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From Amazon.co.uk
The comedic genius of This Is Spinal Tap is confirmed by the fact that a majority of studio executives were utterly clueless about its brilliance. As a first-time director and cowriter, Rob Reiner must have felt simultaneously frustrated and elated, knowing that the obtuseness of movie executives was a clue to his debut project's potential greatness. Now, of course, the clarity of hindsight and the rarity of superior satire have turned This Is Spinal Tap into one of the funniest documentary spoofs of all time. Reiner and the members of "Tap" (Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer) couldn't have picked a better target for their satire, because heavy metal music in the early 1980s was already a borderline case of self-parody. From the bizarre, premature deaths of the band's drummers to the backstage squabbles over sexist cover art and meddling groupies, this movie scores about a hundred comedic bull's-eyes for lampooning every possible aspect of rock pomposity in the age of Kiss. It's a virtual bible of rock & roll irreverence, so accurate in its observations that it's become a tour-bus classic for real bands around the world. On the one-to-ten scale of satirical inspiration, This Is Spinal Tap is like the modified amplifiers that Christopher Guest so hilariously demonstrates: this one goes to 11. --Jeff Shannon
Product Description
Alfred Music Publishing is the world-s largest educational music publisher. Alfred produces educational, reference, pop, and performance materials for teachers, students, professionals, and hobbyists spanning every musical instrument, style, and difficulty level.
You're about to get personal with Spinal Tap, one of music history's greatest and loudest heavy metal bands, in this Special Edition "rockumentary" of England's legendary group. Go behind the scenes for an intimate look at a band whose time has come and gone and come again. Through interviews, rare footage, and lots of music, including classic Tap tunes like "Big Bottom" and "Hell Hole," you'll get acquainted with lead guitarist David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean), lead guitarist Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest), lead bassist Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer), and every drummer who ever lived and died for this renowned rock band. Be a part of the sights, sounds, and smells of this celebrated heavy metal phenomenon. It's an experience you'll never forget.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
22 of 22 people found the following review helpful
By "sarah18791"
Format:DVD
Well, what can I say! This has got to be the funniest film I have ever seen and their are just soo many classic moments and quotes that it is impossible to list them all here.
The 'Stonehenge' scene alone makes it my favourite comedy EVER, but that is not all it has to offer. Who could forget the famous amp scene (these go to eleven) or the pod prop diaster!
And this DVD has so much to offer as well, the deleted scenes is basically another film as well (I think there is an extra hour and a bit!)It's hard to beleive they left so much out. The best 'outtakes' have got to be the album signing scene and the zoo scene! There is also trailers, music videos, promotional stuff and loads more.
So if you fancy a film that never gets boring, never loses its comedy then watch this.
So to finish this review on the greatest film EVER, on a scale of 1 to 10, I give it.... 11!!
28 of 29 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
But it is not a line that Spinal Tap needs to worry about. Spinal Tap is a razor sharp spoof/satire.
Spinal Tap is a great comic movie - hilarious from start to finish. It takes the (much copied but never bettered) form of a mock documentary (or rockumentary, if you will) following the spoof band as they go on tour of the USA to promote their new album.
Heavy Metal may seem to be beyond parody but Spinal Tap manages. The band is a glorious, grotesque caricature of a heavy metal band: misogynist & sexist, vain, split by internal dissent and artistic differences and hopelessly lacking is self-awareness.
The boys in the band all excellent and totally convincing and there are a lots of great cameos. The songs are glorious parodies of heavy metal songs; listen to the lyrics, they are often hilarious (and of course deeply offensive). The film is full of laugh out loud moments and memorable lines that have entered the lexicon (the airport metal detector, turn it up to 11).
To cap it all off the extras (listed in the product description above) are fantastic and hilarious.
Buy it, watch it, enjoy it
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Did Elton John watch this before making Tantrums and Tiaras? Did Madonna see it before making 'In Bed with Madonna'? Have Metallica watched this before releasing `Metallica' (the black album)? Did U2 see this before visiting Graceland in Rattle and Hum? Have Velvet Revolver watched it before forming a band?
The humour throughout Spinal Tap is dry and observed rather than slapstick in your face and that is fine by me. Hissy fits about food, on stage pompous prop failure, the tuning of a violin used during a guitar solo, radio interference on stage, the constant replacement of drummers, getting lost on the way to the stage, the revival of the career in Japan, amplifiers that go to eleven, all the jokes and clichés are there, in fact I think this film may have invented a few.
In much the same way that the British TV series `Drop the Dead donkey' character Damien Day successfully lampooned cliché overly self important `on the spot' news reporters, to the point where I struggle to take these `news hounds' seriously, I find it hard to take most TV `Rockumentary' programmes seriously as a result of Spinal Tap. Musicians and producers talking to camera about their `work' just isn't the same.
Both influenced and influencing Spinal Tap is a work of comedy genius. Not many films have dialogue that enter the language, the phrase `its all a bit spinal tap' I have heard used in the media on countless occasions, and will be for years to come. There is little funnier in film or television when life imitates art, and art then imitates life to this degree. If we can see it, why can't they? All you need to enjoy this is a sense of humour.
The humour throughout Spinal Tap is dry and observed rather than slapstick in your face and that is fine by me. Hissy fits about food, on stage pompous prop failure, the tuning of a violin used during a guitar solo, radio interference on stage, the constant replacement of drummers, getting lost on the way to the stage, the revival of the career in Japan, amplifiers that go to eleven, all the jokes and clichés are there, in fact I think this film may have invented a few.
In much the same way that the British TV series `Drop the Dead donkey' character Damien Day successfully lampooned cliché overly self important `on the spot' news reporters, to the point where I struggle to take these `news hounds' seriously, I find it hard to take most TV `Rockumentary' programmes seriously as a result of Spinal Tap. Musicians and producers talking to camera about their `work' just isn't the same.
Both influenced and influencing Spinal Tap is a work of comedy genius. Not many films have dialogue that enter the language, the phrase `its all a bit spinal tap' I have heard used in the media on countless occasions, and will be for years to come. There is little funnier in film or television when life imitates art, and art then imitates life to this degree. If we can see it, why can't they? All you need to enjoy this is a sense of humour.
27 of 29 people found the following review helpful
By Dave
Format:DVD
This DVD goes up to 11 - one louder. This is what the DVD was created for. The first disc of this two-disc set contains the film and a commentary from the band. The picture quality is superb and the sound is excellent - the ...metal numbers are perfect CD quality. The second CD contains what basically amounts to an alternate version of the film - out-takes which are almost good enouhg to have been in the original. On top of that, you get piles of extras - videos, trailers, archive footage, interviews and, of course, adverts for bizarre Australian savoury pastry products. What more could you ever ask for from a DVD. The film itself is excellent. I had heard so much about it beforehand - mainly from sad obsessive fans - that I watched it for the first time wanting not to like it. But it really is well worth watching - even if you can't stand Heavy Metal. Everyone plays it completely straight - and that's what makes it all so funny. The songs are also superb in a terrible kind of way. There are too many wonderful bits in this to mention - but the show-stopping performance of the theatrical soft rock classic Stonehenge has to be the highlight of the film.
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful
By jcmacc
VINE™ VOICE
Format:Blu-ray|Amazon Verified Purchase
Given Amazon are lumping all versions of Spinal Tap together for review purposes: just to be clear, this is about the 25th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray only.
There's little point reviewing the film "This Is Spinal Tap": it's enough to say it's both a cinema and rock'n'roll classic that's spawned hundreds of catch-phrases ("Hello Cleveland", "It's one louder", "This much talent", "Lukewarm water" etc) and inspired any number of later comedy films and TV shows (notably the most famous fake-documentary style TV show, The Office).
The Blu-ray is the best looking version of the film it's possible to get although hardly a showcase for the Blu-ray format given the use of hand-held camera and 16mm film stock (used to create the documentary feel of the film). There's still plenty more visible detail than any previous DVD version, not to mention an incredible quality upgrade from old VHS versions which will be how most Tap fans saw the film in the first place, so the upgrade is worthwhile for devoted Tap-heads.
The Blu-Ray, like the 25th anniversay DVD version, is packed with extra features which are both a blessing and a curse. The trouble is that while the quantity of material is good, some of the features are simply incomplete, frustratingly so. "The Return of Spinal Tap" is only the first 50 minutes of the 110 minute feature (available in full on DVD) which isn't even an edited highlights version, it simply ends mid-scene and doesn't even include the end credits. Likewise the "Live Earth short film and performance" doesn't actually include the short film Tap made for Live Earth and is just the first 6 minutes of their live set, again ending abruptly in a fairly bad edit.... Read more ›
There's little point reviewing the film "This Is Spinal Tap": it's enough to say it's both a cinema and rock'n'roll classic that's spawned hundreds of catch-phrases ("Hello Cleveland", "It's one louder", "This much talent", "Lukewarm water" etc) and inspired any number of later comedy films and TV shows (notably the most famous fake-documentary style TV show, The Office).
The Blu-ray is the best looking version of the film it's possible to get although hardly a showcase for the Blu-ray format given the use of hand-held camera and 16mm film stock (used to create the documentary feel of the film). There's still plenty more visible detail than any previous DVD version, not to mention an incredible quality upgrade from old VHS versions which will be how most Tap fans saw the film in the first place, so the upgrade is worthwhile for devoted Tap-heads.
The Blu-Ray, like the 25th anniversay DVD version, is packed with extra features which are both a blessing and a curse. The trouble is that while the quantity of material is good, some of the features are simply incomplete, frustratingly so. "The Return of Spinal Tap" is only the first 50 minutes of the 110 minute feature (available in full on DVD) which isn't even an edited highlights version, it simply ends mid-scene and doesn't even include the end credits. Likewise the "Live Earth short film and performance" doesn't actually include the short film Tap made for Live Earth and is just the first 6 minutes of their live set, again ending abruptly in a fairly bad edit.... Read more ›
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4.6 out of 5 stars
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
2.0 out of 5 stars
Not the best
The DVD jumps and this is a cut version of the film, ie it is not the full version.
I give it two stars for the actual film.
I give it two stars for the actual film.
Published 12 days ago by George
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic
Have not seen this for years. Had to get it on blue ray and watched it again - its as good and funny as I remember. I loved it. Read more
Published 1 month ago by dmm
5.0 out of 5 stars
Pmsl
A great collector item, loved the extra cds as they threw a whole new light on the film prompting me to watch the film again... :-)
Published 1 month ago by Mrgj Clarke
5.0 out of 5 stars
This is Spinal Tap
This Film is based on the mock band called Spinal Tap and was made in 1983 and you will love behind the scenes of a mock band !!!!;-)
Published 1 month ago by Alawes
5.0 out of 5 stars
A classic
This is a must for any discerning film buff!! Funny, cringing and oh so true. Highly recommended for any rock music fan.
Published 1 month ago by Welsh girl
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great parody of life in a Rock Band!
Watched the first DVD a couple of times, and waiting to find the time to watch the features on Disk 2. A laugh all the way through!
Published 1 month ago by Robert Vernon
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent value!
Great to get this for my mate on DVD - with loads of extras - as we both loved Spinal Tap!
Published 1 month ago by Pete
5.0 out of 5 stars
a 12 !
a fine presentation of one the great cult films.
i played the bd to a musician friend who had never seen it before and he loved it.
i played the bd to a musician friend who had never seen it before and he loved it.
Published 2 months ago by wm3333
5.0 out of 5 stars
What do you need to say... Just eleven!!!
If you love rock and all the whole circus surrounding bands, media and fans this just takes it all in a glorious tongue in cheek full on mick take of the whole "rock"... Read more
Published 2 months ago by frogman
5.0 out of 5 stars
IT GOES UP TO 11
Rob Reiner's hilarious spoof documentary about the so-called heavy metal band "Spinal Tap".
Spinal Tap's ardent fan, the curiously named Marty DiBergi, chronicles the... Read more
Spinal Tap's ardent fan, the curiously named Marty DiBergi, chronicles the... Read more
Published 3 months ago by John Griffin
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