Rating: 
Summary: Mime is money!
Review: Superb (m/r)ockumentary of the semi-fictitious band "Spinal Tap", made up of Michael McKean ("Lenny", soul mate of Squigy, on the TV series "Laverne & Shirley"), Christopher Guest (actor/director of "Waiting for Guffman"), Harry Shearer (performs voices of 22 different characters on "The Simpsons"), and a random selection of ever-changing drummers. The movie is a tongue-in-cheek parody of washed-up hard rock bands that still think they are God's gift to the universe. The inspired idiocy borders on genius at times, lending weight to Michael's observation that there is a "fine line between stupid and clever".The DVD is simply amazing. For starters, everything is in character. From the style of the main menu title screen, to the menu voice-overs by the band, and extending through all of the extra material included on the DVD, the personas of the band (and the fictitious director as well) are maintained with perfect consistency. What makes this all the more amazing is the shear quantity of extras on the disk. For starters, there is about an hour of "deleted" scenes provided. In addition, there are numerous music videos, TV commercials (fake I presume???), and trailers. And as if that weren't enough, there is also a commentary track throughout the entire film with the band members, completely in character, being as hilariously idiotic as they are in the film. The Spinal Tap commentary track is easily the most entertaining commentary in my extensive DVD library. The DVD medium is put to splendid use as well. Menu transitions are computer animations inspired by some of the film's funniest moments. Each menu plays a different "Tap" song, giving you access to a decent percentage of the sound track. And, just as importantly, the animations are not overdone; the menus are still easy to use, and the transitions only take a few seconds. Overall, this DVD is a great value, and provides a vast amount of material not available in the VHS version. If you are a Tap fan, or would like to be, you NEED this DVD! Movie
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Originality: A
Creativity: A
Complexity/Depth: B-
Relevance/Message: B
Artistic Merit: A
Overall Entertainment Value: A
DVD
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Transfer Quality: A
Extras: A+
Use of Medium: A
Rating: 
Summary: Dated farsical gods...
Review: I'm not giving this film 3 stars as a comedy but actually as a serious film. What??? Well, here's the thing: I watched "This is Spinal Tap" in 2004. For whatever reasons i hadn't seen it up until this point, but i can't help it that it seemed dated to me. More than probably, back in 1984 when it was released, this thing cut it. It cut it with the frequency of humor it had and with the story it presents. But today? Today, it simply seems dated and even from a historical point of view there could've been a much better result to have come out of it, especially if another (more interesting) band was featured. It's not like there weren't any choices out there, geeez, this is the rock world we're talking about. Motorhead, for one band, would've easily incorporated many of the "assets" of Spinal Tap as well as other added ones that would've made the overall product much more attractive and poignant. But having said that, Spinal Tap does have its worth and this is where i come to my point: I personally laughed wholeheartedly with only a few scenes in this film, mainly because to me this was hardly a comedy. Now, this is indeed scary, but why would i laugh with something supposedly made to mock when even big bands (no need to mention names) have been 50 times funnier as Tap? Or when i constantly read to this very day daily quotes from the rock gods that make you first re-read the quote with amazement and then burst with laughter realising it's seriously said. Did i say "serious"? That's exactly it. This film attempts to make something look funny when it's already hilarious to begin with. It tries too much, and often during the film i thought that stretching it was totally un-needed and spoiled the effort. I read the official review from Amazon and at the very end of it, it says that this is the best rocumentary ever made. I take up a serious issue with that assessment folks: Unless one has not seen "Almost famous" (came out 4 years ago) would that statement hold sadly true. But Almost Famous is leagues better than Spinal Tap, it's far more poignant, far more accurate, far funnier, far deeper (ok, that wouldn't be too difficult) and it far more captures the times it portrays than Spinal Tap could ever hope to. I think that Spinal Tap is still watchable exactly because we know this is real (well, some of us do). Bands like that did exist in much worse form even, and -that's even scarier- they still do today (again, no need to mention names, those with even half a brain know the culprits). If someone wanted to find another Spinal Tap-like band to make a film about today he wouldn't have the slightest problem. Not back then, not now, not in 20 years from now, as pathetic as that sounds for the rock scene. Or for any musical scene for that matter. As a movie, "Spinal Tap" does well picking on all the rock cliches and their inane shallowness, it does even better representing the average rock farsical god, but it does so without keeping you interested enough, especially if you're not a rock afficionado and you dont "see" the references. The humor and the punchlines quickly become not so much repetitive but definately predictable, the horrible Tap songs are simply too horrifying to endure, you end up being thankful the 80s are gone and buried, and yet those with a deep knowledge of the scene are left thinking that this is only the tip of the iceberg and that the rest is left untouched in the film. All in all, the Tap movie does have its place in musical history (exactly where that place is, I'm not so sure). However, when it comes to films about the surreality of the rock scene things are pretty bleak: there are simply not many films, with the exception of 3-4, that capture that in an adequate way. All i can suggest for the time being is to opt instead for "Almost Famous". Encyclopaedically speaking though, "This is Spinal Tap" does have its merits...
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic
Review: The classic This is Spinal Tap is truly the greatest depiction of a rock band in cinematic history. I remember watching this for the first time with my buddies...everything thats happened in this movie has happened to me. The guy getting stuck in the pod, the tour dates being cancelled, playing under a puppet show, all of it!! And my buddies are sitting there laughing and Im like....this isnt funny. And THATS what makes the movie so great.....its SO realistic. The definitive rock and roll band movie.....get it today!!
Rating:
Summary: Hilarious spoof of declining rock band!
Review: This movie is easily one of the top ten comedies of the past century. It also happens to be the directorial debut of Rob Reiner (well known to all previously as "All in the Family"'s Michael "Meat-Head" Stivic). Combining the talents of Michael McKean, Harry Shearer and Christopher Guest (all by this time Saturday Night Live alums), the movie becomes a rock "mockumentary"! Reiner also stars as rock journalist Chuck DiBergi, who follows the fictitious English band, Spinal Tap, through a series of mishaps and misadventures. The movie's stabs at rock musicians' behavior hit the mark consistently; all the posing, pomposity and self-importance displayed by any flock of hare-brained and hirsute rock stars are wonderfully lampooned by the trio of aging, obsolescent musicians known as Spinal Tap. The songs are all laughably insipid and full of misplaced testosterone. You'll be able to see the parallels with real rock acts: The girlfriend of David St. Hubbins (McKean) assumes a managerial position by proxy after a series of concert mishaps, mirroring the supposed meddling of Yoko Ono with the Beatles; the elaborate stage sets of Iron Maiden, which never seem to work the way they did for Maiden; the inexplicable deaths of drummers, like those that ended the careers of The Who and Led Zeppelin; and lead guitarist Nigel Tufnel's (Guest's) poke at Zep's Jimmy Page's solos by rubbing a puny fiddle against his electric axe. You'll roar with laughter at bassist Derek Smalls' (Harry Shearer's) inability to get out of a "star chamber" on stage, trying to play his instrument in a cramped position while stage hands frantically try to pry him out of his shell. Lines like "This one goes to eleven" and "Hello, Cleveland!" are still classics. With Tap's rapid decline ending in the ultimate nadir, having a puppet show gain first priority on a festival marquee, we're left with only one question: Will the band bow out gracefully, or continue to wallow in self-destruction? Enjoy this special edition of a comedy great. Also, be sure to look for such screen-comedy luminaries as Billy Crystal, Bruno Kirby, Howard Hesseman, and Dana Carvey as a mime!
Rating:
Summary: A Cult Classic That Shouldn't Be Missed!
Review: I can't believe that I hadn't seen this movie sooner. I was very surprised by this very clever and hilarious "mockumentary." (Yes, this isn't a real documentary. Like "The Blair Witch Project," a lot of people thought this movie was real.) And now that it is restored and loaded with extras, the film is even better. The movie is about a heavy metal band, Spinal Tap, who goes on tour and hopes to sell their new album, "Smell the Glove" to Tap fans everywhere. Along that road to fame comes bumps and unexpected events. The band starts to fight with each other while cities are starting to cancel their tours. Though this movie is hilarious, it's funny in a very subtle way, so it makes you believe that you are watching an actual documentary. As funny as it may seem, the movie does seem to have a ring of truth when it comes to the music business. This DVD is loaded with extras! The funniest part is when you go to the menu and you hear the band trying to figure out what the buttons mean. ("That one means 'Play.'" "But I didn't bring any of my instruments, I didn't know we had to play.") It's pretty funny to hear the whole thing. There are also lots of rare out-takes that are defiantly worth seeing. The best feature of all is the audio commentary, which is done by Spinal Tap. (Yes, they stay in character throughout the whole commentary.) It's great listening to it the second time you see it. You hear the band members accusing the director of the documentary trying to make them look bad, and using "special" cameras that they couldn't see. They also try to figure out what the name of their skull head statue was. It's pretty funny when they accuse the director of having a fake beard. ("Look, it's got glue all over on it. Now, he's scratching it again.) Definitely check out the audio commentary when you can. "This is Spinal Tap" is a cult classic, and is an awesome movie. It's a very clever satire of documentaries on rock bands. This is a classic film that you will not forget.
Rating: 
Summary: Classic moments interspersed with less-hilarious footage.
Review: When I first saw "Spinal Tap" in the theater, I thought it was hilarious... and there ARE some truly hilarious moments, mostly in the live performance segments: Big Bottoms, Stonehenge and the Pod People sequence in particular. The "behind the scenes" portions, however, are less inspired and become repetitious after a while, although the "lost backstage" sequence is a classic too.
If you haven't ever seen this movie, by all means get a copy of the DVD and watch it. It's fun, and a bit of a cultural landmark. But don't expect nonstop hilarity.
Rating:
Summary: Best Commentary... EVER!
Review: Even if you already own the Criterion edition of this movie, this edition is well worth getting if for nothing else than the commentary by the band in character, which manages the impossible in actually rivaling the movie itself for quotable lines. I ended up laughing more at this than the movie itself, which is saying a lot. Even the menus are done in the same low-key kind of humor that makes the movie so subtly brilliant.
Rating: 
Summary: I've had fish sandwiches better than this film
Review: If you're looking for a great Christopher Guest (and co.) flick, don't rent this one. Poor editing results in a slow-moving, rarely funny flick. There are some gems of humor, but not enough to keep you from pausing every five minutes to go to the fridge...
Waxing dramatic in some scenes, you might rent it because it's a classic, but I wouldn't drive a Conastoga wagon to work every day because it's a classic. Sure, it was monumental in its time, and had a 'caravan' of followers, but it doesn't work for what my needs are today.
Rating:
Summary: Greatest rock spoof ever made!
Review: A documentary made by a filmmaker named Marti DiBergi ( played by Rob Reiner) gives a look into England's loudest heavy metal band called "Spinal Tap" on their history from 60's swingers to a rock sensation that has swept both America & England, there is interviews with the band members Nigel Tugnel ( Christopher Guest), David St. Hubbins ( Michael McKean) and Derek Smalls ( Harry Shearer) and behind the scenes of their latest album "Smell the Glove".
This entertaining and hilarious mockumentary on a fictional non-existent rock band has became a cult sensation and a midnight favorite. There is such originality within the script itself, a self-mocking sense of humor is what helps the comedy of this movie.
Rob Reiner's direction is flawless, there is also appearences by Fran Drescher, Dana Carvey and Billy Crystal makes this one unforgettable cult comedy experience you must not miss.
The special edition is just as great as the movie itself with awesome transfer & great sound quality, the extras are also very good such as audio commentary by Spinal Tap themselves, outtakes, music videos, 6 TV commericals, Trailers, a Fictional but funny Flower People Press Conference, Spinal Tap appearence on " The Joe Franklin Show" and " Heavy Metal Memories" fake commercial.
This is totally one of the best comedies ever made, so if you love a good laugh & rock music at the same time, i suggest you own this movie and enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: The Greatest Satire Ever Made!
Review: The question is...How great could this movie be? and the answer is none, none more great.
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