filmmaker capturing the band’s American tour. The film parodies the conduct of rock bands and the reverential tone typical of rock documentaries such as The Song Remains the Same (1976) and The Last Waltz (1978), drawing inspiration from works like All You Need Is Cash (1978) by the Rutles.[2]

Upon release, This Is Spinal Tap received widespread critical praise but achieved only moderate box office success, later gaining substantial popularity and cult status through its VHS distribution. In 2002, it was inducted into the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for its cultural, historical, and artistic importance. The film is widely acknowledged for pioneering the mockumentary genre[1] and introducing the term "Up to eleven".

A follow-up film, Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, directed again by Reiner with Guest, McKean, and Shearer reprising their original roles as members of Spinal Tap reuniting for a final performance, is planned for release in September 2025.

Plot

Documentarian Martin "Marty" Di Bergi chronicles the 1982 U.S. concert tour of English rock group Spinal Tap, who are promoting their album Smell the Glove. The lineup features lifelong friends David St. Hubbins and Nigel Tufnel (vocals and guitar), bassist Derek Smalls, keyboardist Viv Savage, and drummer Mick Shrimpton.

The narrative follows Spinal Tap’s progression from their origins as a skiffle ensemble called The Originals—briefly renamed the New Originals—to their incarnation as the Thamesmen with the hit single "Gimme Some Money," before adopting the Spinal Tap identity and achieving success with "Listen to the Flower People" during their transition to heavy metal. A recurring joke involves several drummers dying under bizarre circumstances: John "Stumpy" Pepys in a gardening mishap, Eric "Stumpy Joe" Childs by choking, and Peter "James" Bond in an onstage explosion. Nigel displays his vast guitar collection along with a custom amplifier featuring volume knobs that go up to eleven, symbolizing an extra degree of loudness.

As tensions escalate, manager Ian Faith struggles with canceled gigs due to poor ticket sales and record stores refusing to stock Smell the Glove because of its provocative cover art. David’s girlfriend Jeanine, who practices yoga and astrology, joins the tour and begins influencing band decisions, leading to conflicts with Nigel and Ian. Without consulting the band, the label releases Smell the Glove featuring a plain black cover; although Ian likens it to the Beatles' White Album, sales disappoint.

Nigel envisions an extravagant Druid-themed glam rock performance and orders a Stonehenge trilithon prop but misjudges its dimensions—receiving an 18-inch model instead of 18 feet—resulting in public ridicule. Ian resigns after David suggests Jeanine should become co-manager. The tour proceeds in smaller venues with Nigel increasingly marginalized. After quitting mid-set at a U.S. Air Force base show, Nigel misses their subsequent performance where they improvise an ill-received "Jazz Odyssey."

On the final day of touring, David and Derek contemplate disbanding to focus on new ventures such as a Jack the Ripper musical titled Saucy Jack. Nigel returns with news that their track "Sex Farm" has become a major success in Japan and that Ian plans to organize a tour there. Initially reluctant, David eventually invites Nigel back onstage, much to fans’ delight but causing tension with Jeanine. During this concert, Mick detonates onstage. Ian is rehired, and Spinal Tap—with new drummer Joe "Mama" Besser—commences sold-out performances in Japan.

Cast


Background

In the late 1960s, Michael McKean and Christopher Guest crossed paths in New York City and began making music together. Their collaboration expanded to include Harry Shearer and Rob Reiner for a 1978 television pilot titled The TV Show, which introduced a satirical rock band named Spinal Tap. During filming, an incident where McKean was burned by an on-stage oil effect led them to improvise characters that eventually became David St. Hubbins and Nigel Tufnel.

Christopher Guest had already used the name "Nigel Tufnel" while playing guitar on Michael McKean and David Lander's album Lenny and the Squigtones.

Development

Filming took place in Los Angeles over a period of five weeks using handheld 16mm cameras. Scenes featuring a visit to Elvis Presley's gravesite were shot in Altadena using a replica, with the band performing "Heartbreak Hotel" due to licensing limitations.

Rob Reiner obtained $60,000 from Marble Arch Productions to collaborate with McKean, Guest, and Shearer on a screenplay centered around the Spinal Tap personas. When they realized that a traditional script failed to capture their concept effectively, they produced a short demonstration reel instead. Although initially turned down by several studios, television producer Norman Lear eventually endorsed the project, providing a $2 million budget.

The majority of dialogue was spontaneously created; actors received only scene outlines and character backgrounds, improvising their lines during filming. Frequently, first takes were preserved to maintain authentic reactions. While Reiner aimed to credit all cast members as writers, only he, Guest, McKean, and Shearer received official writing acknowledgment due to Writers' Guild regulations.

Peter Smokler, a documentary cameraman, served as cinematographer and employed a handheld cinéma vérité technique. The movie was filmed in a documentary style without a formal script or shooting schedule, generating over 100 hours of raw footage that required editing by three different editors.

The project drew inspiration from documentaries such as Dont Look Back (1967), which chronicles Bob Dylan, and The Last Waltz (1978), focusing on The Band. A backstage confusion sequence was influenced by footage of Tom Petty disoriented at a German venue. For research purposes, Reiner attended a concert by Judas Priest, describing it as an intense physical experience. Additionally, keyboardist John Sinclair’s time touring with Uriah Heep at an Air Force base contributed elements to the storyline.

During post-production, Christopher Guest ensured that finger placements on instruments were consistent with the music during concert scenes, even reshooting footage when necessary for accuracy.

The character Jeanine, David's disruptive girlfriend, was introduced during filming to provide narrative cohesion and address studio concerns about lacking plot structure. The role went to June Chadwick, who impressed with her improvisational ability and chemistry; initially, Victoria Tennant was also considered.

Robert Bauer returned to portray Moke, reprising his role from another Rob Reiner film, The Sure Thing (1985).

Contemporary critiques

Upon its debut, Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times awarded the film a perfect four-star rating, describing This Is Spinal Tap as "one of the most intelligent, original, and funniest films of the year," highlighting its "clever, sharp" satire. He subsequently added it to his Great Movies collection, calling it "among the funniest films ever created."Gene Siskel from the Chicago Tribune also gave it four stars, emphasizing the film’s convincing depiction that led many to believe Spinal Tap was an actual band. Janet Maslin, critic for The New York Times, commended it as "a witty and playful satire" and evident as a passionate labor of love.

Reviewers praised not only its satire of rock star culture but also its ingenious spoof of documentary filmmaking techniques. David Ansen of Newsweek regarded it as "a parody of the documentary genre itself," featuring seemingly genuine archival footage from the fictitious band's history.

Though featuring cameo appearances by Anjelica Huston, Billy Crystal, and Patrick Macnee, numerous viewers were convinced Spinal Tap was a genuine group. Director Rob Reiner attributed this success to the film’s close mirroring of reality.

Later evaluations

This Is Spinal Tap is broadly considered one of 1984’s standout films, boasting a 96% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 75 critiques, with an average score of 8.60/10. The general critical consensus praises it as "intelligently directed, superbly performed, and filled with endlessly quotable lines," cementing its status as a comedy classic. On Metacritic, it holds a score of 92.

In 2002, the Library of Congress recognized the film's cultural, historical, and aesthetic importance by selecting it for preservation in the United States National Film Registry. The American Film Institute placed it at number 29 on its 2000 list titled 100 Years…100 Laughs. In 2008, Empire ranked it #48 among The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time. It also appears in The New York Timess compilation of The Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made and was included in Total Films 2010 list of The 100 Greatest Movies of All Time.

Entertainment Weekly described it as "too beloved to overlook" in their 100 Greatest Movies of All Time. In 2011, Time Out London declared it the greatest comedy film ever made. The Writers Guild of America placed its screenplay at number 11 in their 101 Funniest Screenplays list in 2015. Composer Stephen Sondheim has also cited it among his preferred films.

Musicians’ responses

The movie struck a chord with numerous musicians. Artists such as Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, Jerry Cantrell, Dee Snider, and Ozzy Osbourne recounted backstage experiences akin to Spinal Tap’s confusion navigating arena corridors. George Lynch (musician) from Dokken exclaimed, "That's us! How did they make a film about us?" Glenn Danzig likened it to his former band, the Misfits, stating, "When I first saw Spinal Tap, I thought, 'That’s my old band.'"

Lars Ulrich remarked that Metallica’s 1992 Guns N' Roses/Metallica Stadium Tour felt "very Spinal Tap." This tour promoted Metallica's "black album." Early on during this tour, Metallica’s James Hetfield suffered third-degree burns caused by pyrotechnics. At the backstage area during The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert, Metallica met with Spinal Tap and discussed how their "black album" paid tribute to Spinal Tap's fictional album Smell the Glove, as documented on Metallica's DVD A Year and a Half in the Life of Metallica.

In a 1992 interview, members of Nirvana declined an invitation to appear in the film Singles. Kurt Cobain remarked, "There has never been a truly good documentary about rock bands." His bandmate Dave Grohl added, "Except for Spinal Tap, that was the only rock movie worth watching," with Cobain concurring and also mentioning D.A. Pennebaker’s Dont Look Back.

During a 1997 interview with Spin, Aerosmith guitarist Brad Whitford revealed that Steven Tyler initially failed to see humor in the film. At that time, Aerosmith’s album Rock in a Hard Place prominently featured Stonehenge imagery on its cover.

U2 guitarist The Edge shared in It Might Get Loud that upon first viewing Spinal Tap, he "did not laugh; I wept," recognizing how accurately it portrayed what major-label rock had become.

In 2023, Chris Frantz from Talking Heads reflected, "We watched Spinal Tap, and I realized I could never take myself seriously again."

Application of Spinal Tap as a descriptive label

The expression Spinal Tap evolved into a popular derogatory term aimed at bands perceived as overly self-important or pretentious. George Lynch remarked that the more seriously a band presented itself, the more it resembled Spinal Tap. After attending a 1986 show by the metal group Venom, vocalist Henry Rollins likened them to Spinal Tap. In their Behind the Music features, Rudy Sarzo of Quiet Riot and Robbin Crosby from Ratt also compared their own bands to Spinal Tap. For example, Quiet Riot’s fourth studio album, Condition Critical, was critically panned by J. D. Considine in Musician magazine with the scathing comment "Prognosis: Terminal," echoing the infamous "Shit Sandwich" joke from Spinal Tap. Likewise, Considine offered a terse critique of GTR’s debut album, simply labeling it "SHT." Mike Mills of R.E.M. described the band’s early touring experiences as "very Spinal Tap," particularly noting performances at a U.S. Air Force base.

Rob Reiner, during preparations for the film, noted that Judas Priest had cycled through eight drummers—a level of instability Ultimate Classic Rock described as fitting for Spinal Tap’s style. Steve Rothery, guitarist for Marillion, recounted a period between their first two albums when they employed five different drummers within a year, calling it "like Spinal Tap." In the documentary Pearl Jam Twenty, members humorously admit to having had five drummers despite maintaining a steady core group, joking that this was "very Spinal Tap of us." The film even includes a mock silent short explaining their frequent drummer changes.

Anvil, a Canadian heavy metal band featuring drummer Robb Reiner, has earned the nickname "the real Spinal Tap" because of their misfortunes depicted in the documentary Anvil! The Story of Anvil.

The phrase "Turn it up to 11," which originated from the film, has since entered everyday language as an idiom meaning to push something beyond its usual limits.

Legal dispute

On October 17, 2016, actor Harry Shearer initiated a $125 million lawsuit alleging fraud and breach of contract against StudioCanal, holder of the film’s rights, and its parent company Vivendi. Shearer claimed that over thirty years he and his fellow cast members had received only $179 from merchandise and music sales related to the film. The lawsuit sought to revoke StudioCanal’s copyright ownership of This Is Spinal Tap. In February 2017, co-stars Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and director Rob Reiner joined Shearer’s suit, collectively demanding $400 million in damages. Vivendi moved to dismiss the case later that month.

By September 2017, a judge dismissed Shearer, Reiner, and McKean from the lawsuit. The plaintiffs then amended their complaint in October to include Universal Music Group (UMG), another Vivendi subsidiary responsible for releasing the soundtrack via its Polydor label. They also aimed to reclaim copyrights relating to the film itself, its songs, and characters.

In August 2018, judicial ruling permitted Guest, Reiner, McKean, and Shearer to proceed with fraud allegations against Vivendi. By November 2019, an agreement was reached concerning soundtrack sales: UMG retained distribution rights while ownership of music rights was set to revert back to Shearer, Guest, and McKean. A separate settlement addressing merchandising rights with Vivendi and StudioCanal was finalized in September 2020, with further details resolved in subsequent months.

Home media

This Is Spinal Tap initially debuted on VHS in 1984 through Embassy Home Entertainment. A decade later, in 1994, it was included in the Criterion Collection as a LaserDisc edition titled This Is Spinal Tap: Special Edition. The film has also seen two separate releases on DVD.

The earliest DVD version appeared in 1998 as part of the Criterion series, presented in letterbox format and featuring bonus content from the 1994 Criterion LaserDisc release. Notably, this is the sole double-sided DVD in Criterion's catalog and is currently out of print. Extras included two audio commentaries, 79 minutes of deleted footage, the original twenty-minute pitch short called Spinal Tap: The Final Tour, trailers, a television promo, and a music video for "Hell Hole". After just two years on the market, this edition became a sought-after collector’s piece. Much of this supplementary content was previously available on a 1994 CD-ROM released by The Voyager Company.

In 2000, MGM Home Entertainment issued another special edition containing comparable bonus features alongside a new audio commentary with Guest, McKean, and Shearer performing in character; approximately 70 minutes of deleted scenes (including some previously unseen); a short titled Catching Up with Marty Di Bergi; additional TV promos; music videos; and excerpts from The Joe Franklin Show. This version, produced by Automat Pictures, did not include the film’s burned-in subtitles nor the Criterion commentaries but instead offered player-generated subtitles.

During the 2000s, an extended 270-minute workprint version emerged online, showcasing numerous unreleased scenes.

To mark its 25th anniversary, a Blu-ray edition was released on July 28, 2009. This set contains all extras from the MGM DVD along with an interview featuring Nigel discussing Stonehenge and the band’s Live Earth performance of "Stonehenge." While it excludes Criterion commentaries and a promised avatar feature, it restores the subtitles missing from MGM’s DVD. The Region B UK release adds a new one-hour documentary featuring celebrity fans, promotional materials, an EPK for Back From The Dead, an interview with Reg Presley about Troggs’ influence, and segments from The Return Of Spinal Tap, although it omits both the Di Bergi short and Joe Franklin footage.

The Criterion Collection has announced plans for an Ultra HD Blu-ray and remastered Blu-ray release scheduled for September 15, 2025. This edition will be based on a 4K restoration and is set to be the first since Criterion’s original DVD to include both crew commentary tracks—previously exclusive to Criterion editions.

Coinciding with the announcement of Spinal Tap II, distributor Bleecker Street secured all domestic distribution rights for the original film in March 2025. These rights were obtained directly from the filmmakers and CAA Media Finance, granting Bleecker Street control over all future distribution avenues including home media.

Appearances in other media

Harry Shearer, who played Derek Smalls, became a prominent voice actor on The Simpsons, lending his voice to characters such as Principal Skinner, Mr. Burns, and Ned Flanders. The members of Spinal Tap reprised their roles in the episode "The Otto Show", which featured a concert that spirals into chaos culminating in a tour bus accident.

On the Internet Movie Database, users can rate Spinal Tap up to eleven stars—a nod to the famous "Up to eleven" scene. On IGN, it remains unique as the only DVD ever rated 11 out of 10. This iconic scene was also referenced in news coverage following the passing of amplifier pioneer James Charles "Jim" Marshall, whose equipment is featured in the film. Richard D. Titus, BBC UX&D Controller, incorporated a Spinal Tap-inspired volume control that extends to eleven within BBC iPlayer. The phrase has since entered everyday language, including descriptions related to sensory overload experienced by individuals with autism.

Fran Drescher returned as Bobbi Flekman during the fifth season of The Nanny, portraying Flekman as a record label producer and former business partner of Maxwell Sheffield (Charles Shaughnessy). In one episode, Drescher’s character impersonates Flekman to thwart an alleged seduction attempt.

Outside of music-related references, author J. K. Rowling cited Spinal Tap’s recurring drummer mishaps as inspiration for the cursed Defence Against The Dark Arts teaching positions in her Harry Potter series.

In 2018, the biographical comic That Was Spinal Tap was published. It chronicles both the fictional band’s narrative and the real-life creators behind it. The script was penned by Rock 'N' Roll Comics co-creator Jay Allen Sanford.

Sequels

In 1992, a follow-up titled The Return of Spinal Tap was issued to coincide with the release of Break Like the Wind. This installment incorporated scenes from a Spinal Tap performance at the Royal Albert Hall, revisiting the original movie's "Stonehenge" gag by featuring an oversized stage prop.

Director Rob Reiner revealed in May 2022 that a new sequel was in development, with Reiner returning as DiBergi and original members McKean, Shearer, and Guest reprising their roles as Spinal Tap bandmates. The film includes guest appearances from notable figures such as Elton John, Paul McCartney, Garth Brooks, Questlove, and Trisha Yearwood.

This project represents the first production by Castle Rock Entertainment since its revival in 2021. Filming commenced in February 2024, followed by Bleecker Street securing distribution rights in March 2025, targeting a theatrical release in September. Additionally, Bleecker Street obtained rights to the original film and planned a "41st Anniversary" re-release in July to build anticipation for the upcoming sequel.

Related works

  • The 1984 single "Christmas with the Devil," serving as a follow-up.
  • Inside Spinal Tap (1985), a companion volume authored by Peter Occhiogrosso, later updated for the UK audience in 1992.
  • Michael McKean and Harry Shearer portrayed David St. Hubbins and Derek Smalls within the charity ensemble Hear 'n Aid, which released the UK-charting single "Stars" (#26) in 1986.
  • The album Break Like the Wind (1992).
  • An episode of The Simpsons titled "The Otto Show" (1992) featuring Spinal Tap.
  • This Is Spinal Tap: The Official Companion (2000), containing band history, film script, discography, lyrics, and an A–Z guide; primarily drawn from Occhiogrosso’s book and DVD extras.
  • Back from the Dead (2009), released as both an album and DVD.
  • Unplugged and Unwigged (2009), a live DVD showcasing performances by Guest, McKean, and Shearer.
  • Smalls Change (Meditations on Ageing) (2018), a solo album by Shearer under his Derek Smalls persona, featuring a track co-written with "David St. Hubbins".

See also

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named arnold
  2. ↑ Much of the dialogue was improvised, with a large amount of footage recorded.
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