The Wasteland Reviewer

The Wasteland Gems: This Is Spinal Tap (1984)

How do you choose what to watch on all those streaming services you have access to? There are so many options that it is just overwhelming. These services constantly release new content and overshadow all the great films from the past that are already there and ready to watch. Now there is The Wasteland Gems! Here is a great film on streaming right now that you should check out this weekend:

This Is Spinal Tap (1984)

What is the genre of comedy that Christopher Guest perfected over his long career of directing films? The mockumentary. This type of comedy takes the documentary medium and parodies it. Documentaries can be so informative and transformational but many of them dabble too deeply into the same structures and presentations. When you can get the right creative team, they can have plenty of fun painting inside those boundaries. But before Guest went out on his own as a filmmaker and killed with mockumentaries, he was part of a crew with Rob Reiner, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer who created comedic gold in This Is Spinal Tap.

Why is this comedy so funny? For a film of around 80 minutes, this might be the most quotable film of all time. There are endless sharp bits of dialogue that deliver endless laughs. There are so many laughs in this film that you just miss some of them along the way (making this film ideal for repeat viewing). The ignorance of this metal band is unmatched and that opens the door for plenty of hilarious statements or shenanigans that you cannot help but laugh at. The little bread. The amp goes up to 11. The “armadillos” in our trousers. There are plenty of physical gags including the iconic mini-Stonehenge gag that is one of the funniest visual gags you will see in any film. This cast and their impeccable comedic timing and improvisations make this movie what it is.

But is there something more to This Is Spinal Tap than a bunch of laughs? There are some heart and soul here. There is a legitimate friendship that is slowly deteriorating throughout the journey, and it is heartbreaking. You can tell that Nigel Tufnel (Guest) and David St. Hubbins (McKean) there is a genuine connection between these artists (and it isn’t just the herpes you see on their lips at one point in the film). You can tell Derek Smalls (Shearer) is just kind of there for the ride and not sure how to help this trainwreck of a record tour. This is a team that has been together for such a long time, and this story shows that all coming to a head and the band fracturing. The group has their own “Yoko” with David’s girlfriend Jeanine getting in the way of David and Nigel. The acting is deceptively strong as you can see the pain on Guest and McKean’s faces throughout the film. They might be a trio of ignorant rockers, but they do have feelings and it is soul crushing seeing how far they fall.

If you are going to lampoon a rock band, what do you need to get right? The music. This band and their music feel so authentic in the rock landscape of the time. Many of their hard rock songs sound like they could have just been AC/DC songs, to be honest. The hilarious lyrics of songs like “Big Bottoms” makes for such a delightfully raunchy experience. “Stonehenge” has that weird, nerdy feel of Led Zeppelin and Iron Maiden with the (supposedly) big pomp and circumstance. They have their earlier tracks that feel like they could have been Cream or The Yardbirds (or any bands from the British Invasion of the 1960s). You will probably get a few tracks stuck in your head at least especially if you are a hard rock/metal fan. Their performances on stage are pitch perfect as they capture those rock star vibes and physicality so perfectly.

Are you ready for some laughs? Reiner has you covered with this genius mockumentary. There are so many wonderful cameos and supporting turns from Billy Crystal, Fran Drescher, Bruno Kirby, Ed Begley Jr., and many more. This trio (plus Reiner) are just pitch perfect in their comedic work and acting. There is real heart and genuine rocking going on in this silly homage and send-up of the rock documentary genre.

This Is Spinal Tap is streaming on HBO Max.