This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
TOMATOMETER
AUDIENCE SCORE
Critic Consensus: Smartly directed, brilliantly acted, and packed with endlessly quotable moments, This Is Spinal Tap is an all-time comedy classic.
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Cast
as David St. Hubbins
as Nigel Tufnel
as Marty DiBergi
as Derek Smalls
as Ian Faith
as Mick Shrimpton
as Viv Savage
as Jeanine
as Tommy Pischedda
as John 'Stumpy' Pepys
as Bobbi Flekman
as Sir Denis Eaton-Hogg
as Morty the Mime
as Terry Ladd
as Artie Fufkin
as Lt. Hookstratten
as Heavy Metal Fan
as Heavy Metal Fan
as Heavy Metal Fan
as Ethereal Fan
as New York MC
as Ronnie Pudding
as Bartender
as Mime Waitress
as Mime Waitress
as Angelo DiMentibello
as Antelo's Associate
as Rolling Stone Reporter
as Limo Groupie
as Rack Jobber
as Southern Rock Promoter
as Tucker 'Smitty' Brown
as Reba
as Fame Groupie
as Fame Groupie
as Student Promoter
as Eric 'Stumpy Joe' Childs
as Jamboree Bop Dancer
as Jamboree Bop Dancer
as Cindy
as Girlfriend (uncredited)
as Belinda
as Airport Security Official
as Room Service Guy
as Disc & Dat Manager
as Janitor
as Polly Deutsch
as Little Druid
as Little Druid
as Joe 'Mama' Besser
as L.A. Party Guest
as Moke
as Duke Fame
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Critic Reviews for This Is Spinal Tap
All Critics (61) | Top Critics (8) | Fresh (58) | Rotten (3) | DVD (11)
For music biz insiders, This Is Spinal Tap is a vastly amusing satire of heavy metal bands.
For all its japes and jokes, the movie is really about exhaustion of the spirit: sitting in a bleak hotel suite at 4 a.m. with the bad taste of last night in the mouth and the feeling that tomorrow will not be a better day.
The material is consistently clever and funny, though ultimately the attitudes are too narrow to nourish a feature-length film.
Reiner's brilliantly inventive script and smart visuals avoid all the obvious pitfalls, making this one of the funniest ever films about the music business.
It stays so wickedly close to the subject that it is very nearly indistinguishable from the real thing.
The film is a composite of classic moments, all of which we sense could have happened to any of the classic heavy metal bands -- or at least to those whose members combined delusions of greatness with low I.Q.s.
Audience Reviews for This Is Spinal Tap
A hilarious and delicious mockumentary that features numerous memorable, well-inspired moments and works so well mostly because of its intelligent, ironic sense of humor as it pokes fun at the rock 'n' roll universe (the stars and the fans) in a very lighthearted way.
Super Reviewer
The best mocumentary ever made. A hilarious ride concerning a slowly desinigrating rock band. To think that some people took this seriously when it first came out is actually frighteningly believable, because the acting is that good. This is an effective satire on the rock and roll genre that features many gags that work effectively. A slim running time is actually ideal this kind of movie as well, Reiner cuts the risk of running the same joke over and over again for a long time period, instead this short running time works out perfectly that it doesn't go overboard into self-indulgence territory. Quite simply this is one of my favorite films and a movie that should not be missed.
Super Reviewer
Great for someone who loves rock music, like me. The film works because it feels like a legit documentary. Funny thing is, the music that this so called band makes is pretty good. Turn it up to 11 and enjoy some great satire. By the way, be prepared for a lot of dry humor.
Super Reviewer
This Is Spinal Tap Quotes
| Derek Smalls: | Rock and roll!!! |
| Marty DiBergi: | Do you feel that playing rock and roll music keeps you a child... that is, keeps you in a state of arrested development? |
| Derek Smalls: | No, no, no. I feel it's like, it's more like going, going to a national park or something, and there's... you know, they preserve the moose. And that's my childhood up there on stage is that moose, you know. |
| Marty DiBergi: | So when you're playing, you feel like a preserved moose onstage? |
| Derek Smalls: | Yeah. |
| David St. Hubbins: | "I think that the problem may have been that there was a Stonehenge monument on the stage that was in danger of being crushed by a dwarf. That tended to understate the hugeness of the object." |
| David St. Hubbins: | I think that the problem may have been that there was a Stonehenge monument on the stage that was in danger of being crushed by a dwarf. That tended to understate the hugeness of the object. |
| Morty the Mime: | Mime is money |
| Morty the Mime: | Mime is money. |
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